Essays by Pastor Charles Cutney, First Southern Baptist Church of North Hollywood

1. o

2. [J

15. [i

19. LJ

23. iJ

33. [J

34. o
o
o

36. we to say a few words
it is so essential-and us to
a "Covenant" the first
your memb'ershiu
U .... IJ....,lIlU on whether or not you your "John
L.I~~_,,, on the "Covenant" dotted line!
are we this NOW? Haven
well up until now without
Sad to say there's a of confusion that can come
any church about how God wants its members to
behave-towards towards their towards each
and toward the world in And don't
the Word ofGod has a whole lot ofverses that urge us
full with each other.
for eX,illlJ:>le,
on
look at what we find in Romans 15:5-6
vatleJ1Ce and
cOlnViete hr"-.,.,..,",,,,,,,, with
toward
tn~retllpr with one
the Father Lord
minute now--does that mean that
has to agree with amWI1'1-lel(V
that every other member believes?
Of course That would create but
because each ofus has some beliefs that differ in
ways from our brothers and sisters the Lord.
Word ofGod has to be some sort
<.:In..·C>'''.......'''.'''+ and we are to
~~~L"'"'H'-'U tc~gether as Otherwise there will be a
"I never looked like that
Think of it like nr,::·n~rln... for tn$'lrrl~)"'p.
Pastor Chuck! C'mon now-
like
UHmmm ...kinda like what
f'f1,,,.../e<br;·.... 'when the
Now
to take their nmte--{1f~T
visit our church
v ....,J V A'", seek the Lord's
wilL ..in other
First When ifs time
will let you know.
In aa<lltl<On. it's been proven over and over
the
God
that the more that a married has in common
have to entire lifetime '
UfJ'vo,Yitt~S sometimes but
I so much time
brides and grooms before m$'lf'r'Ullnn
them. We go over every area their lives win be
like-how wiH handle how will handle
their what difficulties have
"mtenestiln2: ",___.",U70 " etc.
mean that we have a
First members to let them know what
One ofthe reasons Rick Warren's Saddleback
Church has been so in out Christ's
commands is that make sure that every person who
ofthe "Saddleback so with
Km)wl~Ci!Jr~ ofwhat their church all about-what
what their purpose how carry out that
purpose, what their members can from their
in what from their
members.
Which
way
to succeed in f',n-""",,'''''''''''
the and
Next week we'll look at the first ofthose
geJler,aI statements in our all about
··V'rn'i-t,.,,+i,....n- the
:sen!ternlber 4,2012

37. Article #3 in our series ae,SIJ!,'nea to exJua,~n what our
is all about...
our consideration ofthe '€F1RST
.""".•r"'.o at the fIrst ofthe four
As you may have noticed when you read the whole
four commitments C
"...."',,..,-1-.,, commands from the
This any time he can
even the tiniest bit of friction into the life of a local
church. He knows it has for ..."",rrn'''fn-''T
"""c'-""11-h.1"'o- that God has so of
believers!
"FVhoa now, Pastor Chuck-aren a
tolittle touch
I hate to tell
f"All1nf-n;'-_~lnfi most ofthem
dlsagl"ee1Uell1t or the
the average in ,like me
alj,Ufl~llV in his church? "
ofour
your
memorize Christ's words in Matthew
shall be called
not "troublemaker"!!
Please notice how each ofthe three actions related to
the church" counteracts one of
and " .••have a sincere
neJrle1r.Jers. love one another with
heart. "-1 Peter 1:22
Before you say a word to a brother or
prayer from Psalm 19:14 the words
mouth and the meditation
o rock
on the Int~~rnc:t)
another...
your mouth shut!!
[J
f' .. t;flf'/711~J about a person to someone
're not
mouth
say sornethmlg
"WouldI want
your mouth shut!!
One wonderful is bpne~naIIS
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out
UIU'UHj,.) , but what is others
that it may those who listen. "
LJ
2012

38. our
cc()rdin2: to church
===
successful Southern
book entitled "The Church . "As
is oneperson the world who does not know
church lUIS a mandate to Growth is not
oplttmlal. it is commanded
church 1Jf!:1'1f!:/j~l. but because God wants
not essential that
church is bound the Love but
is no doubt that this love is also to be extended
everyone we meet the course ofour lives-
V""t;;'ULLUUlt;;, with those closest to us, and out to those
we haven't even met
tired
a matter DON'T mind
brother-God doesn't want you to so
overextended and worn out your service for Him that you
"crash and burn"! Jesus and so should we. The purpose
is NOT to wear us out, but to us see
to and to us some structure
Here's the second of
CO!Ill:1llitJment--atlOllg with three .."·<."1-,,,,,<:>1
uD.cbur'ched to ""1I-i:.n."",,rl/
it means to
Pastor Chuck. I'll
Ifthat's the reason our folks have for ..~..~.,..~~
then all the wrong
about "rakin' in the "then we're no different or
better than any other kind ofself-centered
and God will not bless us!
aSIOr--VTlJf' us a break here! You've even
brother!"
be
Just look at "D.3."
but God looks at the motives ofour heart
when we pray, and He wants us to have a love
and in our hearts for every unchurched/unsaved
person when we pray for them. That's David
Psalm 19:14 "Let the words
meditation
my rock and my Redeemer.
to our prayers." In other
to church services-that's a task He
ass>lQIled to us! As Jesus told us in a about outreach
found in Luke 14:23 "Then the master said to the
and urge and
and come in, so that my house may
That's where the title ofthis article comes
~Xlenam!5'! The Love!!" We have to
the results to God!" before [ became
your the First had on your church statlOneI'V
this statement: "The Church that Love
"
£"1"1''''''''.''''' of our church gat:he]~m~~s
love each other so much that we pay
attention to our beloved brothers and/or sisters--and
any who may show
Paul in Romans 15:7
~",.,,,,_h, welcome each other into the
then God will be alr...ifiorl
extend that "wann welcome" to the new folks
who are our Introduce and then introduce the
to some ofour Your is that
will feel very welcomed-as you would like to feel
were a "fIrst-timer"!
2012

39. our
this article with another
from Rick Warren's Church":
...very little actual H1li.",i,,'fIPJJ
Ins'tead, much
attemialJrce rather
[!
"Those Pastor Chuck!"
But in most cases, it's much the Pastor's fault.
And the
observe all that I cOlnman£ieti
even to the end
One ofthe
"/
Here's
You're so
spectrum ofGod's teachllng re~~ardUJlg
our course, "How to Discover-and f".nUJl.l-
" But let me take a few minutes
summary ofhow the "FIRST
expresses commitment to serve:
And
that we can use in
often come into use as we
that God wants to empower because we are His children!
Ournextcolmnlttnnerrt,
etc.!
Here's the Not do the leaders
need to be reminded oftheir eeltlip]pmg nmctloll,
but the members themselves must be WILLING TO BE
from Rick Warren:
atteni:iW'lCe rather
the
does NOT say
we are to " or "a PROUD heart" or
even "a SUCCESSFUL heart"! Listen to Paul's admonition
the Church at "Each should look
your own interests, but also to the interests
attitude should be the same as that
the very nature
Please don't shine this one on. The '""""...,+"""'+ trouble-
makers in churches are men and women who--even
may a "Master
2012

40. u
e.xplain our
o now we come to the fourth and final
section ofom'
..yes, brother--did you have a Clm~stlon·t!
I wrestled a with the ofit-in other
to sound aU slick and as
"Well
Let's take a look
go ahead and use it?"
very clear that we, His
are to be
the and to
mean.
fourth and final set of
"
attemiing as as
that interfere with their ,..."'........,,,,,, t()gE~th(!r very often
with their Brothers and Sisters in Christ
But ofthe it is very '.,........"'1"1-<"-.1-
that we do our level best to attend church as often as we
as weU as ofa small group, like a
Class or Home Bible Hebrews 10:25
tOf.~en'1er and encourage each other. " There's
sornethmt2 so and about into the
church lot at service time and the vehicles of
whom you know and love and will soon be
iOVVSEtiDl!:>ing and with! Your presence
witness to the world how much
Lord Jesus with your faithfulness.
And then there's the issue of"the
time with
mean, do
"C'mon Pastor
I hate to ten you but the truth lS.--Vf1IH
be amazed at the thousands ofchurch members yes-
even Southern all over the who
consider their involvement in their church to be on the level
ttEmdmg services once a month
(,,!.It'p('f;~nl of"cruel and unusual
"2()dtme:ss level" oftheir lives
apprclae:nmlg zero--and like the
a lot ofnonsense
One ,",UUlUV,U, however: because the minute
Pfl-j'lIl1li'Pfl-j nf;,pr/'iHO "I'm not
to say much about this very habit that every
hmTH'I,Q'a'ln Christian should because I have written and
nrf~~r:l,p.rl a whole lot about the issue
October

41. our
Mleetlmz:s are very eX~cltlLUg
a
etc.-
o
o
1. First copy the two
al'!I'VIt':~ and add others that
en4t:otJlra:f!elneBtlt as you.
Lord. Put them in your
time you open
2.
3.
some kind of group that is
tfill...,....:10,."",..... the for the

42. am
us IS
even tm.u.d"ler rmlln-- of
o

43. Here are two M.r.':ltlD..·+"I commands from Christ
so in your
1"''''''''1'''''':<1 our
[J

44. Seventh a series articles related to
God's Word has to say to us about
tno,ugltlt that we had finished
articles #5
more.
read these words from Christ's
":)!~mton on I've used two translations of
M:lIITl1eW 5:9 so that we can ofwhat
are and
peace with their brothers/sisters. NOT!
is
sm:ml~J:--Je:sus cmnmamlea it-but
Here are a
to become a "blessed pe,lcemaKel'O
A. First MAKE SURE THAT "YOUR OWN
HOUSE IS IN ORDER"!
make
someone about their rel'(ltlC)flsJtnp pn>ollems,
sure that those "broken and/or darna~;ed circuits" in your own
connections crop up and <;;:f>'!f>J"j~lv hinder your efforts!
C.
LISTEN MORE THAN
James 1:19-20 commands
my beloved brethren. Let every to heal'
I1ITTPtn.I'P and
YOUR FOCUS-in other
AND
remember: The PURPOSE of
pe~lcemaknllg is to express the LOVE OF CHRIST!

45. I
on next ..)

46. *
ast we
===
a
o

47. e
====.1
1 wrote
I went
some
a

48. articles related to
"
===
ere are some """".....HV1'>o.''''
retc~rre:d to
28 and 29
's I never at it way
The reason I
not sure Pastor Chuck!"
What do you mean?
So where is the '.n"'~H",'U-H
's
believe that
it? "
DO~2:ge~a down with "extras" that
done!

49. articles related to
"
ere are some
o
o IS

50. )rl~~m~lUy oresented at our Lord's observance
"':.0,,,£1,,,,,, December 2, 2012
was
o

51. are some
months
o
our unseen, dejmomc
2"
"Never Give
December 7,2012

52. some
us