Charles Haddon Spurgeon on Christ Crucified

I do not believe it is preaching Christ and him crucified, to give our people a batch of philosophy every Sunday morning and evening, and neglect the truth of this Holy Book. I do not believe it is preaching Christ and him crucified, to leave out the main cardinal doctrines of the Word of God, and preach a religion which is all a mist and a haze, without any definite truths whatever. I take it that a man does not preach Christ and him crucified, who can get through a sermon without mentioning Christ’s name once; nor does that man preach Christ and him crucified who leaves out the Holy Spirit’s work, who never says a word about the Holy Ghost, so that indeed the hearers might say, “We do not so much know whether there be a Holy Ghost.”

And I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. I have my own ideas, and those I always state boldly. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in his dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering, love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the peculiar redemption which Christ made for his elect and chosen people; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having believed. Such a gospel I abhor. The gospel of the Bible is not such a gospel as that.

for meditation: To “know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2) may sound very limited. In fact it is a vast and glorious subject upon which everything else should be based and for which God should be given all the glory (1 Corinthians 1:30,31).^[1]

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^[1] C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days With Spurgeon (Volume 1) (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 1998), 49.

A.W. Tozer on Worship

There is much talk about worship today and I thought this quote from Tozer is something we need to think about and take heed to. 

"In my opinion, the great single need of the moment is that light-hearted superficial religionists be struck down with a vision of God high and lifted up, with His train filling the temple.  The holy art of worship seems to have passed away like the Shekinah glory from the tabernacle.  As a result, we are left to our own devices and forced to make up the lack of spontaneous worship by bringing in countless cheap and tawdry activities to hold the attention of the church people."

                                                                                                                                 

A CALL TO ANGUISH

I would ask you to watch the short 7 - minute video below by David Wilkerson and then maybe ask yourself some questions.  I have put some of my own questions that I have asked following the video.   

When was the last time I was in anguish? 

When was the last time I cried out to God because of my sin?

  When was the last time I prayed ALL night for God's power or for a lost soul.?

  When was the last time I gave up your vacation to go on a missions trip or to serve in a ministry?

  When was the last time I read God's word and would not put it down until I heard His still small voice?

  When was the last time I shared my faith? When was the last time I came to church READY to worship God in spirit and in truth? 

When was the last time I gave sacrificially - where it hurt and would require me to give up something?

When am I going to be willing to be broken and spilled out for my savior as he was for me?

When will I quite playing church?

When will I be willing to humble myself and stand in awe before my savior?

When?  When?  When?

Preaching is NOT a game

How should a preacher preach?  2 Timothy 3:16 – 4:2 gives us one of the most, if not thee most lofty COMMANDS in Scripture.  2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word!...” 

That is quite an astounding introduction to God’s command for those of us who stand up and preach the Word.  This verse tells us that preaching is an exalted and serious charge to preach the word.  This charge is given to us before God.  AND before the Lord Jesus Christ.  AND that He is coming again.  AND when He comes He will judge. AND finally that He will be ruling His kingdom.  That tells me that the stakes are high.  That tells me it’s a serious thing to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That tells me that what hangs in the balance is eternal life or eternal death. 

This command proceeds that which is given to us in the preceding verses.  In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 it says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Our preaching deals with God’s inspired words that he has preserved in what we call the Bible – not my words but his words and his voice.  Thus I’m to preach his word and it is done in the sight of God and in the name of Christ Jesus, who’s coming to judge and who one day I will stand and give an account (Hebrews 13:17).  Not only that, but all teachers of his word will be held accountable and to a higher standard in how they taught the Bible (James 3:1). 

The profound effect that this has on me is that preaching is not a game!  I must remember the seriousness of man’s proclamation and how I’m to expose the voice of God and exalt the greatness of God.  I’m not to tell stories or jokes or give my ideas, or my philosophies or my wisdom.  I am to be an under-shepherd and a spokesman to a flock of people.  I'm to open up the revelation of God’s word and give them a glimpse of his greatness, and his mercy, and his majesty, and his holiness and to say that he is worthy of every bit of our attention and the total surrender of our lives to him. 

Dear heavenly Father, raise up a people that want to see the glory of God and hear and obey your voice.  May they come to hear and desire your word and may we respond with open hearts and minds, and radically changed lives. 

That Dreaded Word - Cancer

On Monday, June 27th, our lives at the Nulf family changed forever.  To what extent that change will be is yet to be determined.  This was the infamous day my wife Brenda told me that the biopsy that was done came back positive.  That dreaded word that everyone fears came crashing through my mind when my wife told me that she had cancer.  The technical term the doctors gave us was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, which is a form of breast cancer.

I don't want to sound pious here, but my wife and family have been incredibly blessed.  Not to say that we have not had our share of problems and issues in our lives, but for the most part, life has been pretty good - praise be to God!  In fact, we often talked about that over the last few years and wondered if and when our time would come.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that everyone has to go through great tragedies and deep valleys in their life, but we also understand that we were by no means exempt from it.  In fact, the Bible tells us that if we are living for Christ, you will go through trials and tribulations and we are to count it all joy (James 1:2). 

I have often preached that God's glory is seen greatest and clearest through the suffering of his children.  That may sound strange to you, but it's not strange to the Scriptures and all anyone has to do is look at God's only begotten Son and the Cross at Calvary.  I will tell you that God's glory has never been nor will be ever greater or clearer than when his Son Jesus willingly went to the Cross at Calvary and died for your sins and mine.

For whatever reason God has chosed Brenda and the Nulf family, our greatest desire is to glorify our Father as we travel this road.  I will tell you that God's grace has been incredible!  The following day my wife told me that she had cancer my devotion time took me to Psalm 23.  What a word from the Lord.  I have used that passage many times as a pastor to minister to people with the wonderful word of God.  Now that verse spoke to me and my heart as never before - He is MY Shephered and 'Oh' how he has continued to restore my soul! 

When I had finished my devotions, I powered up my computer where I found a church member had posted on Facebook a video - the video was the song "It is well with my soul".  Most of us know the story behind that song and those wonderful words became mine - "it is well with my soul." 

The following day (Wednesday), my daily Bible reading took me to Ezekiel 24.  As I read, I came upon Ezekiel 24:15-24.  God said that He was going to take Ezekiel’s wife; the “delight of his eyes” was going to be taken away from him as a sign to what was going to happen with the judgment and destruction of Jerusalem.  What’s interesting in these verses is what’s not said.  Nowhere in this text do you hear Ezekiel’s protest to God.  Folks we are bought with a price, and our life is not our own (1 Cor. 6:20).  In other words, there is nothing that God does not have the right to ask of you or me.  And in whatever He may ask of us, we are to glorify Him.  If we are to share in His glory, we must also be willingly to share in His suffering. 

I would submit to you that in suffering, the temptation is the same wheter it is coming from cancer, persecution or even when you are slandered.  And the temptation is always to say, "God is not good, and it is not worth serving him, and escaping from this suffering becomes the focus and this sinful way then becomes preferred and dominates our lives." My resolution and Brenda's is that we will trust him and keep trusting him; we have and will continue to experience his soverign mercy and overwhelming grace towards us.  We will hold on to him as he is holding on to us. 

Dear God, we thank you that we have been counted worthy to suffer for you. May we, through this bring honor and glory to your name for you are worthy!

Adoniram Judson's Advice for Missionaries

Before you depart …

“I want to be a missionary. Now what?” Here, in paraphrase, is the advice Adoniram Judson gave to a missionary association in New York:

1. Be a missionary for life, not for a limited term.

2. Select a healthy and good-natured spouse.

3. Don’t be overzealous to do good on board ship and thereby get in the way.

4. Take care that you are not weakened by the hardships you will face during the preparation and travel to your destination.

5. Don’t judge the local Christians in your field of labor before you know their language and understand their culture. You will undoubtedly be disappointed when you first arrive and may regret that you came, but don’t let first impressions dishearten or embitter you.

6. Don’t let fatigue and frustration tempt you into seeking retreat or focusing on tasks that distract from real missionary work.

7. Beware of pride arising from your good reputation and guard against it by openly confessing your shortcomings.

8. Trust God in all things; don’t lay up money for yourselves.

9. Exercise to maintain your health.

10. Avoid excessive socializing with other Westerners and don’t try to keep up a fashionable lifestyle that will separate you from the people you are there to serve.

Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) Is know as the Father of Baptist Missionaries, lexicographer, and Bible translator to Burma. Born in Massachusetts in 1788. Helped form the American Baptist Missionary Union. In 1834 completed a translation of the whole Bible into the Burmese language. During the Anglo-Burmese War, he spent twenty-one months in prison. From 1845-1847, after thirty-four years in Burma, he took his only furlough to his native land. Returning to Burma, he spent his remaining years working on his English-Burmese dictionary. He died in 1850 and was buried at sea.

Bibliography:

Christian History Magazine-Issue 90: Adoniram & Anne Judson: American Mission Pioneers (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 2006).

Once Saved, Always Saved

During or Mid-week service a comment was made by Pastor Bud about those whom are saved and in sin.  I have talked to people on several occasions about this.  On one hand, I have talked to people who see people that have professed to be saved and live like the devil.  On the other hand, I have talked to the actual people who have made a profession and have told me that they have forsaken Christ and lost their salvation.  To these folks, I often tell them you can’t give back what’s not theirs in the first place.  Anyway, the doctrine is called Perseverance and we’ll take a quick look at it today. 

If properly understood this is an incredibly comforting doctrine, but is indeed often abused, misunderstood, or both.  The Bible teaches that all who are by faith united with Christ, who have been justified by God’s grace and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, will never totally nor fully and finally fall away from the state of grace, but with certainty persevere until the end.  Romans 11:29 states that the “… the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”   Leon Morris comments, “It is one of the precious things about the Christian faith that our continuance in eternal life depend not on our feeble hold on Christ, buy on His firm grip on us” (Morris, “The Gospel According to John (ref. John 10:27-30)).

It’s important to remember that perseverance is not dependent on us the same way salvation is not dependent on what we do or don’t do.  Jesus’ work on the Cross was accepted by the Father (Rom 1:4; 4:25).  Romans 5:8-10 tells us that Christ died “while we were yet sinners.”  However, Christ’s present ministry purposes to keep us saved just as much as his past work on the Cross purposed to save us in the first place.  Christ at this very moment is seated next to the Father. Why? – to continue to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).  You see, I believe God the Father answered Jesus’ prayer in John 17, among other things that He would keep those who believe and that they might enjoy the blessings of eternal fellowship with him.  And so our Savior is presently at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Rom 8:34).

This, however, does not mean that everyone who professes to be saved is eternally saved.  Furthermore, it doesn’t mean that everyone who is members of our church and even manifests certain gifts in Christian service is necessarily eternally saved.  This doctrine of perseverance of eternal security is applicable only to those who have a dynamic experience in salvation.  I say dynamic because, it’s a salvation that they shall never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace.  It’s dynamic because the Spirit of God has testified to their spirit that they are his child (Rom 8:16).  This is not to say that they shall never backslide, never fall into sin, and never fail to show forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness into this marvelous light.  It simply means that they will never totally fall away from the state of grace into which they have been brought, nor fait to return from their backsliding in the end. 

The born-again Christian can no more lose his sonship to the heavenly Father than an earthly child can lose their sonship to an earthly father.  Once saved, always saved!

It's Good to Be a Child of the King

We have been studying the book of Galatians at Mt Zion Baptist Church, which is a wonderful book about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Within the context off salvation, Paul is the only one who mentions the word adoption.  The other writers of the NT associate this word with the blessings of the doctrines of regeneration and justification.  Paul uses adoption five times in the Bible (Rom 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5).  In one instance it is referenced to the nation of Israel (Rom 9:4); another time when that adoption becomes fully realized in the future coming of Christ (Rom 8:23); and then in three instances Paul declares it as a present fact in a Believers life. 

The word adoption literally means “placing as a son.”  I like how Evans summarizes it, “Regeneration has to do with our change in nature; justification, with our change in standing; sanctification with our change in character; adoption, with our change in position” (Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, p. 161).  Wow!  In regeneration then we have a new life; in justification, a new standing; and in adoption, a new position. 

I love Gal 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”  Before salvation, the Gentile (all those not Jews) was a slave and the Jew a minor.  Yet through adoption, both now have legal standing as sons of God (Gal 4:1-7).  Of course, our full adoption and all that comes with it is not fully realized until the coming of Christ (Rom 8:23).  Then, if you can imagine, our broken sin riddled bodies will be delivered from all corruption and mortality and be make like unto his own glorious body (Phil 3:20).

Praise God that until Christ comes for his own, God has given us a down payment in the person of the Holy Spirit as I already mentioned in Gal 4:6.  Because of this there is a great appreciation and desire for the believer to have fellowship with the Father.  This is manifested by how we are to walk and be led by the Spirit and a conformity to the image of God’s Son (Rom 8:29). 

What a glorious thing to be a child of the King!

The Question of Holiness?

I have been plowing through Jonathan Edwards “Religious Affections” where Edwards writes exhaustively between what distinguishes that of true and false religion.  He does this by a demonstrating the marks of the saving work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. To understand this is an imperative if there will ever be true and lasting revival in ourselves and in our churches.  I  find much of what he challenges us with to be quite foreign and a great challenge for our day.  Below is a paraphrase of some of what Edwards challenges the believer with:

A great part of godliness is a genuine “fear of God.”  Proverbs 8:13 says that the “fear of the LORD is to hate evil.” And as Believer’s we are called upon to give evidence of our sincerity by this: Ps 97:10 “Ye that love the Lord hate evil.” And the Psalmist often mentions it as an evidence of his sincerity; Ps 2, 3, “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that turn aside.” Ps 119:104, “I hate every false way.” Again, Ps 139:21, “Do I not hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?”

So holy desire, exercised in longings, hungerings, and thirstings after God and holiness, is often mentioned in Scripture as an important part of a true walk with Christ.  When was the last time that you or I have meditated on the holiness of God?  Only then will the above Scriptures come to bring great conviction to our souls.  We are too quick to compare ourselves with others and to leave God out of it. 

In Isa. 6:3 is says, “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”  The repetition of the word “holy” is a Hebrew form used to give emphasis.  R.C. Sproul says that “Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy.  The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that he is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory (R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God).”

This is what shook Isaiah to the very bones and cried out “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa 6:5). 

When was the last time, if any that you encountered the holiness of God?  In that single moment all of Isaiah’s self-esteem was shattered.  “In a brief second he was exposed, made naked beneath the gaze of the absolute standard of holiness.  As long as Isaiah could compare himself to other mortals, he was able to sustain a lofty opinion of his own character.  The instant he measured himself by the ultimate standard, he was destroyed—morally and spiritually annihilated. He was undone. He came apart. His sense of integrity collapsed (R.C. Sproul).”

I find myself in a quandary as I study the holiness of God and realize how unholy I am.  And yet that’s precisely why we need to be looking deep in the character of the holiness of God – because we are so far away from this elevated character of God.  May we cry out as Isaiah did – Woe is me!  And may the hot coal of grace and mercy be placed on our lips that our sin may be purged and that we would have a genuine fear of God and to seek relentlessly the elevated character of holiness. 

Bibliography:

R. C. Sproul, The Holiness of God (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996).

Edwards, Jonathan. A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections : In Three Parts ... Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996.

Nothing But the Truth - Part 2 by Pastor Nick Moore

Word-Centered Counseling
Another area in which our ministerial walk has not quite matched our conservative talk is in the area of Biblical Counseling. As a pastor, it never ceases to amaze me the way that the people in Southern Baptist (and most evangelical) congregations have the tendency to draw a radical distinction between the elements of 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Most believe that God has given us (in the Bible) everything we need for “life” (namely eternal life), but what they don’t often see is that He has also given us everything we need for “godliness.” In other words, most of the people in our churches believe that the Bible is sufficient to save, but is somehow insufficient to sanctify. And it is at this point that we come face to face with the stark reality that the reason most of our people believe this distinction is because this is precisely what they have been trained to believe.

What else are they to conclude when every book their pastor told them to read for pre-marital and/or marital counseling talks more about principles of psychology and communication than about what the Bible says regarding marriage? What else are they to conclude when every time their pastor is posed with a difficult issue in the life of a member, his default reaction has not been to reproof or exhort that person, but to refer him/her to a “professional” so that he/she can be “diagnosed” and the appropriate prescription ascertained? What else are they to conclude when their pastor’s preaching points them to “tips” and “principles” more than to the depth of their depravity and the solution God has provided in Christ not just so that they can be justified, but also that they may be sanctified? Do we really believe that the Bible is power behind true “life-change”? Do we really believe that God’s Word alone, and not the voice of secular wisdom, brings about true “abundant life”? Do we really believe that we are what the Bible says we are, that we have what the Bible says we have, that we can do what the Bible says we can do? Do we really believe what the Bible says we should believe…really?

Word-Centered Mission

One final area in which there seems to be a disconnect between our words and our work in the SBC is in that of Mission. I recently heard from a young minister who attended a popular “ministry” conference that was attended by thousands from various “ministry” and “leadership” responsibilities across the nation. He told me about one of the authors/speakers who spoke there and the invaluable leadership insight he provided for his hearers: “leaders should always strive to be humble.” At first, I had to admit my relief that such a timely and appropriate word was given to such a vast audience of current/future leaders. But then, my friend informed me of the follow-up line, “Leaders should strive for humility, because humility just works.” Is this really why leaders should strive for humility? Not because the Bible says we should, but because it “just works?” We can roll our eyes. We can shake our heads. Or, we can turn right around and realize that this kind of thinking is merely the logical conclusion of what we’ve been preaching for quite some time.

When church-growth is more about method than message [Check out Scott Wilson’s Post, “The Word Grows: A New Testament Plan for Church” and “Does Inerrancy Really Matter?”]. When leadership is more about charisma than character. When results are measured more financially and fiscally than by faithfulness and fruit of the Spirit, what are we communicating? The church of the Lord Jesus is not followed by an “Inc.” The Great Commission is not merely another program or initiative to be executed and evaluated according to the principles of worldly wisdom and pragmatism. Rather the church is the Kingdom counterculture. The church is the outpost of Christ’s rule and reign. The church is the beacon by which the “manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:10). And remember, Christ has not entrusted His mission to CEO’s and Moguls, but rather He has given it to the “the things that are not” (1 Cor 1:28).

Before being delivered over for crucifixion, Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth” (John 17:17). The question that comes to us, as Southern Baptists in the 21^st century, is this: Will we truly be a people of the Book? Will we truly be a people of the Word? Will we truly be a people of the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth? Our only answer can be…so help us God!

 

About the author

Lead pastor at the Spencer County Campus of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Nick has a BA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Boyce College, an M.Div from the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he is also currently pursuing a Ph.d in Old Testament Theology. Nick has been married to Kyndra for 7 years and they have five children, Jacob, James, Elizabeth, Sophia, and a baby girl due in May ’11.

And Nothing But The Truth...Part 1 by Nick Moore

Note: This Post originally
appeared on www.baptisttwentyone.com

This is my Bible…I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, and I can do what it says I can do.” If you are still with me after reading these lines, you are probably either at least contemplating moving on to another post that is worth reading or you are waiting with bared teeth for me to turn the tables and rant on the theological vapidity of the popularizer of this creed. The reason you have reacted this way, if you are even remotely aware of the current climate of evangelicalism, is that you have grown to associate these words with emptiness. These words have become almost inextricably tied to a man known for lifting his Bible high and declaring its absolute authority one minute, only to turn around the next and lay it on the lectern for its pages to be rustled no more…at least until next week’s chant.

In the following, I can promise neither a blog post worth reading nor a seething rant on prosperity theology. But what I do hope to show is the way in which you and I as Southern Baptists are much closer to that Lakewood lectern than any of us would care to admit, both in word and in deed. For all of the sloganeering surrounding and flowing from the Conservative Resurgence (CR) in the Southern Baptist Convention, the result is that Southern Baptists are not, in the end, as much a “people of the book” as we might think. Of course, by listening to our rhetoric, we absolutely are. While we may not (for fear of negative association) stand up and proclaim the above cited creed, we regularly (and rightly) articulate ones just like it regarding our firm convictions on the “inerrant”, “infallible”, and “authoritative” word of God that our SBC forebears fought so hard to defend. The question we must answer, though, as we follow on the heels of these warriors is- will such rhetoric ring hollow for us? Will we as Southern Baptists in the 21^st century be found equally guilty of hauling our “inspired” Bibles into pulpits, counseling offices, and board rooms, touting their sufficiency, only to turn around and “lay them on the lectern” in favor of practical tips, pop psychology, and trendy new tactics? I would suggest this is a very real danger that exists for our generation in at least three major areas.

Word-Centered Preaching

The heart-cry of the CR was “Back To The Bible.” CR leaders rightly touted the Bible as the inspired word of God and the authoritative means by which God has revealed Himself to His people, but at some point in the journey, these phrases morphed into little more than clichéd slogans. Now, many of the same preachers who get red-faced and hyper-perspirant defending the “authority of the Bible,” are the ones who fill their ministries with endless treatments of the epistles and never find their way into Leviticus, Judges, or the Minor Prophets, except for (maybe) an occasional anecdote or illustration. After all, “aren’t we New Testament believers?” they’ll say. Now, many of the same preachers who, as young men, watched the CR unfold before their eyes and whose very ministries exist as direct beneficiaries of the CR, are turning around and saying things like, “Well, of course all Scripture is equally inspired, but I’m just not convinced that all Scripture is equally profitable” (cue “creative” and “hip” collection of quasi-biblical material strung together into a “helpful” and “inspirational” “talk” or “message”.)

Is this what our SBC forebears fought for? Is this the hill on which they deemed it worthy to die? So that their sons and grandsons could wave around a Bible and call it “inerrant” while (practically) denying its power? I somehow doubt it. As many have rightly observed- the Battle For The Bible did not begin in the 20^th century and it will not be won until the kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ. In the meantime, however, we as inheritors of this faith must champion the Word in our pulpits. That means we can call our preaching “expository” all we want, but unless we are standing up week in and out actually “exposing” the text and its meaning, we will continue to create biblically anemic congregations with insatiable appetites for “lists” and “principles”, but not for Jesus. That means we can no longer begin sermon preparation in search of “preachable” points likely to garner “hoorahs” and “amens,” but must instead begin with the sacred text, which might not win us much approval or praise, but has been promised not to return void (Is 55:11).

In light of this post by Nick Moore, B21 thought it would be helpful to show a video of the Kimyal people receiving the New Testament for the first time… and to see their hunger for the Word

A Right Heart by J.C. Ryle

1) A right heart is a NEW heart (Ezek. 36:26). It is not the heart with which a person is born—but another heart put in them by the Holy Spirit. It is a heart which has new tastes, new joys, new sorrows, new desires, new hopes, new fears, new likes, new dislikes. It has new views about the soul, sin, God, Christ, salvation, the Bible, prayer, heaven, hell, the world, and holiness. It is like a farm with a new and good tenant. “Old things are passed away. Behold all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

This post originally appeared on JC Ryle Quotes
It is an excerpt from JC Ryle's book, Old Paths

2) A right heart is a BROKEN and CONTRITE heart (Psalm 51:17). It is broken off from pride, self-conceit, and self-righteousness. Its former high thoughts of self are cracked, shattered, and shivered to atoms. It thinks itself guilty, unworthy, and corrupt. Its former stubbornness, heaviness, and insensibility have thawed, disappeared, and passed away. It no longer thinks lightly of offending God. It is tender, sensitive, and jealously fearful of running into sin (2 Kings 22:19). It is humble, lowly, and self-abased, and sees in itself no good thing.

3) A right heart is a heart which BELIEVES on Christ alone for salvation, and in which Christ dwells by faith (Rom. 10:10; Eph. 3:17). It rests all its hopes of pardon and eternal life on Christ’s atonement, Christ’s mediation, and Christ’s intercession. It is sprinkled in Christ’s blood from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22). It turns to Christ as the compass-needle turns to the north. It looks to Christ for daily peace, mercy, and grace—as the sun-flower looks to the sun. It feeds on Christ for its daily sustenance, as Israel fed on the manna in the wilderness. It sees in Christ a special fitness to supply all its needs and requirements. It leans on Him, hangs on Him, builds on Him, cleaves to Him, as its physician, guardian, husband, and friend.

4) A right heart is a PURIFIED heart (Acts 15:9; Matt. 5:8). It loves holiness, and hates sin. It strives daily to cleanse itself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1). It abhors that which is evil, and cleaves to that which is good. It delights in the law of God, and has that law engraved on it, that it may not forget it (Psalm 119:11). It longs to keep the law more perfectly, and takes pleasure in those who love the law. It loves God and people. Its affections are set on things above. It never feels so light and happy as when it is most holy; and it looks forward to heaven with joy, as the place where perfect holiness will at length be attained.

5) A right heart is a PRAYING heart. It has within it “the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba Father” (Rom. 8:15). Its daily feeling is, “Your face, Lord, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). It is drawn by an habitual inclination to speak to God about spiritual things—weakly, feebly, and imperfectly perhaps—but speak it must. It finds it necessary to pour out itself before God, as before a friend, and to spread before Him all its needs and desires. It tells Him all its secrets. It keeps back nothing from Him. You might as well try to persuade a person to live without breathing, as to persuade the possessor of a right heart to live without praying.

6) A right heart is a heart that feels CONFLICT within it (Gal. 5:17). It finds within itself two opposing principles contending for the mastery—the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. It knows by experience what Paul means when he says, “I see a law in my members warring against the law of my mind” (Rom. 7:23). The wrong heart knows nothing of this strife. The strong man armed keeps the wrong heart as their palace, and their goods are at peace (Luke 11:21). But when the rightful King takes possession of the heart, a struggle begins which never ends until death. The right heart may be known by its warfare, quite as much as by its peace.

7) A right heart is HONEST, UNDIVIDED, and TRUE (Luke 8:15;1 Chron. 12:33; Heb. 10:22). There is nothing about it of falsehood, hypocrisy, or image-acting. It is not double or divided. It really is what it professes to be, feels what it professes to feel, and believes what it professes to believe. Its faith may be feeble. Its obedience may be very imperfect. But one thing will always distinguish the right heart. Its religion will be real, genuine, thorough, and sincere.

► Summary:
A heart such as that which I have now described, has always been the possession of all true Christians of every name, nation, people and tongue. They have differed from one another on many subjects—but they have all been of a right heart. Some of them have fallen, for a season, like David and Peter—but their hearts have never entirely departed from the Lord. They have often proved themselves to be men and women laden with infirmities—but their hearts have been right in the sight of God. They have understood one another on earth. They have found that their experience was everywhere one and the same. They will understand each other even better in the world to come. All that have had right hearts upon earth, will find that they have one heart when they enter heaven.

Temple Comparison

I thought this was a great illustration to show the size difference between the Temple of Solomon and that of the one we read about in the New Testament. 

Solomon’s Temple, finished in 957 BC, was less than one-half the size of Herod the Great’s expanded Second Temple in Jerusalem, built in 20–19 BC.

 

 

The Radical Act of Baptism?

Believer’s baptism by immersion was no insignificant step when Baptists championed it in the 17th Century. This radical and public act was a break with over 1300 years of recognized practice in Christian society and it won few converts in the early years. Why was it so unpopular?

Infant baptism was important to almost everyone. With it came a Christian name, a recognized family and community relationship. For the church it meant another communicant who would obey its teaching and support it financially, either through offerings or taxes (or risk severe punishments!). Since church and state were wed across Europe, infant baptism was significant because it was the first point of accountability and authority which a person met.

Baptists, on the other hand, saw no scriptural basis for infant baptism and no need to succumb to the authority of the church in this way. Dedication of children to the Lord was permitted, but scriptural baptism was something else. A believer’s baptism by immersion was a profession of his faith in Christ as Savior and Lord … it was a picture of his death, burial and resurrection. When Baptists immersed new converts, the believers knowingly and voluntarily sought baptism and church membership, thus exercising each individual’s precious liberty of conscience. Believer’s baptism was an act that no parent, guardian or sponsor could do on one’s behalf. It was a personal, public witness of faith.

For those who defended the baptism of infants, the public spectacle of immersion was disgraceful, unbecoming and unhealthful. More than that, believer’s baptism was an affront to church tradition, control and authority, and certainly the continued well-being of both church and state.

Baptism is a declaration to the world that we belong to Jesus. Believer’s baptism by immersion … a radical act indeed!

Bibliography

Christian History Magazine-Issue 6: The Baptists (Worcester, PA: Christian History Institute, 1985).

Redifining God

An article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported in April 21, 2000 that "Across the country, the faithful are redefining God. Dissatisfied with conventional images of an authoritarian or paternalistic deity, people are embracing quirky, individualistic conceptions of god to suit their own spiritual needs.”

You might say, ‘yes, this is what our culture is doing’, but I would submit to you that it’s also in our churches.  We have a tendency today to redefine God into who we want Him to be.  He’s a god that is okay with the middle class American way of life.  He’s a god that’s okay with our self-satisfied lukewarm faith.  He’s comfortable with our apathy and half-hearted devotion to him.  He’s comfortable with our materialistic indulgences.  He’s okay with these things, why? – because we are. 

And so what do we do? – we fashion a god who looks a lot like us and this is a dangerous thing because when we gather together each week for our so called worship services what happens is not true worship to the revealed God of the Scriptures who is worthy of our praise.  In all reality the only person we are worshipping is ourselves and the actual God we’re supposed to be worshipping has been grossly mis-defined.  We become just like the Israelites who fashioned a golden calf in the desert.  We worship a god that we’ve crafted in our own mind and this god is one that we can control and he’s okay with whatever we do, to include even our sin.    

Our goal must not ever be to redefine God, because He’s not open to redefinition.  The goal is revelation –to see how He has chosen to reveal Himself in scripture. 

The WSJ goes on to say that “These gentler, almost mystical forms of theology have found a receptive audience in today’s affluent society.  Americans are cobbling together a spiritual life from a variety of religious influences, along with a dash of yoga and psychotherapy or whatever else moves them.”  This is an example of man-centered theology in which people will be quick to quote “Cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).  But avoid verses that say “If any man will come after me (Jesus), let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).   

“People seek out these new gods the way they seek out new products in the marketplace, ‘says Randall Styers, assistant professor at Union Theological Seminary, in New York.  ‘It’s the ultimate form of individualism.” 

There are some key questions that we all need to think about: Who are we worshipping?  Is it the true God that has revealed Himself in Scripture or is it some other god that we’ve created in our minds?

What is a True Christian?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the word Christian.  What is a Christian?  Good question – right?  It seems to be a question that should be easily answered by anyone who has “been one” for very long.  Now I know that there are many different facets to this question of what a Christian is.  However, one of those many facets that seem to be absent, at least in my mind, is the acknowledgment of the word of God and the willingness to subject or submit themselves to it. 

J.I. Packer in this regard states that “true Christians are people who acknowledge and live under the word of God.  They submit without reserve to the word of God written in ‘the Book of Truth’ (Dan 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, and following the commands.”

I recently went to visit my son in college and on Sunday we all went to church, of course with the intent to worship our God and Savior.  The church property was beautiful and the auditorium was incredible and could seat at least 3,000 people if not more.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against big churches and beautiful buildings and to be honest I was probably drooling a little bit and in somewhat in the state of awe.  Everything in the service from start to finish was polished and good.  The music, the announcements, the preaching – everything was all good.  However, those thoughts that I had been thinking were still in the back of my mind in a nagging sort of way.  I began to think, how many of these 2,000 plus people here in this early service where there as “Christians” that were intentionally putting themselves under the authority of the word of God?  On the other hand, I wondered how many were there and ready to give their critique of the music, or the announcements, or even how well the message was going to be delivered that morning? 

I continued to contemplate how many will leave the service talking about the message of God’s word from John chapter 11?  How many there that day will allow their life to be changed because of the word of God and it’s authority on their life?  How many of them because of the word of God preached that morning will change their business habits, parenting or perhaps think of someone that they could share the wonderful message that they heard from John chapter 11? 

I think most of us know the answer to that question.  However, I wonder what would happen if instead of us coming into church to evaluate how well the building and grounds are maintained.  Or whether or not they sang the songs I like the way I like them.  Or how well the preacher was and if he followed the program and stopped on time.  I just have to wonder what would happen if we actually came through the doors of the church this week with the prayer and attitude that we are going to be a true Christians and acknowledge and live under the word of God.  I wonder what would happen if we actually came to church and expecting God to do a work and to allow the word of God to evaluate us.  I thought to myself, things would be radically different then. 

You see that’s exactly what I caught myself doing last week - critiquing and evaluating the church and I believe it’s the default mode of most of us “Christians” that live in an entertainment all about me based culture. But God and His wonderful, yet convicting way gave me an illustration that brought these thoughts to my own present circumstances.  I was there in church evaluating everything that was going on and totally indifferent to God’s presence and Him standing at my hearts door knocking and desiring to do a work in my own life. 

What snapped me back to reality and the presence of God was a young couple who sat in the row ahead of us and to my right.  Specifically, I noticed that the young lady was already moved by the Spirit of God.  This was visibly evident by her swollen eyes and the tears that trickled down her face.  I immediately repented and begged God for forgiveness and prayed for God’s Spirit to continue to work in this young ladies life and that my indifference to the Spirit of God would not be a hindrance to His divine work.  I then prayed for Him to minister to me and that I needed to submit myself to the word of God in my own life. 

I want to be a true Christian.  My desire is to be a person who acknowledges and lives under the word of God.  I want to be a true Christian that will submit without reserve to ‘the Book of Truth’ believing it, trusting in its promises and following its commands.  God help me. 

Difficult Subjects

I have decided to teach some lessons this year called “Primers”.  These lessons are designed to introduce people to some of the more difficult subject areas in Christianity.  Probably one of the reasons that they are seldom taught in the church.  The major topics will include Theology, Church History, The Bible, and Apologetics. 

Well, we had our first class and it was on the Trinity – what a heady subject to start with and to teach in only an hour.  I told the class at the beginning that they were going to find themselves being a “heretic” because of the way they most likely viewed and explained the doctrine of the Trinity.  I defined a heretic as person that claims to be Christian, but deny some essential aspect that has always defined Christianity both biblically and historically for the last 2000 plus years. 

It’s been said, “God writes straight with crooked lines,” meaning God has allowed heresy to arise to help Christians clarify what they believe.^[1]  That is something that we don’t know for sure, but it often helps to go back in history and look at differing views (heresies) of the Trinity to help clarify the biblical and historical view.  The Bible also says that as believers we should put our ego’s and pride aside and be willing to be corrected.  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Tim 3:16).  Part of discipleship, not only involves growth, but correction and we all need to allow Scripture and others to correct us on our journey. 

Well the class ended and I fell that it was a success – not that everyone there had a clear understanding of the Trinity, but by their actual looks of confusion.  They left that night wrestling in their minds and hearts who God really is as revealed in His Word.  Hopefully, they see that God is much “bigger” then the box we often put Him in.  Hopefully, they have a greater awe of God and as they pray and sing praises to His name that they will know Him just a little better than they did before.

“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me…” (Jer 9:24).

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^[1] Christian History Magazine-Issue 51: Heresy in the Early Church (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1996).

The Council of Nicea

What was at stake in the church's first general council (325) was the simplest, yet most profound, question: Who is Jesus Christ?

This question brought about a great divide in the church. The emperor, Constantine told the church leaders that they were to come to an agreement on this crucial question and that this division must come to an end.  This was remarkable, considering that this was the first time that the church was not under such persecution and an enemy of Roman Empire.  Many of these leaders still bore the scars. 

To settle divisions in the church the emperors called for church councils that would promote doctrinal unity.  The Council of Nicea, would bring together some 220 bishops, who would meet for two months to hammer out a succinct definition of Jesus Christ.  It’s interesting to note that the first council held would take on such a critical question.  A question that is still being hotly contested today. 

The prevailing teaching that brought this about stated that Christ was more than human but something less than God.  God started out alone and then created the Son, who then created everything else.  Arius, a notable pastor in Egypt, was the one that this false doctrine was attributed to.  However, it’s important to note that he did not do this maliciously, but was only trying to make the person of Jesus understandable.  This false doctrine became very popular to the many new converts as it was similar to their religions of their youth.  This was a religion that looked at there being one supreme God, who dwells alone, and who makes a number of lesser gods who do his bidding.  They found it difficult to understand the Christian belief that Christ, the divine Word, existed from all eternity, and that he is equal to the Father. 

As the Council met, there were many who were quick to compromise, yet there was one young man, Alexander, who was obstinate that Arius’s doctrine left Christianity without a divine Savior.  He called for a creed (statement of faith) that made clear Christ Jesus’ full deity (Jesus actually being fully God in human flesh).

Eventually, they began to hammer out a definition of Jesus Christ that would include some exceedingly important series of phrases – “True God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father…”  From this came the word homoousion (homo = one, ousion = substance) “of the same substance.”  Thus Jesus is the same substance as the Father (homoousion), namely, the eternal, uncreated, and identical substance.  He differs in function, not in essence, from the Father.

This first Council of Nicea, laid the foundation for the orthodox understanding of Jesus Christ. That foundation, praise God,  has stood ever since.

Bibliography:

Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Two: God, Creation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2003).

Christian History Magazine-Issue 28: The 100 Most Important Events in Church History (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1990).