Through the Years

Each year, I have chosen a “theme” for our church. These themes give us an opportunity to keep a focus throughout the entire year.

Because each theme is based upon a Biblical principle, they do not/should not have an “expiration date.”

As we move into the new year of 2021, before I take a few moments to focus in our theme for this year - Truth - I want to spend a few minutes being reminded of our church themes over the past 8 years.

2012 - Walk With God

Isaiah 38:3 KJV 1900

And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

Many people, at the beginning of each year, make resolutions. Some of those resolutions have to do with our walk - our relationship - with God.

I will be the first to attest to the fact that resolving to walk with God is always a good resolution to make.

However, a walk with God is, by necessity, also a walk in truth!

Isaiah wrote, “…I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart...”

This year, if you strengthen your walk with God it will be because you have strengthened your walk with the truth!

2013 - Focus on Health

In 2013 we focussed on health - our spiritual health.

How healthy are you - spiritually?

Titus 2:1 KJV 1900

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

Our spiritual health is built upon a foundation of sound doctrine. Another word for doctrine would be “truth.”

The reason Paul gave this admonition to Titus and the reason God must give it to us today is because there is and always has been an attack on the truth!

Titus 1:14 KJV 1900

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

The reason we must be solidly grounded in Sound Doctrine is because Satan’s desire is to turn us from the truth.

Our greatest weapon is the truth!

2014 - Striving Together

Philippians 1:27 KJV 1900

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

There is too much that must still be done for the cause of Christ; we must continue to strive together for the faith of the Gospel!

Satan, without lifting a finger, has seen the demise of far too many churches because they were striving against instead of with one another.

Our bond as a church is the truth of God’s Word.

Any ministry endeavor with long-term significance for Christ and lasting fruit will be centered on truth—Jesus Himself and the written Word of God.

Chappell, Paul. Keep the Faith: Standing for Biblical Truth, Discerning Ministry Trends, Reaching forward with the Gospel (p. 6). Striving Together Publications. Kindle Edition.

As a church, our accomplishments for the cause of Christ have always been and will always be relative to the truth.

2015 - Step Out of the Boat

Matthew 14:28–29 KJV 1900

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

We don’t have the time to go back over this entire event but I would like you to know that Peter had every reason in the world to stay in the boat and no reason whatsoever to get out of the boat.

Yet, had Peter stayed inside the boat he never would have experienced the great victory of walking on water. But what was it that spurred Peter to step out of the boat? I don’t believe that it was merely a “sense of adventure.” Instead, Peter stepped out of the boat because he believed that what Jesus had told him - “Come” - was the truth!

After the year that we have just come through, we have every reason to stay inside the boat. But should we? During 2021 should we simply “seek shelter” and try to make the best of things? At this point, most people just want to survive let alone attempt anything great for God. However, if we do not step out of the boat, we will never experience all that God has for us. But, for us to step out of the boat, we need to believe that God has given us the truth!

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, "Thus says the Lord!"

A well-known Christian saying, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God,” was spoken by a well-known missionary – William Carey. William Carey was an ordinary man by most people’s estimation - just a simple shoemaker. But somewhere along the way, William Carey stepped out of the boat. He went to the country of India and not only shared the Gospel but also translated the Bible into several Indian dialects.

2016 - Continue

2 Timothy 3:14 KJV 1900

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Remain steadfast in the truth!

2017 - All In

Luke 9:57–62 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

At 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2016, the Pineville Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Edwin Watts golf store on Pineville-Matthews road. The fire, which was sparked by lightning, quickly grew into a three-alarm blaze which caused Charlotte’s fire department to respond as well. At 9:35 p.m., a “mayday” was declared at the scene because a firefighter’s life was in jeopardy. Eight minutes later, several firefighters were taken from the burning building. One of those firefighters was 20-year-old Richard Sheltra of the Pineville Volunteer Fire Department. Sheltra was immediately transported to Carolinas Medical Center where, unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m.

Although I did not know Richard personally, there is something that I can tell you about him – which is true of every fire firefighter – they are “ALL IN!”

When they – as in Richard’s case – volunteer, they are “ALL IN!”

As they go through their training, they are “ALL IN!”

Each time they say goodbye to their families as they leave for their shift, they are “ALL IN!”

Each time they walk into the fire department to begin their shift, they are “ALL IN!”

Each time the alarm sounds, they are “ALL IN!”

Each time they pull their equipment on and jump into the truck, they are “ALL IN!”

Each time they walk into a burning building to protect life and property, they are “ALL IN!”

Are you “All In” for the cause of Christ?

Luke 9:24 KJV 1900

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

The only way to truly experience a full and blessed life is to be “All In!” That’s the truth!

2018 - Back to Basics

In high school, I did fairly well in math, particularly in Algebra. My Algebra teacher, who happened to also be my high school principal, taught us the “KISS method” for solving algebraic equations. KISS simply stood for, “keep it simple, stupid.” (I apologize if that last word offends any.)

In the Christian life, there is always a danger of dropping out. However, there is also, in the Christian life, the danger of making things too complicated and too difficult. Peter described it this way, in 2 Peter 3:15-18:

2 Peter 3:15–18 KJV 1900

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Peter, in his own way, was seeming to say, “Don’t make it so complicated. Keep it simple. Keep it basic. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ!”

There is nothing more basic than the truth!

2019 - Hope in Christ

Romans 15:13 KJV 1900

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

The Bible is filled with examples of individuals who were hopeless:

The leprous man in Mark 1:40-42 was hopeless.

The lame man in Mark 2:9-12 was hopeless.

The demon possessed man in Mark 5:1-15 was hopeless.

Jairus, whose daughter was near death, in Mark chapter 5 was hopeless.

The diseased woman in Mark 5:22-43 was hopeless.

Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 was hopeless.

2020 has left a lot of people feeling hopeless. And, while some people may be “hopeful” that 2021 will be better than 2020, the world’s definition of “hope” provides no certainty.

However, Biblical Hope is all about certainty! When speaking of Biblical Hope, the word means “trust” or “confidence.” Why? Because biblical hope is based upon the truth!

Romans 15:4 KJV 1900

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

2020 - Complete in Christ

Colossians 2:10 KJV 1900

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

After coming through 2020, many people are frustrated - saved and unsaved alike - because they “feel” as though something, in their life, is missing. Unfortunately, they too often view Christ merely as the “missing piece.”

However, the truth is that Christ is not simply the “missing piece” in our life; He is our life!

Colossians 3:3–4 KJV 1900

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

As we head into this year we cannot look at Christ and our walk with Him as simply a piece of the puzzle. No. He is our life.

Christ is not the missing piece in your life…He is your life.

Christ is not simply something that you add to your life to make up your deficiencies…He is your life.

Christ is not simply that “activity” that you try when nothing else seems to work…He is your life.

If you by faith, have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ than you are already complete. There is nothing more that you need to add!

2021 - Truth

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV 1900

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

In a very real way you could say that all of our themes have truth in common. But why is 2021 the year for us to focus on truth?

The books of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are known as the Pastoral Epistles. Timothy and Titus were two young men whom Paul was training to carry on in the Gospel once he was gone.

Paul understood the fact that truth is constantly under attack in this world. During his years of ministry he had seen the attacks on the truth. Paul knew that those attacks would continue long after he was gone.

He wanted these men - he wanted us - to be rock solid in our stand upon the truth! In these three letters to these young men, Paul...

referred to truth 13x.

referred to doctrine 17x.

But, the question could still be asked, “Pastor Campbell, why did you choose Truth as our theme for 2021?”

Although the Lord impressed this theme upon my heart many months ago, He used some research to impress upon my my heart the importance of this theme.

In research that was conducted in 2019, Barna found that 47% of Christian millennials agree at least somewhat that it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone in the hopes that they will one day share the same faith. The title that Barna put this research was...

Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say Evangelism Is Wrong

Now, while I may not understand their thinking (speaking of millennials) behind this, I have to wonder if this could be partially attributed to this:

Do they really believe that they have the truth?

Do you really believe that you have the truth?

Do we, as a church, really believe that we have the truth?

As I close the message this morning, please consider this:

Truth matters. Especially when it’s gone.

Chappell, Paul. Keep the Faith: Standing for Biblical Truth, Discerning Ministry Trends, Reaching forward with the Gospel (p. 8). Striving Together Publications. Kindle Edition.

In 2021, as individuals and as a church, let’s recommit ourselves to the truth!