What's that Smell?

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

Deodorant.  Soap.  Body Wash.  Perfume.  Cologne.  All of these items and many more make up a billion dollar industry focused on one thing, making sure we don’t smell bad.  Our culture has an obsession with how we smell.  No one wants to smell bad, if we are going to smell we want it to something pleasing to ourselves and others.  The Apostle Paul picks up on this idea in the verse above explaining how we are to “smell” as ambassadors of Christ.

Christians are commanded to spread the word of God concerning Christ.  It seems that we all know we have this responsibility yet sometimes we differ on how to accomplish the mission.  Some Christians seem to thrive on confrontation while others, it seems, would rather have no contact whatsoever with those who are lost. 

Paul’s idea of a Christian, however, is one whose life is so wrapped up in Christ and the word of God that he can’t help others from finding out.  If we are what God would have us to be then people around us can’t help but smell Christ.  If this is true then where is the need for confrontation?  If this is true then how can one be a Christian and go through life without anyone else finding out?

I think I’ll go take a bath and maybe put on some cologne.

FINAL UPDATE 4/7/2010 Go Fish

The series is now complete.  I'll be adding the SlideCast for the final messages as soon as I get my new computer.  Enjoy!

So many people have been asking for copies of the podcast for this latest series we are doing on Sunday Morning that I decided to make a 'store' for one stop, easy downloading.  As each new episode becomes available you can come here to download.  You will also be able to get them in the usual way, by using the Sermon Player in the right menu, or by going to iTunes (download a la carte or subscribe).  

Be sure to direct your friends here to listen to these inspirational messages!

Remember

~Followers Fish~

Go Fish Message 1 

Go Fish - "We Were All Fish Once"

View more presentations from Mitchell Skelton.

Go Fish Message - 2

Why Fish

View more presentations from Mitchell Skelton.

 

Go Fish Message - 3

Fish Guts

View more presentations from Mitchell Skelton.

Muddy Water - Message 4 (My Personal Favorite)




The One that Got Away - Message 5

This series was inspired by Andy Stanley & David Salisbury

 

Culture and Evangelism

Our culture has been conditioned to look for the latest and greatest fix for any problem that confronts them. One example of this is health care where there is always a new pill for whatever ails you. Whether we realize it or not, our cultural conditioning shapes the decisions we make and the opinions we hold when it comes to church issues. Evangelism methodology is a great example of how culture has an effect in the church. The scenario usually goes something like this, we begin to notice a decline in attendance until we finally become uncomfortable and then the push to evangelize kicks in. This push is often accompanied by selecting a certain program or method of reaching out to the lost. Some members will remember door knocking campaigns and tent meetings which were highly effective in their time and suggest that this is the way to grow the church. Other members will suggest a newer program of outreach that they have seen work in other congregations and suggest that this is the way to grow the church. Soon the focus turns from seeking the lost into seeking the program as we argue over which way is the best way.


 
If we desire to reach people with the gospel, we need only to get the gospel in front of them. If you want to see how powerful the gospel can be, you don't have to look very far. If you open your bibles to the book of Acts, you can read about the powerful explosion of our faith and the church only days removed from the crucifixion. This explosive growth came about because people were excited about a message and nothing would stop them from sharing that message with their friends.


 
In other words, followers of Christ were not content to be followers only. These early Christians used whatever means were necessary to share the good news of Jesus Christ. They became the right person at the right time for someone in need of salvation.


 
How has God used you to be the right person at the right time? Please share your story with us in the comments section!


 

~ Followers Fish ~

Go Fish

As Christians we focus on being followers of Christ, I've heard many sermons on the subject and I've preached several as well, however, if all we do is follow Christ then we aren't living up to our calling. Over the next few weeks at Waynesboro church of Christ on Sunday morning, we are going to be talking about this very subject as we seek to let God transform us from followers into fishers. We are going to learn to become "fishers of men."

Go Fish is the title of our new sermon series and as you might surmise, we are going to be talking about evangelism. However, this will not be the same old lessons which tell you "how" to evangelize or that lays out a program of work designed for the entire congregation. The "how's" of evangelism cannot be taught in a sermon, and honestly, what works for me quite possibly will not work for you. The way you witness to your friends and even to strangers is very personal, each of us will handle a situation in our own unique way.

Our focus for Go Fish will be on the need for transformation from followers to fishers and upon how we take that journey. Just as the disciples, who left everything to follow Jesus, we also are called to follow him, yet, if you continue reading in your bible you will find those first followers of Jesus transforming to become exactly what Jesus wanted them to be, fishers of men sharing the story of Jesus.

As we Go Fish, we are going to learn how to overcome some of the obstacles that get in our way when we want to share the message of Christ. Things like, "I'm just not good at that," or "I've got too many skeletons in my closet. People won't take me seriously." We are going to discover how God perfectly positions us to reach someone with the Gospel.

You really need to plan to be here for this series and bring your family. We're not going to talk about door knocking or study methods because becoming a fisher of men is not something you do, it's something Jesus wants to do in you. So, be ready for the next few weeks and don't be surprised that during the process you find yourself energized to evangelize!

Remember this phrase because you are going to be hearing it a lot this entire year:

Followers Fish!!!

You will be able to listen to the entire series by subscribing to my podcast on iTunes or by using the SermonPlayer in the left menu bar.

Thanks to David Salisbury and Andy Stanley for inspiring this series of sermons.

Mall Talk

A few days ago, Sheryl and I were at the mall doing a little Christmas shopping. The mall was naturally decked out in all its Christmas glory with garland, lights, and trees. At this time of year, there is also an overwhelming amount of temporary kiosks selling all kinds of specialty items. These kiosks have one thing in common; almost all of them are manned with high-pressure salespeople. As we walked through the mall, Sheryl reminded me how to walk past these people without getting sucked in to their sales pitch, do not make eye contact.

Now my first mistake was splitting up with Sheryl in the mall and going in separate directions. The mall is not my natural element, nothing looks the same, and I get lost so what happened next is my fault. I was having difficulty finding a particular store and as I scanned the stores on one side of the hallway I did it, I made eye contact. Oh no! This young lady immediately went into her sales pitch, "Can I ask you a question?" I was hooked! Like a fish on the end of the angler's line, she had me and was reeling me in.

This particular kiosk was promoting "Dead Sea Salts and Lotion" so her next question was, "Have you ever heard about the Dead Sea?" Being a preacher, I replied, "Of course." Before I knew it, she had my hands covered with Dead Sea salt and she was working hard to make the sale.

Little did she know but she was about to get a "sales pitch" of her own. The next question she asked was, "Do you know where the Dead Sea is?" "Israel," I replied. Seeming a little excited she said, "You are the first person today that knew that. What do you do for a living?" "I'm a minister." This threw her off her game a little and she responded, "Oh, well I'm Jewish. So we don't believe in the same thing." "Why would you say that," I said, "We believe in the same God." Immediately she shot back, "No we don't" This gave me a great opportunity to give this lady a short synopsis of Christianity, explaining that we both believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I tell this whole story to make this point: Opportunities abound to tell someone about Jesus Christ.

How are you taking advantage your opportunities to tell someone about Jesus?



Mitchell

Pure Religion

One fault of mine is the tendency to want to complicate things. I see a problem and immediately seek to solve it with some grandiose plan of action when often the solution is simple and not so glamorous. We see this in government a lot, some issue comes before our consciousness, and our leaders immediately want to add new cabinet position or appoint a czar to oversee the issue. We have this tendency in the church as well, each problem demands a committee with deacon involvement and elder oversight with the preacher extolling its virtues from the pulpit. James’ view of the work of the church was much different. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”(James 1:27) According to James, if we are serious about our commitment to God then when we see a need we take measures to fill that need. A widow who is in need of food doesn’t have time to wait for the committee to be formed, she needs food now! A homeless child shouldn’t have to spend one more night on the street if a Christian man or woman becomes aware of their plight.

Religion that God accepts is faith in action. Paul puts it this way, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6b) Our love for God and our faith in Christ is shown by how we care for those around us. It matters how we treat one another and it matters how we treat those in our community. “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?” (James 2:14)

Programs and committees are necessary for the church to function and carry out the mission of God.However, we must never be lulled into a state of personal inaction because of their presence. Christians are called to act! “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18)

Mitchell

"New" Ministers at Waynesboro

During the past few months we have had several men interview for the position of minister at Waynesboro. I have no doubt that most of these men will go on to other congregations and make great ministers in God's kingdom. However, God seemed to have different plans for the Waynesboro church of Christ. Our community has already been hit hard by the current recession and the members of our congregation are no exception. The elders are acutely aware of the current situation and desired to come to a solution that would continue the forward progress we have experienced in our congregation as well as address the realities of current economic conditions. The overriding theme in all the elders discussions was how do we fill our needs for a new minister while continuing to minister to our community at our present commitment level in the face of ever increasing need. Sunday the elders at Waynesboro officially made a decision concerning the future of the church and who will lead its ministry. Instead of hiring one person the elders hired two men who will each serve in their own niche of ministry.

Three weeks ago the elders hired Bobby Pinckley to serve as our Visitation Minister while we searched for a new minister, this ministry was made a permanent position on Sunday. As many of you know, Bobby served as the Pulpit Minister at Waynesboro for many years before retiring; after a period of retirement Bobby became restless and began preaching again at the Beacon congregation. A few months ago Bobby retired again and returned to Waynesboro only to be offered his present position. We are blessed to have Bobby Pinckley serving in Waynesboro again and I look forward to working with him into the future.

Also on Sunday, the elders made the announcement that I would become the Pulpit Minister. The elders desire that I continue the Family Life Ministry that originally brought me back to Waynesboro while assuming the responsibilities of the pulpit. I grew up in Waynesboro and this congregation is my home. I am so excited about this new opportunity as well as for the future of the Waynesboro Church of Christ.

Bobby and I are excited about the future of the Waynesboro Church of Christ. Working together for the past three weeks, we have seen the possibilities that this type of ministry arrangement can produce. Together we ask for your help and your prayers.

Mitchell

Technorati Tags: evangelism,Family Life Ministry,Waynesboro,visitation,church of Christ

Podcast Now on iTunes

My podcast is now officially a part of iTunes!

Until today you could use your iTunes software only to subscribe to my podcast through the RSS feed but as of today I have been officially approved by iTunes! 

This means that you can go directly to the iTunes site and search "Mitchell Skelton" or "Waynesboro church of Christ" and you will be taken to a page on the iTunes site that contains my podcast and from this page you can subscribe for automatic downloads each time a new podcast is added.  For a direct connection you can click the iTunes link here.

Technorati Tags: blog,church of Christ,evangelism,iPod,iTunes,podcast,technology

Forward Progress

In ministry the constant struggle is to maintain forward progress. As an old friend of mine was fond of saying, "You are either green and growin' or you are ripe and rotten." This is especially true in the life of a congregation of God's people, once you stop moving forward the downward spiral soon follows. The elders at Waynesboro are especially aware of this and as a result they have always been vigilant about maintaining the forward progress of the congregation.

This past Sunday the elders made a decision which will help keep the congregation moving forward during this interim period while we search for a new minister. As most everyone knows, when Matthew moved the elders appointed me as the interim Pulpit Minister asking me to continue in my role as Family Life Minister and taking on the responsibility of filling the pulpit each week. This was a role that I gladly accepted however, it still left a large portion of our regular ministry concerns unmet. It was out of concern for this unmet need that the elders have hired Bobby Pinckley as our new Visitation Minister. Bobby will serve in this position until a final solution is arrived at concerning our ministry situation.

I am so excited about the prospect of working with Bobby! Bobby has been a great influence in my life as well as countless others in this congregation. Bobby's focus as Visitation Minister will be to visit all those in our congregation and community of friends who need encouragement. He will be visiting in the hospitals, the nursing homes, and in the homes of our sick and discouraged members on a regular basis as well as following up with others through telephone calls. The addition of Bobby to our staff will enable the congregation to continue its forward progress.

In order for Bobby to do his job effectively he will need your help. If you know of anyone in the congregation (or connected to our congregation) who needs a visit of encouragement then let him know. Too often people fall through the cracks because no one took the time to let someone know a member or loved one was sick or hurting. If you know someone who is in need of a visit, please don't assume that we already know because we probably do not. You can easily keep us informed by calling or emailing Bobby, Sheryl, or myself. Let's keep moving forward!

Contact Info:

Sheryl - Church office	Bobby Pinckley	Mitchell Skelton
931.722.5520	931.722.3563	931.722.8227
waynesborococ@tds.net	pinckley@netease.net	mskelton@live.com

Life Happens

Life is never easy. Life on this earth will introduce you to a myriad of emotions. In the course of one day, we can experience boredom and excitement, elation and desolation, life and death. Whether your outlook on life is positive or negative, life is filled with diversity. Just when we think we have it figured out and know what to expect, life happens. The past few days in my life is a good example of the range of emotions life will throw your way. Tuesday found me conducting the funeral of a young Christian woman who died of cancer; Thursday dawned with the birth of a daughter to a good friend and fellow gospel preacher; Saturday ended with joining a young couple in holy matrimony. Contemplating this whirlwind of events, I could not help but think that there must be a learning opportunity here.
A humanist would simply say that I had just witnessed the "circle of life." One life ends while another begins with some living in between. This "circle" idea may seem all neat and orderly, it may fit perfectly into the secular world, yet it fails to address the needs of man who is created "in the image of God." The essence of being created in the image of God is that we have an eternal soul. Instead of the "circle of life," we more aptly resemble an infinite line. Sure, we have a definite point of origin but when it comes to our soul, there is no end.
How we live while on earth and our response to the cross of Christ will determine where we spend the majority of our existence. Job summed up human existence by saying, "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" ( Job 14:1). Job was beginning to understand that life on this earth is insignificant when viewed in light of eternity. This life we are experiencing is only a tiny portion of our whole existence. Job seemed to understand this as he said, "If a man dies, will he live again ... I will wait for my renewal to come. You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made" ( Job 14:14,15).
Let us not get so caught up in the happenings of life that we forget why we are here. We are the only ones who can let life get in the way of salvation. God has promised that no matter what happens in your life it will not stand in the way of your salvation unless you allow it. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ( Romans 8:38,39).

Proclaimers of His Majesty

"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" ( 2 Peter 1:16).

Today I heard someone use the phrase "too close for comfort"; it was just after I had been contemplating the above verse penned by the Apostle Peter. As he continued, I began to ponder if it was not also true that we could get too comfortable because we are so close.

I live in the fabulous hills of Tennessee, snuggled between the legendary Civil War battlefield of Shiloh and the fabled Natchez Trace Parkway. About ten miles from my home is a naturally made land bridge and about thirty miles from my home is the birthplace of David Crockett, yet it has been years since I have visited any of these places. People travel for miles around to enjoy the beauty and history that surrounds me yet I am seemingly oblivious to it all.

A certain blindness comes from knowledge and familiarity. Unless we take the time to focus on something, it will never become a part of our life. Just because I own a beautiful flower garden does not mean that I have ever stopped to ponder the grandeur of the single rose.

As Christians, there is the danger of becoming comfortable with God.

As Christians we can get in a rut, we go to church, sing the songs, hear the sermons, read our Bibles, and pray our prayers, but none of it really makes a difference in our lives. Jesus told the Christians as Ephesus that this, basically, was their situation. They were doing all the things they were supposed to be doing yet Jesus says, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love" ( Revelation 2:4).

As Christians, we have something about which to be excited!

We need to let people know about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. While we are not in the position of Peter, where we can be eyewitnesses of his majesty, we certainly can be proclaimers of his majesty. We have a message worth sharing and that message is Christ's message.

We do not have to use "cunningly devised fables" or any other "heroic measures" when it comes to spreading the gospel. We have the power of God unto salvation if we will but use it to save those who are lost ( Romans 1:16). This power is the Bible and it is God's inspired word. "No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit ( 2 Peter 1:20,21).

There is nothing more precious, more glorious, more majestic than the word of God that can save mankind.

A proclaimer of the gospel, God wants you to be one; your neighbor is dying for you to be one.

Everything New is Old in Ten Minutes

I graduated from Lipscomb University with a degree in Marketing. One bit of information I learned from my major studies was, according to federal regulations, a product could only be advertised or promoted as new for a period of six months. I can remember thinking that six months seemed quite a long time for something to still be considered new but who was I to question federal regulators. My how things have changed! In todays age of instant information and constant reformation six months seems like ages.

Today information flows as fast as one's fingers can tap the keyboard. People don't need to wait until the nightly news at five or six to get information, you simply log on to the internet and google it, twitter it, facebook it. . . well you get the idea. I love technology and I love being able to get the information I want any time day or night. However, there is a downside to this fast and furious flow of information. Anyone can set up a blog in about ten minutes and begin to "report" the news. In a perfect world this is great but in our world it has created a group of people desperate to stand out from the crowd. As a result, information is reported with no regard to the facts. Some blogs in cyberspace make the National Enquirer seem as reputable as the Washington Post. This doesn't mean that you should discount all blogs it just means that the old adage we learned as children rings even more true today, "You can't believe everything you read."

This mindset of constant updates and continually evolving products is good for the consumer in the marketplace but what is it doing for the mindset of the individual who is seeking information regarding Jesus Christ? How receptive will a person be to the gospel of Christ, which does not change, if they have grown up in a world where they expect the latest and the best at their fingertips? This is the challenge we face in proclaiming the gospel in a post-modern world. How do we spread the gospel message laid down over 2,000 years ago to the person who believes that everything new is old in ten minutes?

One thing we cannot do is change the message. The gospel is set in stone, unchangeable, with dire consequences for anyone who tampers with what God has done. While we cannot change the message, we absolutely must change the way we communicate the message. The message is timeless but the conveyance of the message is not bound by time. On of the apostle Paul's more famous statements is "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22) I think we at the Waynesboro church of Christ are using technology in a pretty advanced way. Not that there aren't others that do a better job but, all in all, we are above the curve. The use of PowerPoint in worship is an absolute must in today's culture and if you aren't using it yet you should be. This, in my opinion, is the one thing no congregation should be without if you want to be able to communicate the gospel to our new culture. Blogs are another form of communication that multitudes of people are taking advantage of today. Matthew and I both use blogs and they have been a huge success (Matthew is much better with his than I am, you should check his out). Facebook is huge! Again, Matthew and I both have facebook pages and it is amazing how today's generation likes to communicate through this medium. We have also set up a facebook page for the church, while this is new for us I believe it will become one of the major forms of communication for the church. (Waynesboro church Facebook Page, Mitchell's Facebook, Matthew's Facebook)

Our times are changing fast and we must change with them. If we don't change the way we communicate the message of the gospel will be lost.

Compassionate Care for those Beaten-up by Life

Recently, at church, I was talking to a young, single mother of three small children. After the customary "small talk," I talked to her about what the church could do to help her, at which she began to beam a smile, and proceeded to tell me all the things the church, and several members individually, had already done for her! She finished up our conversation by saying, "This church has a big heart." Needless to say, I was as proud right then as any parent is of a child with a straight "A" report card. Having just started at Waynesboro a few weeks ago I don't yet have knowledge of all the details of our different ministries and thus was not aware of what had been done for this young lady and her family. God has truly been glorified, through the church, in the eyes of this single mother and is it not supposed to be this way?

As we pray for and work toward growth in the body one thing will always happen, the church will change. It's inevitable. We don't have to change in doctrine but the physical make up of the church changes and will reflect the demographics of our community. That means we begin to see more divorced-single parents, more divorced and married again couples, more never married-single parents, etc. As the church, we must be prepared to offer not only the message of Christ but also the compassion of Christ to these people.

If the church is growing, its appearance will change. This could become uncomfortable for some people. Any change is uncomfortable, but when people start to show up who don't "look like us" then a lot of people get figety and fast. While we certainly shouldn't condone sinfulness in anyones life, if we are spreading the message of salvation we will certainly be running into a few people with sin in their life. It was Jesus who said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. . . For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12, 13b)

I pray that everyone who encounters Christ, through means of the church, will come away with the same experience as that young lady. We first must show people that we care about them and their families. After the pressing concerns of life have been taken care of, then people can clearly focus on Christ. It is hard, near impossible, for a mother or father to think about anything, including their eternity, when their children are in need of food or they have no place to live.

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)