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!