Got Discipleship?

That was this past Sunday’s sermon title from Mark 8: 27-38.  If we asked the average person on the street “What it means to be a Christian?”, what do you think their response would be?  Now, ask the same question using a different word:  “What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?”  See the difference?  I agree there should not be a difference, but I think there would be.  Remember that words have usages, not meaning.  The way the term “Christian” is used today is often at odds with what it means to be a Christian.  But what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?  That seems to have held its meaning through the ages.

We spent some time on what it does not mean.  It does not mean “just” believing.  I think we have come short if all we ask people to do is to “believe”…as though being a disciple of Jesus was an intellectual exercise.  After all, even the demons and the devil  believe but are not followers of Jesus.  It is also not enough to be “religious.”  The tricky thing about being religious is you can have the right “form and look” but still miss the goal.  You can be religious on the outside and be a heathen on the inside.  Religion is part of what we need to be saved from.  It is possible to be very religious and be twice as fit for hell!  And certainly we do not believe that being “Baptist” automatically makes you a Christian.  Oh, that it were true, that anyone who claimed the name of Christ and happened to be Baptist was totally sold out to be a follower of the Lamb.

Jesus summed it up pretty neatly…not easy, but certainly very clearly.  If anyone would follow me he must do this:  deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.  It is counter intuitive and even counter culture to deny yourself.  Dethroning yourself, your ego is perhaps the hardest thing you will ever do.  We are wired up by our old sin nature to preserve, protect, and look out for #1.  Jesus calls his followers to a new style of life.  Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  That requires a change…who sits on the throne, who is in control, who are you following?

Got discipleship?  Yes, I think you do!

Pastor Tom

South Carolina State Missions/Transition House Offering

In the past, our church family participated in the Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions.  We usually have a week of prayer and a study of some sort.  This year our Women on Mission did a study, and I did a presentation a couple of Wednesdays ago.  This Sunday we will put the State Mission Offering  envelopes in the back of the pews.  One little change:  the offering will be divided between the Janie Chapman State Missions Offering and the Transition House.

Here is the status of the Transition House.  We currently have one resident there now.  We were able to help a young lady in a bad situation get into a safe one.  We are currently waiting on our second resident…or should I say “second, third and fourth?”  The next lady coming in is from the Charleston Rehab Center.    This lady has brand new twins, just one month old, a boy and a girl.   As will be the norm, our residents that come out of the Charleston Center are usually away from their home…a good thing.  But that means they do not have a support system here.  They start from scratch on finding a job, day care, or whatever they need.  We are their support system.

How does the offering help?  The residents are required to pay some minimal amount to help maintain the Transition House.  The offering will help cover the times when they do not have, but are looking for,  a paying job.  Even when we are “sponsoring” them, they will be volunteering in the community.  As we say, if you don’t have a job, working on your sobriety and sanity is your job.  So, half of the offering given during the State Missions Offering season will go to The Janie Chapman State Missions Offering and half will go to the Transition House.  It will provide major relief to these ladies.

Let me anticipate a question: why not just have two separate offerings?  If you have been a Southern Baptist very long you probably know my reasoning.  Every year we are asked to have special offerings for Lottie Moon-International Missions; Annie Armstrong North American Missions; Janie Chapman State Missions; Associational Missions; World Hunger in October; Connnie Maxwell Children’s Home; SC Home for the Aged Mothers Day; add things like Disaster Relief Offerings, our own folks raising funds,  Friends of Bonnie Doone, Low Country Crisis Pregnancy, James Island Outreach, Operation Christmas Child, etc, etc.  As you can see, it is possible to have a “special” offering every month of the year.  So, on this one, we are combining.  After all, if you want to see missions in the trenches, join us in the work at the Transition House.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing…

Pastor Tom