I just ran across a website that sells sermon subscriptions. A years subscription is $60. I’ve got to tell you–I just don’t understand that. If the preacher was selling a book (which he also does) I could understand why he might charge to cover his expenses. But I don’t know how a preacher can charge for sermons posted on a wesite and still sleep at night. Maybe you’re thinking,”Well he has to pay someone to do the typing” and you might be right, but are we suppose to be reimbursed for everything we do? Are we to never make any sacrifices to get the gospel out?

I can remember as a young preacher–I would have paid people to let me preach. It never occurred to me that I ought to get in the sermon selling business. I would hate to stand before the Lord and give an account of myself knowing that I had sold my sermons. That sure wouldn’t show much heart-felt concern for making the truth known. The motivation seens to be purely for monetary gain. It should be the passion of our heart to proclaim God’s Word, how can we say our motive is pure if we charge for the message.

Preachers, however, aren’t the only ones guilty of having the wrong attitude.  Far too many folks are  motivated to do what they do because of the “What’s in it for me?” attitude.  I’m sick and tired of people saying, “I left the church because I wasn’t getting anything out of it.”  I feel like saying, “You poor thing – how much did you put into it.?” Declaring God’s Word and every form of Christian service should be viewed as a glorious privilege, not as means for personal gain and self-gratification. THINK ABOUT IT!

We live in troublesome times–I bet you’ve heard that before! In times like these, balance is very important. While we must not succumb to despair, neither should we shut our eyes and pretend that all is well. We need to face the cold hard facts. Unfortunately, with most people all the focus is on fun rather than the future–and they don’t like it one little bit when you call their attention to the impending danger ahead.   Charles Swindoll speaks to this issue in the excellent article below:

Have you noticed? Some people have the uncanny ability to see so far into tomorrow, you feel like you’re operating in the shadows of yesterday. While you and I are evaluating where we’ve been, those forward-thinking people are forever exploring where we’re going. Instead of reacting, they’re on the offense . . . probing, innovating, analyzing, and warning—always warning. While we search for ways to settle in and find comfort on our sofa-like surroundings, they are confronting the consequences of reality, facing the music before we even realize the prelude has begun.

Prophets, I suppose we could call them . . . seers who frown while others yawn . . . restless, troubled, contemplative souls. They’re not unlike the characters in a thought-jabbing cartoon published years ago. The whole message is contained in a single frame as the figures of a man and a woman are falling upside down through space.

“Gertrude,” says the man, “we can’t go on living like this!”

Those who slumber in the sleepy, warm twilight of sundown, finding a great deal of security in the mediocrity and predictability of sameness, cannot bring themselves to see either potential danger or possible tragedy. But those who see their world adrift, moving all too rapidly toward a bleak and disastrous dawn, shout across the chasm of complacency, “We can’t go on living like this!”

Perhaps they are not upside down after all. They just seem that way. Thinking ahead keeps them topsy-turvy in their heads. While chatty, laughing tourists are taking snapshots of the lowlands with rose-colored filters, those lean, tough-minded climbers have scaled the rugged peaks. It gives them a stark view of what’s ahead. Tomorrow’s storm keeps them from enjoying today’s lull. They’re hard to live with, sometimes impossible to understand.

Robert Greenleaf, in his classic book Servant Leadership, recalls a story which grew out of Beethoven’s composition, the C# Minor Quartet, Opus 131. When first played in the composer’s lifetime, it appeared to be unlike anything the master had ever written before. “Ludwig,” a friend asked, “what has happened? We don’t understand you anymore.” It is reported that Beethoven, with a sigh, replied, “I have said all that I have to say to my contemporaries; now I am speaking to the future.”

If you are one of those seers, a tomorrow-thinker in a world of yesterday-dwellers, take heart. Realize that you must be true to yourself. While you may not be applauded for your warnings, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Just be patient with those who lack your zest and zeal. Say your piece, make your contribution, shout, if you must . . . but keep in mind that prophets were seldom heeded, rarely thanked, and never popular. THINK ABOUT IT!

Yesterday was a big day in the history of Northway Baptist Church. Yesterday afternoon we signed a contract to purchase the church building on Hwy. 1960 from Second Baptist Church. This came the next day after voting to accept an offer on our property. So, big changes are ahead!

It has been more than three years since we first started to work on relocating our church and now our dream is about to be realized. There have been times when it seemed that it would never happen, but God has brought it to fruition. Through all the rough spots our people have remained patient and prayerful–they are to be commended. This is just another example of what God can do if we trust Him and wait upon Him. While there is a lot of work to do, we face the future with a spirit of excitment. As I told someone yesterday, “I feel like a kid in a candy store.” God has been blessing our church in an unbelievable way over the past year, but I believe the best is yet to come. If we don’t get in His way, great things are ahead.

Let us be thankful for what God has done, obedient to His will, and ever vigilant, knowing that Satan wants to hinder God’s work. If we remain faithful there is no limit to what God can do. Thank you for your prayers and support, keep it up!