by Kevin Tillman | Aug 28, 2023 | Theology
“A religion, even popular Christianity, could enjoy a boom altogether divorced from the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and so leave the church of the next generation worse off than it would have been if the boom had never occurred. I believe that the imperative need of the day is not simply revival, but a radical reformation that will go to the root of our moral and spiritual maladies and deal with causes rather than with consequences, with the disease rather than with symptoms.”
A.W. Tozer
This A.W. Tozer quote is from 1959, but it’s even more relevant today. Church we don’t need “old-time religion”. We need radical reformation! What does this mean? What does this look like? I believe Christianity in America for many years has been focused on the “consequences” and the “symptoms” as Tozer called them… Even in my own church background we have often focused on righteous living, on the externals of the faith… we fix the visible sins and we ACT like people of God. The problem is that this is completely external. As a group of people (a church) begin to do this, it becomes the norm. It then becomes “group think”. We slowly develop a false theology and a false thinking. We equate our righteous living to a movement of God, when in actuality, it is just our own attempts to live right. This is not far from the lives the Pharisees lived. We give them such a bad name in sermons, but in actuality the Pharisees were very “righteous” guys. They lived outwardly very devout lives. Why do we condemn them? Because they were missing the point. That is what my fear is for the American church. The “disease” that Tozer mentions is us I believe. It’s not unrighteous living, it might even be righteous living. It is us depending on our own abilities rather than a complete transforming work by the Spirit of God. So, what am I looking to happen? I’m not sure exactly to be honest.. but it involves the word “more”… I just hear stories of supernatural movements of God happening all around the world… things that cannot be explained any other way than simply saying “God did this”… That is what I’m looking for! How do I (we) get there? I think we have to start with a discontent with status quo Christianity first.. We have to not settle for simple religion… Just because it has been done this way for the last however many years, and just because it is the norm all around us, doesn’t necessarily make it authentic…. More – that’s what I’m looking for!
by Kevin Tillman | Aug 23, 2023 | Thoughts
Have you ever had good intentions? Of course you have, we all have. Just about every accomplishment in life at some point started with an intention. Intentions are not bad, they are catalysts. But, it seems as though we live in a society that is high on intentions and low on follow through.
I’m not one to bash social media, because you are likely reading this on one of the platforms now. But have you noticed how much of social media is about intentions? “My family and I have decided we’re going to get back in church.” “I’ve decided to lose 20 pounds by the end of the year.” “I’m ready to start making the money I deserve.” “I’m going to commit myself to ….” You get the point. They’re intentions, not accomplishments. The problem is they typically stay stuck right there!
This might be the most basic (I call it captain obvious) advice you’ll ever hear: Just start! Just actually do the thing you are desiring. Just start! Will you be good at it? Probably not. Will you fail? Likely yes. Will you get better? You will, if you just start.
I’ve shared part of my story with several over the years, but many people don’t know that I didn’t play piano in public until I was 26 years old. I knew a few chords, and that was it. I barely knew how to turn a computer on in my mid-twenties. Now, I lead worship, do graphic design, video editing, and websites. I’m no genius, and in all honesty, I’m not even this super-overachiever. No, but I did start at some point. My first Sunday service playing in front of people, I promise you I knew three chords (C, F, and G) …. if another chord on the chart came around, I just fake played and kept going. To be honest, I really wasn’t all that good!
As I’ve seen on social media many times: “I don’t know who needs to hear this today…”. My message today is – JUST START! That thing you’ve been thinking about, start it. Don’t wait till the stars align and everything is right, just start. A quote from the great theologian Harold Hill (actually he’s the Music Man, not a theologian, but you get it) … “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.” Just start!
The last word on this random thought of the day is this: Don’t give up when others are better. I know creative types struggle with this, and I’m sure athletes and scholars do as well, because it’s a human condition. There are always going to be others that are more accomplished than us. There will always be someone better at whatever it is you are doing. But, do it anyway. You get better as you do, not as you wait.
Intentions are fine, but they are just that. Do something today. Start now, and you’ll thank yourself later!
by Kevin Tillman | Aug 14, 2023 | Church Leadership
“We must have a reformation within the Church. To beg for a flood of blessing to come upon a backslidden and disobedient Church is to waste time and effort. A new wave of religious interest will do no more than add numbers to churches that have no intention to own the Lordship of Jesus and come under obedience to His commandments. God is not interested in increased church attendance unless those who attend amend their ways and begin to live holy lives.”
A.W. Tozer
I’ve seen it many times, you likely have as well. A new fervor develops in a congregation. Rapid numeric growth occurs. The people are happy, the staff is ecstatic, and God is said to be “moving”. But, what if it’s not God at all? What if it’s simply a “feel good” convention? Not to seem like an amateur psychologist here, but there is such a thing as group think. If enough people start moving in one direction and everyone thinks it’s good, well it’s good. In this Tozer quote he says “they have no intention to come under the Lordship of Jesus.” That is scary stuff. I mean, isn’t that truly the reason for all of it? That’s the bottom line right? That’s why we exist as a congregation in the first place.
As a life long minister, I understand the pressure of growth. I’ve been a part of a congregation that grew rapidly, and it was awesome. There really is nothing better than that feeling. It gives a sense of validation to us. However, I’ve also been in a congregation that was going through a rapid decline. I swear if I ever write a book it will be titled “How to Grow Your Youth Group from 120 to 60 and Keep Your Job”. Been there and done that! But, as good as the feeling of growth feels, and as hard as the time of decline feels, we should never soften the message simply to make it more palatable. Once again, isn’t Lordship the goal?
I do need to add a quick disclaimer here. Everyone will read these words through their own context, experience, and background. As I’ve heard said, “don’t hear what I’m not saying”. What I’m not saying is that rapid growth is always wrong. By no means is that correct. The great awakenings and the great revivals say otherwise. We see God’s Spirit moving mightily even today all over the world. I’m also not saying that churches cannot be “out of the box” and do some very creative things in the community. We SHOULD be in the community. We SHOULD be friends with the unchurched. But, we should never water the message down to the point where it’s no longer the gospel message.
by Kevin Tillman | Aug 2, 2023 | Bible Study
Abraham. When it comes to the subject of faith, he is “the guy” in the Bible. He’s the MVP, the rockstar, the OG! Throughout Scripture Abraham is synonymous with faith. When we place our trust in Jesus, we become one of Father Abraham’s children. “I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord!” Most of you got that reference, but if not, please keep reading anyway!
In Hebrews 11:8-10 we read:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
In this passage, there are three steps that Abraham took in his walk of faith. They are a pattern, or a blueprint for us today.
1. He Left Something
In our passage, Abraham is called by God to go to “a place that he would later receive”. In other words, God’s call to Abraham was to leave everything he knew. He was to take his family, pack the camels up, and start a journey. He had to leave friends, wealth, home, security, comfort, control, all of it behind. To top it off, he is instructed to go to an unknown destination. Our passage said, “he did not know where he was going”. Basically, God said, I’ve given you a promise and I’m with you, but I want you to just start walking, and I’ll show you where to go once you start. Abraham left everything behind. No wonder he is referred to as the “father of the faith”. A key I see in this for us is that we can’t get to where we are going, until we leave where we are. That sounds so simplistic to say, but a little more complicated to live out. I really believe many Christians never get to their destiny, because they are stuck in their current situation. You can’t get to where you are going, until you leave where you are!
2. He Lived in Waiting
So, he’s obedient and he follows God. Surely God will reward that faithfulness. He does indeed, but not nearly as quickly as I would have liked that story to be written. Side Note: Even in our obedience, sometimes we are expecting quick results from God. “Hey God, I’ve done what you said, it’s been a month now, time to show me that ‘next thing'”. Sound familiar? In our passage, Abraham made his home “like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents”. Once he got to the destination, he was now an outcast. He was a stranger. He even lived in a non permanent environment. Don’t miss this. Abraham came from a place where he was well off. He had land, friends, clout, prestige, and comfort. He left at God’s calling, and now he’s a weirdo, outcast, stranger in a far off land, living in a tent. I really believe there is no harder discipline in the Christian life than waiting. Two steps forward, then three steps back. There are times in my life where it seemed the waiting lasted forever. A key to remember in waiting periods is that God is at work. He is simultaneously doing two things at once. He’s preparing the promise for you, and He’s preparing you for the promise. It’s always a time of preparation. For us, we don’t have any control over the promise part, that’s Gods side of the road. But, we do have a say in the person part. He can prepare you quickly, slowly, or maybe even never for the promise. Our faith, listening, obedience, and patience play a big role. For us this passage is also a reminder that we are strangers here on earth. This whole thing that we call life is actually one big waiting room. Scratch that, it’s better described as a training room. We are in preparation for our ultimate destiny in Heaven.
3. He Looked Forward
In our passage we read that he was “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” This is how Abraham survived for years in the waiting. The is how he handled the situation. Where he looked made all the difference. He was looking to Heaven, but he wasn’t going there yet. He just had his eyes there. For you and I, looking at Heaven helps us to live better here on Earth. If all we see is Earth, then this is all there is. Our view has to be bigger. This life is about more than me, more than you. When we look to Heaven, and Heaven informs Earth it’s almost like a superpower. That power from above is joining me here on Earth. This is what helps us make it from “tent to tent”. This world is passing away, and we shouldn’t hold onto it too tightly. Now, a side note is needed. We are to enjoy this world. God gave us life, and emotions, and senses for a purpose. Life is to be enjoyed, but it’s not all that there is. The apostle Paul said it best in Colossians 3:1-2
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
We are to put our emotions and our thoughts above. We aren’t to dwell on the things of this world. It’s not always easy, and we may not always get it right. But, when we can make that shift in perspective it changes everything.
Abraham lived by faith. He was 75 years old when he left his home and set out in the direction God called him. When he was 100 years old the destiny was fulfilled. For 25 years, Abraham was waiting on the promise. To get to our destiny, the blueprint still stands. You have to leave something, you have to live in the waiting, and you have to look forward. Faith isn’t always easy, and faith can be risky, but faith has a reward!
by Kevin Tillman | Jul 31, 2023 | Bible Study
Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This is a fairly familiar passage to most people that have been around Christianity for a while. It’s only a few verses ahead of Philippians 4:13, which just about everyone knows, even the casual observers. I might do a study on 4:13, and understanding it in context in another study, but not on this blog post!
In this passage, there are several things. We are instructed to “Rejoice”… it’s so important I say it again, “Rejoice!”. We are told to “not be anxious about anything”. Our marching orders are to use “prayer and petition”, while also showing “thanksgiving”. If and when we do that, God’s peace, which we don’t fully understand will guard us.
Sounds easy right? Hardly! I guess it’s not that big a deal if the “every situation” is a good thing, or even a mundane thing. But, what about the really horrible times? What about the tragedies? What about the unexpected news? What about the death of a loved one, the dreaded late night call from the hospital, the news of cancer? What about the failing marriage, the loss of a job? What about wayward children or a spouse that is cheating? Are we really instructed to rejoice in every situation? Are we truly supposed to do this with thanksgiving? Let me play this out for you. “Dear Lord, thank you so much that my spouse is cheating on me. Today I rejoice in this situation.” Kind of absurd right?
So, how do we deal with this passage? I think the key to this whole passage is nestled right in the middle. Four simple words: “The Lord is near.” That’s the key. We don’t manufacture some pseudo joyful emotion and thankfulness when we pray to God about our situations. The joy, or lack of joy isn’t based on the situation at all. It’s all about “The Lord is Near”. This is faith. We know that the book of Hebrews defines faith as “being confident of what we hope for”. Our hope and our joy is not based on the situation, it’s based on our faith that “the Lord is near”.
We pray with confidence that God is in control. Our sorrow turns to joy. I believe the key to the whole passage is making the shift from “every situation” to “the Lord is near”. When we pray, we might be anxious, we might not be rejoicing, and we may not even have peace, but “the Lord is near”. Then, unexpectedly, we don’t even understand it, but God’s peace comes, and he guards our hearts and minds. My interpretation of that is: he changes our thoughts and feelings. He heals our emotions and pain.
Whenever you face a trial in life, you likely won’t be able to rejoice immediately, at least not in the situation. But, lean on your faith. Lean on the knowledge that “the Lord is near”. Pray and listen. God may not change the situation, but He will change your heart and mind. You’ll be shocked at the joy and thanksgiving that will return. The Lord is near … always!
