the undershepherd

Why Caring for the Poor Your Whole Life Doesn't Necessarily Mean You're a Good Person

2012-01-24T15:12:00.006-06:00

Let's say a man owns many plants and a dog. If that man is good to his plants, meticulously taking care of them with precision and care every day of his life, but he's cruel towards his dog, beating him and ignoring his basic needs, would you consider that man good? Of course not. Why? Because the admirable treatment of lesser beings (the plants) doesn't justify or atone for the poor treatment of higher beings (animals).

In the same way, if a man is good to humans (through philanthropy or charitable work his whole life), that doesn't excuse his poor treatment of God (never thanking God for his life, being angry and bitter towards Him, not seeking Him, not obeying his commandments, ignoring his work in the world, blaming Him for the evils of the world, not bringing glory to Him, etc.) That's because caring for lesser beings (humans) doesn't justify our poor treatment of the higher being (God). And even though good treatment of humans is often times indicative of a love for God (Matt.25:37-40), it is not necessarily indicative of it. Many who hate God (atheists, etc.) do wonderful things for people.

Thankfully, God has provided a way for you and I to be forgiven for our poor treatment of Him. Instead of immediately punishing us, he punished his perfect Son, Jesus Christ, on our behalf. All who believe in Jesus with sincerity and love will be forgiven and escape the judgment He'll one day bring to every human being. Do you know how angry and vengeful we get at other human beings who mistreat vegetation and animals? They're ostracized from society! But God, who "does not treat us as our sins deserve" (Psalm 103:10) is not like us. He is full of compassion and mercy and will forgive, save, and give us eternal life if we change our core beliefs about ourselves and Him (repent) and believe the words of his Son, Jesus.

10 Unfamiliar, Shocking Statements Jesus Made (And What They Mean)

2011-12-30T11:52:00.010-06:00

Statement #8: "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" - Matthew 27:46

This statement may not be unfamiliar to most, but it is surprising and confusing. There are two HUGE mistakes people make when coming to terms with this statement made by Jesus when he was on the cross.

Mistake #1 (commonly made by unbelievers): It is commonly believed by a number of secular scholars that Jesus is disillusioned and confused here. They say this is the ultimate moment of tragedy in Jesus' life. Jesus, in their view, thought that God was going to give him the victory over his adversaries, but now, on the cross, Jesus's hopes are dashed and so he cries out, "Why have you forsaken me? Why have you abandoned me in this holy agenda to reform this nation?" Secular scholars are sure to "respect" Jesus by saying his attempts at religious reform were commendable, but ultimately he went too far. However, they go on to say his life wasn't a waste for he exemplified love, sacrifice, humility, and "how to be truly human" inspiring generations of people to live the same way.

The Truth: This interpretation is completely flawed, and I would even go so far as to say willfully ignorant, for this reason: All throughout Jesus' ministry he told people he was going to die. Secular scholars reply by saying, "No, Jesus never predicted his own death. His disciples made that up to make it look like Jesus knew what he was doing." If that's true, though, why did his disciples include Jesus' cry, "Why have you forsaken me?" If Jesus' disciples were trying to make it look like Jesus knew what he was doing by adding untrue statements of him predicting his own death, then why include the statement, "Why have you forsaken me?" Makes no sense. The truth is, Jesus knew exactly what he was doing.

So why did Jesus question God in this way? We'll get to that in just a second, but first I want to address the other common interpretive mistake people make concerning this statement:

Mistake #2 (commonly made by believers): It is often believed by many Christians that because Jesus is not only fully divine, but fully human, he is struggling with doubt here. This is basically a softened version of mistake #1. They wouldn't agree with the secular view of this incident that says Jesus is a victim of the powers of his day, a man whose plan had gone awry. They would say that the plan (to be a substitute sacrifice for sin) was still in place, but Jesus, in his humanity, was doubting that plan. In his heart he knew it had to be, but in his humanity he was struggling.

As a result of holding this view, it is unfortunately preached that it is o.k. for Christians to doubt, (since Jesus did too). This is a common belief taught by many Christian counselors and psychologists as well as those in the emergent movement. They say, "It's ok to doubt. It's ok to even be angry with God. He can handle it." This is foolishness though. Never is it acceptable to doubt God, and never is it acceptable to be angry with God. You will not find one verse in all of Scripture that commends or allows for doubt and anger towards God. Those who would disagree with me on this point would point to a number of prophets, psalmists, etc. that express doubt and anger toward God and his ways. But just because something is described in Scripture doesn't mean it's prescribed; just because it's portrayed doesn't mean it's permitted. The whole reason Jesus suffered for our sins was to remove the hostility between us and God. Why would he then approve of being angry at God? And concerning doubt, Scripture is explicit: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not supposed that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-7).

So, why did Jesus make that statement, then? Two reasons (with the most important reason given first):

1.) Jesus was making sure everyone around him knew that he was fulfilling Scripture. The cry that Jesus made was a verse from Psalm 22, a messianic Psalm that predicted the Messiah's death. In fact, in v.16 of that Psalm, David makes this very odd statement: "They have pierced my hands and feet." All throughout the Psalms, David often times spoke of himself as a blameless man who deserved to be blessed of God for keeping God's law perfectly, as well as a king of divine appointment who suffers unjustly at the hands of his enemies. But was David blameless? Did David keep God's laws perfectly? Obviously not. He was a great sinner. Did David deserve God's blessing? Of course not. None of us do. The truth is, as Jesus taught, most of the Psalms were in reference to him (Luke 24:44). They pointed God's people to the the anointed Son-King who would suffer unjustly at the hands of his enemies, but ultimately triumph over them, dashing them to pieces like a clay pot (Psalm 2). When Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" every Jew within earshot would have known he was quoting Psalm 22:1. None of them made the connection of him being the Messiah because of it, but later his disciples would understand. Jesus wasn't expressing doubt or confusion. Just the opposite: He was expressing certainty about who He was and what he was doing.

2.) Lest we deny the humanity of Jesus, we need to realize he was also expressing genuine agony and pain. I'm sure tears were in his eyes. Obviously he was exhausted and filled with extreme pain. Not primarily physical pain, but emotional, psychological, and spiritual pain over being forsaken by the Father. And as Isaiah 53 says, everyone thought his death was proof that God wasn't on Jesus' side; that God was punishing him for being blasphemous and wrong: "We esteemed his stricken." But, Isaiah goes on to say, "BUT, he was pierced for OUR transgressions." In other words, he wasn't being punished for HIS sins. He was being punished for OUR sins. This punishment, this rejection, this abandonment Jesus received was more horrendous than you or I will ever be able to imagine, and even throughout all of eternity "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross." Jesus was experiencing the horror of all horrors: God's full wrath for every sin that had ever been committed by those he was dying for.

It's helpful to keep in mind that just because people cry, "Why?" doesn't mean they're confused. I cry "why?" very often when I go through painful times, but even in the midst of my heartache, I know exactly why: because God is testing and strengthening my faith, causing me to depend on Him for my good and His glory. Jesus' statement was a cry of agony, not confusion.

The Lord Jesus was not a misguided, confused, self-appointed prophet with a mistaken messianic complex. He was the Son of God, the King, the Messiah, the anointed one, the promised one of the Old Testament, and he was dying at the hands of wicked men out of his great love for you and me.

10 Unfamiliar, Shocking Statements Jesus Made (And What They Mean)

2011-12-27T14:14:00.004-06:00

Statement #9: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

This shocking statement by Jesus is a head-scratcher for many, but it doesn't need to be. All that needs to be understood is the context. Not just the literary context (the surrounding verses the statement was spoken in), but, most especially, in this case, the historical context (the time and place the statement was spoken in) ...

People back then didn't pride themselves in going against family values and beliefs like many do today. In those days, you adopted what your family believed and that was it. Not a whole lot of independent thinking going on. You didn't have access to information back then like you do today - no internet, no radio, no t.v., ... for goodness sake most didn't even have access to books! To believe something different from your family was the biggest slap in the face you could give them. Especially since your family was all you had. It was an agrarian culture. People grew up in small villages, they lived with their family, they worked with their family, and they were totally dependent on their family for their very livelihood. There were no government programs to help you if you lost your job or got into financial trouble, nor were there programs for the orphans, widows, and elderly. Your family was your program.

Now, imagine telling your family - your sole source of security and identity - this: "Guys, I've decided to follow this man, Jesus. I've decided to adopt his teachings, his whole belief system and his worldview. And this man, Jesus, says that our religion, Judaism, is spiritually bankrupt, that it's been hijacked by a bunch of hypocrites, and is in danger of experiencing the judgment of God. He says that we have a self-righteous approach to God. He says that we're just as sinful and lost as the Gentiles and he is demanding that every Jew abandon Judaism (as taught by the current spiritual leadership) and follow him."

Saying this to your family would have been the biggest slap in the face you could give them. And it would have cost you everything - your whole life! As a result, most Jews rejected Jesus because they feared what others thought, they feared losing the security, benefits, and identity of their family. The last thing they wanted to see was a look of spite, hatred, and rejection coming from their own parents! The last thing they wanted was for their children to say them, "You're not welcome in our home anymore. You're not allowed to see your grandchildren anymore. We don't want your new theology rubbing off on them." They would have been devastated financially and emotionally for following Christ.

But Jesus said, "Don't let that happen. Do not let anything or anyone come between you and me. If something is dragging you away from me ... sever all ties." Why? Because rejection of Jesus leads to eternal condemnation. It leads to hell. It leads to an eternity of torment and pain apart from the loving presence of God. But acceptance of Jesus leads to eternal life. And, as Jesus said elsewhere, How is it going to profit you if you gain your family's acceptance, if you gain financial security, if you gain all the comforts and pleasures of this temporary life ... but lose your own soul and spend an eternity with no security, comfort, and joy? Don't trade an eternity of perfect bliss, enjoying the Creator of the universe, for a few fleeting moments!

Therefore, most specifically Jesus was saying, "In order to become my disciple and enter heaven you must despise anything or anyone that comes between you and me because that thing or person is going to keep you from an eternity of perfect existence."

Perhaps you're in a similar situation. Perhaps you find yourself in a "tug of war" battle. You know in your heart that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but you're afraid of what it's going to cost you. My plea to you is this: Don't throw away eternity for a spec of time. If people are getting in the way of that, hate them. Reject them. Yes, Jesus has called us to love. But he's also caused us to hate. Not in the sense of despising them in your heart or treating them poorly, but treating them in such a way that they view your actions as hatred towards them. Jesus says, "If they view abandoning Judaism as hatred towards them, then so be it. Hate them."

And we, too, must be must be willing to do the same ... for the one who loved us, even when we wanted nothing to do with him.

10 Unfamiliar, Shocking Statements Jesus Made (And What They Mean)

2011-12-23T11:45:00.010-06:00

Statement #10: "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will" (Luke 10:21).

Often times we only focus on the latter half of this statement (God revealing truth), overlooking (or ignoring) the first half (God hiding truth). In this passage, Jesus actually thanks God for hiding the truth of salvation ("these things"). Notice Jesus doesn't say, "Father, it's such a pity that you had to hide these important truths from the hardened unbeliever. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but you know what's best so I'll concede to your will." No. Jesus thanks the Father for hiding them from the hardened unbeliever. Jesus, unlike many evangelicals today, thanked God not only for his salvation, but his judgment. That's because judgment is justice; it's right and good. It also saves the world from further corruption. Therefore, even in judgment God is saving! David said, "I will sing of steadfast love and justice" (Psalm 101:1). There are all sorts of songs and prayers where God's people celebrate God's judgment on the wicked. Are you willing to sing of God's love and His justice?

Friends, we should not deny or even downplay God's judgment. It is right and just. But we do mourn over man's unwillingness to repent, and we do not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek.18:32). We pray for them and love them and call them to the truth of Christ, but we also recognize that the judicial blinding that a hardened unbeliever receives is good and right and even worthy of our gratitude. But we also use this as a warning to examine ourselves and "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil.2:12).

It's Not Calvinism We Have a Problem With

2011-12-07T16:46:00.006-06:00

When I teach Calvinism, or what men like George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and John Owen have called "the doctrines of grace" or "the gospel of grace," Christians often times react negatively. They object, "I don't think God chooses who gets saved who goes to hell. That would be unfair. We're responsible for choosing him!"

But here's a provocative response to people's hostility towards Calvinism: If that's your reaction, you don't have a problem with Calvinism, you have a problem with the biblical doctrine of total depravity and original sin. Total depravity and original sin teach the following things:

1.) When you and I were brought into this earth, we were stillborn, spiritually speaking. As David said in the Psalms, "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (51:5). That is to say, we were born "dead in our trespasses and sins," as Ephesians 2:1 says. Now, whatever it means to be "dead in our trespasses and sins," we know this: it's worse than being physically dead. Spiritual death is worse than physical death. If you're spiritually alive, but physically dead, you'll live forever. But if you're physically alive, but spiritually dead, you could potentially spend an eternity apart from God.

2.) We are all culpable for Adam's sin. Just listen to Romans 5:12: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through the one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..." Now, does this mean that you and I were physically there in the garden of Eden? Does this mean that you and I bit into the fruit that Adam and Eve bit into? No. We weren't guilty for what they did, but we are guilty of what they did. For example, I may not be guilty for another man's exact same sin (robbing a bank), but I am guilty of that man's sin in principle (greed).

You see, when Adam sinned he did exactly what you and I and everyone else would have done: he sided with evil's opinion about God (the evil of unrighteousness) and then tried to deal with his sin and shame in his own power (the evil of self-righteousness). In this sense, theologians call Adam our "figurehead" or "representative." He represented exactly what you and I would have done if we were put in the same circumstance - a circumstance that was totally loaded in our favor (perfect mental and physical health, happiness, bliss, strength, free access to God's help and wisdom, etc.).

So, in this sense, Adam's choice was our choice. Here's a helpful example: Have you ever heard the phrase "absolute power corrupts absolutely?" It means that if you give someone absolute power, it's going to corrupt them. This isn't just true of black people, it's true of white people, too. It's not just true of rich people, it's true of poor people. It's true of young and old, male and female. When someone is given total control, that person always does bad things with his or her control. That's why living in a democracy where leaders have checks and balances is necessary in order for human government to operate justly. Even then it's difficult for a leader to not abuse his power. All people are guilty of this. Many self-righteous people think to themselves, "Not me. I would use my power to better the world." Not so. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You would do what others have done. History proves this. Now, not every person with absolute power has ruled to the worst of his ability, but he has still always abused his power to one degree or another.

The same is true of Adam's sin. Given the same circumstances, we would have done the same thing: we would have sided with Satan's view of God (unrighteousness) and then we would have tried to save ourselves by trying to deal with our own shame in our own power (self-righteousness). In this way, we all sin when Adam sinned.

So, as the Bible states "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). And, "None is righteous; no, not one ... no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:10-12). Everyone is responsible. Everyone of us would have rejected God, therefore everyone of us are justly condemned and everyone of us have justly experienced the penalty of that sin: spiritual death.

So, the doctrines of original sin and total depravity teach that we, in effect, already had our chance. We already rejected God before we were born. We already sinned and turned from him. Any chance that God gives anyone after the fall of mankind is an undeserved chance. Many people think: God owes it to everyone to give them an opportunity for salvation. That's like saying all condemned murderers deserve a second trial.

Therefore, it is not surprising for God to save some and condemn others. It's surprising that he would save any at all! Instead of resisting God's sovereign choice and election, we ought to be trembling in our shoes that he chose to have mercy on us and spare us from a life of eternal torment away from his presence. This ought to utterly revolutionize our attitude towards God. We need to repent of the mistaken mindset that says, "I made it in because of my choice," and start saying, "I made it in because of his choice. I will live the rest of my life in humble, grateful obedience." Any other mindset simply leads to us to pride and self-righteousness.

Are Rules Antithetical to Relationship?

2011-12-01T13:24:00.005-06:00

Never tell someone that Christianity is about a relationship rather than rules. Scripture is replete with rules on every page. David said "My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times" (Psalm 119:20) and "my hope is in your rules" (Psalm 119:43) and "when I think of your rules, I take comfort" (Psalm 119:52). In fact, when God commands us to be in relationship with Him, that's a rule. God's rules are wonderful because "your rules help me" (Psalm 119:75). Rules keep us from harming ourselves, and without the rules of God, we wouldn't even know how to have a relationship with God. I know the phrase is intended to keep people away from a legalistic approach to God, but there are better ways of explaining that to people than simplistic, cliche phrases. Instead, perhaps it would be more helpful to say, "You can't have a relationship with God by following all the rules. But the good news is that Jesus did that for us. When we believe this, God gives us His Spirit who then enables us to follow his rules."

Why I Believe Jesus Christ is God

2011-10-24T17:12:00.007-05:00

Many of you have heard of C.S. Lewis. He is one of the most famous Christian thinkers of our time. He wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, a fiction book series riddled with Christian symbolism. He has had a significant impact on the religious convictions I've developed throughout my life. Lewis used a logical argument for proving Jesus' deity that basically sealed my acceptance of the Christian message (a.k.a. "the gospel"). A condensed summary of that argument goes like this:

Lewis' Claim: It's totally illogical to remain neutral about Jesus Christ or to say that he was just a mere man who was a great spiritual, moral teacher. And that is exactly what most people think. In fact, here are a few of them: Muhammad, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Napoleon, Tolstoy, Mozart, Einstein, most presidents of the United States, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, and even Charles Darwin. All of these figures thought (or think) Jesus was a great spiritual, moral teacher. But all of these people stop short of calling him God.

C.S. Lewis, though, said that this mindset was mistaken at best and insane at worst. He said that a person must either totally reject Jesus OR they must immediately start worshiping him as the only one, true God of the universe. Why? Because Jesus himself continually claimed to be God. Just read the gospel of John. He claimed to be God, the judge of all the world, who had come to this world to atone for our sins and save those who embrace him. He also claimed he would rise from the dead after three days. He said that people should worship him and pray to him. He claimed that everyone in the world was evil, but he himself was sinless and perfectly holy. He said that if people followed him they'd live forever in eternity, but those who didn't would suffer God's wrath for all eternity.

These are some pretty hefty claims. Lewis concluded that to make these sort of claims about oneself you'd either have to be a total lunatic or you'd have to be telling the truth. There's no in between. If Jesus isn't God, if he isn't the judge and savior of the world, if he isn't the creator of the universe, as he claimed, then he was totally insane for saying that he was. People who think they're God are located in insane asylum's, right? Look at our political leaders, prominent artists and musicians, and influential thinkers. Do any of them claim to be God? No. People who make those sorts of claims are in the nuthouse.

But here's the difficult thing: Jesus doesn't even come close to fitting the description of an insane lunatic. Jesus taught spiritual truths that have transformed the entire world. He demonstrated breathtaking compassion, love, and care. He was known for spending time with the outcasts of society - the poor, disenfranchised, ashamed, disfigured, and sick. Jesus loved the people everyone else rejected. In addition to being so incredibly moral and good, Jesus was incredibly intelligent. In fact, there was literally one point in his ministry when no one even dared to argue with him anymore. Every time they tried to trick him or prove him wrong, they ended up looking like total fools, so they just stopped getting into debates with him. And think about this: We divide all of history according to Christ! A.D. (Anno Domini - "In the year of our Lord") and B.C. (before Christ). Are we willing to to say that we divide all of history according to a lunatic?

It is for this reason that C.S. Lewis said that every person must make up his or her mind immediately: Jesus was either a lying lunatic or he is God. If he was a lying lunatic, then billions of people throughout history have been duped by the biggest con artist of all time. But, if he's God, then we need to start reading what he taught, especially about salvation. If Jesus is indeed God, then we need to make his teachings the priority of our lives. If you found out that God wrote a book to the world, would you put that on the back burner while you went and did a few errands? I doubt it. You'd start reading immediately. Lewis said we must fall down and start worshiping Jesus as Lord of all the universe or we must completely reject him as an insane madman.

No other religious leader made the claims Jesus did. In my opinion, the best thing you can do with your life is to read what Jesus had to say. My life has been transformed by embracing his words. I never worry about death. I believe that Christ's death on the cross was the perfect atonement for all my sins. I'm forgiven of everything. As a result, I have perfect hope, and that hope enables me to love, and it enables me to get through all of my sufferings. Having confidence that you'll live forever is the only thing that sustains you through suffering, and it's the only thing that keeps you from stealing, taking, and acting like an animal. When paradise awaits, there's no need to act like that.

We must change our mindset about Jesus. That's what the word "repent" means. It means to change our beliefs about everything important: God, our sin, our guilt, our future, salvation, judgment, eternity, etc. Jesus said that if we repented, we'd live forever.

If It's True of the Lesser, It's Certainly True of the Greater

2011-09-22T17:35:00.004-05:00

Most sane people believe the following things concerning the governance of society:

1. There should be an authority that governs over people.

2. That authority should be moral, good, just, etc.

3. That authority should create right and just laws for people to live by - laws that, when followed, will help us all live in peace.

4. If any of those right and just laws are broken, the violator needs to be punished.

5. The punishment should fit the crime.

6. The punishment is not an act of evil. It serves to bring justice and it serves to protect the rest of society. Therefore, the punishment is just and right.

7. If there were no law, or, if justice were ignored when a law was broken, chaos would ensue.

8. Sometimes the crime is so extensive that the only proper, just reaction is to banish that person for the remainder of his existence from the rest of society - to protect society AND to maintain justice.

If we believe these things are true in the civil realm, why do so many people assume they are not true for the moral/spiritual realm? In other words, if that is how we expect our earthly authority to act, why do we not expect our divine authority to act in the same way?

The truth is ...

1. There is one, true God who is the authority over all mankind.

2. He is good, moral, just, etc.

3. He has created right and just laws for us to live by - laws that, when followed, will help us all live in peace.

4. If anyone of us violates His law, we need to be punished.

5. The punishment God dispenses will fit the crime.

6. The punishment is not evil. It serves to bring justice and it serves to protect others.

7. If God had not given us a law, chaos would ensue. Everyone would do what is right in his own eyes.

8. To violate God's laws - any of them - is an extremely horrendous act. To dishonor God by breaking the moral and spiritual laws he has instituted is an evil act that deserves the death penalty. We deserve to be banished in an isolated place for the rest of our existence.

But, the truth is ...

God loved his creation so much, that instead of immediately punishing them and giving them the due penalty of their actions, he sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, to receive the punishment we deserve. This is why Jesus died on the cross.

The truth is ...

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24).

Amazing. The only requirement for escaping the judgment we deserve for breaking God's laws is belief. You just have to sincerely believe that Jesus' words are the truth. I pray you believe and receive God's free gift of love, expressed perfectly in Jesus Christ.

Confessions of a Homeschool Dad

2011-09-13T12:21:00.002-05:00

Already mentioned this on facebook, but it's worth putting on my blog as well. If we read this article from a homeschool dad on parenting, and if we take it to heart and apply it, it'll be the best possible thing we could ever do for our children. I promise: you won't regret reading this article.

http://www.joshharris.com/2011/09/homeschool_blindspots.php

Two Simple Things You Can Do

2011-09-07T16:58:00.004-05:00

Here are two simple things you can do on Sunday morning to enhance a visitor's experience of our church:

Number One: Make sure you say hello and welcome them. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to get into a long conversation with them. But let's say a new family walks in and you see they've talked with a couple families already, and now they're sitting down waiting for the service to begin. Why not go over to them really quick and say, "I don't think I've seen you here before and I just wanted to welcome you. We're glad you joined us." That's it. And if you see that no one has really talked with them at length, maybe you'll make it a point to go over to them as soon as the service ends and talk with them a little longer - especially if they seem like a family or person you might have some commonality with.

But we've got to be strategic about it. If you want to help the church grow and if you want to enhance a visitor's experience on Sunday morning, just say to yourself before you get to church, "I'm going to make it my goal today to welcome a visitor." Purpose in your heart to be on time to church. Don't stroll in late. Plan to get there early in case someone new walks in. We don't want visitors walking in ten minutes early while we're running in at 9:59 am or 10:02 am! It's a small sacrifice that will yield a big reward.

Number Two: This is huge: Sing your heart out. Let me start by saying this: people are desperate for true life. Generally speaking, they are attracted to excitement and passion, not boredom and gloominess. That's why people like to hoop and hollar at games or go dancing or go to concerts or party and laugh and have good times. They're desperately seeking life and authentic joy (albeit in the wrong places). When unbelievers come into our worship gatherings, they should not experience a bunch of stiff suburbanites who are so self-conscious that hardly anything comes out of their mouths when they sing. I call that "statue worship". Frozen. Still. No life.

I'm not saying you have to act weird or sway back and forth or jump up and down. Most of us aren't going to do that (although it wouldn't be wrong if we did). But we are required to sing with passion and exuberance. There is nothing more thrilling than listening to a crowd of God's people sing from the depths of their hearts. It doesn't matter if it's hymns or contemporary songs. Style isn't the issue. Ever notice how silly our musical preferences seem when our hearts are truly filled with joy from God? When that happens, our silly preferences go right out the window.

Unbelievers should walk in and feel excitement, passion, and joy. So, sing with all your heart. If you feel like raising your hands, you should obey that prompting from the Spirit of God and do it. Physical expression adds to a worship service in a very special way. Don't worry what others are thinking! Some say, "I don't want to distract others by drawing attention to myself." Hogwash. If they're distracted by you raising your hands or singing loudly, that's their fault, not yours. If they look down on you because they think you're trying to look spiritual, they're going to have to answer to the Lord for that. When David took his robe off and danced before the Lord his wife was disgusted with him. 1 Samuel 6:16 says, "...she despised him in her heart". And then she said to him:

"'How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!' And David said to Michal, 'It was before the Lord (I danced) ... and I will celebrate before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.' And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death" (2 Samuel 6:20-23).

That last line teaches us that God doesn't like it when we judge other people's motives when they're worshiping Him. If someone seems to be promoting himself during worship, just let God deal with him.

So, in summary: Remember to say hello, and remember to sing with all your heart! Two simple things.

Why It's Misguided To Say, "Don't Trust Your Feelings"

2011-08-24T17:36:00.002-05:00

Feelings aren't the problem. The mind is. Our beliefs are what create the feelings. Emotions are simply the result of what you believe. Therefore it's misguided to say, "Don't trust your feelings" as if feelings and emotions are inherently flawed. If we don't feel loved by God, it's because we don't believe he loves us (at least in that moment). Let's just resolve to stop hating on feelings. It's our feelings that alert us to the false or true concepts we're believing. Pointing to emotions as the problem of our lives is like saying tears are the problem behind our sadness. No, the tears just reveal the sadness inside. In the same way, my feelings reveal my beliefs - false or true. Be thankful for the gift of feelings - they reveal what our minds are thinking.

If God's Word Is So Satisfying, Why Am I So Dissatisfied?

2011-08-24T15:56:00.010-05:00

Often times we think, "Why do I feel so weak and empty? If God's Word is so great, why do I feel so lifeless? Why don't I experience more satisfaction and strength from the Bible?"

At this point it becomes vital to remember that Jesus called God's Word "food". He said that "mankind does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt.4:4). Our bodies are similar to our souls. In the same way our bodies get weak, empty, and malnourished when we don't eat physical food, even if it's only one day, so our souls get weak, empty, and malnourished when we don't eat the spiritual "food" of God's Word, even if it's only one day. In the same way I must eat physical food every day, throughout the day, so I must meditate on God's Word every day, throughout the day.

One final thought: When the Israelites were in the wilderness they were only aloud to gather the manna once a day (except on Friday when they were aloud to gather two day's of food to last through the Sabbath). God did this to teach them to be dependent upon him. We too are to be daily dependent upon God and his Word (manna) for life, strength, and satisfaction.

We should not be surprised if we feel weak, discouraged, hardened, apathetic, and lifeless if we haven't meditated upon God's Word, even if it's only been one or two days since we've done it. Wouldn't your body feel horrible if you hadn't eaten any physical food, even it was only for one or two days? How much more your soul?

21 Years In Prison For Killing 76 People? What the Bible Says About This.

2011-07-26T09:48:00.003-05:00

FOXNews.com reports, "Friday's twin attacks in Norway that killed 76 people have sparked growing outcry at the country's penal code, under which even the man now accused in the mass killings would face a maximum penalty of only 21 years in prison if convicted. If found guilty in the massacre and given that maximum sentence, Anders Behrin Breivik, 32, would serve roughly 100 days in prison per killing." This ruling has sparked an outcry all over the world, especially in Norway, where people are calling for the accused to at least serve life in prison.

What does the Bible have to say about a scenario like this? We can turn to Exodus 21:23-25 to answer that question. It says this: “… you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (also in Lev.24:20 and Deut.19:21). Many people have wrongly interpreted and applied this passage. This is not saying, “If someone does you wrong, you’re allowed to pay them back”. This passage does not concern trivial, personal quibbles. Rather, it is addressing civil issues related to criminal activity. God is simply saying, “The punishment must fit the crime. I don’t want you to under-punish a criminal, nor should you over-punish a criminal.” This code was actually put in place for the protection of criminals as well as societies.

God cares about mercy, but he also cares about justice. Some cultures and time periods have placed too much of an emphasis on justice; they over punish criminals out of a vengeful spirit. Other cultures and time periods have placed too much emphasis on mercy; they under punish criminals. I believe we live in a time period that is guilty of the latter. It’s a perversion of mercy and it does not reflect the true character of the God of the Bible.

Inevitably someone will point to Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount: ““You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

There are two things one must understand about this verse. First, Jesus is not speaking against the former verses I quoted above from Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. He’s not repudiating the laws of the Old Testament! Jesus embraced and advocated everything written in the Old Testament (Matt.5:17-18). No. That’s not what Jesus is doing. Jesus is speaking against the Pharisaical interpretation of those civil codes. As Jesus makes clear all throughout the Sermon on the Mount, the corrupt religious leaders of his day had wrongly interpreted and applied many of the Old Testament laws and principles. And in this case, the corrupt religious leaders of first century Judaism had applied a civil law to interpersonal relationships. They taught that you were allowed to return evil for evil in your personal relationships. Of course they didn’t call it evil, they called it justice.

The second thing we need to understand about this statement by Jesus is this: Jesus is not advocating passivism here. He’s not saying, “If someone hits you, just sit there and let him pummel you to death. Let him hit you again.” Notice that Jesus says, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek…” Why does he say “right” cheek? Why not just “cheek”? Because if you were slapped on the right cheek, it’s because someone had given you a back handed slap. Most people are right-handed. If a right handed person gives you a back handed slap, you would receive that slap on your right cheek. A back handed slap was not a threat to your physical security. It was an attack on your personal dignity. Jesus wasn’t prohibiting us from defending ourselves if we’re attacked physically. Jesus is prohibiting us from trying to return evil for evil and demean someone who has humiliated us. If someone slanders you in front of someone else, for example, Jesus would say, “Don’t slander them back. Take them out for lunch and show them love.”

When the Bible is ignored, societies end up with unjust laws, like Norway. Additionally, when Scripture is wrongly interpreted, it is wrongly applied, and societies (and liberal Christian voices) end up placing more of an emphasis on mercy than God ever intended.

The Gospel According to Oprah

2011-05-26T17:44:00.004-05:00

I'd like to begin this post by saying matter of factly: I like Oprah Winfrey ... as a person. I think she's funny, interesting, engaging, compassionate, giving, and pretty darn humble for someone with so much power and recognition. And even though she's so celebrated, you just know that she's not the type of person who thinks she's too good for you. I love that about her, and I'm sure that quality has endeared her to her audience for twenty five years.

Allow me to also say, that this blog post is not going to be an Oprah bashing session. Instead, my aim is to help us understand how crafty and subtle Satan can be in deceiving both the world and the church. This is a clarion call to heed the deception of the enemy. It's not an opportunity to take pot shots at the world.

Due to our lack of discernment and due to our apathy and lackadaisical attitude towards this issue, we have fallen prey to the tactics of our adversary. Many people just chuckle when they hear guys like me talk about Oprah. They think, "Come on. Why are we railing against Oprah? She's just a talk show host. Why don't we focus on the Pharisees and legalists within the church!" Well, you're about to be blown out of the water if that's how you think because the events of the past three days (on Oprah's final three farewell shows) have revealed some pretty disturbing facts about how we as a nation, and even as the church, have grown to view her. And it reveals how subtly and slowly Satan gets us to put our hope in false saviors.

Take a look at some of the things stated about Oprah over the course of the last three days on her final farewell episodes:

1. "We're all here to love you" - Tom Hanks

2. "When my infant died, you and the show were my anchor" - Random Mother

3. "You saved me and set me free" - Random Mother

4. "Oprah's show means the world to me" - Madonna

5. "You always had the power" - Tom Cruise (said sincerely)

6. "The Oprah show put the bright light in my eyes for the first time" - Leelee from China

7. "We are here to learn from you" - One of the celebrities on the final farewell

8. "We have learned what we are and who we are because of you" - Another celebrity

9. "Your persuasion can build a nation" - Beyonce

10. "The Oprah Winfrey Show gives life" - Another celebrity

11. "You bless the children" - Another celebrity

12. "We should always remember to give thanks to you" - Another celebrity

13. "We thank you and adore you and love you" - Another celebrity

14. "Because of you, your viewers have risen up to change the world" - Another celebrity

15. "You have enlightened us, empowered us, and taught us how to be. You don't have children of your own, but you have mothered millions" - Jada Pinket Smith

16. "She's pure love" - sung by Jamie Fox

17. "You've given me the truth" - Maria Shriver

Her final episode on Wednesday was pretty astounding as well. She essentially preached the whole time. She basically summed up, from the past twenty five years, the most important concepts she had grown to believe to be truth - and she then imparted those truths to her audience. It was the gospel according to Oprah Winfrey. It reminded me of a church service, really. It almost reminded me of the last supper. She told people to do for others what her show had done for them. She claimed that God had been speaking to her throughout her life, and especially during the period of her show. She said that she had been called to do this show by God. She essentially gave them a sort of "prayer line" directly to her, that is, her new email address: Oprah@Oprah.com. She promised to read and answer as many of them as possible. She said that "little by little we released people from their shame". And she said that people's greatest problem is their feelings of unworthiness, and that people "block their own blessings because we don't think we're worthy enough." And then, at the end of the show, I almost expected her to be taken up in a cloud of glory. She walked down the isle, turned around, said goodbye to the audience, walked back through the studio, said goodbye to her crew, and vanished into her office. It was a scene of biblical proportion.

Now, someone might say, "But did you know that she gave all the glory to God at the end of her show?" Yes. But so did the Pharisee in Luke 18. It's praise full of pretense. You receive glory, you work hard for the glory, you get the glory, and then to to make sure you don't look like you're stealing it from God, you footnote a brief word of praise to God at the very tail end of your "show". It's the same thing the Pharisees did, it's the same thing athletes do, and it's the same thing we often do as well. We work hard for the glory, you do everything you do to receive that glory, you get that glory, and then we act as if we're giving glory to God, when, in fact, we are still trying to get glory for ourselves.

And besides, when we say, "She gave glory to God", we have to ask, "What 'god' is she referring to?" Well, in her own words, as stated at the final show, all beliefs worship the same God. So, her concept of God is quite nebulous.

Someone will say, "She actually gave credit to Jesus for the success of her show". But, again, her Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. Her Jesus is a Jesus that she has fashioned from the idol factory of her own mind. In 2008, she said that Jesus didn't come to die on a cross. Rather, "It really was about him coming to show us how to do it, how to be, to show us the Christ-consciousness that he had and that that consciousness abides with all of us." In other words, Jesus didn't come to be a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, he only came to be an example to us. This is classic liberal thinking concerning Jesus - Jesus didn't come to do it for us, he came to show us how to do it.

As Christians, we must compassionately realize that those who speak falsely about God and Christ are "deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13). Even though all sinners are guilty and responsible for their actions, there is a sense in which "they know not what they do". The same is true of Oprah. My hope is that we as believers will be more discerning when it comes to these things; that we will love and pray for people in her position; and that we will remember that "we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

A Cardinal Sin of Leadership

2011-05-25T14:02:00.002-05:00

"(One) 'cardinal sin' of leadership is mistaking 'fruitfulness' for holiness. We can often become easily enamored with the shininess and abundance of 'fruit.' 'Successful' ministry is not measured by numeric indicators. When Christ addresses the seven churches in Revelation, does he commend the larger churches and rebuke the smaller? Does he compare growth rates and highlight numbers? No. Instead, he hits at the heart of character, faith, endurance, compromise, idolatry, and immorality." - Michael Oh

Great Quotes on Prayer (Pt.1)

2011-05-20T17:55:00.002-05:00

Quotes like these really motivate me to pray. I hope they will do the same for you.

A. "You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed." - A.J. Gordon

B. “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." - John Wesley (Famous evangelist who spent 2 hours daily in prayer)

C. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” – Martin Luther

D. "Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying.” - Paul E. Billheimer

E. "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." - E.M. Bounds

F. "No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack." - E.M. Bounds

G. "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees." - William Cowper

H. "Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." - John Bunyon

I. "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness." - Martin Luther.

J. “The only way to move forward is on your knees.” – J. Hudson Taylor

K. Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power." - J. Hudson Taylor

That last quote is key. Satan sits back and laughs at a church that has every program in the book, every dollar in the bank, and every gifted person you could think of, but doesn’t pray. Believing prayer is what drives a church forward. Many churches have built an amazing car. The engine is amazing. The exterior has a brilliant shine. It has all the bells and whistles you can think of. But it has no fuel. Prayer is that fuel. Without prayer, our big machines and powerful resources can’t go anywhere.

Pounding the Nail of Truth

2011-05-10T15:53:00.005-05:00

I'm deeply saddened by the paltry commitment to discipleship in the modern church, aren't you? This is what discipleship looks like to many of us American Christians:

1.) Go to church on Sunday (goal: try and do this more than 50% of the time), sing a couple songs and listen to a 30 minute "light pep speech" about life with a carefully selected Scripture verse or two sprinkled in.

2.) And maybe - MAYBE - if you're REALLY serious about your faith, attend a bi-weekly home group every once in a while (summers off, please) where we all sit around with the primary goal being the avoidance of any and all controversy.

Let me just say unequivocally, it is impossible to learn to be satisfied in Jesus and therefore bring glory to God and fulfill the purpose for why we're even alive if that is the extent of our discipleship. This depiction of discipleship is not only miles away from Jesus' depiction of discipleship, but it may just be the polar opposite of it.

If we want to know his joy and if we want to be used of Him, we must aggressively pursue discipleship. That means constant reading, constant listening to sermons, constant exposure to your local church's teaching ministry, constant fellowship with believers, constant private meetings with Christian leaders and mentors who can challenge us and build us up, and constant spiritual discussions with our families and friends. It means going to conferences and choosing to think throughout the day.

This is what the early church did: "And they were continually devoting (present tense continual) themselves to ... the apostle's teaching" (Acts 2:42). James says, "Whoever looks intently into the perfect law ... and continues in it ... he will be blessed" (1:25). The blessed person in Psalm 1 is described as being a person who meditates on (ponders) God's Word "day and night" (v.2). God told Joshua that the only way he'd ever be prosperous and successful in life is if he pondered Scripture every day, all throughout the day (Joshua 1:8).

You don't necessarily have to have a Bible in your hands to do this. You just need to be thinking about biblical issues as you drive, as you eat lunch, as you do housework, etc. Indeed this informal approach to discipleship was the very pattern established by God in Deuteronomy 6 when he said to the Israelites: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (vv.6-9).

You see, when Jesus said that we were to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, he wasn't saying, "But the really important thing is for you to love me with all of your heart!" No. We are to love Jesus with all of our mind. Unless our minds are changed, our hearts will never be changed. This is where all transformation begins - the mind. The reason the church is so paltry today? Because discipleship is so paltry.

Someone might say, "But that's a lot of learning! Do I really need that much?" Absolutely. Just do a search on the word "remind" or "reminder" sometime. You'll see how the writers of the Bible inundated their churches with a constant flow of truth. Listen to what Peter said, "Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder ” (2 Peter 1:11-12). Peter says, "You know this stuff already and you're already been established in these truths." So why say them again, Peter? Because getting truth inside of us is like pounding a nail in a hard piece of wood. The first shot isn't enough. You've got to hit that nail a number of times before it fully sinks in. The same thing is true with truth. There needs to be a continual exposure to a truth for it to get inside of us.

And that's the most important thing - getting truth inside you. Many of us have truth around us, but not in us. Self-deceived pew warmers who are in bondage to religion have lots of truth around them, but not inside them. Listen to what Jesus said, for example, to the Pharisees: “... and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent” (John 5:38). Listen to the apostle John: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ... If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10).

As Jesus said in the above passage, this isn't just accomplished by listening to the truth, but through believing it. Therefore I would be remiss if I didn't add this final exhortation: Let us continually ask ourselves, "Am I really believing this, or am I just hearing it?" But the main point for this blog post is to convince us of the importance of constant nourishment. His Word is food. Let us be known as Christian Hedonists - people who joyfully gorge ourselves on the bread of life.

Finishing Last Night's Home Group

2011-05-05T11:19:00.019-05:00

A few of you have expressed a desire to finish what was left incomplete last night at home group. We didn't get to everything and I apologize for that. There are two things we didn't get to: 1.) What are all the essential elements of the gospel? and 2.) What is our role in making sure the gospel continues to save and transform us throughout our walk with Christ? (As addressed in the sermon by Tullian Tchividjian.) Today, I'll only address #1.

What are All the Essential Elements of the Gospel?

There are four primary areas that need to be addressed:

1.) SIN - we spent a lot of time on this point last night in Romans 1-2. The reason we spent so much time on this? Because unless people become convinced that they are indeed guilty, lost, and headed for judgment, they won't see their need for a savior. Read Peter's sermon in Acts 2. He spends 95% of the time trying to convince them that they were responsible for crucifying the Messiah. Or consider the sermon on the mount. The primary purpose of that sermon is not to show us how to live. The primary purpose is to show us how far we fall short of living up to God's standard of righteousness. Jesus wanted to expose their spiritual bankruptcy. He wanted them to realize that they weren't just responsible for loving their friends, but their enemies. He wanted them to realize that God demands holy desires - not just behavior. He wanted them to realize that perfection was the standard. Why? Because unless people understand their desperate condition, they won't see their need for a savior. You can talk to people about the cross, God's love and mercy and grace, proofs for his existence and resurrection till you're blue in the face, but if they're not convinced they're guilty, they won't receive God's gift of salvation in Christ Jesus. We need to be like the apostle Paul in Romans 1-2. We need to be skilled at uncovering the lies that people are believing concerning their condition in order to expose their need for Jesus.

2.) SAVIOR - Once the Spirit has used us to convince people that they are guilty and headed for judgment, then we apply the healing balm to their condition. That is, once we convince them they're sick, we offer them the only medicine that can heal their souls: Jesus.

But what do we need to make sure we explain about Jesus? Well, as we stated last night, the heart of the gospel is the substitutionary life and death of Jesus Christ. We explain to people the good news (gospel): that God provided a substitute who would 1.) live the life we weren't able to live and 2.) die the death we were supposed to die. The law of God demands a perfect life. If we don't obey the law, then the law requires death. Bad news: even if we died on the cross, instead of Jesus, we wouldn't be able to save ourselves. Even though we died the death we were supposed to die, we still didn't live the life we were supposed to live. Jesus did both. On our behalf. What I'm saying is: the substitutionary life and death of Jesus are utterly essential to the proclamation of the gospel. Many gospel tracks included Jesus' substitutionary death, but not his substitutionary life. Both need to be understood. The gospel isn't simply that Jesus died to show the world how to love one another. The gospel isn't simply that God is love. The good news is that God sent his Son as a life and death substitute for us.

3.) RESURRECTION - the main question people will have concerning the gospel is, How do I know it's true? How do I know that Jesus is Lord and Savior, God in human flesh who came to live and die for me? Well, the Bible teaches that the resurrection of Jesus is the key piece of evidence. For example, listen to what Paul said to a group of Gentiles who had never even heard of Jesus before: “God commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31). Or consider Romans 1:4: “(Jesus) was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord". Or go over to 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul summarizes the gospel. After he succinctly summarizes the gospel, he then defends the truthfulness of the gospel by speaking of the resurrection. Therefore, we must focus on the resurrection as the ultimate proof that the gospel is true. Sometimes we try to convince people by trying to prove the existence of God or the lie of evolution, etc., and while those things are worthy endeavors, we must realize that if the resurrection is true, then those other points of contention fall like dominoes. Therefore, it's a good idea to be armed with intelligent, rationale arguments for the validity of the resurrection. I've done this in almost every Easter sermon I've given. Another resource would be Lee Strobel's A Case for Christ.

4.) RESPONSE - the gospel is good news. It's primarily an announcement: God has visited the earth in the form of Jesus Christ and he has lived and died on our behalf thereby defeating the powers of sin, Satan, and death, and his resurrection is the proof. That's it. It's more of a declaration of what God has done than it is an explanation of what we must do. Having said that, though, this doesn't mean man has no responsibility or role to play. Mankind must respond. And those God has sovereignly chosen to be saved will always respond in a certain way.

Before I get into what that response must be, I need to explain something, and you'll see why after I'm done: There are various metaphors and images in the Bible that describe God's saving activity. For example, the concept of election (not voting, but God's sovereign choice as King) is a political, governmental or, one might say, monarchical, metaphor. God is King. He sovereignly decides who can enter his kingdom. Or, for example, the concept of redemption is an economic metaphor. We are slaves of sin whom God purchases by his blood out of the slave market. The Bible also uses relational metaphors: the concepts of foreknowledge and reconciliation are relational concepts. Or, the word justification is a legal metaphor. In this metaphor God is a judge who pronounces us not guilty (justified). Salvation is also described with a parental metaphor: adoption. We are portrayed as children without parents. God adopts as as his own. Also, the Scriptures use a birthing word used to describe what God actually does for us: regeneration. This word means to be recreated or "born again". There's also a psychological word used to describe Christ's saving work: propitiation. Propitiation is the satisfying of one's sense of justice. When the bad guy gets it at the end of the movie, we are propitiated. Our sense of justice is satisfied. When Christ died on the cross, God was propitiated. Sanctification is a ceremonial metaphor that means we've been cleansed and set apart from the defilement of sin. In the same way a bride sanctifies her wedding dress and keeps it from touching anything dirty, so God sanctifies us and keeps us clean. Finally, there's also a mystical image used to describe our salvation: union with Christ.

Now here's the point: in the same way there are a variety of ways to describe God's saving activity, so there are different ways of describing man's response to that activity. For example, we must repent. This is a mental word. It's from the Greek word "metanoia" which means to "change one's mind". Man must change his thinking, his dearly held wrong beliefs about God, himself, and Christ in order to be saved. The words "belief" and "faith" go along with repentance. One must trust God's word concerning spiritual things rather than man's word. We must rely or depend on God. Jesus said we must become like little children in order to enter His kingdom. He was teaching us that salvation is only by faith, not our own efforts. We must trust, rely, and depend on God to save us. Confession is a mental word. In the Greek, confession literaly means "to say the same thing". If I say the same thing as you, I'm agreeing with you. Confession isn't so much about mouthing words of guilt. Your child might say that he was wrong to hit his brother because you made him say it, but he may not believe it in his heart. He's only truly confessed if he agrees with your accusation of wrongdoing. Therefore, we must confess in order to be saved. We must agree with God. Repentance, faith, belief, confession. Those are all mental words. They all call us to change our thinking.

But then there are emotional words used to describe our response to salvation. Contrition, for example. This means to be saddened and grieved over your sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Well, I'm sure Hitler mourned throughout his life, but that doesn't mean he mourned in the way Jesus was requiring. Jesus required that we be grieved over our sin. This too is a necessary response to the gospel.

Sometimes, though, the mind and the heart aren't the central focus when describing man's response. Sometimes it's the will. For example, Jesus said to Zacchaeus, the tax-colletor who overcharged people for his own gain: "Today salvation has come to this house". Why did Jesus say that? Because Zacchaeus said he was going to pay everyone back, and then some, for what he stole from them. Nowhere does it say he believed. Nowhere does it say he was contrite. Nowhere does it say he repented. BUT, his behavior demonstrated that he had repented and believed. You see, the external demonstrated the internal. In that particular story, though, man's will is emphasized.

It's the same with the rich young ruler who asks Jesus what he needed to do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus says nothing about repentance or faith (mental), nor does he say anything about contrition (emotional). He emphasizes the will. He says to him, "Give up everything you have to the poor and come and follow me." Jesus wasn't saying that we can only be saved if we give everything to the poor. He was simply teaching that if a person truly repents, believes in, and worships Him, every other "god" will consequently be forsaken. The test of one's mind and heart (internal) is whether or not he is willing to live without it (external). The man's behavior demonstrated his true belief, and his true belief was that money is God.

Conclusion: There are various angles taken when presenting God's salvation, and there are various angles taken when presenting man's response. To always minimize it to one word or concept is simply unbiblical.

Now, don't mistake me, I'm not saying you have to explain all these things to someone when you're presenting the gospel. But I am saying that it's a mistake to say, "There's only one word or one concept that we should use when presenting the gospel." No. If I'm speaking to an orphan or someone whose parents abandoned them, I might say to him or her, "I have good news for you. The Bible teaches us that God will adopt us as his very own children if we trust Christ." It's not that I wouldn't use other words, but I would probably emphasize the concept of adoption to the orphan. Or, if I'm speaking to a prison inmate, I might emphasize the concept of justification. If I'm talking with a woman who has led an impure life and she feels dirty, I might emphasize the concept of sanctification, that God will cleanse her and set her apart from anything that defiles. Or, if I'm talking to someone who is hard-hearted and angry, I might emphasize the need for them to be contrite. It's not that I don't also use the words "believe", "repent", "receive", or "trust" when I'm talking to him, but I ask the Spirit for discernment for what concept or word might be most beneficial. You may never know what word or concept is most beneficial, and that's fine. Their salvation isn't dependent on our insight into their life. I'm just saying that there is a rich storehouse of images, metaphors, concepts, and words we can use in the way we present the gospel and man's response to the gospel.

The main thing, though, to keep in mind is the necessity of these four areas: Sin, Savior, Resurrection, and Response. Unless we preach sin, they won't want a savior. Unless we preach the savior's saving work, we won't remedy their sin condition. Unless we preach the resurrection, there's no proof for the previous two claims. And unless we preach their need to respond, they won't understand the responsibility they have in the process (Acts 2:37).

How To Be Totally Content

2011-04-27T11:25:00.008-05:00

One of the main things that makes life so difficult is a lack of contentedness. When we aren't content, we do foolish things that harm ourselves and others. For example, if a husband isn't content with his wife, he may commit adultery. If a woman isn't content with being a wife and mother, she may forsake her family in an attempt to gain "something that's missing". If a person isn't content with their house, car, or other material items, they might work themselves to death trying to get more money so they can have bigger and better things. Or, if people aren't content with the amount of honor and recognition they have in life, they might compete with everyone around them for greater honor, thereby sowing seeds of discord, rivalry, and bitterness. A lack of contentedness has caused mankind to consume, devour, and act like animals instead of human beings created in God's image.

So what's the key to being content? The answer to that question can be discovered in Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the fourth chapter he says, "I have learned in whatever situation to be content" (v.11). And then he says, "In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty, hunger, abundance, and need" (v.12). In other words, it doesn't matter if I have a lot or a little, I have learned to be content in life. That statement alone is amazing, but when we realize that he was currently in jail (1:7, 13) for his service to the Lord when he made that statement, it becomes utterly mind boggling.

So what did Paul learn? How did he become content in life? How did he become content to the point that he was overflowing with joy even in the worst circumstance? It's not like he was disappointed that he couldn't afford an HD television or a better education for his children. He was in jail. Wrongly imprisoned for doing the Lord's work! What was his secret?

Well, we get a clue back in the third chapter. He says, "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead" (3:13). In context, he was recounting his former life. If you read chapter three, you'll realize that Paul used to be an extremely self-righteous individual. And if you read the rest of the New Testament, you'll realize that he spearheaded the persecution of the church. Recounting his former life caused him immense pain. He did awful things. I'm sure at times he had flashes of crying children being ripped away from their Christian parents - parents who were being imprisoned or stoned to death. Paul was sick to his stomach when he thought of his former life and what he used to be. That's why he said to the Corinthians, "I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (15:9), and that's why he said to Timothy, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15).

Modern psychology would tell Paul that he needs to think more positively about himself. But the truth is, it was that sort of thinking that lied at the root of his contentedness. How? Because when you realize that you don't deserve anything at all, you are content with whatever you have. You see, that's the secret. That's the key. The key is realizing we don't deserve anything at all from God. We have lived self-righteous, hostile lives toward God and others. We are responsible for mutilating the precious body of God's beloved Son. It was our sin that led to his death. It was our sin that has caused great harm to others throughout our life. And like the apostle Paul, we should look back at our former lives with disgust and stand amazed that God not only forgave us, but "gave us all things" (Romans 8:32).

The problem is, even though we Christians know this intellectually, we often don't believe it in our hearts. We can quote all the Bible verses: "The wages of sin is death", etc., but do we really believe we deserve to die? Do we really believe that not only do we not deserve a bigger TV or a better education for our children or a second child or a fulfilling sex life, we actually deserve death? Friends, we need to pray and ask God to help us to believe we deserve death for our sin. Once you believe that in your heart, everything else is just icing on the cake.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" - Psalm 23:1

Mark #2 of a Healthy Church: Biblical Theology

2011-04-08T12:49:00.006-05:00

We come now to the second mark of a healthy church: Biblical theology. Don't be put off by this title. At first glance it might sound extremely irrelevant to the needs and problems of real people. But the Nine Marks ministry is trying to deal with the issues that lie at the root of our problems. Yes, a healthy church is supposed to pray, love, and evangelize, but why don't we do those things so often? It's because of our theology. What we believe in our minds determines how we behave. In order to be transformed, our minds must be renewed (Romans 12:2).

Neither should we be intimidated by this title. Here’s a simple definition of biblical theology: 1.) deriving our thoughts and beliefs about God from the Bible 2.) in its entirety. This definition has two parts to it.

DERIVING OUR THOUGHTS/BELIEFS ABOUT GOD FROM THE BIBLE

People derive their thoughts and beliefs about God from a variety of sources: sacred texts, parents, professors, movie stars, talk show hosts, personal experiences, and/or popular books. But the number one authority that people rely on, especially today, is their own mind. People will say, “I like to think of God as …” and then they’ll go on to describe their own “custom-fitted deity” as Thabiti M. Anyabwile says on p.28 of What is a Healthy Church Member? Their ultimate source of authority is themselves.

But is that really a sure source of truth? Do we really want to rely on our own intellect and wisdom to discover the truth about God? Think about this: A modern American might say, “God can’t send people to hell and be just”. That’s how we think today. An ancient middle easterner, though, would think quite differently. Instead, he would say, “God can’t justify sinners and be just.” That’s one of the main reasons Paul wrote Romans. Most people living in the first century Roman world couldn’t envision a God who would have mercy on sinners. That was unfair. People have to pay for the evil things they’ve done! How can God be a just God, yet justify (declare not guilty) those who are guilty?! That’s like letting a killer or rapist go free! So, in our age, it’s unthinkable that God will condemn and punish sinners. In days past, however, it was unthinkable that God wouldn’t. One century and culture has a totally different theology from another century and culture.

Does it matter who’s right? Absolutely. If God doesn’t condemn and punish sinners, those who preach that He does are fostering incredible amounts of fear, guilt, and anxiety in others. If God does condemn and punish sinners, those who preach that he doesn’t are leading people into a false sense of security. Someone’s wrong. Someone’s doing something unspeakably horrific.

So, it’s best that we don’t trust our culture for truth. A culture's values will fluctuate. It’s best that we not depend on unreliable, unproven, transient sources of information for the truth about God. The Bible is the only reliable source of truth. It’s the only sacred text that has withstood the test of time. It’s the only sacred text that speaks to the human spirit with such incomparable power. And it’s the only sacred text that offers hope. Every other religious system puts the responsibility on man for salvation. Only the Bible says that salvation is by grace through faith – not works. When a group of secular theologians asked C.S. Lewis what the difference was between Christianity and every other religion he said, “Oh, that’s an easy one: grace”. Only the Bible has the evidence of history and hope on its side.

Therefore, we must derive our thoughts about God from the Bible - not man, not culture, not our own personal experiences. The Bible. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Don’t depend upon your own understanding.” That verse could be the theme verse for this session.

IN ITS ENTIRETY

But there’s a second part to our definition. Biblical theology is: “deriving our thoughts and beliefs about God from the Bible in its entirety.” What do we mean by that? Thabite M. Anyabwile says, “… healthy church members give themselves to understand the unity and progression of the Bible as a whole – not just isolated or favorite passages” (p.28). I’ve done a lot of reading on this over the past couple of days. It was hard to nail down what various theologians and pastors were saying when they kept emphasizing the need to understand that the Bible is “…one awesome story of God redeeming for himself a people for his own glory.” They kept emphasizing the need to understand that the Bible is a story. And I kept thinking, “Why is there a need to emphasize this?” After reflecting on the matter, I think there are at least three important reasons:

First, if we don’t see the Bible as a story, our lives will lack hope. And here’s why I say that: if we simply view the Bible as a collection of unrelated stories and prophecies that were meant to teach us how to live, then we are turning the Bible into the law, not the gospel. For example, if the story of Daniel is just a story about a young Jewish boy who lived a commendable, devout life unto the Lord in the midst of a pagan society (Babylon), and if all we do is say, “Therefore, we Christians ought to live with the same amount of devotion in our pagan society”, then the Bible simply becomes a collected group of unrelated stories that were only meant to show us what we should do for God rather than what God has done for us. If we view the Bible simply as a manual for what we should do for God, we’ll become religious, proud, and miserable. However, if the Bible is primarily the story of what God has done for us, we’ll experience freedom, humility, and hope. This does not mean that the stories of the Bible don’t show us what we should do for God, but the only way we can live for God is when we understand what he has done for us. In short, the only way we can obey the law is if we understand the gospel. The Bible, first and foremost, is a story of what God has done for us. The Bible is not primarily a story of saints who do the right thing. The Bible is primarily a story of sinners who do the wrong thing. That’s one of the biggest reasons the Bible is such a credible historical document. It doesn’t seek to glorify the authors and the people of Israel like every other nation’s history does. Instead, it seeks to glorify the God who saves them despite their foolishness, shame, and weakness.

If the Bible is primarily a collection of unrelated stories meant to instruct us on moral living, we’re all cooked. But if the Bible is primarily a text of interrelated stories with a beginning, middle, and end, then there’s hope. God inspires obedience by grace, not law. He doesn’t say to his people, “If you obey the 10 commandments I will deliver you out of Egypt.” He says, “I am the God who delivered you out of Egypt, therefore obey the 10 commandments.” And that same concept is seen all throughout Scripture.

Second, if we don’t see the Bible as a story, we’ll create a false dichotomy between the Old and New Testaments. How many times have you heard someone say, “I like the New Testament more than the Old Testament. The OT was about judgment, wrath, and punishment. The NT is about hope, love, and peace!” That sort of thinking is the result of not understanding that the Bible is one grand story. The same God who was telling the story in the OT is the same God telling it in the NT, and as the Bible says, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Malachi 3:6). And as Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Anyone who thinks the God of the OT is only punishing and condemnatory might benefit from actually reading the OT sometime. The God of the OT is breathtakingly merciful and loving. And anyone who thinks the God of the NT is only gracious and merciful might benefit from actually reading the NT sometime (i.e. the book of Revelation). Yes, Jesus said that he did not “… come into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). But what about the next verse? John 3:18? … “Whoever does not believe is condemned already”. Jesus wasn’t saying, “I won’t condemn you.” He was saying, “You’re already condemned, but I’m here to save you … if you believe.” That’s a different picture from what we often times get.

You see, if we don’t fixate in our minds that the Bible is one story from Genesis to Revelation then we could be tempted to think of God as a changing deity who didn’t quite do things right the first time. The truth is, everything is going just as the Author of our faith has planned it to go and the New Testament is not a redo, it’s a continuation – a continuation of the story started in Genesis chapter one.

Thirdly, if we don’t see the Bible as a story, we won’t view Jesus with the awe he deserves. If we view the Bible as a book of unrelated stories, and not one large story, Jesus will be forever relegated to the New Testament and the four gospels in our minds. We’ll think that God the Father did all the work in the OT, God the Son did all the work in the gospels, and God the Spirit does all the work in the church age. Nothing could be further from the truth. All three have been equally active in every age. Their visibility has been different, but their activity has been equal. Jesus didn’t start his ministry in the gospels. Jesus started his ministry in Genesis 1 where it says, “In the beginning God created…” As Colossians 1:16 says, “By him all things were created…” God creates by speaking His Word. Jesus is that Word (John1:1-5).

Additionally, Jesus is all throughout the rest of the OT. He’s the seed (singular) of the woman in Genesis 3:15 who will one day crush the head of Satan and put an end to all evil. We remember Moses, who mediated between man and God. Christ, though, is the superior-perfect mediator because he’s both God and man, perfectly representing both sides. We know about Isaac who was offered as a sacrifice as Abraham’s one and only son. Christ, though, is the superior-perfect sacrifice because, unlike Isaac's father, Jesus' Father followed through on the piercing. We know of the lambs that were slaughtered to cover the sins of the Jews. But Christ is the superior-perfect Lamb of God because He doesn't just cover sins temporarily, He takes them away permanently, and not just for Israel, but the whole world (John 1:29). He’s like King David, but he’s the superior-perfect King "whose kingdom will never end" (2 Sam.7:16). We’ve read about Melchizidek, the High Priest of Salem whose origin and destination were unknown. Christ is the superior-perfect Melkizideck who said, “You do not know where I have come from nor do you know where I am going” (John 8:14). Christ is the superior-perfect Adam, Joshua, Jonah, and Boaz. These men were shadows. Christ is the substance. He’s the superior-perfect tabernacle and temple, for in Christ we have total access to God’s presence. He’s the superior-perfect promised land, for in Christ we have perfect peace and rest. He’s the true light, the true bread, the true rock in the dessert. He’s the true Israel. He’s the true Firstborn.

It's unreal how many people, places, and things in the OT were symbols, copies, and "types" of Christ. They were all shadows. But Christ was the one casting those shadows (Colossians 2:17). Today, many religious people are in bondage to the shadows. They think the shadows will save them. But only the shadow-caster can save them. When we realize that the Bible is a collection of interrelated stories, Christ is seen all throughout the Bible, not just one part, and as a result who he is becomes greater and more valuable in our eyes.

Let us remember that there was a tree in the middle of paradise at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 2), and there’s a tree in the middle of paradise at the end of the Bible (Revelation 22). It’s one story. You’re in that story. You’re a part of that story. And that story is coming to a close soon. But God will begin a new story once the old one is over. The good thing about the new story? There is no final chapter.

Mark #1 of a Healthy Church: Expository Preaching

2011-03-30T17:07:00.027-05:00

Before we talk about the benefits of expository preaching, we need to know what it is. Here’s a simple definition of expository preaching: explaining a portion of Scripture in context. There are three parts to this definition.

EXPLAINING

The word “expository” simply means “to explain”. And there are two things you’re explaining about the Scripture: its meaning (interpretation), and its importance (application).

Sometimes we teachers are very good at showing the meaning of Scripture, but we're not so good at showing its importance. Have you ever sat through a sermon and thought to yourself, “This is all true, but why does it matter?" For example, a teacher might be very good at explaining the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew. He can teach you who each person is. He can show you how Matthew’s genealogy differs from Luke’s genealogy. He can explain to you what’s meant by “deportation” and where Babylon is. He’ll demonstrate how Matthew’s genealogy is a legal genealogy as opposed to a physical genealogy (since it’s Joseph’s genealogy and Joseph was only Jesus’ legal father, not his actual physical father).

But a true expository message isn't a running commentary. It’s also supposed to show why it matters to us today.

In order to do that, then, a preacher would need to show you that Matthew doesn’t list every single person in Joseph’s genealogy. Matthew hand selects certain names. Some of those names you’d be proud to have in your genealogy, like King David! Those names demonstrate Jesus’ right to be king over Israel. But some of those names you wouldn’t be so proud to be associated with, like “David…the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah” (v.6). Hmmm. Why does Matthew say “by the wife of Uriah”? He doesn’t say “by the wife of” for any other person on the list. Why now? And why her? The “wife of Uriah” was Bathsheba. David had an affair with her and then killed Uriah. Why point this out? This is a King’s genealogy for goodness sake!

From this we learn that Matthew is showing that, yes, Jesus is a King, but he’s also a gracious King who came to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Therefore, we also learn that it doesn’t matter what my history is. It doesn’t matter how sinful I’ve been. Jesus is a King like no other. His mercy to those who break his laws and rebel against his authority is like no other king on the face of the earth. He’s a King, but He’s a gracious and merciful King.

That’s expository preaching. It explains what it meant to the original audience but it applies that meaning to the contemporary audience, and not just the contemporary audience in general, but the contemporary audience of your specific church.

SCRIPTURE

But there’s a second element to expository preaching that can’t be overlooked. Notice I stated at the beginning that expository preaching is “explaining a portion of Scripture in context.” The operative word there is “Scripture”! True preaching does not stray into personal opinion or self-derived ideas. It teaches the Scripture. It teaches God’s ideas. As Paul said to the Timothy, “Preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:1). Paul had to say that because the tendency is to teach other things – interesting things, modern things, untrue things, or even true things that are not appropriate for a church setting.

Someone once told me that her father used to dedicate whole sermons to just talking about the glory of nature. He was a nature enthusiast. He would show slideshows of different places he’d been. And I’m sure it was interesting. And I’m sure he was saying true things about nature. But he wasn’t preaching the Scripture, God’s Word.

In that passage where Paul exhorts Timothy to "Preach the Word", he goes on to explain why Timothy is to preach the Word, as opposed to other things: “For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). People want to hear interesting things, political things, untrue things, and even unspiritual true things. As long as it’s not the gospel, they don’t care. The gospel devastates our pride and rebukes our self-righteousness. It’s a bloody, violent message that shows us how short we fall of God’s righteous standard, and hence our need for a Savior-Substitute. Nevertheless, it’s the message we’ve been entrusted with, and therefore it's the message we are to proclaim.

CONTEXT

But there’s a third and final aspect to expository preaching. Expository preaching is “explaining a portion of Scripture in context.” Here's an example of why its important to interpret Scripture in context: How many times have you heard someone say, “Brother, we should pray over this matter. After all, Jesus said, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them!'”

A closer look at the passage, though, reveals that Jesus isn't really addressing the subject of prayer. He's talking about church discipline. He is saying that a church should be confident that it has the Lord’s support when it disciplines someone in the church who’s been proven guilty of unrepentant sin. Those situations are difficult. We tend to doubt our authority to discipline another sinner. After all .. who are we? But God assures us of his backing if we do things biblically. That passage has little, if anything, to do with prayer. When I was a kid I used to think to myself, “Is Jesus not here if I don't have a second or third person with me?" Context is critical.

And the best way to preach a message in context is to preach through a book of the Bible. Notice I said the best way. It’s not the only way. I might preach one sermon some Sunday from Philippians 4 having never preached Philippians 1-3. I can still preach that passage in context, as long as I explain what’s been going on in the church (that Philippi was under great stress for various reasons, therefore Paul talks about anxiety and peace in chapter four). But it’s most ideal to preach through a book because then you and your audience have a greater knowledge of the context heading into each passage you’re preaching on.

So that’s expository preaching: explaining a portion of Scripture in context.

THE BENEFITS OF EXPOSITORY PREACHING

Below I’ve listed every benefit of expository preaching I could find and think of. I think you’ll see the wisdom of an expositional, book-by-by, chapter-by-chapter approach to preaching. Expositional preaching …

Forces the preacher to proclaim offensive portions of Scripture. If I’m going through a book of the Bible, I don’t have the luxury of skipping over portions of Scripture that aren’t “positive and uplifting – LIFE 102.5”. In short, I am forced to preach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). And that’s a good thing, not only for you, but for me, as a preacher, since doing so makes me “innocent of the blood of all of you” (Acts 20:26). If I'm not forced to preach through books of the Bible, then I could be tempted to just pick and choose which passages to preach. I could dodge every verse that could be potentially offensive to my audience. Expositional preaching keeps me from doing that.

Forces the preacher to learn confusing portions of Scripture. Not only does expositional preaching force a teacher to deal with offensive portions of Scripture, but it forces him to deal with portions he doesn't understand. And this causes him and his people to grow. If all I do is preach clear passages, then I’m not growing and neither are my people. Non-expositional preachers are tempting themselves to stay with passages they understand.

Keeps the preacher from having to think up a new message every Sunday – aka “Saturday Night Fever”. When you’re preaching through a book of the Bible, you always know what you’re going to be preaching next. You don’t have to go flipping through the Bible looking for that one passage that leaps off the page. Some might say, “That’s not very Spirit-led!” But I kindly beg to differ. I can’t tell you how many sermons I’ve preached that have coincided with the events of people’s lives. And that leads me to my fourth point …

Helps people to see the hand of God moving in the church in a more powerful way. What I mean is this: If I’m simply preaching through a book of the Bible yet my passage coincides exactly with current events (globally, nationally, or locally), people are going to stand amazed at God’s sovereign orchestration. However, if I choose a text to coincide with current events, they won’t see God’s sovereign orchestration nearly as well. One time as I was going through the book of James I came to the part in chapter four where he says, “You adulterers!” When I preached that a woman got up and left the auditorium. Later that afternoon I got a phone call from her. She had cheated on her husband the night before. Although this was a sober situation, it was a huge confirmation to me that God was working through our ministry.

Keeps people from thinking you’re picking on them. When you’re simply going through a book of the Bible, people aren’t so prone to think you’ve tailored your sermon just for them. Now, granted, an expositor can still tailor portions of his message to certain people, but people will be less suspicious of your sermon if it’s simply the next passage in line than if you had personally chosen it.

It helps people to learn the Scripture in context. This point was elaborated on earlier.

It produces confidence in your people that what you’re saying is what God is saying. When I’m forced to take a passage of Scripture and turn that passage into my outline, that’s going to breed confidence in our hearers that our greatest concern is conveying what God intended us to learn. Proof-texting has its positives and negatives. One of the negatives is it leaves you with the impression that the preacher is taking various verses from the Bible and using those verses to support his thought. Fundamentally, though, expository preaching is about bending my thoughts towards God’s thoughts. I’m allowing the text to form my thinking. I’m not projecting my thinking on to the text. A good expositor will often be surprised by the true point of a passage after his study is complete.

Glorifies God by completely depending upon Him for our message. There’s a way of preaching that glorifies self instead of God and His Word. However, when we say what the text is saying and stick to that, we’re saying to our church: “I trust God more than myself to meet your needs”. In return, God receives glory because of how much you are trusting in him. If I get up there and give you “advice for life” and “tips for trials”, and it’s not rooted in Scripture, even if what I’m saying is true, I’m not bringing glory to God and His Word. I’m bringing glory to myself. Often times when I examine someone about their pastor they’ll say to me, “Well, he doesn’t necessarily use a whole lot of Scripture, but he still speaks truth.” That concerns me. Let’s say he is saying true, biblical things. If he’s not showing you how he got those truths from Scripture, you might be prone to think his message is rooted in his own wisdom rather than God’s. When we show people we got our wisdom from Scripture, we draw people to God and we draw them to Scripture. If we don’t, we draw them to ourselves. The former draws people to God as the savior, the latter draws people to you as the savior.

Helps avoid “hobby horse” preaching. Every pastor has certain themes and truths God has taught him well. The temptation is to preach on those things over and over again because you do know them well and you know how to say them well. And that’s OK to a certain extent, but taken to the extreme it’s not healthy. There are other themes that need to be explored for a church’s spiritual health. Justification is wonderful, but there are issues like suffering that need exploring and explaining. Teaching about the end times is critical, but there are issues of ecclesiology that we need to study as well. Like food, we need a balanced diet.

AN EXAMPLE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Listen to this amazing story from the book of Nehemiah about Ezra, a great expositor of God's Word:

"And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month ... And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose ... Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them" (Nehemiah 8:1-12).

There's a need for men who will stand and explain the Scriptures to God's people. The Scriptures are filled with the two most important things we all need: grace and truth. Ezra spoke the truth. He explained how Israel had sinned and transgressed the Lord. But then he comforted them: "Do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is your strength". It was the careful explanation and comforting encouragement from God's Word that caused the people to depart "with great rejoicing". And the same healing formula still holds true to this day.

Busyness: The Noble Sin

2011-03-22T09:47:00.009-05:00

We all know that many years ago people didn't believe smoking was harmful for your health. But did you know that some people actually thought it was good for you? In fact, as the picture on the left shows, even doctors used to say that smoking had a few health benefits! For years people smoked cigarettes without knowing what it was doing to them. No doubt, because of this undiagnosed problem, many people died of cancer and other diseases.

The same thing is happening on a spiritual level in the church today. As Christians, we usually have our list of things that we know aren't good for us: sexual immorality, fighting, bitterness, overeating, cussing, complaining, not going to church, yelling, gossip, slander, too much t.v., filthy entertainment, overspending, and laziness, to name a few. These are what I call "obvious sins". Everyone knows they're bad for you. But then there's the "not-so-obvious" sins. The ones that "fly underneath the radar", so to speak. The ones that usually go undetected. One of the reasons they go undetected is because they actually appear to be good for you. They're like cigarettes (before cigarettes were known to be unhealthy).

One of the biggest examples of this is busyness. Busyness doesn't look like sin. Busyness doesn't feel like sin. Yes, it's true that we often complain about how busy we are and how it's causing problems and stress, etc., but in reality, we don't view it with the same amount of fear as we do addictions and perversions and other "obvious sins". In fact, we view it as necessary. There's no other choice! We have to work two jobs. We have to have our kids in both programs. We have to do the dishes. We have to write that birthday card. We have to make that phone call. We have to show up for this function and that function. These things are necessary! But ... are they?

Many of you already know the story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10. Jesus comes to their house. Mary sits at Jesus' feet and listens to his teachings all afternoon. Martha, though, chooses to busy herself with all the necessary preparations: cooking, preparing the guest beds, etc. And as she's making these necessary preparations throughout the day, she's getting progressively angrier and angrier - and not just at Mary, for not helping her, mind you, but at Jesus for not telling Mary to help her (v.40).

The result? Martha's life is an anxious, angry, frustrating mess.

Many of us are just like Martha. We have busied our lives with so many things. Like Martha, we are, as Jesus said to Martha, "anxious and troubled about many things (v.41). We are, as Luke described Martha, "distracted with much serving" (v.40). But the price of this "noble sin" is nothing but misery.

At the end of the story, even though Jesus is compassionate toward Martha, he is not complementary. Jesus doesn't say, "Your servant's heart is trying to do too much! I appreciate everything you're trying to do for me and my twelve apostles, but you need to slow down." Nope. That's not what Jesus says. Jesus rebukes her in love: "... only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (v.42).

Jesus says three things ...

First, "only one thing is necessary". This isn't a license to forsake our responsibilities. I'm sure some of us will rationalize our laziness as spirituality. I once had a roommate tell me that he got "C's" and "D's" because he preferred to devote most of his time listening to other people's problems. I knew immediately he was rationalizing. God doesn't want us to twist this story into a license to be lazy. Sometimes, the more spiritual thing to do is put down our newest Christian best seller and go help our wives with some housework. Scripture commends hard work. Having said that, though, when hard work gets in the way of learning God's truth and hearing the word of Christ, then we've got a problem - a huge, life-threatening problem.

Second, Jesus says, "Mary has chosen the good portion". Notice those two words: "good portion". That's food language. There are a lot of things we can choose to eat. There are a lot of things we can choose to fill our stomachs with. There are a lot of things that satisfy. But only one thing satisfies deeply and permanently: Jesus' words. As Jesus said, "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Jeremiah said, "Your words were found and I ate them and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart" (15:16). David said, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103)." Job said, "I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food" (Job 23:12).

When I was first dating Laura, if I had been cooking a meal and was just about ready to sit down to eat it, and if she had called right at that moment, you better believe I would have forsaken my dinner to hear her voice. Her voice, her presence, and her love were much more satisfying to me than food.

Thirdly, Jesus said that the good portion Mary chose: "...will not be taken away from her". When you think about it, the real difference between Martha and Mary wasn't that one chose to listen and one chose to work. The difference was this: one was bringing glory to Christ and the other one was trying to bring glory to herself. How do I know that? Because countless people sit and listen to Jesus. Every Sunday scores of people sit and listen to Jesus. But they don't do it in a way that honors him. They don't drink it in. They don't receive it. They aren't enthralled by it. They're just there to do their duty and go home. That's not honoring to Christ at all. How would you feel if someone listened to you, but they didn't care what you were saying? How would you feel if someone chose to listen to you simply because they had to, not because they wanted to? You'd feel disrespected, devalued, and dishonored. That's how God feels when we listen to him for the wrong reasons.

So, it wasn't so much the action that mattered, but the heart behind the action. Martha was anxious, upset, and troubled. But why? Have you ever wondered why she was so upset and anxious? Do you think there's a possibility that she was afraid of how she'd look if she didn't get everything done? Do you think there's a possibility that she was more concerned with her own image than with God's image? Perhaps the true heart behind all her "service" was a desire to look impressive. And when that image is threatened, we get angry, upset, and anxious. And this is how utterly out of hand our desire to booster our own image gets: we dare to rebuke God himself. Martha wasn't just worried that things wouldn't get done for her guests. She was worried about her own reputation. So much so, that she focused on her responsibilities more than glorifying God by sitting at his feet and drinking in his every Word.

Beloved, let us examine our hearts. Who are we reallying working so hard for? Jesus doesn't want us anxious, angry, and upset. If you go down that road, you'll be hostile towards those who are resting in Jesus, and you might even get hostile towards God himself. Stop the insanity and come sit at the feet of the one who is trying to speak his all-satisfying Word to you. Choose the good portion.

Only Little Children Go To Heaven

2010-12-18T11:35:00.010-06:00

Jesus said, "Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven" (Matt.18:3). Jesus, of course, isn't talking about becoming little children literally, but spiritually.

The type of "child" Jesus is talking about ...

1. ... is dependent upon his Father for everything. Food. Shelter. Love. Comfort. Protection. Provision. A little child can't provide for himself. A little child would die without an overseer, a parental figure. A little child would be lost without his Father.

2. ... doesn't mind being dependent on his Father. A little child isn't proud, thinking to himself, "I hate it that I'm dependent on my Father for food and clothing and comfort and love and protection. I wish I could do it myself so people would admire me instead of him."

3. ... assumes he'll be totally fine as long as his Father is there. My little girls don't ever worry about money. They don't worry about whether or not I'm going to put food on the table. They just assume that it will always be there. They assume they'll always be happy and comfortable and warm and joyous. And when anything happens to them that cuts into that assumption, it's a complete and utter shock to their system. They never think to themselves, "I wonder if I'm going to be happy today?" They live in total dependence.

4. ... brings honor to his Father. In being so completely and utterly dependent upon his Father, a child brings honor and glory to his Father. A little child who is afraid of his Father, who runs away from his Father, who is fearful of his Father, who is terrified of his Father, exposes the horrible nature of his Father. If an abusive father drives up the driveway, and the little child runs and hides in his closet, he shames that father - and rightly so. But, when the little child is confident of his father's love and mercy and lives that way, the Father receives glory and honor.

When we constantly run from God, we dishonor him.

When we assume everything's a punishment, we dishonor him.

When we worry, we dishonor him. If we, though we are evil, love and provide for our children, how much more does our Heavenly Father love and provide for us? If He always provides for the animals, how much more will he always provide for us?

When we live in fear of Him, we dishonor him.

Dependence is the essence of faith. When you think of the word "faith", the first word that should come to mind is "dependence". Why does God require faith alone for salvation (Ephesians 2:8)? Because faith says, "I can't do it. I am completely dependent upon you for everything: salvation, joy, peace, forgiveness, provision, protection, eternal life ... everything." As the Scripture says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..." (James 1:17). EVERY good and perfect gift. Faith is total dependence upon God for everything. That's the essence of faith, the very definition of faith.

To live in faith means to be generous with our money.

To live in faith means to ask God for things all the time.

To live in faith means we trust his every Word, even if we don't understand it all.

To live in faith means we don't need to spend all our energy and focus on money and career.

To live in faith means we don't need to look to silly, shallow, temporary comforts for peace. He'll provide peace as we trust in Him (Romans 15:13).

To live in faith means we don't need to tear others down to make ourselves feel righteous. We don't need to boast of our good works. We can confess our sins to one another. He'll provide the righteousness we need to feel good about ourselves (Philippians 3:9!) - the righteousness provided by Jesus' substitutionary life and death.

To live in faith means treating our enemies with kindness when they treat us with cruelty because we know that God will provide justice (Romans 12:17-21).

To live in faith means we can thank God for every trial, every pain, because we know that they are achieving for us a joy that far outweighs all the trials put together (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Faith = dependence.

An Amazing Experience For Any Family (A Satire)

2010-11-17T16:57:00.010-06:00

I saw an attractive looking advertisement a few weeks ago from a popular place in Madison that seemed to be offering a number of items I thought our family could use, and I must say: the advertisement was impressive.

The Dad had brown hair, and he was tall, slim, and good looking. The Mom, of course, was slender, beautiful, and blonde. The boy was a miniature version of the Dad and the girl was a miniature version of the Mom. They were the perfect family. I knew it was just an advertisement, and I knew the people in the advertisement were obviously just models, but they looked so happy and full of life that I was foolishly drawn into thinking that I would be like them if I went to this place. So I packed up my family on a Saturday afternoon and we went there. Their hours were very convenient and suitable to our lifestyle. They were open for service at the time that we needed them to be.

We pulled up to the building where there was plenty of parking. As we walked into the building we immediately began looking around to see if they had what we wanted. I was very comfortable because there were lots of people there. I was totally anonymous. It wasn't like one of those Mom and Pop stores where you walk in and feel like you're being watched by everyone there. I like personal attention, but only when I ask for it and need it. We didn't talk to anyone, nor did anyone talk to us. We were in, and an hour later, we were out. It was quick, painless, and convenient.

The children loved it. They couldn't wait to go back. There was a special children's section with toys, slides, games, and plasma TV's with wholesome cartoons playing. My wife liked it because of the music. She said that the music coming through the speakers put her in a good mood. It was uplifting and upbeat. She said it lifted her spirits. I guess I liked it too, but most of the things there seemed to be geared towards women and children, not men. I liked the convenience, I liked walking around and perusing everything, but I need more than that. Even though it was a positive experience, I still left wondering if this is what my life had been reduced to.

But hey, I can't complain. Everything there was tailored towards our needs. The food court and coffee bar were nice and the people who ran the whole operation were totally non-intrusive. The one time I did complain about something, they just nervously smiled and quickly tried to meet my demands. Nobody did or said anything that made me upset. The service was awesome. As we were walking out, we decided that if we ever needed to go back, we would.

After our time there, we drove to the mall to have some fun. It was a good day.

A Wise and Very Helpful Word About Legalism by C.S. Lewis

2010-11-12T00:12:00.000-06:00

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/11/12/lewis-on-the-legalistic-temptation/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+between2worlds+(Between+Two+Worlds)

An Excellent Resource

2010-11-02T15:47:00.007-05:00

I would like to recommend to you an excellent resource for biblical education and spiritual growth. It's a website:

http://www.macarthurcommentaries.com/Archive.aspx?view=10/2010

At this website you can listen to short, two minute answers to a whole host of common questions Christians often have about a variety of subjects about Christianity and the Bible. The answers are provided by respected pastor, Bible teacher, and author, John MacArthur. Here's a sample list of questions:

1.) How soon should you be baptized after believing?

2.) What is a "weak conscience"?

3.) Why was Jesus baptized?

4.) Should Christians keep the Sabbath?

5.) What does it mean to "provoke your children"?

Next to each audio clip there's a link called "Read from the Commentary" where you can explore the same question beyond John MacArthur's two minute response.

Maybe you and your spouse take your laptop, sit down in bed before you go to sleep, and listen to a handful of these short answers. They can be great conversation starters.

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

- Colossians 1:9-10

How Helping the Poor Could Potentially Be an Evil Act

2010-10-15T16:28:00.003-05:00

If you're reading this blog entry, I'm guessing it's because you're pretty surprised by the title. Let me explain ...

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus taught what appears to be two contradictory truths: In Matthew 5:15-16 he says, "People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." However, later, in 6:1, he says, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." In chapter five Jesus seems to approve of doing good works in front of others, but in chapter six he appears to disapprove of it. So what's the deal?

A closer look at these verses teaches us that it all depends on the motive of your heart. If your motive is to bring glory to God, then doing good works for others to see is a good thing. However, if your motive is to bring glory to yourself, it's not a good thing. In chapter five, Jesus speaks of doing works in front of others "so that they may ... give glory to your Father who is in heaven." In chapter six, Jesus speaks of doing works in front of others "in order to be seen by them". It all depends on your motives.

For example, there have been times when I have mentioned the regularity of my prayer life in order to set a Godly pattern for those I'm discipling. I want to be an example for them. But most of all, I want them to see how utterly important, glorious, and delightful Jesus is. In doing this, I turn their attention toward Christ. However, there have been other times when I've mentioned the regularity of my prayer life in order to draw attention to myself, so that people would admire me. The former was done for God's glory, the latter for my glory. Therefore, it all depends on one's motive.

Why is it wrong, and even evil, to do good works in order to be seen by others? Because it draws people away from God and toward us. When I do things so that people will be in awe of me, I cause them to want me, desire me, and look to me. When I do things so that people will be in awe of God, I cause them to want him, desire him, and look to him. If I draw them to me, I draw them to a false source of joy. If I draw them to God, I draw them to the true source of joy. Therefore, helping the poor, or any good deed for that matter, could potentially be an evil act if we do it in such a way that draws attention to ourselves because in so doing we are drawing people away from the "fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9), and thereby leading them to death.

25 Books in 25 Days: Kingdom Living: Here and Now (#1)

2010-10-04T11:11:00.003-05:00

Now, before you wrinkle your brow, just remember that this list is my personal top 25 favorite Christian books of all time, not the top 25 of all time. This is the book that God sovereignly used in my life to make Jesus Christ my greatest passion. Not only have I read this book at least twice, but I've also listened to the sermon series its based on at least twice.

John MacArthur's teachings on the Beatitudes have been the foundation of my walk with the Lord and the ministry He has given me. This book is written with the same two characteristics that I believe make for the best Christian communication: precision and passion, clarity and confidence. You don't feel like you're reading a book with Kingdom Living: Here and Now. You feel like you're listening to someone preaching with passion, and some voice recorder is spewing the words out onto a page. They say the best writers write like they speak. I agree with that, and that's what makes this book such an interesting, understandable, engaging read.

MacArthur goes through each of the Beatitudes one by one, explaining what Jesus meant. He shows how Jesus' path to "Blessedness" is utterly scandalous to sinful man. Jesus preaches things that run totally contrary to our expectations. He explains how hungering and thirsting are the only way to be filled. Meekness is the only way to take over the world. Sorrow is the only way to comfort. How being hated and persecuted should make you jump for joy.

I won't ruin it for you by telling you everything that's in the book. All I have to say is, this is the book I recommend to people the most. It will teach you God's path to happiness (or "Joy", whatever you want to call it). And you'll have to make a decision: Will I believe this, or will I reject it?

The book has been republished under another title: "The Only Way to Happiness". Personally, I prefer the original title.

25 Books in 25 Days: The Life and Times of George Whitefield (#2)

2010-10-02T15:16:00.003-05:00

I'm almost tempted to say that George Whitefield is my favorite Christian in church history (apart from the apostle Paul). That's hard to say in light of men like Luther, Calvin, and Edwards. I guess one reason I feel that way about Whitefield is because he was a Calvinist, but he was also an evangelist. He was a preacher, yet he also started orphanages. He was a man of great passion, thunder, and conviction, yet in his preaching there was such love and compassion and humility. When he wrote letters of rebuke to his arminian friends, they weren't filled with hostility, they were filled with love. He was a scholar, yet he was a person who ministered from his heart. He was an amazing balance of seemingly opposing Christian virtues.

The best sermon I've ever heard in my life is Whitefield's "Method of Grace". I thought to myself, "I've never heard such a clear, understandable, yet biblical message in my life. It's so convicting. It makes me shake in my shoes. BUT, it's filled with so much love and humility." I guess I love Whitefield so much because he was like Christ - full of grace and truth; truth and grace.

His ministry, sermons, and philosophy of ministry have shaped, and continue to shape, my own ministry, sermons, and philosophy of ministry. This book is probably one of the most popular, if not the most popular, biographies on George Whitefield. I highly recommend everyone get to know this man that I'm thankful to God for.

25 Books in 25 Days: The Cost of Discipleship (#3)

2010-10-01T09:02:00.004-05:00

God used this book in my life to teach me that "grace isn't cheap". A person cannot just live a "comfortable Christian life" with no cost. When Christ calls a person, He calls them to "come and die". Today, the message from many modern pulpits is "come and have it all through Christ; He'll make life much better for you!" Well, yes and no. He'll give you hope, but in order to have that hope we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. We must hate this life and live for "a better country" as Hebrews says. We, like Moses, refuse to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short while. Instead, by faith we look to the future, knowing that God will give us what he promised - a place of eternal rest. Those who truly have this faith forsake this world and live for the next. We consider ourselves strangers, piligrims, foreigners in this life.

Today the message is, "There's no cost in being a disciple". But these are false assurances. There's a huge cost required. For Jesus said, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ... therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14).

The author of the book of Hebrews makes the point that even though Cain is dead, he still speaks. The same is true of Bonhoeffer - even though he's dead, his life and message still speak powerfully today, especially in our nation of rights, comfort, luxury, and ease.

25 Books in 25 Days: The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness (#4)

2010-09-30T16:57:00.004-05:00

There's a reason this book is #4 on my all time favorite list: because it's the best teaching I've ever found on the subject of forgiveness - a subject that profoundly touches everyone's life. MacArthur explains that once we understand who we really are, how bad we really are, how hurtful, offensive, and enraging our behavior toward God has been and how he treated us with love in spite of our wrongs, then, and only then, can we begin to live a life of forgiveness. As is true with every struggle we have, the gospel is the cure.

MacArthur answers difficult questions like: 1.) Are we supposed to forgive people if they never repent? 2.) Is there a clear process that we can look to in the Bible when someone sins against me? 3.) When should I "overlook an offense", as the Proverbs say to do, and when should I confront? 4.) What does it mean to forgive 70x7 as Jesus taught? 5.) What is the ultimate motivation for living a life of forgiveness?

I normally don't like to get very personal in these book reviews, but I will tell you this book brought me to tears on more than one occasion. I hope God uses it in your life to the same degree he has mine. I've read it twice already and I'm sure I'll end up reading it again. :-)

25 Books in 25 Days: The Bondage of the Will (#5)

2010-09-29T10:42:00.003-05:00

If I told you that this is arguably the most important book written by someone who was arguably the most important figure during what was arguably the most important time in church history, would you be interested? The Bondage of the Will is considered by many to be the most important theological work of the Reformation. Luther himself said it was his most important book, and not that he needs my confirmation, but I couldn't agree more.

Luther wrote this book in response to one of his contemporaries, Erasmus. Erasmus taught that human beings had the capacity to freely obey God's commands. Luther taught that ever since the fall, our will has been in bondage to sin and is therefore completely unable to obey God's commands. The good news of the gospel of grace, though, was that God lovingly and sovereignly intervenes by His Spirit and changes our hearts by grace through faith in the substitutionary life and death of Jesus Christ. Our conversion, our ability to "see the light", our ability to believe, is all the work of God - an act of his loving mercy. It had nothing to do with our works or even our desire.

So what is the purpose of God's commands, then? Why would God command something if he knew we couldn't obey it? Luther responds with Romans 3:20: "Through the law comes the knowledge of sin." God's commands are designed to show us our inability to obey. The Sermon on the Mount wasn't a "How-To Manual". Jesus didn't preach that sermon so we could say, "Oh, this is what I should do to start pleasing God. I need to start doing all these things in order to be acceptable to Him." No. Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount so we would say, "That's impossible. If that's what I need to do to please God, I'm cooked." Jesus preached that sermon to foster desperation in the human heart. He preached it so we would be driven to call out for mercy and depend on Him for salvation, instead trusting in ourselves.

The Law (God's commands) devastates. It kills. It (should) shatters our perceptions of our own goodness, drive us to our knees like the repentant tax collector of Luke 18, and cause us to cry out, "Oh Lord, have mercy on me a sinner". The law drives us to utter dependence on the Savior. Who needs a Savior if you yourself are able to fulfill the law?

Once you believe, God gives you his Spirit, which in turn, enables you to fulfill the law of love. But until the Spirit possesses us and we possess the Spirit, though, we are unable to obey freely. Salvation isn't synergistic (two beings working together to make something happen), rather it is monergistic (one being making something happen). This is the good news of the gospel of grace. It is so freeing, so lovely, and so wonderful that it should cause us to spend the rest of our lives in humble devotion to our Lord. We should say, "How could I not live for Him after all He's done for me?"

I've provided a number of great quotes from The Bondage of the Will through the following link: http://www.reformationtheology.com/2005/12/martin_luther_on_the_bondage_o_1.php

25 Books in 25 Days: The Knowledge of the Holy (#6)

2010-09-28T09:35:00.003-05:00

Chapter one of The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer begins with this sentence: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us" (p.1). This has become a classic and beloved sentence among students of the Bible the world over. Truer words were never spoken.

We live in an age when the knowledge of God isn't seen as relevant. Yesterday I heard a popular Christian pastor being interviewed on the radio. He said that God wants us to recognize that there's a hero inside each one of us, and that God wants us to wake up to this reality so we can fulfill the dreams we have for our lives. This is the typical American gospel being espoused today. According to this pseudo-gospel, the most important thing is for you to realize your potential so that you can fulfill the dreams you have for your life. But that has absolutely nothing to do with the biblical gospel. The biblical gospel is this: We're selfish and sinful and therefore we generally only care about our own dreams. In our selfish pursuit to focus on and fulfill our own dreams, we screw our lives up pretty bad. God, though, in his great love for us, saves us (not because of anything we have done) from the folly of our own selfish dreams and makes us vessels to fulfill His dreams (which, by the way, are much more satisfying to our souls than our own paltry dreams).

We tend to only care about our own life, our own dreams, our own pursuits, and almost all of our thinking, energy, resources, and time go into our own dreams instead of God's dreams. Therefore, when we hear people say, "What you really need is to know who God is", it's like they're speaking a foreign language. We don't understand how knowing God's character isn't just the most important thing we need, it's the only thing we need. Seeing God, lifted up, high and holy, just as Isaiah did, is all we need. We need the glory of Christ revealed to us. Like Moses, when given the opportunity to ask anything from God, we should say, "Show me your glory". Seeing and knowing God will calm our fears, give us full joy, foster humility (which, in turn, will revolutionize our relationships), it will cause us to see ourselves for who we really are (which in turn, will cause us to be in awe of his grace). In effect, it will heal all our ills.

Lord, show us your glory. Amen.

25 Books in 25 Days: Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (#7)

2010-09-27T17:46:00.005-05:00

If you haven't read the story of Martin Luther, I highly recommend this book. Every Christian should be well familiar with this man. Martin Luther is the most well known figure associated with the Reformation. The Reformation was the most critical time in the history of the church. During this period, God raised up men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and many others to stand against the corruption of the Catholic Church. This is when the Protestant church was formed. These reformers stood against the many heresies of the Catholic Church that still continue on 'till this day.

The reformers said, "You don't need faith + works for salvation, just faith alone. Works don't provide a person with salvation, works only prove one's salvation (thus the phrase's sola fide = faith alone and sola gracia = by grace alone.)

The reformers said, "You don't need Christ + any other mediator, like Mary, Peter, or some other saint. Christ is the only mediator between God and man." (Thus the phrase Solus Christus = Christ alone).

The reformers said, "The Bible is the only inspired Word of God. The traditions and teachings of men may be helpful, but they are not the inspired Word of God" (thus the phrase, "Sola Scriptura" = Scripture alone.)

The reformers criticized the Catholic church for the glory they gave certain saints. Our salvation, though, is only from God and therefore the phrase Soli Deo Gloria = glory to God alone.

Martin Luther heralded these concepts in his lifetime and he was persecuted for it by the Catholic Church. In a group gathering in Worms, Germany, numerous Catholic officials demanded that Martin Luther recant his writings against the Catholic Church that declared the gospel of grace and criticized the church for her corruption. If he refused, he would pay for it with his life. Luther stood and declared to them, "I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen." That moment in church history is my favorite. It has been an inspiration that has motivated me to stand for the gospel of grace throughout my ministry.

The story of Martin Luther is riveting, enthralling, dramatic, amazing, and above all, Christ- glorifying. You can't help but feel a deeper love for Christ and his truth after reading this popular biography.

25 Books in 25 Days: Religious Affections (#8)

2010-09-25T09:48:00.008-05:00

I first encountered Religious Affections in Bible college. Since it was written, it has always been a Christian classic, but it gained particular importance in the mid 90's because of the Toronto Blessing. The Toronto Blessing was the name of a "revival" at a Vineyard church in Toronto, Canada. It was very controversial at the time because of the esoteric, weird spiritual experiences practiced like laughing, yelling, falling, barking, roaring, growling and even throwing up in the Spirit. Eventually, the Vineyard movement (the "denomination" that I was ordained in) as a whole disaffiliated itself from this church.

Jonathan Edwards ran into the same problem during the first Great Awakening in the 1730's and 1740's. Some odd signs and "manifestations of the Spirit" occurred during these revivals. Like the Toronto Blessing, many of these "manifestations" got out of control and people were beginning to wonder what was truly of the Spirit and what wasn't. How could you tell? Some things were undeniably God-inspired, but many other acts were obviously centered in the flesh, not the Spirit.

Edwards wrote Religious Affections in response to these questions. In this book he asks the question, "What will be the signs of experiencing a true movement of the Holy Spirit? What are the signs of true, God-inspired revivals?" The answers are complex, exhaustive, and detailed (since Edwards was often complex, exhaustive, and detailed!), which is why I don't recommend you read the original version of Religious Affections. Instead, I recommend you read Sam Storm's Signs of the Spirit - An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections. This book will help you to understand what Jonathan Edwards was saying.

However, there's another book that will even be more understandable to the average person like myself, and it's called Seeing God - Jonathan Edwards and Spiritual Discernment by Gerald R. McDermott. This book isn't an interpretation of Religious Affections, but it is a book that describes the true signs of having experienced the Holy Spirit. This is the book that introduced me to Religious Affections.

This topic may not be of great importance to you, but I guarantee you it will if a close friend or family member starts going nuts over some over-the-top spiritual experiences he's having, and he starts pushing them on you, making you feel like a second class citizen of the Spirit's Kingdom.

25 Books in 25 Days: Living By the Book (#9)

2010-09-24T09:56:00.003-05:00

Without a doubt, my biggest fear going into Bible college was that I wouldn't be able to understand the Bible. To me, it seemed that unless I was some PhD or something, 80% of the Scriptures would always remain a mystery. However, after reading Living By the Book at Borders Bookstore near the Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago, I became convinced that even though the Bible wasn't written directly to me, it was written for me. It was written for everyone. Not just pastors and PhD's.

If you want to know how to study the Bible, if you want to know why it's so important, and if you want to be someone who has a deeper understanding of Scripture, you need to start with this book. Sure there are other books out there about Bible study, but this one is very popular, very understandable and very engaging. I guess that's why it has won numerous awards and why it was the first book they have you read at one of our nation's top Bible colleges. Enjoy!

Why a Crowd Is Not a Church

2010-09-23T16:54:00.003-05:00

If you have 30 minutes, I highly encourage you to watch this sermon by Pastor Chris Dolson of Blackhawk Church. It's called "Why a Crowd is Not a Church". I felt this was so excellent, and it's my hope that we as Grace Community Church will become this by God's grace. Just click on the link, scroll down to the title of the message, and click on "Video" and then choose which size you'd like the video to be. Lord bless you all.

http://www.blackhawkchurch.org/resources/message_archive.php#

25 Books in 25 Days: More Than a Carpenter (#10)

2010-09-23T09:45:00.004-05:00

This book was used by God to convince me that Jesus Christ was more than just a man. Borrowing the logic of C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell convincingly argues for the deity of Christ. At the very least he demonstrates that every person must 1.) make up his mind about who Jesus is, and 2.) decided whether or not Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or Lord (G0d). There is no in between. It is logically impossible to conclude that Jesus was just a great moral teacher and that's it. He's either a lying lunatic or he is Lord.

Why? In the gospels, Jesus 1.) claims to be God repeatedly (which is why the Jews repeatedly tried to stone him), 2.) allowed people to worship him, 3.) declared that only God could forgive a person's sins, and then proceeded to forgive people of their sins, 4.) claimed that he was the judge of the world, 5.) claimed he had never sinned or done anything wrong in his whole life, 6.) claimed that he was the only way to God, and 7.) called everyone to love him more than anyone or anything in their life. IF all of this is true about Jesus, everyone must abandon their former lifestyles and become his follower (since He's God), but if this isn't true, then they must conclude that he was a cruel, deceptive, narrow-minded, seriously deluded bigot and lunatic. There really is no in between. Just as Jesus himself said, "If you are not with me, you are against me."

This is a small book, but it packs a huge punch. It is a tremendous book to shore up your own faith as well as share with an unbeliever. Along the same line, I also recommend the New York Times Bestseller The Reason for God by Timothy Keller for a more in depth apologetic. But I would start with More Than a Carpenter.

True Humility

2010-09-19T07:23:00.001-05:00

This is excellent. Two of my favorite leaders discussing true humility. Just to give you some quick background: these men are two very different personalities. MacDonald is very forceful, extroverted, and in your face. He's a pastor/PROPHET. C.J. Mahaney, on the other hand, is very gentle, careful, humble, etc. He's a PASTOR/prophet.

http://theresurgence.com/2010/09/18/video-humilty-w-james-macdonald-and-cj-mahaney

25 Books in 25 Days: Revolution in World Missions (#11)

2010-09-16T14:36:00.005-05:00

I've read a handful of really good books on missions (Bruchko, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, Through Gates of Splendor, Peace Child, The River God Forgot, etc.), but the Spirit of God used Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan (founder of Gospel for Asia) in a unique way in my life.

I would describe this book in three words: fascinating, convicting, and enlightening. It's fascinating because of the miraculous stories K.P. tells about how God provided for him and brought GFA into fruition. It's convicting because it describes the high level of love and sacrifice many of these native Asian missionaries live at in order to reach people with the gospel. And it's enlightening because it showed me how much more effective native missionaries are than foreign ones.

It is absolutely crucial that every Christian read books on world missions. It really shouldn't be an option at all. We need to expose ourselves to how God is working in different contexts and cultures across this world. There are more benefits to doing this than I could fit into one blog. Revolution in World Missions is a great place to start. After reading this book I was sold on supporting GFA for the rest of my life. Get a FREE copy of this book here: http://www.gfa.org/offer/freebook/?cm_sp=Free-Book-_-Homepage-_-Creative-A.

25 Books in 25 Days: Tale of Two Sons (#12)

2010-09-15T10:31:00.005-05:00

The Tale of Two Sons is a detailed exposition of the famous parable of the prodigal son. This book explains the difference between the only two religions of the world: the religion of works and the religion of grace. The older brother represents the religion of works and self-righteousness and the younger brother represents the religion of grace and self-repudiation.

This book had a huge impact on my life when I first read it a few years ago. I bought it for a number of my friends and family members. I haven't done that since I read my #1 book. It took my understanding of the gospel to a whole other level and I'm thankful for that because I'm convinced the gospel is all a person needs to be healthy, happy, and therefore glorifying to God. The more books and articles that shed light on the gospel and bring its truths into greater clarity, the better off we'll be. It heals all our ills.

Here's a short dramatic video on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QABrwP-W3Y

25 Books in 25 Days: Augustine's Confessions (#13)

2010-09-14T08:48:00.004-05:00

I have read this book twice and listened to it read by Max McLean on CD. All three times I read (or listened) to it, I was overwhelmed with Augustine's honesty. Let me explain. Often times when we confess, it's not really a full-fledged, raw confession. Instead, it's: "I have not been spending enough time in the Word and in prayer lately. Work has just been crazy recently ..." Confession FAIL. Here's another example: "I confess, I had too much to drink last night with my co-workers. It's just that, I've really been trying to reach one of my co-workers for Christ, and I thought they'd be offended if I left ..." Confession FAIL. We like to dress-up, down play, and make excuses. We figure out ways to make it seem understandable. Rarely do you find someone confessing something purely: "I've sinned. This is what I did. There's no excuse. I'm sickened by this. I really want to change. Please pray for me."

If you read Augustine's Confessions, God will teach you what true heartfelt repentance looks like. And that's important because we must understand true confession in order to live before God in the way he wants, as David did when he said, "For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:16-17). This does not mean we're not required to do the ceremonial activities God prescribes. It just means that if we're not truly repentant, the ceremonial activities we do (communion, attending church, singing, etc.) are meaningless. David says that what God really wants is a "broken and contrite heart". Many perform rituals thinking that these things please God. There's something about ritual that makes us think, "This is the biggest thing God wants from me". But it's not. God wants the heart behind the ritual. God wants us to be truly repentant, and true repentance is demonstrated in Augustine's Confessions: Confession, Contrition, and Change. All three components are there. He agreed his behavior was sin, and that it was an offense before God (confession). His emotions were affected by his behavior, and he was convicted and sad (contrition). And then, as a result, change occurred.

Our 8 Year Anniversary

2010-09-14T01:12:00.004-05:00

On September 14th, 2002, the Lord Jesus gave me a gift I didn't deserve - and I am forever grateful. A special celebration of my marriage to Laura will be published on this blog in a couple days. I've been working on it for a while. Should be fun. Click the pic for a better view. Ephesians 5:22-33!

25 Books in 25 Days: The Valley of Vision (#14)

2010-09-10T09:48:00.003-05:00

I've long said that if I ever went back to school, if I ever went and got my doctorate, it would somehow involve the study of Puritanism. I love puritan faith and devotion. The world sees it as legalism. There are many distorted stories of puritan piety, and, yes, there are some true stories of puritan legalism run amok. But the overall piety of early puritanism was real, exemplary, and inspirational above and beyond most forms of Christianity that have surfaced throughout the centuries.

The Valley of Vision is another Christian classic. It's a collection of Puritan prayers, and those prayers demonstrate a spiritual depth unique to its period. I can't tell you how many times I've read this prayer book and it has caused my heart to sing. Many times the prayer articulates for me some inner struggle I haven't been able to pin point. Sometimes a prayer will comfort me because it will show me that I'm not the only one who struggles with a profound sense of unworthiness. When the prayer author says, "I don't know if I'm becoming a worse sinner or if I'm simply growing closer to your holiness and therefore seeing my sin more", I say, "Uh, yes. That's exactly how I feel." Sometimes a prayer will convict me. It will be so heart-inspired that you say to yourself, "This is not contrived. This is real. This prayer is an outgrowth of this person's spiritual walk." And it makes you realize that you yourself can and should go a lot deeper.

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record on these reviews, but this devotional prayer book is so far beyond the cotton candy that's often served up in our bookstores today. Buy it. Keep it by your bedside. Read a prayer before you go to bed. Read a prayer when you wake up. It'll bring you nearer to God as you say, "Lord, this is my prayer, too".

Here's an example. It's the first prayer, entitled "Valley of Vision":

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

25 Books in 25 Days: Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (#15)

2010-09-09T10:40:00.004-05:00

This book will have some scholarly elements that will be challenging for some, but that's OK. Most of it is very understandable. Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem is the authoritative conservative book on gender issues within the church. It completely opened my eyes to the way God designed us to be. It explained to me that God has a purpose in creating humanity as male and female, unlike the angels. Males are designed by God to be a living, breathing symbolic reflection of God's authority and loving leadership over humanity. Females are designed to be a living, breathing symbolic reflection of how humanity should live in submission to God. That's why Paul says, "Man is the image and glory of God and woman is the image of man (humanity)" (1 Cor.11:7). This truth should provide the theological foundation for men's and women's roles. Women no longer have to feel inferior for the role God assigned to them. They can courageously follow in the footsteps of Jesus who submitted himself to the Father. Jesus has the same worth as the Father, but not the same role.

This book will answer all sorts of questions you might have about this issue. It is extremely exhaustive and thorough. In fact, it will probably best be used as a reference tool more than anything. May God use it to restore the church back to his original design for us. And may we as men respond with humble leadership, and may our women respond with humble submission, knowing that it takes greater strength to submit than it does to rebel.

Honorable mentions (these books may be better options for many of you, especially #1 and #3): 1.) "What's the Difference?" by John Piper, 2.) "Countering the Claims of Evangelical Feminism" by Wayne Grudem, and 3.) "Becoming God's True Woman", edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

25 Books in 25 Days: Pilgrim's Progress (#16)

2010-09-08T10:12:00.007-05:00

Pilgrim's Progress is a Christian classic. For two centuries following its publication, it gained the status of best-read book (apart from the Bible). It has been said, "If you haven't read Pilgrim's Progress, repent immediately". I like that. God has obviously given the world a special gift in this book. To not take advantage of that gift is to reject an enriching, convicting, comforting, and inspiring message from the Lord. It is a Christian allegory that will teach you all of the fundamental truths of the true gospel. (And there's nothing more important in life than that.)

When I think of this book, and other puritan writings of similar inspiration, I'm almost ashamed to live in the time period I do. If you were to walk into a Christian bookstore today, you would find it littered (and "littered" is an accurate word) with the likes of Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, and T.D. Jakes. Not only would reading those authors hinder you from moving forward in your quest for freedom, healing, and joy in God, they would take you backwards. You would do well to put down most of what you're reading in today's $$$Christian Bookstores$$$ and pick up a copy of Pilgrim's Progress. Even if it took you one year to read, you would be better off having done that then having read 100 books off of today's bestseller's list.

I recommend Crossway's updated version here: http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Progress-This-World-Which/dp/1433506998/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283958894&sr=1-11

25 Books in 25 Days: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (#17)

2010-09-07T08:39:00.003-05:00

Have you ever heard someone say things like this: "The Old Testament says homosexuality is wrong, but it also says we shouldn't eat seafood." Or, "You're a legalist. You follow the letter of the law, but I follow the spirit of the law!" Or, "The Bible says the sun rises, but as we all know, the sun doesn't move; the earth does!" Or, "According to 1 Corinthians 11, women are supposed to wear head coverings, are you gonna do that too?! And according to 1 Corinthians 14, the Bible says women aren't allowed to open their mouths in church at all! That's obviously archaic." Or, "The Bible supports slavery." Or, one of my personal favorites: "Yes, Jesus drank wine, but it was diluted, therefore, nobody was even able to get drunk back then." Or, "The gospels all contradict one another." Or, "The Bible says we're supposed to give 10% of our income to God."

Well, there's no debate about one thing: No book is more misunderstood than the Bible. But why is the Bible the most misunderstood book? For this one reason: You cannot understand something you don't want to understand. If your heart is closed off to biblical truth, you're probably not going to interpret the Bible rightly. All of the above examples have answers to them. That's what I love about How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth. The authors, Fee and Stuart, dismantle some of the above arguments in the same way I easily open up a jar my daughter insists is impossible to open. When I read this book for the first time, it was like I breathed a sigh of relief. It made me realize that most people's objections to the Bible stem from an inability to rightly consider the history, culture, grammar, or the differing genres of the Bible. They don't treat Shakespeare that way. They don't treat other culture's writings that way. They don't treat ancient documents that way.

This book, along with another book on interpretation that I'll talk about later, is the best book on learning how to interpret the Bible I've ever read. This would make for an awesome home group. Take it one chapter at a time: epistles, apocalyptic, historical narratives, poetry, wisdom literature, etc. If you want to learn how to interpret the Bible, get this book.

25 Books in 25 Days: Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (#18)

2010-09-06T10:47:00.003-05:00

I'm really struggling with what I should write here. I guess all I can say is this: there are some books that only use Scripture to show us what the church should be like, but then there are other books that use both Scripture and their own personal example to show us what the church should be like. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire is one of those books.

Sometimes I feel bad that I don't minister in the same context as Jim Cymbala and his church, The Brooklyn Tabernacle. While it is true that wealthy suburbanites are not less deserving of hearing the gospel than are people who live in the inner city, I have often felt that there is an individualism, a privatization, and an elitist mentality that simply keeps wealthy suburbanites from seeing their need for salvation. I guess that's why Jesus said it's more likely that a camel will fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man will enter the kingdom of heaven. We talk a lot about how the world is dissatisfied in life, how their hearts are empty, etc. But sometimes we need to realize, that in one sense, some people are quite satisfied, their hearts are filled. They don't lack hope, they've just put it in the wrong thing. Money, nice homes, beautiful furniture, leather interior cars, flat screen TV's in every room, plush lawns, and back yards that resemble a vacation spot are just too seductive to them. Who needs Christ when you're already in heaven? (Or so they think)

Having said that, I guess in another sense that's why I feel called to these poor people. My heart bleeds for them. I know it's a difficult harvest with little yield, and I know that means I'll probably have a small church in this small, rich town, for however long the Lord has me here, but that's ok. I may not see hundreds of drug dealers converted, or hungry people fed, or strippers come to love Jesus, but hopefully the Lord will give us a doctor, a CEO, a computer programmer, or one of their lonely wives.

The great thing about Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire is that it gave me a heart for the people God has called me to minister to - rich or poor, lost in pain or lost in pleasure. They gathered for prayer every Tuesday, their hearts were aglow with the power of the Holy Spirit, their people cared more about praying for the lost than they cared about watching NCIS or lounging in their homes all evening. May that same wind, that same fire, blow through Grace Community Church of Waunakee.

25 Books in 25 Days: Shepherding a Child's Heart (#19)

2010-09-04T13:23:00.004-05:00

I haven't read a lot of parenting books, so I can't say I'm an expert on what's the best. Even so, I know this book has won numerous awards and has had a lasting impact on the church. One way you know you have a good book with a true divine stamp on it is when its impact lasts. It's the same way with worship songs. Many come and go, and they're beneficial to the church, but some, like "Holy, Holy, Holy" or "Oh, Lord You're Beautiful", are songs that are "anointed", in terms of being chosen for a special purpose.

I'm not comparing Shepherding a Child's Heart to a timeless hymn, but I am saying that if you want to invest your time in something that is truly Spirit-led, pick up a copy of this book. It really teaches us the importance of bringing about heart change in our child's life through the message of the gospel rather than the moralistic, therapeutic, pragmatic morass our Christian bookstores are usually stacked with. Many Christian parents just assume that their children can't understand the "complexities of the gospel" and so they just stick with moralism until they feel their child can begin to comprehend spiritual truth. And obviously that's true to a certain extent. I'm still going to tell my 2 year old that it's wrong to hit other people, even though her brain can't comprehend the cross right now. But, I wonder if we wait too long to begin implementing the gospel message into our parenting. Perhaps it's because so many parents in the church today haven't understood it or experienced its life changing power for themselves?

25 Books in 25 Days: Between Two Worlds (#20)

2010-09-03T08:39:00.003-05:00

I wrestled over whether or not I should include this book. On the one hand, it's the book that has had the single greatest impact on me concerning preaching. On the other hand, because it is a book on preaching, I know there won't be a lot of people out there who will rush over to Amazon.com and buy it. And I am trying to make this list as relevant to others as possible. In fact, I really could call this list: "25 Books that-have-impacted-me-personally-that-I-hope-will-impact-you-as-well in 25 Days". But I decided to include it for two reasons:

First, I want to introduce John Stott to those of you who haven't ever read his books. Those who know me know that my favorite thing in communication is clarity. It needs to be clear. It needs to make sense. Otherwise, why are you writing? To impress me with your creativity? Creativity is fine as long as it serves it's master, clarity. I'm not the type of person who says, "Ooooo. Wow. This book is awesome and deep, and I can tell it's awesome and deep because I have no idea what it's saying." No. Books need to make sense for me to enjoy them, and nobody makes sense more than John Stott. He is clear, passionate, balanced, confident, and humble - everything you want from a Christian communicator. So, if you don't read this book, then please pick up a copy of "Basic Christianity" or "The Radical Disciple" or "Why I Am a Christian". You will understand it.

BUT, there's a second reason I included this book. I think it would be incredibly beneficial for the average person in the pew to read a quality book on preaching. It would have all sorts of benefits. First, it would teach you what to look for in a church's preaching ministry. And secondly, it would help you be a better bible communicator, whether that's to your children or other people in your church. The name of the book is "Between Two Worlds". That's where every Bible communicator stands. Between the world of the Bible and the modern world, and the tricky issue is how to make the former relevant and applicable to the latter. Preaching isn't just about conveying information. It's about taking what's there in the text, showing why it's important (how it relates to them) and applying it to people's lives.

For example, your teenager comes home from youth group and you ask him, "How was Sunday school?", and he replies, "Boring." And you say, "Boring? Why? What did you learn about?" "The Pharisees", he says. "And what did you learn about the Pharisees?", you ask. "I dunno. Jesus didn't like them." "Ok. Do you know why Jesus argued with them so much?" "No", he says, as he rolls his eyes. "Because they went to worship services regularly, but they didn't really love God", you say. Ouch. All of a sudden, the biblical character that was once boring becomes quite relevant and quite convicting (hopefully). And then you go onto explain the gospel to your teenager, that Jesus came to forgive our apathy and hypocrisy and give us a new heart that wants to go to church and worship God.

This book helped me to realize this crucial point. If you don't buy it, I hope you will read something - anything! - by John Stott. Your world will be a better place for it. :-)

Learning From George Clooney

2010-09-02T16:52:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday at the Emmy awards, George Clooney was given a humanitarian award for his work on behalf of the earthquake victims in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina victims on the Gulf coast. In response to this, George Clooney said, “It's embarrassing. You don't want to be awarded for doing what you're supposed to be doing."

Can I just say ... that may very well be the best thing I've ever heard come out of any humanitarian's or philanthropist's mouth in my life. I respect George Clooney for saying that. And it got me thinking about the Church. It got me thinking about the boasting and congratulating and comparing and judging that often occurs. I think we can learn a good lesson from Clooney's statement. Why are we seeking praise for doing the things we're supposed to be doing? Why do we feel proud for spending lots of time in prayer and Bible study? That's like being proud you had the discipline to vacation in Hawaii.

I know George Clooney isn't the paragon of virtue. I'm not trying to exalt him. I'm just saying that even Christians can take a page out of his book in order to put things in perspective.

25 Books in 25 Days: The Gospel According to Jesus (#21)

2010-09-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, yes. The Lordship Salvation debate. It was just starting to boil down by the time I arrived at Bible college, but me and a few of my friends turned the temperature back up to "high". Out of those conversations and a careful reading of this book, the Lord taught me, for the first time, what it truly means to be his disciple. It's not just about praying a prayer or going to church or being baptized. All of those things are necessary, but they can't be the only things a Christian looks to in his life to determine whether or not his faith is genuine.

If you want to understand the gospel according Jesus rather than the gospel according to American Christianity, then buy this book. Or, you could by the follow up to this book, "Faith Works", which probably had just as much of an impact on me than this book did. Or, you could by one of MacArthur's newest books that has a similar theme called "Hard to Believe". If you read these books, you would have a good understanding of what James is talking about in his epistle, that you can't just be a person who professes Christ. You must be a person who seeks to obey him and become like him. Genuine faith will produce this growth in all believers. (Thus the title of the second book mentioned, "Faith Works".)

25 Books in 25 Days: Chosen By God (#22)

2010-08-31T09:28:00.002-05:00

At some point every Christian must decide what they believe about salvation. Most specifically, "Is God sovereign in it?" Does God, like a king, sovereignly choose who will enter his kingdom and who won't? Many Christians cannot fathom that God would do this. They think it's unfair. They think everyone deserves a chance to hear and respond to the gospel. Yet, at the same time, these are usually Christians who affirm the fairness of Adamic guilt. They say, "Yes, I believe the world became corrupt when Adam sinned, and I believe all people sinned in Adam" (as Romans 5 teaches). But it is my conviction that most of us do not carefully consider what it is we are truly affirming when we affirm Adamic guilt. We believe it because that's what the Bible says and that's what our pastor teaches, but do we really believe it in our hearts?

The real issue behind the topic of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility is this: Do you believe you are guilty for Adam's sin? Do you believe it was fair for God to condemn all of humanity for Adam's choice? If you can get to the place where you truly accept that, then, and only then, can you accept election and predestination. Because if you truly believe you are accountable for Adam's sin, then you must arrive at the conclusion that God doesn't owe anyone any offer of salvation. Any offer of salvation is an act of his mercy.

Chosen By God, by R.C. Sproul was the first book that fully convinced me of these things. When I began to see that God chose me and predestined me, as Ephesians 1 says, it was like being born again ... again. I thought to myself, "Why did he choose me? If it's true that I'm a Christian because I chose to be one, because I "saw the light", then I deserve to be saved. But, if it's true that I'm a Christian because God chose to make me one when I was a hard-hearted, hostile, dead, rebel ignoring God and worshiping creation, unable to respond to his voice at all, then I owe him everything - not to provide my salvation, but to prove my salvation.

John Calvin, Martin Luther, Edwards, Whitefield ... they all taught this truth, but sometimes it takes a modern day author to make historical writings more accessible, and that's what R.C. Sproul did for my in Chosen By God. I hope you read this book. And I hope you embrace the truth of God's sovereignty in salvation, for your own benefit and for His glory.

25 Books in 25 Days: Spiritual Leadership (#23)

2010-08-28T10:35:00.003-05:00

The main point of this book can be understood from its title: Spiritual Leadership. By "spiritual" Sanders means "Leadership empowered by the Spirit". One must be baptized and filled with the Spirit of God to accomplish the true purposes of God. You simply cannot rely on worldly techniques and ways of doing leadership if you want to be used of God to accomplish his purposes. You might become an influential person, but that doesn't mean you're accomplishing what God wants you to do. False teachers are evidence of this. The Pharisees were evidence of this. Many secular CEO's and political leaders demonstrate amazing leadership abilities, but spiritual leadership is a completely different type of leadership.

This book is so important because the church today is filled with people who are great at leadership, but not spiritual leadership. Many pastors are excellent administrators and motivators, nevertheless they aren't accomplishing what God has called them to do. They aren't making the gospel the driving force and foundation of everything they do. If one wants to know what true, spiritual leadership is, he must look no further than John the Baptist - the one who pointed people to Jesus. True, spiritual leadership is the ability, through the Spirit's power, to point people to Jesus. It's the ability to foster worship in people's hearts for Jesus. It's the ability to make him increase and yourself decrease in people's eyes.

We live in a Christian culture that seeks the opposite. Most Christian leaders point people to themselves. They want to increase in people's eyes. Their books and conferences and church services are constructed to have people worship them, not Christ. Instead, spiritual leadership is the call to be humble servants who focus on the ministry of prayer and the word, empowered by God's Spirit. We proclaim the word of God so people can know the God of the Word.

This is the focus in Spiritual Leadership, along with a million other practical and powerful insights. He sticks to Scripture, and in this day and age, that's a rarity. If you only want to be a good leader, there are a million books out there that can teach you that. But if you want to be a true, spiritual leader, like John the Baptist or Paul or many other men and women in the Bible, then pick up a copy of this book. I have personally read it four times. It's mandatory reading for every elder in our church. And it's insightful, yet succinct.

25 Books in 25 Days: The Screwtape Letters (#24)

2010-08-27T10:12:00.003-05:00

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a story that takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior tempter named Wormwood, to advise him on methods of securing the damnation of a British man, known only as "the Patient". It is considered a Christian classic for how it so powerfully and creatively teaches us, through the vehicle of story rather than lecture, the tactics of the enemy.

I first read this book in college. The thing that stood out to me the most was Screwtape's "wise", or shall we say, crafty, counsel to his nephew to not take the usual route of temptation. He taught him that the way in which a soul is damned isn't important, as long as it's damned. One of the best ways to tempt a soul to sin and turn from God is not necessarily through what we might typically think of (overt evil actions and extremely sinful practices), but through the normalities of life - working too much, religion, hobbies, etc.

In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul said that he wasn't allowing Satan to outwit him. The reason he was able to outwit Satan is because he was "not unaware of his schemes" (v.11). Paul was familiar with Satan's tactics, and because of that, he was able to avoid a lot of pain and heartache. If you would like the same thing to be true of you, forget all the ridiculous literature available in our Christian bookstores today about binding the enemy and claiming territories, etc., and pick up a copy of The Screwtape Letters.

25 Books in 25 Days: Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome (#25)

2010-08-26T12:39:00.004-05:00

I've been meaning to do this for a long time. Over the next 25 days (except Sundays), I will be publishing the top 25 books that have impacted me personally. It took me a while to figure out how to do this.

Issue #1: Should I only publish books that I know most people will read, or should I also include some scholarly works? I decided that since this would primarily be a resource for the people in my church, I would focus on books that most people will read. But I've also included some books that will seem to be over some people's heads to help them grow in their ability to love God with all their mind.

Issue #2: Should the top 25 books be the top 25 books that have impacted me personally, or should I publish the top 25 books that have impacted the church as a whole? (Not that there's an exact consensus on that, but I think you know what I mean.) I concluded to do the former, but many of the books that are my personal favorites are also considered to be some of the universal church's favorites as well.

Issue #3: I didn't want to "steal the thunder" of the author with these recommendations, but I also wanted to explain why the book impacted me in order to wet appetites.

Therefore, without further ado ...

Book #25 is "Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome" by R. Kent Hughes. I first read this in college. It taught me an invaluable lesson about ministry: God doesn't require success, just faithfulness. This truth must be remembered over and over again all throughout ministry. It will sustain you in times when you're not experiencing "success". The key Bible verse that would support this truth is 1 Corinthians 3:7 - "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." God is the one who produces the results, not us. Besides, all of life is about making God look great, not ourselves. The desire for success is indicative of people who don't understand how to restore the honor they lost at the fall. It is only restored to the person who humbles himself and admits that God is the only one who can accomplish anything good or successful. We are just mere tools. Just as Jesus said, "He who humbles himself will be exalted, and he who exalts himself will be humbled." Honor comes to the humble servant who beats his chest, depends on God alone for mercy, righteousness, and salvation, views himself as spiritually bankrupt and views any success he experiences as an undeserved gift of God's grace. And we must remember: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 teaches us that Christian ministers are able to accomplish AMAZING things, yet not accomplish anything at all in God's sight. It all depends on motive.

Lord of the Fleas

2010-07-04T18:43:00.003-05:00

Do you question, or, in your heart, even scoff at the Bible's command to "Consider it all joy when you face trials of various kinds" (James 1:2)? If so, consider Corrie ten Boom's story of how she learned to thank the Lord for everything. When she and her sister Betsy were taken to a horribly inhuman German prison camp named Ravensbruck, they had to live in flea-infested, overcrowded barracks. The morning they arrived, they read together 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances." Afterward, Betsy toward Corrie to thank God for every aspect of their new lodgings. Corrie initially would not thank God for the fleas, but her sister persisted, and Corrie finally gave in. As the ensuing months passed, they were surprised to discover how freely they could conduct Bible studies and prayer meetings without the guards interfering. Later they found out they could do so many things because the guards would not come into the barracks for fear of becoming infested with fleas.

Suffering - all suffering - is a gift from God. Just because we may not be able to see the good thing (things?) God is doing in the moment doesn't mean he isn't doing something good. Take a moment now and thank God for the most painful trial you are facing. After all, He's Lord of your life, He's Lord of the earth, and He's even Lord ... of the fleas.

An Objective Way to Measure Where Your Relationship With God Is At

2010-06-02T12:04:00.004-05:00

One thing I've taught Grace Community Church over and over again is the danger of deceiving ourselves about our true, spiritual condition. The Bible teaches us that our default mode is to assume our relationship with God is fine, when, in fact, it often isn't. Truly, as Jeremiah says, the heart is deceitful above all things (17:9).

We often wonder: "How do I know if I have a good relationship with God?"

Well, here's an objective way to measure how good your relationship with God really is: look at your relationship to your church. That's it. Look at your relationship with your church. I could list passage after passage that demonstrates the following truth: the way you treat your church is the way you treat Christ. For instance, Scripture calls the church the body of Christ. Jesus said, "Whatever you have done (or not done) for the least of these, you have done to me". Or, for example, Jesus said to Paul, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" Why did Jesus say that Paul was persecuting him? Christ was in heaven at the time. It's because Paul was persecuting the church, and however you treat the church is how you're treating Christ. Therefore ...

1.) If you avoid your church, you're avoiding Christ.

2.) If you refuse to submit to your church, you're refusing to submit to Christ.

3.) If you despise the people of your church, you're despising Christ.

4.) If you're not involved in serving your church, you're not serving Christ.

5.) If you're slandering people in your church, you're slandering Christ.

6.) If you're not giving money to your church, you're not giving to Christ.

7.) If you're refusing to commune with the people of your church, you're refusing to commune with Christ.

It doesn't matter how excellent your personal devotional life is, if you're not serving, helping, loving, communing with, and giving to your church, then you're not doing any of those things for Christ. If you want to know how your relationship with God is going, look at your relationship with your church.

Now, invariably people get sick of the church (because they get offended or hurt) and they often turn their attention to unbelievers, and they say, "Well, I just focus on the lost. I'm all about hanging out with the sinners and tax collectors, not the religious!" Putting aside the fact that Jesus spent most of his time with his disciples, we must remember that the Bible says, "Let us do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10). In other words, your church is the priority.

If you want an objective way to measure how your relationship with the Lord is going, ask yourself one question: How is my relationship with my church going? You simply cannot separate the two.

Why It's Crazy-Ridiculous To Boast In Our Good Works

2010-06-01T11:21:00.006-05:00

I was reading in Isaiah 1 this morning where the prophet exhorts Judah to stop murdering (v.21), take care of the orphans and widows (v.17), and, worship without hypocrisy (v.15). As I was reading these exhortations, a big question entered my mind: Why in the world do we boast about our good works? Isn't that like boasting about fulfilling the most basic requirements of life?

For example, if someone boasts that they are taking care of orphans, or that they give money to Compassion International, or that they helped someone in need, isn't that like boasting that you fed your children that day? "Hey, you know what I did today? I took some of my own money and I spent it on food for my children! But that's just the kind of guy I am: generous, compassionate. I knew my child would die if they didn't get food, so I did something about it. I'm all about deeds, not creeds." Well, congratulations self! You just fulfilled the minimum requirement for being a good human being.

Here's another example: Pretend you're jealous of your neighbor's house. You're sick of him outshining you. So, one day, you decided to defame his yard, his house, his bushes, etc. - everything. But, the police, through their investigation, discover that you did it. So they drag you to your neighbor's front door and they ask him, "Do you want to press charges?" And your neighbor says, "No. I want to have mercy on him. All I want is a relationship with him. That's how important he is to me. In fact, I'll pay for all the damages done to my own house. In addition to that, I would like to pay for his house to be totally renovated inside and out. And then, after it's all done, I'd like throw a huge banquet for him at my place." The mouths of the police officers have dropped to the ground. You stand shocked.

The next day, another one of your neighbors is talking to you about what happened. With great pride you say to him, "You wouldn't believe how passionate I was when I was thanking him for his mercy. My praise and thanksgiving was soooo real. It was soooo passionate and from the heart. All the other neighbors were so impressed with how sincere my praise for my neighbor was!"

Pretty ridiculous, huh? But that's how we must look to God every time we drop hints of our goodness. Every time we boast in our abilities, gifts, sacrifices, good deeds, and our faithfulness, we are boasting about fulfilling the absolute minimum requirement. Even if we obeyed God perfectly throughout our whole life, we would only be doing the very least we could do! Even boasting about having devotions is ridiculous. That's like saying, "I just took advantage of the greatest, most wonderfully satisfying thing in the whole universe. I just allowed myself to spend time with that thing." It's like saying, "Hey look at me, aren't I good? I just ate the most delicious steak in all of Madison. I just had the best wine in the whole country. Aren't I so devoted to steak and wine? I bet you most people don't spend this much time with steak and wine! But then again, most people aren't like me!"

Now, add this to all of that: EVERY GOOD DEED WE DO IS SIMPLY GOD DOING THOSE GOOD DEEDS THROUGH US (cf. the end of John 3:21). Wow.

Therefore, loved ones, let us remember 1 Corinthians 4:7 - "For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"

Soli Deo Gloria.

"Don't Tell Anyone I Just Raised Your Daughter From the Dead"

2010-05-25T10:50:00.003-05:00

Those who know me know that I have a special interest in the parts of the Bible many would probably prefer to skip over. I'm thrilled by the spectacular, the touching, and the inspiring parts of Scripture, but I've always been more intrigued by the parts that make you scratch your head, squint your eyes or make you mad.

The raising of Jairus' daughter in Luke 8 is a perfect example of this. This story is simply amazing to me, but not because Jesus raised this little girl from the dead. I love that, of course. But what really intrigues me is the last thing Jesus says to this family: "...he ordered them not to tell anyone what happened" (v.56). Yikes. Now, I'm thinking the "church growth experts" wouldn't have approved of this move. "What?! Are you kidding me?! We've got to tell everyone what you just did! That way they'll believe in you! That way they'll repent and put their faith in you!"

Curiously, Jesus did this all the time. All throughout his ministry he would forbid recipients of miracles from telling others what he had done: demon possessed people, lepers, dead people, the sick, the lame, etc. (Theologians refer to this as the "messianic secret".) So, why did Jesus do this? The answer is, Jesus did this because he didn't want people to misunderstand the main point of his ministry: to heal their souls, not their bodies; to secure their spiritual safety, not their physical safety; to take away their sin, not just their suffering.

Now, undoubtedly, someone will respond to this by saying, "That's not true! Jesus' ministry was holistic - body, mind, and soul! 1 Corinthians 15! Romans 8! Creation waits for the redemption of our bodies! You're a product of platonic thought! You're influenced more by Greek philosophy than the Bible!" Hey. Calm down. I realize God cares about our bodies. I realize Jesus came to transform our bodies, and not just our souls. I realize that God cares for filling our physical stomachs, and not just our spiritual stomachs. I understand all that. But, in the long run, the most important thing is our souls - the unseen part of who we are. Jesus didn't want people misunderstanding the main purpose of his ministry: to declare the gospel; to proclaim the forgiveness of sins for salvation. For instance, listen to what Jesus said to his own disciples when they were begging him to heal the people of their sicknesses: "...and when they found him they exclaimed, 'Everyone is looking for you!' Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come'" (Mark 1:37-38).

The primary thrust of Jesus' ministry was preaching the gospel. Jesus knew that his ministry could be perceived in just a "social justice", "feed the hungry", "heal the sick", "take-care-of-people's-physical-needs" manner. To this day, millions of people, if not billions, still think that's the primary aim of Christ's ministry. It was not, though. Obviously he cared for these people. Obviously he had compassion on them. But because he truly loved them, he didn't just expose their physical starvation, he exposed their spiritual starvation. He didn't just expose their physical bankruptcy, he exposed their spiritual bankruptcy (poor in spirit). Jesus knew that a person could have the healthiest body in the world for 100 years, but if their soul wasn't healed, they would spend eternity in torment. He didn't want to confuse his message. He wanted people to understand the primary purpose of why he had come. After all, I'm convinced that one of the main points of John's gospel is to show that miracles and meeting people's physical needs doesn't guarantee conversions. Most of the people who experienced the feeding of the five thousand turned on Jesus. So, ultimately, it's the gospel that should be the centerpiece of every ministry. Everything else should be subservient to that.

What about you? How does this apply to you? Are you forsaking your soul for your body? Are you so caught up in health and dieting to the exclusion of your inner self? Would you rather have a Messiah who deals with your suffering, but not your sin? (Even though our sin is the root of most of our suffering) Is your definition of "outreach" reduced to "random acts of kindness?" I'm convinced that mindset can be an excuse for avoiding persecution (Gal.6:12) and preaching "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

It's no secret: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

Are Roman Catholics Our Brothers in Christ?

2010-05-24T13:14:00.005-05:00

"Pope and Circumstance"

R.C. Sproul has an interesting brief article on what to do if a Christian converts to Roman Catholicism.

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/converting-catholicism/

Are We Supposed to Feel Guilty All the Time?

2010-05-11T09:42:00.003-05:00

I found the following blog post on the subject of guilt refreshing. We should be cautious how we use guilt as a motivator in people's lives. Sometimes it can be used, but it must be used at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. What do you think?

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/05/11/are-christians-meant-to-feel-guilty-all-the-time/

I Committed a Great Sin

2010-05-03T12:38:00.005-05:00

Ok, now that I got your attention, here's the great sin I committed: During my sermon on Sunday, I forgot to read the last verses of 1 Corinthians 16 - verses that coincided with my last point. (Now, don't abandon this blog post because it wasn't as "juicy" as you thought it was going to be. Please read on!) Listen: I cannot spend a YEAR preaching through 1 Corinthians and then end up NOT reading the last verses of the book, especially when those verses are so crucial. So here they are: "If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen" (vv.22-24). I spoke on "Characteristics of a Healthy Church". The last characteristic was "A healthy church is full of grace and truth". Some churches are "full of grace", but they lack truth. Some churches are "full of truth", but they lack grace. A healthy church must be full of both, just like John said Jesus was (John 1:14). And, as Paul said, if you want to be the aroma of life, you also have to be willing to be the aroma of death. In 1 Corinthians 16:22-24 the apostle Paul reflects this grace/truth - aroma of life/aroma of death, principle.

In truth, Paul says, "If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed." "Accursed" means to be condemned or damned. This verse is proof that saving faith isn't just about mentally agreeing with the gospel. Even demons do that. Saving faith consists of a love for Christ. You cannot say you possess saving faith, yet have no love for Christ. And, as Jesus said, if you truly love him, you'll obey him. The desire, practice, and growth in obedience is the evidence of a heart that truly loves Christ. 1 John also teaches this point over and over. That's the truth segment of 1 Corinthians 16:22-24.

But notice the grace segment: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus". Paul, like Jesus, was full of truth, but also full of grace. A healthy church will be the same way. It will not downplay, water down, or dilute the truth of Scripture. It will have the courage and boldness to say, "A curse on those who don't love Jesus". But it will also have a heart of love that desires for people to experience God's grace: "the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you." It will not despise people who are accursed, instead it will say, "My love be with you".

On the way home from church, the Lord reminded me that I forgot to preach those last verses. I immediately thanked him for reminding me of that truth, then I thanked him for his grace. :-)

Forgiveness Series: Question #3 - "What is the Key to Forgiveness?"

2010-04-30T10:21:00.006-05:00

In Matthew 18, Jesus told a story about a servant who had accumulated some serious debt working for his king. And, believe it or not, the words "serious debt" are an understatement. He owed the king "ten thousand talents" (v.24). The notes in the ESV study Bible tell us that one talent equaled about twenty years of wages for a typical laborer. Let's say the typical laborer today makes $50K/year. If you multiply that times twenty, that's one million dollars. Therefore, one talent equals one million dollars. This guy owed ten thousand talents to his king. Ladies and gentlemen, that's ten BILLION dollars.

Obviously, the guy couldn't pony up. He didn't have the money. Therefore, the king "ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had" (v.25). This man's wife and children were his only assets that could even come close to paying this debt, and in those days if a person couldn't repay such a massive debt, their families were sold. People were valuable commodities back then. Essentially, the guy was going to lose his whole life. Everything that was precious and valuable to him would be gone for the rest of his life.

That might sound harsh, but we need to keep in mind the amount of debt this guy owed. The only way you accumulate that sort of debt is through extremely foolish and greedy financial decisions. This was not a good man. This was a person who took advantage of a kind king. He knew he was squandering the king's money. This was not a financial mistake. This was a hard-hearted act of rebellion rooted in a level of greed that even the worst Wall Street minds wouldn't be able to fathom. And you know what? I think he kept piling up this debt because he foolishly assumed the king wouldn't do anything about it. He was like most people in this world, racking up debt to the King of kings, and scoffing at the very notion that He will call them to account one day.

So, the vile, rebellious, greedy servant who presumed upon the king, knowing it could endanger his own family, went and begged for mercy: "So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything'" (v.26). Once again, Jesus' story imitates real life. People foolishly think they can repay the debt they owe the King. Not only does this guy anger the king by squandering ten BILLION dollars, but now he insults the king by assuming that he (the servant) wasn't totally dependent upon the king's mercy. He actually thought he could repay this debt. He's the perfect picture of a lost sinner: blind to his impending doom, blind to the debt he owes, and blind to his own inability to even come close to paying it all back.

Shockingly, though, the king took pity on this man and his family and he forgave every last penny of the debt. And not only did the king forgive him, he also "released him" (v.27). Not only did the king say, "You don't have to pay me back", he also said, "You don't even have to work for me any more". Folks, that type of mercy is unheard of at the human level. People just don't behave in this way. The amount of mercy displayed here is breathtaking.

Unbelievably, though, that wasn't even the most shocking part of the story. The next verse is: "But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt (vv.28-30)". Wow. Are you starting to get a good picture of how vile this man was? One denarii was about one day's pay for an average laborer. Maybe around $160. Therefore, the servant's own servant owed him about $16,000. That's still a significant debt, but it's absolutely nothing compared to ten BILLION dollars.

Well, the king catches wind of this (v.31), calls the servant to him, and says, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’" (vv.32-33). And then Jesus said, "In anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart" (vv.34-35).

In God's eyes, it is utterly unthinkable that we wouldn't forgive one another. Why? Because of how much we've been forgiven. You see, THAT'S the key to forgiveness. The world will tell you that the key to forgiveness is understanding that you won't have peace until you forgive. The world will tell you it's bad for your blood pressure. The world will tell you that "you won't be free until you let it go." It's all rooted in self. Jesus, however, turns us away from ourselves and places our attention on how our inability to forgive affects God and others.

BUT, one of the problems all of us have is that we are utterly clueless about the debt we owed (or owe) God. We don't think we've been THAT bad. We don't see the blood on our hands. We don't see the depth of our sin. Instead of saying we are vile, rebellious, wicked, greedy, and sinful, we say, "I'm not perfect" or "We all have weaknesses" or "Everyone's broken". The evangelical Christian community has almost totally banished the words "sin", "wicked", and "rebellious" from their vocabulary. Just listen to all the songs on Christian radio. Every song is about being "broken" and "weak". Rarely do you find songs about being vile as a worm, as John Newton (the writer of "Amazing Grace") or the Puritans would say. And I believe it's because they're not hearing that sort of language from the pulpit. Weak-kneed, sell-out pastors are fearful of losing attenders and they're greedy for "success". So they've eliminated the language of Jesus and substituted it with their own feminine, diluted, inoffensive chatter, all in the name of outreach and grace.

The truth, though, is that we aren't just people who have "made mistakes" nor are we simply victims of other sinners who are broken. We are vile, wicked worms who have spit in the face of Christ. In rage we pierced his precious skin with rusty nails. Why? Because we HATE IT when anyone points out our sin. Just as Jesus said, "People loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed" (John 3:19-20). Every generation of Jews killed the prophets before them. They also killed off the apostles. They killed the prophets, they killed Jesus, they killed the apostles, and they've been killing God's mouthpieces ever since then. We HATE IT when our sin is exposed. Our reaction is that of rage and malice and murder.

Why do I say all this? Why do I use this language? I do it to remind us of the depth of our sin. When we begin to grasp the true depth of our corruption and sin, THEN and only then do we begin to appreciate God's forgiveness. THEN and only then do we fall on our faces and say, "How could He ever forgive me of all this debt"? And THEN and only then are we able to turn to our own offenders and say to them, "How could I not forgive you? I've done a BILLION more things wrong to God than you've done wrong to me." We're like that prostitute who fell at Jesus' feet, the woman who caused Jesus to say, "He who's been forgiven much, loves much", meaning, "He who KNOWS how much he's been forgiven, loves much."

Who do you need to forgive right now?

Forgiveness Series: Question #2: Do I Need To Forgive People If They Don't Repent?

2010-04-22T09:11:00.005-05:00

Believe it or not, the answer to that question is "No". I know that we've been taught that we are to forgive someone whether or not they seek our forgiveness, but I don't believe that's biblical. And before I go into the reasons why I believe this, I need to add one qualification: this truth doesn't give us license to remain bitter, spiteful, and hard-hearted toward those who've hurt us. As someone at John Piper's blog recently said, "Even if we are not required to forgive, we are required to have a forgiving spirit." In other words, our heart must be so warmed by God's love that we are ready to forgive someone whenever and if ever they come to us and ask for our forgiveness. So, if you were hoping for a license to maintain an unforgiving spirit and remain bitter and condemning toward another, you've come to the wrong place. God's Word requires us to maintain love and hope for our offender.

Having said that, it's important to realize that the Bible calls Christians to "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph.4:32). And how did God in Christ forgive us? He only forgave us once we repented and asked for his forgiveness. God does not forgive those who don't repent. The notion that we are to forgive everyone regardless of whether or not they seek our forgiveness is more reflective of a universalistic view of salvation than a biblical view of salvation. Universalism is the belief that all will be forgiven and saved in the end - even those who never repent in this life. This, of course, is completely unbiblical.

Additionally, Jesus continually taught that IF someone repents THEN we forgive them. For example, listen to Luke 17:3-4: "'Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.'" Notice the conditional nature of this verse: Jesus says, "IF he repents, forgive him". The word "IF" is a conditional word. If Jesus taught that our forgiveness was to be unconditional, extended to everyone regardless of whether or not they repent, he wouldn't have said, "IF he repents, forgive him".

Or, for example, in 2 Corinthians 2, Paul is exhorting the Corinthians to forgive a certain man in their church who has repented of his sin. He says, "You should rather turn to forgive him and comfort him" (v.5). Notice that there's an assumption, by Paul, that the Corinthians hadn't forgiven the man yet. That's because the man hadn't repented up until that point. As we can see, forgiveness was conditioned upon repentance.

Also, 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins". Notice the conditional "if" once again.

Now, someone may object: "When Jesus was dying on the cross, didn't he say, 'Father, forgive them'? Those people hadn't repented yet." Yes, Jesus said this, but it doesn't prove that God forgives people apart from their repentance. First of all, this was just a request. Jesus wasn't declaring that God would forgive them for sure. I believe Christ said this in order to reveal the loving, merciful heart of God. He wanted them to know that God would still forgive them despite committing the worst sin of all time. He also wanted them to know that they were doing something wrong.

We must ask ourselves, "Was this prayer, by Jesus, only directed towards the people of his day? Was it not also directed towards all people in all places, including you and I, who also were responsible for putting Christ on the cross? I doubt there is anyone who would say that this cry from Christ was only limited to the select people of Jesus' day. Therefore, if you say that it's directed toward all people, then you also have to admit that it wasn't a pardon, it was just a prayer. Because if you say it was a pardon, then you have to say that all people in all places are pardoned for their sin apart from any personal repentance simply because Christ prays for them. And even if it was only directed towards those who were literally nailing him to the cross as well as the rebellious leaders of his day, then wouldn't God be obligated to pray this same prayer for the rest of the world, especially those who are guilty of a far less crime than nailing Jesus to the cross?

The truth is, God only forgives those who repent and believe the gospel. This is what the Bible teaches. Perhaps the notion that we should forgive someone apart from his repentance is reflective of a generation of people who value God's love to the exclusion of his justice. When we forgive people who refuse to repent, we distort the God-ordained process for reconciliation. We teach people that they don't have to humble themselves before those they've hurt. Indeed, we remove the very motivation God has built into our relationships to bring people to a place of contrition and repentance, and we thereby remove a critical component necessary for a complete healing.

If I were counseling someone who, for example, was struggling to forgive his father, and his father hadn't repented, I would tell him that he is commanded to let go of his wrath and bitterness; he is required to treat his father with tenderness and love; he is required to pray for his father; he is required to maintain a forgiving spirit toward his father; he is required to be ready at all times to embrace his father whenever, and if ever, his father repented before him. Nevertheless, I would also counsel him to gently tell his father that forgiveness must be withheld until he genuinely repents. I would encourage him to tell his father that he (the Father) is still bound to him (the son). He has not been released until he has repented. This approach maintains both the grace and truth expressed to us in Christ. It maintains the mercy and justice displayed upon the cross. And most importantly, it teaches others of their need to repent before God, who does not forgive apart from our repentance.

Forgiveness Series: Question #1 - Do Genuine Christians Need To Ask God To Forgive Them?

2010-04-14T12:08:00.003-05:00

Over the course of the next couple weeks, my aim is to answer some hard questions people often ask about the subject of forgiveness. Questions like, "Do genuine Christians need to ask for God's forgiveness? Aren't we already forgiven?" and "Jesus requires forgiveness from the heart. How do I know when I've genuinely done that?" and "Do I need to forgive someone who refuses to repent for what they've done to me?" and "Does Jesus really expect us to forgive '70x7'? Surely we can't allow ourselves to be abused continually by someone. What does it mean to 'turn the other cheek'?" and "What is the key to being able to forgive people?"

For now, though, let's consider the first question: "Do genuine Christians need to ask for God's forgiveness?"

There are some today who are teaching that it is not necessary for a Christian to ask God to forgive and cleanse him from his sins. In my opinion, they have understandable reasons for believing this. For example, the lack of instances in the New Testament where Christians ask for God to forgive them is absolutely striking. Instead, the authors almost always speak of the Christian as already being forgiven. For example, Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you." Notice he doesn't say, "Forgive others just as God in Christ forgives you". He says, "... as Christ forgave you." Past tense. The beauty of the gospel is that Christ has forgiven us from sins past, present, and even future. When we believed the good news of the gospel, God immediately imputed the righteousness of Christ to us. Imputed means "to consider someone to be". It means "to think of someone as". God considers us to be righteous. He thinks of us as righteous. Even though O.J. Simpson wasn't convicted of murder back in the 90's, many people thought of him as guilty, that is, they considered him to be guilty nonetheless. That's imputation. Except God doesn't think of us as guilty, he thinks of us as righteous. How? Christ paid the penalty of our sin. And we accepted that free gift of his righteousness. As a result we are completely forgiven.

Immediately someone will say, "But what about 1 John 1:9, which says: "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Doesn't that verse teach that even forgiven Christians still need to ask God for His forgiveness? Well, a closer look at the context of 1 John 1:9 reveals that John is primarily talking about an unsaved person, even though the letter is written to a church. For example, in this paragraph alone John speaks of those who "walk in darkness" and "who do not practice the truth" (v.6). He also speaks of those who say they "have no sin" and therefore do not "have the truth" in them (v.8). The immediate context also speaks of those who "make God a liar" and who do not have God's word in them (v.10). Those are descriptions of unbelievers, not believers. Certainly there were a number of false believers in the church John was writing to and certainly 1 John 1:9 was primarily directed to them: "If you confess your sin, he will be faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." Notice John doesn't say, "God will cleanse you of the unrighteous deed you just did". He says that God will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. That seems to be primarily referring to justification (God's act of declaring a sinner righteous, just like a judge declares someone "not guilty").

So, the good news is that no matter what sin you've committed, if your faith in Christ is a genuine, saving faith, then all of your sins have been forgiven. I think that truth should provide unspeakable, relaxing rest in our souls. Nothing can separate us from the love of God - not even our own failures and sins. When you bring your failures and sins before the Lord, you must remember that he loves you and accepts you in Christ Jesus. You must, at that moment, preach the gospel to yourself. You must claim the cross. You must believe that you are accepted in Him.

Having said all that, though, it's important for us to know that there is still a place for asking God to forgive our sins, despite Christ's finished work of atonement on the cross. For example, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in Matthew 6, Jesus told them to say, "Forgive us our debts". Now, some make a strong case that this prayer, along with much of what Jesus spoke in the sermon on the mount, is actually directed toward unregenerate, unsaved people. This is true. However, these instructions were also given to his disciples - men who followed and loved him. Therefore, it seems good to conclude that we should still ask God to forgive us, but with this one distinction: to restore our relationship of love, not to save us. For example, my own Dad loves me and accepts me. Even if I became the biggest failure and loser one could imagine, my Dad has told me that he would still love me. That is a wonderful assurance. However, that doesn't mean I can't still grieve him and sin against him. Nor does it mean I shouldn't ask him to forgive me if I sin against him. It is necessary for me to go to him and ask forgiveness if I sin against him. Not so he'll begin to accept me and love me again, but to restore our relationship. Yes, our relationship with God has been permanently restored at the moment of our conversion, but there is a type of familial restoration that is of a different nature than the legal restoration we received at our justification. This illustration, then, helps us to understand that 1.) we are completely accepted and loved by our heavenly Father; nothing can ever change that, but 2.) we still need God's parental forgiveness.

Now, at this point, someone might ask, "Do we need to do this for every sin we commit?" I don't believe we have to confess every sin we've done throughout the day. In fact, I think that would be impossible. If you do that, you're assuming you sin so rarely that you can actually recall all your daily sins. But you can't. No one can. This sort of thinking can lead to a legalistic approach to God: "God's OK with me because I confessed everything today". Wrong. God's OK with you because you're covered in the righteousness of Christ by his grace through your faith. Period.

Now, again, let's balance the issue out. I'm not saying we should think to ourselves, "Well, since I can't recall all my sins, there's no point in confessing any of my sins." We must remember: God honors the condition of our heart more than anything. Remember the story of the prodigal son? The Father ran to the prodigal son before the son ever spoke a word of confession to him. The Father saw the son returning. This let the Father know that his son's heart was right. The son had humbled himself and softened his heart toward his Father. The Father didn't say, "You must admit you're wrong before I embrace you." No. The Father saw his son's heart. In the same way, when you and I come before the Lord to confess our sins (the one's we can recall), God honors the condition of our heart. He runs to us, embraces us, and pours out his affection upon us. And He can do this to sinners like us because of what Christ did on the cross. Christ's sacrifice was a propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means "to have your sense of justice appeased". Christ appeased the Father's perfect sense of justice. He satisfied his wrath toward us and our sin. And because Christ went through that horrible agony on our behalf, the Father can now run to us, embrace us, and pour out his affection on us. Praise be to God the Son and God the Father!

Why We Should Rejoice In Our Sufferings

2010-04-06T21:49:00.018-05:00

For most people, the Bible's exhortation to "rejoice in our sufferings" seems so odd, especially for those of you who've undergone serious pain. But rejoicing in our suffering is the only way to deal with it. Romans 5 explains everything. At the beginning of Romans 5, Paul is talking about rejoicing in our salvation and rejoicing in the fact that God will be fully glorified one day, but then he says there's something else we should rejoice in: "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope".

Let's start at the end of that verse. At the end is the word "hope". That's what everyone is looking for. Hope is what enables a person to be happy. Hope is what gives someone strength to not give up. For example, if I'm lost in the woods, I could grow terrified, panicked, and eventually depressed. I'm going to die! But, all of a sudden I hear the sound of cars ahead. I'm not there yet, but now I have hope. That hope enables me to walk the final two miles. If I didn't have that hope, I might give up. In fact, even though I was lost, I might walk those final two miles to the road with great joy and glee. The fear is gone, the misery has vanished ... because I have hope.

The same is true in life. If we don't have hope that we will be saved when we die, then we will be miserable in this life. It doesn't matter how many nice things we have. If you don't have hope, you can't be happy. This is why so many rock stars and actors and famous people are so miserable and doing drugs, etc. Why are they that way? They have everything: money, sex, fame, luxury, success, love. The reason they're so miserable despite everything they have is because they're afraid of dying. There's no hope that they'll be o.k. when they die. Why enjoy life if you're just going to die soon? What's the point? Therefore, they're miserable and hopeless. Therefore, in order to be joyful and happy, one must have hope that he or she will continue to live on past death.

But what produces hope? How does one get hope? Well, the text answers that question, too: "...and character produces hope." Character. Here's how this works. How do you really know if you're a child of God? How do you really know if you're "righteous" (right with God)? How do you really know you're a true Christian? 1 John answers that question. Just read it someday. The answer is simple: character. The only way to know if you have the Spirit is to see if you have the fruit of the Spirit. If you're not a loving person, then there's no guarantee you're a saved person. If you're constantly impatient with and unfaithful to people, there's no guarantee you're a child of God. If you hate your brother, 1 John says you don't live in the light. If you don't hunger for the Word of God, if you don't confess your sins, if you don't love others and work for their good, if you're self-absorbed and unwilling to ever share the gospel, there's no guarantee you're truly saved. The Bible says, "I believe, therefore I have spoken". If you don't ever speak and testify to the gospel, it's probably because you never believed. Behavior demonstrates that you truly believe. Behavior doesn't provide you with salvation, but it does prove your salvation. It proves that you're a saved, justified, and forgiven person.

Now, let's say you can genuinely say, "The Lord has grown me in so many areas. I'm not perfect, but I don't lust as much as I used to, I'm more patient, I long for His Word more than I used to, I'm much more gentle than I ever was, I forgive people more often, I now have the humility to admit my own wrong and ask others for forgiveness ... I never used to do that. I have a deepening desire to be around Christ and his people and learn and grow. I see my heart and life changing! My priorities have changed. I have so many weak areas, and I have so many things that I know God wants to change, but nevertheless, I AM growing holier as time goes on!" If you can say that, then you will have hope. Why? Here's THE answer: WHEN GOD SAVES US FROM SIN IN THE PRESENT, THAT'S PROOF THAT HE IS GOING TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS IN THE FUTURE. If it's obvious that God ISN'T saving us from our sins in the present, then we should be concerned that he will save us from our sins in the future. Every true son of His gets disciplined. God grows every one of his children. Some grow faster than others, but every true child will grow. If there's no growth, there should be little if any assurance of salvation.

Therefore, the only way to get joy and happiness is to get hope. The only way to get hope is to see character in your life. Character is the evidence that God's Spirit dwells inside you and is fashioning you into the image of Christ. It's the evidence that God is saving you from the power of your sins and therefore will save you from the penalty of your sins in the future.

Great! How do I get character then! If character is the only way that I will have assurance that I'm saved (and therefore hope and joy), then show me how to get character! Ok, here it is: suffering. The verse from Romans says, "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character." Ultimately, it's suffering that produces the character.

For example, sometimes, the only way we can learn to be an accepting, kind, and extremely loving person to others is when we face the pain of having someone be extremely non-accepting, unkind, and unloving to us. You think to yourself, "I don't want anyone to suffer that sort of rejection", and so you treat people kindly and lovingly. Your ability to do that stemmed from your own suffering - your own rejection.

Or, for example, some Christians are very angry, self-righteous, judgmental, and proud. They're religious. They haven't learned the joy of the gospel yet. They look down on others. They're constantly comparing themselves to other Christians. They rejoice when other Christians fall because that makes them look better. They get jealous and angry when other Christians do well because that makes them look bad. They're miserable, unkind, self-righteous, and pharisaical. Sometimes the only way a person like that can learn to be humble, self-affacing, merciful, and non-legalistic is for that person to struggle with a besetting sin or for them to get caught doing something extremely shameful. When we struggle with a besetting sin or get caught doing something horrible, that can utterly destroy our pride. It can make us feel so horrible about ourselves. And those feelings are painful. BUT, they are necessary in order to teach us to not be a Pharisee.

I have one more example. Let's say you're a greedy person. Let's say you just haven't learned the need to be giving with your money. I don't know how many times greedy Christians have invited financial ruin into their lives. Often times I think God will allow unbelievers to remain in their greed and wealth because unbelievers aren't his "sons". Only God's sons get disciplined. But, if you're a true child of God persisting in greed, God will take that money away from you in one way or another to teach you to be generous. After a while you stop thinking, "How can I hoard my money in order to be blessed" and you start thinking, "How can I give away my money in order to be blessed." You realize that you'll be happier being a giving person than a greedy person. As Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Suffering has always been God's plan for saving the world. There is no resurrection without a cross. There is no crown of gold without a crown of thorns. God invites us into this process of suffering. As Paul says in Colossians 1:24, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church". Paul knew that God's call toward every Christian was the call to suffer. And because we know that suffering is THE instrument by which he saves us, we rejoice in it. What would you prefer: temporary pain or eternal joy? Romans 8:18: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Here's the important thing to understand: God doesn't require us to have feelings of pleasure and excitement over suffering and pain. That's not the requirement. Jesus himself didn't do that. He wasn't laughing on the cross. He was in agony. He didn't have a smile on his face when his cousin, John the Baptist, died. He cried. God doesn't require us to experience euphoric emotions when going through or remembering suffering. That's NOT what it means to rejoice in suffering. To rejoice in suffering is to be thankful and happy that you went through them despite the pain they caused you. I can be happy and joyful in the midst of a workout even though I'm going through excruciating pain because I know what that workout is doing for me. I may not be happy about what the pain is doing to me, but I can be happy about what the pain is doing for me.

Don't allow your pain to harden your heart towards God. Go to him and thank him for the cross you bare. You can do so in the knowledge that a resurrection and ascension will soon follow. For Christians, no pain lasts forever. As Peter said, "After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10). It won't last forever. Praise be to God.

Go On, I Dare You

2010-03-11T11:49:00.003-06:00

When you go to the doctor, do you want the best or do you want the guy who's "just ok"? You want the best. When you send your children off to school, do you want them to get the best possible education or a mediocre one? You want the best. However, when it comes to the most important thing in life (spiritual truth) many of us often settle for mediocrity. We read Christian books that are ... ok ... but they're not the best.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to waste my time on mediocrity when it comes to the most important thing in life - spiritual truth. Unfortunately, though, many of the best Christian writings are simply incomprehensible to the average Christian reader (like me). That's because they were written hundreds of years ago in the 1500's and 1700's. Even writings from the early 20th century can be hard to understand. They're filled with old English words, or they use the same words we use, but they use them in a different way, like the word "affections". So how are we supposed to glean from the best if we can't understand what they're saying? Look no further. Let me introduce you to a new series entitled: The Essential Edwards Collection. It's a collection of five books that explain his writings to the modern man.

If you want to be a light Christian, then avoid books like these. But if you want to have a depth about you for your own personal well-being and ministry to others, then I dare you to pick up a book like this - a book that might intimidate you, but I challenge you to try it. It's available on Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0802424627?ie=UTF8&tag=sovereigngr05-20

LOVED This

2010-03-06T18:44:00.001-06:00

http://ow.ly/1f1EQ

How to Avoid a Broken Heart

2010-02-27T21:28:00.002-06:00

Loved this quote from C.S. Lewis from Justin Taylor's blog:

C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, p. 121:

To love at all is to be vulnerable.
Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.
If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.
Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change.
It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

I'm a Christian ... So Why Do I Experience So Much Pain Still?

2010-02-03T11:13:00.008-06:00

One of the main reasons Christians end up giving up on their faith is because they become disillusioned by the pain they still experience. Many of us often times experience great depression and anxiety. Many of us still experience one frustration after another. We lie about the level of joy we have because we don't want to look bad to others. Additionally, our relationships are so incredibly broken. It's not long before a new friend disappoints you. Even the relationships you experience in church can be shallow or filled with strife and bitterness.

Life is so very hard and all of it can tempt us to think that God's promises aren't true. We read in Scripture about "full joy". We read about a "peace that surpasses all understanding". We read about victory and miracles and healing and protection. We hear stories about God bringing the perfect person into some one's life. But he hasn't done that with ours. Why? We read that God watches over his children and loves us more than many doves. But then a child gets sick. Why?

All of this suffering can cause great disillusionment. It can cause us to lose our faith. To give up and lose hope. We, along with David, ask ourselves, "Why so downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" It's confusing! "I thought my experience of the Christian life should be richer, more satisfying, more .... something."

But there's something we must remember: we are on the rescue boat, not the island. Let me explain. You and I used to be thousands of miles from paradise. We were all stranded at sea -without a paddle, without a life vest, or even a plank of wood. We were still alive, but at the same time pretty much dead. We had no hope of survival. The only thing we could look forward to was sinking deep into the pitch black abyss of the bottom of the ocean - what the biblical writers often referred to as "the grave" (Jonah 2). But then Christ came along, out of his deep love for us and saved us. He reached down, took us by the hand, and brought us inside his rescue boat.

Never forget this, church - there are two types of Christians: those who think God has saved us from drowning and promised to immediately bring us to shore and those who think God has saved us from drowning, but asks us to wait and help him save others on the way to the shore. Those who think God has promised to bring us immediately to shore often grow very disillusioned with their Christian walk. They think life is supposed to be white sand and palm trees. But that's a false delusion. Christ has only promised to give us hope, not a perfect life. And along the way he has invited us to be a part of of his rescue mission. This means that our life on this earth is going to be like living in a rescue boat: you'll have hope (because you're not drowning and you know you'll be in paradise soon), but you'll also have pain. You'll still have to deal with the waves and storms of life on the ocean. Rescue boats aren't luxury cruises, therefore your bed won't be very comfortable. Night time at sea can be very daunting and very frightening. Therefore, we still shed tears, we still experience anxiety, our backs still hurt, we get sea sick!

But beloved, don't lose heart. Christ is on board. Christ is sailing the ship. He can calm any storm and command any wave to, "Cease, be still". The night doesn't last forever. He is with us, guiding our ship toward paradise. He only asks that we don't jump off the ship under some false delusion of greater joy somewhere else. It's just a satanic-inspired mirage. Stay on the ship. We're almost to paradise. In the mean time, dedicate yourself to saving other people who are drowning. They surround the ship. The problem isn't that they can't be saved, the problem is that the rescuers are few. Don't give up. Don't listen to Satan's lie that God isn't fulfilling his promises. He is fulfilling his promise - He's just not doing it all at once. The reason he hasn't taken us to shore right away is because he's waiting for others to repent - to come on board.

Therefore, don't be surprised by the wind and waves. Don't be depressed and discouraged or fearful. Don't "shipwreck your faith" (1 Timothy 1:19). Hold on. We're almost to shore.

Jonah 2:1–10

1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,

“I called out to the LORD, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.

3 For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
passed over me.

4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’

5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head

6 at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O LORD my God.

7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the LORD,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.

8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

How Entertainment May Be Destroying Your Life (Without You Even Knowing It)

2010-01-21T09:45:00.008-06:00

Let me tell you about an interesting way Eskimos kill wolves: they stick a knife with blood frozen all over the blade into the ground, blade side up. The wolves catch the scent of the blood and come running. (The brain of a wolf goes absolutely insane over the smell and taste of blood.) So they begin to vigorously lick the newly sharpened, blood-stained blade. In doing so the wolves cut their own tongues, but they obviously have no idea they're bleeding since they were tasting blood in the first place. And so they just continue to lick their own blood until they faint and then die. Lovely, isn't it?

I fear that many Christians are doing the same thing: they are killing themselves and they don't realize it. How are they doing this? Their addiction to media-related entertainment (video games, television, movies, cell phones, computer games, etc.) is spoiling their ability to read, write, and, above all, think. I am not condemning media-related entertainment for the evil images and the various ways it excites our sinful passions. That's for another day and another blog. Right now, I'm simply concerned about one thing: our minds are so used to constant flashing images and having our attention held, that we find it almost impossible to stay focused on sustained in-depth teaching - whether it's in the form of a book, lecture, or sermon. We are like the wolves: we are killing ourselves, we don't even know it, and we are doing so in a state of euphoria. As Neil Postman would say, we are "amusing ourselves to death". Our culture doesn't ask the question, "What's the next thing I need to do in order to survive? (As most cultures throughout history have asked)" Instead we ask, "What's the next thing I need to do in order to avoid boredom?" And the danger of this approach isn't just the evil images that incite our sinful passions and provide bad examples for us (sex, violence, rudeness, etc.). The unseen danger of this approach is that it cripples our God-given intellectual capacities to focus, pay attention, and think rationally.

The person who doesn't read, write, and think has ceased to be fully human. He has become a slave of the entertainment beast that dominates every aspect of our culture. Commercials rarely explain why their products are helpful, they simply try to make you laugh in the hope that you will remember their product. Televisions and Wi-Fi are everywhere we go. Entertainment is everywhere and it's On-Demand. As a result, our intellectual capacities are being ruined. Many of us cannot even string together intelligible sentences. It's a problem of epidemic proportions in the world and in the church.

As a result of this, 1.) many in the church today do not want to be made to think. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter. They want the silver and gold, but they don't want to search for it themselves. They want the "experts" (pastors, conference speakers, big Christian personalities, etc.), to spell it all out for them, but they don't want to do any of the hard work for themselves. 2.) They want sermons to be filled with exciting, interesting stories so they won't be bored. Church services are evaluated on their ability to entertain, not exposit the Word of God with clarity and conviction.

I wonder if Peter's admonition wouldn't have special application to us today: "Therefore, be clear-minded and self-controlled so you can pray" (1 Pet.4:7). You see? Our inability to interact on the spiritual level is directly connected with the state of our intellect. If our minds are addicted to entertainment, it will be extremely difficult to focus on praying meaningful prayers (because meaningful prayers demand that we wrestle, in our minds, with who we are, who God is, what we should pray for, avoiding cliche, getting honest, etc.).

The unfortunate irony of this whole blog post is that the majority of the people I'm addressing most likely decided to never read it in the first place or they only made it half-way through and gave up for the very reasons given in this post.

"Lord Jesus, we are very good at understanding the obvious ways in which we invite destruction into our lives, but I fear we are often blind to the unseen, deceptive tools used by Lucifer that draw us to the blood-stained knife of continual entertainment. Have mercy on us and enable us to love you, not only with our hearts and wills, but also our minds. Amen."

You Sing Over Your Children

2010-01-20T09:42:00.003-06:00

Another song we'll be doing soon - probably this Sunday actually. It's by Matt Maher (who's fast becoming one of my favorite Christian musicians). Based on Zephaniah 3:17 - in case you were wondering what the biblical basis was for this song! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfGvQK8v5F8

A Song We'll Be Singing Soon

2010-01-14T11:56:00.005-06:00

I thought it would be a really good idea to start posting worship songs on my blog before we do them for the first time in church. That way, if you'd like, you can listen to it on YouTube (or even purchase it on iTunes if you enjoy it enough) so you don't have to be learning it for the first time on Sunday morning. Usually whenever I decide on a new worship song, I wait a couple weeks before doing it. (This gives me time to practice it over and over so I have it down pat come Sunday) So, from now on, when I decide to do a song I'll post it on my blog.

Here's a song we will be doing very soon. It's simply entitled "Christ is Risen". This song really moved me. The lyrics are so rich and inspiring. Here's one lyric from the song: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death." Don't you love that? Christ defeated death by death. He used death to defeat death. This is our God - the God of paradox. The God who uses suffering to bring joy. The God who becomes a man to show us He is God. The God who became nothing to show us he is everything. The God who makes poor in order to make rich. The God who calls us to die in order to live. The Lion who is a lamb; the lamb who is a lion. The Good Dictator who gained control of the earth through meekness. The God who blinds those who say they can see. The One who is "the desire of all nations" (Haggai 2:7), yet "had no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). The son of king David, yet the God of king David (Psalm 110). The God who uses apparent contradiction to enable children to understand that which most of the world's greatest intellects cannot grasp. This is our God. Amazing.

Here's the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2KNvuscKRA

Bible Reading Plans

2010-01-04T12:09:00.002-06:00

If you would like to read through the Bible this year, you can check out some various plans here:

www.esv.org/biblereadingplans

Through this sight, you can have your daily readings sent to your cell phone, email, or outlook program. Personally, I've chosen the "ESV Study Bible" reading plan. It takes you through different sections of the Bible (OT, NT, Psalms/Proverbs) everyday. Make sure to use a good study Bible when reading through the Bible this year. The ESV Study Bible is the newest, best study Bible out there. It has won almost every prize for Christians books this year. It can be found here: www.esvstudybible.org

God bless, and may his Word fill our hearts everday in the same way food fills our stomachs everday.

Pastor Josh

Movie Review: Invictus

2009-12-28T15:37:00.006-06:00

Well, it's the holidays. That means two things: 1.) blockbusters are released in the theaters and, 2.) I had a vacation week. And with a little extra time on my hands, I got to see a couple movies. One of them was the movie "Invictus" starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, two really good actors. Let me begin with what I liked about the movie: First, Invictus is simply a clean, fun, inspiring movie directed by Clint Eastwood. It's a true story about Nelson Mandella's campaign to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup in order to unite the blacks and whites in his country after years of apartheid. The film highlights Mandella's controversial decision to keep and support his country's Rugby team even though the team represented the spirit of the old apartheid. He did this to unite the whites (who loved the team) with the blacks (who generally disliked the team).

One of the things I liked best about the movie was the leadership lessons it taught. At one point Mandella tells his staff that he needed to make right decisions, even if the people thought his decisions were wrong. This is true. A good leader is someone who governs according to the true standard of righteousness rather than popular opinion. Often times people want revenge, comfort, power, ease, etc. But a good leader will do what's right for the country, not what everyone necessarily thinks is right. This was very inspiring to me as a leader.

Also, you can't help but love the message of reconciliation. Many of us simply don't like people who are different from us. Especially if those people were responsible for any suffering we've had to face. Mandella refuses to exact revenge on the people who put him in jail for 27 years. Instead, he preaches a message of compassion and forgiveness. In addition to all of that, there's virtually no sex, violence, or cursing in this movie. It's just a well made movie and a good story.

In light of all this, you might be surprised to know that, overall, I do not endorse this movie. In fact, I will even go so far as to say this: these type of movies may be Satan's greatest tool for deceiving millions of people and keeping them in bondage to his lies. How can this be? Especially since it was such a good, pure, moral story with virtually nothing wrong in it? Answer: because the message of the movie is essentially that man is the savior of mankind. You are the one who can save yourself, overcome difficulty, and bring hope and reconciliation to the world. Your destiny lies in your hands. For example, the title of the movie is "Invictus". Invictus is a poem written by the English poet William Ernest Henley. In this poem Henley speaks of his own "unconquerable soul". Even though he has undergone "the bludgeonings of chance" and exists within a place of "wrath and tears", he has not "winced or cried aloud" and is "unafraid". Most concerning is the last line of the poem - the line emphasized in the movie: "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." The problem with that seemingly inspiring statement is that it is completely untrue. The truth is, nobody is the master of his own fate, nor is anyone the captain of his own soul. God is. God is the master of our fate and God is the leader of our souls. He decides who lives, who dies, and when it all happens. God is the master and sovereign king over every human soul that lives.

In addition to that, only God can bring true reconciliation to the world. Ephesians 2:14-15 says, "For He himself (Christ) is our peace, who had made both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace..." In context this is speaking of two relationships: man's relationship with God and man's relationship with man (Jew and Gentile). No man, no political or religous leader, and no country or people group can do this. Only Christ can.

I'm concerned that movies like this teach us to glorify men instead of God. It doesn't matter if the message is still a positive message. "Positive messages" might be more responsible for holding people in bondage to deception than even negative messages are. But make no mistake: no man ever has done anything to bring about true reconciliation - only God has. One day, God will reveal this to everyone (John 3:21). Left to himself, man would hate everyone, isolate himself from all, and crown himself god over his universe. Beloved: I'm not saying it's a sin to watch a movie like this, I'm just asking that we must learn to discern every movie, every message, every book, article, claim, or opinion thrown your way. Learn to be discerning. Learn to see past the "cloak of righteousness" that Satan uses to deceive, knowing that he "disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Cor.11:14).

To God alone be the glory (Sola Gloria)!

Josh

The Main Reason Many Today "Get Nothing" Out of the Bible

2009-12-09T16:21:00.006-06:00

Without a doubt, there is no such thing as a blessed Christian life apart from knowing the Word of God. The Bible compares itself to bread (or, food). Without food, you body dies. In the same way, without the Bible, your soul dies.

Additionally, the book of Proverbs says that people who don't know the Bible go crazy. I'm not kidding. Listen to this verse: "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint" (29:18). The words "cast off restraint" are actually one word in the Hebrew. It's the same word that's used of the Israelites in Exodus 32:25 when Moses came down from the mountain and discovered that the people were worshipping idols and participating in a group orgy, of sorts. They were no longer restrained from evil. They were fully indulging their sinful passions and were literaly going nuts. Proverbs 29:18 says that happens as a result of not being exposed to the Word of God (revelation). This shouldn't surprise us, though. Ever miss a meal or two? Ever fast for a couple days? Your brain starts going a little psycho. If that's true in a limited sense of physical food, how much more would it be true of spiritual food?

Also, Psalm 19 says that the Bible revives the soul. Without the Bible in your life, your soul will feel dead. That means you will be depressed, discouraged, dreary, and down-right DEAD. It also says that the Bible brings joy to the heart (v.8), helps you to understand deceptions that once held you in bondage (v.9), brings security to your life (v.10a), and satisfaction - the type of satisfaction one gets when he indulges in an amazing dessert (v.10b).

The list really goes on and on. Being in the Word is the primary way we develop a strong sense of God's presence in our lives. Being in the Word helps us to understand how our earthly relationships are supposed to operate, so we can relate with minimal pain and maximum joy in them. Being in the Word literally saves your soul from eternal death.

But many Christians aren't blessed by the Bible in this way. They don't experience it like David does. They don't think it's like eating honey. They don't feel full after reading it - they feel confused. They don't feel greater joy, they feel greater discouragement that the Bible isn't "working" like it's supposed to.

May I offer the reason for this? It's because we aren't reading for understanding. We think that simply reading the Bible is all we're supposed to do. But I'm going to make a bold claim: I believe you can read the Bible your whole life and rarely get anything out of it. Why? For the same reason you wouldn't get much out of a marriage where your spouse speaks another language. If you couldn't understand each other, there would be no blessing in the relationship. In fact, Paul makes this point in 1 Corinthians 14 when he speaks about speaking in tongues. If people can't understand one another, how are they going to be built up? How are they going to be blessed? It's impossible! Therefore, view the Bible as a lover who speaks another language. This lover will satisfy your deepest desires for love and intimacy - all you need to do is learn her (or his) language.

Remember: the Bible was meant to be understood by everyone. Not just smart people. Therefore, you can understand it. You just have to apply yourself and get the tools to understand it. I suggest always reading the Bible with a study Bible. A study Bible isn't going to explain the deepest intracacies of a text, but it will shed light on the biggest questions you might have. For example, if you're reading in Romans and you see the word "justification" and you don't know what it means, you need to look it up in the study Bible. It will explain to you that "justification" is a legal word that means "to declare someone not guilty" or "righteous". So when Paul says, "We have been justified in Christ", you'll understand that God has declared you no longer guilty of the crimes you comitted. He has justified you. A good study Bible will help you with things like that. But if you don't seek to understand what the word "justified" means, you'll read it and go, "I didn't get a lot out of that." That's because you had no idea what it meant!

Someone might say, "Why did God make it so hard"? Well, maybe he wanted to see who really cares and who doesn't. And maybe he wants to reward those who care (Hebrews 11:6). Those who dig deep reveal that they care. And God will reward them. But those who walk away and say, "This teaching is too hard. Who can understand it?" as the false believers in John 6 said, will find themselves walking away from life itself.

Why was John the Baptist called the greatest man who ever lived? One simple reason: he spent his life constantly pointing people to the Word: "Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Now I'm not a great man. But I am pointing you to the Word. The only question is, will you go?