August 23, 2012 · 9:56 AM

Should Marriage Be Defined By Tradition or Truth?

In the ongoing debate about marriage, conservative voices often use the word “traditional.”  The legal definition of marriage, they say, should be based on tradition.  Is that right?

Cultures tend to evolve and ours is no exception.  In the last few decades attitudes have shifted dramatically about what behaviors should be accepted, and therefore, should be promoted and protected by our legal system.

First, voices began saying that not every sexual relationship should be restricted to marriage.  As this idea gained acceptance immorality and adultery multiplied.  Decades of progressive attitudes about sex have left their mark.  Has sexual immorality become a new American tradition?

Then people began to say that not every baby deserves to live.  As a result our society legalized and accelerated the destruction of what came to be called “fetal tissue.”  After destroying tens of millions of unborn babies, can we say that abortion has become a sad new American tradition?

Next, people decided that not every marriage is worth fighting to save.  The result was an explosion in the number of broken homes.  Higher and higher percentages of marriages ended in divorce.  Another new American tradition?

It also became popular to say that not every child needs both a mom and a dad.  Single-parent homes emerged as a valid choice for family.  With so many children growing up in one-parent households, could we say that single parenting has become an American tradition?

Now our culture wants to say that not every marriage must be between one man and one woman.  A vocal and politically powerful minority is working hard to establish another new American tradition: so-called “gay marriage.”

If the definition of marriage is determined by tradition, then it is doomed to be tossed about by the fickle cultural breezes that constantly swirl in our country.  Traditions come and go, some good and some not.  Marriage is far too important to be left to the shifting winds of culture and tradition.

The Bible reveals God’s original design for marriage.  Early in the account of creation, in Genesis 2, God’s Word says, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and join with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

Note the beginning: For this reason.  For what reason?  Because God made them male and female.  Marriage begins with the unique compatibility between a man and a woman.

Jesus affirmed God’s ancient design for marriage more than a millennium later.  When asked about divorce he quoted Genesis 2, and then he added, “So what God has joined together let no man separate.”  Jesus agreed with God’s original definition of marriage, rejecting the idea that family evolves or that it must bow to popular cultural notions.

Conservative defenders of one-man-one-woman marriage often claim to believe in the authority of the Bible, yet they choose to argue that tradition should define marriage.  Why?  Do they believe that tradition will be more agreeable to a secular culture than the Bible?

Another argument says that traditional marriage is the best foundation for a healthy culture.  This line of reasoning also attempts to persuade culture about godly marriage without mentioning God or the Bible.

One-man-one-woman marriage does offer the best foundation for any culture.  But marriage is more than a strong platform for society.  Marriage is meant to be a visible expression of God’s love for his people.

The risk of rejection is no excuse for softening God’s Truth.  God designed marriage to be one man and one woman totally and freely committed to one another [f]or a lifetime.  Jesus affirmed God’s unchanging design for marriage and added a statement about the permanent nature of the relationship.

So, why not boldly and honestly promote God’s Truth about marriage?  The Bible itself promises that God’s Word is eternal and unchanging: “The grass withers and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.”

In the debate about marriage the church must decide whether to argue for tradition or for God’s design.  Traditions change but God’s Word stands forever.  Let’s take our stand with the Truth.

– Richard Foster, Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR, May 2012

Printed May 2012;  Camden News;  Camden, AR.

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August 23, 2012 · 9:51 AM

Is Jesus a Communist or a Capitalist?

A young man approached Jesus and asked him how to inherit eternal life.  Instead of a spiritual answer Jesus gave an economic reply.  He instructed the young man to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor.

Jesus’ response would surprise almost anyone, but it was especially stunning for a very wealthy person.  And this man was very wealthy.

Was Jesus endorsing income redistribution?  Was he telling the man that he should give up his elite financial status and become part of the 99 percent?  Was he saying that economic justice should be top priority?  Is that not advice that Marx would appreciate?

What would the man do?  Apparently he was so attached to his great wealth that he could not bring himself to obey Jesus.  So he turned and went away sad.

The man’s love for his wealth is no surprise.  What is remarkable is that Jesus had nothing more to say to him.  He merely allowed the rich young man to choose his own gloomy destiny.

If Jesus believed in redistributing wealth, he certainly had a strange way of showing it.  He did not insist on passing a law that forced the man to give up his riches.  He did not start a revolutionary uprising among workers to take back what was rightfully theirs.  He did not even put up tents in the park and organize a protest against the injustice of economic disparity.

So Jesus agreed that the man had a right to own property, lots of property, when others were in desperate need, even though it could not bring him true happiness.  Jesus must be a capitalist.

But why did Jesus urge the man to sell all his property and give the money to the poor?  It was his wealth, after all.  Why not just give a generous donation and stay rich?  He could do more for the downtrodden by maintaining a healthy income stream, right?

As the rich young man walked away, Jesus turned to his followers and uttered one of his best-known sayings.  “Easier it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,” he said, “than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”  That sounds bad for rich people.

On another occasion Jesus told about a wealthy man who ignored a dirty beggar named Lazarus.  But a great reversal took place in the presence of God.  The rich man found himself in torment while the poor man was comforted.

Is that a fair outcome?  The beggar was just a welfare case who refused to work, right?  Apparently the Lord expected the rich man to do more than trickle down on the poor man.

Jesus taught that nobody can serve both God and money.  He warned about the riches of this world, pointing out that material wealth is prone to theft and decay.  He told his followers to give, and if someone takes what belongs to them, do not demand it back.  Does that sound like capitalism?

Change the terminology to socialism instead of communism or to free markets instead of capitalism if you wish.  The point is the same.  Jesus cannot be recruited to promote our popular systems of macro-economics, unless he is severely edited.  And editing Jesus is difficult because, as he said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words (all of them) will never pass away.”

How are we to understand Jesus on wealth?  He did more than instruct that rich young man to give his riches to the poor.  Jesus urged the man to come and follow him.  Wealth was not the issue; it was a distraction from the issue.  The issue was, and is, following Jesus.

If we could undo all the economic injustice in this harsh world, but we did not become followers of Jesus, then our efforts would be of no lasting value.  If we could produce a great fortune that creates jobs and income for millions, but we did not become followers of Jesus, then our accomplishments would be trivial.

The rich young man did not like what Jesus had to say about wealth so he walked away.  He elevated his ideas and feelings about wealth above Jesus.  If we elevate our ideas about wealth above Jesus, whatever they may be, then we, too, have missed the point.

Instead of hearing only the words of Jesus that seem to support our preconceived ideas about wealth, let us hear all that he has to say.  When we do, we will find that Jesus Christ has much more to offer than economic freedom or fairness.  Jesus is more than a reformer.  Jesus is Redeemer.

– Richard Foster, Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR, January 2012

Printed January 2012;  Camden News;  Camden, AR.

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August 23, 2012 · 9:04 AM

Is Jesus a Liberal Or A Conservative?

Both liberal and conservative groups claim to represent the ideals of Jesus Christ.  But the two positions often adopt very different ideas about moral and ethical issues.  How can this be?  Is one side or the other simply mistaken?  Is one side or the other being dishonest?

The crowds were somewhat fickle about Jesus, sometimes following him in large numbers, other times abandoning him because his teaching did not tickle their fancy.  The rulers, however, quickly targeted Jesus as their enemy.  They had much to lose and so they could not afford to be lukewarm about this powerful preacher and miracle-worker.  They believed that he would undermine their authority and so they were looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

On one occasion these hostile rulers confronted Jesus with a quandary that they felt sure would at least embarrass the carpenter-turned-rabbi.  They presented him with a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.  In front of witnesses, they asked Jesus what he thought should be done with her.  Should she be stoned to death according to the Law of Moses?  Or should she be shown mercy and set free?

The religious leaders who concocted this heartless trap for Jesus thought that they had backed him into an ethical corner.  If he agreed with stoning the woman, then he would come across as harsh and unforgiving to the everyday people who were helping to fuel his ever-threatening popularity.  More importantly, he would be endorsing an action that was forbidden by the occupying Romans.  Rome denied the Jewish people the authority to carry out capital punishment.  Jesus could then be painted as a subversive in the eyes of the Romans; and the Empire had zero tolerance for any movement that challenged their absolute authority.

On the other hand, if Jesus did anything but support the woman’s execution, he would be challenging the authority of God’s holy Law given through his revered servant Moses.  If the rulers could prove that Jesus broke the Jewish Law then his preaching ministry would be severely damaged in the court of public opinion.  So what could Jesus do?  Was it possible for him to uphold God’s Law and yet show mercy to the woman?

Jesus responded with some of his best known and often repeated words, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Shocked into silence and shame, the hostile group dispersed.  Without witnesses the woman could not be condemned, according to the Law.  Jesus followed the letter of the Law and he spared the life of the woman.

Jesus then uttered words that should also be well known and often used.  He told the woman, “Go, and from now on sin no longer.”  With these words Jesus made it clear that the Law prohibiting adultery is good.  He did not justify her lifestyle.  He did not agree with her sexual immorality.  He encouraged her to make better choices.

Despite some liberal assertions, God’s grace does not proclaim a sinful activity to be upright.  God’s grace declares a sinful person to be forgiven, which requires a standard for upright behavior.  To the angst of some conservatives, God’s grace to sinners is immeasurable.  There is no three-strikes-and-you’re-out protocol in God’s Kingdom.  All who admit their mistakes and turn back to God find in him an apparently inexhaustible fountain of mercy.

No matter how utterly frustrating to liberal ideals, God’s standard for upright behavior never changes to accommodate popular culture.  No matter how endlessly aggravating to conservatives, God’s tolerance for repentant sinners never wavers.

So God’s standard for right human behavior is unchanging, but at the same time, his love for rebellious yet repentant people is unwavering.  These two characteristics of God seem irreconcilable to rigid right-left thinking.  Yet God’s holiness and God’s love met head-on at an old rugged cross just outside of Jerusalem.  The results are cosmic and eternal.

Unfairly condemned, the sinless Son of God voluntarily sacrificed his life.  In doing so, Jesus sealed both the honor of God’s righteousness and the salvation of his people.  Jesus is the guarantee that God’s standard for upright behavior is not broken, and yet God’s love for repentant sinners is not denied.

So, is Jesus a liberal or a conservative?  Yes, he is.  Jesus is the most liberal conservative to ever walk the face of the earth.  In Christ the simplistic human notions of liberal and conservative converge and become something far greater: God’s amazing grace.  How sweet the sound.

– Richard Foster, Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR, September 2011

Printed September 16, 2011;  Camden News;  Camden, AR.
This article also won Award of Outstanding Merit at the Amy Foundation.

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August 22, 2012 · 1:21 PM

Teachings on Prayer

One sign of the Lord’s favor is answered prayer.  Jesus promised that if we remain in him and his words remain in us, that we can ask him for what we want and it will be done (John 15:7).  He also said that whatever we ask in his name, he will do (John 14:14).  These are startling promises from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m afraid that many people have a short relationship with prayer.  Somewhere along the way they hear that you can ask God for things and he will answer.  They try asking in prayer for a few things that they truly want.  They do not get what they want.  As a result, they determine that prayer doesn’t work and that is the end of their serious efforts at prayer.

A person that has had an experience like this with prayer may say that prayer doesn’t work, but they are wrong.  The truth is that their prayer doesn’t work. Jesus’ prayer works.  His disciples were so amazed by Jesus’ prayer that they asked him to teach them to pray.  We can learn a lot about effective prayer from Jesus.

Jesus did not offer a principle or a formula to make prayer work.  Prayer is asking God for something and God is a person with certain characteristics and traits.  Children learn over time what kinds of answers to expect from their dad when they ask him for something.  They know because they have lived with him and they have learned to understand his character.  After asking him for things many times, they learn to predict pretty well what his answer will be to most of their requests.

In the same way that children should not expect their dad to give them things that go against his nature, followers of Jesus should not expect God to give things that go against his nature.  The Bible teaches us that sometimes we ask with incorrect motives and so God simply says “No” to our request.

Some people are disappointed to find out that God will only say “Yes” to things that he agrees with. Their idea about prayer was selfish all along and the notion of submitting to God’s will is out of the question for them.  Others are sincerely confused because they felt certain that God would agree with their request.  Perhaps they asked for a loved one to be healed or they needed a job in order to pay bills.  How could God say “No” to such good things?

Jesus said that we must pray in his name and that his words must remain in us.  Only then can our desires be expressed in prayer and answered by the Lord with his “Yes.”  This goes beyond simply knowing what God will do and limiting our requests to his character. Jesus is talking about having a heart that actually desires the things that God will do.  Only a change of heart will enable us to have the powerful prayer life that Jesus describes.

Jesus also said that answered prayer will bring glory to God.  In simple terms, to glorify God means to make him look good.  When our prayers are answered it makes God look good. He is glorified.  So prayer is not only something that benefits us, it also does something good for God.  If we really love the Lord and want to bring him glory, then this is another reason to learn how to pray.

The Bible tells us to pray continually! (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  Prayer can be woven into all parts of our lives, touching all that we do.  A single prayer can be very simple, but a life of prayer should be rich and complex.  One of the best ways to get better at prayer is to pray more.  Please pray.

May God’s Spirit give us a heart that desires his glory,

Brother Richard Foster, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR

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August 22, 2012 · 1:19 PM

In Jesus’ Name

Jesus carefully prepared his followers for what they were about to experience.  Just hours before his arrest, conviction, and crucifixion, he gave special instructions which are recorded in John 13-16.  We spent five months looking carefully at the things that Jesus taught on that night.  What we learned will benefit us now.

Jesus developed three important ideas as he instructed his followers that evening.  His disciples would need the vital truth that Christ shared with them in order to have great victory in the face of many trials.  These truths will serve us well, too.

First, Jesus repeatedly promised his followers that although he was leaving, he would surely return.  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me,” he said.  The Early Church lived in anticipation of Jesus’ imminent return. Our spiritual vitality will be enhanced by that same anticipation.

Second, Jesus wanted his followers to understand that they could depend on the Presence and power of God’s Spirit in their lives.  After Pentecost, when God’s Spirit was poured out on all Jesus’ followers, mighty and wonderful things happened.  The same Spirit of power and wisdom inhabits God’s people today.  By walking in the Spirit we can see God accomplish marvelous things in us and through us each year.

Finally, Jesus emphasized the importance of prayer in his followers’ lives.  Jesus was opening up unprecedented access to God.  In Old Testament days the worshiper was faced with walls, doors, priests, altars, and veils that stood between him and God’s personal Presence. In his name, Jesus’ followers could begin to speak directly to God and know that he hears and answers.

Consider this carefully. Never before had anyone prayed in Jesus’ name.  Many of us were raised hearing prayers always offered in the name of Jesus. As children we were taught to pray in Jesus’ name.  We may not fully appreciate what a great privilege it is to approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Prayer is the key that enables us to understand God’s plan, which will climax with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  Prayer also helps us to stay in step with God’s Spirit, living in the power and understanding of God’s personal Presence.

So, remember that Jesus is alive and he is coming back for you.  Learn to lean on the power of God’s Spirit dwelling in you.  And pray in Jesus’ name, knowing that God hears and answers you.

May God’s Holy Spirit do a mighty work in us and through us always,

Brother Richard Foster, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR

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August 22, 2012 · 1:17 PM

Serious Prayer

Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. Jesus spoke his prayer to God the Father just before he was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Jewish religious leaders.  In a matter of hours he would be crucified, but first he prayed.

Earlier that evening Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples.  He spent time preparing his small group of followers for what was about to happen.  They would soon take over the mission of God’s Kingdom in this world because Jesus was about to return to the Father.  He taught them many things.  He mentioned prayer several times.  It was now time for them to begin praying in his name.

To pray in Jesus’ name is more than just saying “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers.  In part, it means to pray like Jesus prays.  While those eleven disciples listened, Jesus gave them an example of how he prays.  He prayed for himself, then for his close group of believers, and finally for all who would become his followers.

If the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of God’s people, needed to pray for himself, then we certainly need to pray for ourselves as well. Jesus prayed about his mission, his calling.  Like our Lord, we should pray about our calling.  The Lord has a purpose for each of us.  Knowing and following God’s purpose gives us a great sense of confidence.

After praying for himself, Jesus prayed for his close circle of followers, the eleven men who were his disciples.  They started out as the Twelve but Judas had left, making final preparations to betray Jesus.  So Jesus prayed that his close group of eleven followers would be safe from evil and that they would be focused on fulfilling God’s mission in their lives.  He prayed that they would penetrate the darkness of this world without being absorbed by it.

We live in a world full of spiritual darkness.  Compromising with the ways of this world is deadly.  But avoiding all contact with the world is disobedient because Jesus sends his followers into the world to carry on his mission.  Like Jesus, we need to pray for one another that we can be in the world but not of the world, representing our Lord faithfully to the world. Together, with God’s empowering Presence, we will be light in a dark place.

Finally, Jesus prayed for all those who would hear the Word of Truth and believe.  His prayer for all believers focused on unity.  As he looked into the future of his Church, our Lord knew what a struggle his followers would face in order to stay united in worship and service.  Many divisions have fractured Christianity since Jesus’ prayer late that night.  Division weakens God’s people, but unity at the expense of truth is deceptive.

Jesus’ prayer is as relevant today as it was that night almost 2,000 years ago.  Since unity is so vital to Christ’s Church, then we should only allow matters of the utmost importance to separate us from other believers.  When the Truth is at stake, we are not dividing; we are defining the true Church.  We must pray that our church will have the courage to stand strong for the Truth, and the wisdom to recognize when the Truth is really at stake.

Please pray like Jesus.  Pray for yourself that you will be clear about your mission in life.  Pray for fellow Christians whom you know well, that they will be protected from evil and passionate about following Jesus.  Pray for the church that we will be wise and courageous about standing strong for God’s Truth.  And pray that our Lord will continue to teach us to pray.

May the Lord’s light shine clearly through us despite the darkness,

Brother Richard Foster, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR

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August 22, 2012 · 1:16 PM

Abundant Life

Jesus told his disciples, “Just as the Father sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21).  In the same way that God the Father sent his Son Jesus into the world, Jesus has sent his followers.  In other words, Jesus’ followers are carrying on the mission that Jesus started.  In order to understand what Jesus has sent us to do, we must look at what God sent Jesus to do.

Jesus said, “I have come in the Name of my Father” (John 5:43).  Jesus had the authority of God’s Name standing behind his work.  We too, as followers of Jesus, have the Lord’s authority to do what he sent us to do.  With God’s authority we can act confidently, knowing that our mandate comes from on high.

Jesus said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of the One having sent me” (John 6:38).  Jesus was an ambassador for God using God’s authority to carry out God’s will.  All followers of Jesus are expected to be ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal to the world through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). 

“For judgment I did not come into this world, but so that those not seeing may see,”Jesus said (John 9:39).  The Day of Judgment has not arrived.  Today is the day of salvation.  Today is the day to bring sight to the blind, which is a picture of lost people finding salvation.  We need not condemn the world.  It stands condemned already.  Like Jesus, we bring light into a dark place.

“The thief does not come except to kill and to steal and to destroy,” said Jesus, “I have come so that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  Like Jesus, we address a world that is endangered by an Enemy who causes only destruction and death.  As ambassadors for Christ we help people escape eternal destruction and enjoy abundant life.

Jesus also said, “I am Light come into the world so that everyone trusting in me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).  When people put their trust in Jesus Christ they cross over from death to life, from darkness to light.  Trusting Jesus is the doorway to abundant life.  We serve the Lord by encouraging people to put their trust in Jesus in order to find eternal salvation. 

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, accused as a criminal even though he was innocent, threatened with death even though he gave new life to so many, he told the Roman governor his life mission.  “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, that I may testify to the Truth” (John 18:37).  What Jesus did, we do.  Our focus is to testify to the Truth, God’s unchanging Truth revealed in the Bible. 

As a part of your local church, you can participate in our God-authorized and God-empowered missions in a variety of ways. You can learn more about sharing the faith through personal evangelism training.  You can serve where people’s physical needs are met in hopes of sharing God’s Truth with them.  You can join your state or foreign missions and reach out to other communities and other countries with the Truth. 

Through your participation, your support, and your prayers, you enable us to do what Jesus did.  We testify to the unchangingTruth of God to a world that desperately needs a sure foundation for life and for eternity.  Jesus was right.  The thief is busy killing, stealing, and destroying, but we come to tell people about abundant life. 

May the love of Christ compel us to go and tell the Good News,

Brother Richard Foster, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR

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August 22, 2012 · 1:14 PM

Jesus Came, We Go

Jesus’ disciples feared for their lives, hiding from the leaders who had crucified their beloved Master.  Suddenly the Lord Jesus himself was standing in their midst, speaking with them.  They were thrilled to see that he was truly alive.

Jesus showed his disciples the marks left on his body from the nails that had held him on the old rugged cross and the sword that had pierced his side after he gave up his spirit.  The fear caused by his death was shattered by joy at his presence.

“Peace to you all!” Jesus said to them.  The peace he was speaking about, however, was not one of inactivity.  His next words were these: “As the Father has sent me, I also am sending you.”

Jesus promised peace to his followers in the midst of a mission.  They were being sent out by Jesus in the same way that Jesus had been sent out by God the Father.  In what way did God send Jesus?

Jesus came in the Name of the Father (John 5:43).  Now, his followers are sent in the Name of Jesus.  Jesus came not to do his will, but the will of the One who sent him (John 6:38).  The followers of Jesus carry out the will of God instead of living for themselves, building God’s Kingdom instead of their own and seeking God’s honor and praise instead of accolades for themselves.

God the Father sent Jesus into the world not for judgment (John 9:39), but so that people may have abundant life (John 10:10).  As followers of Jesus, we too, are sent not to condemn the world but to announce the true source of abundant life.  And what is that source?

Jesus said, “I am Light come into the world so that everyone trusting in me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). The source of abundant life is Jesus, the Light of the world.  By trusting in him millions have found Life and Light.  Billions more still need to hear the message and have the opportunity to choose life.

We go because Jesus came.  Jesus came from heaven to earth but he also reached out to his neighbors.  We go around the world and across the street because we are sent like Jesus was sent.

May we enjoy the peace of Christ as we fulfill the calling of Christ,

Brother Richard Foster, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR

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August 22, 2012 · 1:12 PM

Your Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible school is always a great time at our church.  The fun and fellowship is made sweeter because we know that our labor has eternal consequences.

A note came to the church recently that tells us how powerful Vacation Bible School really is:

I am writing you to say thank you for the things of God you helped build inside of me years ago.  I am now 43 years old and still think of your Bible School I attended as a child. Recently while getting a devotion together to teach to our Wednesday night group at church, Psalms 100 came to me. I learned this scripture at a Bible School held by your church.  We sang it in a song.  Since then I have known it by heart and have quoted it several times along the way. I’m not sure who the leaders were during that time, but the lessons they taught are still a great memory.

I’m now married to a wonderful Christian man who is the Pastor of the church we attend.  I have three children, and have a good Christian foundation, in which I owe your church much of the credit.  Thank you again for your dedication to teaching children about the love of Jesus Christ.

My prayers be with you,
(name withheld)

Wow!  What an inspirational reminder of how the Lord uses VBS to impress his love and truth on the lives of children.  God works through our efforts to touch the hearts and minds of children in ways that last a lifetime.  It truly is a great honor to serve the Lord through Vacation Bible School.

Our labor in the Lord is not in vain because the Lord we serve knows the beginning from the end and he is able to do the impossible.

May the greatness and the understanding of our Lord shine brightly in your vacation Bible school this year,

Brother Richard Foster
Grace Baptist Church, Camden, AR

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August 22, 2012 · 1:09 PM

Feed My Sheep

More than two years ago I started preaching through the Gospel of John during Sunday morning worship. Now I have finished, and in the concluding chapter of John’s Gospel there is a remarkable conversation between Jesus and Peter.

Jesus had warned his disciples that he would soon be betrayed and that they would all fall away. Peter had bragged that he would never fall away, even if all the others did.  Jesus assured Peter that before morning came he would deny even knowing Jesus, and so he did.

Now that Jesus was risen and appearing to his followers, proving that he was truly alive, Peter was a man torn in two.  On the one hand he was thrilled to see the Lord whom he loved so much.  On the other hand he surely wondered how Jesus could ever forgive him for what he had done.

Jesus made it a point to confront Peter in a loving and decisive manner.  As they ate breakfast together on the shore of Lake Tiberius, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?”  Three times Peter told Jesus that he did.  Jesus allowed Peter to erase his three denials with three affirmations of love.

But Jesus did more than forgive Peter for his denials.  Each time Peter said that he loved Jesus, the Lord added a command. Feed my lambs.  Tend my sheep.  Feed my sheep.  Jesus’ sheep are his followers, the people of God; and he is the Good Shepherd.

To feed Jesus’ sheep is to care for Jesus’ followers, the church.  Peter was not just forgiven; he was reinstated to a place of service among Jesus’ followers.  Jesus would soon return to the Father, but Peter’s love for the Lord Jesus would still be evident through his service to the Lord’s church, his people.

Your love for the Lord Jesus is evident in the way that you serve God’s people.  What an honor it is for me to serve alongside you, my church family, as you demonstrate your affection for the Savior through your service in his church.  Like Peter, you have a commission from the Lord to labor in his Name.

As you examine yourselves, please prayerfully consider your place of service at your church.

Like Peter, each of us is called to a place of service among Jesus’ followers.  And like Peter, even our past failures cannot keep us from expressing our love for the Lord by serving him now.

May the Lord inspire and enable us to love one another,

Brother Richard Foster
Grace Baptist Church, Camden AR

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