Preaching on the Incarnation

In preaching on the incarnation, which many of us preach on during the Christmas season, it is too easy to emphasize the fact that Christ was fully God, and ignore the fact that Christ was fully man as well.  Many times we as preachers tend to dwell on the fact of His deity, and never mention His humanity, which was just as great a necessity for Him as our Savior as was His deity. He had to be both human and Divine.

In the incarnation, in the person of Christ, we have the mystery of the fullness of deity in bodily form, the Word becoming flesh and being made in the likeness of men, Christ being fully God and fully man, two natures sharing one body in full harmony and unity.  So, in the Scriptures, when Christ speaks He does not speak as God sometimes and man at others.  When Christ acts, He does not act as God sometimes and man at others.  He speaks and acts as both God and man simultaneously.  His two natures are never divorced from one another and never act independently of one another.  So whatever He does…all that He did, He did as both God and man.  

So in our preaching on the incarnation, let us remember and endeavor to present Him in the fullness of His being, as being, living, existing, speaking, thinking, and acting as both God and man.  This is why He is the pivot point of all of history, and why, truly, there is no one like Him.

Christ, Our Perfection and Perfecter

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with

our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things

as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things

to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the 

same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year,

make perfect those who draw near...For by one offering

He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Hebrews 10:1, 14

and in Him you have been made complete...

Colossians 2:10a

He was perfect so we could be perfected.

Christ, Our Christmas Focus

When we focus on Christ, He always

enriches our spirit and enlarges our heart.

May He be your focus this Christmas, 

not just for the day, but for the season

and beyond.

May your thoughts be occupied with 

the greatness of His deity,

the grandeur of His majesty,

the mystery of His humanity,

the magnificence of His humility,

and the blessing of His charity.

May your spirit sing and your heart rejoice.

May thanksgiving flood your soul.

May your salvation taste sweet, 

  your Savior be near, and your praise

fill the air.

Amen

Pastors, Be Bold

Fellow Pastors, brother Pastors, let us not be concerned this week about being bold leaders, but let us be concerned about being bold preachers.  Let us not be concerned with pleasing men with our preaching, but let our concern be pleasing Him, the Lord Jesus Christ-the Head of the Church-the Alpha and Omega-the One before whose judgment seat we will stand.  Let us not preach with the fear of men on our mind, but let us preach with the fear of the Lord in our heart.  After all, the Lord is our greatest and ultimate audience.  

Let us remember that preaching is leading.  It is the setting out of the word of God which reveals the will of God, which is to be followed by those under its hearing.  It not only reveals the path the Lord wants us to follow, but also reveals the way we are to walk on that path.  

True leadership in the church is spiritual leadership, and the way to lead spiritually is with the Word of God.  

God and the Humble Man

This post is a compilation of some previous posts on the humble man, and some sermon notes from when I preached through Philippians 2:3-10.

In chapter two of Philippians we are told that we are to possess a humility of mind, and then we are given the example of the humility possessed by our Savior, Master, and Leader.  The Greek word for humility of mind is tapeinophrosune.  This word means to be lowly or humble.  It is a lowliness of mind, a state of mind that esteems itself small. It is a state of mind that has a correct estimation of itself before God, it is a state of mind that regards itself as insignificant before God and before others.  It is modest.  The way it is used in its context here means we are to responsible for our possession of this state of mind.  

Another way for us to paint a picture humility is to understand that it is the polar opposite of pride and arrogance, it is the polar opposite of boasting, it is the polar opposite of selfishness and empty conceit. 

In us getting our mind right, we must understand that pride doesn’t just exalt itself against others, but always and ultimately exalts itself against God as all sin is always against God. In the Scriptures, you never see the term humble used to describe the wicked, but you will always see pride associated with wickedness. Let's look at a couple of verses that reveal to us what God thinks about the pride of man. 

Isaiah 2:12, 17 For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased.  The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of man will be abased; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 13:11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the wicked….

In Proverbs 6:16 there are seven things listed that God hates, that are an abomination to Him, and the first on the list is haughty eyes.

What we see from the Scriptures is that God hates pride, but values humility.

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, seek righteousness seek humility.

So let us consider together why the Lord values the humble man so much, and why humility is esteemed in the eyes of God.

The humble man knows his place before God and before men.

                                         Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,

but with humility of mind regard one another

as more important than yourselves.  Do not

merely look out for your own personal interests,

but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them,

"If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all

and servant of all."

Mark 9:35

The Job answered the Lord, and said,

"I know that You can do all things,

And that no purpose of Your can be thwarted.

Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?

Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my

eyes see You; Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes."

Job 42:1-6

But now God has placed the members, each one of them,

in the body, just as He desired.

I Corinthians 12:18

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,

Or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;

Like a weaned child rests against His mother,

My soul is like a weaned child within me.

Psalm 131:1-2

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves 

that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:

"Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee

 and the other a tax collector.  the Pharisee took his stand and

 was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other

people--greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax

collector.  I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I get.'

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise

his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest saying, 'God, turn

Your wrath from me--a sinner!'  I tell you, this one went down

to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone

who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles

himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:9-14

                                                The humble man is a reverent man.

"For My hand made all these things,

Thus, all these things came into being,"

declares, the Lord.

But to this one I will look, to him who

is humble and contrite of spirit,

and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

 Tremble, and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart upon

your bed and be still.

Psalm 4:4

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness

I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple

I will bow in reverence for You.

Psalm 5:7

  and My people who are

Called by My name humble themselves and

pray and seek My face and turn from their

wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,

will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14  

The humble man is a teachable man.

Open my eyes, that I may behold

Wonderful things from Your law.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,

And I shall observe it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may observe

Your law and keep it with all my heart.

Make me walk in the path of Your

Commandments for I delight in it.

  

Establish Your word to Your servant

As that which produces reverence for You.

You have dealt well with Your servant,

O Lord, according to Your word.

Psalm 119:18, 33-35, 38, 65

The humble man is a contrite man.

"For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being,"

declares the Lord.

But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite

of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter

Be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord,

And He will exalt you.

James 4:9-10

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God

produces a repentance without regret, leading to

salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow,

has produced in you:  what vindication of yourselves, what

indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging

of wrong!  In everything you demonstrated yourselves

innocent in the matter.

II Corinthians 7:10-11

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God,

You will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

The humble man is a worshipping man.

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness

I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple

I will bow in reverence for You.

Psalm 5:7

For a day in Your courts is better

than a thousand outside.

Psalm 84:10a

"If anyone wishes to come after Me,

he must deny himself, take up his cross

daily, and follow Me."

Luke 9:23

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.

Psalm 51:17a

                                                   Come, let us worship and bow down,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Psalm 95:6

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at

His footstool; holy is He.

Psalm 99:5

The humble man is an obedient man.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also

in Christ Jesus...Being found in appearance as man,

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point

of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5, 8

Submit therefore to God.

James 4:7a

…He became to all who obey Him,

The source of eternal salvation.

Hebrews 7:9

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.

I Peter 5:6

Samuel said, "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

I Samuel 15:22

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

Luke 6:46

The humble man is a wise man.

"For My hand made all these things, thus all these

things came into being," declares the Lord.

"But to this one I will look, to him who is humble

and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."

Isaiah 66:2

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

When pride comes, then comes dishonor,

but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men

but as wise, making the most of your time, because the

days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand

what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him

show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness

of wisdom...But the wisdom from above is first pure,

then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and

good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the

seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace

by those who make peace.

James 3:13, 17-18

The humble man is an empowered man.

For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord.

But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and

Contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

"I dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:15

                                         But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says,

"God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:6

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore,

I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so the the power

of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with

weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,

with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

II Corinthians 12:9-10

...whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving

by the strength which God supplies...

I Peter 4:11b

...God is opposed to the proud, 

but gives grace to the humble.

For though the Lord is exalted,

yet He regards the lowly, but 

the haughty He knows from afar.

James 4:6, Psalm 138:6

The humble man is a blessed man.

The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches, honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4

But the one who looks intently at the perfect law,

 the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having

become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer,

this man will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:11

 The humble man will be an exalted man

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.

I Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord,

And He will exalt you.

James 4:10

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

And he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 14:11

Here are ten things the Bible teaches us about pride and humility:

  1. Pride ultimately exalts itself over God, and humility ultimately makes itself low before God.  

  2. Pride pushes God away, while humility draws near to God.  

  3. Pride depends on itself, while humility depends on God.  

  4. Pride boasts in itself, while humility boasts in God.  

  5. Pride credits itself, while humility credits God. 

  6. Pride follows its own path, while humility follows God's path.  

  7. Pride is self-seeking, while humility is God-seeking.  

  8. Pride always leads to disobedience, while humility always leads to obedience.  

  9. Pride is the opposite of godliness, while humility promotes godliness. 

10. The proud will be destroyed from the earth, while the humble will inherit the earth.

So, my friends, let us follow the admonition of the following verses:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:5

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I gentle and

humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29

Truly Radical Church Membership

As a follow up to my post on being truly radical.  Here is a post from Theologically Driven that talks about the necessity of regenerate church membership....a radical concept in today's church.

http://dbts.edu/blog/keeping-the-church-distinct-from-the-world-through-regenerate-church-membership-2/#more-7091

Being Truly Radical

Radical, as defined in Merriam-Webster, means something that is very different from what is normal or traditional, and its synonym is extreme.  Personally, from the standpoint of the church, I think the term radical is worn out, over-used, and, in fact, misused and misapplied. The Christian life is radical…a radical departure from the life we used to live, the way we used to be, the habits and appetites we used to have, and the way we used to think. The whole of the Christian life is radical, because we have been set apart from sin unto God. In fact, it is radical because it is so different from the way in which the world lives and thinks. Therefore, the living out of a truly Christian life is radical in and of itself, we don’t have to make it radical. But because of the shallowness of evangelicals, and the tare-ridden condition of the churches, there is a misconception of what a true Christian is and how a true Christian lives…so the call to be radical has become a new mantra, when, in fact, the call should be to live and act as a true Christian.

The early Christians, and true Christians in all ages, have always lived in a manner radically different from their culture because they have been freed from sin and made alive in Christ.  Because the church in the West has been deceived into believing that it is to be a place to entice unbelievers instead of a worshiping gathering of believers, the life and witness of the church has been watered down, its expectations lowered, its demands softened, the purpose of its preaching changed, its call to sacrificial living derided, and its call to holiness ignored. By its becoming more like the culture that surrounds it because of all the unbelievers in its midst, the church has lost is saltiness and dimmed its light, and what has been termed nominal or carnal Christianity has become the accepted norm (However, there is no biblical precedent for either).  So the call to be radical has gone out. 

Friends, we don't need to live the radical Christian life, we just need to live the real Christian life...a biblical Christian life, the life of a living sacrifice for the Lord that true love prompts.  This will be radical, radical not only to the church at large, but also to the culture around us.  This will give the church a distinctive presence that will be truly different from what is considered normal, not only in our society, but in the church at large as well.  With all due respect to Francis Chan and David Platt, we don't need Crazy Love, or to be Radical, we need the preaching of the Word, the preaching of Christ, the preaching of the Gospel.  When those in the church are those who are truly saved, and those who are saved are strengthened in their faith, then we will see a truly radical church as it assumes more and more the identity of Christ.

So, in a sense, what we need in the church is radical preaching and radical expectations of what biblical preaching is.  We need preaching that is different from what is now considered the norm, preaching that confronts, cajoles, and commands (Sorry, Steven Furtick, this is not you).   However, this is what the Word does when preached correctly, expositorally. For this to take place, the Word must be preached without fear, the fear of man, but full of the fear of the Lord; for the church is not the primary or ultimate audience, but the Lord is.  

Let us pledge today to live a truly Christian life, and to faithfully preach the Word, and work to do just that.  For to do this is to be truly radical in our day and age.

Vessels for Glory

but so that the world may know

that I love the Father, I do 

exactly as the Father has 

commanded Me.  Get up

let us go from here.

John 14:31

(The words of Jesus as He led

His disciples from the upper room

to the Garden of Gethsemane to 

be betrayed.)

I glorified You on the earth,

having accomplished the work

which You have given me to do.

John 17:4

(From the prayer of Jesus the Christ

in the garden of Gethsemane.)

The accomplishment of God's purposes

bring Him glory.  So when His purpose

is accomplished in your life you are

a vessel that brings glory to Him.

When we pray, "Your will be done on

earth as it is in heaven," we are not 

praying for His will to be done in a

vague and general way, but for His

will to be done in a very specific way,

starting with our very lives.  Our submitting

to His will in our life (doing exactly as our 

Father has commanded) accomplishes His 

work which He has given us to do, which then

accomplishes His purposes in our life, and

the result is that He is glorified.  

For we are His workmanship, created in

Jesus Christ for good works, which God

prepared beforehand so that we would

walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Speaking the Truth in Love about Unconditional Love

• The first section below is a post on a blog concerning Rob Bell's belief concerning homosexuality over at the Gospel Coalition website, and below it is my comment.  If we as Christians are going to engage in these discussions/talks/conversations/debates, then we must speak the truth and speak it in love.  The truth is confronting enough, and should be applied properly.  Shouting contests, name calling and inflammatory statements are not only not Christlike, they are futile. Far too many Christians follow the tactics of the unsaved.  Only truth will win the day, and we must speak it in love for it to be at its most powerful and apologetic.
  
  @Joyce by Mike
  The difficulty with your argument is that some people understand those passages differently. They would assert that the (few) passages in the Bible that mention homosexuality do so in the context of forced submissiveness, as opposed to a mutually affirming, loving relationship. Many Christians believe that the overarching narrative of the Bible, especially Jesus, is primarily to love God and love your neighbor. Within that narrative the love for your neighbor is more important than your neighbor’s sexuality.
  So here’s my question for you: Why does this matter so much? Rob Bell’s affirmation of homosexual relationships seems to bring out a strong negative emotive response in so many people — why? What if you personalize the issue? Gay people are not some faceless group; they are family and friends and neighbors and colleagues. The dichotomy Christians face is that Jesus calls us to love our neighbors with a love that does not condemn (cf. the woman caught in adultery), and yet our neighbor may be carrying on in activities that we believe to be sinful.
  If we have a friendship with someone who is gay, and if that friendship is the kind of relationship where we hold each other accountable, only then have we the freedom to talk about things like whether one’s homosexual relations are God-pleasing or not. But for anyone else, we are called to love unconditionally just as God does.
  
  My Response to Mike
  
  

  1. Mike,
     You don’t get a get out of jail free card because you “understand” the passages differently. They are plain, within the context.
     
     The issue is not loving unconditionally. God does not love unconditionally, if He did then there would have been no need for Christ to die; and why would God put His Son, and why would the Son go through, that grisly horrendous death and suffer the wrath of God, if His love was unconditional? Unconditional love is not loving us just as we are, but loving us in spite of who we are and in spite of our enmity with God (Romans 5:6-8). If things were okay between God and man, man would not be the enemy of God (Romans 5:8, 1:30) and there would be no need of reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11, II Corinthians 5:18-19).  If God loves people just as we are (unconditionally) then there would be no need for man to be born again or made new (II Corinthians 5:17, John 3:3-7). The unconditional love that is offered in John 3:16 is only for those who place their faith in Christ. Do a word study, just in the NT, and see who are the objects of God’s wrath. If God loves unconditionally, then there would also be no reason for wrath, for any sin no matter how heinous.
     
     Additionally, if I truly love someone then I will tell them the truth…not condemningly, but truthfully (Ephesians 4:15). True love does not bash anyone, homosexual or heterosexual, but it also does not shrink back from declaring the truth to them. The truth is that you cannot continue/practice a sexually immoral lifestyle (homosexual or heterosexual) and be a Christian (See I John). However, the gay community has labeled anything that is said to them that is contrary to their lifestyle as hate speech, homophobia, etc. The most loving thing we can do is to speak the truth, but we must speak it in love, and not use it as as a cudgel. As it says in Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. A true friend speaks the truth, and as Christians we should speak the truth to others as we would want them to speak the truth to us (Matthew 7:13).
     
     Finally, for the context, I mentioned Romans 1:30 above. If you follow the train of thought from verse 18 through the end of the chapter you will see that homosexuals are specifically mentioned and then it goes on to list them among those who hate God in verse 30. Are those who hate God, and therefore are His enemies under the wrath of God? Yes, all of them. But God does offer them salvation, the deliverance from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9, I Thessalonians 1:9-10) if they will repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15, from the lips of Jesus Himself).
     
     Finally, why have I used so much Scripture? Because Jesus says this in John 12:48 “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word that I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” And what is the word Jesus spoke? The Scriptures, all of them (I Peter 1:10-12), as He is the Living Word (John 1:1, 14).
     So what is the most loving thing I can do for you? Tell you the truth as I just have, not my truth, but God’s truth; and urge you to go to the Scriptures for your wisdom and not depend on the prevailing sentiment of the day, but on the eternal unchanging word of God.

The Importance of Faith, Hope, and Love

In that well known verse at the end of I Corinthians 13 Paul gives us the three eternal Divine qualities, the three Divine distinctives that are to be present in the life of one who truly believes.  And to the extent these are present in the lives of believers, they will be present in the life of the church of which they are a member.

These three Divine distinctives can be manifested in various ways, and we see them manifested in the life of two churches that Paul wrote to.  First, it was the Thessalonians.  In I Thessalonians 1:3 we see the activity of faith (work), the unction of love (labor), and the steady enduring of hope (waiting for Christ).  We also see them manifested in the church at Colossae.  In Colossians 1:3-5a we see the object of faith (Jesus Christ), the direction of love (toward all the saints), and the place of hope (heaven).  In two different churches we see the same qualities, but how they are manifested in each church was different....just as they are in the lives of individuals.

It is no accident that in both letters we see Paul commending the church, and rejoicing in thanksgiving for these two churches in his prayer for them.  Why?  Because a spiritually healthy church, a spiritually balanced church will be manifesting these eternal qualities, just as a spiritually healthy and spiritually balanced individual will be manifesting them.  Paul knew that these churches were spiritually healthy and robust, and therefore would be effective.  This is why he wrote what he did to the Colossians, so that they would stand fully assured in their faith (2:1-3, 4:12) and not be derailed by the false teachers; and why he wrote to the Thessalonians to not only keep doing what they were doing, but to excel in it still more.  In both of these letters you can see Paul wanting these churches to continue to grow in their faith, their hope, and their love.

Another example is the letter to the Hebrews, written with the goal of exhortation Hebrews 13:22 (speaking to the need of the moment).  These believers needed to be encouraged and strengthened in their faith, love, and hope.  In this epistle the author of Hebrews talks about the obedience of faith and the endurance of faith.  He talks about the confidence and assurance that hope brings, and how it is the anchor of our soul.  He talks about the encouragement in love that comes from gathering together, and how we should be stimulating one another (being a catalyst) to love and good deeds.

In I Timothy 1:5 Paul writes, "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience (which is directly connected to the assurance of hope) and a sincere faith."

So, fellow pastors, what is the goal of our instruction, our exhortation?  Should it not be in developing faith, love, and hope in the people under our care.  Should not the things we do, the prayers we pray, the activities that we engage in be to developing these eternal qualities in our people?  I sincerely believe that is why the Philippians were Paul's joy and crown, not just because of their aid to him, but because of the manifestation of faith, hope, and love he witnessed in them.  May the faith, hope, and love of our people be to us a great and glorious crown and the cause of our rejoicing in that day!

The Primacy of Preaching

"You find God in the

 Word of God preached."

Carl Trueman

The Primacy of Preaching

"Everything that is right and good in the 

life of the church is set in motion by

the preaching of the Word of God."

Steve Lawson

In Preparing to Preach on Sunday, Remember Where the Real Power Resides

While we may not be able to preach like the men of yesteryear George Whitefield, 

 D. L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, or D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones; or the men  of today,

 Steve Lawson, Art Azurdia, Alistair Begg, Voddie Baucham, or John MacArthur.

 However, we have the same Word to preach and the same Spirit to empower it.

  So let us preach with confident faith in the Word  to do its work (Isaiah 55:10-11), 

 and humble dependence on the Spirit to attend it (Jeremiah 1:12).  

Being a Peacemaker

Blessed are the peacemakers, for

  they shall be call sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

If possible, so far as it depends on 

you, be at peace with all men.

Romans 12:18

Therefore, to one who knows the 

right thing to do and does not do it, 

to him it is sin.

James 4:17

There is much that goes in to being a peacemaker. To simplify it and to boil it down to its essence, it is doing what you must do to be at peace as long as it doesn't violate Scripture or your conscience.  It is not going with your flesh, it is holding your tongue, it is not taking into account a wrong suffered, it is taking the blow (physical or otherwise), it is not being vindictive, it is having your vanity stepped on, it is having your feathers ruffled,  it is suffering for righteousness sake. It is doing all of these without striking back or standing up for yourself or lashing out.  

There are daily situations with family, friends, co-workers, vendors, other drivers, and a myriad of other scenarios where we must do the right thing and be the peacemaker.  It will be up to us to bring peace, or to maintain peace, or simply to take the short end of the stick so that peace will  reign.  When we do that we are blessed.  When we do that we bring glory to God.  When we do that we are being like Christ who took the blows (physically and verbally) from the very ones whom He came to save.  

So, let us not stand up for ourselves, but stand up for Him in keeping peace and making peace. 

A Mark of True Christianity

...Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you,

you have no part with Me."...He who has

bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is

completely clean...

John 13:8,10

You are already clean because of the 

word which I have spoken to you.

John 15:3

It has happened to them according to the 

true proverb, "A dog returns to its own

vomit," and, "A sow, after washing, returns

to wallowing in the mire."

II Peter 2:22

These verses in John, and the context of the verse in II Peter are dealing with moral cleanness and moral purity.  A mark of the true Christian is that once they have been morally cleansed, they no longer desire to be morally filthy.  Their new reality is not only do they not want to be morally filthy, but when they defile themselves with sin of even the least amount it bothers them, a feeling in the conscience much like the physical feeling of getting slimy mud on freshly washed hands.

Our reality is that we have been made clean in Christ (I Peter 3:21, Zechariah 3:3-5), washed from the inside out by the washing of the water by the word (Ephesians 5:2), and having our consciences cleansed by His blood (Hebrews 9:14).  We are filthy no longer, and have no desire to return to the mire of our former life, but practice cleanliness (II Corinthians 7:1).  However, when we defile ourselves with sin, we are quick to wash ourselves by the confession of that sin so that we can be clean again before our God (I John 1:9).

So, my friends, is this your reality?  Have you been cleansed from the inside out?  Is your desire to remain clean?  Does it bother you to defile yourself with sin, and when you do sin, are you quick to confess it so that you can be cleansed from that sin?

One more note.  If you truly confess your sins, He will always forgive you, and you will be made clean...no matter how filthy you made yourself before.  Come to the Healer and Cleanser of your soul today.  Ask Him to make you clean, and you will be clean indeed.

The Test of Our Christianity

Remember, the test of our Christianity,

both as to its genuineness and maturity,

is not just what we know, but how

we live it out.

Our Focus for Sundays

As Pastors, our focus for Sundays should always be

on honoring and pleasing the Lord, not on appealing

 to and pleasing the people. And in that same vein,

 the people that gather on Sunday should come with

the intent to bring honor and blessing to the Lord, 

and not on being pleased themselves.  In other words,

the service should center on the Lord, not on man.

Wisdom from Above

Wisdom:  Where knowledge and 

experience meet with moral conviction.

Dan Fredericks

United Indian Missions

Conviction and Repentance

Turn to Me and be saved, 

all the ends of the earth;

for I am God, and there is not other.

Isaiah 45:22

For they themselves report about us 

what kind of reception we had with you,

and how you turned to God from idols

to serve a living and true God, and to 

wait for His Son from heaven...

I Thessalonians 1:9-10a

Now after John had been taken into custody, 

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel

of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and 

the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and

believe in the gospel.

Mark 1:14-15

Recognition of sin is important. However, conviction of sin is not salvation, and neither does conviction of sin save anyone.  Rather it is the turning from sin, and turning to God that saves.  Repentance springs out of a heart that has been convicted of sin, but there are many who, after being convicted of their sin, never turn from their sin to God (Mark 10:17-22)

Repentance is that turning of mind, the changing of mind, the about face in the mind that causes one to turn his back on his sin, his anti-God attitude and lifestyle, and turn to God.  And it is not a momentary turn, but a turn that lasts a lifetime.  For once he has turned to God he continues to follow after God, and leaves his sinful lifestyle further and further behind, like watching the receding horizon in the rear view mirror as the car's path takes it further away from where it was before.