Daily Walk|a blog by Jim Smyrl

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Several years ago I received an invitation to preach at a former classmate’s church in the beautiful hills of West Virginia. He not only promised the opportunity to preach Read the rest of this entry »

I remember moments of torture at my grandparent’s house. The seasons of suffering were the result of two sources Read the rest of this entry »

Rebellion against God in a nation reveals the laxity of the body of Christ within that nation. We are called to engage the culture with Read the rest of this entry »

A.W. Tozier referred to worship as “the missing jewel of the church.” The absence of heart worship among God’s people is symptomatic of a nation that has rejected God. It is well said that as the fathers go so goes the marriage; as the marriage goes so goes the family; as the family goes so goes the church; as the church goes so goes the nation. A nation that rejects Christ does not enter such a state through immoral legislation or judicial rulings, but rather by way of a church that has neglected the worship of so great a Savior.

Isaiah 1-6 provides characteristics of a nation that rejects Christ. The similarities between the Children of Israel and the church of Jesus Christ that rejects God are not surprising. Sin in the heart of man has been the common core of all rebellion from man since the Garden.

We will invest several studies in this one section of Scripture. In preparation look at the general outline below that we will detail in the days to come and read Isaiah chapters 1-6. Observe, in each chapter, the characteristics of a nation and individuals that reject Christ.

1. Rebellious (1:1-4)
2. Powerless (1:7-9)
3. Heartless (1:11-15)
4. Loved (1:16-20)
5. Compassionless (1:21-23)
6. Unstable (2:5-3:12)
7. Vain (3:16-4:1)
8. Oppressed (5:7-24a)
9. Empty (5:24b)
10. Redeemable (6)

Socrates, the Classical Greek Philosopher, was approached by a young man. The young man asked, “Oh master Socrates, will you be my teacher?” Socrates turned and said, “follow me,” and began to walk towards the ocean. The young man, greatly desiring to come under the tutelage of the great teacher, submissively followed behind. Socrates entered the water, never turning to address the young man. The young man followed until the water touched just below his chin. Socrates turned, faced the young man, placed his aged hands on the lads head and immersed the boy under the water. Desiring to demonstrate his compliancy, the young man remained under water until he could go no longer without air. He flexed the muscles in legs to let the great teacher know he was ready to emerge, but Socrates pressed with greater force on the boys head. Panic set in and the young man began to flail his arms fearing now that the master philosopher had gone mad and sought to end the boys life. Just as the young man faced death, Socrates released his hold and the boy burst through the waters surface gasping for life. After a few saving breathes the boy cried out, “Oh master, Why, Why did you do that to me?” Socrates responded, “When you desire to learn as much as you desired air, I will be your teacher.”

As we walk through Isaiah 1-6 may we drown our selfish pursuits and desire God as much as we desire air.

A Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) continues to serve as a rally point for a new generation of evangelicals. This generation stands firmly committed to the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture for all of life; hungers to reach the nations with the gospel, even if that means going outside traditional Southern Baptist avenues to do so; and desires heart worship in private and public, which often translates into the appearance of disrespect but in reality is a greater concern for a clean heart than a clean shirt in the assembly. Above all, this new generation of evangelicals longs to see God move in a way so that millions of believers are impassioned for an “as they are going” evangelism and millions of unbelievers are transformed by grace. So what will it take for this to occur?

Charles Finney believed and practiced a revivalism that left a movement of God in the hands of manmade programs and publicity practices. A GCR will not emerge out of man’s efforts to stir something up, although we each bear great responsibility in a GCR. Merely attempting to reproduce the activities of previous generations in order to see a similar movement results in an effort in vain futility and a redaction of history that puts man in the driver’s seat of the great revivals of days gone by. Surely we do not want to write God out of our rich history by asserting, “If we would just do what we did then, we would see the results we saw then.” This new generation of evangelicals will not be a part of dishonoring God by trying to duplicate a movement. Finney taught us much.

A GCR in the local church may begin with a right understanding of God and a right understanding of self. Many SB churches seem to be continually looking at themselves in the mirror and adding more makeup and jewelry so the culture, will be drawn to them. This prostitution of the church will not produce a transformed culture but rather one that increasingly rejects an obvious attempt to connect with them. Perhaps God is not so much interested in how relevant we look to our culture as He is with how relevant we are to His mandate of making disciples. The mission to which the One who has all authority called those of us who are His slaves contains a simple imperative: Make Disciples of All Nations. A right understanding of God and self causes the slave to rightly submit himself to the command of his Master. Nothing stands in the way of the slave fulfilling his Master’s command. The slave devises no other agenda or model of service but simply carries out his Master’s desire without need of repetitive reminders. A GCR may just begin when we slaves lay our ministry agendas, our desires to aesthetically appeal to our culture, and our personal ambition for success at the feet of the One who called us to be singularly focused in these last days.

This new generation of evangelicals adamantly rejects the overloaded wagons of most SB churches. One reason so many of them are planting churches is the unwillingness to consume precious disciple-making time while maintaining the bureaucracy into which many in the church immerse themselves in order to avoid confrontational discipleship. Many of our young champions enter their first pastorate only to realize that their role is not that of equipper but rather babysitter of the backslidden. The nursery of many SB churches is not a room with cribs but rather a room with conference tables in which those disengaged from proclaiming the gospel satisfy their need for ministry engagement. It takes a team of forensic scientists to find the life-changing gospel on the calendar and in the budget of most SB churches today. In our effort to offer much to the masses we have so weighted down our people with programs, committee meetings, potlucks, decorating themes, and organizational requirements that the proclamation of the gospel has been compartmentalized to a group of people that are not so busy with church work. We need to realize that just because a ministry or program is helpful to people does not mean it is necessary or even a faithful expression of the gospel. A GCR may just begin when we clear the calendars of our churches and then saturate them with the mandate of our Master.

Obviously, I do not have the answer to the beginnings of a GCR. Great evidence exists that churches that will survive through the next two decades will be those that lay aside the weight that currently ensnares them. For some churches that weight is legalism, for others it is antiquated expectations for Pastor and staff, and for others it is formalism that is particularly distasteful to those that hunger for personal and global heart transformation. Regardless of the place God chooses to ignite this fire of a GCR, it is increasingly obvious that the church of Jesus Christ must repent of doing much labor, but little laboring in fields white unto harvest. If most of our labor occurs on the campuses of our churches, we have missed the mandate of our Master. It may just be that God chooses to begin a GCR in the hearts of men and women, young and old, who will divest themselves of all that obstructs them from making disciples of all the nations.

Last November I wrote a letter “To My Five Daughters,” that received much attention and much commentary from readers. I thought now might be a good time to update some of my warnings in that letter. We are just a few months into a new presidential era, yet, to my surprise, many of the warnings to my daughters have already become reality. Below are some quotes from the November letter followed by an update to my daughters on each.

November Letter: “Economically our nation will nurse at the breast of Washington until it cannot be weaned to embrace personal responsibility to feed itself.”

Update: In just a couple of short months Washington has placed you my daughters in such debt that you will be the first generation in American history to live with less than your parents. Forces that I had no control over made decisions that prevent your future from having hope in a capitalistic economy in which you could use your creativity to invent, develop, and produce. Washington has already destroyed our nation’s economic foundation and laid the foundation on which America will have no other choice but to build a socialistic state in which the freedoms I knew as a young man will be no more.

The work ethic I learned from my grandfather and father will not be required in what is to come. Aspiration for hard work in order to provide for family will be replaced by accommodation from a government that provides for families. Beware, government provision only lasts as long as other nations support the foundation of debt that Washington laid over the past couple of months. Once that support is removed, and it will be removed, you will be left with the one hope I told you about in my previous letter: “You, my sweet daughters, will have to rise above the temptation to nurse from Washington’s breast, thus escaping the voice that seeks to convince you that something other than God is the great provider.”

November Letter: “Spiritually our nation will bow the knee to international sovereignty. The markets of the world will unite into one, the nations will closer align, and the power of rule will fall into the hands of men and women that do not speak your language. In the name of economic stimulus our leaders will sell our homeland into the hands of those that have no concern or even knowledge of the foundation of our laws. The underlying moral direction of our nation will not begin with a Judeo-Christian worldview. No longer will we be one nation under God, but rather an international union under a unifying economy.

Update: Just this week at the G20 Summit Russia and China are cooperating in order to persuade the other nations to move to a supra-national currency that could replace the US dollar. Our own Secretary of the Treasury said last week that he supports the idea being proposed. Since we live in a world driven by economics, such a move would have far reaching effects on law, moral issues, and personal freedoms. Economics will become the underlying moral worldview of our nation and will drive all matters related to faith and family. So, as in my last letter I say, “You, my dear children, will be faced with a choice to bend your biblical convictions in order to survive or to stand firm in grace with the imminent risk of losing all.” Stand firm my sweet girls. Do not bow to the economic gods of this world, but rather stand in the grace that is in Christ Jesus no matter the price.

November Letter: “All life will become disposable for its value will no longer be defined as a unique creation, but value will be assigned based solely on its immediate contribution to the international union.”

Update: In January the President opened the door for your tax dollars to support the killing of babies in the safety of their mother’s womb. “For the past eight years, (the restrictions) have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning in developing countries,” Obama said in a statement. So you see, as stated above, morality, even the value of life is determined by the economic impact nationally and globally. Economics has already become the moral standard of our nation’s leaders. So as in the last letter I say, “You, my glorious treasures, will be called on to serve as faithful voices that life is intrinsically valuable from the womb to eternity for God is Creator, Savior and Sustainer of life.”

The threats in the lands that you have seen me travel to and heard me testify of will soon be in our own nation. Stories I have brought from international travel of Bible’s read by candlelight, preachers imprisoned for obedience to the Word, and families divided because of their unwillingness to divide from their call to live godly in Christ Jesus will be the next headlines of our nation. I pray that these threats do not become reality as quickly as those I warned you of just five months ago. If they do, remember, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church and there is no greater joy than to be found worthy to suffer for the cause of Christ.

Romans 13 tells us to be submissive to the governing authorities. Do not mistake that mandate to respect those to whom God gives authority as a mandate to go weak on your biblical convictions. God never intends us to support or passively acquiesce to leaders that legislate death, sign freedom destroying laws, or cripple the God given ability of men and women to make an assertive contribution as productive citizens of a free society. Stand firm my sweet girls; The days ahead are dark, but the light of Jesus shines in the darkness and will shine through you until you see Him face to face.

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History will more than likely record that no man asserted greater influence in the SBC during our generation than Dr. Patterson. I do not need to recap the valiant battle for the Bible in which he led the charge and won the victory. The purpose of this series is to personally testify to our heroes’ influence from an up-close perspective rather than from a historian’s vantage point.

I met Dr. Patterson when I was 23 years old and in search of a seminary. Several people advised me not to go to SEBTS for it was still in the throes of liberal influences. With an open mind, I went to the campus that will forever hold a special place in my heart. Sandra and I joined in with the regularly scheduled tour of the campus, met professors, listened to well rehearsed presentations, but none of it answered my question. My heart remained in a state of uncertainty as to where God wanted me to prepare for a lifetime of ministry.

Before departing, we were offered a moment with the Bishop. Entering into his office was like stepping into a war room in which planning for a conservative resurgence as well as an African Safari went hand in glove. His growling voice somehow softened when he smiled with his eyes and offered us a seat under the Great Kudu. After the formal pleasantries my searching heart found resolution. I asked, “Dr. Patterson, why should I come to Southeastern?” Without hesitation but with Pattersonian hyperbole he responded, “God is going to do here far beyond what you will see anywhere else.” With that, I was hooked and ready to move.

Over the 3 years of study Dr. Patterson exemplified in the pulpit as well as the study all that I was to be as a minister of the gospel. His passionate proclamation of a well exegeted text served as a model for my future pulpit ministry. His open door policy, even in the stressful days of liberal attacks, continues to remind me that nothing on my desk can ever usurp the need of a person at my door. Those 36 months in the classroom were eclipsed by momentary glances at the man who demonstrated in public and private what it meant to live godly in Christ Jesus.

One would think that after graduation, the Giant would have no time for those he called “sons” while on campus. After all, a new generation of young men arrived, primed for Pattersonian influence. But, his time proved to truly rest in the hands of a God Who alone could make hours as profitable as years. My first church was all that I was warned about while in the halls of the mighty seminary. Dr. Patterson remained the one constant adviser throughout the 4-year struggle. One afternoon I called as deacons gathered outside my office for a “confrontation with the pastor,” but I was informed he was in a trustee meeting and could not talk, but a message would be sent to him to call me later. Minutes later my phone rang and the voice of the Bishop offered certain advice in an uncertain time. Later, I would discover that he had stopped the trustee meeting stating, “One of my sons is in trouble.”

Through the years Dr. Patterson has been a voice of reason and assuring direction through some of the major decisions of my life. He continues to exemplify that those whom God places in one’s care are forever children called to walk in truth. So I rejoice to stand on the shoulders of a warrior whose press statements are most often contrary to the condition of his heart; of a leader whose reputation is often trampled while he is pouring his life into young men; whose intentions are often questioned while he is on his face before the One who holds him in His righteous right hand. It is on the shoulder of Paige Patterson that I and countless other sons stand in order to see the next generation of children in need of a servant leader.

I remember the first conference at which I was blessed to hear Jerry Vines preach. It was in Winston Salem, NC. I was a first year seminary student, hungry for a model of the exposition I had been learning in class. Dr. Vines opened his Bible to Genesis 5, and the text unfolded right in front of me. Immediately I did all I could to get my hands on as many sermons by Dr. Vines as possible. Every where I went, my tape player in the car echoed the sounds of sound exposition from the prince of expository preachers. He quickly became my preaching hero.

Fast forward through the years to 2000. I received a phone call from Steve Clifton at FBC Jax. He inquired as to my interest in serving as the Couples Education Pastor. My heart almost dropped at the thought not only of serving at one of America’s greatest churches, but also of the privilege of me and my family sitting at the feet of my preaching hero. During the interview process, I was escorted into Dr. Vines’ office, the office that is now by the grace of God mine, and was blessed to talk with the man that had influenced my pulpit ministry more than any other. He took a chance on me and allowed me to serve under his leadership.

I had only been on staff at FBC about 3 months when Dr. Vines asked me to stay after a staff meeting. Assuming that I had bombed, my mind began to wonder how I would tell my family we were moving again. To my utter amazement, Dr. Vines asked me to fill the pulpit on a Sunday morning and night in June 2001. Why, I thought, would he be willing to risk putting a punk kid preacher in the pulpit that had so greatly influenced thousands for Christ? I still do not know why, but am grateful that he was willing to invest in the next generation.

After that first Sunday in the pulpit of the great church, Dr. Vines continued to pour out grace, allowing me to fill the pulpit in his absence, and sometimes, to my horror, in his presence! After every sermon he would encourage me to continue to preach verse by verse. Whether in long car rides or momentary meetings in the hallways, Dr. Vines poured his passion for preaching into me and caused me to constantly stay on guard against the temptation to dabble in topical talks.

His words continue to resound in my heart as I am now blessed to stand in the pulpit of the great church each week. I often wonder what might have been had the expositor not pulled me aside after that meeting and took a chance on a young preacher filling the great pulpit. Dr. Vines not only demonstrated to me the necessity of sound exposition, but also the requirement of the hero to risk much on the next generation by allowing them to do what only Christ can enable them to do. So it is on the shoulders of Dr. Jerry Vines that I stand, looking at the next hill to conquer for the glory of God.