Thoughts from "Preaching the Gospel" by Matt Chandler

I recently listened to a sermon by Matt Chandler from an Acts 29 conference about preaching the Gospel.  Listen to download the message for free HERE.

Matt Chandler is a passionate preacher with a tight grasp on the Gospel of God in Jesus Christ.  This sermon was to other pastors teaching them primarly how to teach the Gospel from the Old Testament.

He pointed out that a common testimony of people at his church is that they were brought up in the church and never heard the Gospel until they came to his church and then believed and were adopted into the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  He questioned whether or not this allegation were true in some regard.  After all, it is possible to hear the Gospel and not hear it.

He had them bring notebooks and pamphlets, if they still had them, from youth retreats and vacation Bible schools of their past to examine their claims.  In an alarming number of cases, the retreats' topic was often focused on "true love waits," "the danger of drugs and alcohol," and the like.  Some of these people had been in church their whole life and were never taught the Gospel of God, but had been pressed hard to live out the implications of the Gospel.  They had been taught the Christian and not the Christ.

We cannot live out that which we does not give us life.

Chandler is quickly becoming one of my more favorite pastors.  I have a penchant for anyone who uses the word (correctly mind you) "imputed" in a sermon without blushing.

There are certainly imperatives for Christians who follow Jesus, but they are preceded by indicatives of what has already been done for them.  Christians are not defined by what we now do, but by what has already been DONE for us.  As a result of this, we now are inspired to work, to honor this great God and Savior, to change, to grow, to stretch, and to live in Christ and count death as gain.  We are free to live and worship Jesus now in bondage to Him alone.

Heirlooms

Proverbs 19:14

House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

In my life I have been blessed to experience both of these.

My father is a hard worker and a wise investor and I owe all of my financial stability to his prosperity and generosity.  I would not have been able to afford school, a wedding, a car, or a home without his financial contributions to my life.  

I have a prudent wife.  She loves Jesus and is a great housekeeper, mom, and wife.  She loves me.  She loves my kids.  I could not be happier with the woman that God convinced I was worth marrying.

There is only so much a man can give and do for another man. 

Some things must come from God: salvation, blessing, favor, providence, provision, children, and a wife. 

Men can work toward these goals and do all they can to "rig" it so that things work out for blessing for their children and their children's children, but some things cannot be purchased.  Men can only accomplish so much.  This "only so much" means a great deal to the recipients thereof, but it is still only rightly qualified as "only so much,"  We need a heavenly Father to do the "much more."  I pray that I'm able to provide as well for my children as I have been provided by my earthly dad.  I pray my Heavenly Father adopts my children into His family by granting them grace to have faith in Christ.

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for giving my earthly father success so that my needs have been addressed everyday of my life.  I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for everything intangible for which one could never work or earn: my heart of flesh carved from stone, my love of Jesus inspired by the Spirit, my beautiful wife created for my help by God, my lovely children formed by His hands, etc...

Book Review: "Strong: As a Man Is, So is His Strength" by Matthew Pennock

I read this book sometime ago over lunches at work.  It was a free download which was available HERE.

This is a Biblical study of manhood.  It is quite expansive, yet concise and poignant.  Straight, no chaser but more manly and less whiney than this song by the same title.

Cowardice is a sin unique to men in many ways.  Women can be cowards and scared, but men are called to be brave and to fight battles and to protect the weaker.  That is a very profound insight.

The book tackles being a man of God, a warrior, a husband, a father, and our responsibility in those dimensions to honor God and the very specific roles in which He has placed men.  Together with women we make up the very image of God.  Male and female He created us.  Men have a very specific calling in fleshing out in part the unseen Father in Heaven.

I enjoy studies in Biblical manhood that encourage me to go down with the boat if necessary.  It is a high calling and studies like this stir my heart to courage and confidence in fulfilling that for which God created me as a man.

It is worth your time.  It is a quick read and it is very insightful with many Biblical references noted within the chapters to support and anchor the appeal being made for men to rise up and become the men we were created and called to be in Christ Jesus, our LORD!

Some good quotes from the book below:

"...trends in the media clearly reveal a prevailing attitude in our day that sees men as little more than passive and irresponsible boys with no self-control."

"It is hardly fitting to call a woman a coward, is it not? Any nation that would ever send its women or children to battle instead of its men would be derided by others as a nation of cowards."

"It is never to the shame of women to expect their men to stand up, take initiative, lead, provide, and fight for justice, peace, righteousness, and fidelity. However, for those men who sit idly by and let their women do all the dirty and bloody work of providing and protecting them, it is to their shame. We can praise women who take initiative and stand up for great causes to get things done when the men fail to do so themselves. For those women it is to their honor, but to those men who refuse—woe to them!"

"God appointed the distinct gift of strength to the man, the gift of beauty and gracefulness to the woman, and innocence and meekness to children. Thus we talk of strong and courageous men, lovely and graceful women, and innocent children. Unless your thing is the Warrior Princess or if you live in an eccentric city full of effeminate men you don’t normally talk of “strong women of valor” or “graceful men of beauty.” Of course you can give an infant to a man to nurse and a M107 .50-caliber sniper rifle to a woman to take out an insurgent but it would not be according to the best wisdom would it? The fit is much more appropriate the other way around and not only that, things work out better for both"

"A man is commanded to work. Strength doesn’t come for free but requires hard work and lots of training! Mark this carefully: being slothful and passive is sin. When we are slothful or passive we are harming ourselves and others by making ourselves weak."

"We have dropped the ball as dads and have deferred way too much responsibility to the local church, and it has only been to our shame."

"Work in itself is part of divine providence, and was never an evil thing, but always a good thing. Under the curse of the fall work became harder, but it did not become evil."

"Stand firm upon your convictions and accept that people will hate you for what you believe."

"Through faith we can rest on Christ’s perfection: “Come to me all those laboring and being burdened, and I will give you rest.” Let us never forget that, as men endowed with such a high calling, we live, love, lead, work, fight, and suffer in his strength, not ours."

Those are just a smattering of quotes from a really encouraging, convicting, informing and challenging book on being a man made in the image of Holy God demonstrated in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

 "A true man of God is no longer under the discipline or fear of his parents. He is under the fear and discipline of his God."

Thoughts from Church: Mark 6:30-56

Today Pastor Joel Vint preached on this passage.

He discussed the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water.

Pastor Joel made the point very clearly that you can shape up and clean up your life and still hate God.  I don't think most people know that.  I think most people assume that being shaped and cleaned up is evidence that you know God.  Most people, I believe, fail to observe that will power, human pride, the fear of man, and the desire not to fail can accomplish amazing feats of strength, determination, endurance, change, and prosperity in one's life.  Jesus does not necessarily need to be part of any person's conscience equation in accomplishing a life of being cleaned up, responsible, and successful.

Pastor Joel pointed us to the following passage:

Numbers 11:23

²³ And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

What a beautiful articulation by God of His power and faithfulness. God can do whatever He wants.  He can make 5 loaves and 2 fish last for a feast of thousands.  He can walk on the water He created in a body He created and sustains.  If the LORD has promised it, it will happen.  In the words of Paul from 1 Tim 1:12, "I know whom I have believed."

At the end of the passage, many are brought to Jesus and as many as sought Him out and touched Him were healed.  I wonder how many ended their interaction with Jesus at that point.  Ambition, self-interest, and will power helped them trek across the wilderness to find Jesus.  I wonder for how many of them, ambition, self-interest, and will power remained the primary source of trust and reliance for those healed. 

The disciples themselves are reported to have had hardened hearts after the walking on water incident.  However, Jesus has chosen them and was commited to seeing them through.  He was patient and compassionate with them as they fumbled through life on this earth with Jesus at their side.  Let not your understanding or commitment to Jesus be your strength and boast as you fumble through this life, but boast in His understanding and commitment to you.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Listen HERE.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Purchase it HERE.

Thoughts from "The Gospel for those broken by the church"

Listen to the message HERE.

I recently listened to this message by Dr. Rod Rosenbladt.  He is one of the contributors to the weekly podcast, The White Horse Inn.

Pastor Rod primarily speaks to two different groups of people in this message: the sad and the mad.

The sad are those who chronically despair that they are not saved because their lives fall so desperately short of being their best now. 

The mad are those who routinely are provoked to anger by the mention of the church as a result often of a negative experience at or in one.

Pastor Rod stresses the point that Christ crucified is enough to save our dark souls.  But do you we live and believe that?  Do we really believe that His work alone is enough for us?

Pastor Rod asked a very profound and piercing question: 

We all know that the Gospel can save sinners, but do we believe it can save Christians who regularly fail?

It is a tragedy that this question is to poignant.  But I have to admit:  It is legit to inquire. 

Do we believe and trust that God will really see us as He sees Jesus?  Even if we don't try as hard as we should?  Even if we fall further than we admit?  Even if we never reach our actualization? 

It is a piercing question that forces the issue back to our real, ultimate source of trust.  Is it in the finished work of Jesus?  To the exclusion of everything else?  Even our ability to earn it or pay it back after the fact?

Dating, Marriage, Partnership, and the Egg on your face

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

Do yo hear that my children?  Do not marry someone who worships anyone other than Jesus.  Marriage is the biggest and most profound commitment a person makes next to their devotion to their god.  If you worship Jesus and marry someone who does not, you are creating unnecessary controversy and dissonance in your life. 

Additionally, Paul explain in Eph. 5 that marriage is like Christ and the church.  Marriage is a metaphor for Gospel.  The Gospel is Good News.  It probably goes without saying, but just in case you missed it:

Marrying someone who hates Jesus is BAD news.

We are the temple of the living God.  He lives in us now by His Spirit.  Do not allow those who hate Jesus to enter His temple.  All who worship anything other than Jesus demonstrate they hate Him (who He is, what He did, and who He will ever be).  They despire His atoning death and glorious victory over death.  Even some who say the word Jesus with charm deny Him by their very lives.  They claim to know God, but live in a way that is contrary to this reality.

The answer to Paul's question is obvious.  The only relationship darkness and light have is one of opposites.  When it is light there is no darkness.  When it's dark, it's because there is no light.  Black is not white and white is not black.  The only relationship they have is their being defined by the absence of the other.  Do not yoke your heart to someone who is defined by their absence of what you hold most glorious.