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. 

Being Made New

Therefore if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creature; the old things

have passed away; behold

new things have come.

II Corinthians 5:17

Don't be fooled, either by yourself or others;

for if there is no transformed life there is no

salvation, no matter how emotional or

dramatic the experience was.

A Thought for Sunday Morning

In thinking and preparing for Sunday morning,

remember that it does the people no good to

be impressed with you, but it does them 

temporal and eternal good to be impressed

with the Savior.

God's Character and Evangelism

Evangelism always requires preaching on the attributes of God.  When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (John 4), he taught her that God is a Spirit.  When Paul addressed the heathen on Mars' Hill (Acts 17), he had to devote even more of his evangelistic message to the character of God, who was unknown to them.  He began by speaking of God as the Creator, as the Sustainer of all life, as the Mighty One who raised Jesus from the dead.  This element, of exalting God's character, is essential to bringing honour to God in our preaching.

Much of modern preaching is anemic, with the life-blood of God's nature absent from the message. Evangelists centre their message upon man.  Man has sinned and missed a great blessing.  If man wants to retrieve his immense loss he must act thus and so.  But the gospel of Christ is very different. It begins with God and his glory.  It tells men that they have offended a holy God, who will by no means pass by sin.  It reminds sinners that the only hope of salvation is to be found in the grace and power of this same God.  Christ's gospel sends men to beg pardon of the Holy One.

There is wide difference between these two messages.  The one seeks to blaze a trail to heaven for man while ignoring the Lord of Glory.  The other labours to magnify the God of all grace in the salvation of men.  The first would give a technical answer to, 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life?',  with an adequate foundation.  The last says,

Wait a moment.  The God with whom we have to do is

thrice holy, alone good, unapproachable in brilliant holiness!

We will return your question in its subordinate place.  But 

now take your eye from yourself and behold the holy God

of the Scriptures.  Then you will see yourself as you truly

are--a creature in rebellion against an infinitely pure God.

You are not yet prepared to discuss yourself and eternity.

This does not mean that preaching about the character of God is isolated from seeking the salvation of a sinner.  Preaching on the attributes is essential to the conversion of a man.  Without a knowledge of God, a sinner does not know whom he has offended, who threatens him with destruction, or who is able to save him.  Apart from some clear apprehensions of God, there can be no personal approach to God, and 'personal Savior' become s hollow phrase.

Walter Chantry

Today's Gospel

Pages 16-18

When is a Preacher at His Best?

While out walking a little earlier, my wife and I were discussing an article we had read in which the author was reporting about a recent experience they had at a church.  In this article the author recounts the main points of the sermon they heard which was about "God Moments," and how God works in the lives of people during these "moments."

Even though there was some truth in what the preacher was reported as saying, the emphasis was on the catchy, kitchy moniker, with the result being a sermon that was a mile wide and an inch deep with no mention of any Scripture reference or use of the Bible anywhere in the article.  I have never read of God Moments anywhere in the Bible, and although I am sure the pastor was trying to come up with something catchy to be remembered, I am afraid the people will remember that he said the catchy, kitchy phrase and think he is cool for saying it, versus remembering the small amount of truth that was reportedly contained in the sermon; and although I didn't hear the sermon, my concern is what stuck with the author and was reported.

What my wife and I were talking about is how the use of phrases like this tends to trivialize the truth, and at the same time magnifies the speaker.  I am all for titles and mnemonic devices that help people remember what the text is about, but as preachers, we should always want our people to remember what God has said and give God credit for saying it, instead of them remembering the words or phrases we invent. We want them to remember the truth of God, not our "pastorisms." 

So after we came back from the walk I opened up this blog post by Kevin DeYoung and he expresses the very same sentiments. 

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2013/08/29/the-preacher-at-his-best/

So, when is the pastor at his best?  When preaching the truth, and not himself.

If God Loves Us Just As We Are

 The truth is that God does not love

us just as we are, but loves us in

spite of who we are; and because

of His great love for us, He is rich

in mercy toward us, and has caused 

us to be born again to a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Let's preach this today.