Here is an excerpt from a sermon of his that has such validity and truth to it. Again, he uses sarcasm to bring home the point and I truly don’t believe he does it to ridicule or poke fun of people, programs, etc. Take 3 minutes to listen to it and evaluate yourself with this question: “is he talking about me?”

How can you as a follower of Christ and how can we as the Church be more intentional in making church about God and less about us?

What do I want to see at Willoughby Baptist Church? It’s simple. I don’t want to us hold a revival, I want us to be in revival.

Just as worship isn’t a set time and date but rather a lifestyle, revival should be something the church is IN, not hosts. Sure, week long revivals are great at stirring the people and many times lives are changed by the Gospel. Praise God for that! What I want our people to see is that there’s no need to wait on “revival week” before we get on our faces before God and cry out for the lost, and it’s been so refreshing to see these members do that already. Instead of putting off confession and repentance until the revival preacher offers an invitation, do it now, right where you sit. Forgiveness is just as freeing in the workplace as it is at the altar.

I see great things in store for our community and my prayer is that a tsunami of grace floods Willoughby and the countless people nearby. If our church can be even one small tremor that begins the process, we will do what it takes to shake the ground for the Lord.

Picture church as that cold glass of lemonade. Many of you might claim to be in a spiritual drought, seriously in need of a refreshing from the Holy Spirit. Just as you would do your best to maximize that drink and get every last drop, it’s important for us to maximize our time at church because it really does offer a river of refreshment to those who are dry. Hey, Jesus tells us in John 7:38: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of His heart will flow streams of living water.” Are you willing to pass that up? Some of your are so spiritually dried up you can’t remember what that flow feels like. No need to fret, I’m pretty sure that if God can revive an entire valley of dry bones, He can do it for little ole’ you.

Drink down every last word, every last song, every last Scripture passage from your time at church. Don’t waste it. It’s highly unlikely that dead people can reach dead people. Instead, the church needs those who are alive to reach those who are dead. Grab a cup and head to the river. Maximizing Christ ALWAYS meets your needs.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully support what’s commanded in Romans 13:1-7 and I believe every Christian ought to as well. I support our President and the government. I subject myself to the laws of this land. I even vote! However, I serve no man. I submit myself to no law fabricated by human author, and there is only one King who requires my complete devotion. His name is above every other name.

Why worry about our economy run by sinful man? We already know it is going to perish! Rather than spending all of our energies trying to fix an unfixable economy, let’s focus our time expanding an unbreakable one. Rather than investing our last dollar into a shaky stock market, let’s invest our last dollar into an unshakable Kindgom. The return on an investment you place into God’s Kingdom is unreal, whether you see any benefit of it or not. There has never been a better time to buy stock into God’s work.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have only one King who is worthy of our extreme devotion. So, which economy maters more? Your temporal one, or His eternal one? The billions of unbelieving souls are crying out for the latter. Go invest.

The Church has got to let people know what it stands FOR rather than what it stands AGAINST. 

That’s not to say we cover up our Biblical convictions and hide behind politically correct answers from the pulpit. I will never do that. However, when we stand in the public spotlight our emphasis should be placed on what we are for so that people can get on board with our vision and mission, rather than shouting and stamping our feet about what we are against.

There will be enemies of the church until Jesus returns, regardless of what we say and do. Let’s at least put as much of a positive emphasis on the Church’s core convictions and help others see the Light of Christ. We’ve got to do our best to find a way to be in the world, and not of it.

Who is?

The liar. The thief. The prostitute. The proud. The broken. There is no more honored guest in the house of God than those who are without relationships to Christ. They deserve the red carpet rolled out by us. They deserve the best seat. They deserve affection and love from our members. Why? Because they are the ones who are in need of life. They need an unshakable hope that is only found in Christ. They need the joy of knowing they have been bought by the blood of a holy God who intimately cares for their every need.

Do you give up your seat for these? Does warmth exude from your fingertips as you greet them? I can only imagine how excited the hosts of Heaven are that “that guy” or “that lady” is present to hear the Gospel at your church and I want our church to share that same excitement and anticipation.

Church, put out the fine china because Mr. Idolator is attending your service on Sunday, and he may finally come to the table and feast on grace and mercy. Make him welcome.

I remember the first time I paid attention to this story. I was currently working with students but tirelessly wrestling with the call to be a pastor. Several opportunities presented themselves for me to obtain a position as pastor, but God slammed and locked the door so that I would not enter through. I remember even getting so desperate for a fulfillment of this calling that I posted a status on Facebook that said, “When is my Macedonia moment coming??” God continued to not let me go where I wanted to go.

When the process with Willoughby Baptist progressed and the time came for me to preach the trial sermon, we took the 400 mile drive towards Northeast Ohio. Being that my wife was 36.5 weeks pregnant with our third child, it was a nerve-racking venture, but we knew God had opened another door for us. About 30 miles outside of Willoughby, in a part of the country we have never been to before, we drove past a town that struck my heart to to the very core. The towns name: Macedonia. HA! After years of patiently waiting (well, somewhat patiently), God, in all of His humor, gave me my Macedonia moment in full HD. That very moment, we knew that God said it was time.

If you’re waiting for God to come through on something that you know is from Him, the best advice I can give you is this: just wait a little longer. Trust me when I say that it’s worth it. I am privileged to pastor a great church with great people who are ready to take the Gospel outside the walls of the building. Had I walked through the other doors and taken a church just because I couldn’t wait any longer, I would have missed out on the center of God’s will. There, my friends, is the absolute best place to be. Your Macedonia is on its way, somehow, someway. God will tell you when its time. Trust Him.