Brian McAllister, Author at First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, LA

A Dull Blade

Posted on Apr 6, 2020 by Brian McAllister in All |

A spear with no blade is nothing more than a stick. A bullet with no projectile is a blank. While the stick can injure and the blank can scare, neither really does what it’s counterpart can. Neither of them can pierce as a spear and bullet is meant to pierce the object of its attack. In battle, the stick and the blank would prove inferior weapons indeed!

Such is the case with a sermon without the gospel. The Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In other words: He came with the gospel.

A sermon without the gospel can sound great. Blank bullets sound like the real ones. A sermon can even hurt or “step on toes.” A blow from a good stick will leave a bruise. Yet, if the sermon lacks the gospel, it cannot pierce the heart of a believer and lead them to salvation. A.W. Tozer expounds on this point in his book “The Crucified Life”:

According to the testimony in Acts 2:37, the result of Peter’s preaching was that men “were pricked in their hearts.” The word “pricked” here simply means pierced lightly. Pierced lightly and yet so deep that the original Greek word had a qualifying and intensifying prefix on it. When the Scripture says they pierced the side of Jesus with the spear and found that He was already dead (see John 19: 34), the word “pierced” is translated from one word. The original word used in Acts has a qualifying and intensifying prefix to it, indicating that the words of Peter went further into the hearts of the hearers than the spear of the soldier went into the side of Jesus. So the Holy Spirit carried the spear point of truth into the hearts of the people and they cried, “What shall we do?”

A sermon without the gospel cannot pierce the heart of unbelievers no matter how great it sounds or how hard it steps on our toes. Just telling someone they need a relationship with Jesus or that they will spend an eternity in hell is not enough. It’s a bullet with a bang but no bite. It’s a wasted sermon.

We need to share God’s Design – How God created all things including people, how He created people to live in harmony with Him and with one another. We need to share mankind’s brokenness and need of a Savior – Sin broke that harmony in which the world was created. Because of sin, our lives our broken. It cost us joy and fellowship with God and instead brought deserving judgment. Tragically, there is nothing we can do to fix it. All our attempts fail. We need to share the good news, the Gospel – By God’s grace and mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us. Jesus lived a perfect life, willingly died for our sins, then rose from the grave, sharing His victory over sin, death, and the grave with those who would trust in Him. All people are then called to believe on this ‘Good News,’trusting in Jesus’ saving work and repenting, turning from their sinful ways and embracing the life Jesus calls us to live. When Jesus saves us, His righteousness becomes ours, and the punishment for our sins is absorbed fully by His death on the cross.

We are sinners. He is not. He died and then rose. These are the essential truths of the Christian faith. If one part is left out, the gospel has not been preached. Sadly, this is often the case. Many sermons tell people they need to make a decision to follow Jesus without ever telling them the reason why they need to follow Jesus. Yes, it’s our only way heaven. Yes, it brings us joy. But these are not the real reason we trust Jesus. A person cannot be saved if he/she does not hear that he is a sinner in need of salvation. Many times we leave out vital parts of the gospel because we assume that the hearers already know it. This is a foolish mistake for two reasons: 1) Even those who are in the “Bible Belt” and many who are on church membership rolls don’t know the gospel. 2) Those who do know the gospel need to hear it as much as those who don’t. We need to be reminded of the beauty of the gospel and God’s relentless grace.

To my preacher friends I say, preach the gospel. Sure, preach about how to have a good marriage or how to have a good prayer life. These are beneficial things about which the Word of God speaks clearly. However, unless the gospel is preached, we cannot in good conscience give an invitation. I urge you, brethren, sharpen the tip of your spear and wield the weapon of the gospel with truth and grace, for we are surely in a battle for the souls of men. To those in my faith family who are faithfully seeking to have gospel conversations, make sure that your message, the full message of the gospel, hits its mark. I am praying for you, and I am confident that souls will be saved as you patiently proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By His Grace

Pastor Brian

Mar '20

Coronoavirus Update: 3/23

Posted on Mar 23, 2020 by Brian McAllister in All |

Mar '20

Dear FBCJ Family,

I pray all is well with you. Today starts week two of our “social distancing” endeavor. As I reflect over the last week, several things come to mind:

We were not meant to distance ourselves from one another. Only one week has passed, and it feels like a month has gone by without enjoying face-to-face fellowship with loved ones. I pray that we all can see the beauty of God’s design for the gathering of the local church. Hebrews 10:24-25, “Let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
I am thankful for those in the medical field. I have had the privilege for five years to minister as a chaplain to the employees of several nursing home facilities. Their work, as is the case with all of those in the medical field today, is difficult. In this last couple of weeks, I have watched them rise to the challenge. They need our prayers, our words of encouragement, and our gratitude. Think of someone in the medical field and encourage them today.
Finally, God is reminding us of His sovereignty. Though nations are shaken, God’s Kingdom is not. As believers we are part of that Kingdom. God is demonstrating His control over the world and showcasing the steadfastness of His Kingdom. May we be comforted and emboldened by this realization! Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Now as we look toward week two of “social distancing,” let me encourage you in the following ways:

Focus on your spiritual health. God has slowed us all down and given us the time to meet with Him. Read and study your Bible. Spend time in prayer. Read a biblically sound Christian book. I would like to encourage to you to read “The Crucified Life: How To Live Out A Deeper Christian Experience.” The Kindle version is FREE on Amazon. I am starting this book today and would love to discuss it with you during this time. What an excellent opportunity to grow together!
Please continue to give. I know this is a hard time and understand that family budgets may need to be adjusted. Our church will continue to watch and make changes as well. Let’s remember that the ministry of the church must continue, and that God will honor our faithfulness.
Contact faith family members every day. Let’s continue to check on one another during this time. In doing so, make sure you contact individuals that may not be in your regular circle of friends. Let’s make sure we don’t let anyone fall through the cracks. Think of the blessing it will be to build new relationships!
Prepare for next Sunday by thinking through ways you can engage one another in your home. Melanie and I took some extra time after the sermon to talk to the kids about the sermon and pray for specific requests from them.
Keep up to date on what’s going at FBCJ by checking out our website and Facebook page. We are planning and working to make other resources available to you in the days to come. Don’t miss out. If you have questions or need anything, please email us or call the church office.

I know this is a difficult time but let us remember where help comes from. “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2

By His Grace

Pastor Brian

Mar '20

Coronavirus Update: 3/19

Posted on Mar 19, 2020 by Brian McAllister in All |

Mar '20

Dear FBCJ Family,

I pray all is well with you. Yesterday, evening Bro. Trey and I collaborated with our deacons to evaluate our “Crisis Ministry Plan.” Let me first say how thankful I am for the staff at FBCJ. Ms. Tiffany Crim is working to make sure our facilities our clean and virus free. Larry Cryer has gone above and beyond in caring for the administration needs of our church. Bro.Trey has diligently worked to provide us with means through which we can minister and stay connected digitally to our congregation while practicing social distancing. FBCJ, you are a blessed church to have these individuals!

The following is the ministry plan we have put in place as we move forward in this unique natural disaster:

Our deacons are receiving a list of names of active church members and friends. During this time, each deacon will stay connected with these individuals by phone and text. They will relay important information to individual members and families and report back to the pastors any needs of those in our faith family.

This is a unique time, but it is one that has the potential to bring us closer to the Lord. It presents us with perhaps a greater responsibility to feed our own souls as we seek the Lord. You can do this by:

Reading the Word of God every day.
Praying constantly
Studying your Sunday School lesson
Reading Christian books. We can recommend some good ones that you can read on Kindle. Be watching for Recommended Resources on our website.

Sermons and Bible Studies:

We will provide weekly sermons and Bible studies for everyone to watch from their home. We are actively working to have a sermon recorded and available for this Sunday. PLEASE stay faithful to listening to the preaching of God’s Word. I believe there is spiritual growth to be found in this crisis, but it will depend on each individual’s willingness to take the time.

These sermons will be recorded earlier in the week and uploaded to our church’s Vimeo.com account. We will provide access to these sermons in different ways:

Church Website fbcjonesboro.net
Facebook member’s page
Text message. When you receive the text message just click on the link and enjoy.
DVDs will be made available for anyone who does not have internet or doesn’t feel comfortable with technology.

Family Worship:

As stated above, you and your family’s spiritual growth in this time will be dependent upon how willing you are to spend time meeting with God. We are working on setting up a Resources Page on our website to help you. With these resources you will be able to spend time with your family reading, learning, and singing together. Please, do not waste this time that God has given you by binge watching Netflix or isolating yourself from the rest of your family. Maybe God is slowing us down so we can spend time with those most important to us.

Stewardship Plan

Our hope is to be together soon, but unfortunately, the “social distancing” regulations may stick around longer than we think. Therefore, we all need to be prepared for the financial burden this will have on all of us. I have been in contact with our financial ministry team and we are formulating a long-term plan just in case. We can help by consistently giving our regular tithes and directing any additional giving to the general budget, where the greatest need is at this time, rather than to designated funds in the church.

Here are some ways for church members to continue their giving:

By Mail: First Baptist Church 500 S. Ave. Jonesboro, LA 71251
By Drop off or pick up. If you would rather someone pick it up, a deacon or staff will gladly come by.
By Online giving through website: fbcjonesboro.net/giving/

Text to Connect

One of our biggest hurdles has been getting information out to people who are not on social media or do not use our smartphone app or website. We are presently working on connecting through text messaging. With our new ‘Call-em-All’ system, we will be able to send out numerous text messages to over two hundred people at once. This will allow us to keep everyone updated. Please be aware that you will be getting text messages from FBC Jonesboro. These messages will provide needed information and internet links.

Again, I am thankful for our staff, deacons, and church members who are helping to make all of this possible. In the beginning, the pain of not worshipping and fellowshipping with the people I care about most was devastating. Over the last couple of days that pain is being replaced with a sense of hope and yearning for when we will once again say, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Take care of yourselves, pray for one another, and let us all seek the Lord.

By His Grace,

Pastor Brian

Mar '20

Coronavirus Update: 3/17

Posted on Mar 17, 2020 by Brian McAllister in All |

Mar '20

March 17, 2020

Dear FBCJ Family,

I pray all is well with you. Today Bro. Trey and I met with our DOM, Craig James, and several pastors from both Winn and Jackson Parish. We discussed both our concerns and hopes during this unprecedented time. I wanted to share what we learned as well as some of the new avenues of ministry that we are currently working on. Today we were informed that these restrictions may be in place for longer than we’d hoped. Information from the CDC seems to be pointing to a minimum of eight weeks of suggested social distancing. This is heartbreaking news.

Every church is struggling with the battle over conviction to worship and loving our neighbors by following the recommended government regulations. As pastors we are determined to minister as faithfully as we can under these circumstances. We discussed many things including how to care for the elderly while practicing social distancing, how churches and their members can worship online without proper internet access, and how we handle the financial effects this will have on the church.
Here are some things that we at FBCJ are working on right now to answer these questions:
– We are working to record or live stream this Sunday’s message. More information will be made available in the coming days.
– FBCJ will also offer our recording resources during the week for other pastors to come by to record their sermons for their congregations.
– Bro. Trey has successfully gotten our online giving up and running. You can simply go to our website, www.fbcjonesboro.net, and in the menu bar click on GIVING. The instructions are simple and easy to follow.
– Tomorrow I will contact deacons go over a long-term plan in case this virus stays around for more than 8 weeks.
– Finally, over the next couple of days I will be talking with personnel and stewardship teams regarding a plan to take care of our staff and finances.
I know that the far-reaching effects of this virus have taken many of us by surprise, but it is no surprise to God. We have never faced anything like this in our lifetime, but we are not without HOPE! Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” We are not alone, FBCJ! Our God is mighty and will see us through this inconvenience. I love you and am looking forward to the day we meet again for worship!

By His Grace,

Pastor Brian

Mar '20

Coronavirus Update: 3/16

Posted on Mar 16, 2020 by Brian McAllister in All |

Mar '20

Dear FBCJ Family,

I am now beginning to understand what the Apostle Paul felt when he wrote 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20. He said, “But as for us, brothers and sisters, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. So, we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and joy!”

The COVID-19, or Coronavirus, has and will continue to hinder our faith family gatherings. Try as we may, there seems to be no way around it. Less than 24 hours after our deacons’ meeting, many new regulations and restrictions came out. We are facing a situation that is frightening and unique in our lifetime. Our country’s leaders are urging us to take extreme measures to fight this virus. These measures will affect all of us in many ways, including our church. Adding to the confusion is the fact that updates to these recommendations are being made on an almost hourly basis.

As I write this letter my heart breaks at the thought of not gathering with you in the coming weeks. FBCJ, you are my joy of boasting in the glory of our Savior, so please know that these decisions and any future ones we are forced to make are not made lightly. The struggle between our commitment to worship and our commitment to love our neighbor by being part of the solution to stop this virus is real. Therefore, we must be prayerful and wise in our decision making. Please join me in that effort.

As our deacons met to discuss these hard choices, I was grateful for the unity of the church body that was evident. We all have opinions about this pandemic, but our love for Christ rose higher. Everyone wanted to do what was right and the graciousness of our church leaders as they grappled with what to do was evident. Therefore, after much discussion, we decided to suspend all our main church activities except for the Sunday morning worship service. These activities include but are not limited to: Sunday school, Sunday night worship, Sunday choir practice, and Wednesday night prayer meetings. Sadly, this means several upcoming events such as the Healthy Church Conference and Good Friday Easter Cantata will be canceled as well. There are a few smaller gatherings on the calendar where the church facilities will be used. Those events have been left up to the discretion of the families. Please be aware that this can change according to state and federal regulation. But no further activities or church functions will be added to the calendar. These were hard decisions but necessary ones to be a part of the nationwide effort to stop the spread of this virus.

As I mentioned, the decision whether to hold our Sunday morning worship services will be made week by week. We are convinced of the importance of corporate worship. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Our hope is to stay committed to that conviction while also making changes that will not add to the spread of the virus. More restrictions have come out that may hinder meeting as a large group. This simply means that for the time being we will be creative and make the best use of all the options at our disposal.

As we move forward during this difficult time, there are a few things I want to encourage:

1. Stay Updated: We are working to keep you informed as much as possible. Our plan is to use the FaceBook Member’s page, the church website, smartphone app, and hopefully some newer ways of connecting with you. If you know of some of our older members who are not able to navigate this technology, then please teach them how or relay the information personally. The church office will remain open as long as possible. If you need us, we will be here. Let us know of ANY news that pertains to the faith family to help us minister accordingly.

2. Stay Connected: Please do not fade away from one another. Here are some ideas:
a) Contact at least 3-5 faith family members a day to stay connected.
b) Start a text message group.
c) For the time being, the prayer room will remain open for any prayer warriors who wish to come pray, but anyone is welcome to come by and pick up some prayergrams to send from home.

3. Stay Faithful: This is not the time to become lax in our faith. Be careful of the temptation to not stay faithful in prayer, Bible study, and even worship. We are working on some ways to not only help you in these areas, but also do them with you. Be patient as we prayerfully consider these avenues. For now, here are some things we can do:
a) Join us virtually for the weekly preaching and teaching of God’s Word if we cannot physically meet. We are actively working to live stream our Sunday morning preaching and possibly Wednesday Night Bible Study. We hope to have this ready for this coming Sunday at 10:30 am.
b) Read your Bible daily. If the reading of the Word was important before, it will be crucial now. Stay in the Word.
c) Look forward to Family Worship Resources. You have heard me talk about the importance and joy of worshipping in our homes. What a time to begin! We will provide you with resources and helpful advice in coming days.
d) Pray without ceasing. Let us join in prayer for one another and our country as we face this pandemic together.
e) Finally, patiently wait for future ideas. Our thinking caps are on, and we are looking for ways that will allow us to connect with one another.

4. Pastoral Care and Caring for One Another: At this time, the church office will remain open during the week with regular hours. Our staff is developing plans on how to respond to needs in the church family during this time, especially for members who are at greatest risk. Please be praying for God’s leading and wisdom to be with all of us as we navigate the next few weeks (and months).

5. Give Consistently: This will be a time of great financial need for many. We must be sensitive to the needs of one another while also maintaining consistent giving to the ministry of our faith family by tithes and offerings. Our Stewardship Ministry Team will meet soon to discuss a financial plan for our local church during this time. We are encouraging you to give in one of these various ways:
a) In person at the church office
b) Place your offering in the mail
c) Call a deacon to come pick it up
d) Give online. Bro. Trey is working to get online giving up and going. When that option is available, we will let you know. Thank you for your faithful support of our shared ministry!

6. Stay Humble: As we walk through this together please embrace a spirit of humility and kindness. This has not been easy for any of us. From what I am hearing, this may last longer than we first thought. Therefore, decisions will have to be made as the need arises. Let us show the love, grace, and mercy of Christ towards one another.

This is a sobering time, but we are not without hope. Our prayer is that during this time our church would shine brightly through continued faithfulness in our daily worship and prayer life as well as seeking opportunities to love and serve our neighbors. I stated in Sunday’s sermon that we are called to be the light of the world, and the world just got a little darker. Think of the impact our faith and love can have on the world around us! What an amazing testimony this will be when the dark clouds of COVID-19 disappear, and the glorious light of God’s grace continues to shine! FBC Jonesboro, I love you! Let’s continue to be a church that puts our faith and hope in God alone, and let’s pray for God’s glory to be manifested in and through us.

By His Grace,

Pastor Brian