Preaching About Jesus

Preaching for a Senior Pastor is a bit like ducks to a pond. It is what we do. It is also something we try to do better and better. I can always tell a great deal about people’s spiritual journey when they comment on a Sunday morning message. People will share statements like, “Pastor, that was a great homily.” Or something like, “Pastor, I really got a lot out of your speech today.” Then there is this commitment, “Pastor, God really spoke through you today.” I hope He always does, but the thought of it is a bit humbling, even scary.

The first goal of preaching should be to impact the preacher. Preachers are not merely conduits of communication but hopefully modelers and teachers of life changing truths. Preaching should also be based upon the Word of God and not merely the popular word of the day. So, the preacher has to first be impacted what God has to say then figure out how to communicate what God is teaching him to a larger audience. And then to do that in such a way that people remember the truths taught and live them out in their lives.

This last week, I was studying about Jesus. We are working through our church’s doctrinal statement. I complained a bit to someone that preaching one message about the person and work of Christ was impossible in 30 minutes. They quickly reminded me that I had assigned the topic of the Trinity to our Middle School pastor who preached the week before. He did a fabulous job. I stopped complaining!

As I prepared my message from Hebrews 1:1-4, the outline was rather straight forward. Jesus is the heir of everything, the creator of the world, the complete manifestation of the Father, the sustainer of the universe, the cleanser of sin, and the exalted one. All true, but each could easily be their own sermon series. What could I say and how could I say it that would help people fall in love with Jesus more?

I am not known for my high energy sermon delivery, but I really felt like my outline was going to fall short of truly describing the grandeur and beauty of our Savior. Then I remembered a sermon I had heard in homiletics class in seminary. It was from Dr. S.M. Lockridge  who pastured the Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego for 40 years. This man could preach! He is now with the Lord, but he preached a message entitled “That’s My King.” In that message is the best 3 minute description I have ever heard about Jesus. Modern technology allowed me to share the clip with our church. It made an average and accurate sermon memorable and impactful.

Hopefully the biblical truths about Jesus impacted our church as much as Dr. Lockridge’s description about the indescribable person and work of Christ did in my heart as a young seminary student. If you would like to experience the best 3 minute narrative of Jesus you will ever hear. Then go to You Tube and search for “That’s My King” by Dr. S.M. Lockridge.  

I hope you don’t fall in love with the oration as much as you listen in awe about the God of all Creation. Blessings. Pastor Chico

What I Want. What I Need

Tonight I have just returned from sharing an extended version of my testimony at Birth Choice in Temecula, Ca. The folks there did a wonderful job on this event. It was such a privilege to be part of something that you are pretty sure made our Creator smile.

As I was asking the Lord what to share tonight, God reminded me that when I was a college freshman I was searching for what I wanted, but God was looking to give me not only what I wanted but also what I needed. What I was searching for was peace in my life. It had been 9 months since the abortion. I was certain I had done something horrible. I just didn’t know how to fix it. I began to stumble under the weight of sin. The burden of my actions was growing heavier with every cry of infant that reached my ears. I was not at peace with what I had done. I was not a peace with myself.

I didn’t know Jesus at the time, so I knew little about the concept of grace (i.e., God’s unmerited favor). I had no clue that the path towards peace would take me over a bridge of grace that was built from the wood of the cross. It took a while for me to get it, but when I did, I had to have it. After weeks of reading the Bible and asking questions, I realized that I could not have peace in my life unless I first received God’s grace in my life.

My conclusion then was simple: I needed Jesus. In May of 1985, I prayed a very simple prayer, “Jesus if you are real, here’s my life.” Not really a prayer of great confidence. It was sort of like a prayer with an escape hatch. When I prayed that day, I wasn’t sure if God was real or not. I was, however, very sincere. I knew I had done something horrible. I knew I couldn’t fix it without help. If God was real, I wanted peace and I needed grace. “Jesus if you are real, here’s my life.”

It wasn’t too many days later that I read 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 (GNT) that says, “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus.” There is was…the cliff notes that described my life’s transformation. I wanted peace but didn’t know how to get it. I needed grace but was clueless as to why. I found Jesus who provided them both.

Today, I am the pastor of one of God’s churches. I don’t pray “God if you are real” prayers anymore. I know He is. I don’t wonder anymore how to experience grace and peace anymore either. God is always there to help. My hope us that you would consider the grace and peace that is offered through Jesus Christ.

May His grace and peace be yours today!

What’s My Bandwidth?

Bandwidth is a term used in computing, radio, and even mathematics. Three areas I know little about. What intrigues me about the term is how the computer industry uses it to define capacity and how our frustrations in life so often stem from us not recognizing our life’s capacity. In the computer world bandwidth measures the fluctuating amount of communication resources available, in other words…how much information can we send at any one time. Typically bandwidth is measured in kilobits or megabits per second. If you are confused, just ask your cable company. They will love to charge more for the bandwidth available to your internet connection at home. The larger the bandwidth, the quicker your internet connection and the more your cable bill will be.

Why do I care about bandwidth and internet connection speeds? More importantly, why should you? Here is my pastoral observation. One of the key frustraters in people’s lives is that they assume they can function at someone else’s bandwidth. That’s right. People have a capacity or a bandwidth. If you ask a mother with three active adolescents that need to get to eat dinner, go to soccer practice, and finish their homework all before 8:00 p.m. their bandwidth is never enough. Yet, we have all observed people who also never seem to come close to maxing out their bandwidth. Curious. One seems to need more. One is clearly not using what they have.

One of the greatest joys in life is discovering and embracing your God given bandwidth. When you do several joys will be uploaded in your spirit. First, you’ll know exactly when to ask for help. It will be clear that the task before you is outside your capabilities or your bandwidth available at that time. Learning to say “no” to good opportunities is one of the key disciplines of a peaceful life. Second, knowing your bandwidth will really free you up from the prison of comparison. Maybe you’re just not capable of what the person in the cubicle next you is. Are you OK with that?  I hope so. It was the Creator’s purview as to bandwidth He gives each us. As a pastor, I have had to conclude many times, “I can’t do what the pastor across the freeways does because I just don’t have the same bandwidth.” Humbling to recognize but yet freeing to experience.

One of the greatest senses of satisfaction in life is using your God-given bandwidth to its fullest. God has created us to do good works. In fact, the Bible clearly says that God created our capacities but He also has a plan for our bandwidth. Listen to Ephesians 2:10 (ESV), “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God has prepared a list of good works for you to do. Some of what He may ask you today will be outside your bandwidth, but if God has asked you to do it then He will have to supply extra dose of bandwidth for you to get it done. Also, it does no good for you to try to do those good works on my God-given “good works to do list.” That’s just going to max out your bandwidth more quickly while leaving your list undone. Besides today…I like what’s on my list!

My hope today is that you embrace you bandwidth as you walk closely with Jesus.