Above All

"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased."  -Psalms 138:1-3


Just some thoughts:

1. To intentionally bow to the presence of God is for:
a. Worship
b. Devotion and Loyalty
c. Resisting all "others" in your life

2. God's Word and Name is exalted to prominent attention and authority
a.  This attention points to love and faithfulness of God present in our life.

Pulpit Perspective

  As a pastor, I have conditioned myself to see others from the perspective of their spiritual state and need. I rejoice over seeing people growing or show spiritual maturity in their life. There truly isn’t a greater joy than seeing someone grow in Christ. You can see it in the way they interact with others and the conversations you have with them. Their participation in the community of faith increases. Spiritual growth is easily perceived when the individual is in full commitment. Likewise, I am concerned over lack of growth or stagnancy that I can perceive in the life of others. My perception is in the context of ministering to each person as they are. Everyone has the need to make a necessary response to God at all times. Being able to perceive someone’s need can also very difficult, however, if the evidence is saying stagnancy. The behaviors of others can only serve as evidence but cannot be trusted as conclusive all on its own. Maybe perception over time is the best indicator of one’s condition of the heart. Careful consideration of the intention of your perception as a believer is vital. Condemnation is never the goal, but urging others to join you on the journey of spiritual growth is. If Individuals are completely without trust in Christ, then sharing the “good news” of the gospel is the first priority. But in the community of faith, there should always be an atmosphere that urges continued growth in Christ. This pulpit perspective is a blessing in that I am driven to focus on what is truly important to see in others. What is truly important is in rejection of the superficial standards of the world. Rejoicing and concern are the appropriate feelings for all believers to have in relationship with others, depending on the current circumstance. Jealousy and condemnation in evaluating others are of the sinful flesh and influence of the evil one, that still plagues our current state. One must be diligent to make sure the intention is righteous, according to God’s Word, in rejoicing and concern for others. Believers are looking through the lens of God’s Word that one is devoted to consuming daily in prayer to God. This lens is the correct way of existing and interacting in a fallen world. I call it pulpit perspective because of my call to pastoral ministry. Disciple perspective might be a better term, as I see this as important for all who trust in Jesus as Savior. All people saved by the power of God are to engage with other Christians from this perspective. All people saved by the power of God must seek to engage with a lost word from this perspective. Are you perceiving the spiritual need of others? Are you listening to those who perceive your spiritual need today? Let us encourage each other to grow in Christ, with all grace and humility!

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  -Hebrews 10:19-24

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”    -Romans 12:9-21

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”    -Philippians 2:1-4

Sermon Sadness

When is your lowest point? I’m talking about the depths of sadness that is so solemn that you almost can’t speak. Mine is interesting in that it is right after I deliver a sermon. The temptation to be hard on myself is irresistible for things I said or didn’t say as clearly as I wanted. My theory is that when you truly give your all to something you are drained of all emotion. Preaching is by nature spiritual which involves emotion. I can even feel the physical effects as I am putting in the effort. So maybe it is not sadness at all. This feeling could be the reaction of great effort and still a sense of falling short of the great task. Preaching is enjoyable and an honor in the greatest sense. I thank the Lord that He is able to use my sermon that I have genuinely and with great effort prepared. That moment of declaring truth has been the culmination of prayer, study, and application for the purpose of God doing an amazing work. The fruits of the hours of preparation and prayer are desired greatly. When the fruits are not visibly evident, one can be greatly discouraged. In the moment of sadness, the only appropriate act of obedience and attitude of the heart is to trust God more. Those that preach and teach must proceed over the long-term with an understanding that the change and growth of all people begin from within the heart of the conscience. By turning to greater trust in the Lord to work, you will find the confidence to build upon a long-term life of obedience that will eventually bring a harvest of spiritual growth within the congregation. This growth will become visible through the spread of discipleship and evangelism. Sermon sadness is strange and could just be my struggle alone, but I am grateful for it. This struggle is a reminder of my weakness and that the task of being a Pastor/Preacher is bigger than my abilities. I must trust in the one who provides all things as the Creator God. Let us be prompted by our struggles to turn our attention to the Lord. 

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”  1 Corinthians 1:10-17

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Critique Culture

Much has been said about our current cultural climate of outrage. This is no doubt an accurate discussion that has identified the destruction of being offended by everything and being in constantly in pursuit of what to be offended by next. With this mindset comes the extreme emotions that leave us fatigued and depressed. When thinking of this issue in how it impacts the culture of the church, it is easy to see its presence among the people of God. I do not believe, however, that this is a new problem. Outrage can also show up in subtle ways expressed in the remarks we use in response to something in the life of faith. As we interact with other believers in our own church or among believers that attend other local churches, it is easy to express discontent in the form of critiques. We may even express discontent in the form of suggestions, which are cloaked critiques. As I ponder the problem with constant critiquing and suggesting among the body of Christ, I can't help but think this does nothing but distract us from who we are and what we are doing. When gathering with fellow believers for worship, or other ministry efforts, our goal is to maintain a focus directed towards the purposes of God. In other words, we are there doing what we are doing not to satisfy our own preferences or the preferences of others. I am there to function and exist as one whom God has redeemed. This means some things are to please God and not to please me. Those who are truly honoring God are only focused on His desires. Every task is for the purpose of honoring God even if I don’t particularly enjoy the process of what I am doing. True service to others for the purpose of honoring God is not distracted by the critiquing of the task. This does take great maturity and discipline in Christ and we must be patient with those that are growing towards maturity. For the faithful, a good thought is “This is not for me to critique, this is for God!”. If the task of the church is in conformity to God’s word, then no matter what I prefer, I can participate joyfully as is honoring to Him! This frees the individual from having to be pleased by the task itself and instead is able to find joy in the outcome of glory being appropriately attributed to God. May we all grow to do all for the glory of God!

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” - 1 Corinthians 10:31

Relying On The Church

What a great summer it has been here at FBC Greenville. As we looked ahead at the calendar, I knew this was going to be a great and busy summer. All of our events have been for the purpose of bringing glory to God. I am so appreciative for the team effort that has been on display to make sure all of our events and regular services have gone smoothly. With these efforts comes great sacrifice on the behalf of our church members and staff alike. For me personally, I regret being away at the moment when some church members and their families deserved the support of their pastor. The other leaders of the church stepped up in a great way to cover for me and I am feeling thankful today. Being away doing one great thing lead to missing other opportunities to fulfill the great calling God has placed upon my life. My ego is not great enough for me to believe that only “Chase Clower” could meet these needs and no one else could. That is foolish! In fact, there are others far greater than myself in providing the support needed. I do believe, however, that everyone deserves the support of their pastor, especially during difficult times. As this week closes out youth camp and we head into kids camp next week, we are moving into another opportunity for God to do great things. I love centrikid camps and enjoy going as a chaperone whenever I can. I have looked forward to it and hope to go many more times. In preparation to being away from my regular responsibilities for another week, I am appreciative for the patience and efforts of the church to work together for the glory of God in meeting each others needs. I thankful for the patience of those who work with me during these times where I am overwhelmed with the tasks of ministry. The desire to be available for all things and all people is overwhelming and unrealistic. Having the help of others is a privilege and hard to accept sometimes. My fear earlier in the week was being away again without my personal vehicle to ensure my availability for pastoral care needs that might arise during the week. The frustrations that I felt were from a lack of trust in God and the help that the body of Christ could provide for me. (yes, this is a confession) I believe as pastors, we are so consumed with providing help to others that we can’t even see those that are trying to help us. This is foolishness and sin! Lord help me to listen and trust in you more! Thank you church for your patience and help! I am thankful for FBC Greenville membership and staff! I hope the sharing of these struggles and the way that God has helped me to be thankful for my church family will encourage you to do the same. Be thankful for the body of Christ and trust in the way God works through His church!

Some verses that have helped:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”  -Acts 2:42-47

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”  -Ephesians 2:18-22

Who You Are In Secret

Privacy is something of great importance in our culture and really is a part of worldwide culture. With the desire to have aspects of our lives that are unknown to the outside world comes the effort to put up hedges. One question for the follower of Christ is, what is going on in your life during those moments of privacy? Who are you in those secret moments of your day or week. There is no doubt that Jesus emphasizes the importance of withdrawing from others to spend time with God the Father. This was modeled in the life of Christ and emphasized as evidence of a sincere faith lived out. When serving others by meeting their need we are to value this as a private act and not something to draw attention to ourselves. The consequences of not have a private life that is focused on drawing close to the one true God is that we begin drawing close to the praise and attention of others. Seeking righteousness in our times of privacy is empowering for our public life of faith. This empowerment is not only for the purposes of being effective in the act but to reinforce the object of your obedience and worship. Whether it is in giving, prayer, or even fasting, Jesus points to starting with private obedience to make sure that your motives are pure when seen by others. This world needs to see a display of righteousness from the people of God. This display must come as an overflow of private worship and devotion in order for God it get the glory that is due Him. We are not to withdraw from the world in complete isolation, as that would be counterproductive in being heralds of the gospel. We are to make disciples and spread the good news of the Gospel for the glory of God. To ensure that we do not seek the building of our own personal kingdom but are contributing to the furthering of God’s kingdom, let us be devoted to private righteousness in seeking the Lord. As the Lord feeds our hunger and thirst for righteousness in private, then we are ready to publicly declare the Gospel with our actions and words. 

Recommended Passages

Matthew 5-6

Matthew 28:19-20

Romans 10:15

Luke 5:16

Matthew 14:23

Mark 1:35

Worry About Your Neighbor

At the heart of the Gospel is the concept of sacrifice. Jesus died on the cross to take the place of the sinner. This was for the permanent sacrifice for the sins of the world. (John3:16-17) This has a great impact immediately on the one who trusts in Jesus for this sacrifice that brings forgiveness in relationship with God the Father. Now that we have this forgiveness we are in a new position of righteousness before the Father because of Jesus the Son. Because of this life-giving sacrifice of Jesus, believers are called to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) in serving the Lord by serving others. Throughout scripture, the call for loving your neighbor as evidence of your close communion with God in Christ is evident. (Matthew 22:34-39) We must serve and sacrifice to meet the needs of our neighbors because of  our trust in Jesus. This service is not only to meet needs, but to reveal the grace and mercy of God through the decency of kindness shown to others. Our neighbor, in scripture, is to extend to all we come in contact with. (Matthew 5:43-48) If how we treat others is within the context of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins, then our actions will be sacrificial and loving no matter the obstacles or circumstances. Let us not limit our neighbors to only those who love us back or those that we agree with us, but extend our service ministry to all that we come in contact with. This will bring glory to the Father and reflect the life we have in Him.

The popular idea that is threatening this aspect of the christian life is that of not worrying about your neighbor. To pay attention to the things that impact your life alone sounds very attractive on the surface. This type of self-isolation actually violates the christian mission and purpose of loving your neighbor. By taking the opportunities to show love and kindness to others you are choosing to worry about someone else other than yourself. You have to worry about your neighbor to be a kind and loving follower of Christ. Let us make a commitment to be sacrificially obedient to the Lord by taking the love we have in Him and pour it into the lives of all people.