Sunset over Lake Superior – Grand Marais, Michigan
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
Christ Is All – Charles Spurgeon (via Trevin Wax)
This is our soul’s grandest desire, that Jesus’ name be lifted high,
and His throne be set up among the people, to the praise of the glory of His grace.
The Gospel of the Holy Spirit – Trevin Wax
Too many evangelicals see the good news that we are saved from sin and from God’s wrath and stop there. We forget that we are saved for a relationship with God (to know Him and love Him) and for His mission (His redeeming work to seek and save the lost). And it’s the Holy Spirit that enables that relationship and empowers us for mission.
What Sanctification Is and Is Not – J. C. Ryle (via Tim Challies)
An inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Ghost, when He calls him to be a true believer.
The Church and Idolatry – Jared Wilson (via Ligonier Ministries)
On Sundays, our sanctuaries fill with people seeking worship, and not one person comes in set to neutral. We must take great care, then, not to assume that even in our religious environments, where we put the Scriptures under so many noses, that it is Jesus the exalted Christ who is being worshiped.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day truly worshipping our great God!
Here’s the joy of the God-empowered life: we can cease expending energy trying to be impressive and instead rest in being used. The reality of being used, by definition, points people back to the One who is using us. Such a ministry glorifies God by relying on God and by demonstrating the reality of God. It recognizes the providence of God, the activity of God, the grace and generosity of God, and the wisdom of God. And there is no greater thrill – absolutely none – than being used to glorify God.
– Gary Thomas in Holy Available
Throughout the book of Acts, the apostles preach about Jesus from the Old Testament. Here a helpful list from Ben Falconer of at least many of the ways the Old Testament does indeed point to Jesus:
He is the promised seed of Adam who would crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15).
He is the descendent of Abraham through whom every nation on earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3).
He is the son of Judah, who reigns eternally as king, whose garments are washed in the blood of grapes, and whose hand is on the neck of his enemies (Gen. 49:8-12).
He is the Passover Lamb who was slain to protect God’s people from the Angel of Death (Exod. 12).
He is the greater son of Israel who came out of Egypt, and He is the great redeemer who brings his people out of a bondage and slavery that is far worse than anything the Israelites experienced there (Exod. 12-14).
He is the true bread from heaven that actually nourishes and feeds his people (Exod. 16).
He is the Rock from whom the only life-giving water flows (Exod. 17).
He is the fulfillment of the Law, perfectly obeying not only the 10 Commandments, but all 613 from the day of his birth (Exod. 20).
He is the One through whom we enter into our lasting Sabbath rest, not just for one day out of seven, but for every day from now through all eternity (Exod. 23:10-12).
He is our great High Priest who offers his very body as an atonement for the sins of his people (Exod. 28-29).
In Acts 2:22-42, Peter moves from preaching about the Spirit to preaching about the work of Jesus and calls for a response. He focuses on four aspects of the work of Jesus:
The work of Jesus is not just trivia; we need to pay attention. The work of Jesus points to Jesus as Lord and Messiah (v36), and calls for a response:
May we pay attention to the work of Jesus and respond appropriately!
Here are some helpful quotes related to sin for us to reflect on…and respond to:
That every person should grow up and do evil can be no coincidence.
It calls for an explanation.
— John Gerstner
Most sin is born out of spiritual blindness – shown in a vast ugly forgetfulness of God.
– Gary Thomas
That’s what sin does – it intoxicates us with a distorted view of reality.
– Gary Thomas
Salvation in sin is not possible; it is always salvation from sin.
— C. H. Spurgeon
Sin has been pardoned at such a price that we cannot henceforth trifle with it.
— C.H. Spurgeon
One of the best ways to build a zero toleration for sin is to become repulsed by it.
– Gary Thomas
Sin forsaken is one of the best evidences of sin forgiven.
– J.C. Ryle
In Acts 2:1-21, we see Jesus send the Spirit to the 120 disciples. It is Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, and all the disciples are together.
Suddenly there is the sound of a mighty wind, and what appears to be fire sits above each one. We often see wind and fire when God comes down in the Old Testament, suggesting that we should see this event as a theophany. God has come down among his people.
They are all filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in other tongues. Crowds begin to gather, and the disciples spill out of the house. Jews from all over the Roman Empire are there, and they hear the disciples speaking in their tongues, and they are amazed. Peter gets up and begins to explain what is happening from the book of Joel.
From his explanation, we can glean at least three reasons that the coming of the Spirit is important for us today:
Here are some good posts on preaching:
Sermon Prep: A Week In One Life – Stephen Um (via The Gospel Coalition)
A glimpse of what my weekly approach looks like, followed by some suggestions for continual growth in our preaching.
Expressing Beautiful Truth In One’s Preaching – Trevin Wax
Too often we preachers spend all our time making sure we’ve understood the meaning of the text and can communicate it faithfully. Precious little time is spent thinking about how we can communicate that meaning beautifully.
A Word To Those Who Preach The Word – R. Kent Hughes (via Tim Challies)
There is nothing quite like it—the Holy Spirit filling one’s sails, the sense of his pleasure, and the awareness that something is happening among one’s hearers.
Do You Expect A Response To The Preaching of the Gospel? – Roland Allen (via Justin Taylor)
To preach the Gospel requires that the preacher should believe that he is sent to those whom he is addressing at the moment, because God has among them those whom He is at the moment calling: it requires that the speaker should expect a response.
Lake Superior – Grand Marais, Michigan
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Here are some good posts on evangelism for your weekend reading:
Are You Missional: 10 Diagnostic Questions – Jason Dukes (adapted bt Trevin Wax)
10 questions to help Christians discern whether or not they are operating with a missional mindset.
Tim Keller’s Top 10 Evangelism Tips – Martin Salter
A while ago on our elder retreat we listened to a talk Tim Keller gave at Lausanne. As part of that talk he gave 10 tips to help our lay folk in their evangelism.
8 Simple Instructions For Sharing Christ – Nate Shurden
These practical instructions are just that: instructions. This is not a formula. It is a way of preparing your heart and organizing your life for gospel impact in the life of others.
The Great “Unawareness” and Sharing the Gospel
An encouraging example of using an opportunity to share about Jesus, with a few good points along the way.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day celebrating the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!
