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When the Spirit of God Begins To Move (Sinclair Ferguson)

(I recently came across this in Ferguson’s work, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life, and had to share this with you.)

Many years ago, I witnessed revival in its most microcosmic form in a sudden, unexpected, and remarkable work of God’s Spirit on a friend. The work was so dramatic, the effect so radical, that news of it spread quickly to different parts of the country. People were asking, “Just what exactly happened?”

Five things seemed to have happened, and they were still fresh in the memory two and a half decades later:

1. A painful exposure of the particular sin of unbelief occurred. Listening to preaching was a staple of my friend’s spiritual diet, but what came with overpowering force was a sense that God’s Word had actually been despised inwardly. God’s own Word, preaching in the power of the Spirit, stripped away the mask of inner pride and outward reputation for spirituality. There was a fearful exposure of sin.
2. A powerful desire arose to be free from all sin. A new affection came, as if unbidden, into the heart. Indeed, a desire seemed to be given actually to have sin increasingly revealed and exposed in order that it might be confessed, pardoned, and cleansed. Disturbing though it was, there was a sweetness of grace in the pain.
3. The love of Christ now seemed marvelous beyond measure. A love for Him flowed from a heart that could not get enough of Christ, ransacking Scripture to discover more and more about Him.
4. A new love for God’s Word was born—for reading it, for hearing it expounded and applied, and especially for knowing every expression of God’s will, so that it might be obeyed.
5. A compassionate love for others now flowed. It came from this double sense of sin and need on the one hand and grace and forgiveness on the other. Christian witness ceased to be a burden and became the expression of Spirit-wrought and powerful new affections.

________

From Matt:

I do not know about you, reading over this and then writing it here makes my heart long for this work to happen among us. Does this describe you? This is not simply for the super-saints—this is what God has in store for true followers of Him. May we set our sails and be ready when God decides to move among us—and may we be joyfully obedient in the meantime.

Membership: Does It Have Value for American Christians?

This summer, our leadership here at Boone’s Creek will evaluate the role of membership.  Some churches have decided against membership, some make their membership very stringent.  Some are, obviously, at all points  in-between! 

In the case of our church, we have a number who are what we call non-attending members.  They are non-attending for the following reasons:

• They are attending elsewhere, but for sentimental reasons they keep their membership at our church;
• They have moved away, but have not joined another church;
• Some take issues about how a certain ministry
• Personal illnesses or illnesses of family members, making it necessary to stay close-by;
• Many we cannot contact either by mail, e-mail, nor telephone. 

While we as churches are very stringent on being accountable in other areas of our church (finances, music, starting/ending time, temperature of the room), but the covenant of membership is seen as something of little importance or even necessity (Hebrews 10:23-25; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-37).

The True Church

Our Declaration of Faith defines the true church as:

We believe that a church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a congregation of baptized believers; associated by a covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel of Christ; taking the Holy Bible as the only rule of faith and practice; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and the privileges invested in them by His Word; that its only scriptural officers are bishop or pastor and deacons; that the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission, Matt. 28:19-20; that the only head of the church is Christ; that the sole authority for faith and practice is the Scriptures; that such a church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any (17.  The True Church, Declaration of Faith, Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY). 

This article is thick with understanding the nature of the church.  Nestled away in this is a very key phrase:  “…associated by a covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel of Christ.”  When people join their church, there is some significant understandings that must be brought forth:

1. The church of Christ consists of baptized believers.  You have to be a Christian to unite with a local body of believers in Christ. 
2. Baptism demonstrates your willingness to identify with the body of Christ in obeying what He teaches through His Word and His people. 
3. The Scriptures are the centerpiece of worship because the centerpiece of the Scriptures is Christ;
4. We exercise the “gifts, rights, and privileges invested” by His Word;
5. We observe the ordinances (baptism and Lord’s Supper) as a local church;
6. The Great Commission is the true mission of the church;
7. Christ is the head of the church;
8. The church is self-governed under Christ’s headship.

How could we take membership in a local church lightly?   When we covenant to invest our time, gifts, talents, and presence among God’s people to strengthen them in the faith, this is a decidedly serious matter.  We link arms with our brothers and sisters in Christ to spread the glory of God from our neighbors to the nations.  We strengthen one another in Christ, and share the gospel of Christ. 

Over this summer, our emphasis here at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church is to get a greater grasp of the Kingdom of God and the role Christians play as citizens of that Kingdom!  Please check back!

Being a Titus 2 Woman

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled (Titus 2:3-5).

Those of you who are around me anytime at all realize my love for the country of Trinidad & Tobago. My heart aches especially for the pastors down there who have very little training on how to minister to their people and what training they do have comes from some very problematic sources.

What I noticed at the church at Mt. Beulah where we ministered previously was a row of elderly women who sat in very special seats up front. At first, I just thought it was how they were arranged, but then I noticed that for each of those women, Roddie Taylor addressed them as “Mother.” “Mother Jones, Mother Taylor, etc.” At the church in Siparia, these women sat in more prominent seats: right up next to the stairs. These women were the seasoned saints of the church who had poured their lives into that church for decades. They held a place of honor and influence for the things of God.

Although it’s been 18 months since I’ve been there, this fact ran across my mind given that Mother’s Day was approaching. I confess that I really debated on what to preach. While many may look on this day with much affection, for some this day is more difficult that one could realize for many different reasons.

I would like to use this day as an opportunity to address another difficulty that many churches deal with: what role do women play in the church? In a country where women have only been able to vote only since 1920, in a country where many TV shows from the 1950s and 1960s portrayed women as bubbleheaded ditzes, in a culture where the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s moved the long-established cultural lines of role of men and women— the churches came along and reacted one of two ways. One way was to go along with the culture and move the lines of the role of genders where the culture did. Another way was to overreact and move the lines even further than what was before. As a result, whether the churches were liberal or fundamentalist, the lines were ones that suited them but weren’t necessarily what the Bible spoke on.

This is Mother’s Day and we had the blessed opportunity to honor the mothers who were present. I will be honest: every year I debate as to whether to preach a Mother’s Day sermon, for various reasons.

• Some are struggling with conceiving. They have tried for months, even years, to have a child but for various reasons they cannot. Like many in the Scriptures (Sarah, Hannah, etc.) who could not conceive right away, they felt the societal stigma directed toward them. Barrenness had to do with sinfulness and judgment—which was not the case with either of them.

• Some have lost children along the way, leaving this day as a painful reminder.

• Some have wayward children, leaving one struggling with inadequacy and failure—the parents blame themselves for their child’s disobedience as evidence of their failure as parents.

My desire is that every single woman in this church would be a Titus 2 Woman. A Titus 2 Woman embraces the role God has established that complements other areas of life and ministry in the church. Also, a Titus 2 Woman takes time to invest not just in its own generation but in the generations that have gone before as well as the ones coming up. A Titus 2 Woman is not ashamed of God nor His Word. So let’s see what God has in store for us this morning.

1.    A Titus 2 woman is an example of spiritual maturity.

Look at Titus 2:3. “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.” Titus was a young pastor who followed Paul as a disciple for a good while before ministering on the island of Crete. Titus oversaw a number of churches and sought to model the Lord’s teaching through Paul. Titus worked on two fronts: staving off the false teachers on one front, and stabilizing the immaturity of the faithful on another front.

But also the fact that Paul is even addressing women was quite contrary to that culture. Women were not highly esteemed. Older women and widows were virtually ignored and neglected. Yet here, Paul addresses them. That in itself was significant to many, but not to Paul. In Galatians 3:28, Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Paul understood from Christ that there was an equality of souls that could go before the Lord. There was an understanding even from Genesis 1:26-27 and God made both “male and female” in his image.

So Paul comes along and encourages the older women in the assembly to be “reverent.” The word used here in the Greek only occurs here out of the entire New Testament and deals with a notion of being priestlike and being a person of holiness.[2] This ties in with 1 Peter 3:4 which says, “Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:4).

Paul brings this up because older women, especially widows, who for the most part have more time on their hands due to retirement, children being away from home, etc., have certain temptation that may come along to fill the time. He notes that women should not be “slanderers.” This word in the English comes from the Greek diabolous which is where we get the word ‘diablo’ or Devil. The Devil is a slanderer and an accuser, specifically to the saints of God (Revelation 12). The temptation is to look at the world or even the church and spend time lamenting how different it is, how bad it is, how awful so-and-so is. When driving by Lexington Baptist Temple the other day, I saw a sign on their marquee saying, “Beware: if someone is gossiping to you about someone else, then they are also gossiping to someone else about you.”

Paul also warns for older women not to be “slaves to much wine.” Why would this be a temptation? Simply put, to dull and take the edge off the pain. Most of the older women were widows, and even with the best of memories from the past, loneliness can be the most painful thing a person can endure. Also, many older women (and men) struggle with physical issues that cause great physical pain and the temptation is to drink “much wine” for medicinal purposes. The Apostle Paul advised young Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach issues (likely due to the pressure of pastoring a church).

What is the point here? Paul is lovingly admonishing the seasoned saints who have more time on their hands due to retirement, maybe loss of spouse and the empty nest syndrome to use that constructively building up rather than being destructive in tearing down. So how should the women use their time? Let’s look:

2. A Titus 2 woman trains younger women in three areas:

In Titus 2:4-5a, Paul advices Titus to challenge the older women to “train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands.” So Paul here gives not only a challenge to the older women but also to the young women as well. Another word for ‘train’ is the word ‘disciple.’ A Titus 2 Woman has a decidedly crucial role in discipleship in the local church. This is not a program, per se. This is a lifestyle use of time to help the next generation of women be, well, women. Why is this important? Because there is a confusion of roles in our day — some understandable, some not.

For instance, over half the homes in the United States with children have single parents, usually single mothers. In that case, moms not only have to be moms but dads as well. But even if both are present, when one person in the home abdicates their God-ordained role and function in the home, others have to compensate and disharmony ensues.

Older women are to come along and train the younger women, first, on how to have a godly marriage. Paul addresses two areas dealing with the husband-wife relationship. They are to “love their husbands … and be submissive to their own husbands.” First, let’s look at the love. He is not talking about what Gary Chapman of the Five Love Languages calls the tingles. You remember: you meet your potential spouse, feel the warm fuzzies and the tingles, and have those overwhelming feelings of where you can’t be without them. You get married. Then after two years or so, the tingles go away. Sadly, many believe that they do not love the other person because the tingles are gone. They miss an important aspect.

The word love here comes from the word philandros with the root word philo that is a friendship type of love, as opposed to the emotional sexual type of love depicted by the word eros which is where we get the word ‘erotic.’ See, some believe the marriage is over when that’s all there is. But in many ways this is when it’s just beginning. This type of love is a love of the will — a conscious decision and commitment not only to your husband but also to God who brought you both together. In this way, they are to stay “pure,” morally, biblically, and sexually.

What about the submissive part? Again, don’t let the culture tell you that this means that men are to walk all over you. For one, this is not saying women should submit to all men, just their own husbands. Secondly, while this may seem as if it gives men a blank check to treat their wives however, remember men that God called you to “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” (Ephesians 5:24). Women will not mind submitting to a husband that sees himself as a fellow servant fulfilling his role. This is what Paul means in that the young women are to be kind — why? — because they are driven by the Gospel. Ephes. 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

How to be a godly mother. One of the saddest articles I read was one by Linda Hirschman of Chicago. She had written a book urging mothers to go full-bore into the work force, especially those who had college education. Why? Because staying at home with the children deprives our society of their skill sets. While situations and circumstances may take women into the workplace, may it not be because of that. May it not be because you feel as if you are less of a woman and less of a contribution to society if you stay home. If that’s the case, someone forgot to send God a memo.

Paul tells the older women to train the younger women to “love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, and kind.” As un-P.C. as this sounds, God has wired the women to be the nurturers. And children see this, gravitating to their moms in a special way. What is Paul saying: he is saying to give children a sacrificial love that cannot be denied. Some couples want to keep their lives just the same even when they have children. But it just doesn’t work that way. Children bring about sacrifice. The husband and wife come together as mom and dad. What’s the goal?

How to be a godly model of the faith. The goal is to model, to live, and to train the upcoming generation (as the older women should be training you) in the very same things — especially in how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and how to live out the Gospel in every aspect of your life. Let’s flesh this out a bit more.

3.    A Titus 2 woman is one who exalts the majesty of God and His Word.

Every person on the planet struggles with direction. Will we follow our own direction, someone else’s, or the direction God has for us as outlined in His Word. A Titus 2 woman has no qualms about following God’s commands, even if the world considers those demands repressive, oppressive or outdated.

A Titus 2 woman (like every other Christian) submits to the role that God has for her gladly. We must remember that while there is no difference in our souls, there is a difference in our roles in the Kingdom of God. God has wired us to function within the boundaries he has laid out for us, established even in the order of creation with the husband serves as the spiritual authority (as mentioned last time), so it is that a male leadership is in place in the household of faith. We have specific functions within that framework.

In 1 Timothy 2:7-12, Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote:

For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. [8] I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; [9] likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, [10] but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. [11] Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. [12] I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

Is there controversy over this text? Absolutely. It is good for us to look at what this passage is and is not saying:

This passage is saying that women should be known for their godliness, not their goldliness.

This passage is not saying that women should avoid all sorts of make-up, jewelry, the fixing of the hair, etc.

Sadly, many women want to use their appearance to draw attention to themselves. In the process, they may be unaware of how much of a stumbling block they may be to others, especially men. “What is proper for women who profess godliness” is that their “good works” draw attention to the glory of God and His kingdom, not to the glory of their looks.

This passage is saying that the created order applies to the household of God in regards to men being the governing spiritual authority.

This passage is not saying that women are second class citizens nor are they to obey men in every segment of society.

Ligon Duncan, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi, insightfully observes that while in our day this may sound condescending and constraining, “to the recipients of this letter it was an innovative invitation to learn.”[3] Women came from a background in which they were considered second-class citizens who could not be entrusted with the Word of God.

They were to learn quietly, causing no disturbance in their newly given freedom to learn the Word of God. They were to model (as were all Christians) as 1 Peter 3:4 says regarding this very topic: “[L]et your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

Kent Hughes rightly notes:

It must be noted that these instructions have nothing directly to say about teaching and authority in the marketplace or the academy or the public square. They are about order in the church. Neither do these directives allow any man within the church, by virtue of his gender, to exercise authority over women in the church. Such more generally explicit authority only exists within the sacred covenant of marriage and family, and then it is only to be exercised with the self-giving spirit of Christ.[4]

So women are not simply to submit to men in general. They are (like everyone) to, as Hebrews 13:17 says:

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

As in our personal households, there is a model of male headship in the household of God because God created it in this model.

Those who object to these conclusions bring up 1 Corinthians 14:33b-35:

As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

Those who claim that this is merely contextual must notice that Paul says, “As in all the churches of the saints… .” This is not merely for the Corinthian church.

Secondly, the context of this passage is necessary to understand. Paul here is discussing prophecy. Prior to the New Testament’s canon closing, God would give revelation of His Word to leaders in the church who would then report (prophesy) what God revealed. At that point, having a women be in that type of authoritative position would fall outside the parameters of God ordaining men as the spiritual head under Christ’s headship. It is in this aspect, that women are to remain quiet.

John S. Hammett concedes:

It is difficult to match Paul’s understanding of teaching and exercising authority to contemporary situations. Does a female teacher of youth violate it? How about a female associate pastor, choir director, or seminary professor? These are difficult questions, for which Scripture gives no explicit answer. Perhaps the best approach is to consider the popular perception of the position: is it seen as involving an authoritative position of teaching and leading men?[5]

So the ultimate point is, in the framework of ecclesiastical government and leadership in the church, women may serve in a myriad of functions and contribute greatly (in fact, many churches’ doors would have closed long ago had it not been for the contributions of the women), God has clearly spoken in regards to authority: as with the created order in the home, so in the household of God, that men are the ones to serve in the teaching, preaching, and governing capacity.

Conclusion

In our time together, we have brought to bear the biblical principles regarding being a Titus 2 woman. In this, we have seen her as a spiritually mature discipler, submissive to the Word of God, willing to come alongside other women to disciple and to be discipled. There is no sense of a consumer-oriented understanding governing this woman (“What does this church/person have to offer for me?”), but a servant-oriented follower of Christ (“What can I do to advance the Kingdom of God under the glorious boundaries of the Word of God?”).

May God grant us a vision to develop and equip Titus 2 women.

Matthew Perry serves as pastor of Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky, where he has served since September 2003. You may access his church’s website at http://www.boonescreekchurch.com or his blog at http://www.grippedbythegospel.com which serves as the launching point of his Gripped By The Gospel Ministries. He would enjoy hearing from you, so send him an e-mail at matt@grippedbythegospel.com .

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[1]This sermon was preached on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY, for our Mother’s Day Service.

[2]John MacArthur. Titus. p. 77.

[3]J. Ligon Duncan, III, and Susan Hunt, Women’s Ministry in the Local Church (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2006), 72.

[4]R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chappell, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books, 2000), 69; quoted in J. Ligon Duncan, III, and Susan Hunt, Women’s Ministry in the Local Church (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2006), 74.

[5]Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel Akin (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2007), 359.

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

This is a study given on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY.

____________ 

“A spiritual gift is any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 1016).

Last week, we discussed the gift that God has given in leaders. Ephesians 4:11-12 says:

 

¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

Your leaders are not to receive authority because of who they are, but because on account of the who He is—he gave these leaders to the churches to lead them in Christ’s direction and to help them grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and to exercise their gifts.

What are these gifts that we are to exercise? They are simply called spiritual gifts: gifts God gives to individual members of his body.

(1) What is the purpose of these gifts?

Let’s continue on in Ephesians 4:13-16

¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

What can we cull from these verses?

• Unity in the faith and Knowledge of the Son of God
• …which moves toward maturity and the fullness of Christ
• …so we may no longer be children easily deceived but anchored in the Head, which is Christ.
• …so every member may be held together as it should
• …so we are built up in love.

(2) What are these gifts?

Different passages outline various gifts.  Grudem offers this list (Systematic Theology):

1 Corinthians 12:28

Apostle

Prophet

Teacher

Miracles

Kinds of healings

Helps

Administration

Tongues

 

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

Word of wisdom

Word of knowledge

Faith

Gifts of healing miracles

Prophecy

Distinguishing b/t spirits

Tongues

Interpretation of tongues

Ephesians 4:11

Apostles

Prophet

Evangelist

Pastor-teacher

Romans 12:6-8

Prophecy

Serving

Teaching

Encouraging

Contributing

Leadership

Mercy

1 Cor. 7:7

Marriage

Celibacy

We must know these things:

• God gives these gifts to each and every member of His body. None are exempt…and none are without excuse in regards to exercising that gift. God makes these gifts clear to us in a number of ways:
• Instilling a love for doing or serving in various ways;
• Spiritual gifts tests (although we must realize that they are man-made and risk having biases);
• Confirmation from other Spirit-led brothers and sisters in Christ.
• We must also realize that these gifts are developed differently in various Christians (Romans 12:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6).
• Not every Christian has every gift (1 Corinthians 12:28-31).
• When you know what your gift is, use it!
• Make sure those gifts are backed by love (since Paul, after listing those gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30, said “I will show you a more excellent way,” after which he proceeded into the love chapter. 

Regardless, we must know that as Christians, we have gifts given by God himself that spread His glory from our neighbors to the nations—given to strengthen His people and share His gospel.

Question:

· What type of spiritual gift do you think you have?

· What is something that God has given you a love for?

· In what ways can you use that gift? In what ways will you use that gift?

· Do you ever envy another gift someone may have? Why?

If someone gives you a gift, and you fail to use it, you offend the one who gave that gift to you. However, many Christians fail to realize how we offend the holiness and direction of the Father who gives His sons and daughters gifts to exercise, yet never exercise them. And we must be content and thankful for whatever gift God has granted to us—without envying the gifts that others may have!

Yet, beware of taking this gift that God gives you and using it as a opportunity for pride. Remember, even with these gifts, Paul would show us a “more excellent way”—which leads us into 1 Corinthians 13, known as the “Love” chapter. You can have the gifts, but if there is no love to bolster those gifts, then those gifts are nothing. The gifts are not meant to point to the one who was given the gift—the gifts were meant to glorify and point to the giver.

Getting Ready for Sunday Morning Worship

Recently, I put up a Facebook status saying, in essence, how helpful it would be for us to start getting ready for Sunday worship on Saturday evening—and cut down on the TV, Facebook, or other things that distract us from being alert and ready the next morning.  I received a lot of interesting feedback. 

Yet, it would be good for us to consider some practical ways to prepare ourselves for our times of corporate worship:

1. Turn off the television on Saturday evenings!  What is there on network television or cable that lifts up the mind to heavenly heights?  I struggle with this, especially during football season because ABC usually has a great game on with kickoff at 8:00 p.m. EST.  But I must.
2. Turn off the computer.  So much information, so many helpful (and unhelpful) websites, so many sites that help us network (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter ), means so many ways to distract.  Psalm 119:15-16 is a helpful tonic. 
3. Lay out your clothes and church materials the night before.  “What will I wear?  What will the kids wear?  How about this?  No, this doesn’t fit anymore?  Where are my/your/their shoes?  Oh no, my shirt isn’t ironed!”  As a father of four, there is no shortage of things that can deter you from making it to church on time.  Take time the night before to lay your clothes and your small children’s clothes out the night before.  You will be amazed at the amount of time this saves for Sunday morning (and how much of our attitude is helped by this).
4. Take time to pray with your family about the service the next day.  Our children (and ourselves, too) need to realize the mammoth importance of corporate worship before God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 
5. Get up at a good hour.  If you have to be at morning Bible study at, say, 9:45, and you are married or have children, getting up at 8:30 will not help.  Getting up at 8:00 is better.  It’s good to leave 30-45 minutes on average for each person in your house (women usually take longer than this, men usually take shorter, along with your children’s dress, the brushing of teeth, the meals, etc.).  We have six at our house—so we get up at 6:30-6:45 out of necessity.
6. Have some Christian music or some Scripture on.  For me, Isaac Watts hymns, Sovereign Grace Music, or even Elvis Presley singing the hymns (yes, you read correctly) help focus the mind.   Having the daily Scripture from the ESV site read to me is priceless as well.
7. Take time that morning to read through the morning’s sermon Scripture.  I post this in our monthly newsletter for this reason—so we may prepare our minds and hearts to receive that Word.  Thabiti Anyabwile, pastor of FBC-Grand Cayman, recommends that we spend time each day doing this (Acts 17:10-15—let’s be Bereans!). 
8. Enter into your morning Bible study expectantly ready to receive the Word.  Same with morning worship.  Allow nothing to distract you from your time of worship (Psalm 100).  Even well-meaning fellowship before the service may distract from our focus and concentration as we ready ourselves to hear God’s revealed Word.

What are some other things that help you?

A Biblical Case Against Gambling (Hershael York)

In light of the Kentucky Derby running today, I wanted to pass along Hershael York’s insightful article on “A Biblical Case Against Gambling.”

God Has Called Us To Be Expositional Listeners

You’ve heard of expositional preaching, which is taking the main point of a passage of Scripture and making it the main point of a sermon.

But did you know there is such a thing as “expositional listening”? Thabiti Anyabwile, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman in the first chapter of his book, What is a Healthy Member? says, “Just as the pastor’s preaching agenda should be determined by the meaning of Scripture, so too should the Christian’s listening agenda be driven by the meaning of Scripture” (19).

Have you ever thought about this being one of your roles in worship? Why is this so crucial for us to tune in to the Word? Anyabwile continues:

1. This benefits us by cultivating a hunger for God’s Word (Psalm 119:103-104).

2. This helps us focus on God’s will and to follow Him (John 10:27).

3. This protects the gospel and our lives from corruption (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

4. This encourages faithful pastors (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Timothy 5:17).

5. This benefits the gathered congregation as they strive toward unity.

How do we cultivate this habit?

1. Meditate on the sermon passage during your quiet time the week before.

2. Invest in a good set of commentaries.

3. Talk and pray with friends about the sermon after church.

4. Listen to and act on the sermon throughout the week.

5. Develop the habit of addressing any questions about the text itself.

6. Cultivate humility.

Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Won’t you develop this very helpful habit as you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)?

We’ll Remember Eight Belles—And Her Creator

John Clay’s article, "Eight Belles Connections Trying to Move Past Tragedy," is an especially sad reminder of how fragile life is, even among such powerful and majestic creatures as horses.  While the average fan may not remember who won Derby 134 (Big Brown, by the way), everyone remembers the tragedy during turn 1 of the Kentucky Derby one year ago today. 

I moved to Kentucky in 1995 and soon began to appreciate the greatness of God’s equine creations.   While I do not gamble on the sport, I do enjoy the strength they put on display.

I’m reminded of a verse in Scripture:

"Some trust in horses, others in chariots;
     but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7, ESV).

While the original context is a warning against trusting in military might for your security, it also is very apropos here as well. Larry Jones mentioned how he is moving on–even with the great pain he is experiencing.  He is being reminded daily of this tragedy.

Yet, even he was beyond surprised when this glorious creature had to be euthanized right there on the track–showing that no matter the strength, there is a limit.  There is no way to prepare for it, no way to lessen the pain, no way to reverse the tragedy.

My prayer is that Larry Jones (and all others) will trust in the one who remains.  Even though God made every one of us, our desire to  stray from His will and way brought the curse of sin and death into this world.  Yet God loved us enough not to leave us that way, but sent His perfect Son into the world to live perfectly before God (2 Cor. 5:21) so that He may atone for our sins by standing in our place before God, taking our sin and its penalty so that we may be made righteous before him (Romans 3:21-26). 

While horses are majestic, there is One who is far more majestic and who accomplished more than our feeble minds could imagine.  In the midst of a world filled with death and tragedy, there is hope.  May it be in the name of the Lord our God through Jesus Christ!

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We hope you’ll come by Boone’s Creek Baptist Church here in Lexington and join us for one of our worship services.  We are located just off Exit 104 on I-75.  If you’re in Lexington, get on Richmond Road and drive toward the Interstate.  Cross over the Interstate and go 1.5 miles into the Village of Athens.  Turn left on N. Cleveland Road, and we are on the left.  For more information, go to http://www.boonescreekchurch.com .  To read Pastor Matt’s blog, click here.

When Death Becomes Life: Remembering My Friend, Brian Hamrick

Brian Hamrick both lost and won on April 24, 2009.

I met Brian soon after he became pastor of the First Baptist Church of Clewiston, Florida, via e-mail and telephone. He and I shared the same convictions theologically and pastorally, making him a fast friend in the faith. I had the privilege of serving at FBC from 1998-2001 as their Minister of Music and Youth, so I had grown very close to that wonderful church family.

When Cindy and I went to Florida on our 10th anniversary trip in August ‘08, we went to Clewiston where Brian was gracious enough to allowed me to preach. The night before, I went to Glen Pridgen’s, one of FBC’s deacon’s home, where I met Brian and his incredible family.

What struck me was their love for the people at FBC. Sure, we talked about his beloved Washington Redskins, enjoyed some good steak, and had some great fellowship—but he had a desire to see the city of Clewiston know our sovereign God.

I only spoke with him a couple more times since that Sunday. With me being 37, him being 33, I never thought that we would not have other opportunities to speak—be it a conference or convention or some other get-together.

Brian suffered due to a surgery caused by three feet of his small intestines necrotizing, causing sepsis (it had seeped into the bloodstream). Even though he was improving, a blood clot cut loose, thus giving him a Home-going sooner than anyone imagined.

But the hope that Brian had in Christ—Christ was his treasure. According to Tom Ascol’s wonderful article, Brian told him that if the Lord chose to heal him, then fine, “but if not, I’m ready for that too. It’s OK.”

Psalm 139:15-16 says:

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

God has our days in a book, so this did not catch him by surprise. We are all tainted by the curse and, therefore, our physical bodies last only a short while. But Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” So true. Only the Christian could say with confidence that death is precious.

Brian lost his life on Saturday at the age of 33. Brian’s wife lost her husband. Brian’s children lost their father. Brian’s church lost their pastor. Brian’s friends have lost their friends. Death, though precious by a heavenly perspective, is devastating during such a time as this.

But we can take heart in knowing that Christ’s death and resurrection won a victory for Brian. Brian at this moment now has never been more alive than he is right now. “Absent from the body is present with the Lord” –and so he is!

Pray for Katherine, his wife, and his two children, that the memory and legacy he left behind would move to them as they carry forward with faith in the faith. Pray for First Baptist Church: their associate pastor, Josh Vincent, and their worship pastor, Todd Buck as God helps them process the loss of their pastor and friend. May God use this time for us to reflect on how fleeting this life is—but how glorious He is in that He delivers us from its inevitable clutches.

My Christian Blogs – a Marvelous Online Resource

Tony Kummer has developed a great blog portal called “My Christian Blogs.”  I hope you’ll go by this one-stop site.  Very handy—and it links to some good stuff!  It will greatly help you in your Christian walk.

When Jesus Turns Us Upside Down (Luke 9:18-27)

(You may access this sermon here.  This was preached at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY on Sunday, April 19, 2009.)

If you were to go to the library of Congress and look up the topic or person most written about to the tune of 17,000 books, that person would be the person of Jesus—more than twice the number of the next highest (William Shakespeare).[1] He is a person of great fascination to almost everyone in America. People from orthodox, Bible-believing Christians to even atheists, Buddhists, and Hindus make a claim about Jesus—and we can understand why. Since our country’s foundation, Jesus began to be removed from doctrines and creeds of orthodox Christianity with folks riding through our land saying, “No creed but the Bible.” Soon, liberal theologians came along and began to dislodge Jesus from the Bible itself, making it very easy to make Jesus very personal and flexible enough to craft him in whatever image we wish him to be.

Over the last few chapters, Luke has been setting up for the reader who exactly Jesus is! After Jesus forgave the woman in sin who interrupted his dinner with the Pharisees, they asked among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:49).

After Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:25). In Luke 9:9, Herod asked, “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” So everyone he came across (the Pharisees, the disciples, and Herod) were perplexed at who Jesus was.

The time had come for Jesus to pull them aside and make clear not only who He was, but what was in store for him—and what is in store for us if we choose to follow him.

1. Are we turned upside down by the world’s view of Christ? (Luke 9:18-20)?

¹⁸ Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" ¹⁹And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen." ²⁰Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

In these verses, Christ asks two very important questions—the most important questions for the church today. Yet, before we even get into this, what was Jesus doing? Verse 18 says, “Now it happened that as he was praying alone… .” If you read through the gospels, before every major event, Jesus steals away alone and spends time with His Father. If you remember, he prayed alone prior to his baptism, to his selection of his disciples, and we’ll see next week that he prayed alone right before what’s known as his Transfiguration, and countless other times. So why here?

Jesus prays to the Father so they would fully understand not only what they themselves should know about Christ, but also what the world says about him as well. Since everyone, especially in America, seems not only to have an opinion about Jesus, but claim to have Jesus on their side regardless of who they are, we have to be aware.

Right now, I’m reading through a book by Stephen Prothero, religion professor at Boston University in the introduction of his book, American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon, tells his readers what is not his intention with his book. In the process as he gives us an understanding of who we see Jesus as:

Here I ignore Native American and Hispanic Jesuses, and devote scant attention to liturgical traditions such as Roman Catholicism, Episcopalianism, and Lutheranism. I say nothing about the gay Jesuses … nor do I explore the claim of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, the Jesus was “the most scientific man that ever trod the globe,” nor the provocation the The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) that Jesus had sex with Mary Magdalene.[2]

You may say, “Why do I need to know what he was not intending to write about?” Simply because we see so many ways so many people see Jesus, not informed by what God reveals in the Scriptures, but simply by their own wishes, desires, and speculations. There is nothing new under the sun—everyone who has come across Jesus has inquired about him.

What is so significant about this question is obvious: Jesus wanted his disciples to process what the world thought about Him—and we need to reflect and process what the world thinks about him today.

• With the onslaught of the Muslim faith coming on, we need to know that they consider Jesus a great prophet in a line of many great prophets, but not the great prophet which is Mohammed.

• We need to know what the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about Jesus in that he is not fully God.

• We need to know what even the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement believes regarding how Jesus gives us whatever we want if we believe him by faith, like a great dispenser of goodies, and how we are able to lose their salvation.

• We need to know that so many liberal scholars, skeptics, and critics see Jesus as fantasy, a myth developed by the disciples to advance an agenda or cause. Those of the Jesus Seminar, featured much on the History Channel, hold this view that the Jesus of the Bible never existed.

• We need to know why actors in Hollywood are wearing “Jesus is my homeboy” T-shirts, yet spending their time making movies clearly contrary to Christ and His Word.

• We need to know why some see Jesus as a great moral teacher, even though the Scriptures that reveal Him clearly show Him to be more than this: he’s holy God!

• We need to know why presidents from both parties continually quote Jesus from his Sermon on the Mount to support their policies, yet take issues with other things he has said.

But Jesus goes further and says, “But who do you say that I am?” Here, Jesus gets very personal. We need to know who He is. He is the Christ the Son of God—something that God himself has to reveal to us. In Matthew 16, Jesus says, “Flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Do you say, “Jesus is the Son of God—the Christ of God?” Do you say this? We must realize that if Peter could not come to this conclusion without God revealing it to us, then neither can we. Could this be why Jesus prayed—so God would move in their hearts to see him as he is?

2. Are we turned upside down by God’s plan for Christ (Luke 9:21-22)?

²¹ And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, ²² saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

Jesus turns their expectations upside down. The Father revealed to them that He was the “Christ of God,” even as everyone else (wise and unwise) speculated otherwise. So since it was ‘out’ among the disciples that he was the Christ, they had certain expectations about his earthly rule—which they thought would commence immediately. They would hear of this Anointed One repeatedly in the Scripture readings in the synagogues. In Psalm 2:4-12, look at this.

⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;
   the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
   and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶"As for me, I have set my King
   on Zion, my holy hill."

⁷I will tell of the decree:The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
   today I have begotten you.
⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
   and the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron
   and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel."

¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear,
   and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son,
   lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
   for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

They were ready for his rule to begin, and judgment to take place immediately. Yet, clearly this would not be the case, for he told them to “tell this to no one.” With such a high alert and desire for a deliverer, a Messiah, an Anointed One to come along and boot out the Romans, if the disciples went about spreading this, Jesus’ ministry would have been all the more difficult.

What is not recorded in this account, but is in Matthew, is how Peter comes along, pulls Jesus aside and says, “Lord, this will never happen to you.” It is then that Jesus calls Simon Peter, “Satan” which means adversary, because he had mind the things of God rather than the things of men. The disciples had their plans as soon as Jesus’ true function was out—but those plans were the plans of men.

3. Are we turned upside down by the God’s expectations for us (Luke 9:23-27)?

²³And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

So many have an issue with authority. Many young college students leave the church because of their issue with authority. Yet, Jesus comes along and speaks with such authority that it’s almost startling even to those who are followers of Christ. Verse 23 says, “If anyone would come after me… .” In other gospels, Jesus puts it, “If anyone would be my disciple… .” Which is it? Is it one who comes after him, or is it one who is his disciple?

These two understandings are synonymous. And it’s conditional: if you would come after him, he turns our thinking upside down with these commands: deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow him. In a world where the average citizen hates being told what to do and having some authority command them to do anything, and in a country where liberty, freedom, and personal choice rule the day—Jesus comes along from the Word and turns everything on its ear.

Some of you are very skilled at what you do and are looking to try to advance to the highest level you can. Are you doing this at the expense of your soul?

Verse 25 informs us of this: what will it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? Consider: is there any possible way to have the whole world? No. But we want comfort and safety in this world, and if all the restraints were off to where we could have everything our heart desired? I’m reminded of that scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where they opened up the door to the inner workings of the factory, which was filled with the most delicious chocolate, candies, even a chocolate river! The kids went crazy, even to the point of where one of the children, Augustus, endangered himself by falling in. All of them ate all they wanted with no restraint.

Another way to put this term is ‘denying yourself’ is by using the term ‘repentance.’

Can I just say this to you? This blows what is called “easy believism” out of the water. It blows what Bonhoeffer calls ‘cheap grace’ out of the water. It blows what John MacArthur calls having “casual beliefs about Jesus” out of the water. John MacArthur puts it well:

The Kingdom is not for people who want Jesus to fix their life a little.  The Kingdom is not for people who want Jesus to bump them up the social scale.  The Kingdom is not for people who want to escape hell.  The Kingdom is for people who want their life changed. . . but who have come to the point where they are willing to go through a violent time of conviction and self-hatred . . . and penitence and brokenness to the degree that they literally abandon everything for Christ.  That’s seeking with all your heart.[3]

How many times have we heard this expression, “To come to Christ, all you have to do is just accept him as your Lord and Savior.” All you have to do?! According to Jesus Himself, that is NOT all you have to do! If you wish to follow him, it’s not about accepting him (whatever that means), but denying yourself to the point of where you bear your cross daily (dying to self in a violent manner) in order to submit your very all. You may say, “Bro. Matt, that makes becoming a Christian sound hard!”

It is hard! At least the biblical way is! Denying yourself in a world that says, “Glorify yourself!” is hard. Submitting to someone else’s authority is hard! This is why so many take the edge off of Jesus’ commands—but Luke 9:23 is the essence of becoming a Christian.

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[1]Stephen Prothero, American Jesus: How The Son of God Became a National Icon (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003), 11.

[2]Prothero, 14-15.

[3]John MacArthur, http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/42-122.

Brothers, What Shall We Do? (Acts 2:14-41)–Resurrection Sunday Sermon

(Listen to the mp3 version of the sermon, delivered April 12, 2009 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY.)

While I was on vacation in Virginia, Cindy, Hannah and I had a chance to spend the day at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. If you are an American and have a chance to go through that place, I urge you to do so. It was interesting watching a video there on some of the practices and rituals that Washington started—and how many of those presidents continued. For instance,

• Washington only served two terms, when the Constitution did not put limits on how many terms he served. The people were ready to crown him king (after all, that’s what they were used to), but Washington wisely stepped aside.
• Washington insisted on being called “Mr. President,” rather than “His Excellency.”
• He opened the White House for social engagements;
• He established his cabinet to advise him on matters of policy—rather than simply running the country himself.

I could go on and on, but what’s been clear is how our country is indebted to its founder for so many items, they are almost incalculable. And most everyone who serves in the office of President sits squarely in his shadow. This glorious Easter morning, we shall be looking at the book of Acts—not looking at a fledgling country, but a fledgling church. Their founder, Jesus Christ, had just left ten days before. Forty-three days prior to that he was crucified in an effort by the authorities to silence his testimony and influence in their land.

During his three-and-a-half year ministry, He had turned Palestine upside down with his authoritative teaching and miracles. Unlike the religious authorities who only cared about themselves and their position, Jesus cared about His people—and for good reason. He made them! He calls His people “his sheep” that He lays down His life for. The dream looked over! Yet, on the first day of the week, Jesus arose. He died! And He arose! And for forty days, Jesus taught them “the kingdom of God” and gave them many proofs that he was still alive! He didn’t give them a bunch of money to start their ministries. He didn’t give them buildings nor land to move forward with. All He said was, “I will send you My Spirit, and you will be my witnesses.” Where? Everywhere! And God sent His Spirit, and God gave them the Word to preach—and they preached to the point where the crowd asked in Acts 2:37, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Why ask this question? Because they were “cut to the heart!” Why? Because to a heart prepared by the Spirit of God, Christ cuts right to the heart of who we are. And my prayer for you this morning is that you would be cut to the heart with what the Word reveals regarding Christ! And there is much to cut through to get to that heart!

1. We must listen up (Acts 2:14-21)

Notice in verse 37 that they were cut to the heart after they “heard this.” By saying this, we must realize that we are not by nature agreeable to even the most basic issues of God. From my youth, I remember how Roscoe P. Coltrane on the Dukes of Hazzard, who would get on his CB radio asking Enos if he had his “ears on.”

We by nature do not have those ears for God. So when Jesus said repeatedly in the gospels and in Revelation, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” we see that he chooses to make himself known through the Word preached. He puts it before us—will we listen? When the disciples, filled with the Spirit, begin speaking in languages that everyone at Pentecost could understand, “all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’

Some actually inquire regarding spiritual things, intrigued by the message. This is not saving faith, but could go either way: it could become a new hobby of interest, or lead to a deeper spiritual quest that leads to saving faith. But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’” We may mock and make excuses for the power or the reason why they are cut to the heart. Rather than respond, some begin to mock, “They are drunk! They are hateful in calling men sinners in need of repentance! They are just babbling superstitions!” Or it could be that some take the Word and are enraged, like the Jewish Council was when they arrested Peter and John. They were so affected that they sought to silence them like they attempted to do with Jesus!

How will you respond? Will you sit with great interest, listening to another one of many perspectives on how to live, adding it to your stockpile of other philosophies and hobbies that interest? Are you secretly mocking, wondering why sensible people hold to such superstitions? Maybe the Word will enrage you and offend you. Each of these reactions shows the power of the Word to penetrate and convict. But will it cut—to the heart!!!

2. We see how Jesus was delivered up! (Acts 2:22-23)

Look at this portion of Peter’s sermon in verses 22-23: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Again, Peter is calling his listeners to listen up! And who does he present? Jesus of Nazareth—a man grounded in history, born of a virgin, growing up in wisdom and stature before God and man! He was a man, but more than a man—he was a man who God gave who possessed many works and wonders and signs that God did through him. Keep in mind that Jesus crucifixion was only six weeks prior. His ministry turned Palestine upside down. Jesus’ 3 ½ year ministry was still fresh in their minds, which is why Peter said, “As you yourselves know!”

Historically, who delivered up Jesus? In verse 23, Peter says, “YOU crucified and killed [Jesus] by the hands of lawless men.” Who is he talking to? “Men of Israel!” So here, Jesus says it was God’s own covenant people, the Jews, and their religious leaders who crucified Christ! Yet look at the rest of the verse—someone else delivered Jesus up. He was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.”

Christ’s death did not catch God by surprise! This was not Plan B—this was His plan the entire time. For family devotions, Martin Luther once read the account of Abraham offering Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. His wife, Katie, said, “I do not believe it. God would not have treated his son like that!” “But, Katie,” Luther replied, “He did.”

John Polhill helps us balance this:

In the paradox of divine sovereignty and human freedom, Jesus died as the result of deliberate human decision made in the exercise of their God-given freedom of choice. The Jewish crowd at Pentecost could not avoid their responsibility in Jesus’ death. Nonetheless, in the mystery of the divine will, God was working in these events of willful human rebellion to bring about his eternal purposes, bring out of the tragedy of the cross and the triumph of the resurrection.

What the disciples and all the faithful saw as a defeat—and what the disobedient saw as victory—God in His plan turned everything on its head. The Proverbist was right, “Many are the plans of man, but it’s the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Peter wanted to show that evil had not triumphed, and God had not failed!

3. We must see how Jesus was raised up! (Acts 2:24-32)

Look at verse 24: “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” God delivered up unto death—God raised him up to life! Death had literally bound him in—literally, loosing him from the birth pangs of death. This is a perfect understanding—Jesus was rescued by the Father from the spiritual death of taking our sins which lead to death (Romans 6:23) but also from the physical death that he experienced on the cross!

But even with this, God raised Him up! Say that with me: “God raised Him up!” Look with me at Ephesians 2:4-7:

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-7).

Even David prophesied about this! The “men of Israel” loved David, the epitome of a King—the one through whom their Messiah would come! Yet David was dead; in verse 29 Peter says that we even know where his tomb is! David’s body had decayed away. It was in the grave! (So typical to think greatly of a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, but to miss Christ in the process!)

Dr. Seamands tells of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa. “Some of his friends asked him, ‘Why have you become a Christian?’ He answered, ‘Well, its like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive–which one would you ask which way to go?’”

Peter quoted from Psalm 16 that Jesus’ body was not abandoned to Hades, nor did the “holy one’s flesh see corruption.” Meaning, Jesus body didn’t decay away! Death could not hold the Author of Life! And they were witnesses of it (v. 32). So David was a long-ago witness—will they heed David’s words? These men standing before them—they were recent witnesses. Will they heed their words? Dear soul, there are many in this room who are witnesses on how God raised Christ up! And how we have been raised with him!

4. We must see that the Father fills up (2:33-36)!

In verse 33, Peter continues by saying,

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, Until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Remember how this entire account began. The Spirit had come upon those 120 disciples in that upper room in Jerusalem. The result was their ability to speak in tongues so they would be understood by the numerous nationalities that had descended upon Jerusalem. This happened because, after Christ arose, the promised Spirit came, indwelt, and filled them up for the purpose of being witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. But this is not simply for a select few disciples.

Look at verses 38-39: 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” The promise of the Holy Spirit “is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” They saw the effects of this “promise” made in Joel coming true before them. They saw with great evidence that they were able to understand those who had no training in their language, and their message was cutting them to the heart.

This gift is a transformed heart on the inside (due to our repentance), which leads to outward obedience (in their baptism). The gift of the Spirit seals our hearts (Ephesians 1:13-14), and then guides us into all truth (John 16:13-14). God has not left His people alone in this world. Our hearts are changed from surrendering to our own desires to surrendering to the desires of the one who accomplished so much on our behalf!

5. We must continually wake up (Acts 2:40-41)

“Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Save yourselves from this perverse corrupt time—but why? Peter kept reminding his listeners that it was Jesus whom you crucified.

They needed to wake up to their sin, wake up to their responsibility and culpability before God! They needed to be alert to their own issues. We need to wake up to the nature of this generation around us, which our flesh loves and the devil uses to weigh us down. For those of you who claim the name of Christ, this is a strict warning for you. You at one time made a decision, but there’s little to no devotion. You hold on to your position in Christ, but you find yourself having more passion for everything other than Christ. You walked an aisle at one time, but you’re not walking with him now. You are living in the world, and are of the world. For those of you who have not yet received Christ, this is a strict warning for you as well. This crooked generation mocks God—and by rejecting Him for your own rule over your own life, you do the same. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap….”

A Perspective on the Prosperity Gospel (Piper)

Driscoll: "Noah Wasn’t a Righteous Man"

Beautiful picture of the gospel!

Paul Washer on Jesus’ Death

D.A. Carson on the “American Experiment in Democracy”

Moe Bergeron publishes through Christway Media D.A. Carson’s devotional, “The Love of God” via e-mail (with Dr. Carson’s permission) that gives devotionals based on the McCheyne Bible Reading Plan.  Given my enormous love for the gospel and (at a distant second) American History, I found myself attracted to his devotional today. 

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT in democracy, the Founding Fathers adopted several stances, accepted by few today, that were deeply indebted to the JudeoChristian heritage.  This is not to say that the Founding Fathers were all Christians.  Many weren’t; they were vague deists.  But among these biblical assumptions was the belief that human beings are not naturally good and have potential for enormous evil.

     For that reason, when the Fathers constructed their political system, they never appealed to “the wisdom of the American people” or similar slogans common today.  Frankly, they were a little nervous about giving too much power to the masses.  That is why there was no direct election of the president:  there was an intervening “college.”  Only (white) men with a stake in the country could vote.  Even then, the branches of government were to be limited by a system of checks and balances, because for the Fathers, populist demagoguery was as frightening as absolute monarchy (as we saw in another connection on January 20).

     Certainly one of the great advantages of almost any system of genuine democracy (genuine in this context presupposes a viable opposition, freedom of the press, and largely uncorrupted voting) is that it provides the masses with the power to turf out leaders who disillusion us.  In that sense, democracy still works:  government must be by the consent of the governed.  Yet the primitive heritage has so dissipated today that politicians from all sides appeal to the wisdom of the people.  Manipulated by the media, voting their pocketbooks, supporting sectional interests or monofocal issues, voters in America and other Western democracies do not show very great signs of transcendent wisdom.  Worse, we labor under the delusion (indeed, we foster the delusion) that somehow things will be all right provided lots of people vote.  Our system of government is our new Tower of Babel:  it is supposed to make us impregnable.  The Soviet empire totters; other nations crumble into the dust, Balkanized, destroyed by civil war, tribal genocide, grinding poverty, endemic corruption, Marxist or some other ideology.  Not us.  We belong to a democracy, “rule by the people.”

     Not for a moment should we depreciate the relative good of living in a country with a relatively high level of income, a stable government, and some accountability.  But such blessings do not guarantee righteousness.  “The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.  He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice” (Ps. 9:78).

     Hear the voice of Scripture:  “Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.  Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men” (Ps. 9:19-20).

Copyright 2008 D.A. Carson

On behalf of Dr. D.A. Carson,  Maurice "Moe" Bergeron    List Manager

Jesus: Made in America by Stephen Nichols (A Book Review)

Purchase Jesus Made in America by Stephen Nichols (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008, 237 pp.)

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First of all, I must say how grateful I am to Southern Seminary for (1) having a marvelous conference (Southern Seminary and the History of American Christianity, on February 18-19, 2009), and (2) providing two free books to all conference attendees.  One of the books I chose is “Jesus Made in America:  A Cultural History from the Puritans to The Passion of the Christ” by Stephen Nichols. 

I bought this book for two reasons.  First, because of Nichols’ engaging style at the conference.  And, on a personal note, I had a chance to speak briefly with him in the Legacy Center lobby that night.  He was just as engaging in a personal conversation as he was delivering his lecture on the influence of D.L. Moody.  And his engaging style transfers to the written page, making this clearly my favorite read of the year.

Secondly, I am an avid history buff.  Ideal vacations for me are not necessarily to beach resorts or golf vacations (though I wouldn’t be opposed to them), but around historical venues.  Nichols effectively takes the reader through the main stages and eras of American history from colonial times to the present and addresses how American thought and life has influenced our American view of Jesus Christ.  As you read through this, you begin to see how by and large our culture’s view of Christ has developed not necessarily from the Bible but reflecting on differing emphases in differing eras. The chapters are laid out as follows:

Chapter One (The Puritan Christ): The Puritans saw Jesus clearly as the "God-man," but many in evangelicalism today wonder whether recovering their mindset is worth the time. To many today, "He is a bit too far out of reach for personal touch." Yet, for all their flaws, the Puritans offer a balance between the transcendent and imminent Christ.

Chapter Two (Jesus and the New Republic): When our country was formed with the writing of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the ratifying of the Constitution (1789), many of our most influential founding fathers began to reject the Puritan look as a those of us who are "sinners in the hands of an angry God." Men like Thomas Jefferson rejected the miracles of the Scriptures, only choosing to extract the moral teachings of Jesus. Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense went further to decry religion altogether. Yet, Americans then (and now) thanks to numerous writings and paintings, were quick to paint George Washington as a Messianic figure, even though he gave scant references to God. The Jesus of the New Republic was portrayed as one who desired moral character and virtue, but little use was made for any condemning and judging role Christ played.

Chapter Three (Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild): Andrew Jackson’s frontiersman celebrity helped craft Jesus into a man’s man, with little use for the creeds and much use for . On the other end of the spectrum, the Victorian Jesus was one who was gentle, respectful, friend of children, and almost effeminate. Many depictions of Jesus were that of one with long hair, blue eyes, smooth skin, and womanly features.

Chapter Four (Jesus, Hero for the Modern World): In this chapter, Nichols discusses the theological debates between liberal scholar Harry Emerson Fosdick and conservative scholar J. Gresham Machen. For Fosdick, Jesus was all about peace and brotherhood, playing off the philosophy of Henry Van Dyke. Machen sought to bring the church back to orthodox Christianity.

Chapter Five (Jesus on Vinyl): From the Jesus People Movement to the mega-corporate Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) scene, adapting Jesus and his ways to the airwaves and drained even more of the deity out of Christ. Now, Nichols contends, we are relegated to singing "love songs" to Jesus. Crossover bands recognize that if they desire airplay on a wider realm, they must refrain from using, as DeGarmo and Key slyly remarked, "the J-Word."

Chapter Six (Jesus on the Big Screen): From DeMille’s King of Kings in 1927 to The Passion of the Christ in 2004 (with a stopover at Scorsece’s The Last Temptation of Christ, Nichols gives an interesting overview of Christ on film. He rightly notes that most of these films fill in some of the spots missing (such as Jesus’ childhood) and gloss over areas where the Scripture does speak. A case in point is Gibson’s Passion, which draws more on his Catholic tradition than it does on the sole authority of Scripture. Nichols gives a helpful survey to help us be more discerning.

Chapter Seven (Jesus on a Bracelet): from the WWJD? bracelets to Precious Moments, Nichols gives a very disturbing view on how Christ is merchandised. You just need to read this chapter to get an idea of how absorbed we are in this mindset.

Chapter Eight (Jesus on the Right Wing): From Jimmy Carter’s claim to being "born again" to George W. Bush’s claim in the 2000 Republican Presidential Primaries that Jesus influenced his thoughts the most, Nichols examines how both the right wing and the left seek to lay claim to Jesus as an advocate to their causes.

The Danger of Unregenerate Pastors (C.H. Spurgeon)

Alas!  the unregenerate pastor becomes terribly mischievous too, for of all the causes which create infidelity, ungodly ministers must be ranked among the first.  I read the other day, that no phase of evil presented so marvellous a power for destruction, as the unconverted minister of a parish, with a 1200-pound (British currency, not weight) organ, a choir of ungodly singers, and aristocratic congregation.  It was the opinion of the writer, that there could be no greater instrument for damnation out of help than that.  People go to their place of worship and sit down comfortably, and think they must be Christians, when all the time all that their religion consists in, is listening to an orator, having their ears tickles with music, and perhaps their eyes amused with graceful action and fashionable manners; the whole being no better than what they hear and see at the opera—not so good, perhaps, in point of aesthetic beauty, and not an atom more spiritual.  Thousands are congratulating themselves, and even blessing God that they are devout worshippers, when at the same time they are living in an unregenerate Christless state, having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.  He who presides over a system which aims at nothing higher than formalism, is far more a servant of the devil than a minister of God.

(C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, Banner of Trust Trust, 2008, pp. 5-6)

Sunday’s Sermon: “Jesus Saves, Jesus Sends” (Luke 9:1-9)

(If you wish to listen to the mp3 of this sermon, click on the title of this sermon in the sidebar of this blog.  This sermon was preached on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY where I have served as pastor since September 2003.)

Every leader, no matter who he is or what he is engaged in, must multiply himself. If a leader does not pass along his vision, delegate that vision out, and then give away some of that responsibility, that influence will be small. That influence will only go as far as that person can. But leaders and organizations’ influence multiplies when others are involved in making the vision a reality.

When I became a minister of music and youth at a church in South Florida, I went from a small church with a very small choir and about a ten-voice children’s choir to a church that had five large choirs from preschool to senior adults. While they already had people in place for the preschool choir and children’s choir, I was directly in charge of the youth choir, adult choir, and senior adult choirs which had a combined 90 people involved. I was swamped.

Yet, my greatest challenge was the youth choir. We formed an instant bond, and I knew how to direct choirs—but the youth also were involved in large dramatic musicals. This wasn’t where you just gave them some lines and said, “OK, guys—do your best!” There were tryouts, auditions, and some serious practices. It was not my strength, and it showed at our first musical.

So I had to swallow my pride and get some help with this. Someone in our church was good at drama and had experience doing it, so I enlisted Sean and he took over all the drama. We would coordinate, I’d tell him my thoughts, and he’d either run with what I said or improve on what I said. But the burden was lifted, ministry was expanded, and the youth choir absolutely flourished.

Jesus understood this. As we have been going through Luke, we have seen that Jesus was very busy in doing ministry. He would do the preaching, he would do the healing, he would talk to the opposition—and he did this alone! Even the account of Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood, people pressed in around him so much that he struggled to get from Point A to Point B. He was it! He even had to divert his attention from Jairus’ issue to tend to the woman. As far as the perspective of heaven was concerned, this was exactly how God planned it. But from heaven’s and earth’s perspective, Jesus needed to give away his ministry not only so he could spread his influence—he needed to train these young “interns” to carry on after He ascended to the Father.

It’s interesting that Jesus chose this path—involving flawed and frail human beings to expand his ministry and work through them and all who follow the Gospel.

¹ And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. ³ And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. ⁴And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. ⁵And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." ⁶ And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸ by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.

As we look at this passage, we must remember this without fail: those whom Jesus saves, Jesus sends. He calls you, he empowers you, he directs you, and when it comes to the church he stays with you in his Spirit. Not only this, but the Spirit moving you along gives you the desire to point others to Christ. The connection is such in the New Testament that if you find yourself not wanting to be sent or resisting it, there is always a question as to whether you are saved. Spurgeon says:

Any Christian has a right to disseminate the gospel who has the ability to do so; and more, he not only has the right, but it is his duty so to do as long as he lives. The propagation of the gospel is left, not to a few, but to all disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.[1]

1. Jesus saves us and sends us, armed with the gospel (1-3).

Again, look at verses 1-3:

¹ And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. ³ And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.”

Jesus chose these twelve out of many, and he poured his life and teaching into these twelve men. During this mission, they were only armed with the power of the Word of God to do both physical and spiritual healings. This is great in seeing how Christ uses people to expand and conduct his ministry. In John 6:69-71, we read:

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve?”

Christ chose the Twelve to serve as an extension of himself in the world. This is a foreshadowing of how his church would serve. Remember from Ephesians 2:19-21:

¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

Jesus saves us and sends us to be an extension of Him as well—the apostles were sent, yet we are His body that’s living and active in the world. What is the resource He gave them to use? “He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” I read this, and two things came to mind. I recall in Acts 1 after Jesus rose from the dead, he spent his last days: “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

The other thing that came to mind was a conference I went to in Elizabethtown this past Tuesday called “Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts.” Dan Summerlin gave a breakout session talk about the necessity of a church understanding its mission. He recommended to us pastors gathering together your key leaders and spend three months on this. He said, “The first four weeks of this, do a study on the Kingdom of God to get that framework in mind. Then you’re ready for the particulars of your church.”

Notice over what Jesus gives them authority: demons and diseases. Why is this significant? Did not Jesus have power over the demons and to cure diseases in Luke 8? Jesus called them, saying that they now have His power and authority over these issues as well. He doesn’t just save them. He doesn’t just empower them. He sends them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal.

We must realize that this was a short-term mission for a specific purpose. In this passage, they were to take nothing for their journey, when in another missions trip they were to take extra supplies. This was a time where they would get used to sharing the gospel in various communities, especially after the time Jesus was ascended—given great evidence of this in the Book of Acts.

We must also realize that Jesus is bringing together his apostles (and this word, from the Greek, means ones who are sent—in this case, ones who are sent by Christ for a specific purpose).

2. Jesus saves us and sends us to work the Gospel out in our communities (4-6).

Look with me at verses 4-6:

⁴And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. ⁵And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." ⁶ And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Verse 6 is telling: “And they departed and went through the villages.” Jesus sent out the Twelve to “proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal.” Notice too the parallel understanding of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and “preaching the gospel.” So that’s the what—now we see the where: the villages. They went into the communities where people lived.

Christ empowers us to be witnesses from our neighborhoods to our nations. How? “The Holy Spirit will empower you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). Do we understand that the power that God gave to Christ and that Christ gave to the disciples is ours as well? We need to realize a few things: one, the one who calls us; two, what he arms us with; and three, who he sends us to.

John Benton in his book, “Why Join a Small Church?” tells the story of when U.S. troops captured the Pacific Island of Okinawa towards the end of World War II. The island by and large contained great moral and social issues, except for one city—Shimbakuku. Upon their arrival there, they were greeted by two men, one carrying a Bible.

Everything in that village was neat and tidy, a far cry from the state of the other villages they had encountered. The reason? Thirty years prior a missionary had stopped in Shimbakuku on his way to Japan. He didn’t stay long and only two people (the old men) became Christians. He left them a Bible and begged them to shape their lives by it. They did so, and the whole community changed.

Do we not need to go into our villages? Has not God called us to go into our communities as part of the Great Commission? You see, in every case where God saves, He sends! And He arms us with the Spirit and His Word! We are to know our Savior, we are to know His Word, but we are also to know the people to whom we minister.

Have you ever talked to someone who feels called into international missions? In Southern Baptist life, if someone goes into missions through the International Missions Board, whether career or a two-year journeyman stint, end up spending some time a the Missionary Learning Center. There, they are trained to learn the language and culture of the people to whom they will serve and minister the Gospel. Why? Because some of our American traditions and customs may not only fit, but some may take offense. Plus, we need to be ready to adapt.

What is so interesting to me is, we do not question those methods of the IMB in training these missionaries to study their culture. Yet, we fail to see that this is what we need to be doing as well! 1 Chronicles 12:32 says, “Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.”

You see, there is a difference between the church being like the world and the church understanding the world. Some Bible-believing churches want to completely cut themselves off from anything in the world

3. Jesus saves us and sends us, challenging outsiders to deal with Him and His Gospel (7-9).

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸ by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.

Consider the progression here. Jesus saves us in order to send us. He gives us His power and His love and His desire for His prized creation and re-creates them, making them new creatures in Christ who no longer desire their own wills and appeal to their own flesh are sold out to the Kingdom of God—such a disparity will make a great difference in the world.

Yet, Jesus’ ministry had gotten the attention of none other than Herod the Tetrarch (also known as Herod Antipas). Herod ruled Galilee from around 4 B.C. until 39 A.D. He was every bit as evil as his father. Luke alludes to the fact that he was “perplexed because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead” (v. 7). He by the urging of Herodias beheaded John the Baptist who accused him of adultery by having his brother Philip’s wife. He was familiar with John’s powerful preaching on the Kingdom of God, and Jesus (as far as he knew) had the same powerful preaching as well. “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?”

Herod wanted to meet him. Yet later on Herod wanted to kill Jesus. But in Luke 13:32, Jesus told the messengers, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my course.’” (Luke 13:32). Later on in Luke 23, during Jesus’ trial, Herod finally meets Jesus in person and wants a miracle from him—something in which Jesus did not oblige him.

What do we see from this? For one, we see that on the surface, Christianity looks very good. The disciples were preaching, yes, but they were healing! Many saw these incredible miracles and wanted to be a part of what was going on. They liked what they saw on the outside concerning Jesus and Christianity in general.

Yet, as we see with Herod, when people hear of the very nature of Christianity and the message that not only saved us but the message that we as saved people are armed with, they want to silence us. They may like what we do, but the world will hate what Christians say because it will not just involve an enjoyment of physical miracles, but it involves a spiritual change. When the Scriptures say, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness,” they will resent the notion that a change, a spiritual transformation must take place.

A.W. Tozer calls for a certain type of preacher to step up:

Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray God there will be not one but many), he will stand in flat contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds dear. He will contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom. Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt- spoken and a little bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the souls of men to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the One and the salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that breathes with mortal breath.[2]

Yet, we may wish to silence Jesus, but there is a little seed that still intrigues us—as it did with Herod during Jesus’ trial. He wanted to see a miracle. Even with his skepticism, he still wanted to see if Jesus was all he said he was, but the only thing he could muster up was a desire to see an external magic trick. He still felt as if the world bowed to him, yet Jesus showed numerous times that He followed another King!

Our lives must be lived both in private and in public in such a way that the world and its leaders will have to contend with Christians—not politically, but spiritually. First Peter 3:15-16 says,

“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

Conclusion

One time, Billy Graham took time to speak to President John F. Kennedy about the gospel and the Second Coming of Christ. Kennedy disregarded what Graham had to say. Yet, sometime later when he and Graham were together, President Kennedy asked Billy if he could ride with him to his hotel room—clearly something was on his mind. Graham was suffering from a nasty cold and told the President he did not want to give this to him. So they settled for another time. Yet, just days later, JFK was shot in Dallas, and the conversation never took place.

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[1]C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures To My Students (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2008), 19.

[2]A.W. Tozer, The Size of the Soul, 128-129.

The Devil’s Jackals (Charles Spurgeon)

"One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing–a very beautiful woman." 2 Samuel 11:2

At that hour David saw Bathsheba. We are never out of the reach of temptation! Both at home and abroad we are liable to meet with allurements to evil. The morning opens with peril–and the shadows of evening find us still in jeopardy. They are well kept–whom God keeps! But woe unto those who go forth into the world, or even dare to walk their own house, unarmed. Those who think themselves secure, are more exposed to danger than any others. The armor-bearer of sin–is self-confidence.

David should have been engaged in fighting the Lord’s battles, instead of which he tarried at Jerusalem, and gave himself up to luxurious repose, for he arose from his bed in the evening. Idleness and luxury are the devil’s jackals–and find him abundant prey. In stagnant waters–noxious creatures swarm. Neglected soil–soon yields a dense tangle of weeds and briers. Oh for the constraining love of Jesus to keep us active and useful!

When I see the King of Israel sluggishly leaving his couch at the close of the day, and falling at once into temptation–let me take warning, and set holy watchfulness to guard the door! Is it possible that the king had mounted his housetop for prayer and devotion? If so, what a caution is given us to count no place, however secret–a sanctuary from sin!

While our hearts are so like a tinder-box, and sparks so plentiful–we had need use all diligence in all places–to prevent a blaze. Satan can climb housetops, and enter closets! And even if we could shut out that foul fiend–our own corruptions are enough to work our ruin–unless God’s grace prevents it.

Reader, beware of evening temptations. Be not secure. The sun is down–but sin is up. We need a watchman for the night–as well as a guardian for the day. O blessed Spirit, keep us from all evil this night. Amen.

(This is from today’s Grace Gem – http://www.gracegems.org .)

Book Review: “Why Join a small Church?” by John Benton

I came across John Benton’s wonderful little book, Why Join a small Church? at a very important and crucial time in my ministry. Benton serves as pastor of Chertsey Street Baptist Church in Guildford, England, and has written such a helpful work in this area, that I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I serve as pastor of what some consider a small church (approx. 160-170 on a Sunday morning when the weather holds up). We have a number of folks who come through our church either just to visit, or are looking for another church that is, well, smaller than a number of larger churches that are in our area.

(An interesting trend here: many in our larger churches are looking for a smaller church to develop some close relationships, and others are in smaller churches looking to larger ones because of larger ministries and programs in which they may be involved. No wonder we see so many jumping churches all the time. Just a thought.)

Benton comes along and says

To join a big and thriving church is not always wrong, but it is frequently the easy option. To join a little needy congregation is not a decision to be taken lightly. It will probably require far more guts, love, resilience and spiritual exertion. But how the devil would love to herd Christians into a few big city centre churches, getting them to travel miles from their communities, and leaving vast tracts of our country with no viable witness for the gospel.

In Chapter One, Benton gives seven reasons to “throw your lot” into smaller churches (11-15):

1. The big churches can spare you.
2. The small churches need you.
3. Small churches give opportunities to serve.
4. Small churches enjoy closer fellowship.
5. Smaller churches will stretch you more as a Christian.
6. Small churches offer you a life’s work of real significance.
7. Small churches offer you the chance to confound the world.

Benton closes the chapter by saying what many look for in a church.

• What’s the music program like?
• Is the church building impressive?
• Can I find me a marriage partner? (Translate: are there young people there?)
• Do the services employ the latest technology?
• What’s the coffee like?
• Will I be asked to do a lot? (16)

Rather, we should ask, “Is the love of Christ shown? Is the Bible taught faithfully? Is the church seeking to win others to Christ?” (16)

Chapter Two, entitled “Problems You May Face,” deals honestly with the plight of many smaller churches (bad facilities, nothing for children or youth, discouragement, lack of spiritual life, idiosyncracies, stale worship, etc.). Benton even questions the need for planting churches, for he feels that “it is far better, whatever the difficulties, if we can help to build up what is already in existence” (24).

Chapter Three, entitled “Why It Is a Tragedy if Small Churches Close,” he answers up front:

Everyone needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and if possible to see it lived out in practical life. When a Bible church closes it usually leaves an area where people have been robbed of the possibility of hearing the gospel. But, in fact, everyone needs to become a Christian and local churches are the God-ordained means of holding out the world of life to the community.

Crafted around 1 Peter 1:3-12, Benton gives some helpful and necessary principles on why small churches are so needed. Chapter Four, entitled “How to Make a Small Church a Great Church,” was covered in a previous blog post, so I’ll move on to Chapter Five, entitled, “Encouragement for the Task.” Allow me to list off seven encouragements Benton believes (and I would agree) will help small churches to persevere and achieve great things for God.

1. The potential of the church is far greater than we realize.
2. The Lord is able to use small groups of Christians to transform whole communities.
3. The Lord is able to use the most unlikely people to do remarkable things.
4. The Lord Jesus will build His church.
5. The Lord’s power is not dependent on great human resources.
6. The power of God’s Spirit is available to all Christians
7. The breakdown of secular society is a sign of how much each community needs small churches.

Conclusion

While each person must seek after God as to which church to join, we must make sure that our reasons are not simply due to external looks and resources, but rather they must match up to biblical mandates. We have become a consumeristic society, where we look at churches to see what they can offer us, rather than pouring our gifts into them.

Are you someone who prefers a larger church? Why? Do smaller churches not have the ministries or programs you desire? Do smaller churches make you feel conspicuous, whereas larger churches give you a place to blend in and hide? Would you be willing to be used by God to roll up your sleeves and help those small churches out so they may focus on a lost and dying world?

Frankly, are you elevating personal preferences to tests of faith? If so, you may well be walking in pride and selfishness, all the while deluding yourselves into thinking you are doing these things for spiritual reasons.

(John Benton, Why Join a small Church?, Rosshire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2008, 61 pp., $7.99.)

To read another fine (and far better) review of this work, click here.

Technorati Tags: Small church

Disney’s Palatable Philosophies a Concern

This past Friday night, we took our children to see Disney on Ice, and they absolutely loved it. Yet, I really began to listen to some of the songs that are not only Disney staples, but are now American standards–and I began to shake my head.

Hakuna Matata (Lion King). “It means no worries, all the rest of our days.”

The Lion King is a cinematic masterpiece. Clearly this one and Elton John’s Can You Feel the Love Tonight? are the two songs which gained a great deal of traction. Hakuna Matata, sung by Timon the meerkat and Pumbba the warthog, gives a “worry-free philosophy” that appeals not only to Simba but to many of us. It echoes the message of the 1989 Bobby McFerrin hit, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

Three times in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells us not to be anxious (worry), as does the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6-7:

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Timon and Pumbba advocated not worrying in order to avoid responsibilities. Jesus tells his followers not to worry because of a failure to trust God’s providence. For a Christian, worry is about not trusting God to work all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Granted, Timon and Pumbba’s advice is not heeded by Simba, who responds to the issue at hand—but many sing this song as a way to relieve stress.

“Let your conscience be your guide” (Jiminy Cricket).

This is rotten advice—but it’s especially bad when Christians use this logic believing it is sound advice in helping them in their walk with Christ. But our conscience is solely informed by our belief system. Muslims have a conscience when they miss one of their prayers. Mormons have a conscience if they drink caffeine, which goes against a tenet of their faith. Even Atheists have a conscience, when they go against their dictums as well.

Christians need to realize that our conscience is not equivalent to the voice of God. Our conscience merely reacts to what our heart and will hold most dear. And given that we are such sinful, fallen creatures whose consciences can be seared or to a lesser degree numbed, this is absolutely terrible advice.

Yet, Christians use this logic all the time: just follow your conscience. This was especially true in 1992-1993 when a subject came up before the Southern Baptist Convention about a certain civic organization (or should I say, religion) known as the Freemasons. Instead of coming out and taking a stand, here is what they said:

In light of the fact that many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity and Southern Baptist doctrine, while others are compatible with Christianity and Southern Baptist doctrine, we therefore recommend that consistent with our denomination’s deep convictions regarding the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church, membership in a
Masonic Order be a matter of personal conscience. Therefore, we exhort Southern Baptists to prayerfully and carefully evaluate Freemasonry in light of the Lordship of Christ, the teachings of the Scripture, and the findings of this report, as led by the Holy Spirit of God.

The holes in this are big enough to swim a blue whale through. My intention is not to say anything positive or negative in this about the Freemasons (I have addressed this elsewhere), but to show the logic of my beloved denomination. Our conscience must be directed by the authority of Scripture without any dilution or compromise–not by what we may personally believe–because we are flawed!

It’s scary when Jiminy Cricket starts informing our religious policies.

“When you wish upon a star…” (Jiminy Cricket).

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

A number of issues jump out. For one, wishing upon ‘a star.’ Taking our desires to the stars? This is nothing short of astrology! Even Wikipedia is helpful for a definition:

Astrology (from Greek ἄστρον, astron, “constellation, star”; and -λογία, -logia, “the study of”) is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs which hold that the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details can provide useful information about personality, human affairs, and other terrestrial matters.

These ‘stars’ now have personalities (which is where the constellations’ personalities in general, and the Signs of the Zodiac in particular, come into play along with the reading of horoscopes) to which we may appeal. As a result, whatever desires we wish for toward this star will come to you! Yet, dear Christian, look at Hebrews 4:14-16:

¹⁴Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We do not appeal to things created for guidance, but to the Creator through Jesus Christ.

Secondly, the phrase “no request is too extreme” is disturbing. No request is too extreme? Granted, in the context of the movie, Pinocchio the marionette wishes to be a real boy! This is an extreme wish! But the song now stands on its own. As Christians, we realize we are fallen people and that our wishes may stem from our fallenness rather than what is right and true.

Thirdly, the personification of “fate” is disturbing. Again, we need a definition:

: the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do : destiny

“She” is “kind” and brings to “those who love their secret longing.” This nameless director of all things not only has attributes but perceives attributes in others. While the melody is very tender and, yes, catchy, the content of this song is very unbiblical.

Conclusion

We can put our abhorrent philosophies to nice and catchy melodies and plant seeds in hearts without the receivers being none the wiser. How much more in tenderhearted children (and adults) who see animation and think its harmless? We must not be like so many who say, “I only listen to the music, not the words.” For those of us who have been gripped by the Gospel, we must be careful of the schemes of the devil and of man, who work to have us be gripped by something else that will lead us astray.

Thoughts?

Technorati Tags: Evangelism,apologetics,Disney,music

When Smaller Churches Rise to Greater Heights

I am pastor of a church that averages around 170 per Sunday morning: 30 in the children’s area (workers included) and 140 in the main worship service. Technically, we are above the national average of churches (which average approximately 75), but we are just below the “medium” range, which begins at 200.

By the world’s perspective, smaller churches face a daunting task. In an age of consumerism where people come to a church to see what that church can do for them and provide for them, we are tempted to work to make the “big sell.”

Over the years, we have lost some of our long-time members to bigger churches in our area that have more resources to provide more programs for children, youth, young adults, parents, grandparents, singles, divorced—every type of demographic available.

While these churches gain traction and momentum, many of our smaller churches work hard to maintain. Some may visit the church, take a look and examine the particular ministries on the table, then may feel they need to move on to churches with … well… more!

John Benton in his wonderful little book “Why Join a small Church?” recounts a story of a friend of his who was a zealous Christian and a pastor of a small church. Though the church had only a dozen or so elderly folks in attendance, he took the call. He preached the Word of God faithfully, with much boldness, and accompanied by much prayer. Here Benton describe this:

What a situation! For many years nothing much seemed to happen, except a few minor encouragements from time to time. Though the preaching was good, the church continued fairly small. But my friend stuck to the task, praying, preaching, and doing whatever he could, with the help of a faithful few, to make the little flock a group of Christians pleasing to Christ. And after something like fifteen years of his ministry there, suddenly the church took off. Christians moving into the area began to join, people began to get saved. Things they had only dreamed of before as a church began to come true. The church numbers something like 200 to 250 people on Sundays, the building has been renovated and they have been used by God to plant another church in a nearby town.

Numbers are not everything. I believe this church had already become a great church even before attendance began to increase.

Even with slight numbers, small churches can rise to greater heights. How?

1. A commitment to prayer and ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).
2. A determination to establish God-centered, Christ-exalting relationships (Acts 2:42-47);
3. A desire to inject the message of the Gospel, accompanied with genuine compassion and care for those you are trying to reach (Ephesians 4:15);
4. A hunger and thirst for knowing what you believe, why you believe, and why it is worth telling (Ephesians 4:11-16);
5. A dogged commitment to assembling together with the saints at the appointed time (Hebrews 10:23-25);
6. A shedding of a consumeristic attitude, looking for a church that meets your particular needs, rather than rolling up your sleeves and helping that church be what God would have it to be!

I’m sure there are more. But notice what resources are needed to maintain these things: the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the Bible, and you.

What about it?

Technorati Tags: Small church,prayer,preaching,ministry,church

What Would The Modern Preacher Have Done? (Paul Washer)

Death’s Grip Pales in Comparison to the Gospel’s Grip

Today, I officiated a funeral for a long-time member of our church.  This was an incredible joy, especially she and her husband had poured so much of their life and energy into their biological family as well as their church family.  Our church is blessed to have 22 acres of property, and to recount how much of that property was cleared, fenced, and provided electricity by this family is amazing to me.  They were truly cut from some wonderful cloth, to be sure.

When I first came into the ministry, I remember feeling at such a disadvantage preaching the funeral of someone that I wasn’t able to know all that well in comparison to many others in the church.  Many were friends with her for over 50 years!  They had a slew of memories at their disposal I couldn’t begin to have.

Yet, in preparing sermons for funerals of Christian men and women, I began to realize, “Yes, I may not know this individual as well as others, but he/she and I share the same Savior and Lord.  And I know they would want me to tell them what they would want everyone in that building to know: Christ is great, He is real, and He went to great lengths to take us out of our sin and rebellion before God to make us righteous and accepted before Him through His death and resurrection.” 

We must know that death’s grip pales in comparison to the grip of the gospel.  Romans 5:18-21 gives a glorious understanding of this grip of the gospel of Christ:

¹⁸Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. ²⁰Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The “one man” is Adam whose condemnation was passed along into the DNA of our being.  His disobedience made us sinners.  The “Law” is a glorious gift of God, but also makes us aware of our sinful behavior and, ultimately, our sinful nature.  "So that, as sin reigned in death, grace might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Adam’s sinful nature was passed on to us, made evident through God’s Law, and could only be freed by Christ’s righteousness through grace.  Christ’s work leads to “justification and life” (v. 18) and righteousness (v. 19, 21). 

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

(Charles Wesley, And Can It Be, 1738)

 

 

Technorati Tags: funeral,death,Christ,salvation

A Recipe For Revival (Psalm 85)

Recipes and I do not get along too well. The extent of my cooking knowledge is praying that the box says, “Microwaveable” … then I proceed.

But when it comes to recipes for revival, that’s a different story. It’s exciting to read how God moved in various awakenings throughout history. The most amazing one is found in Acts when 3000 people came to Christ in one day as Peter preached in Jerusalem. From that, many more revivals and awakenings came to pass as Peter, Stephen, Philip and the Apostle Paul traveled and preached throughout the entire Roman Empire, turning that powerful empire upside down. Though allegiance to Caesar was required (under penalty of death), many turned their allegiance to Christ (and faced the penalty of death).

Revivals have come throughout church history as well. The Great Awakening of the 1730s -40s in colonial America, eventually spreading to Europe, under the ministry of Jonathan Edwards in America and George Whitefield in England, brought awakened many to the Spirit’s work — among whom are John and Charles Wesley.

What exactly is “revival”? Stephen Olford says, “Revival is an invasion from heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God.” Vance Havner once said that, “Revival is the church falling in love with Jesus all over again.”

Some say we are past the era of revivals and see little use for them. One lady asked the great evangelist Billy Sunday, “Why do you keep having revivals?” Billy Sunday asked her a question right back, “Why do you keep taking baths?” The message is clear — individual Christians and churches need to set aside time to simply focus on our life in Jesus Christ. That’s the plan for this coming Sunday through Tuesday.

Getting back to our recipes — is there a recipe for revival? Is there something that one can do to conjure it up? We are going to find out that the answer is ‘no.’ We are not the ones who initiate revivals. But Psalm 85 will show us how to prepare ourselves and be ready for when revival comes.

1. A moving of the Spirit of prayer among God’s people.

In the title of this Psalm, we see, “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.” We’re not really sure who the ‘Sons of Korah’ are, but we see that they clearly have something on their heart — revival and restoration. Where did this come from? This came from the Spirit of God.

You see, we know that all Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). And since God included Psalm 85 in the canon of Scripture, we know that the desire this Psalm expresses was initiated and breathed out by God.

G. Campbell Morgan gets it right when he says, “Revival cannot be organized, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” It would be silly for us to believe that we are ‘scheduling revival.’ Sure, it’s on our calendar for May 1-3. But revival comes in God’s timing when He sents His Spirit.

Consider that conversation Jesus had with that revered teacher of the law Nicodemus. He tells Nicodemus:

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:7-8).

Jesus uses a play on words. The Greek word for ‘spirit’ is pneuma which can mean breath, spirit, or wind. You do not know where the natural wind comes from — where it begins, moves toward, or ends. It is the same with the work of His Spirit.

Matthew Henry observes: “So ready is God to hear and answer the prayers of his people that by his Spirit in the word, and in the heart, he indicts their petitions and puts words into their mouths. The people of God, in a very low and weak condition, are here taught how to address themselves to God.”

2. A look at God’s favor in the past (85:1-3).

Psalm 85 was likely written just after the people of Israel came back from exile from Babylon. After centuries of unfaithfulness, God took them away from the greatest tangible blessing He granted — their land. So in 587 B.C., God allowed Babylon to come in and take them captive from their beloved Promised Land into a foreign land.

But now they were back. This generation had heard of how God moved among Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, and other godly and obedient kings. They remembered how their parents taught them of God’s wonders delivering them from Egypt, giving them victory as they entered the Promised Land, and so many other ways He blessed His people and their land. But if there was a way to sum up how things were, one just has to look to Nehemiah 1:3 in that Israel was in “great trouble and shame.”

Remember how it felt when you were first saved by God’s glorious grace? The weight of sin that was removed off your shoulders? The new-found freedom that rushed into your heart and mind? I remember — and I was on-fire for the Lord. You couldn’t shut me up about the Lord.

But time and life experiences and various other things often turn the roaring fire into embers. We get more concerned about what people think of us and get more comfortable with those who are like us (read: Christians) — thus we get cool in our relationships and get complacent in our relationship with God and with the lost. Your spiritual life and relationship with God was in “great trouble and shame.”

What do we do? In our flesh, we look at verse 1 and say, “God, give me material blessings so I know you love me and are nearby.” But isn’t it strange how those who are materially prosperous are also those who are most miserable? They have missed the foundation of why God extends His favor. It’s found in verses 2 and 3:

[2] You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin. Selah
[3] You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.

This is the foundation of receiving God’s mercy and grace — is the forgiveness of our inquities (gross immoral acts) and our sin (that is, our shortcomings of the glory of God — see Romans 3:23). Thus, we are recipients of God’s wrath. Albert Barnes notes that, “[God's wrath] is the opposition of the divine character against sin; and the determination of the divine mind to express that opposition in a proper way, by excluding the offender from the favors which He bestows on the righteous.”

3. A rejuvenation (85:4-7);

[4] Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
[5] Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
[6] Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
[7] Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
And grant us your salvation.

Notice in verse four the begging of the Psalmist for God to restore us again! Notice too in verse six the psalmist begging God to ‘revive us again!’ One is for a restoration of position — asking God to turn back His people into His direction; the other is for the restoration of passion!

We get comfortable in our position as Christians. “Thank you God for saving me, now I’ll be on my way. See you in heaven…” but acting as if God were an afterthought. The people of Israel before the exile were comfortable going through the motions, all the while blind to their rebellion and sluffing off their sins. They were comfortable in their position as “God’s people in God’s Promised Land.”

Now, in light of both the good and the bad times, the psalmist is asking for a restored position in God’s Land! But also, the Psalmist asks, “Don’t just restore us, Lord — REVIVE US!” What does that mean?

To revive means to ‘resurrect; make alive again.’ Ezekiel 37:11-12 in that valley of dry bones, God says to Ezekiel: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ [12] Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.”

This is the type of revival we need! We must not only ask God to put us in a holy position, but to grant us a holy passion! “Revive us again so that your people may rejoice in you.” When was the last time you had the joy of the Lord in you? Can you say with Nehemiah that “The joy of the Lord is your strength”? (Nehemiah 8:10). We hear of people getting saved, we say, “Oh, that’s nice!” When we ask God to deliver us and give us peace in the storm — and then He does it — we say, “Wow! I feel so at peace!” and act surprised when God follows through.

At a conference at a church in Omaha, people were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. As with this particular denomination, they weren’t free to say "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord." All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased.

Some of us need to let our balloons go! Ask God as David did to “restore the joy of your salvation.” When God revives us, we rejoice in Him.

4. A hearing of God’s Word as our authority (85:8-9);

[8] Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
[9] Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.

There’s an old saying, “Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.”

The writer of this Psalm wants to hear what God the Lord will speak! He wants to hear His Word. When the Word is proclaimed and the Spirit who authored the Word is on the march, mighty ‘God-things’ will begin to happen. Revivals do not and I will say cannot happen apart of being gripped by the transforming Word of God.

In Acts, you look at how many times the Word of God was preached and you look at the Spirit’s work. Many came to salvation. And yes, many did not! The reaction to the Word of God shows our standing before God and our relationship with God.

The late James Montgomery Boice mentions that, “Historically revivals have [begun] under strong biblical preaching.” With hearing God speak from His Word, we know that from His Word, “He will speak peace to his people, to his saints, but let them not turn back to folly” (v. 8). When God saves us by His Word (the Gospel), peace arrives — salvation comes! God and man are reconciled.

Yet, if you have experience this, heed the Psalmists warning! “Let them not turn back to folly!” Do slack off in the holy race! How dangerous it is when we have experience the “peace that passes all understanding” in Christ Jesus for us to turn away from Him! It is a prime example of how we do not trust him nor fear Him. The underlying issue with sin is the fact that we do not fear God, we do not trust Him, we doubt His promises and His will. We need the Word of God and His Spirit to refresh us with His peace so we may trust and fear and have hope in our salvation.

5. A standing in God’s presence (85:10-11);

[10] Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
[11] Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.

Dr. J. Elder Cumming contended that "in almost every case the beginning of new blessing is a new revelation of the character of God–more beautiful, more wonderful, more precious." And how wonderful when we see the attributes of God come together in such an incredible way. Here we see God’s attributes in perfect harmony! God’s covenant love and faithfulness come together. God’s righteousness and peace come together as well. When all of these perfect attributes of God come perfectly together, then Stephen Olford is right when he says, “Revival is an invasion from heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God.”

But look at verse 11! Faithfulness of God’s people due to their forgiveness of sin and obedience to God’s Word springs up! At the same time, God’s righteousness looks down from the sky. Here is where God and man meet! It reminds one of 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” By grace through faith, our sins are forgiven! With that, God places not His righteousness with us!

6. The result: the blessing of God’s goodness (85:12-13).

[12] Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
[13] Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.

Robert Coleman says, “Revival is that sovereign work of God in which He visits His own people, restoring and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing.” God is a good God! In fact, nothing good is apart from God’s goodness. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

And He longs to dispense His good gifts upon His people. Our problem often is that our attitude is in such a shambles, we are in no condition to not only receive them but, if we do receive them, we fail to give glory and praise to the giver of those gifts. The greatest gift of all is the bestowment of a right condition — heart, soul, mind, and strength — that goes before Him as He makes a way for us to heaven. Christ opened the doors, bridging the gap between heaven and earth. When we are made right before Him, confessing our sin and trusting in Christ alone as our Savior and Master, the way He paved to heaven is the way we travel as we follow Him.

Conclusion

Sometimes we slide away from seeing His goodness and faithfulness in ways we don’t even see. In an e-mail I recently received entitled “Isn’t it strange…?”, it really helped put some basic things in perspective:

Isn’t it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn’t it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you’re at church, and how short they seem when you’re watching a good movie?

Isn’t it strange that you can’t find a word to say when you’re praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn’t it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel?

Isn’t it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?

Isn’t it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events in the last minute?

Isn’t it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?

Isn’t it strange how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say, but we question the words in the Bible?

Isn’t it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don’t want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?

If we want revival, then we have to respond to the Spirit’s moving, understand how God has moved in the past, pray He’d do it again, submit to the authority of God’s life-changing Word, pursue God’s presence, and thus receive the blessing from God! Psalm 85 has given us a recipe for revival. Will we implement these ingredients into our hearts and minds in preparation for God will do?

Review of Ben Stein’s “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”

Tonight, we debuted Friday Night Flicks at our church where the first Friday of each month, we watch a movie with either a Christian theme or (as in this case) a theme regarding the culture’s view of Christianity.

The first movie we watched was Ben Stein’s “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.” (You can view the official website as well.) One could not help but notice Stein’s even-handedness in this documentary (for an example of the opposite approach, watch anything by Michael Moore or Bill Maher). Stein was empathetic, gracious, unintrusive—yet all the while continuing to press the issue of where life originated.

The main theme of this movie was the freedom—freedom that this country is supposed to provide—is being squelched by academia who view anything remotely religious as sheer fantasy and therefore unscientific.

Stein claims that we should have the freedom to look at the evidence and make determinations regardless of worldview. Yet numerous times, atheistic scientists claim that science impacted their worldview, but in reality our worldview impacts how we look at everything, even science.

Many of the flaws of Darwinism are exposed, and Stein gives these “expelled” professors and scientists a forum to state their case—a forum not provided apparently in academia, where the mere mention of Intelligent Design will not only threaten their job, but increase the risk of that professor finding reputable and gainful employment elsewhere. Anything relating to the notion of an intelligent designer, even alluding to it objectively, is not a safe course of action.

When watching this movie, one must understand upfront that intelligent design (ID) is not the same as biblical creationism (although Darwinists understand that ID could lead to creationism). ID simply says that what we see has the mark of a designer, one who is not identified. Biblical creationists identify the designer!

Yet Stein succeeds in showing us what the majority of the public have long suspected: there is academic freedom, just so long as that freedom stays within the accepted bounds of certain academic understandings. Darwinism and secular humanism rule the day, making no allowances for a six-day Creator. Stein believes that we should have the freedom to look at the evidence, do the research, and make our determinations based upon the evidence, not whether our answers fit in to our previously built parameters of secular academia.

I can’t recommend this documentary highly enough.

To see some clips of the movie, click here.

Lessons on Authority, Integrity, and Accountability

Everyday, we are confronted with images on advertisements as large as billboards, or as small as marginal ads on websites that cause stumbling blocks to many men. We are confronted with movies, television shows, even commercials which seek to stimulate our sexual desires in ways never before thought of in previous generations. This is a grave danger! What starts out as a simple innocuous seed in the heart and mind can bloom into full blown sin.

We would do well to heed what James says:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (James 1:12-15, ESV).

God has called us to remain “steadfast under trial”—the trial being the trials of Satan, the world, and the flesh (1 John 2:15) luring us with temptation into sin. He is so subtle, that he can even use things provided by God Himself for God’s good and turn it into something wicked.

1. Christian husbands must embrace the role of spiritual leaders in the home without fail.

The Apostle Paul gives us some very timely words in his letter to the Ephesians: In Ephesians 5:25-30, we read:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

The temptation for Christian husbands and fathers is to simply go through the motions to get through the day. Get up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed. If you’re a great father by our culture’s standards, you may read stories or play games with your children, even have a meaningful conversation with your wife. These activities would put you in the minority of most homes, and thus give you a false sense of confidence as to your leadership in the home.

Yet, is there any spiritual, Christ-centered leadership taking place? While God wants us to provide for our families, pay our taxes, spend time with our kids, etc., God has entrusted our spouses and children to us to nourish and cherish as Christ nourishes and cherishes the church and gave Himself for her.

Men, our wives are silently begging and pleading for us to step up to the plate and be the spiritual leaders in the home. Sadly, too many of us have abdicated that role to our wives. Prayer and family worship are hard work and out of the norm. Our parents may not have modeled that for us. Let’s break that generational curse and lead our families! Otherwise, you risk having them starve for spiritual nourishment, only to risk being fed by someone else (maybe another man). Our bodies, emotions, and souls are all connected within us—they each affect the other. So do not give room to the devil. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (James 4:7-8).

2. Christian men must engage in the fight of spiritual integrity at all costs.

Rick Warren rightly notes:

Integrity is the foundation of leadership. You only lead people if they trust you. If you lose people’s trust, you’ve lost it all. That’s why the right to lead is earned, and it’s earned by being trustworthy. I think the most damaging sin a leader can commit is to betray the trust of his people.

This applies to every area of leadership we have: the home, the ministry, the workplace, or within the recesses of your own heart. We fight for integrity not simply because people may think ill of us or that people may start a rumor to ruin our reputation—we fight for integrity for the sake of our own souls before the living and all-seeing Savior and Lord. We maintain integrity to protect ourselves! Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23:

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:21-23).

These issues reside within us because we are all sons of Adam whose flesh has been seared by the Fall’s curse! So being aware of this makes us see our need for the Gospel to cleanse and transform our sullied hearts. And we preach the Gospel to ourselves every day because we see the need for cleansing every day. We understand ourselves, and we understand our dire need for the Spirit to lead us where we should be.

3. Christian men must enlist other men to not only disciple but also to whom to be accountable without exception.

Paul gives Timothy a great model for discipleship:

¹You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ²and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

Paul strengthened Timothy, Timothy entrusted to faithful men who would, in turn, teach others. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Galatians 6:1-2 says:

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Jesus says in John 15:12-17:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

What does this say? This says that Christians (and specifically in our case, Christian men) must never try to walk their Christian walk alone. There must be some significant transparent accountability. Why? This will serve to stave off potential sins that would occur if they worked in their own strength to resist. Hebrews 10:23-25 says,

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Stir up one another. Encourage one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Love one another. Are we seeing a pattern here?

4. Christian leaders (pastors and deacons) must examine areas in which they would be alone with another woman and take appropriate measures.

Consider what this father tells his son in Proverbs 5:7-14:

And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”

Men, you must never be alone with another woman, unless she is your wife. “Too legalistic,” you may say. No matter the intentions, someone will always believe the worst. “But what if it’s a church member who needs counsel?” Insist on taking someone with you, or that they bring a friend. It’s not worth losing your reputation.

Remove yourself from situations that will cause you to stray. Have to work on the computer? Install an Internet filter like http://www.bsafeonline.com. Find yourself up late watching shows you shouldn’t after your spouse has gone to bed? Turn off the TV and go to bed with your spouse. Take every step you can to keep yourself away from all appearance of evil. It only takes a rumor.

Jesus Shall Reign (Hymn by Isaac Watts)

Wherever on God’s glorious globe you may be worshipping our crucified, risen, and exalted Savior, may these words by Dr. Watts (1678-1741) inspire you to lofty heights of worship!

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barb’rous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

Great God, whose universal sway
The known and unknown worlds obey,
Now give the kingdom to Thy Son,
Extend His power, exalt His throne.

The scepter well becomes His hands;
All Heav’n submits to His commands;
His justice shall avenge the poor,
And pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just,
And treads th’oppressor in the dust:
His worship and His fear shall last
Till hours, and years, and time be past.

As rain on meadows newly mown,
So shall He send his influence down:
His grace on fainting souls distills,
Like heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.

The heathen lands, that lie beneath
The shades of overspreading death,
Revive at His first dawning light;
And deserts blossom at the sight.

The saints shall flourish in His days,
Dressed in the robes of joy and praise;
Peace, like a river, from His throne
Shall flow to nations yet unknown.

Be Wary of Contextualizing the Gospel

Gripped By The Gospel Or By The Glands?

Dr. York preaches a sermon with the same title as that disturbing Kati Perry song that was the summer’s big hit. He makes a point that we have certainly crossed a line when a song with blatant lesbian overtones not only makes Billboard’s #1 for weeks, but is now being sung on the lips of 12-year-olds all across our country. The sermon deals with the overt sexualization of our culture and the dire consequences it brings. How do Christians respond to these temptations? You will find this sermon food for your soul

On a similar vein, Albert Mohler writes an article on “The Pornification of a Culture — What’s Going on in the Office Next Door?” Here’s an excerpt:

The scourge of pornography is now so pervasive that it begins to define the culture at large. America is fast transforming itself from a society that allows and markets pornography into a culture that is pornographic. Boundary after boundary is being transgressed.

Adding insult to injury, courts have ruled that public libraries have no right to use filters that prevent viewing of pornography on public computers. Now, the marketers of pornography are looking to mobile devices and cell phones as the next frontier. There is no safe place in a society that embraces pornography as a major industry.

Just when you think you are past being shocked, The Washington Times now reports that pornography “is a major workplace problem in contemporary American society.” Just look at what the paper reports:

The porn-at-work phenomenon is pervasive enough, a 2007 survey by the American Management Association and The ePolicy Institute found, that 65 percent of American companies use porn-detecting software – a dramatic increase from 40 percent in 2001 (click here to read the rest of the article).

What I find most disturbing is that American churches who have been very influenced by the proper Victorian era of England that finds sexual discussions taboo, fail to equip our young teenagers and adults in this very tempting area. Everyone speaks about it, and so do the Scriptures–yet why does the church avoid it? I’m thankful for men like Hershael York and Albert Mohler who address this subject with a vital saturation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Have Christians Despised Their Birthright?

Last night at our Wednesday Night Bible Study, we had a study entitled “Running Ahead of God’s Sovereignty” in looking at Esau’s forfeiture of his birthright and his loss of Isaac’s blessing. In Genesis 25:34, after Esau sold his birthright for some of Jacob’s stew, Moses tells us that “Esau despised his birthright.”

We may think, “How awful on Esau’s part–to forfeit this spiritual blessing for material possessions. Did he not realize what he did?”

A scene from “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” comes to mind. After Delmar (played by Tim Blake Nelson) and Pete (John Turturro) “get baptized,” those two along with Everett (played by George Clooney) are driving down a desolate area where they come to a crossroads. There they meet Tommy (played by Blues guitarist extraordinare Chris Thomas King). He said he sold his soul to the devil who showed him “how to play the guitar real good.” Delmar sadly responds, “Oh, son… for that, you traded your everlasting soul.” To which Tommy responds, “Well, I wasn’t using it!”

This is the mindset of Esau: trading a spiritual blessing that he felt provided him nothing at the moment so that his belly might be filled for that one meal. And Jacob took full advantage. Rebekah knew full well where Jacob stood in the providence of God:

And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb
(Genesis 25:23-24, ESV).

God worked out, even in the midst of such circumstances, for His prophecy to come to pass.

The question is, do we find ourselves shaking our heads at Esau–all the while not seeing how Christians have despised their birthright as those who have been regenerated by our Lord Jesus Christ?

James Montgomery Boice lists off five ways that Christians in the 21st century have despised their birthright:

1. Many Christians have forfeited the benefits of Jesus’ death.
2. Many Christians have forfeited the benefits of the Word of God.
3. Many Christians have forfeited the benefits of gospel preaching.
   
4. Many Christians have forfeited the benefits of His church.
5. Many Christians have forfeited the benefits of time and leisure.
   

Over the next few days, I will flesh out many of these. Can you think of any other benefits Christians give up in despising their birthright?

John 1:12-13 says:

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

For Whose Glory Do We Make Music? (Bob Kauflin)

REACH: Our Small Groups Ministry at My Church

In January, I preached about spreading God’s glory from our neighbors to the nations. It is my conviction that Christ called us to be witnesses from our hometown to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:6-8). In fact, the entire layout of Acts is how the Spirit led His people to fulfill His mission. So, too, must we be led by the Spirit of God to seek out ways to strengthen God’s people and share God’s gospel through Jesus.

That’s why God has impressed on me and a number of others that we should start some small groups that meet outside of our church building called R.E.A.C.H. This stands for:

Reaching

Every

Area from

Church to

Home

—given this not only a name, but in what we should be engaged: reaching our people and our neighbors with the Gospel.

Why do this? Consider:

• The majority of our members only come to one service per week, either due to driving distance, work, health reasons, or just lost the habit of attending (Hebrews 10:25);.
• The majority of those who live in our neighborhoods come to zero services, thus are not being fed the Gospel nor are they fellowshipping with those who are under the Gospel of Christ.

R.E.A.C.H. groups with bring the presence of God’s people at Boone’s Creek to the various locations where our people are located—as well as to those who are unbelievers, thus offering them an entry point in developing relationships with God’s people. What will these REACH groups set out to accomplish? Four things:

• Strengthen our sanctification (2 Peter 3:18);
• Foster fellowship (Acts 2:42-44);
• Cultivate care and concern among the members (Hebrews 12:5-8; Galatians 6:1-2);
• Generate an exercising of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:27-13:8)

Three have already expressed interest in leading a REACH group: Alex Marshall, Jr. (Lexington), Cam Potts (Richmond) and Mike Hamilton (Winchester). Doug and Mindy Yates are working on leading a REACH group here at church on Wednesday nights to reach our parents/grandparents who drop off their children to TeamKID. We will also have a REACH group that will meet on Tuesday at 10:00 A.M. here in the Athens area.

We will make use of three resources to train these leaders. The first (and primary) is the Scriptures, along with “Why Small Groups?“, edited by C.J. Mahaney. The other will be “Sticky Church” by Nelson Searcy.

The REACH groups will kick this off on Tuesday, March 24. Why March 24? It marks 40 days prior to our revival services beginning on May 3 and going through May 5. You will have a prayer guide to work from, as well as discussion questions based upon the Sunday morning sermon (I do this to keep from adding one more “thing,” and to help streamline our teaching ministries here).

We will have sign-up sheets in the vestibule (that’s church language for ‘foyer outside the sanctuary’). Alex lives in the Hartland area in Lexington and Mike Hamilton lives in Winchester. If anyone else is interested in leading one, please let me know so we can begin training ASAP. Otherwise, sign up for a REACH group and watch God move among that fellowship.

Again, there will be sign-up sheets in the foyer. Please sign up for one of these, or volunteer to lead a group.

May God help us spread His glory from our neighbors to the nations,

Bro. Matt

Ban Religion!

In the early 1970s, John Lennon wrote a very popular song called “Imagine.”

Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one.

If one were to simply look at the world with secular eyes, a case could be made. In the name of religion, the Crusades occurred, slavery was tolerated in Great Britain and the United States (supposedly Christian nations) and even in the homes men misinterpreted the Bible to inflict a tyrannical rule over their wives, all the while claiming, “Woman, the Good Book says you’re gonna submit to me, so what I say goes, no matter what!” Some even used this logic to physically abuse their wives — again with what they deemed was a biblical warrant for such deviant behavior.

In the spirit of John Lennon, now comes Elton John on the scene making headlines with a recent interview made the comment, “I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. From my point of view, I would ban religion completely.” He promotes the view that religion lacks compassion.

Apparently this mindset is quite en vogue, for Rosie O’Donnell on her newest gig, “The View,” noted that radical Christianity is as big a threat as radical Islam here in the United States. ” It should be noted as well that O’Donnell is a homosexual as well.

But back to John. In the midst of this article, he makes a very salient point that penetrations all of us who worship Christ as the Prince of Peace.

Organized religion doesn’t seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it’s not really compassionate. The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion?

Why aren’t they having a conclave? Why aren’t they coming together? I said this after 9/11 and people thought I was nuts. Instead of more violence why isn’t there a meeting of religious leaders?” he said.

It must be said that having all the ‘religious leaders’ come together is a tall task, especially since so many hold to so many differing views on salvation, the nature of Christ, and other intricacies. So it is difficult, nay impossible, for all religions to come together in any spiritual enterprise (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).

But what about the Christian leaders? What about the unity of those who hold to Christ and His Word? Are we becoming so spiritually minded that we forget Christ put us here as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) as a testimony to His good work on the cross and how those barriers of hostility may be broken down through Him (Ephesian 2:11-22)?

What Elton John and Rosie O’Donnell and others of their ilk have a problem with is the Bible’s view of homosexuality — and that we cannot change because Scripture says what it says. We cannot nor should not re-write the rule books no matter how loudly people yell. Plus, they yell we are being too exclusive in our views — yet they are being as exclusive in their views as we are — even more so, saying that whoever disagrees with them is wrong and needs to be corrected. Yet they add that we are the equivalent of those who are terrorists.

Maybe what should be banned is “bad” religion. I submit that true Christianity, when actually taught, believed, and practiced, will show that ‘religion’ can be good, but also beneficial. Not everyone will agree with us, but at least it will show the truth of Peter’s writings in the Scriptures:

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? [14] But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, [15] but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; [16] yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. [17] For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil 1 Peter 3:13-17, ESV).

They may not like what we say or teach, but when Christ’s love permeates our thoughts, words, and actions, they will see the truth of God’s Word in our lives and be shamed for not embracing the same truth as well.

Even James tells us what true religions should be, and it looks good!

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:26-27, ESV).

Of course, the context of James’ passage comes from being ones who are not simply hearers of the Word, but doers as well (James 1:22).

So again, we should be as followers of Christ ones who ban bad and embrace true Christianity.

The world — even those antagonistic to the Scriptures — won’t help but take notice.

The ESV Machine Keeps Rolling

Just when I thought the ESV machine couldn’t get any better, B.C. McWhite draws our attention to a way to download the ESV Bible via flash or mp3 for free!. This is simply astounding!

Plus, take a look at the Global Training Network distributing 150 ESV Study Bibles at the Uganda Conference 2009.

Lastly, here’s a pic of an ESV Study Bible along with copies of Spirit-Empowered Preaching by Art Azurdia that we gave out to our pastors’ conference while I was in Trinidad.

When a Global Flood Resounds a Global Message, Part III: (See His Mercy in Deliverance)

Francis Schaeffer observed, “If I only had one hour to share the gospel with someone, I would spend the first 55 minutes talking to them about how the God of the Bible created all things, created us in His image, but that we have sinned. After setting that table, I would then share with them the gospel of God’s mercy in the midst of our sin.”

Did you notice that we have not mentioned Noah yet? Let’s fix that: Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” The word “favor” can also be translated “grace” as well. He is only one of two men in the Old Testament referred to in this manner—the other being Moses. He is the subject of Genesis from Genesis 6-9.

But do we see the Good News that is the Gospel found here? Absolutely! God by His own initiative chose Noah who was “blameless in his generation [and] walked with God” (6:9). God informed Noah of His plans: “I have determined to make an end of all flesh. . . . I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). But God galvanized the heart of Noah. We realize from Genesis 9 that Noah was not perfect—but God’s grace shone on Noah’s heart and strengthened him to obey.

Harry Ironside stated that salvation was like Noah inviting a pagan in his day to place his trust in God’s Word and come in to the ark. Some view salvation like Noah offering to put a peg on the outside of the ark. “If you just hang on through the storm, you’ll be saved.” Salvation is not dependent on our holding on to God, but on our being securely held by and in Christ.

Do we see anything else pertaining to salvation? Read with me Genesis 7:11-16

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. [12] And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. [13] On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, [14] they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. [15] They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. [16] And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

So let’s review. God created all things. He made them good. He created humanity in His own image, and called them very good. They were to be fruitful and multiply, be caretakers of the earth, and enjoy God’s presence and provision. Yet, they rebelled when they listened to Satan tell them that they could trust his Word rather than God’s. They disobeyed and are under a curse that leaves them slipping and sliding and destined for hell and judgment, away from God’s presence and provision for all eternity.

God saw the issues, and ordained not only judgment, but the man and the vessel to bring humanity’s deliverance solely by His grace. God even shut Noah in. Why?

Clearly, this is the instrument God gives of their deliverance. 1 Peter 3:18-21 says:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, [19] in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, [20] because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. [21] Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Only eight were saved: Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives. The rest ignored the 120 year evidence of God’s Word to Noah and to them. Hebrews 11:7 said, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

The lesson? Dear friends, God made you personally. He made you and wired you to bring and spread the glory of His name and the wonder of His fame to all peoples. Yet, out of a desire to honor self, you rebelled against Him. You wanted to rule your own life, live by your own agenda, and thus you turned your back on the living God. We are, as the Word says, destined to die and afterwards to face judgment. That is exactly what we deserve.

Yet, God in His mercy did not leave us that way, but provided an instrument of salvation. An ark? Those pieces of wood point to other pieces of wood that came thousands of years later, put together as another instrument of our delivery—the cross of Christ. Noah points to Christ in that Christ found favor in the eyes of God not simply as a human being receiving God’s grace, but as the Son of Man and the Son of God who was God in the flesh, living righteously before His Father to stand as a substitute. Jesus is greater than Noah in that while Noah preached God’s Word of judgment to those who do not believe, Jesus preached and took our judgment in atoning for sins. He put Himself in the flood to absorb the catastrophe of that judgment we so undeniably deserve!!

Given how great this deliverance is that our Savior and Lord provided for us, what will you do? Will you look deliverance right in the face, knowing that a much more horrific and eternal judgment awaits for those who reject our Savior in order to continue wallowing in hell-bent sin? Will you see the cross of Christ and the empty tomb as instruments of God’s mercy and grace toward you, in spite of the wrath from Him that you deserve? In John 6:44, Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” Is He drawing you this morning?

Read the other posts in this series:

• A Global Flood Resounds a Gospel Message (Introduction)

• A Global Flood Resounds a Gospel Message, Part I: The Epitome of Sin

• When a Global Flood Resounds a Global Message, Part II (SeeThe Inevitability of Judgment)

When a Global Flood Resounds a Global Message, Part II (SeeThe Inevitability of Judgment)

So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”. . . [13] And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Friends, we want you to be in this place to see that God holds you as highly valuable because you are the not product of some chemicals and peptides coming together to make you by chance. Psalm 139:14 says you were fearfully and wonderfully made even in your mother’s womb. You had a careful Creator and Designer.

But you are a spiritual being as well. And given that all of us have rebelled against our Creator, we are given myriad of chances. The people of Noah’s day saw the evidence of coming judgment: Noah preached God’s Word of judgment and called for repentance of their sin that leads them into the very pits of hell itself. James 1:12-15 says:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. [13] Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. [14] But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

It starts ever so subtly. It starts by just eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. Even if you believe if you call yourself (notice I said, “call yourself”) a Christian, but the extent of your life is eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, driving, working, playing, school, charity work, paying your bills and taxes, even coming to church—but God is not active in the equation but is just an assumed player in your life, you are on a slippery slope.

Let me take the danger one step further. You may be a well-meaning Christian. But you may approach Christian things in a selfish manner. Few things are tougher to see and overcome than selfish motives and ideas that are elevated to spiritual tests of faith. This is when churches become grid-locked in their own ideas of what they think God wants. When the gospel is not front and center and your eyes are not fixed on the crucified Christ. Rather, we have “sanctified” personal preferences, thinking that these line up with God. The danger is taking peripheral issues and putting them in the center, and putting Christ in the periphery.

This is the essence of sin–even when we have the most noble of intentions in mind. Regardless of the intentions, we will be subject to God’s judgment due to our worship of those idols we have placed and staked right in the center of our will and, yes, our worship. That judgment is inevitable.

A Global Flood Resounds a Gospel Message, Part I: The Epitome of Sin

Once again, look at Genesis 6:5 as well as Genesis 6:11-12:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

Clearly this is a bleak picture—we see the greatness of man’s wickedness not just in action, but also “the intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Wickedness. Evil. This passage captures the imagination, doesn’t it? What does this look like? Yes, the earth was “filled with violence” and “corrupt.” But the violence was simply a symptom of a greater cause, being “the intentions of the thoughts of his heart” being evil.

What is the essence of evil? I believe that Jesus helps inform us of the essence of the evil found here. In Luke 17:26-27.

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

So what are we seeing here? Is the “evil” and “wickedness” simply heinous violent acts? No, but that is ultimately the result if left unchecked. Where did it stem? “They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark.” In other words, they were continuing on as if nothing would change. They lived life, even the mundane things of life, without God in the equation. Just as 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do, do to the glory of God.”

Darwin fell into this mindset when he listened to his mentor, Dr. Charles Lyell, who claimed like Sagan that everything would continue on as it always had with no change and, ultimately, no judgment or accountability for what you said, did, or thought. The essence of sin is living your life without God in the equation.

Many Christians are like this, but they add God onto it. They have their preferences about how their Christian life should be, how their church should be done, and elevate their preferences up to essentials and then believe God blesses those perceived “essentials.” Many believe that if they are Christians and they have certain convictions, they should be seen as necessities for everyone else–even what they are not expressly outlined in Scripture.

We must be careful not to live as Christian atheists — having Christ in name only, but living as if He did not exist.

A Global Flood Resounds a Gospel Message (Introduction)

You would be surprised at how controversial this biblical event is among those who claim to be Christians. But did you realize that every ancient culture in biblical times had a story about a widespread flood? Dr. Duane Gish in his book Dinosaurs by Design said that there are 270 such stories, most of which share a common theme and common characters. Even flood legends in China where Fuhi, his wife, and three sons and three daughters escaped a flood, leaving them the only ones alive on earth. A similar story even comes from Hawaii. (For more about this, read this article.)

Yet many disagree as to whether this really happened. Many in our schools who hold to Darwinism (and scientists such as Carl Sagan) not only believe the earth is eternal, but also believe that everything existed as it always has with no cataclysmic interruptions (known as utilitarianism). Therefore, to believe in this, they say, is to believe in a fairy tale. Darwinism and their man-made theories seem to them much more plausible.

Even though many inside and outside the church many question whether the flood happened and whether there was a literal ark to hold every kind of animal, many inside and outside the church may (if that first issue is resolved) question its relevance today. Sure, it makes a nice story—many pieces of children’s literature tell us to “be good like Noah” who is sitting on a tiny little boat with a few animals. It really misses the entire point of this event and even makes Christians wonder if there is any purpose to this.

This global flood resounds a global message—a gospel message. This is a worldwide flood delivering a worldwide judgment of God. By rejecting this account, you reject a vivid and vibrant picture of the urgent need for seeing our sin and its consequences, but also the great mercy and deliverance God provided. This, in essence, is the gospel. And I pray that you walk out of here seeing the goodness and mercy of our God who provides mercy, deliverance, and even Himself. And I pray that you will also see the great and devastating consequences of what happens when you reject and rebel against His Word.

Read with me if you will Genesis 6:5-14:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. [7] So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” [8] But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

[9] These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. [10] And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

[11] Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. [12] And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. [13] And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. [14] Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.

(Tomorrow: The Global Flood Shows the Epitome of Evil!)

A Plan to Rescue Sunday (Pt. 2 of Stop Dating the Church Review)

In my previous post, I reviewed the first few chapters of Josh Harris’ (pictured left) wonderful book, Stop Dating the Church (and Fall In Love With the Family of God).

In this post, I wish to review and comment on Chapter Six of this book, simply entitled Rescuing Sunday. Rescuing Sunday from what? He suggests that we rescue Sundays from ourselves.

Think about it: many times our Sundays begin with waking up late, having self-centered focuses coming into the sanctuary, distracted worship, sporadic listening to the sermons, then leaving as quickly as possible. No wonder many of us receive so little for our services.

Harris noted:

“We need to see Sunday with new eyes. Of course, in one sense it’s just an ordinary day–twenty-four hours during which the sun rises and sets. But when your heart begins to beat for God’s glory and God’s people and you begin to glimpse His longing to visit you, Sunday changes. Actually, it becomes something extraordinary. Something sacred. Something essential.”

How Do We Prepare for Sunday Worship Meetings?

“We need to get our hearts ready” (105). Not just clothes, hair, and kids–our hearts. And this begins on Saturday night, not Sunday morning. How?

• Get adequate sleep on Saturday night. He echoes Piper’s sentiment in that we should turn off the TV on Saturday nights and not Sunday mornings. Do away with the distractions. Get up early to spend time with God in His Word and in prayer.
• Remember that worship services do not exist for your entertainment. “Don’t live by your feelings in this moment. Instead, focus your mind on the truth of what you sing and the Person to whom you’re singing. God is observing and receiving your worship. In the light of the wonderful, gracious God He is, give it your all” (110). Listen to the sermon, for that is an act of worship to hear the Word of God.
• After the meeting, look to love and encourage those around you. He quotes Piper again, who encourages his people to come “on the lookout for God and leave on the lookout for people” (113). The Puritans called Sunday “a market day for the soul,” a way to stock up for the week ahead.
• During the Week, do what the Word says. Harris commented on a man from his church who went to a Starbucks on Monday mornings to review the notes he took from Sunday’s sermons to see what ways he could apply the Word (see James 1:22-25). We need to have our hearts actively engaged in God’s Word so that we may plug in His Word that rests in our hearts.

There are many who say, “Church is optional. I don’t need church to worship God.” Not according to His Word (Hebrews 10:19-25). We need one another to pray for us, keep us accountable, and to bear our burdens as we walk in Christ Jesus. There is a prolific number of “one anothers” in the Scriptures which speak to how Christians need one another.

"Stop Dating the Church" by Joshua Harris (Book Review)

While I realize this book is nearly five years old (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2004, 138 pp., $12.99), I just now finished it. I could not put this book down for some very personal reasons. It’s full title is “Stop Dating the Church and Fall in Love with the Family of God.” It’s a book on commitment to a local church, which Harris contends is not only helpful, but a biblical mandate. Harris is the pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Gaithersburg, MD.

We live in a consumeristic age. The leading question for many, especially when it comes to church is, “What can this do for me?” In his first chapter titled, “Can This Relationship Be Saved?” he notes ways that you can spot a church-dater:

• Me-centered attitude: “We go for what we can get–social interaction, programs, or activities. The driving question is, “What can the church do for me?” (15)

Independent: Christians go because of duty, but “we’re careful to avoid getting involved too much, especially with people. We don’t pay attention to God’s larger purpose for us as a vital part of a specific church family. So we go through the motions without really investing ourselves.” (16)

Critical. Harris points out that we are “short on allegiance and quick to find fault with our church.” The result is a “lover with a wandering eye, always on the hunt for something better.” (16)

The next chapter is a beautiful picture of the church being his bride, one that is cherished. “If Jesus loves the church, you and I should, too. We can’t use the excuse that the church has messed up too many times or that we’re disillusioned. Jesus is the only person who has the right to disown and give up on the church. But He never has. And He never will.”

In the following chapter, “Why We Really Need the Local Church,” Harris makes the case against a solitary Christianity. We cannot pursue godliness or holiness alone. He quotes Piper in that “Sanctification is a community project” (50). We are living stones in the Temple of His body.

In Chapter Four, “Join the Club,” Harris outlines what passionate involvement in a local church entails and how it builds up your commitment to Christ.

1. You join.
2. You make the local church a priority.
3. You try to make your pastor’s job a joy.
4. You find ways to serve.
5. You give.
6. You connect with people.
7. You share your passion.

In Chapter Five, “Choosing a Church,” look at the ten questions you ask yourself when choosing a local church.Is this a church where God’s Word is faithfully taught?

• Is this a church where sound doctrine matters?

  Is this a church in which the gospel is cherished and clearly
  proclaimed?

  Is this a church committed to reaching non-Christians with the gospel?

  Is this a church whose leaders are characterized by humility and
  integrity?

  Is this a church where people strive to live by God’s Word?

  Is this a church where I can find and cultivate godly relationships?

  Is this a church where members are challenged to serve?

  Is this a church that is willing to kick me out?

  Is this a church I’m willing to join “as is” with enthusiasm and faith in
  God?

In a later blog, I will discuss the last two chapters. But do we see Harris’ heart in that commitment to a community of believers is not optional, but essential in your sanctification? If you believe these few notes I have written are penetrating, buy this little book and recognize that “faith was never meant to be a solo pursuit.”

Oh, and Josh Harris blogs!

In Praise of Darwin by Secularists and the Vatican?

A secularist group called the “Freedom From Religion Foundation” is starting an ad campaign in praise of Charles Darwin during the time of his 200th birthday (February 12, 2009).  The group urged people to “evolve beyond belief.”  We should not be surprised by this media blitz of this group and others like it.  It just reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said centuries ago:

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  [21] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  [22] Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles (Romans 1:20-23, ESV).

Given how there is no conclusive evidence to Darwin’s theory of macro-evolution (one species evolving into another), this is another example of how science and academia have exchange the religion of Christianity for the religion of Darwinism.  We look at the same evidence with different presuppositions. 

Also, the Vatican just released a statement that Darwin’s theories are not in opposition to the Genesis 1 account.  Richard Owen writes:

The Vatican has admitted that Charles Darwin was on the right track when he claimed that Man descended from apes.

A leading official declared yesterday that Darwin’s theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith, and could even be traced to St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. “In fact, what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God,” said Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The Vatican also dealt the final blow to speculation that Pope Benedict XVI might be prepared to endorse the theory of Intelligent Design, whose advocates credit a “higher power” for the complexities of life.

Organisers of a papal-backed conference next month marking the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species said that at first it had even been proposed to ban Intelligent Design from the event, as “poor theology and poor science”. Intelligent Design would be discussed at the fringes of the conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University, but merely as a “cultural phenomenon”, rather than a scientific or theological issue, organisers said.

Intelligent design a mere “cultural phenomenon”?  The Vatican said this? 

We must beware of taking man-made theories and cultural baggage to the text of God’s holy Word and re-interpret it.  Given that God created the heavens and the earth and all things in it, we must realize that science must submit to the Scriptures, not vice versa. 

Psalm 33:6
    By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
        and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Rev. 4:11
    “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
        to receive glory and honor and power,
    for you created all things,
        and by your will they existed and were created.”

Technorati Tags: Darwin, FFRF, Vatican, biblical creation

Tozer on the Danger of Meaningless Words

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) was a plain-spoken pastor who spoke the penetrating truth of the Word of God without compromise or apology. His legacy was not only in two of his classic works, The Pursuit of God, and Knowledge of the Holy, but in his insistence that our relationship with God go beneath the external surface of religious ritual.

Today’s Tozer Devotional deals with how Christians use certain religious words without thinking:

At the risk of shocking some tender-minded persons, I venture to list here a few words and phrases that to millions of evangelical Christians have no longer an identifiable content and are used merely as religious sounds without any relation to reality. They have meaning, and they are good and sacred words, but they have no meaning as used by the speaker and as heard by the listener in the average religious gathering. Here they are: victory, heart and life, all out for God, to the glory of God, receive a blessing, conviction, faith, revival, consecration, the fullness of God, by the grace of God, on fire for God, born again, filled with the Spirit, hallelujah, accept Christ, the will of God, joy and peace, following the Lord–and there are scores of others.

We have reared a temple of religious words comfortably disassociated from reality. And we will soon stand before that just and gentle Monarch who told us that we should give an account of every idle word. God have mercy on us.

Are there any we can add to the list?

Technorati Tags: A.W. Tozer

The Future of Evangelicalism (Hewitt Interviews Mohler)

Hugh Hewitt conducts an interview with Albert Mohler of Southern Seminary regarding the future of evangelicalism. You can read the transcript here.

I would like to bring out some important quotes from this interview. Hewitt asked Mohler if he was surprised by how evangelicals voted:

I was not surprised by the time we got there, Hugh. I am surprised somewhat given the big picture, looking over the last two or three years, if you just look at the Evangelical voting patterns in the years 2000, 2004, and then jump to 2008, clearly something happened. And I think the biggest explanation there is a generational change. I think we’re really looking at the fact that you’ve got a significant number of Evangelicals voting in 2008 who were in middle school or earlier than that in the year 2000, then in 2004. And clearly, there’s a new agenda here. There are some new interests, some new concerns, and this is a new challenge for us, I think.

Hewitt later asked Mohler about his blogging and use of Facebook:

I Twitter all day long, and I’m on Facebook with thousands of friends that are mostly in that age cohort. You know, like one of my students said to me, if you’re not on Facebook, you don’t exist. Now he meant that just as a word of help, in other words, to say we’re looking at a generation here for whom social media are the main means by which they communicate. This is their accountability. It used to be that people feel like they had to call everyone to stay in touch. Every once in a while, in prehistoric days, they might actually write a note, letter or a postcard. But these days, it’s all check the website, check what your friends are doing on Facebook, and make sure you’re keeping in touch.

Hewitt asked Mohler’s view on the Proposition 8 election result that upheld traditional marriage in the California constitution. Hewitt asked, “Is this the last victory for the pro-marriage agenda?

I’m definitely confirming that, but not…I wouldn’t put it in the fact they don’t care. I wouldn’t say that. I would say that what you have is a group of younger Evangelicals, and I disagree with them on this, Hugh, and they know it, a group of younger Evangelicals, many of whom simply don’t think that’s the right fight to fight. . . . And so it’s not that they don’t care. But you know, I was just talking to an Evangelical leader in Massachusetts who said look, he said my high school seniors have never known a time since they’ve been in high school or middle school that same sex marriage wasn’t legal in this state.

They touch on a wide array of issues that is well-worth the read.

Technorati Tags: Hugh Hewitt, Albert Mohler, evangelicalism

Hershael York Has a Podcast

Hershael York, professor at Southern Seminary and pastor of the Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, KY, now has a podcast of both his Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. 

Dr. York is a gifted expositor of the Word and has been so very helpful to me in various areas of ministry.  He will come to Boone’s Creek Baptist Church (where I pastor) to conduct some revival services from Sunday-Tuesday evenings, May 3-5 at 7:00 p.m.

York is the author of Preaching with Bold Assurance which deals with exposition that is not just informative but engaging.  Very helpful book.

Technorati Tags: Hershael York, preaching

Apologetics: For Whom Is This Area of Study?

When ministers begin to introduce the function of apologetics to their people, many (myself included) feel the need to make the obligatory joke that this is not the study of apologizing for what you believe. This is a study of defending what you believe and why you believe it (coming from the Greek apologia which means “in defense of”).

I began to think on the role that apologetics plays in the life of our church and culture. After reading 1 Cor. 2:9-15, I began to understanding the main beneficiaries of this area are.

But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
[10] these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. [11] For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. [13] And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
[14] The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. [15] The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. [16] “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Notice verse 11: “No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” Trying to speak about the things of God to someone who does not have the Spirit of Christ in Him will fall on deaf ears. How do we receive the Spirit? When the Spirit moves on our hearts to repent and turn from sin, we surrender to Jesus Christ by faith in His death, burial and resurrection for our sins. Then we are no longer are own, but Christ reigns through the Holy Spirit. We now have a heart that is sensitive to the leading of God (Ezekiel 36:26-27), but we also now have a connection to God through the Spirit.

Given how the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is only through the indwelling Holy Spirit that anyone can “discern” (v. 14) the Scriptures. The natural person will not accept them, no matter how well-crafted those arguments are. “We have the mind of Christ” (v. 16), therefore Christians are able to receive the things of God in a right manner.

I say all this to say, the area of apologetics is not ultimately to convert non-believers, but to strengthen believers and to plant seeds in the hearts and minds of non-believers.

What think ye?

Weekend Spurgeon: The Heavy-Hearted Christian

“He understands what heavy hearts we have sometimes, when under a sense of sin. Satan says to us, “Why should you pray? How can you hope to prevail? In vain, thou sayest, I will arise and go to my Father, for thou art not worthy to be one of his hired servants. How canst thou see the king’s face after thou hast played the traitor against him? How wilt thou date to approach unto the altar when thou has thyself defiled it, and when the sacrifice which thou wouldst bring there is a poor, polluted one?” O brethren, it is well for us that we are commanded to pray, or else in times of heaviness we might give it up. If God command me, unfit as I may be, I will creep to the footstool of grace; and since he says, “Pray without ceasing, “Though my words fail me and my heart itself will wander, yet I will still stammer out the wishes of my hungering soul and say, “O God, at least teach me to pray and help me to prevail with thee.”

(C.H. Spurgeon, The Golden Key of Prayer in the collection 12 Sermons on Prayer, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1978, pp. 8-9.

To read the sermon in its entirety, go to this Spurgeon Gems link (pdf file).

To read more Spurgeon, go to Phil Johnson’s site, Spurgeon.org.

Facebook Turns Five (Mohler)

Albert Mohler has some helpful thoughts in regards to Facebook.

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Albert Mohler

When God’s Gifts Lead to Selfish Pride

For all too many, selfishness within individual church members spreads out and affects the whole church body. I remember growing up in churches where the business meetings would be so contentious due to the selfish agendas of many.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes to the church in Corinth which was a very cosmopolitan area. Many different philosophies and religions were in place there, leading many people astray. These mindsets were creeping into the church. First Corinthians is about dealing with the area of pride in the life of a Christian.

These are notes I had for a chapel service at which I preached on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at Blue Grass Baptist School, Lexington, KY.

1. “My preacher is better than your preacher.”

Look with me at 1 Cor. 1:10-17

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. [11] For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. [12] What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” [13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, [15] so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. [16] (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) [17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

In Corinth, the citizens identified themselves with a particular orator or philosopher–and this mindset bled into the church. Some identified with Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas, or those who rose above it all (sarcasm intended) saying they follow Christ.

We do that even now. Some people find themselves identifying with a particular pastor, minister, or ministry. Our church had a pastor who served for 33 years (1940-1973). Those who came into the church under his ministry still hold to his views and convictions. After him, another minister came in whose heart was very missions-minded. Those coming into the church under his ministry were of this mindset as well.

Do you see how the devil can use even godly men as a means to stir up the pride and arrogance of the most well-intended Christian? We must beware of exalting the messenger above the message and thus causing division.

2. “My standard is better than your standard.”

In 1 Cor. 2:1-5, we read:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

The Corinthians like the rhetoricians and the orators who spoke fluently. Their words mesmerized. Yet Paul did not come with this type of “lofty speech and wisdom.” These attributes impressed the people of Corinth, and even impressed the Christians in the Corinthian church.

We all find ourselves impressed as well with politicians and even preachers who may have a gift of oratory and rhetoric, even though they may not have much to say. They are all style, and no substance.

Here comes Paul saying that he only came with one overriding factor: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” How did he come? “In weakness, and in fear and much trembling.” What did he seek to convey? A “demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Paul’s desire was to have people trust in God’s power, not in the fallible wisdom of men.

3.“My freedom is greater than your freedom.”

First Cor. 5:1-7 says:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. [2] And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
[3] For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. [4] When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, [5] you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
[6] Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? [7] Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

These heinous sexual sins were not only condoned, but were done with arrogance and boasting! They felt their freedom in Christ gave them freedom to sin—after all, wouldn’t God’s grace cover it? They were in Christ–but their theology was off. They thought they had freedom to sin rather than a freedom from sin and a freedom to obey.

4. “My knowledge is greater than your knowledge.”

In 1 Corinthians 8:1-4, we read:

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. [2] If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. [3] But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. [4] Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. We are to have knowledge about not only the things of God but also other religions, philosophies, and worldview. This “knowledge” can be used as leverage to exalt one’s reputation. You may know enough to win every Trivial Pursuit game on the planet, but like 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 notes, you will just be noisy.

What are we to do with the knowledge we have? We are to use it and not be a stumbling block. Many realized there were no power in the idols, but some who were new in the faith and still immature in the gospel still felt the pull in their flesh to that old lifestyle. We may have knowledge, but we must also have compassion on those who are ‘there’ yet.

Harold Best in his book “Music Through the Eyes of Faith,” told of a young man who was converted from a Satanic religion, came to church where the organist began playing “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” by J.S. Bach (a Christian)–but this tune was used in some of their Satanic rituals. His system couldn’t handle it, so he ran out. We may have knowledge that Bach was a Christian, but we still need to realize ways we may cause others to stumble in their faith.

5.”My status is better than your status.”

In 1 Cor. 11:17-22, we read:

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. [18] For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, [19] for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. [20] When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. [21] For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. [22] What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

What does the Lord’s Supper represent? Christ establishing a New Covenant in His blood for the forgiveness of sins. He loved us and gave Himself for us. Yet, these Corinthians were seeing who could come to the Lord’s Table (where a full meal was offered, by the way) for meat and drink–leaving those who are last without anything. Their actions were the exact antithesis of why they celebrated the meal to begin with. They had not gripped the gospel!

6. “My gifts are better than your gifts.”

In 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Paul write:

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30] Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? [31] But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Some bragged about their gifts–gifts that God graciously gave them to spread His glory and to serve His church. They used a God-given gift to exalt themselves!! The more excellent way? Read 1 Corinthians 13. While certain gifts may be more on display in front of the assembly, each Christian has a gift to contribute to the body and culture for the Kingdom. These gifts must not given a reason for pride and boasting, but for worship in that God equips us for His use!

What a wonder it is that God saves poor sinners by His grace and uses us for His glory.

A Gospel Lesson from the Biggest Loser

Those of you who are fans of NBC’s The Biggest Loser realize that the premise of the show is a combination of training to lose weight along with positioning oneself to stay above the “yellow line” (the line that separates the two lowest percentages of weight loss from the others, thus making them eligible for the others who are above the yellow line to vote one or the other off the ranch (the place where they lived and trained during their stay).

As you can imagine, the side stories add a lot of drama. In the fifth week of the seventh season, the biggest drama of the Biggest Loser so far as been that of the Silver Team of Carla and Joelle. Coming to the ranch, they were best friends. Yet the drama began when it was clear to everyone that Joelle was not invested. While Carla worked at a tremendous level, Joelle did a lot of talking (to the point where here trainer, Bob, lost it for the first time) but gave plenty of excuses for not doing the work.

When Joelle lost 0 pounds and was up for elimination, everyone chimed in (including her partner, Carla) questioning her desire. She gave excuses, reasons, felt she was doing the work—even though no one saw it. As a result, Carla and Joelle were voted off in favor of a team who wanted to be there. Their friendship is now strained at best, possibly non-existent.

What’s the gospel lesson here? Too many of us are deceived as to our condition–even when God and others testify to something different. We become so self-absorbed because we are so imprisoned to our sin. The result of sin is a hardness of heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27) that is blind to their true condition. Joelle’s reaction to her poor weight loss which resulted from her poor work efforts which resulted from a selfishness in not wanting to pay the price. Her actions didn’t just affect her, it affected teammates and everyone in the house. But it all started with her resilience toward any correction or reflection. She felt she was OK.

Those in this bondage, this feeling they are OK and failing to see their true need, will never see their need for a Savior. Our churches are filled with people who think they are in good spiritual shape, but Christ only serves to make good people better. Look at Ephesians 2:1-7:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— [3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— [6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Scripture tells us repeatedly that we have nothing of any spiritual consequence to bring to Christ. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Blessed are those who see their spiritual destitution. Blessed are those who see their deadness. Blessed are those who see their need.

We do not have the equipment to meet that need, “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together in Christ.” If you do not understand your need, you will not run to the solution. Joelle is a prime example of someone who had a heart issue. She thought about herself during the workouts, she thought about herself in her reaction to what others had observed, and she thought about herself even now in breaking off a friendship.

For those who believe that believe in self is the answer, the truth is that self causes more problems than offers solutions. Turn to Christ who deals honestly with us in our sin, but also provides the solution through His death and resurrection. He shows us the horror of our sin by His death, but He shows us His power and grace by defeating it through His resurrection.

Gripped By The Gospel Blog

Dear Readers:

After careful consideration, I have begun a new blog called Gripped by the Gospel, which will receive a more pointed focus.  This blog will still exist for some of our church members in regards specifically to our church’s matters.  I hope you will come over and take a look.

Blessings,

“Bro. Matt”

Interview with John MacArthur on 40 Years of Ministry at Grace Church

God used John MacArthur greatly in bringing me into the preaching ministry. His radio and tape ministry, Grace To You, had a profound effect on my life. I remember when I was at First Baptist Church, Clewiston, Florida, when I was struggling with my calling from music ministry to the pastorate, I would sit in my garage and work on some things while listening to tapes of MacArthur’s preaching. His commitment to the Word, regardless of the topic or the difficulty. That had a deep effect on me and I remember thinking, “God, if you call me into this, help me to preach with this commitment to the Scriptures–this is Your Word!”

On February 9, 1969, John MacArthur will celebrate his 40th anniversary as pastor of Grace Community Church near Los Angeles. This is a great accomplishment for the Kingdom and a testimony to the staying power of the Word of God!

Rick Holland interviews Dr. MacArthur on those 40 years. There’s both a transcript and an MP3.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Outlines the Gospel

“God accepts this righteousness of Christ, this perfect righteousness face to face with the Law which He honoured in every respect. He has kept it and given obedience to it, He has borne its penalty. The Law is fully satisfied. God’s way of salvation, says Paul, is that. He gives to us the righteousness of Christ. If we have seen our need and go to God and confess it, God will give us His own Son’s righteousness. He imputes Christ’s righteousness to us who believe in Him, and regards us as righteous, and declares and pronounces us to be righteous in Him. That is the way of salvation, the Christian way of salvation, the way of salvation through justification by faith. So it comes to this. That I see and I believe and I look to nothing and to no one exscept to the Lord Jesus Christ. … You must no rest upon the fact that you have this tradition and that you are children of your forefathers. There is no boasting, you have to rest exclusively upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work. … We look to Christ and to Christ alone, and not to ourselves in any respect whatsoever.”

– D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1965), 33.

9 Marks Journal Released: Raising Up the Next Generation of Pastors

The new 9Marks Newsletter is out. This deals with the role of the local church in training aspiring pastors. This is the thesis of my DMin project. Just click on the banner up top.

Bro. Matt’s E-Newsletter For the Week of February 1, 2009

Bro. Matt’s E-Newsletter
From Bro. Matthew Perry, Pastor
Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY
For The Week of February 1, 2009
http://www.boonescreekchurch.com – church homepage
http://www.grippedbythegospel.com – my new blog
http://expositionalogistix.wordpress.com – my blog geared for preachers

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WHAT’S INCLUDED?
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• This Past Sunday’s Sermon: “The Most Important Verse in the Bible”
• NO LiMiT II Missions Trip to New Orleans
• FRIDAY NIGHT FLICKS BEGINNING MARCH 6: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed w/ Ben Stein.
• Boone’s Creek Fighter Verse: Genesis 1:1-3
• Digging Deeper In the Word
• Must-Read Articles: The Pursuit of Darwin, Conflict Turns to Opportunity, Deposits and Withdrawals (Ed Stetzer).
• What’s Coming Up At Boone’s Creek? (Creationism v. Darwinism Series in February)
• Some Good Medicine: Laughter For Your Week: Concerned About Too Many Carbs In Your Diet? Here’s a Solution

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THIS PAST SUNDAY’S SERMON
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This past Sunday, I preached on “The Most Important Verse in the Bible.” You can download this and other sermons at http://www.sermoncloud.com/bcbc . To go directly to the link, go to http://media.monkserve.com/EKK/256/2009-02-01.mp3.

Next Sunday, I will preach on “Six Days or Millions of Years: Looking at Genesis 1.”

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Boone’s Creek Fighter Verse: Genesis 1:1-3
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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

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NO LiMiT II Missions Trip, March 28-April 3, 2009
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NO LiMiT stands for New Orleans, Louisiana Missions Trip. Our church will send a team to New Orleans to team with Lane Corley for construction, servant evangelism, prayer walking, and a number of other ways to serve and spread the Gospel as we spread God’s glory from our neighbors to the nations. We need to know by next week if you are interested. So far, about five have committed. What about you? Are you willing to see what God can do through you when you step out in faith?

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FRIDAY NIGHT FLICKS BEGINNING MARCH 6
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In an effort to increase our fellowship and to strengthen one another in the faith, we will start up Friday Night Flicks. On the first Friday of each month, we will be meet at 6:00 p.m. for games, snacks, and fellowship, followed by a movie at 7:00 p.m. The first movie will be “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” a movie by Ben Stein showing the merits of intelligent design, and how academia tends to exclude this from the conversation. Very eye-opening!

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Digging Deeper in the Word
Devotions From our Sunday Morning Sermon
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Sunday, February 1, 2009: Read Genesis 1-2. Given what you heard from the sermon this morning, why would we say that Genesis 1:1 is the most important verse in the Bible? Why would secular scientists work so hard to undermine this verse? Do we see a pattern in Genesis 1? What steps do these patterns say about a literal six-day creation? Do you believe in a literal six-day? What main institution was established in Genesis 2? Heavenly Father, help us to take this portion of Scripture as your Word, without adding or taking away.

Monday, February 2, 2009: Read Genesis 3-4. Genesis 3 deals with the Fall of Man. What was the ultimate issue? Whose word did Adam and Eve listen to first? What was the result of rejecting God’s Word? Who were the three people to whom God issued a curse? What was the primary event in Genesis 4? What was the common issue between Adam and Eve’s sin, and Cain’s sin? Father, forgive us for listening to the word of our flesh and pride, rather than listening to Your Word?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009: Read Genesis 5-6. Genesis 5 outlines Noah’s descent from Adam. Given how specific the dates are, could a “millions of years” aspect to this genealogy work? Why or why not? What was so special about Enoch (5:24)? Some say the Flood in Genesis 6 was just a local flood and not necessarily worldwide. Does Genesis 6-9 seem to say this (especially in light of Genesis 6:5)? Heavenly Father, give us the faith of Noah to obey even when we do not see the end in sight! May it be said of us, “We did call that God commanded us.”

Wednesday, February 4, 2009: Read Genesis 7-8. One of the great objects of ridicule is Noah’s Ark, having a representative of all the animals. Why did Noah have just two of some animals, and seven of others (think Leviticus!)? In 120 years of ministry, how many converts did Noah have? How long was the flood, and how long did the water need to recede? What did Noah do once he set foot off the ark? Father, may we praise You when You follow through on Your covenant—and for strengthening us to persevere!

Thursday, February 5, 2009: Read Genesis 9-10. What does Genesis 9 tell us about the origin of the rainbow? What heinous act did Noah and Ham commit? Do we find ourselves having a “spiritual letdown” after a great work of God in us? Father, protect us from not only our defeats but also the victories you work, so that we may not have a “spiritual letdown” that leads to disobedience.

Friday-Saturday, February 6-7, 2009: Read Genesis 11-14. Of what significance was the Tower of Babel? Why did God see the need to spread the people out? Did God do this because they were a personal threat, or for their own sake? What great character are we introduced to in Genesis 12? In reading Genesis 12:1-3, why do some call this the “First Great Commission” (compare it with Matthew 28:19-20)? Why does Paul say in Romans 11 that we are children of Abraham?

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Must-Read Articles/Must-Listen Sermons
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The Pursuit of Darwin by Roger W. Sanders
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v4/n1/pursuit-darwin

Darwin was both a product of his times and his own man. Like all of us, he was trying to make sense of his world. Yet true knowledge of the world begins by trusting God and His Word. Unfortunately, our nature is to rebel against our loving Creator.

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Conflict is an Opportunity by Tim Lane
http://www.ccef.org/conflict-opportunity

A short video about how conflict can be an opportunity for living the gospel.

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Deposits and Withdrawals Ed Stetzer, LifeWay
http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2009/02/deposits-and-withdrawals.html

Ed Stetzer is one busy man. So here he gives some great pointers on how he balances his family life and his ministry. Well worth the read.

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What’s Coming Up here at Boone’s Creek?
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February 1-22: Creationism v. Darwinism Series. Ken Ham calls our public schools, “Churches for humanism, where God is nowhere to be found.” Come be a part of our look at Genesis.

Thursday, February 5: Deacon’s Meeting, 7:00 p.m.

Friday, March 6: Friday Night Flicks, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 14, 2009: Associational Youth Rally, 7:00 p.m.

March 28-April 3, 2009: NO LiMiT II Missions Trip to New Orleans.

Sunday, April 5: Richard Freeman of Chosen People Ministries preaching that Sunday morning on Messiah in the Passover.

Thursday, April 23: Senior Living Celebration, FBC-Danville, KY (http://www.kybaptist.org/seniorcelebrations)

Revival Services with Hershael York, Sunday-Tuesday, May 3-5, 7:00 p.m. each evening.

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SOME GOOD MEDICINE: CLOSING CHEER FOR YOUR WEEK
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CONCERNED ABOUT TOO MANY CARBS IN YOUR DIET?

For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health.

It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

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Lord willing, I’ll see you on February 8!

Paris Reidhead: Humanism in the Church (A Must-Listen)

Stunning prophetic sermon from the 1960s.

Taking Care of How You Hear, Part III: The Proper Pedigree

(This sermon was preached on January 25, 2009 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY.  You may listen to the mp3 , then go to listen to other sermons in the archive.  Take time to read Luke 8:16-21.  Part I and Part II are here as well.)

In Luke 8:19-21, we read:

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. [20] And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” [21] But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

We see that Jesus is teaching the crowd that has gathered. Some trust him (such as his disciples, to whom he revealed the secrets of the Kingdom – Luke 8:10), but some did not, which is why he spoke in parables. As he is teaching, he is interrupted by his family.

We know that God instituted the family—it was the first institution He created. We understand that the fifth commandment is to honor our father and mother (repeated numerous times in the New Testament) so that our days may be long on the earth is of utmost importance.

Yet, how does one reconcile these words with what Jesus says here? Is he showing disrespect to his biological family? No, not at all. He always gave them the respect due them. But He always kept the proper relationships in the proper priorities! His biological family confronted him, but then shows that his spiritual family was what possessed ultimate priority.

But notice how he identifies His spiritual family? “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it.” Mark 3:35 in the parallel passage notes, “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Put these two passages together, and you begin to see the picture: the will of God and the Word of God seem to be equivalent. You cannot know and do the will of God without knowing and doing the Word of God. The Word of God does not simply show us His will, it is His will.

So, two questions loom. First, are you hearing the Word? By that, I mean are you fully engaged in the Word both personally in your devotions and publicly as it is read and expounded upon? Kent Hughes speaks of how an example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer helped him. During the years of Nazi Germany, Bonhoeffer ran an underground seminary. He was intelligent and had a very discerning mind able to critique correctly on many levels. In his preaching class, he would listen to his young seminary students preach, setting aside his pencil and opening up his Bible –regardless of how poor the sermon was. He believed that preaching God’s Word ought to be attended to as whether we listen to the very voice of God.

He’s not overstating it. Preaching Christ crucified, the entire point of the Scriptures, is as listening to God Himself because it is His Word empowered by His Spirit.

Once that is established, what then? The Spirit may be convicting you this morning about your view of the Word. He may be convicting you that you may be coming to church for what church means to you rather than what Christ means to His church and how you may serve Christ. The point of our gathering together is that you may feast on the glories and riches of Christ so you may have the spiritual wherewithal to serve Him. Remember, we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice “in view of God’s mercies.”

Conclusion

Michael Horton is his new book Christless Christianity serves us well with two scenarios that are often found in our churches. The first service is geared on God’s work for us—the Father’s gracious plan, the Son’s saving life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit’s work of bring life to the valley of dry bones through the proclamation of Christ. The preaching focuses on God’s work in history found in Genesis to Revelation to redeem sinners from their plight. Trained and ordained to mine the Scriptures’ riches for the benefits of God’s people while the ministers push their agendas in the background so that God’s Word is clearly proclaimed. The congregations are receivers, recipients of grace enjoying the bread of heaven. Having been served the Word, they go into the world filled with praise and thanksgiving for all the God has accomplished through Christ. Because they have been served the Word in its depths, they are able to engage those they encounter with a clear picture of God’s work in history and are able to communicate this with unbelievers they come across.

Contrast this with church #2. The church is it’s own personal community in which people assume they come to do something. The emphasis is on their work for God. The preaching concentrates on principles and steps to living a better life, with a constant stream of exhortations: Be more committed, read your Bible more. Pray more. Witness more. Give more. Get involved in this cause or that movement to save the world. Their calling by God to secular vocations is secondary to finding their ministry in the church. The result is a group who work due to a charismatic leader rather than being motivated by knowledge and godliness. They always serve, but are rarely served. They have to shepherd themselves, and are thus ill-informed about God’s grand work in his history. All they can talk about is their own “personal testimony,” slogans, formulas. They are so busy with church-related activities, they have no time to develop relationships outside the church. Yet, if someone were to bring this friend to church, they would wonder if they would ever hear the gospel!

I give these scenarios because we must realize the primary reason and point of why we do what we do—to hear the Word of God so that it may take root in our hearts and bear fruit in every area
of our lives. The best way Boone’s Creek Baptist Church can serve you is by giving you the Word.

Is Denying a Six-Day Creation Equivalent to Compromising the Gospel?

I am currently preparing for a four-part sermon series on “Creationism v. Darwinism: Can The Bible Be Trusted?” in light of Charles Darwin’s (1809-1883) 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s magnum opus, On the Origin of Species.

What has amazed me most in the research on this is not the inconsistencies of Darwinism (nothing on a macro-evolution level has yet to be proven or substantiated), but on how many Christians want to wed Darwin’s theory with the biblical account and impose Darwinian science on the clear text of Scripture.

The most popular way to do this is to take the six days of creation and turn them into “millions of years.” What many want to say is that the word ‘day’ doesn’t mean ‘day’ in the 24-hour sense, but that ‘day’ really means an era or an extended amount of time. Ken Ham on his Answers in Genesis podcast has a whole list of ministers who fail to hold to a literal six days (James Dobson, James Montgomery Boice, to name some), and I would regretfully add Tim Keller to the list as you examine his otherwise fine work The Reason for God (pp. 89-92).

A.E. Wilder-Smith in his wonderful work Man’s Origin, Man’s Destiny says, “An effort has been made to overcome some of the difficulties of harmonization by reckoning the seven creative days of Genesis as seven geological ages. It is in our own view, however, that the attempt to overcome some difficulties by this method often introduces even greater problems” (43). Wilder-Smith notes the absurdity of having plant life (Day 3) exist for millions of years prior to the sunlight being created (Day Four)–especially with the necessity of coal mixtures needing a good dose of sunlight. Plus, did God really rest millions of years? It just doesn’t fit.

But the question is: does this really compromise the Gospel? I believe it can because we risk being inconsistent in taking the gospel found in the Scriptures literally, yet taking the Genesis 1 account which is laid out like history (not poetry) non-literally. It compromises our witness. Just look at the transcripts of the Scopes “Monkey” Trial where Clarence Darrow called prosecuter William Jennings Bryan to the stand. Bryan compromised on the literal nature of the Bible, and Darrow took advantage.

Scientists who embrace Darwinism out of hatred for the possibility of biblical creationism go for this aspect. If they can get us denying the literal nature of the very first chapter of the Bible, then they will not worry about going after other items such as the resurrection. We have already shown the inconsistency–and they have won the day.

What say you?

Why "Gripped By The Gospel"?

Why another blog? I am more and more convinced that an understanding and embracing of the Gospel ministers to every area of body, mind, and soul–and ministers to every area of life: marriage, family, struggling with addiction, life in the workplace, politics, etc.

I have another blog which deals with wider areas that may be of interest to my church. GBTG is an off-shoot of my new web ministry “Him We Proclaim,” in which we preach Christ crucified, proclaiming Him to encourage and warn others about the issues which take us away from the intention of our Creator.

I look forward to posting and dialoguing with all of you.

Taking Care Of What You Hear, Part II (Producing the Fruit)

Go back to Luke 8:18: “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” Again, back to the Parable of the Soils. The seed of the Word of God has been planted in your hearts. The good soil which holds on, bears fruit with patience. Thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold.

Now what? “Take care then how you here, for to the one who has, more will be given.” The fruit borne with patience (or perseverance) may take time, but we hold on knowing the full effect of the Word on our hearts. It’s by the Word of Truth, the gospel, that we are saved and maintained. We hear the Word so more seed may be planted, more fruit borne in the gospel, and the abundance helps us persevere and be nourished.

Christians who have the Word of God must put it into practice as that fruit is being borne and growing. John 15:8 says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” If we seek to spread God’s glory from our neighbors to the nations, then we must bear fruit. How? John 15:8 says to bring glory to God. Meaning we should do nothing that is contrary to His nature, work, will, and plan.

I was reading an article about how some plant owners grow easily frustrated when their fruit trees fail to grow any fruit early on. Some then begin to give up on their growth, but this article brought in some important factors.

Size and age. Standard apple, peach, and apricot trees take 3-5 years to grow fruit. Why? They need time to mature and develop. So too with the young Christian. Psalm 1 says the righteous one is planted by streams, yielding great fruit and growth in Christ.

Sun Exposure: A tree in full to partial shade is fighting an uphill battle. Fruit trees can survive in partial shade, but they will take longer to begin bearing fruit. We do not want to get by on partial sunlight, but on the full light of the gospel of Christ and His glory. We just read from the Word that it’s a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. But the Son also feeds us the nutrients we need.

Soil Fertility: Fruit trees, like all plants, require some nutrients to survive. But excessively rich soil or heavy fertilization may encourage branch and leaf growth at the expense of fruit production. Did we not find out from Jesus that we need the proper soil to be ready to receive His word?

Pruning: All fruit trees benefit from annual pruning, if done in moderation. Pruning rejuvenates fruit trees and encourages the growth of fruiting spurs. Removing more than a third of the tree could have just the opposite effect you were going for and stimulate more branches, as the tree repairs itself, and no fruit. Lack of regular, moderate pruning is one of the most common causes of no fruit production. The Christian needs to prune as well. We need to prune away areas of sin of the pleasures, cares, and interests of the world so they don’t choke out the Word (Luke 8:14).

So not only does Jesus tell us to take care of how we hear, we need to take care of the Word that is heard, so that fruit may bear. Why? “…and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” What we must understand is that this is not simply talking about in this life, but also in reference to the Day of Judgment. You have the Word?  Persevere, then more will be given.  Reject the Word?  Then what you claim to have will be taken away.

Taking Care of How You Hear, Part I

(This sermon was preached on January 25, 2009 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY.  You may listen to the mp3 , then go to listen to other sermons in the archive.  Take time to read Luke 8:16-21.)

Would it not be wonderful if large crowds gathered at a  house of worship automatically meant that God’s work was being done? In Luke 8:4, the Word says, “And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him.” Yet, great crowds at Christian churches, even the crowds that followed Jesus, did not mean that they would become followers. John 2:23-25 says,

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many
believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. [24] But Jesus on his part did not entrust
himself to them, because he knew all people
[25] and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew
what was in man.

People saw what Jesus did, heard what Jesus said, and even followed Jesus’ lead. Did this show saving faith?

In Luke 8, Jesus demonstrates the Spirit power of the Word. From the calming of the storm to the healing of a demoniac, to even raising someone from the day, Jesus showed the authoritative power of the Word because it bears the seal of God. God sends His ambassadors from His heavenly country with His message of deliverance and mercy from his wrath against our sin and into His mercy through Jesus’ work on the cross.

As we look at this passage this morning, Jesus gives us a phrase that we must take to heart. “Take care then how you hear. . . .” Mark 4 in the parallel passage says, “Pay attention to what you hear.” Jesus seems to be making a distinction on how one hears. Apparently, one can hear without hearing. You can have the sound waves hit your eardrum, pass through the small bones in the ear which resonate, sending a signal to your brain so you can hear the words which are spoken. How you hear the word and what you do with the Word you have heard reveals much about the condition of your heart before God.

1.   Hear the Word as a light for your path.

In verses 16-17, Jesus says, ““No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. [17] For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

Understand where this passage falls. The Sunday before I went to Trinidad, we examined Luke 8:4-15 in looking at the Parable of the Soils. The sower went to plant seed, which Jesus tells us served as the Word of God. The parables served to proclaim the Word, but the message of that Word was hidden to those who not only refused to hear, but from those whose hearts did not have the proper soil for the Word to take hold.

Jesus though goes further. He says basically, “If you have good soil and have received the message, don’t cover the message up! You are
lamps because of the Word that is in you. Now shine!” You see, we as the people of God cannot be lights in the world unless the Word of Christ is dwelling in us richly (Colossians 3:15). In fact, do you recall that Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

What are lamps good for? Lamps light up rooms so people can see where they are and what is located in those rooms. Lamps also
light the way we are going. And His Word moving in us shows the way. While in Trinidad, they had this Christian radio station on the
majority of the time. During one of the breaks in music, the deejay came on and said, “Dear Christian, you just need to dream those big dreams that you have, and when you have faith to believe it will come to pass, God will give you what you want.” I had just read about where Joel Osteen said that you need a life of generosity, and because of your generosity, God will bless you abundantly.

In America and in Trinidad, so many preach the message, “Do this, dream this, smile more, pray more, read more, give more, and God will
bless.” Messages like this are not lamps, but are caution lights blinking for us to move away and detour to the actual gospel. The lamp of God’s Word always shines upon Jesus Christ and Him crucified, who says, “I am extending my grace and mercy to you based upon what I’ve done. You are like sheep who have gone astray, each turning to your own way. What you need is not to chase after dreams by drumming up more faith and doing more so my Father will bless. He has already blessed you with the cross and empty tomb. You can dream and do and act, but you do not have the spiritual furniture arranged in your mind to handle, because even our best dreams drift
away from God.”

James 1:16-18 says:,

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creation.”

Notice: every blessing we have does not begin with a “dream within,” but from the Father above. Notice that our “dreams” may change with our inner emotions or our outward circumstances, but the Father has “no variation or shadow due to change.” He is steadfast, our rock and refuge. Notice that we become believers not by our own will and decision but “of his own will … by the word of truth.” Notice it is all of him. And once we get away from the Word of God, we stray from the path of God until the Spirit of God convicts us of the truth of God so we will repent and ask forgiveness of God so we will be restored by God.

Back from Trinidad & Tobago

Now that I’m back from Trinidad and am relatively settled in, I will be back to my usual sporadic blogging.

In regards to my Trinidad trip, I posted some short videos on my YouTube channel. I warn you: I was only equipped with a digital camera, so the quality is not super sharp.

Here is a video I took of the church where I ministered, the Mt. Beulah Evangelical Baptist Church in Point Fortin:

I also had the opportunity to visit and interview two pastors.  One is Pastor Boodoo Gopaul of the Granville Open Bible Church (below).

The other pastor was Vickran Hajaree , Pastor of the Open Bible Cathedral in Point Fortin.  Below is a picture of Hajaree, followed by his beautiful sanctuary.

I had the blessing of conducting a pastors’ conference on Friday-Saturday, January 16-17 at Mt. Beulah.  You see the registration and the books many of you contributed.

This was during a break at the conference.

Reading List on my Plane Ride to Trinidad

I like to read… but only certain things.  Some love reading fiction and just have to read the latest bestsellers that are out.  I enjoy reading books that deal with theology, ministry, and the trends of the culture. 

In 3+ days, I will be heading out to Trinidad with 38 copies of “Spirit Empowered Preaching,” one copy of the ESV Study Bible for the Trinidadian pastors.  But what I find myself truly concerned about is not what clothes to wear, but what books to take on the trip.  The nature of the pastorate at this point along with me being at the writing stage of my DMin project does not always allow me to do a lot of leisurely reading.  Fiction is out of the question (although it’s not a huge loss for me–I just have a hard time losing myself in something not in reality). 

I have to make sure that with my five-hour flight from Houston to Port of Spain, Trinidad and back, plus a 5 1/2 hour layover in Houston.  It’s following the mandate of Ephesians 5: “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:16). 

So, I have decided to get reacquainted with an old friend, read a new book, and read up about a new ministry.  So here is the list of books I shall be reading:

• “Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers” — a biography by Lewis Drummond
• “Lectures To My Students” by C.H. Spurgeon
• “Why Small Groups?” by C.J. Mahaney
• “Seeing With New Eyes” by David Powlison or Instruments in the Redeemers Hands by Paul Tripp
• Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church by Michael Horton
• The New Modern Reformation magazine dealing with Christ in the Postmodern Culture
• Articles from Answers in Genesis, in preparation for the “Creation” sermon series in February.

I’m loading up my iPod with some sermons by Alistair Begg, Ken Ham, Don Whitney, Tim Keller, plus a boatload of Sovereign Grace Music, Christafari, Dave Brubeck, among others. 

Pray that I would use this time away from phones, e-mail, computers, etc., to really connect with my Lord and Savior. 

BCBC VisionCast #1: God’s Vision for Boone’s Creek Baptist Church in 2009

We seek to spread God’s glory from our neighbors to the nations. What will this look like at Boone’s Creek? How will this help us in strengthening our people and sharing His gospel? Take a look!

Dave Berry’s Year in Review: Bailing Out of 2008

I enjoy the humor of Dave Berry immensely.  Take a look at his year in review. 

Paul’s Testimony Before King Agrippa (Visual Bible)

I have enjoyed the Visual Bible releases of Matthew, Acts, and John. I really enjoyed Henry O. Arnold’s depiction of Paul’s speech before King Agrippa. It inspires me to be more bold for Christ in 2009.