Pastoral Messages - Flag Branch MBC

Making The Switch Fine Points

Posted on Jun 14, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Making The Switch”.

The Church of Jesus Christ is at a crucial turning point. Crucial in terms of both its viability as Christ’s representatives on earth and its ability to have a positive influence on world culture.

Too many organizations, institutions, individuals, groups, churches and others are pushing themselves off as Christian by adapting some part or parts of Christianity and “branding” whatever they are doing as Christian.

While this problem has always existed to some extent from the founding of the Christian church, with the spread of mass communication and easy availability of multiple platforms, the problem is approaching epidemic proportion.

Not only are people confused as to what true Christianity is, but the name of Christ, the gospel and the church He founded is being soiled, maligned, marginalized and misunderstood. This sermon was a called or challenge for us to make a switch from wherever we are in terms of our faith and practice to “true” Christianity.

People are linking Christianity and “branding” what they believe and are doing to all sorts of things. From associating Christianity with a nation, a type of government, an economic system, political party, individuals or groups of people Christianity is being used as a label or brand to add some divine clout or legitimacy to whatever we are doing.

The problem is this misuse of the Christian name lead people in the wrong direction. It is up to those who are serious about entering the kingdom of God to switch from all these misuses of Christianity to the faith and practice of true Christianity. For it is only through the exercise and application of true Christianity that anyone will arrive at the destination God has set for His children.

Bad directions are just bad and will not get a person to where they are intending to go. The same is true when it come to Christianity. Bad Christianity no matter how well intentioned will not get us to the place God has called us. This is why we must make the switch from wherever we are to true Christianity.

Not only just to save ourselves, but to help save those God has called and our society and culture from decaying into a godless sewer. A sewer in which people only care about themselves, are ruled by greed, lust and power, become blind and indifferent to the suffering and plight of others and have no hope of anything beyond this life.

In the text, Rahab saw the imminent collapse and fall of Jericho to Israel and instead of staying where she was she made the switch to faith and belief in the “God of heaven and earth”. We, like Rahab, are faced with the same choice. We can remain in Jericho which represents a lost and fateful cause or we can make the switch like she did to a God and people who had a future and promise of life. We do this by making the switch to pursue true Christianity.

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above. You can also see and listen to our latest Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link. Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities.

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson. Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

New Wine Into New Wineskins Fine Points

Posted on Jun 7, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “New Wine Into New Wineskins”.

Jesus’s message and ministry was unlike anything the Jewish people had encountered. The gospel is recorded as saying the people said they had never seen anything like Him or His ministry (Mark 2:12).

When asked why His disciples didn’t behave like other disciples, Jesus replied that in essence saying His ministry would not fit in with what is established. He was bringing something that took the worship of God to a place the current cultic and those rigidly committed to it could not accommodate. Thus the phase “new wine into new wineskins” is how Jesus described His teaching and ministry.

Coming out of this pandemic, some serious deficiencies in the church’s mode of operation and ministry was exposed. The world is moving on while the church is still in the building centric inward-looking, isolated, nonengaging, nontechnical, attempting to maintain type of mindset and operation.

The world is offering the people we are called to make disciples of a wealth of ideas intended to give them an alternative to the gospel and marginalize the influence and reach of the church. The methods, ministries and ways of doing things that were able to sustain and grow the church and have an impact on society and culture in the past is proving ineffective on the audience in the world we face today.

This is a type of “old wine” and anyone who is rigidly committed to this “old wine”, Jesus referred to as “old wineskins”. The truth is the church is in need of “new wine” and “new wineskins”. New wine are all the “changes” that are needed to compete in the “marketplace of ideas” the church now finds itself in.

This includes such things as adjusting the message, targeting the message, communicating the message and relaying the message to the people in the world who God has sent us to disciple. It includes engaging and encountering people with invitations to take a fresh look at the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it includes an adjustment in our own attitudes about living and enjoying life to its fullest while being a Christian and disciple of Christ.

“New wine” requires new wineskins. We are those wineskins if we embrace this new and challenging paradigm God is calling us to in the wake of this pandemic. It’s good for us to get back together after being apart for so long. We see the challenges before us. Let us rise and meet this challenge with new wine in new wineskins.

Pastor Jordan

Remembering Someone Who Died Fine Points

Posted on May 31, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Remembering Someone Who Died”.

Death is the great equalizer among mankind. No person or family or group is exempt from death and it separates us from those we love and care about. To ease the pain and disappointment of separation, we often look for ways and method to help us to remember those who have died.

Memorial Day in the United States in one such method to remember those who died in the line of duty serving this nation in the armed forces. Just like Memorial Day, these tributes and gestures toward remembering someone who has died takes many forms.

The most common way in our day and time is pictures placed where we can easily see them and be constantly reminded of those in them. There are seemingly countless other ways to remind us of someone who has died.

But why do we want to remember them? Because of what they meant to us and what they did for us while they lived. We also want to remember them because of how they died and why they died.

But the question is who shall remember us who are alive now when we die. For all of the aforementioned reasons and others someone may choose to remember us as well. But their problem like ours is an inability to do anything about our dying situations. We can call them, but they will not answer. We can think about them, but they can’t think about us.

But there is one who remembers and will never forget each of us after we die. One who has the power and means to do something for us and to us after we die. He has the cure to death and is able to awaken us after death closes our eyes.

Not only does God remember us, but He remembers what we all did before we died. The Hebrews writer said God is not unjust to forget all what people have done for His people and for His name’s sake.

There is nothing that will go unnoticed or forgotten. And this is true for all people regardless of whether we lived to please God or not. God will remember us all after we die and reward us all according.

Pastor Jordan

Beginning Of Travail Pangs Fine Points

Posted on May 24, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Beginning of Travail Pangs”.

The travail associated with childbirth can be intense, even to the point of death. Some mothers have not survived the sometime arduous and difficult travail of childbirth. Yet, Jesus used this analogy to describe the events and challenges that shall take place prior to His return.

All of the mostly gloom and doom information and news from the 24 hour never-ending news and media cycles is leaving a lot of people, as well as, many Christians feeling fatalistic about the future, meaning and purpose of life. They like many Christians have a feeling that mankind will not survive much longer, Jesus is about to come and the end of the world is near.

The Savior knew some of His disciples would feel that way so He encouraged us to not be troubled when we see the things happening around us that can give us that outlook. Jesus said these things must happen and they have been happening since His time. The main difference between then and now is we are much more aware of the trouble in the world.

Instead of thinking this is the end, which it is not, Jesus said these things are the beginning of travail pangs. The pangs associated with the birth of a child. It is curious that Jesus would use this description of the troubles His people would endure.

The entire cosmos can be seen as a womb for the creation, development and birth of the children of God. As there is travail in bringing forth a human child, the trouble we encounter are the sorrows of bringing forth a divine or godly child. The resistance to that birth is what causes that sorrow.

So let us not be like Chicken Little who was convinced and when around telling everyone that the sky is falling. We are blessed to live in the greatest period in the history of mankind. The progress man has made in raising his standard of living is commendable and worthy of note as the disciples did of the temple buildings in their time.

This is to the credit and genius of our Creator who made us in His image and gave us the ability to do the things we are capable of doing. We are capable of doing much greater things, things we can’t even imagine now. But we as Christians must take the lead in demonstrating to the world how to love and care for our human brother and sisters.

We must not give up and get caught up in this fatalistic culture and way of thinking. We have no way of knowing when the end of sorrows we come nor when Jesus will come and establish His kingdom. We are given the task of telling everyone about the love and grace of God while making this world a better place to live.

It has already been two thousand years since the travail began. Mankind has lived and survived through many horrific and terrible times that may have seemed like the end was near. Yet, Jesus said the end is not yet and these things must happen.

At the end of the travail, hopefully a healthy child is born. As we go through the travail pangs of this life, let’s hope the end is many healthy, holy children of God are born.

Pastor Jordan

Overcome The World Fine Points

Posted on May 17, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Overcome The World”.

Jesus said God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The world Jesus refers to is what and those God created to dwell in the earth. In another place we find that the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.

In both of these instances the “world” refers to those who God created to dwell upon the earth. However, when Jesus says that He has overcome the world, the world does have the forestated meaning. Nor when we are told not to love the world, neither the things in the world.

In these cases, the world does not mean that which God send His Son to die for, but it means all things that are in opposition to, opposed to and in rebellion to the will and rule of God. This is the world Jesus has overcome and it is the same world we as the children of God must also overcome.

John goes on to describe this world as consisting of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Satan is the prince, ruler and god of this rebellious world and is so called. But he and the world in which he rules were unable to stop Jesus from completing His mission. And that mission was to show us how to live and that we can live in a way that is acceptable and pleasing to God our Creator and Father.

Jesus said the way will not be without trials and tribulations. But in the midst of those trials, we can have peace, we are not alone, we must not despair but be of hopeful optimism, of rebounding joy and of never-ending cheer. The reason for this is because He has defeated the world. It was unable to stop Him from loving, serving and obeying God. And because He has done it and shown us how, we too can and must do the same.

Finally, in His letter or message to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus gives seven declarations for those who shall overcome. In each one He says to him who overcomes something eternal and good will follow.

What is it that must be overcome? It is the same world that Jesus overcame. And how do we and by what means do we overcome? It is even our faith in Jesus being who He said He is and believing the message He taught.

He said He came from the Father into the world and He was leaving the world to go back to the Father. The good news of the gospel is that He has left the door open and the way and the means for all of us who desire to go where He went to follow Him.

Pastor Jordan

Everybody is Somebody’s Child Fine Points

Posted on May 10, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Everybody Is Somebody’s Child”.

Our world is currently so full of violence and non-caring for others that we fail to stop, think and realize that everyone is somebody’s child. A child may be called a man, woman or adult but still they are somebody’s child.

Many of us have children of our own. If we are no longer around to help them or assist them and they are in need of help, how would we want someone to treat them? The way we would want someone to treat our child is the way we should treat everybody’s child. Why? Because they are someone’s child and because this is what God expects us to do.

When asked who is the greatest among them in the kingdom of heaven Jesus replied by sitting a child in the midst of them and telling them they must be converted as this child if they have any chance of entering the kingdom of heaven.

A child’s mind and heart is not preoccupied with thoughts of power, authority, titles, positions and all the other things people associate with greatness. But the best qualities of a child that Jesus referred to that are prerequisites to entering the kingdom of heaven include such things as humility, unselfishness, teachability and kindness.

Children don’t have all the preconceived notions about other people which lead to unfounded judgements, distrust and dislikes of others based on things that shouldn’t matter. All they see is someone who they can befriend and have things in common with.

This is one reason the Apostle Paul tells us to be children in regards to malice. In this Paul means be free from any ill-will toward others, from envy, and every improper passion, as children or infants are.

Children also acknowledge their dependency on their parents or others to provide for them the things they can’t provide for themselves. And as such, are humble and grateful toward them they depend on and give them the honor and respect they deserve. So is the heart and attitude toward God those have who shall enter the kingdom.

Finally, not only is everybody somebody’s biological child, everyone is also someone’s spiritual child. Jesus taught us that everybody is a child of God or of the Evil One. He said if we don’t believe Him it is because His words don’t have a place in us because we are of the Evil one

It is a hard saying and difficult for many people to accept that their father is the devil if their father is not God. But just as there are only two sexes, male and female, and nothing in between or another choice, so is the fact that everyone is either God’s child or not. There is no third choice or option.

Therefore, let us be like little Leon on an episode of the Andy Griffith Show who offered his peanut butter and jelly sandwich to all the residents of Mayberry he encountered. He wasn’t concerned with greatness or power or titles or positions or anything so many people desire. He only wanted to share what he had with others.

Pastor Jordan

If There Is Nothing Holy Fine Points

Posted on May 3, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “If There Is Nothing Holy”.

Holiness is something that seems to be emphasized less in most churches and denominations than in the past. It is most likely partly because of disagreement on what practical holiness is.

To some people, churches and denominations holiness was, and still is, interpreted as and has been reduced to a list of prohibitions found in the old and new testament as well as evolving prohibitions related to lifestyle choices and activities not explicitly expressed in the bible.

As societies began to offer people more lifestyle activities and choices, people became and have become increasing wary of anything within or without the church that would restrict, limit or judge their freedom or choices.

In order not to alienate potential and current worshipers, churches have toned down any mention of holiness so as not to turn people away because holiness is seen to them as an imposition upon their liberty.

The problem is when holiness is removed from a people, church or denomination all that is left is more like a social club where the leadership and members decide on what to emphasize and what not to emphasize in order to keep and drive membership in the church and so as not to offend anyone.

So, we have decided to keep holiness out of the conversation. But holiness is what defines the people of God. Holiness is the praise, worship and devotion to the One who is greater than ourselves and who is worthy and deserving of it.

Holiness is conforming to practices and ideas set forth by the Holy One. It is the Holy One who makes us holy. Holiness is not something we can confer upon or make for ourselves. Without holiness, we all become heathens.

A heathen can be described as someone who does not belong to a group of people who praise, worship and are devoted to someone superior to themselves who is worthy and deserving of that praise, worship and devotion.

It is heathenistic people who are contaminating the world with misleading and false information, sowing seeds of anger, mistrust and fear and perpetuating division and racial tension. Heathens are therefore also lacking of any meaningful morals or principles because they are self-ascribed and are turn on and off at their will.

But that which is devoted to the Holy One by and through means He has set forth is holy. There is little if any that people are devoting of themselves and what they possess to our Creator and God. By that I mean things that are set aside for the Holy One and for Him alone.

I presented the tithe and the reverence for the Sabbath as two prime examples of the heathenistic behavior both within the Church and in society at large. Both are the most basic of places we are called to demonstrate holiness. Yet, look how many of us are failing to sanctify just those two things! If there is nothing holy, then what are we doing and what do we have?

It is time for those of us who claim God as our Father and Jesus as our Lord and Savior to once again embrace and reclaim holiness if we are going to not only save ourselves, but have any hope of impacting our fallen world steeped in the darkness of heathenism and idolatry.

Holiness does restrict some freedoms, but it gives us new and better ones that take their place. This is something we must come to see and realize and begin to share with a lost and skeptical world.

Pastor Jordan

Why Warnings Wont Work Fine Points

Posted on Apr 26, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Why Warnings Won’t Work”.

When someone gives someone a sincere and genuine warning, it is usually because they want to give those warned an opportunity to avoid something unpleasant, unwanted or unwelcomed. Since the first man Adam, God has warned man of the consequences of evil.

Yet despite God’s repeated and sincere warnings, His warnings have not worked for a great portion of those who have received it. That is the case with God’s dealings with Israel. They have been in covenant relationship with God since the days of Abraham. Yet, many have not kept His covenant by not keeping His commandments.

God’s covenants are in an “If – Then” form meaning if we (mankind) will do what He commands, the He (God) will do what He said. God’s covenants come with consequences for failing to fulfill them. The nation of Israel had already been divided into the Northern and Southern kingdoms.

The Northern kingdom fell first and never recovered. The Southern kingdom, which came to be known as Judah or Judea with the capital city of Jerusalem was later destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

Before it was destroyed, God sent them strong warnings to return and obey the covenant or else all of the plagues in the covenant will come upon them. But because of their evil hearts, they would not heed God’s warnings.

In cases such as these, where evil in the heart is the cause of disobedience, the reason why warnings won’t work is because (1) we don’t fear the consequences of the warning (2) we don’t believe there will be any consequences of the warning (3) we judge the evil worth the consequences of the warning and/or (4) we choose not to listen to or ignore the warning.

These reasons, and perhaps others, have led people to fail to heed the warnings of God and suffer the consequences of that failure. God has not stop warning man of the consequences of his evil ways. Yet for reasons similar to those above, man continues to resist God’s call for obedience.

And though warnings have not worked for all them, warnings do work on God’s children and offspring. Warnings work for all those who seek and are in good covenant relationship with God. If Judah would have known the extent of the devastation and destruction their disobedience would inflict upon them, they probably would have had second thoughts about what they were doing and repented of their evil ways.

But they, like us, have a way of underestimating the consequences of evil and rebellion against our Creator. Their fate should be an example to us of what not to do in order to avoid God’s judgement.

The world, and the United States particularly, is pushing its way to a place where God’s judgement will be unavoidable. When it comes, everyone will be caught up in it. It may seem like the end of the world or it may indeed be the end. If we don’t repent and turn from our evil ways, something is bound to come.

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above. You can also see and listen to our latest Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link. Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities.

Pastor Jordan

The Root and Ground of Life Fine Points

Posted on Apr 12, 2021 in Pastoral Messages |

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “The Root and Ground of Life”.

The “Sermon on the Mount” which includes the 5^th, 6^th and 7^th chapters of the gospel according to Matthew is the most complete and comprehensive overview in one place of the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.

In those chapters, Jesus covers a range of issues and updates some Old Testament teaching and understanding of scripture. Jesus chooses to end the sermon with a warning He placed in an illustration involving a house, His teaching, ground or foundation on which the house is built and a storm.

The point of the illustration is to emphasize the importance of acting upon what He is teaching. The ground upon which a house is built matters in the likelihood of severe weather involving extreme wind, rain and water.

Because sand is loosely packed and easily shifted, anything built upon or planted in such ground can be swept away like the sand it is in or on. Contrarily, anything planted in solid or compact ground or built upon a solid foundation like a rock or stone can withstand those same extreme conditions much better and longer.

The two houses built upon and in and upon different ground and foundations represent two groups of people. One group of people houses, which means their lives, will be destroyed and the other group of people houses or lives will be saved.

The ground or foundation upon which each group built their houses or lives depend upon whether or not they adhere to or obey what Jesus taught them. Those who built their house, which means structure their lives by doing what Jesus said, have built their house or lives upon a solid foundation which will cause the house or their lives to stand in the face of a severe storm which is the judgement of God.

The other group chose to built their house or structure their lives by ignoring what Jesus taught and built their house or lives upon sand which will cause their house or lives to fall and fail in the face of the storm of God’s judgement. The illustration beautifully and understandably lays out the consequences for what we do with what we have been taught.

Moreover, every person’s life since the beginning fits into those who sought to seek and do the will of God and those who didn’t. Before Jesus came along, God’s will had to be determined by the signs He left from what He has created and the limited contact He has had with certain people some of whom we know about and others we don’t. They shall be held accountable for what they knew and should have known.

But we have the words of God himself in the person of Jesus. Therefore, we shall be held to a far greater accountability than all those before us because Jesus has made God’s will plain and understandable to everyone.

The gospel said the people were amazed and astonished at the teaching of Jesus because no one had ever taught them with such authority and clarity as He did. We, like them, have received the root and ground of life. It is left up to us to choose how and thereby choose where upon we shall build the house of our life.

Pastor Jordan