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Other Recent Blog Entries: Lessons I Learned
from Landrum Leavell A Memorable
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for Ten Years Together
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April 2006 Intentional Evangelism and The Da Vinci Code
When the talents of Academy Award winner Tom Hanks and noted director, Ron Howard, become a team for a new motion picture you can be assured that the movie going public will take notice. The soon to be released movie "The Da Vinci Code” is the latest project for these Hollywood favorites. Many are familiar with the bestselling book by the same name which was authored by Dan Brown. Dan Brown became well known, not only for his several fictional books, but also for his outspoken criticism of the historic Christian church. Brown believes the motif of his fiction is factual. That is why he refers to The Da Vinci Code as historical fiction. Literally millions of people around the world have read the book and soon many more will see the motion picture. What are Christians to make of all this attention given to a perspective which actually serves to be an assault on the basic tenets of faith? Various books by Christian authors have been released seeking to answer that question. Although I am not an authority in the field of apologetics or defending the faith theologically, I would venture a response in terms of evangelism. In these days of fixation on this ancient alternative to the Christian faith presented in the book and most likely in the motion picture, I think we should pause and ask ourselves how we can use this occasion as an evangelistic opportunity. In 1 Peter 3:15-18, the apostle offers us an evangelistic template for a faithful response to the chaos and confusion which popular culture can create for Christians. In this brief passage the apostle demonstrates the kind of spiritual maturity we need to exemplify as we seek to contend for the faith. Consider this wise counsel with me. First, the apostle Peter reminds us of our responsibility to the Savior. In the New King James Version it reads "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." Many of the contemporary versions translate "sanctify" as "set apart." The challenge Simon Peter is setting forth is for individuals to be assured of their relationship to the Lord before they venture into the arena of defending the faith. This may appear to be a "no brainer," but some well intentioned people try to communicate their message before they process it personally. When Jesus is truly Lord and you are following His leadership, then you are prepared to offer a testimony concerning the walk of faith. The second challenge the apostle offers relates to others. Peter reminds us to respect the seekers. I am not particularly fond of the word "seekers," although I think on spiritual and intellectual levels people often are on a search for the truth. Many times we see them seeking truth in all the wrong places. In our day, there is a culture of Oprah-like thinking and feeling which leads people on a wild goose chase for the truth. The Da Vinci Code falls into this category. Yet, Peter reminds us to communicate with "meekness and fear" or as some translations read with "gentleness and respect." In my first pastorate I had a guest preacher who exercised a Rambo-like approach to evangelism. We visited a young man who needed to make a profession of faith. After the preacher friend made the gospel presentation, the young man rejected the appeal to pray to receive Christ. This angered my friend, and he responded with "Young man, you are going straight to Hell." I believe people who die without Christ spend eternity in Hell, but I do not think that was the best approach to this unbeliever. I was never able to gain another audience with him. "Speaking truth in love" is the preferred way of evangelistic ministry. This opens doors for other opportunities to present the gospel. The third scriptural challenge from the apostle is also a salient reminder. In verses 17 and 18, Simon Peter calls for us to remember our reason for service: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." The reason we serve the Lord is out of grateful obedience, not because we want to be a success. When this motivation is personified, then the unbelieving world will take notice. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and they perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Our sense of mission comes from Jesus Christ our Lord, and we would do well to remember that fact. Those who seek to undermine Him and the faith have always been on the scene. The early Gnostics, among others, were bent on destroying the message, but this has not stopped the truth from becoming known throughout the ages. Essentially, The Da Vinci Code seeks to subvert the truth about Jesus. If He is not the Lord, then, as Josh McDowell and C. S. Lewis have said, he is a liar or a lunatic. In my own mind, Brown's contention that Jesus and Mary Magdalene have a child and the blood line being the Holy Grail presents "Where are descendants?" With all the interest in genealogy wouldn't there be literally thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people tracing their roots to this blood line? Yes, The Da Vinci Code challenges the biblical and historic teaching about Jesus, but it also seeks to undermine the Bible as the truth. From the standpoint of Brown, the Bible is the fabrication of the church which excluded some very suspicious and spurious non-canonical works which are basically Gnostic in nature. To Dan Brown the church is a fraud, and it is littered with a history of secret societies seeking to conceal the truth. His in-this-regard bias has not been hidden in his writings or in the speeches he has made since becoming well known. As you can imagine I believe the best and most truthful movie about Jesus is “The Passion of The Christ.” The Da Vinci Code is pure fiction and in my opinion not very good fiction. However, I believe we should seize this opportunity to be intentionally evangelistic. In the midst of furor over a movie we can point people to the Master. "You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free." A Tribute to Edwin and Joan Jenkins
For almost 10 years, Edwin Jenkins has served Alabama Baptists as a state missionary with the State Board of Missions. During this time, he has given direction to the development of the Office of Leadership & Church Growth. This was a new position when Edwin came to lead in the ministry. He devoted himself tirelessly helping church leaders, as well as associational and state missionaries, to develop their innate leadership skills. I have known Edwin and Joan Jenkins essentially all my life. I first met Joan as a preschooler in church, and later I became acquainted with Edwin. My first recollection of him was at a speaker's tournament where he delivered an artful presentation which made a lasting impression on me. As many of you know, he is an eloquent and articulate communicator. This is a God-given ability which has been used so effectively in preaching the Gospel and in seminar presentations throughout his ministry. I admire many other qualities about Edwin Jenkins. He is an energetic and enthusiastic person. His radiance and effervescence are trademarks of the personality of my friend, Edwin. His work ethic cannot be equaled by anyone, because going the second mile in ministry is his first priority. At times I have wished I could bottle up his energy and use it later to energize my life or to sell some of it and become a wealthy man. Seriously, anyone who knows Edwin Jenkins realizes that you cannot outwork him. He is without peer in this category. I also appreciate the fact that Edwin is an excellent example of healthy Christian family life. Joan and he have three well-adjusted grown children, and they are the proudest of grandparents as well. Joan and Edwin are a dream team in terms of their relationship to each other. She has been a partner in ministry everywhere they have been called to serve. They have taught leadership seminars together while Edwin has served as a state missionary. In fact I think we all would agree that Joan and Edwin are inseparable. Thank you, Edwin and Joan, for your faithfulness to the call. As you transition to the First Baptist Church of Athens you can be assured that your friends all over Alabama will be praying for you. We know that you have sought the will of God in this matter, and we at the State Board of Missions will miss you. However, we believe the best is yet to be for you and for the family of faith called First Baptist Athens. As the trite but true expression goes "our loss is their gain". Thank you for your friendship and faithfulness.
March 2006The Death of a Friend
As a pastor, I led in countless number of funeral services. Many of these people were close friends, and not all of them were advanced in age. The ministry to the grieving family never became routine to me, because I always retreated to that time when I was dealing with effects of bereavement in my life. This helped me comfort others. Last fall, I lost another dear friend. Rickey Michael was a fellow minister and one of the equipping pastors at Vaughn Forest Baptist Church where my wife and I are members. Before this time of service, Rickey was the associate pastor at the First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa which was my last pastorate before becoming a state missionary. I first met Rickey when he served on staff at the First Baptist Church of Athens. I was preaching a revival for my friend Fred Lackey. Rickey was Fred's right hand man, and they made a successful ministry team. This was the main reason I felt the Lord could use Rickey in Tuscaloosa. He proved himself very valuable to that church family as he did all the churches he served. Rickey died unexpectedly following a severe heart attack. His life was a brief one – living to be just over 50 years of age. He left a wife, Debbie, and two children, Chad and Paige. Rickey and Debbie had just celebrated the birth of their granddaughter, Kennedy. Kennedy was born into this world with congenital heart problems but, through the expertise of microsurgery, she has made a remarkable recovery. Rickey lived long enough to see his family through this crisis. Rickey Michael had a defective physical heart, but his real heart was very healthy. He loved the Lord and His people. He was a compassionate person who made everyone feel like someone. He was a capable preacher as well. He enjoyed serving the Lord in and out of the pulpit. Rickey was my friend, and only now can I write about him. There has not been a day that has passed since he left us that I have not thought about him. I can still see his warm smile. That smile is gone now, but how he smiled on those who knew and loved him! Thanks, Rickey, for being a faithful friend and fellow laborer. Statement about the church fires investigation:
We have full faith in the thoroughness of the law enforcement officials as to how they have handled the investigation process. We continue to work toward the goal of helping the churches come to a full recovery from these terrible circumstances which they have experienced. Our prayers are with these church families as they plan for the future. As believers we are confident that good can come from bad events. What others meant for harm, our Lord can use for His good purposes. |
State
Missionary Edwin Jenkins has been called as the new pastor of
the First Baptist Church of Athens, Ala. For more information,
Saying
good bye to friends and family who have passed from among us is
a difficult task in life. Early in life, at age 18, I lost my
father. This was my first real experience with grief and I must
say it was a big mountain for a young man to climb.