Love Letter Challenge
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Thoughts on the Marriage Amendment
I copied this from my Facebook post, but wanted it here for posterity.
Friday, April 27, 2012
The GC3 Church
A couple years ago I wrote and presented this to a small vision team in our church. It's the missional foundation for who we are and what we do. I want to share it with you. I hope it will help you in your own church.
GC 1
: WHO WE ARE - Great Confession: Jesus is Lord and Savior
We commit to
live confessional lives as fully devoted
followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord
and Savior, and to call others to do
the same. Romans 10:5-17
GC2 : WHY WE
ACT - Great Commandment: Love God and love neighbor
We commit to love God with all of our heart, mind,
soul, and strength, and to love our
neighbor as ourselves. Matthew 22:37-40
GC3 : WHAT WE DO - Great
Commission: Make
disciples of all people
We commit to go, taking the gospel of Jesus Christ from our front door to the
world, and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to observe all Christ’s commands. Matthew
28:18-20
Values Comparison Religious Relational
Authority (is what we say
true?) majority
rule Word/Spirit of God
Focus (where are we
looking?) focus
on past focus on future
Control (who runs the
show?) man
centered God centered
Target (who will we
influence?) inward outward
Receptivity (how are we
perceived?) closed open
Passion (what do we care
about) programs people
Compassion (how do we
treat the hurting?) indifferent loving/caring
Responsiveness (how do we
handle change?) resist resolve
Diversity (how do we
handle conflict?) fight forgive
Relevance (do we matter?) irrelevant relevant
Our vision MUST NOT BE:
Our goal for our church
(personal or corporate).
Keeping up with the
“church down the street.”
Not marching to the beat
of a denominational drum.
Not passed on to us by
our ancestors.
Not the pastor’s personal
agenda.
|
Our vision MUST BE:
God’s promise to Live Oak
Baptist Church
in this place, at this time, for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.
|
KEY QUESTIONS: Where do we see God working?
How may we most effectively join Him?
Our Vision must then SMART:
Significant – What significant
problem do we as God’s people address with the gospel?
Measurable - At the end of next year, how will we
know if we’re winning?
Attainable - With God’s help, can we really see
this become reality?
Relevant - When we’re done, who will care
besides us?
Tenable - What will our efforts look like
in 2-3 years?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Salvation in Spirit and Truth - Part 2
Acts 19
1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having
passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some
disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether
there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were
you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that
(1) they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were
(2) baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
(3) 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them,
(4) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
1. This is the core of the gospel, to believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. These early hearers of John's gospel heard the message of repentance, that is turning away from sin and law, towards love and grace.
2. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. John's baptism was an Old Testament ordinance of washing (Exo. 29:4) whereas Christian believers are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom 6:3). Just as Jesus changed the meaning of the Passover meal to the Lord's Supper, so He altered the OT rite of washing into a New Covenant observance.
3. Paul laid hands on them as an identification with the church. There was nothing mystical or magical in the laying on of hands; rather it is a sign of unity and solidarity one with another (1 Tim. 4:14).
4. The true baptism is in the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit came upon these new believers and they experienced the true change from death to life. We must say that anyone who does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit is not Christ's (Matt 3:11, Acts 1:5; Rom. 8:9). Does then everyone speak in tongues when they receive the Holy Spirit?
No. Just look back to Acts 18:24ff to see the example of Apollos. He knew only the baptism of John, but was instructed more fully in the truth of Christ. He did not speak in tongues but spoke boldly the gospel. The true evidence of the Holy Spirit is not merely a new tongue but a new life (2 Cor. 5:17).
This then is salvation in Spirit and in truth. The Spirit of God and the truth of Christ working fully in every believer.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Salvation in Spirit and Truth- Part 1
We have perverted the
gospel in many ways erring to the extremes. Two such extremes are easy believism on one hand and mystical experience on the other.
Easy believeism is the notion that all you need to do is sign your name on the
bottom line and get your ticket punched to heaven.
This is totally a work of man's religion and denies the power of God.
On
the other hand is some kind of mystical experience where you must experience something unusual or strange to prove an encounter with God, either to yourself or others.
I’m
not concerned about proving my salvation to anyone in that regard for it
is God who has proven our salvation to the world, and that was through the work
of Christ on the cross. It is also God who proves our salvation to us, and that is through the work of God’s
Spirit in our hearts and in the changed life.
Is there a way true to the gospel? Yes, as we see in Acts 19.
When Paul encounters some believers who have not yet fully heard the gospel of Christ, been baptized into the resurrection of the dead, identified with the church, and received the Spirit, he instructs them more fully in the good news of Jesus.
In this account we see how the gospel "works" in Spirit and in truth. In this passage we see Paul presents the necessity of (1) accepting Christ by believing in Him, (2) being baptized into Christ's death/burial/resurrection, (3) identifying with the church, and (4) receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift of grace.
Acts 19
Acts 19
1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that
(1) they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were
(2) baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
(3) 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them,
(4) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
I will begin explaining these in turn next time.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Final Words of the Lamb of God - #1 - Redemption
1. The Final Word – REDEMPTION
Luke 23:46
"And when Jesus had cried out with
a loud voice, He said, “Father,
‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His
last."
This was actually a Jewish bedtime
prayer taken from Psalm 31:5
“Into Your hand I commit my
spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God
of truth.”
His mission complete, free to
return to home, into the loving hands of the Father the Son committed His
Spirit. And with that, He breathed His last breath of agony on this earth, His
work as the Lamb of God complete, victory assured, the final sacrifice for sin was made.
Confidently, willingly,
victoriously He returned to glory until the time He returns to once again rule
among us as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Redemption is a word often used in church but perhaps little understood. Redemption carries the meaning of buying back or regaining at some price that which was lost.
with the final price of His life, Jesus redeemed all humanity from the wages of sin, which is death. With that complete His Spirit was free to be return to the Father with whom Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, had been from all eternity.
Today is Easter, the great day of the resurrection of Christ. It is the resurrection to life of Jesus that attests to the fact that His sacrifice was accepted and that truly that which was lost has been won back to glory, with Jesus Himself being the first fruits of life being eternally raised from the dead.
Here is the question for all of us today. Will we commit our Spirits into the hands of the Father? Will we follow Christ as the redeemed of the Lord?
Thank God, thank God, we have that opportunity today!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Final Words of the Lamb of God - #2 - VICTORY!
2. The Word of Victory
John 19:30
"So when Jesus had received the
sour wine, He said, “It is
finished!”
Are you struggling to win today?
Do you feel like you try, and try, and try, but never get ahead?
Have you ever looked back on your life and felt like a failure, like you just never quite measured up?
Beloved friend, may I tell you today, that the eternal victory has already been won, and YOU are the recipient of the glory.
The Victory is Won! It is finished!
Listen.....
Jesus came to do
the will of the Father who sent Him.
Jesus came to bring many people to glory
through the way of the cross.
Jesus came to give everlasting life to everyone who sees the Son and
believes in Him.
Jesus came to die so that the
resurrection of life might be accomplished for those who will die with Him.
In John chapter 6:37-40 the words of Christ are recorded,
"All that the Father gives
Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast
out. For I have come down from
heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is
the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in
Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
In life Jesus revealed God.
In the cross Jesus covered sin.
In sin Jesus bore the full wrath
of God.
In death, Jesus gave life.
In the tomb, Jesus defeated death.
In glory Jesus reigns supreme.
Beloved, no one or no thing will
ever add to, or take away from what Jesus has done for you.
Isn't that a great relief? The victory is won and with Jesus we are the recipients of the victors crown.
Praise God, it is finished!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Final Words of the Lamb of God - #3 - Anguish
3. The Word of Physical Anguish
John 19:28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
Forsaken of God the physical
anguish begins to set in. The desert travelers of the East will tell you that
when they have endured the pain of thirst, they would give all the gold on
earth for even a single drop of water.
Luke 16 tells the story of the beggar
Lazarus, who lay ill daily at the gates of the rich man who lived sumptuously. Both
died, Lazarus being carried to the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man to the
torments of hell. The tormented man lifted his eyes to gaze across that great impassible gulf, begging that the tip of
Lazarus’ finger might be dipped in water and placed on his tongue to ease for
even a second the torment he endured.
Psalm
69 records the prophecy of Christ's own physical torment on the cross:
3 I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
20 Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there
was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my
food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to
drink.
Jesus became sin for the salvation
of sinners. The Suffering Savior endured the torments of wretched humanity and
there was none who could give relieve His suffering in that horrible moment.
One of the great privileges and challenges of being a pastor is to bring comfort to those who are hurting. The privilege is that I am many times allowed to be the presence of Christ to people whom I would not be otherwise so that I can comfort them. The challenge is that I so often want to do so much more, and feel quite helpless. This is when I must rest on my faith in God that He can and does what I cannot.
Standing at the welfare line, I can't feed all those hurting people, but God can.
Standing in the broken home, I can't reconcile a marriage, but God can.
Standing in the hospital room, I can't heal anyone, but God can.
Standing at the graveside, I can't fill the void left behind, but God can.
Oh God can, and He does. Why? Because Jesus hung on the cross. He has felt our pain. He has born our burdens and known anguish in body and soul. He sympathizes with us.
So what can we do? Be the presence of Christ. Offer comfort whenever and wherever you can. Be compassionate and kind to the least of these.
Jesus says tells His church, “For
whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to
Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Mark 9:1
Would you not have willingly offered that cup of water to Jesus as He hung on the cross? Surely you would. Okay, then offer to a thirsty person who lives in your own neighborhood.
Let us not add to the misery of
this world, but relieve its suffering in the name of Christ.
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