Committed but not Converted

I remember a college professor making a statement in class one day that perhaps half of those who attend Christian churches are not truly converted Christians. That statement startled me then. However, the longer I am in pastoral ministry, the more I see his point. While the percentage may be debatable, the point is that there are no doubt many within evangelical churches (i.e. churches who claim to preach the gospel) who may be committed to the church and its causes, but who are not truly converted to Christ.

Let me give you at least two Bible illustrations of this point. The first one is from Matthew 7. There, Jesus points out that many will say to him in the day of judgment, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” These people sound committed to the very cause of Christ, but something is deficient in them. Jesus, knowing their hearts with perfect clarity, will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Mt 7:22-23). There were various causes in which Jesus and his own disciples were involved on a regular basis, including exorcism, and doing good. Others were involved in some of those same practices, and yet were not truly the Lord’s disciples. They were not converted, though they had performed many good deeds in the name of Jesus. Yet because of their unconverted heart, they were condemned to hell.

A second illustration of this is one of those men chosen by Jesus himself to be part of the twelve. Judas Iscariot was fully committed in his ministry as an apostle. He was one of the twelve who was involved with feeding the 5000, with performing miraculous things, and everything else the other eleven did. When Jesus made the statement that one of his own would betray Him into the hands of men, the disciples were bewildered as to who among them would do such a thing. In other words, there was no speculation whatsoever that it would indeed be Judas. Judas was committed to the cause of Jesus as he proclaimed Jesus to others, as he performed miracles, and as he did good deeds. Yet there was something wrong in the heart of Judas. Judas did not refute Peter’s proclamation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. However, when the time came, and the provocation was given, Judas showed the true quality of his heart and betrayed the Lord into the hands of those who would murder him. Jesus called Judas “the son of perdition.” While Judas may have been committed on an earthly level to the cause of Jesus, he was not truly converted to Christ in his heart. Judas hanged himself, died, and is unfortunately in hell today.

There are many well-meaning people in our churches today who are committed to various causes of Christianity. Those causes could include feeding the hungry, building homes for the impoverished, helping the fatherless, a church building program, para-church organizations, or a host of other causes that are good and noble in and of themselves. However, that person’s heart, though committed to the causes, may not be converted to Christ. There is a difference. Christianity is not a religion centered around the notion of being committed to various social causes or church programs. Christianity is a call to die to self, to humbly and willingly admit that we are sinful rebels against a holy and righteous God, and therefore we need to be reconciled to Him only through Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross of Calvary. Jesus died for our sins, and rose again for our justification.

Those who are committed but not converted are difficult to identify because of how well they blend in to those within the true church of Jesus Christ, which is why it is good for God’s people to pray for truth to be made known in a clear way. Those who are genuinely converted by the Spirit of God will produce true fruits of repentance, while those who are not will fail to produce fruit that is pleasing to God. As Jesus also said in Matthew 7, “thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (v20). Heaven is full of converted people; hell contains many who were committed, but not truly converted to the cause of Christ.  May those who are merely committed be truly converted to Christ for the good of His church and for the glory of God.

Religious But Not Righteous

Evangelicalism is full of people who are very religious in the eyes of men, but who are not righteous in the eyes of God. The significance of this is between going to heaven or hell. Hell will be full of religiously unrighteous people, while heaven will be filled with those who are truly righteous in God’s sight. What is the difference?

The difference is Jesus Christ. While Christianity is a religion, it is unlike any other religion. In fact, it is more than a religion. Christianity boasts of a Savior who is God enfleshed, who died on a cross for our sins, and who rose from the dead the third day. Jesus of Nazareth is that Savior. He is the eternal Son of God, who became a man for the purpose of dying on behalf of men. Because of our sinfulness, mankind deserves to die, both physically and eternally in hell. However, because of His great love for us, Jesus Christ died in our place, taking the penalty of death for us. His resurrection is what secures eternal life for all who repent and believe on Him alone for their salvation. Those who have received Jesus are declared righteous in God’s eyes and are promised eternal life in heaven.

Other religions cannot claim these truths as the Bible describes them. Other religions may use some of the same terminology, but with different meanings, thus making another gospel of a different kind, which then makes it a false gospel. Today, there are “religious” people all over our world who claim to follow some kind of man-made religion, but who are in fact unrighteous before God because they have not believed in the Biblical gospel.

Within broader evangelicalism itself, though, there are those who have adopted an unbiblical view of Christianity and have, in essence, revealed that they are also religious, but not righteous. For instance, some do not believe they are in need of a Savior per se, but they are willing to attend local churches, and even be involved in various causes of the church. Others may appear to be righteous, but are in fact religious hypocrites, whose hearts have never submitted to the truth of the gospel, and who are therefore not righteous before God. This is one reason why it is important for pastors to proclaim the truth of the gospel even to those who regularly attend their corporate worship services.

While being religious receives more positive responses from men, being truly righteous before God is what secures a person’s eternal home in heaven. Are you just a religious person, or are you truly righteous in God’s eyes?

Christmas Family Devotional

It is amazing to think that Christmas is just over 2 months away. This year has gone by so quickly. Let me encourage you to consider purchasing a devotional tool that is meant either for individual use or as a family. It is entitled, Rejoicing in Christ, the Newborn King. This devotional is meant to begin on December 1st and be used through Christmas day. It contains scriptural reflections as well as good Christian hymns to sing around the theme of Christ’s first advent.

Here is a review given on Amazon.com about this book:

Pastor Joos does a great job of incorporating Biblical truths about Christ’s birth with traditional Christmas hymns that we know and love. So many Christians know far too little about the Biblical identity of Christ. This devotional reintroduces Jesus in a unique, biblical manner that is a great tool for the whole family. It is such a blessing to have a family sing hymns together. We look forward to using it each year in December.

And another:

I appreciate Pastor Joos for putting together such a helpful reminder of everything Christ’s birth means to us as believers. We have some deep hymns for teaching our children, as well as ourselves the doctrine of Christ’s incarnation and Taigen combines the best of these in this devotional book. It helped us be intentional about talking through each one with our family. We bought these for each of our family members at Thanksgiving so they would have them in time for Dec 1st.

You can purchase this book a couple of different ways. If you want individual copies, you can go to amazon.com here. If you would like to order this in bulk for your church or a multitude of people, i would encourage you to go through the publisher here. Through this latter link, you can also see samples of the devotional and also see the list of hymns used.

If you have used this book, I would be interested in your feedback as well. May God help us to prepare well for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

5 Things Your Pastor Needs on the Lord’s Day

Pastoral ministry is not easy; it is not always enjoyable; it is not always fun; however, it is a vocation that can be the most glorious and blessed in all the world. At their very best, Pastors are just men. Pastors have human frailties, difficulties, burdens, and frustrations, just like every other member of the church. While ministry takes place throughout the week, there is the reality that the Lord’s Day is the one day around which every Pastor’s life revolves. Our primary responsibility is to feed the flock of God the Word of God on the Lord’s Day. Therefore, our week either looks forward to the Lord’s Day, or is “recovering” from the Lord’s Day. We always know that Sunday is coming.

What does your Pastor need on the Lord’s Day from you and from the Lord? I offer a few things by way of suggestions of how you can specifically pray for your Pastor.

1.  Pray for the power of God’s Spirit as your Pastor preaches and teaches God’s Word. The power in our preaching does not come from our eloquence, our personalities, our techniques, our humor, or our ability to tell a good story. The power in preaching comes from the Spirit of God using the Word of God, faithfully spoken by the man of God. Your Pastor needs the power of God as he preaches and teaches God’s Word.
2. Pray for God’s people to attend the worship services of your church. The average church member does not fully understand how discouraging it is when church members do not faithfully and regularly attend the worship services. When the corporate worship times of God’s people takes second place to things of lesser importance, it is discouraging to your Pastor. He longs to see the flock of God put the Lord first on the Lord’s Day. A simple way that this takes place is through the regular and faithful attendance of the services.
3. Pray for God’s people to be receptive to God’s Word. Every Pastor desires to see change and growth in the hearts and lives of God’s people. However, we also know full well that the work of sanctification is not something we can manufacture from the pulpit. Pastors wish for their people to faithfully be in God’s Word all throughout the week in order to come ready to receive the preaching and teaching of God’s Word on the Lord’s Day. Receptive, humble hearts before God’s Word resulting in a willing change of life enabled by the Spirit of God will be very encouraging to your Pastor.
4. Pray for stamina and physical strength for your Pastor. There are many weeks when your Pastor goes through an emotionally and/or spiritually grueling  week. When The Lord’s Day comes, no matter how well he prepares himself for the day, he is still very tired and burdened. He needs the strength of the Lord and even the physical stamina to go through a busy and full day of ministry opportunities. Your Pastor needs your prayers in this regard.
5. Pray for patience and longevity for your Pastor. I will guess that every pastor struggles at some point in time with being “results-oriented” in ministry. The success of ministries is often gauged merely by numerical or tangible results. But in ministry, those do not always, or often, take place. While it can be frustrating, your Pastor needs patience to endure for the long haul, to be faithful in his ministry tasks, and to trust that the Lord will produce whatever fruit He deems best.

Would you pray these things for your Pastor for this week? Would you pray these kinds of things for your Pastor every week? Your pastor prays for the flock of God (at least he should) to be faithful, to be in attendance, to be willing to grow and change. But your Pastor has needs as well. Pray for him, particularly on the Lord’s Day, that he would find his source of joy, peace, strength, and rest in God, for whose glory he ministers.

Product and Process

It is said that Thomas Edison made 1000 attempts at making an incandescent bulb before he finally succeeded. His persistence in making all of those attempts is mind-blowing, but something that every person can learn from. The old adage, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” could certainly be applied to Edison’s mentality. Edison had it in his mind to create an incandescent bulb fit for indoor usage. But making that bulb did not happen easily, nor did it happen quickly. It took time, effort, resources, and patience before the product was successful.

By and large, Christians today want the product of godly, holy Christianity without the process of achieving that. They want the product of maturity without going through the maturing process. They want the product of wisdom without going through the process of procuring it. They want the product of God’s blessings without the process of receiving them.

All Christians must understand that God expects us to put work into our Christianity. There is a process of sanctification that God desires to put all of us through. Yes, it is God who is at work in us to both desire His good pleasure, and do His good pleasure, but it is us who must actively do it. Every command God gives His people today through His Word targets our will. Whenever we are confronted with a command, we are confronted with a choice to obey or disobey. We can choose to disobey, but with that disobedience comes consequences. If we disobey and suffer the consequences, we gripe and complain to God. That is what the children of Israel did after they failed to go into the Promised Land at the wise counsel of Joshua and Caleb. Because of their choice to disobey God, they suffered the consequences of 40 years in the wilderness, and death for all but Joshua and Caleb. However, when we choose to obey, blessing always follows, in some way, shape, or form.

Every Christian ought to strive to be the best Christian he/she can possibly be, but this product requires a process. It does not come automatically, easily, or quickly. Because of this we get easily frustrated. Our frustration is due to the fact that we are terribly consumer-driven, sensual, and results oriented people. We want the product immediately, and if/when it does not happen immediately, we get frustrated, discouraged, and then give up. This is the reason why most of Christianity today has little influence on our culture, why we are spiritually anemic, why we are fruitless and ineffective for Christ, and why we are lethargic and apathetic in church ministry.

1 Timothy 4:12-16 indicates that the disciplines of Christianity are to consume the life of the believer. In pursuing them, we are pursuing Jesus Christ. That passage gives eight commands, not only for pastors, but also for every believer to be engaged in and consumed by. The problem is, we want the product that following those commands yields, but we do not want the process that it requires.

Every Christian is called upon to be morally holy as God is holy. Every believer is to be pure, and just, and loving, and kind, and…. These things require work, hard work, persistent work, Spirit-enabled work, humble work, and patient work.

This world does not need any more mediocre, excuse-giving, blame shifting Christians. This world needs to see Christians who are humbly striving to be like Christ, allowing the Scriptures to permeate every part of their being, and who will, through both life and lips, proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world. May we all strive to be this kind of Christian for the glory of God.

10 Things to Pray Regarding The Lord’s Day

I am only 42 years old, but I have realized the incredible significance and importance of The Lord’s Day in the life of the believer. If I ever were to get a doctorate degree, I would love to write my dissertation on the importance of The Lord’s Day to Christianity and to Christians. But for now, I will content myself by giving some suggestions to all Christians on how to pray specifically for The Lord’s Day. These are in no particular order of importance or significance.

1. Pray for your pastor to be well rested and fully prepared to proclaim God’s truth through the teaching and preaching ministry. Your pastor has given himself to this primary task of ministry, and he desperately needs your prayers. All the preparation during the week culminates in the few precious minutes of proclaiming Bible truth.
2. Pray for God’s people to make The Lord’s Day a priority and to attend the services of the church. No believer should neglect to attend the assembly of the saints together on The Lord’s Day. Therefore pray for every member, if they are physically able, to be in attendance. The average church member has no idea how encouraging it is for the pastor to see his flock in attendance. When someone skips out for foolish reasons, it is incredibly discouraging for the pastor.
3. Pray for a readiness in every person who attends to receive the Word of God, to hear it, and to act upon it. We must have hearts willing to receive, ears that are willing to hear, and lives that are wiling to do what God’s Word demands of us.
4. Pray for the regeneration of the lost, and for the rejuvenation of the saved. While the corporate gathering of the saints on The Lord’s Day is for the primary purpose of worship, we recognize that there may very well be lost people in attendance. Pray for God to work in their hearts for salvation, and for God’s people to grow in their own sanctification for the glory of God.
5. Pray for God the Holy Spirit to bring deep conviction upon hearts. This is part of His ministry, and we can pray for Him to have freedom in being able to convict both the saved and the lost.
6. Pray for God’s power to be evident through the preaching of God’s Word. Human eloquence, a charismatic personality, or trendy techniques will not produce the power of God in preaching. Pray for God’s Spirit to infuse God’s Word with God’s power as it comes from God’s man to yield God’s results in the lives of God’s people.
7. Pray that the Word of God would run freely in hearts and be glorified. It is the Word of God that people need, as it will point people to Jesus Christ and the glorious gospel.
8. Pray for the pastor to preach behind the authority of God, and not be concerned about being a comedian, or a celebrity. Every preacher is merely a mouthpiece for deity. We are public ambassadors, representing Jesus Christ. Pray for your pastor to recognize his position before God and before men.
9. Pray for the musicians to communicate God’s truth faithfully and heartily, and draw attention to God rather than to themselves. Every musician must strive to not be the center of attention in how they look or in how they sing. Pray for humility and a sincerity in seeking to draw people to think great things of our great God.
10. Pray for the church of Jesus Christ to see souls saved, baptized, and added to the church. This is the great commission. We ought to continue to pray for God to do what He alone can do. We must be faithful in proclaiming God’s truth, but He will save people from their sins.

I encourage God’s people to take these and even pray a couple of them each week, to help focus on the significance and importance of The Lord’s Day.

Sheep Who Need Shepherds

In recent months I have been made aware of twelve Baptist/Bible churches in New England that are in need of pastors. Some pastors have resigned for various reasons, while others are retiring after many faithful years of ministry. Those twelve churches are comprised of many believers in Jesus Christ – sheep who are in need of someone to shepherd them.

While Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, He calls men to shepherd His flock on this earth. Faithfully feeding them the Word of God is of primary importance. Caring for them, loving them, leading them, and equipping them are also necessary components of ministry. My heart is burdened for these church bodies. No doubt, there are many other churches that you may know of in need of a pastor as well.

I ask you to commit yourselves to pray for these ministries. I offer the following suggestions to pray for:

1. Pray for God to protect each flock as they search for a new pastor. Without a leader, it can be a time of disunity and dysfunction within a church body.
2. Pray for God’s Spirit to rule the hearts of each church member. This is a crucial time for each church to walk in the Spirit rather than their fleshly pursuits.
3. Pray for God to direct each pastoral search team. Pray for wisdom in discerning whom God desires to be their next pastor.
4. Pray for God’s man to lead each of these churches for many years to come.
5. Pray for God’s glory to be displayed through the process of the pastoral search.

New England needs men who are faithful to God’s Word, conservative in ministry philosophy and practice, committed to longevity in ministry, and who will lovingly lead God’s people down paths of righteousness for the Lord’s sake. Will you pray with me regarding these churches?

What We Need Most

Without food or water, we can suffer great hunger and malnutrition, and even physical death.

Without an education, we can be illiterate and perhaps jobless.

Without our health, we can experience great pain and suffering.

Without money, we can be impoverished and destitute.

Without relationships, we can be lonely.

But without Jesus Christ, we will suffer eternal condemnation and separation from God in hell.

Therefore, we need Jesus Christ more than we need food or water.

We need Jesus Christ more than we need a higher education.

We need Jesus Christ more than we need good health.

We need Jesus Christ more than we need money.

We need Jesus Christ more than we need any other human relationship.

What our families need more than anything else is Jesus Christ.

What our churches need more than anything else is Jesus Christ.

What our country needs more than anything else is Jesus Christ.

What this world needs more than anything else is Jesus Christ.

Going Against the Pressure of the Popular

The popular opinion is often the majority opinion. However, the popular opinion is not always the right opinion. Christians are put in pressure situations where the popular way, the popular mentality, or the popular position is touted as being necessary to follow. However, the pressure of the popular is often the pressure of the dangerous.

The popular opinion in Noah’s day was that there would be no rain, no flood, and therefore no destruction of the world.

The popular opinion in Lot’s day was that Sodom was not as bad as it was made out to be, and therefore tolerated.

The popular opinion in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah was that idolatry and polytheism in God’s people wouldn’t really bring on God’s judgment.

The popular opinion in Christ’s day was that he was an imposter and blasphemer, and deserved to die.

The popular opinion in the last days will be that Christ will not come back and that we are free to live how we choose.

One particular Biblical event illustrates this well. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the pressure of bowing to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, which nearly everyone else was doing, they refused to do so. They believed in the power of God, that He could deliver them from death in the furnace, though they did not know if he would deliver them from it. However, after God did preserve them through the flames, the king called them out and commended them for their trust in God and that they “set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28).

The popular opinion was simply to bow down to the idol when the music played. These three friends went against the pressure of the popular, held true to their God, and were honored by God as a result.

Christians today are feeling the pressure to conform to that which is “popular” on many fronts. Yet every believer must trust in God alone, believing that proper doctrine, proper behavior, and proper affections toward God, while not popular, are right, and therefore are more important than going with the flow of that which is popular or trendy.

Book Review: Save Them From Secularism

Recently, I just finished reading a very helpful and inciteful book on parenting entitled, Save Them From Secularism: Pre-Evangelism for your Children by David de Bruyn. This is perhaps the best book on parenting I have read. It is not necessarily a methodology for parenting. It is a philosophical treatment of parenting.

De Bruyn seeks to target how a parent can prepare his/her child for the gospel. “It’s a book about shaping their attitude towards the gospel” (p5). The secularism that is so prevalent in today’s culture must be recognized and addressed by Christian parents today. We cannot mindlessly and blindly imbibe what the ungodly world around us is putting forth. There must be serious discernment on the part of the parent with regards to what is allowed into the home and what philosophy he/she follows in parenting.

“The first and greatest commandment is followed by a commandment to teach children to do the same (Deut 6:4-9). Our goal as Christian parents should be nothing less than to help shape our children so that they will, by grace, become ardent lovers of God” (p15). So begins the second chapter entitled “Parental Piety” in which the author challenges parents to live out the truths of the gospel and this first commandment, as it will teach their young children what love is, who God is, and what the gospel is. This helps shape our children’s imaginations about spiritual things, even before they will understand the facts of the gospel. The third chapter, “Family Roles” continues that line of thinking as well.

In family life, there is the seemingly never-ending cycle of life, full of routine and the “mundane” aspects of daily living. Yet even our routines help to shape the minds and hearts of our young children, and can prepare the soil of their hearts to receive the truth of the gospel. These routines and rituals are all shaping influences. These, coupled with other things like teaching our children manners trains them to think outside of themselves, and respect other people, while living with a sense of decorum and self-control in the sight of God. Those are the subjects of chapters 4-6.

Other shaping influences should be considered in the home as well. The author deals with things such as “Art” (chapter 7), “The Christian Tradition” (chapter 8), and “Language, Thinking and Christian Education” (chapter 9) before drawing some final conclusions (chapter 10). While nothing is discussed to the lengths they could be, every subject is broached in such a manner as to raise the issues in the reader’s minds. Parents must not blindly accept the secular mindset of our culture, but must purposefully live a distinct Christian life. This is not mere externalism, but allowing the gospel itself to shape everything in our home, from our affections to our activities.

Of particular interest to me is his treatment of our view of the Lord’s Day.

In small and great ways, Sunday worship is shaping the religious imaginations of our children. What we do before and after corporate worship, how we worship, how we approach it, how we sit, how we sing, how we talk in the car on the way there and on the way home – all of this tells a child how we should imagine God (p37).

He addresses our preparation for worship, our dress in worship, our activity in worship, and our response to worship. How a Christian parent deals with each of these things will help or hinder a child’s view of God and ultimately their view of the gospel, and can be a contributing factor to whether or not that child will leave the church or continue in its teaching when he/she grows up.

While more could be said, I commend this book to any parent. However, for those parents of young children, I highly commend this book. If you have older children, the book is still helpful and can help you rethink issues of life and to adjust your thinking to perhaps lead your family in a better way than has been done in the past. No parent is guaranteed godly children who love God supremely. However, all Christian parents are responsible to strive to lead their children into the proper view of the gospel. The child must still submit to and obey the gospel himself, but the parents must be faithful in their responsibility to do what they can to save their child from swallowing the secular mindset. May God give us grace to re-evaluate our thinking and our actions in these regards, for the glory of God.