Upcoming Series: Putting it all Together

I took this photo with my cell phone so the image isn't the greatest... But, we are about to walk through the book of Hebrews in our next series at CSM titled, "Putting it all Together."

I am super excited about this because I feel like it is going to help us to understand how the whole bible fits together and how Christ is the focus of all of biblical revelation and all of creation.

The series starts January 6, 2010 and we will probably at it for several weeks at least.

Be there or be square.

Dwight Schrute- Killing Sin

I was thinking about my childhood on the farm. As is normal in farm life, there were a couple times when we had to put an animal down. Seriously, we had to take an animal out back and put its life to rest. I know it sounds terrible but the circumstances always left us with no other options. Whether it was a rabid dog or a dying horse, my dad would calmly handle the situation. That is what made me think of Dwight Schrute, the character from The Office. Dwight owns a beet farm and the banter of the show regularly references his cold-hearted antics. In one episode he kills his girlfriend's cat, purposefully, and places it in the freezer. He doesn't even bat an eye. Now that is funny!

So there is a concept in the Bible about putting sin to death. The authorized version of the bible translates the Greek word "thanatoo" into the English word "mortify." Literally, it means put to death. The word mortify is found in a couple places in the New Testament, and the most notable is probably Romans 8:13 where it says, "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death [mortify] the deeds of the body, you will live" (ESV).

Here is my insight: Pull the trigger. Too often I think we manage our sin. I think we take a rabid dog (metaphor for our sin) out back with the intentions of shooting it. Then we remember all the fond memories with our pet and we bring it back home with us. We try to set up some healthy boundaries and even medicate the dog with the hopes of cure. But, the dog eventually turns on us. That is how sin works. If we are unwilling to kill it, the sin eventually turns on us. The situation grows much worse then if we would have dealt with it swiftly.

With sin you need to mortify it immediately. When sin crops up you starve, kill, shoot, dismember, and eradicate it. Do not simply repress sin by hiding it or managing it. Kill it. Do not let it live. Cut off its life source. Change your habits and patterns of life to give it no hope of living. If you are unwilling to totally put to death your sin, then do not be surprised when that sin dominates you. Sin will turn on you and, like a rabid dog, it will sink its ugly teeth in you to destroy you.

Look to Schrute for motivation and kill that thing.

Quote for the Day

This is my goal in life:

"preach the gospel, die and be forgotten" -Count Zinzendorf

A Word about Family Tensions and the Holidays

Anytime an article can make you giggle, challenge the way you think, convict you of present sin, and draw you closer to the gospel all at the same time, it is worth sharing. Dr. Russel Moore accomplished that with this article:

A Word about Family Tensions and the Holidays

Posted using ShareThis

Message from Matt

Here is a video from Matt Chandler reflecting on surgery, pastoring, and life filmed Dec. 18th.

Message from Matt

Video from Matt

A pastor from Texas, Matt Chandler, has recently been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on the right frontal lobe of his brain. He has undergone surgery and is now recovering. Chandler has posted a couple of video reflections about receiving this news. Here is the first video prior to surgery from December 6th. It is encouraging to see such a faithful servant of God walk through this difficult trial. Please watch this video and the follow up video will be posted shortly.

Video from Matt

Repentance by Whitefield

On Ray Ortlund's blog, Christ is Deeper Still, he posted a wonderful piece on repentance by George Whitefield. I didn't want to lose this post in a sea of information on the web so I figured I would link to it from here so I might find it again later. It is worth reading a couple times at least....

The Archaeology of Repentance

Don't Just Read, Reread and Think

A couple things happened over the past couple days... I posted the majority of the books that I have read in the past few years (which seems like quite a few! I am a big book-reading nerd) Secondly, I realized that I don't have a lot of money.

So, I went back to my favorite book. Lectures to My Students by C.H. Spurgeon. This is what he says in his chapter, "To Workers With Slender Apparatus" (few books or means to get them):

The next rule I shall lay down is, master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and re-read them, masticate them, and digest them. Let them go into your very self. Peruse a good book several times, and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books which he has merely skimmed, lapping at them, as the classic proverb puts it “As a dog drink of Nilus.” Little learning and much pride come of hasty reading. Books may be piled on the brain till it cannot work. Some men are disabled from thinking by their putting meditation away for the sake of reading. They gorge themselves with book-matter, and become mentally dyspeptic. (Lectures pg. 177)

“Why do you buy so many books? You have no hair, and you purchase a comb; you are blind, and you must need buy a fine mirror; you are deaf, and you will have the best musical instrument!”—a very well-deserved rebuke to those who think that the possession of books will secure them learning… In reading books let your motto be, “Much, not many.” Think as well as read, and keep the thinking always proportionate to the reading, and your small library will not be a great misfortune. (Lectures pg. 178)

So my aim for the first portion of the upcoming year is to not buy more books. I want to reread a few before looking to get new ones. I even have some books that I have already purchased or been given that I have yet to read. This post is an attempt to put these thoughts to paper (digital) and to keep me accountable;)

Acts 20- Troas to Assos

"We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He made this arrangement because he was going there on foot." Acts 20:13

Much speculation has been made about this little verse and the reason why Paul might have chosen to go it by foot while the rest of the gang sailed around... I tend to favor the idea of solitude. Maybe, because I can relate most easily to this idea.

Recall that Paul had just preached possibly a 10+ hour sermon. He preached from after dinner until midnight. Then after Eutychus fell and was raised, he preached until daybreak. Also, take note that Paul is in a hurry to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost(vs 16). Furthermore, he was about to give a farewell address to the elders of Ephesus. In his commentary on Acts, J.W. McGarvey lists some additional stresses that might have caused the apostle to desire solitude:

"the deep gloom which shrouded his feelings, caused by prophetic warnings of great dangers ahead; by the critical state of the Churches everywhere; and by the final farewell which he was giving to Churches which he had planted and nourished, naturally prompted him to seek solitude for a time."

So, Paul chose to walk by himself. In the ship there would hardly be a place or time that Paul could retreat to. The small quarters, and demands of his travelling companions, would likely hinder his ability quietly reflect and pray. Here is my question for you: do you seek opportunities for God to refresh you and meet with you alone? Are you so busy that God doesn't have your ear unless He divinely invades your to do list? When is the last time that you got alone with God? He desires it and your soul should too! Even if there are many things on the horizon, like Pentecost, pressures of the churches, farewell addresses and the like, the most important thing for you to do would be to meet with God alone. It will strengthen you for the task.

Acts 20- Falling Asleep

Hmmm... How can we sanely navigate this text?

While Paul is giving his long-winded farewell address, Eutychus, falls asleep and falls from the third story window.

Let's explore this from a couple angles:

First, it is a reminder of our physical limitations. We need to humble ourselves enough to get the rest we need. This is an important lesson for our western culture. Slow down. Get some sleep. Trust that when you are sleeping God is able to take care of the world. Perhaps, if Eutychus had been well rested he would not have dozed. Additionally, the many candles in a crowded third story room would create very sleepy conditions. Between the smoke and the warmth, mixed with a cool breeze from the outside, it must have been rather easy to nod off. We must be careful that we are aware of how the physical effects the spiritual. Spurgeon says, "A mouthful of sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind's face would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best" (Lectures to My Students, page 158). Take care of your physical body. This will help to prepare you to train your spiritual body. Therefore, position yourself in a place where you can be most attentive to the Spirit.

Second, this story reminds me of a post from a couple days ago, In Need of Grace. Each of us can become so familiar with truth that it lulls us to sleep. Think about how this is quite possibly the last time that Paul was able to address this church in Troas. This final address is the occasion of the preaching. He obviously had much to say. And you can imagine there must have been weight to what he was saying. It doesn't seem to make sense that he would casually address this group for six hours, as if he was just rambling and shooting the breeze. And, even after raising Eutychus from the dead he continues till morning!?! No, Paul was standing on the brink of eternity preaching with all his soul for the progress and joy in the faith! To fall asleep during a sermon from the apostle Paul is, in a sense, a disregard of your own soul. A flippancy toward eternal things. When we grow casual to the ways of God we are in jeopardy of allow ourselves to spiritually fall asleep. Let this serve as a warning.

1) Position yourself physically to not hinder yourself spiritually

2) Do not grow casual to God's ways

Maybe the text doesn't allow for these conclusions, but doesn't your soul tell you they are true?

Books of 07'

Theology:

Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

Ministry Theology:

Lectures To My Students by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Christian Living:

Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

When I don't Desire God by John Piper

Books of 08'

Theology:

God's Pursuit of Man by A.W. Tozer

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Best of Tozer v.1 by A.W. Tozer

Ministry:

Brothers We Are Not Professionals by John Piper

The Living Church by John Stott

Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields [p]

The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges [p]

Preaching:

Preaching and Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Between Two Worlds by John Stott

Communicating For a Change by Andy Stanley

How to Speak to Youth and Keep Them Awake at the Same Time by Ken Davis

Christian Living:

For Men Only by Jeff Feldhahn

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell

Student Interest:

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

Battlecry For My Generation by Ron Luce

Biography:

Confessions of a Reformissional Reverend by Mark Driscoll

A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer by Lyle Dorsett

[p] indicates partial read

In Need of Grace

"Of all the people who are most resistant to the gospel it is going to be pastors. It is going to be the elders. It is going to be the church leaders. For what obvious reason would pastors be the most resistant? Why did Jesus say it was difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom, more difficult than passing a camel through an eye of a needle? ...Because to get into the kingdom of God the only thing required is that you acknowledge your spiritual bankruptcy. So it is very obvious that it would be hard for the rich to get into the kingdom of God. Harder than anyone else because it's the hardest for them to see themselves as bankrupt. Right? So who's the hardest person to convict and convert? Who's the hardest person to transform? ...clearly the people that are in religious work. Clearly pastors." -Ray Cortese

My plea is that you would pray for me! Pray for the staff of Central. Pray for anyone you know in a leadership role. We need it.

It is so hard to not become numb to it all. The other day I was sitting in a service at a church in Chicago and watched a man get baptized. My Ashley was crying beside me and I was looking at the layout of the baptismal and listening to the way the pastor prayed. 'Is this prayer biblically sound?' I thought to myself as the man publicly professed Christ as Lord. That is messed up. Pray that God would soften my heart again. Pray that I wouldn't be a Pharisaical hypocrite.

Books of 09'

It's that time of year again.... the time of year when people look back and reflect on what they have experienced over the year. In the blog world people are coming out with their 'best books of 09.' I figured I would follow suit. Here are the majority of the books that I have read this year and are worth mentioning:

Theology:

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Holiness by R.C. Sproul

The Cross of Christ by John Stott [p]

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer

Ministry Theology:

The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson

On Being a Pastor by Derek Prime and Alistair Begg

Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears [p]

Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester [p]

Simple Church by Rainer & Geiger

Preaching:

Why Johnny Can't Preach by T. David Gordon

Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching

What is Biblical Preaching by Eric J. Alexander

Expositions:

Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians by D.A. Carson

Let's Study Philippians by Sinclair Ferguson

Christian Living:

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges

Letters Along the Way by D.A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge

Rediscovering Holiness by J.I. Packer

Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle

Growing in Grace by Sinclair Ferguson

The Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Porn Again Christian: Online Book by Mark Driscoll

Biography:

Spurgeon by Arnold Dallimore

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson

Agape Leadership: Lessons on Spiritual Leadership from the Life of RC Chapman by Robert L. Peterson

John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor by W. Robert Godfrey

Devotional:

Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett [p]

Language:

Learn to Read New Testament Greek by David Alan Black [p]

Bible Study:

Living by the Book by Howard and William Hendricks

Reference:

Commentary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by G.K. Beale and D.A. Carson [p]

[p] indicates partially read.

Hit it Out

For those of you that are fasting today, and in the Wednesdays to come, I want to give you a piece of advice for lunch time.... It is going to be glaringly obvious at lunch time that something is different. Many will say, "where is your lunch?" or, "why are you not eating?" And you can pull a Peter... You can come up with a reason or an excuse so that way you aren't labeled 'one of those people.' That is my default. I don't want to be labeled a "crazy Christian."

Or you can go over the top. You can say too much too fast.... this generally leaves people thinking about you and other Christians, 'don't cram your Jesus down my throat' or 'you think you're so much better than anyone else, you religious twit.' So option 2 is bogus because you may be having a great experience with the fast but you are turning people away from Christ.

There is a third way... When people ask you why you are not eating, you can give them a simple answer about fasting. This might lead them to be interested in why. When they ask more questions imagine that God is lobbing you a softball. So, crank it out of the park. Explain to them why Christians fast. Do it gently and slowly so that they actually understand what you are saying.

Many people fail because they don't have a plan... so pray that you would be ready. "In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). So when the questions start coming today... be ready.

Let me give you a couple of thoughts on fasting so that you can meditate on them all day today:

“More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside of us with food and other things.” -Richard Foster in The Celebration of Discipline

"I humbled my soul with fasting" (Psalm 31:13)

"It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world." -John Piper in A Hunger for God pg. 14

Acts 19- My Daydreams

I literally daydream about this. The Way is so influential that it changes the culture of a whole city and causes a riot. If you want a phenomenal teaching on this, Tim Keller does a great job unpacking this text at the Gospel Coalition 09' conference: The Gospel and Idolatry.

In my mind it is not enough to simply profess faith. Anyone can utter the words, "I believe." In fact, even the demons believe and shutter (James 2:19). I want to see change. I want to be a part of something real... like what happens in this text. In Acts 19 the gospel has such an impact on the a city that the economy is changed. Demetrius a silversmith is about to be put out of a job, because idols are about to no longer have a place.

I guess the response to this text is a plea to beg God for that sort of power to accompany the gospel. Pray that the gospel would first off change you... that you would be a new creation and that radical change would be evidenced in your life. Pray that you would live like the early followers of the Way. Then, pray that that would in turn effect everything around you. Pray that Beloit and surrounding areas would be effected by the gospel. That's what I am for. I am going to go back to daydreaming what this could look like. Glory to God.

Acts 19- Jesus on Our Lips

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. (Acts 19:8-10).

As I have said many times before, and will restate here, we are not promised immediate success. We are not called primarily to be successful, we are called to be faithful. Even the Apostle is disregarded. "Some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them." Do not equate faithfulness with success. It is easy to replace the worship of Jesus with the worship of numbers, or conversions, or missions trips taken, etc. If success is on the throne of your heart, that means Jesus is not.

But here is what is really pressing on my soul... We have an example of the Word of God spreading. We have an example of the effects of Jesus being on the lips of the Apostle Paul. We see in verse 8 that Paul starts in the synagogue, but then in verse 9 he moves to the lecture hall. Paul's aim: to proclaim Christ. Jesus is on his lips. He preaches about Him, he discusses Him, he is all about Him. And the result is the whole province of Asia hears the word of the Lord.

I know it is easy to say, 'yeah of course the apostle Paul talks about Jesus,' but we need to get past the elitist faith that says some are called to this and others simply attend church. Jesus has revealed Himself to you. Now it should be the passion of your heart to have the Word of Jesus on your lips. It should come out in conversation. It should be the overflow of your heart. We should constantly have that Word on our lips. It isn't stuck in the Synagogue (the Church), the word is loose on the streets. It should be talked about at the water cooler and at the lunch table.

If we will let that Word capture our hearts, and if we will have a ministry of the Word that affects every portion of our lives, then our whole province will hear the Word of the Lord. Isn't that a goal worth giving your life to? Speak the Word. Tell them about your great King!

Acts 19- Up an In

Paul heads over to Ephesus from Corinth and finds some disciples (vs. 1). He asked them, "did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Apparently, either Paul was led to ask them that question or maybe it was quite apparent by their actions. Regardless, the question was posed. They had not received the Holy Spirit yet. They had received the baptism of John but had not been baptized into Christ.

First off, are you willing to face the fact that you might have deficiencies in your faith? You may be called disciple (like these men) but you may be living a less than fully realized faith. You may have been 'around the block' in your spirituality but that does not ensure complete intimacy with Christ. Pray that God would search you and show you where reformation needs to happen in your soul. Ask that He would draw you up and in towards Him and His presence.

Secondly, are you really a Christian at all. Have you received the Holy Spirit? Do you produce the fruit of the Spirit? Does your life reflect the supernatural wonders of having the Holy Spirit within you? Let's put it like this; if the Holy Spirit went on vacation this week, would your life be noticeably different? Are you so reliant on the power of the Holy Spirit that His absence would be devastating? Or, is your life so predictable and so natural that you could pull off your life without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Let me address two groups of people: If you are a religious it is possible that you shrug this off without even thinking twice. Spiritual pride is one of the most dangerous kinds of pride. Don't let spiritual pride keep you from getting closer to Jesus. Let Him search your heart and reveal areas He wants to change.

But, If you are the second group, and you are struggling to keep your head above water spiritually, I don't want this article to be a cause for you to give up... Paul doesn't cast off these disciples. He doesn't rebuke them. He doesn't scold them. He lays hands on and prays. If you feel like you do not have the Holy Spirit, then get on your face and ask your Father in heaven who gives good gifts... and the very best gift, Himself. He will send His Comforter. He will give the Deposit. "Now it is God who makes both you and us stand firm in Christ. He appointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor 1:21-22).

Acts 18- Remain Faithful

Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest... Then Paul left the synagogue (Acts 18:5b-6a,7a).

Paul is committed to proclaiming Christ. He is devoted to preaching the Word of Christ in the synagogue. Unfortunately he is encountering opposition. And opposition is discouraging. God calls each of us to ministry (see 1 Peter 2:9) but he doesn't always promise that it will be easy or received well. If the Apostle Paul sees opposition then we should expect the same. But don't lose heart.

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack or harm you, because I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9-10).

God calls us to be faithful even in the face of opposition. Keep on speaking Paul. God has a plan. God is at work. He has many people in this city. Remember it is God's work. Sometime we rely so heavily on our abilities. We think transforming our schools or evangelizing our friends rests solely on our shoulders. We had better do this thing right. We better have the right stories and the right strategy or it isn't going to work.... But God says "I have." God is the power behind the scenes. If we will obey Him He will accomplish His purposes.

So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God (Acts 18:11).

Remain faithful to what God calls you to. You do not need to win everyone to Christ. You do not need to be the coolest Christian on campus. You simply need to remain faithful to God. The results are in His hands.

Acts 17- Purpose, Repent

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth... and he determined the times set for [men] and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:24,26b-27a).

First off, we each have a purpose. There are no glory days. There is no better time than now. We are living in the God ordained days set for us. God has determined the exact time and place where you are right now. And he purposed it. You were placed in your setting for a very real and specific reason... now the question is, 'are you living it?'

Are you living out God's purpose for your life? The ultimate purpose the text says, is that you would seek him and find him.... so are you intimate with Him. Have you sought Him out? I'm reminded of a time when some friends dropped their keys to an SUV in a lake in Florida. We did not have a spare so we hired a scuba guy to come and search the lake under the dock. We were determined. Do you have determination and drive to seek and find God? You need to do the leg work to seek Him. Secondly, know that He is not far from each one of us.... In Him we live and move and have our being... we are His offspring, His creation, His children. We are His and He is near. So, we can fulfill our purpose and seek Him today. Or, we can abandon our purpose and ignore... Which way are you living?

"Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-- an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:29-31)

But even when we live out our purpose of seeking and finding Him, we still have a work to do... it is a work of repentance. When Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis, the first thing he said was, "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when he said 'Poenitentiam agite' [Repent], willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance." We are prone to treat God like a gold, silver, or stone image made by man's hands. We belittle God in our lives. We do not give Him the honor that rightly belongs to the King. We treat Him as if we made Him and He answers to us. We want Him to play by our rules, to bend to our wants, to behave as we see fit. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. We are called to a life of humble repentance at the cross of Christ. Our hearts are prone to wander. We constantly belittle our Maker. Once we seek and find Him, we live a life of repentance. One Day Jesus, the Righteous One, who once died but now lives forever, will judge each man. Will He find a heart of humility. Will He find a desperate person who is living a life of seeking Him and repenting. Or will He find arrogance and ignorance?

Seek. Find. Repent. Repeat.

Wow...

This sermon has been flying around the blogosphere since it was preached yesterday at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary... I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

Getting What We Need

Sometimes a dad gives a son or daughter what they need and not what they want. And, I am convinced, this is what God always does for us. He always has a bigger goal in mind. His desire is for your holiness and for your celebration forever of His grace towards you. The way this plays out isn't always how we would expect or even immediately want. John Newton understood this mystery. Sometimes we pray that God would just magically change us or rid of us sin but instead God gives us a glimpse of how utterly sinful we actually are. It is a treacherous experience but the end result is a bigger reliance on God's grace. Read through these verses and feel the weight of how God deals with sinners like us.

John Newton:

I asked the LORD that I might grow

In faith, and love, and every grace,

Might more of his salvation know

And seek more earnestly his face.

Twas he who taught me thus to pray,

And he, I trust, has answered my prayer;

But it has been in such a way

As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favoured hour

At once he'd answer my request,

And by his love's constraining power,

Subdue my sins, and give me rest

Instead of this, he made me feel

The hidden evils of my heart,

And let the angry powers of hell

Assault my soul in every part.

Yea, more, with his own hand he seemed

Intent to aggravate my woe,

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,

Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

"Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried,

"Wilt thou pursue me to the death?"

"'Tis in this way," the Lord replied,

"I answer prayer for grace and faith."

"These inward trials I employ

From self and pride to set thee free,

And break thy schemes of earthly joy,

That thou mayest find thy all in me."

I feel that. The harder I try the more my gourds are blasted. My pride has such a grip on all that I do. Worst of all it feeds so much on my ministry and my religion. I can accomplish on my own... I don't need God (I don't really mean that, but by my actions I live it). In His providence he lays me low. That I may be broken off from schemes of earthly joy and find my all in Him.

Rediscovering Holiness by J.I. Packer

Praise God for Regal Publishers deciding to put this one back into print! It was not an easy read but it was well worth it. Rediscovering Holiness is Packer's book on sanctification; the process by which God changes us to become more like Christ. The beauty of the book was not a simple one, two, three process that dictates how we change, but instead it shows how God is at work even when we don't see it. The book actually makes me praise God more for His workings in and through us. One thing that stood out was situational sanctification: That God puts us into situations that cause us to change even though they might not seem to be the best (for example: the dark night of the soul).

The after word on Mother Teresa was phenomenal and insightful. The idea is that Teresa felt very very distant from God throughout her pilgrimage. Even though she was serving Jesus in the mission field of Calcutta, she felt as though heaven had been shut up from her and Jesus had abandoned her. In an age where "feeling" God in our lives has a huge premium, this little vignette of Teresa's life reminds us that even in bleak circumstances Jesus is at work in us. "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

Where Do I Stand With Jesus?

Here is an excerpt from a recent sermon by Bryan Chapel at The Gospel Man Conference:

"The evidence of Christ in you is not that you don't sin. It is when you sin, you hate it. Christ is in you. And though there may be this awful struggle going on inside you. When we have sinned, we hate it because Christ is alive in us. That hatred of sin is the evidence in us of the presence of the spirit of God. There was a time when we sinned and it didn't matter to us, we didn't care. But the fact that we now care, the fact that you grieve that you grieve the holy Spirit you aught to say, 'praise God.'"

Blueprints for Gospel People

Over the past couple weeks I have personally been rocked by this one... It is amazing what the bible does to you when you let it.

Why Does God Feel Distant?

I want to encourage you with a quote from J.I. Packer's Rediscovering Holiness this morning. It is for those of us that feel like God is distant and would love an answer to why he allows that. Here it is:

God brings on dryness, with resultant restlessness of heart, in order to induce a new depth of humble, hopeful openness to Himself, which He then crowns with a liberating and animating reassurance of His love--one that goes beyond anything that was sensed before. As Christ's humiliation and grief on the cross preceded His exaltation to the joy of His throne, so over and over again humbling experiences of impotence and frustration precede inward renewing, with a sense of triumph and glory, in the believer's heart. Thus, with wisdom adapted to each Christian's temperament, circumstances, and needs, our heavenly Father draws and binds His children closer to Himself. (Rediscovering Holiness, page 93).

Thoughts from Saturday Night

I am reading a phenomenal book right now on how people change. It's called Rediscovering Holiness by J.I. Packer. On Saturday night I read a chapter and it caused me to literally lose sleep. I was faced with the question: Do I really preach the full gospel and show how it works itself into the fabric of every area of our lives? I couldn't stop thinking about specific students who are crippled by their sins and the sins of others. They deserve to have the gospel applied to every area. Here are my thoughts that I scribbled in my notebook at 2am.

"The gospel is restoring humanity... it is salvation from personal destruction (sin), it is re-creation (restoration to rightness), and total transformation to the community of God.

• When we sin it is ugly and evil, we hurt ourselves and others
• Divorce destroys families
• Negative behavior patterns play out in relationships
• Selfishness destroys friendships
• Pride distance people from one another as it carries out its self-centered purposes

The gospel when rightly applied (salvation: past, present, and future tense) fixes our brokenness. Families and friendships can be restored (maybe not totally as not all members are gospeled, but at least from our end there should be restoration). Forgiveness leads to reconciliation, leads to restoration, leads to healing, leads to wholeness, leads to the new-humanity. At least in those who have the gospel."

What's Hindering Your Growth?

If I could apply half of the books and teachings that I expose myself too, I would look quite a bit more godly... the problem is application. I want to share with you maybe the most convicting truths I have come across lately. They are from a textbook that I am reading for a current course at Moody Bible Institute. The title of the textbook is Living by the Book by Howard and William Hendricks. I will give the headings and a quote from each of these topics in chapter 39:

"We substitute interpretation for application

How easy it is to settle for knowledge rather than experience...To know and not to do is not to know at all. Knowledge without obedience is sin."

This is a huge one for me... I want to know a lot about the passage. I want to hear different takes on it. I want to be able to fully comprehend the passage... but, don't let it change me. That's too hard.

"We substitute superficial obedience for substantive life change

Here, we apply biblical truth to areas where we're already applying it, not to new areas where we're not applying it. Result: no noticeable change in our lives."

Have you ever done this before? I have. I love to think of areas that I am already doing well in. That sounds much more pleasant than exposing my weaknesses.

"We substitute rationalization for repentance

Most of us have a built-in early-warning system against spiritual change. The moment truth gets too close, too convicting, an alarm goes off, and we start to defend ourselves. Our favorite strategy is to rationalize sin instead of repenting of it."

We love to justify ourselves. It is as natural as breathing and I can say that this is my routine when scripture challenges me to change.

"We substitute an emotional experience for a volitional decision

That is to say, we study the Word of God, we emote under impact- but we make no real change. There's nothing wrong with responding emotionally to spiritual truth. In fact, believers could stand a lot more of it today. But if that's our only response- if all we do is water our handkerchiefs and sob a few mournful prayers, then go merrily on our way without altering our behavior in the slightest- then our spirituality boils down to nothing more than a vapid emotional experience."

"We substitute communication for transformation

We talk the talk, but we don't walk the walk. We think that if we can speak eloquently or convincingly about a point of Scripture, we're covered. We're off the hook. We've caused others to believe that we've got that biblical truth down. But God is not fooled."

Well, needless to say this chapter called me out. I found it so telling that I had to share it with others. Hopefully we can avoid these 5 pitfalls that are hindering our growth and growing our religion. Be blessed.

More Thoughts on Worry

In light of the increasing stress levels of our group I want to make sure that we are very clear and practical about how to handle worry. First off, to catch anyone up, this week at youth group we talked about stress. All of us have expectations placed on us and limitations of what we are capable of doing. We each have things that we need to accomplish and achieve and when they pile up one on the other eventually we get to the point where we are stressed. Most of our groups' stress comes from schoolwork, family pressures, sports schedules, and lack of time.

What does Jesus say to us? As we looked at Matthew 6 we saw that Jesus tells us, "Do not worry." Great.... How do we accomplish this? First of all, don't multiply worry. When we worry about something tomorrow we actually have to worry about it twice. Today has enough troubles of its own (Matthew 6:34). So, focus on what you are doing in the moment. If you are doing homework, then do your homework. If you are spending time with family, then spend time with family. If you are at practice, then focus on practice. There is an old saying that goes like this, "work hard and play hard, but don't confuse the two." Whatever the task is before you focus on that. Which leads me to say, divvy out your time. Have a planner and schedule what you are going to do. If you add up all the things in your day that you need to accomplish and you are only left with 4 hrs to sleep, then you need to punt a few things. We can't do it all. Be honest, you are human and you have limitations. Plan your time. Don't forget to plan to play! Make sure you have some fun time in there.

Here is where the message might have stung a bit. In light of all that Jesus says in the text, I think it is safe to say that when we worry it's because Jesus isn't occupying our heart's throne... something else is. That sucks to hear but I think it is true. When I was stressed this past weekend it was because my school work was on the throne of my heart. If only I could have finished all of my homework and gotten good grades then I would have entered into my heaven. Jesus wasn't central, Bible college was. If you are stressed then do a little introspection right now. What is your God? Is it work? Is it school? Is it the approval of others? What would make you happiest? Would it be if you got an A in your AP courses? Would it be if the girl you like went on a date with? How about if you had an easy day at work? Or if your parents would cut you some slack? If any of those things make you happiest then you need to wrestle with the idea that they might have replaced Jesus as your god. You might have someone or something other than Jesus occupying the throne of your heart.

When Jesus is priority in your life and you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness... then it follows that He gives peace and joy, even in the midst of busyness. Think about how bold the statement is, "Sorrowful yet always rejoicing." That is what Paul was able to say the Corinthian church(2 Cor 6:10) and he also told them earlier that, "up to this point we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world" (1 Cor 4:13). If you think your life is rough check out Paul's. He had it bad yet he had a joy because he was seeking Christ's ways, His kingdom. That is where we fail. We have allowed our worries to become our gods and they never satisfy.

Here is what we need to do: Repent. We need to confess to Jesus that He has not been central in our lives. That schoolwork and sports and busyness have crowded Him out. We need to confess that to Him in repentance. Then we need to cling to Him and His forgiveness. He is gracious and kind, abounding in love. Finally, we need to allow Him to be priority number one. Chill with Him at the start of your day before you are even allowed to be overwhelmed with everything else. Let Him remind you of His infinite ability to get things done. Seek Him first and all these things will be given to you also (Matthew 6:33).

Place your worries at the cross. He will forgive. He is enough. Reap the benefits of the promise that when Jesus is on the throne of your life, He gives peace and joy.

Quote for the Day

I wanted to share this quote that I stumbled across this morning... It's from a new book that is coming out called, "A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church" by Warren Cole Smith. For a review of the title click here.

"As we pursue these industrial models of ministry, industry thrives, but ministry is weakened. One of the ironies we're beginning to see is that … even the world wants the church to be the church. It is the church that doesn't want to be the church. That's the core problem."

That quote stings a little. "Even the world wants the church to be the church" we should probably listen.

Should We Preach Someone Else's Sermon?

This little title has haunted me ever since I saw it. Plagiarism is a real problem and I think I have taken it too lightly in the past. I think I have been rather flippant in writing and saying other's ideas without giving credit.

The main thrust of the book is to do the exegetical work yourself. Do not go to commentaries or sermons before you wrestle with God over the message. Good point.

Simple Church

The "Simple Church" book is something that our staff is reading right now. It is a clarion call to have a single focus of making disciples and to unify and simplify the strategy.

So far so good.

Gospel-Centered Student Ministry

If you are a leader or you want to know more of why we do what we do at CSM, then check out this video from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary by Dr. Alvin Reid. Much of what is said in this address perfectly matches our vision for student ministry. Very cool to be a part of something much bigger than just our ministry.

The video is around 27 minutes long and well worth your time.

Apostasy

What a weird word huh? What does it mean? Well, in a sense it means to turn away. In the use the bible employs, it is that strange thing that some do when they turn their backs on the faith.

It is a tough one to wrestle through. We need to have a good understanding of grace, repentance, reconciliation, and restoration... the neglect of these things leads us towards apostasy. The other option is a frustration leading to abandonment. We all sin and the closer to glory we get the more we see our sin as pervasive and dominating every area of our lives. What do we do with sin? We must learn to appropriate God's grace through repentance. If you never learn that elementary Christian practice then you are flirting with disaster. You either have to be unrealistic and pretend your sin doesn't exist, or you just blatantly sin in the face of God. Both, of those will eventually lead you down a path you do not want to see the end of.

Let me recommend a couple resources:

"All of Life is Repentance" by Timothy Keller

This is a beautiful article on the picture of the Christian's life of repentance. Every Christ follower needs to recognize the necessity of repentance... daily.

"Jesus is Better: Don't Apostatize" by D.A. Carson

This is a sermon/lecture from the phenomenally difficult passages in Hebrews 5 and 6. It is a call to be faithful to Jesus and to persevere.

Reading the Text

I have been slacking lately! So first off, sorry!

I would love to let you know one of the main things that I am learning lately as I take courses at Moody Bible Institute. Right now I am taking an Elements of Bible Study Course (don't read elementary bible study because it is actually intense stuff). I also am taking a hermeneutics course. Through these courses I am learning an important fact about the bible. Here it is: There is an intended meaning or meanings behind the text. The ultimate Author and the human author both had a meaning in mind when writing the text and we need to responsibly seek to find that meaning.

The way that this hit home for me is when I though back to a time when I was interviewed by a local newspaper. I was very excited to read the article but when I saw how they had mishandled what I said and made me sound like a dope I was upset to say the least. The way they did their journalism was irresponsible and frankly dishonest.

The same can be said of many of us who handle the Word of God. We import our meaning onto the text and make God say things that we would like to hear.

Let me just encourage anyone who regularly reads and studies the Word to seek what God intended first before jumping to conclusions. Let us treat the Word with reverence and actually listen to and obey the message of the Bible. I hope we learn to be faithful to God's Word and I apologize for any times I have miss-handled the Word.

The Gospel Coalition's Website is Revamped

I thought it was noteworthy to point out the Gospel Coalition's new website. This site has a ton of amazing resources worth spending some time browsing. One of which that is particularly helpful to recent high school graduates is The Christ on Campus Initiative that publishes articles to help Christian students to defend their faith as they encounter new and counter-Christian ideas on campus. The articles are published online and free so please check them out here.

Whats in that Bookbag?

Here are a few things that I have been working on lately...

Currently we are doing a series on the Church. I want to give our students an understanding of why we meet together and why we do the things we do. The reality is that they will graduate and more than likely find another church while they are away at college

or when they move into the workforce. So, it is necessary to give them the tools to navigate understanding a church and its functions. If we do not give them a big picture then they will be disheartened when they cannot find another Central Christian. But, if we teach them to love Christ and His bride and show them from the bible what the bride is all about, then they will be able to love, serve, and participate in a local church. Not only is this a good series for when they graduate but it also gives them a firm understanding of why we currently do the things we do at church. So its a win win series.

"Total Church" by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

"The Church" by Edmond Clowney

"The Living Church" by John Stott

"Vintage Church" by Mark Driscoll

In addition I am taking a few classes through Moody Bible Institutes's Distance Learning program.

Elements of Bible Study: This course is aimed at teaching the basic principles of reading, interpreting, and applying the bible.

"Living by the Book" by Howard and William Hendricks

Hermeneutics: This course teaches the necessity of rightly interpreting the Word.

"Understanding and Applying the Bible" by Robertson McQuilkin

As Alistair Begg and Derek Prime say; "A ministers books are as important as his furniture."

Keep me in your prayers that I am learning the truths of God and that I am not getting a stuffy head full of academic ideas but instead that I am learning and growing in the knowledge of God.

Acts 16- Place of Prayer

Acts 16:13 "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer."

Acts 16:16 "Once when we were going to the place of prayer..."

Paul and Silas obviously had a bent toward prayer. They can be called men of prayer. So, they sought out places to pray. My question for you today is, "are you a person of prayer?" In our busy lives prayer can be a spiritual discipline that suffers. We give it very little priority so when we finally do attempt to pray we are usually so exhausted that we fall asleep. Imagine if you were having a conversation with a good friend and they fell asleep while you were talking to them. That would be embarrassing. But, somehow we consistently do that to God and hardly think about it. We need to put such an emphasis on prayer that we seek out places to do it. Go on a journey to pray. Find a place of prayer but do not let your time with God get crowded out.

Reflections On Last Weekend

God is so good and gracious. He knows what His children need. We covered the topic, "Why do we suffer?" We didn't exactly answer the question... but we handled it the same way the bible does. The bible assumes suffering and tells us what to do about it.

Just as a disclaimer, I read and listened to a ton to prepare for this... so the way I handled the topic probably sounds a lot like some of my favorite authors/ pastors. Specifically, I got a lot out of 3 peoples views on suffering; John Stott, Don Carson, and John Piper.

Hope you enjoy!

August 30, 2009 Sermon from Central Wired on Vimeo.

Suffering

For those of you that read this blog I want to ask for your prayers... This weekend students will be helping to lead 'Big Church.' What I mean by big church is the regular services on the weekend. It is going to be very cool as we parade before our congregation the next generation of worshipers of God.

But, as we prepare I have never been more intimidated. As a church we are addressing some of the tough questions of Christianity. For some strange reason I chose the question, "why do we suffer?" The planning has been in process for weeks and it has been a roller coaster. I've gotten exceedingly excited and then despairingly depressed over this message. I have lost a lot of sleep over this. So, please pray for the message this week. I want to dwell in the presence of the Lord. I want to sit in His counsel and hear from Him. And I want to be able to step onto the platform this weekend and say, "as surely as the Lord lives, I can tell [them] only what the Lord says" (2 Chronicles 18:13).

Acts 16- Mentor

In Acts 16 we see the beginning of a friendship and mentor ship between Paul and Timothy. We aren't given too many details besides, "the brothers spoke well of [Timothy]. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey" (vs. 2b-3a). So who knows the reasons behind the friendship? But their friendship does stand out this morning as a call to similar relations in our lives.

Who is your Paul? Who in your life can you look at and determine to imitate? Who is that godly man or woman that you look to for guidance?

Sometimes the best way to obtain this sort of relationship is ask people... Maybe you are lacking a christian role model so I want to encourage you to find someone at church that is living out their faith and walking with Jesus and ask them to mentor you.

It might also serve you well to say this: maybe you need to find a Timothy. There are always those that are coming behind us in the faith that we should be investing in... maybe its a jr high student or maybe an underclassman. But invite them to be a part of your life. Have a bible study, share your insights, do whatever it takes to teach others what Christ has taught you.

Acts 15- Men Who Will Risk Their Lives

After reading through this portion of scripture I want to ask, "what kind of man or woman are you?" In the text the disciples were sending a hand written letter crafted during the council of Jerusalem that was to be delivered to the Gentiles to encourage them... In addition to the letter they wanted to send some worthy men that would be faithful to deliver it and encourage the believers. What was the description of these men? Verse 26 tells us; "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The early church was persecuted and they knew that it was costly to follow Christ... But, do you know that? Do you know that it is still costly to follow Jesus. That it will potentially cost you your reputation, your acceptance, your comforts? Or have you made yourselves a hybrid faith that is easy going and lukewarm? The gospel makes people uncomfortable and uneasy. It is not a set of morals. It does not say you need to be a bible-belt christian that attends church functions and does certain christian things. Following Christ costs you something. At very least it cost you your will. Remember how we lay down our lives to follow Jesus and we don't look back? Many of us have become way too comfortable with casually following Christ. What I want to ask is; would you risk your life for our Lord Jesus Christ? Are you willing to go all out even at the expense of your life? Would you be willing to set a course that says you will take the gospel to the ends of the earth no matter the cost?

Piper's Video on the Prosperity Gospel

After I posted the last blog entry I realized that some of you students that read this might not totally understand what "the prosperity gospel" is. In essence it is a distortion of what we would call the real gospel and wrongly puts the emphasis of God's goodness on His ability to bless us materially and physically. It basically makes God out to be our genie in a bottle. We say jump, He says how high... all we need is faith to make God pour out His abundance of blessings. It is heresy. It is wrong.

God does desire to bless those that follow Him. But that blessing may come in the form of suffering. God may use the taking of your health and wealth to ween you off of dependance on the things of this world and prepare you for eternity. The gosple is a call to lay down your life, not a salespitch to fill your life with more stuff.

If the prosperity gospel is accurate than all the Christians across the globe right now that are sacrificing to proclaim the gospel to unreached peoples are dumb... Maybe they can say with the Apostle Paul, "we are most to be pitied." I however think they are heroes of the faith.

Please do not buy into the prosperity gospel! It is very popular in western Christianity because it appeals to our desire to have a ton of stuff. It is what our itching ears would love to hear. And it can sneak in even to those that seem the most godly. Churches buy into it when they care more about their campuses and programs than they do the gospel. People buy into it when they would rather have Jesus give them their desires than have Him demand their lives.

Here is an insightful video from Desiring God. Hope you enjoy.

Prosperity Gospel and the Wickedness of our Hearts

There is a lot about the prosperity gospel that rubs me wrong... recently the New York Times wrote an article titled "Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich" and it makes me cringe. I have a hard time with the fact that ministries can so readily adopt idolatry as their highest goal. What I mean by that is the prosperity gospel is more concerned with their stuff, which is idolatry, than with Jesus Christ... Tell me how a prosperity preacher handles the text from Hebrews 10: 34 where it says, "You sympathized with those that were in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." They have to dismiss texts like these and many others to be comfortable with robbing the poor to build their empire.

But it would be easy to point fingers and scoff and not examine ourselves... would you be willing to lay down your goods and rights for the gospel? What do you hold in higher esteem than the gospel? Is it your car? your wardrobe? the acceptance of your parents? your status? your favorite sports team? fitting in at work or school? would you be willing to accept the confiscation of your property? would you be willing to be named Beelzebub with Christ?

John Calvin said it best when he said, "the human heart is a factory of idols... everyone of us is, from his mothers womb, expert in inventing idols." We are prone to idolatry of all sorts and kinds. Prosperity preachers are prone to their idolatry of goods and popularity. But what is your idol? What trumps the throne of grace in your heart? What do you value more than Christ? Now the key to overcoming that idol is to take it to the cross in repentance and let grace overcome you.

God, we are a wicked and stiff-necked people. We can even take good things like being compensated for ministry and turn it into evil. Our hearts are prone to lift up pithy and worthless things. We are experts in golden-calf making. We idolize everything under the son. So God break us of our wickedness and let our hearts lift you up today. You are supreme. Help us to count you as gain and everything else rubbish. Please God. Help us to not look down our noses at those whose errors are so prevalent, but help us to pray for them. And, help us to see our faults as equally wicked. Convict us and change us by Your grace. Amen.

Get Satan's Foot Off Your Chest: More on if You are Real

I want to give you the mental picture that Satan or one of his many allies is standing with his foot on your chest and he is laughing. He struck you down with blows of doubt. He has overtaken you by a sense of worthlessness and despair. He partnered with your heart in bringing judgement on you. He paraded in front of your mind all of your lackings.... all the while he has shrouded the beauty and majesty of Christ. He has hidden the cross from your sight and even when you try to think on Calvary it is covered in dense fog.

That was the Enemy's aim all along... his desire is to destroy your faith. And, if you let him he will succeed. He questions your authenticity, he questions your commitment, he questions whether or not Christianity is really worth it.... he has struck you so many times now that you are on you back and he is cackling. He stands proud that he was able to so injure a child of the King.

This cannot stand. Grab your sword. Unsheathe it to Micah 7 and strike back with force. Say these words out loud to your invisible foe. Make them a declaration. Say them out loud and with force... Push hard with your lungs and say it as if you are on the battle field and the enemy needs to feel your seriousness and tremble at your resolve; Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Do not stand over me rejoicing. You can stop your cackling. You can stop celebrating because victory is not yours. Though I have fallen, I will rise. I have allowed you to cause me doubt. My feet have temporarily slipped from the Rock. I am wounded by my sins and guilt and shame. I am down. But I will rise! I am down but I am not out! Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. I can hardly see the light of day... my soul is disturbed within me. Waves and breakers are crashing on my head. My assurance has left me. My soul feels sapped of its strength. I feel desperate and helpless, but the LORD will be my light. The LORD is my deliverer! He will show me glory. He will pull me from this pit. He will restore my hope and joy. Because I have sinned against Him, I will bear the LORD's wrath, I have allowed my trust to falter. I have sinned. I have taken my eyes off of Calvary and away from grace. I have sinned against the LORD and I will submit to His just punishment. I do not know how long I must sit here but I will patiently endure His reproach. I will take what I have brought on myself because God is just. I will learn from my lack of faith. I will sit here Until the Lord pleads my case and establishes my right. I will bear the LORD's wrath until he takes the punishment that I deserve. He will bring justice. He is just. He will punish with wrath His Son. Jesus will be my advocate and my case will be settled. I will be justified not on my strength or goodness but on His. I will see freedom. The punishment was taken care of. I will see His righteousness. I will see the righteousness of God. I will look on the glory of God in the face of Christ. I will see everlasting victory!

Satan listen up! I have fallen... but I will rise. You have inflicted pain and insult. But Christ is greater still. You have caused me grief but Christ has purchased my comfort. So stop meddling with a child of the King.

Christian, please take these words to heart. Use your sword. I know you hardly feel like fighting back but it is your soul. Strengthen what little resolve you have left and strike back... keep reciting those verses over and over. Keep striking with force until you feel that assurance. Trust God even when you don't trust yourself. This is the fight for your life! Keep your head up. Keep going.

LORD, I am yours!

Acts 15- It is Through Grace of Jesus

Circumcised or not? If a gentile becomes a believer shouldn't they have to participate in circumcision according to the custom taught by Moses?

This was a real huge question that the early church had to deal with as more and more gentiles became followers of the way. And the question still looms over us today as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

The issue isn't just about circumcision, it is about yoke. "Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" (vs. 10). What was happening was that when Gentile men professed Christ as Lord and were baptized some of the Jews were saying, 'yeah they are followers, yeah they got baptized, now what they need to do is get circumcised just like the rest of us.'

This led to a council at Jerusalem where the disciples had to make a decision. And the result; "we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" (vs. 11b). It is by grace that we are saved not by works so that no man may boast. In eternity no one will be boasting about how their circumcision grants them favor with God. We all will be boasting about the grace of Jesus Christ.

Sounds like a dumb Bible times problem right? Wrong! We still place yokes on ourselves and others and we offend the grace of Jesus. Let us walk through a couple examples and then you can figure out what your yoke is that you need to repent of.

Salvation by church attendance: We put a yoke on Christ-followers that to be a true christian you must attend our church and swear allegiance to our organization(the church) and if you do miss for a couple weeks then you are letting God down. That is a yoke. We are saved by grace not by presence at church. Is meeting with the assembly of God's people a good idea? Absolutely! But, it does not give us salvation.

Salvation by moral behavior. It is common in church culture that to be a christian means, 'you don't drink, smoke, cuss, or chew or date girls that do.' We can overemphasize these moral behaviors to the point that they become a yoke. We can give 'not behaving in certain way' more importance than Jesus Christ and His gospel. When someone is advocating this yoke they don't really care how you think of Jesus they just want to make sure you are behaving decently. Parents beware that you don't place this one on your kids. Christianity is so much more than behavior modification.

Salvation by small group. This says that you are saved by attending a small group. Sounds something like, "if you are not attending a small group then you are not experiencing all that God has in store for you." That is a yoke. There was no small group ministries in Jesus day. People just hung out with one another and loved one another. They didn't need a program for that to happen. Don't let a small group program become your yoke.

Salvation by service. If you want to be a real Christian then you have to serve. Be careful that you are not earning your favor with God through the different ways that you serve Him at church or in our community. We do not earn favor with God through our works. We earn favor with God at the cross of Christ.

These things are not bad in and of themselves! I am not saying that you should skip church, that you can behave however you like, that you should avoid small group opportunities, and that you should avoid serving. What I am saying is that you shouldn't elevate anything to the level where it competes with the cross of Christ. The gospel is the most important thing in our lives and in eternity. Do not crowd out the importance of the gospel with yokes that "Christians" can place on each other. "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them" (Luke 11:46). Jesus rebukes when we place burdens on one another. So let us not elevate works to the level of the cross and impose on one another heavy yokes.

"We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (vs. 11). Ephesians 2 teaches us that one day we will be standing in heaven singing praises about the one who graciously saved us and brought us to eternal life. And it also says that no one will have any ground to boast. No one in heaven will say, "look at how I conducted myself on the earth. Wasn't I so good? I earned this!" No! Everyone will sing the praise of the lamb that slain. Everyone will marvel at his grace for eternity. "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:6-9).

Do not try to add to the grace of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient. There is not a yoke that needs to be added to your faith in Christ. There is nothing left undone that you need to finish up to earn your salvation. Just Jesus Christ and him crucified. He is enough. He saves. We need to accomplish nothing else. Isn't that good news?