MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

As I’ve been preparing to speak at the Pastor’s Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention next week I’ve been learning a lot more about the importance of love when living “on mission.”

Most of us interpret “being on mission” in terms of being extremely focused and committed to accomplishing the God-given objective of “making disciples.” (Matt 28:19) If we’re not careful we can get so busy that we forget that the mission is ultimately about connecting people to Jesus Christ. I’m amazed at how easily I can get bogged down in the details of the mission and forget the main thing.

Well, this is nothing new to God and He actually introduced his chapter on love with this tendency of ours in mind. Thought I’d share it with you here along with a few of my thoughts since I won’t have time to share it in Louisville.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NASB) 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

1. Without love, the noises we make only drown out the message we try to share.

1 Corinthians 13:1 (NASB) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

CONFESSION - I've thought that my creativity and innovation in communication would be enough.


2. Without love, our theological understanding and faith is nothing more than a badge we wear that alienates us from lost people.

1 Corinthians 13:2 (NASB) If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

CONFESSION - I’ve thought that if I understood it and believed it, that it should make sense to everybody else.


3. Without love, our sacrifices can become short-term solutions to long-term problems.

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NASB) And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

CONFESSION - I’ve thought that the nobleness of my sacrifice could be a worthy substitute to an intimate and personal relationship with God.


Our mission is to connect people to the One who is love, Jesus Christ. That is why love must be included in our strategic thinking and purposeful living. May we never forget that the mission is about reconciliation. That is why the Father sent the Son. That is why the Gospel is called Good News.

Labels: 1 Cor 13, Love, mission, missional, reconciliation

Every time I hear the words “forty days” I’m immediately struck with the thought that this may mean a little more than just another 960 hours. I think it’s because there are a number of occasions in the Scripture when that number is used.

The Bible says that it rained “forty days and forty nights” after Noah and his crew entered the ark. It also says that Jesus was fasting in the wilderness for forty days and nights just before Satan tempted Him. On another occasion, Moses was fasting and alone with God on Mt. Sinai for “forty days and forty nights” as he was receiving the Ten Commandments and instructions about the covenant from God.

So, why do I bring this up now? BECAUSE IN 40 DAYS MY DAUGHTER GETS MARRIED! There…now that that is off my chest I don’t feel like I need to shout anymore.

With 40 days until that special day, I’m flooded with many thoughts that perhaps you can identify with…that is, if you’re a Dad. Indulge me for a moment as I list these things therapeutically.

• I thank God that I am a father to two terrific daughters and a son. When I think of my childhood, I am amazed that God would entrust me with them…good thing I married an angel to help raise them.

• I thank God for the many things I have learned about myself and about God through my kids. His long-suffering, His mercy, His unconditional investments in my life, His love, etc. My impatience, my self-centeredness, my fears, and my conditional love.

• I thank God that I now know how to be cool because of the outspokenness of my kids. Of course, sometimes I choose not to be cool because that’s even cooler.

• I thank God for the many adventures that have been mine because I’m a dad. I think about how boring life would’ve been without them.

• I thank God for the different seasons of parenting…with their unique challenges…with their unique joys. I’m also reminded how unprepared and naïve I’ve been at each stage. I am so glad God has promised to give us parenting grace when we needed it.

• I thank God for children who have tried their best to understand this dad. I am unpredictable and very flawed and they have met the challenge with their flexibility, love, creativity, forgiveness, and loyalty.

• I thank God for an incredible wife who has taught and modeled for my kids how to live life graciously, joyfully, deliberately, and relationally. She doesn’t know it but I was learning from her too.

As a dad…I am so very blessed!

Labels: fathers; father's day; forty days; marriage; parenting

We were made by God. We were created with His purposes in mind. There were NO mistakes made. God never makes a mistake. And when you are living out His purpose, you’ll know it. There’s no greater joy than knowing you are living the life you were created for.

In fact, when we are living out the life we were created for, it always produces within us a satisfaction about life that cannot simply be described or measured by productivity or accomplishment. This deeply rooted resonance within us comes from the presence of God resulting from a redeemed relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That’s MAKARIOS.

MAKARIOS is the first word used before each of the 9 beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) and is not merely an adjective used to describe positive feelings associated with a life in God – even though it’s usually translated “Happy” or “Blessed”. It is a word that describes one who has entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and is also acutely aware of His presence and current activity. It is a word that cannot be defined without God's presence associated with or characterizing it.

So, what can we do to experience MAKARIOS? I've been learning a lot about this in my personal study of the beatitudes. Here’s a brief outline. Hope they help you move forward with God and taste MAKARIOS.

1. Know your limitations.
“MAKARIOS are the poor in spirit.”
Admitting you are bankrupt spiritually is the starting point.

2. Confess your sin and need for change.
“MAKARIOS are those who mourn”
Grieving over how sin affects our relationship with God is necessary.

3. Yield to Lordship of Jesus Christ.
“MAKARIOS are the gentle”
God wants us to surrender our will, our resources, our life to His leadership.

4. Focus your ambition on righteousness.
“MAKARIOS are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”
We must pursue Him over all other options.

5. Choose to value people.
“MAKARIOS are the merciful”
We need to become GIVERS and stop living like TAKERS.

6. Live transparently.
“MAKARIOS are the pure in heart”
A clear conscience is so critical to our ability to notice God's presence.

7. Tell others how to connect with Jesus Christ.
“MAKARIOS are the peacemakers”
The greatest act of peacemaking is helping another to have peace with God.

8. Don’t give up when opposed for doing what is right.
“MAKARIOS are those who are persecuted for righteousness”
Be willing to die for a life worth living.

9. Expect to be criticized because of your association with Jesus Christ.
“MAKARIOS are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me”
Don't be shocked when people reject you because of your association with Jesus.

If you want to hear more, listen to my two messages on MAKARIOS on May 31st and June 7th. You can find them online at http://www.sarasotabaptist.com/resources/archived-sermons.html?view=studieslist.

Labels: beatitudes, blessed, makarios, presence of God, purpose

The Christian life is not simply an improvement of your former way of life. As a former atheist, I used to wonder what the hype was all about. My lifestyle (except for not attending church on Sundays), seemed to be similar to those who claimed to be Christians. And yet they would say being a Christian was so much better. Why didn’t they look like it was any better?

After becoming a Christian I can now understand how Christians can get bogged down in the details of living life and forget the real source of their new life. In fact, if one is not careful, you can easily miss out on that which distinguishes a Christian from one who is not.

The difference is not the lifestyle, because even an atheist can be kind, generous, and benevolent. The difference is the presence of God in your life. A Christian is one who has tasted of a life not previously accessible to men or women. The great promise of Jesus was that it was a good thing that He would leave because of the One who would come after Him…the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life makes all the difference.

When Jesus preached his famous “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7, He introduced the sermon with a series of beatitudes. The beatitudes frame the rest of the Sermon with a very important concept. Kingdom living is impossible to experience or live out apart from the supernatural presence of God in your life.

“Makarios” is the greek word used over and over again in the Beatitudes. It is translated either “blessed” or “happy” but means so much more. William Barclay notes that during the time when this was written, the word “makarios” (from the root “makar”) was used in greek literature to describe the bliss that could only belong to and be experienced by the gods.

Jesus now uses the word to introduce Kingdom Living as supernatural living. In other words, it is not the kind of life that can simply be accomplished as a spiritual to-do list that you try to live out in your own strength. It is the kind of life that requires the evidence of and presence of God in your life. The Sermon on the Mount becomes a legalistic document that is destined to cause one great frustration without this understanding.

I encourage you to re-read the beatitudes now with this in mind…as well as the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. I believe it will free you up to live a different kind of life. The power of God is accessible to you when you, by faith, enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. “Makarios” is the kind of life available to you when that happens. If you want to hear more, listen to my message on May 31, 2009 online at our church website.

Labels: atheist, blessed, happy, Holy Spirit, legalism