Roman Christianization

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Christianity had suffered greatly under Rome’s persecution, but the Church had advanced remarkably in influence and size composing ten to fifteen percent of the Roman population early in the fourth century.  In A.D. 312, Emperor Constantine waged war with his rival for the throne, Maxentius.  Emperor Constantine prayed to the “Unconquered Son,” the Roman patron deity, for assistance in battle.  Supposedly, Constantine and his army witnessed a cross ablaze in the sky on which they read the words, “In this sign conquer.”  In his sleep that night, Constantine claimed that he was commanded to distinguish his soldiers with the monogram of Christ to ensure victory.  Upon applying the monogram, Constantine won the battle at the Milvian Bridge due to Maxentius’s drowning before the battle was even underway.

After this impressive victory, Constantine claimed that he was “under the tutelage of the God of Christianity.”

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Persecution of the Early Church

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Jesus told His disciples that the world would hate them in the same way that the world hated Jesus (John 15:18), and He foretold of a time when people would kill His disciples and believe that they were doing a service to God (John 16:2).  Jesus never minimized the cost that those following Him would have to pay.  He clearly prepared them for the trials that would come with involving themselves with Christ’s cause.  While Jesus was on earth, His closest disciple, Peter, declared that he would follow Christ, even if all the other disciples would fall away (Matt. 26:33).  After Peter’s denial of Christ, the future of the Church’s leadership appeared unable to continue Christ’s work in Jesus’ absence.

Conversely, Peter proved to be a bold witness for Christ after Jesus’ resurrection.  In danger of imprisonment or death, Peter amazed the religious officials with his confidence in their midst, and they recognized Peter’s affiliation with Christ (Acts 4:13).  Before this instance, the religious leaders had also been amazed at Jesus’ theological presentations (John 7:15), since He had no apparent mentor.  Regardless of threats, Peter and the other disciples became insubordinate to the laws of the Jewish community, and they vowed to continue preaching in the name of Jesus (acts 4:19-20).  The religious leaders listened to the advice of Gamaliel the Elder, the tutor of Paul (Acts 22:3), and they decided that if this movement was not from God, the people adhering to Jesus’ teaching would eventually dissipate in the aftermath of Christ’s death.  The court punished Peter and the apostles with him, and the officials warned the disciples no longer to preach in Jesus’ name (Acts. 5:38-40).  Gamaliel and the other leaders trusted that God, and not themselves, would bring about an end to this current movement.

Martyrdom became routine for those holding to the Christian faith.

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Christian Persecution

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“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

In his last recorded epistle, Paul attempted to prepare Timothy and other Church leaders for the coming persecution that they would face as Christians.  Nearing the imminent culmination of Paul’s ministry and life, Paul instructed his son in the faith, Timothy, to continue “fighting the good fight” (2 Tim. 4:7), relinquishing the mantle of Paul’s ministry of spreading the gospel to Timothy.

During the time when Jesus lived on earth, He frequently admonished His unbelieving disciples of the coming persecution that He would endure and the persecution that the disciples themselves would soon face in the wake of Christ’s absence.  Luke recorded numerous events in the Book of Acts concerning Christianity’s opponents administering beatings, imprisonments, and executions to Jesus’ disciples.  Evangelicals and historians have written volumes of literature describing the accounts of Christians who have been persecuted for their faith in Jesus.

As God built on the foundation of His Church with men and women who were aware of their possible and probable death by their association with Christ, disciples boldly witnessed to all people concerning the grace of God, and many people were being saved (Acts 2:47).  In countries where persecution of Christians is still prevalent, the Church is bold in witnessing and dynamic in growth; in countries where Christianity is allowed or even encouraged, the Church is often stagnate and declining.

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The Worship of the Church

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As we focused today on the worship of the church, I was eager to lead something I have had churning in my head for a while now.

We led worship music from 6 centuries in about 12 minutes.  I took the theme concerning the greatness of God, and showed how it’s a constant theme through the ages, and that the style doesn’t really matter.  It was a very special moment at the end of our services as we united with the Church over hundreds of years.

As the medley progressed, I posted the year each song was written as we started in the 1500s and ended up in the 2000s.  The lyrics for the medley is available here: The Greatness Of God (Worship Medley) – lyrics (I never chorded out the song since I was playing it on the piano by myself for most of it and had liberty to adjust as we went along).

Today, we worshiped to:

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Punishments in the Garden

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After Adam and Eve’s sin, they try to blame someone else for their mistake.  God has heard enough.  He warned against sin, and because he is a just God, he must give consequences for sin.  Rebellion must be addressed.  To the serpent, his legs are removed forcing him to slither on his belly from that point on causing him to choke upon the dust of the ground from which Man was made (Gen. 3:14).  God curses (arur) the crafty (arum).

In the midst of this depressing scene, hope emerges.  Gen. 3:15 serves as the “Protoevangelium.”  It is the first announcement of the gospel, or good news, in the Bible.  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15).  God informs the listeners that Satan will be fighting against this human race for the remainder of days.  He will bruise Mankind’s heel.  He will trip many a people up who are trying to follow God, but there is also a promise of one who will come and not stop at the heel.  One will come to bruise Satan’s head leaving a lethal blow upon the enemy.

Concerning the identity of this attacker, one vital clue is given: he will be the seed of a woman.

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Adam vs. Eve

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The conversation continues to the point where Eve saw “that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Gen. 3:6).  As she commences this sinful snack, it is revealed that Adam has been present the entire time.  If you read the first section of Genesis 3, every sign points to a conversation being held between the serpent and the woman.

There is no sign of the man anywhere.

You almost picture a seductive personality intruding in a home where the woman is left alone.  Surely this slick-talking, charming intruder wouldn’t dare entice a man’s wife to apostate from her God if her husband was home.  You get the feeling that the man of the house is gone, and someone has come to prey upon the unsuspecting wife in his absence.

Unfortunately, that is not the case.  Adam is there.  He is present the whole time.  Adam’s silence in this moment speaks more volumes than his recorded remarks ever will.

His passivity leads to the Fall of Mankind.

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The Love Dare for Parents

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The Love Dare for Parents Bible Study looks at parenting the way Scripture describes it. It’s about walking in relationship with the One who created us and entrusted our children to us. This study will inspire and strengthen busy parents—married and single—to learn and practice principles of love as they relate to their children, ages preschool to college. It offers a plan …

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What We Love Most About Mom

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It’s Amanda’s birthday today.  The Agnews celebrate her today though she is worth celebrating every single day!

I asked the crew what they loved most about Mom.  Their replies?

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The Discipleship of the Church

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We had one of those days at North Side where you weren’t sure if the roof was gonna come off or Jesus was gonna come down!  I love worshiping with our family when we get after it like that.  I loved the diversity in our worship today and the intensity at every corner.  Our worship team works so hard to lead people to Jesus each week and I am so honored to lead beside them!  Today was simply a joy.

The above picture was my personal prayer focus for the day.  We took time and prayed specifically for military chaplains serving today.  As I was going through the prayer cards, I found one for a college friend, Jason Sluder.  It was great to be able to pray for him and the other chaplains today with our Be the Church highlight.  Such an honor to help support this ministry through our offerings each week!

Today, we worshiped to:

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The Unconditional Love of Jesus

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The video below is a snippet from our “Knowing Jesus” DVD.  My dear sister, Tammy, is doing a spoken word entitled “Unconditional Love” and then we lead the song “Friend of Sinners.”  I love how all this came together and love the energy captured here on video. Enjoy it – if you want the entire 95-minute presentation, you can get …

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Bad Church Sign: Average Temp in Hell

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This week’s bad church sign reads: AVERAGE TEMP HERE 95 AVERAGE TEMP IN HELL 200 As summer approaches, more and more church signs will use the rising temperatures to scare you into heaven.  Let me make clear: fear of hell does not permit you a seat in heaven.  Salvation is more involved than that. Regardless of the theological implications, 200 …

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Church Staff Reality TV Show

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8dd047dd61b832392e Being on a church staff is not exactly what you think it would be.  Unless you have been a part of one, you can’t really appreciate the randomness that can happen in a week.

Sure there are the tasks that you might expect, but then there are the things they don’t train you for in seminary.  In my first 10 years of ministry on a church staff, I wish I would had been trained how to subdue a violent person, unload a handgun, helping someone who is confident their house is haunted, confront someone siphoning gas from the church parking lot, minister to someone in Jesus name who thinks he is Jesus, bats swooping down on people in worship, how to keep a straight face when people high on medication try to explain why they are in the hospital, and the regular weekly stuff like that.

So, I had this idea.  It’s a great idea even though it will never work.  Wouldn’t you love to see a church staff reality TV show?

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Mini-Masterpieces

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Before you can really love your child, you have to get to know your child.

Your child is unique.  That may be an understatement.  Your child is really unique.  God makes no carbon-copies.

When a child first arrives, all you know about him or her is the obvious – gender, hair color, eye color, size, etc.  Overtime, you begin to realize much more about this child.  Within months, you begin to notice personality traits.  Your child begins to reveal the things that make them laugh or the things that frighten them.  As they grow older, you will discover tendencies towards sin.  Getting to know your child is a discovery adventure for sure.

Before you can really love your child, you have to get to know your child.

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The Missionary of the Church

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It was such a great day today to BE THE CHURCH.  We have partnered with a fantastic missionary family in Africa for almost 2 years now, and they were finally able to join us in person today!  Greg preached an incredible sermon on the reason our church partners with places that are hard to reach, dangerous to reach.  Sharing from the Word and personal testimony about their work among the Hausa people of West Africa was incredible.

Our worship time focused upon the praise of the nations.  We focused on our response to take the gospel.  We won’t relent until every nation has heard the gospel.  It was a gospel-saturated, nation-focused worship time bent on the glory of God.  Loved it.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Satan’s Schemes

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When God created, it was good.  Really good.  Until Satan came along.

Creation’s flawless nature is unable to last very long.  The entrance of a new, crafty being into the timeline changes the story’s dynamic in the blink of an eye.  With basically no introduction, the being known as the serpent slithers into the conversation with impending, disastrous results.  At first glance, all that is known concerning his identity is that he is “more crafty than any other beast of the field” (Gen. 3:1). 

The remaining pages of Scripture will fill in the holes of his identity.  This serpent is none other than the antagonist of the big story.  He is Satan – the Devil himself.  Some of his nicknames include the Accuser, Beelzebub, the Enemy, Lucifer, the Tempter, and other not-so-flattering monikers.  His aliases alone reveal that this is not a being to be trusted, and yet his very tactic is to get people to do that very thing.

To clarify, Satan is the antagonist, yet he is never depicted as having equal footing with the protagonist – Yahweh.

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Children Are Gifts

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Unless God is in the business of building a home, the effort is in vain.  In Psalm 127, God reveals that the best reward a man can receive is not what his hands can provide, but only what God can give him – a child.

Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, children a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth.  Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.  Such men will never be put to shame when they speak with [their] enemies at the city gate. -Psalm 127:3-5

Imagine it’s Christmas time.  You have given your child a gift that took a lot of your time and money.  After your child unwraps the gift, he or she begins to complain about having to care for the gift.  How do you feel concerning their attitude and what do you say and/or do as a result of their reaction?

How do you think God views it when parents complain about the gifts of children that He has given them?

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My White Daughter’s Black Baby Doll

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My white daughter’s favorite toy is a black baby doll. Here’s the story: Amanda was taking our three children through the international hoarders’ Mecca that you might know as Walmart.  With just a couple of items to purchase, the boys had convinced Amanda to take a quick trip through the toy department.  As they passed by numerous items, Gloria began …

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The Mission of the Church

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We had some guest worship leaders helping out this Sunday for Father’s Day at North Side.  I assembled some of the band to recruit their children to help lead in worship and we had a stage full.  I was so honored to have my two sons leading beside me.  Obadiah and Eli are passionate singers and musicians.  Many people commented on their energy, and I told them this was them on calm.  If you were out of town, watch online here.

Family is important at North Side.  We prize lifestyles of worship lived within the homes.  This wasn’t a stage idea for Sunday, this was an example of what real life in the home should look like – men leading their children to love Jesus.

That’s what was great about the other elements in the service today.  It was about fathers and sons going on mission together.  Men of God stepping up to lead in the Great Commission.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Bad Church Sign: Tired of Contemporary?

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This week’s bad church sign says:

TIRED OF CONTEMPORARY?

COME TRY US.

I don’t know what town this is.  I’m unsure of what church this is.  But I know the situation exactly.  Want me to paint the picture?

It’s in the Bible belt.  It’s in a city where there is a lot of transfer growth.  Sheep hopping from flock to flock.  There is one (or more) churches who have grown recently due to a contemporary service or flavor.  Some of them are traditional existing churches that have turned more and more contemporary over the years.

The church in the picture has lost some members due to that fact.  In an effort to lure people into their flock, they use an advertising campaign for anyone passing by.  But the ad is not for just anyone, is it?  Read it.  Is it for church people or unchurched people?

It’s for churched people of course.  Outsiders don’t even know what a contemporary is in the context that us regulars understand it to be.  This church is appealing to members of another flock.  Actually, they are appealing to disgruntled members of other flocks in hoping that those worn out with the 20 minutes of contemporary worship music within a week’s time (which is .1% of the 10,080 minutes we are called to be the church all week long) will now join their flock.  Let’s gather a group of disgruntled sheep in hopes that all their hopes and preferences will be met at our church house.

That’s a flock full of quite the dynamics, I would say.

This sign reveals a bunch about the state of the American Church today:

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Great is Thy Faithfulness (9 Years Later)

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It was 9 years ago today that everything changed.

Her last name.  My responsibilities.  Our address.

The bridal processional on our wedding day was one of our favorite hymns, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  As her father walked her down the aisle and our family and friends worshiped along with us, the emotions kinda let loose.  We both glanced at one another and cried.  We did one of those ugly sings at the altar.  It was kinda like when they make the American Idol singer sing after they have just won.  It ain’t pretty, but it is pretty honest.

That’s how we sang at 5:04 on June 12, 2004.

We choked out the words, “all I have needed Thy hand hath provided, great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”

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Simon Says Parenting

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Whether they are board games or video games, children can easily latch onto a favorite activity in which to play with others.  One of the enduring games over the years has been “Simon Says.”  This copycat game has a catch that usually tricks players into doing something they are not supposed to do.  If the leader of the game doesn’t start the instructions with the phrase, “Simon Says,” you are not supposed to do the action.

Why this game frustrates people so much is that we are prone to do what we see more often than what we hear.

As players around you begin to do the action – even if the leader hasn’t said “Simon Says” – it is difficult to refrain from doing the same motion as well.  Even if the instructions are otherwise, oftentimes, we repeat what we see.

That’s why a parent’s personal relationship with the Lord is so vital to a child’s spiritual health.

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The Membership of the Church

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What a special day to be a part of North Side!  Our service started out with the band leading and then we got the joy to pass the microphones over to Point of Grace’s Leigh Cappillino and her husband, Dana, and their daughter, Darby.  I tried to give them some band names for the day but they never stuck (The VonCapps, The Flying Cappilinos, The Cappillino 3, Leigh & the Cappillinos).

Jo Anne Reinhardt gave a great testimony about giving or going to Shake-n-Shine this year, a great church membership testimony from Terri Budreau, and then we got to hear a fantabulous message on church membership.

Leigh Cappillino sang with the Parlers and Kennerlys in college at Charleston Southern and have remained friends since then.  They were nearby visiting family and were gracious enough to pop in and sing for us this morning.  What I love about this family is how real they are.  With all the success Leigh and Point of Grace has had over the years, they are so grounded, humble, and genuine.  And in addition to their character, they are phenomenal musicians!  They did such a great job!

Today, we worshiped to:

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Kissing You is Too Risky

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For the boys’ birthdays, we took the family for a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge.  Piled in the hotel room, I couldn’t find my razor.

Once we returned, I decided that when I preached the following week, I was going to do a monologue from Job’s perspective.  To do such, you need a good beard just in case you decide to rip some of it out.

After the message, it was too gruff for a 5-minute shave.  It would take longer, so I kept it, until…

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Christian Pick-Up Lines

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  Something happens when Christians start to date.  There are two extremes.  One group tries to over spiritualize everything, and the other group unfortunately  just takes God completely out of the equation. Let me show you what it looks like when somebody is trying to over-spiritualize a situation. Just a simple Google search of “Christian pick up lines” will show …

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Bad Church Sign: A Ride to Hell?

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As the summer heat begins to grow in intensity, threats concerning the stifling weather of hell will begin to grace many church signs.

To start this wonderful time of year where we try to scare people into church, I give you this week’s bad church sign:

HOT?

IMAGINE HELL

FOR A RIDE CALL…

Not only is this church willing to tell you how hot is, they are also willing to give you a ride there ;)!  That’s very thoughtful of them, but I’d rather pass.

A few thoughts:

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The Authority of the Church

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While Jeff Lethco can preach anything well, I love the stride he gets in when talking about the church.

It was a powerful start to our “Church Matters” series today as we focused on the authority of the church. For us, it’s Scripture.  We won’t be conditioned by expectations.  We don’t have to cave in to comparison traps.  We don’t have to try to woo or keep anyone based on preferences.  We want to be obedient to God’s Word.  And oftentimes, churches can begin to base all of their activity and identity on something that is totally absent in the Bible.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Church Matters

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Sunday, we are starting a series at North Side entitled “Church Matters.”  During the summer, we are going to look at what the New Testament says about what a church is and is not.

Much confusion exists today on what a church is and what a church should be doing.  We hope to clarify that.  Not with our opinions or thoughts, but the Word of God.

We recently got some church members together to talk about how being a part of North Side has changed their lives.  It was incredible to listen to their stories:

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Summer Discipleship

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When you are still in school, summer can be a great gift for relaxation and, unfortunately, a great divergence for spiritual formation.

During the summer months, you have more time than ever to read the Bible, pray, and serve, but sometimes, that freedom can lead to laziness and apathy.

I’m hoping to help that for some of you.

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Bad Church Sign: God Could Not Be Everywhere

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Here’s a church sign someone probably decided was a good idea for Mother’s Day:

“GOD COULD NOT BE EVERYWHERE SO HE CREATED MOTHERS”

Fail.

Epic fail.

In an attempt to make mothers feel special, this church actually has made them more anxious.  To live in a world where God was not everywhere means that the sustainment of life would be in our hands which would be a scary place to be.

Here’s why it is theologically inaccurate:

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The Legacy of the Righteous

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If I think of a goal of parenthood, Psalm 112 sums it up perfectly:

Hallelujah!  Happy is the man who fears the LORD, taking great delight in His commands.

His descendants will be powerful in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

This psalm explains the goal of a multigenerational legacy.  God desires that parents will fear the LORD in every way.  They will not only obey His commands, but they will enjoy doing so because His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).

For the parent that accomplishes this, the desire is that his or her children will live mighty lives marked distinctly by holiness.

This destiny will not happen by accident.

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The Story of Job

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What a wonderful day of worship at North Side!  I got the incredible privilege to preach to finish up our 2-week series, “Through the Storms.”  Ken Petrus did such a fantastic job sharing his heart last week, and it is an honor to follow his lead!

During his message last Sunday, I felt the direction to go in a different path than previously scripted.  I feel like the Holy Spirit was guiding me to preach through the entire Book of Job.

From the perspective of Job.

I went into character for the message today.  I even grew a beard for this message (that’s commitment ;))!  I tried to convey what it’s like when you go through a storm and want to ask God why you are in it.  Then, what it is like when he actually responds.  As I traveled through the book, we would put up key scriptures to keep people moving along.  At the end when God finally speaks, we used some really neat pictures of God’s creation to drive home the truth that God is in control.  The band went right into “Indescribable,” which much of the imagery there comes straight out of Job 38-42.

Today, we worshiped to:

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“Are Your Musicians Paid?”

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During the process of “Knowing Jesus,” I was asked a question frequently by many different people: “Are your musicians paid?” I think it stems from the fact that I am around such quality people and it causes many people to stand in bewilderment.  Surely, he has to pay these people because of their high caliber.  I really am blessed to …

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Intervention Omission

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  We read of God’s calling upon Samuel’s life in 1 Samuel 3.  Samuel was the child for which Hannah had prayed for ever so earnestly.  Once she finally birthed Samuel, she dedicated him to the Lord and to serve under Eli who was the priest (1 Sam. 1:26-28) who had blessed her concerning her ability to conceive a child …

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Through the Storms

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Such a heavy, beautiful way to worship today.  It was honest, authentic worship.  We started a 2-week series today entitled “Through the Storms.”  Ken Petrus, Executive Pastor at North Side, preached this first week.

4 months ago today, Ken’s youngest child, Eric, went to be with Jesus after an 11-year fight with cancer. Eric had asked Ken to preach his funeral.  At that funeral, I witnessed one of the most beautiful expressions of faith, hope, and the peace surpasses all comprehension that I have ever seen.  When Jeff and I were planning out the remainder of the messages for 2013, 2 weeks at the end of May were vacant.  I asked Ken if he would want to address the congregation that had prayed so much for his family.  With tears in his eyes, he said he would love to.

He did an incredible job.  He shared the story but kept pointing us back to the Word as the source of our hope.  He had also asked for some specific songs in today’s service.  He asked Stacy Wideman to sing “It Is Well” as she lost her son a few years ago and can sing that song with more meaning than most.  He asked for Ted to sing “How Great Thou Art” which he sang at Eric’s funeral.  And “Amazing Grace” meant so much to the family to know that Eric’s chains are truly gone and he is finally free.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Bad Church Sign: We Love Hurting People

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  This week’s bad church sign: WE LOVE HURTING PEOPLE Thanks for the warning.  I will make sure to steer clear of you in the future so that I am not your next victim 😉

Mr. Mom

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This week I am off. Mom is getting some time away during the day and I am playing Mr. Mom. Two things I know about a stay at home mom that complicates the job: 1) it is a very difficult job, 2) you have the stinking cutest clients in the world.

3 John (Don’t Be a Diotrephes)

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We finished up our “Knowing That You Know Jesus” series today by studying 3 John.  The entire study since the beginning of this year has been so good.  Jeff’s message on 3 John concerning encouragement and confrontation within the church was so insightful and practical.  The Apostle John was encouraging Gaius concerning opposition he received from Diotrephes – a person within the church who loved to be first.  Don’t be one of those.

Since it was Mother’s Day, we had our ladies lead us in worship.  I thought about giving all these moms the week off, but then I realized that maybe someone else responsible for watching the kids that morning might be a welcomed treat.  My wife and the other ladies did great.  While they sing great, they lead great.  They are worship focused themselves.

Today, we worshiped to:

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Bad Church Sign: Your Mother is What?!

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  Here’s a church sign for you just in time for Mother’s Day: “SHE AIN’T HEAVY SHE’S MY MOTHER.” Good to know, church with a pulse, good to know. And I imagine your mother is happy to know that as well!

Sharing Christ with Your Family

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One of my favorite movies when I was a child was the Christmas classic, Home Alone.  When I was in elementary school, I got to watch Macaulay Culkin live out every child’s fantasy on the big screen: no parents, no siblings, freedom without end, and making your home into a legitimate war zone.  The desire to be a mischievous hero marked every little boy my age.

If you remember the plot line, Culkin’s character, “Kevin,” had a pretty awful family.  He had a brother Buzz who wanted to feed him to his tarantula.  He had to bunk with his cousin Fuller who was prone to bed-wetting and was downing some serious levels of Pepsi.  Worst of all, his cheapskate Uncle Frank was known for spouting off towards Kevin one of the most memorable movie lines of all time: “Look what you did, you little jerk!”

Let’s face it: Kevin did not have the best family in the world, so when they dramatically disappeared one morning before Christmas, Kevin thought he had been raptured into a parent-less bliss.  His wish had become true.  His annoying family had been whisked away from his home.

While every child has probably wished a family member away at some time in their lives, every person also knows what it is like to be overwhelmed with the state of their family.  While we all have those family members that disappoint or upset us, we also know what it is like to be truly concerned with the salvation of a family member.

It’s beyond they get on our nerves, we are truly worried about the state of their souls.

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