What defines a compelling life? Someone who is available to God and regularly experiences God’s fellowship, presence, and empowerment. There are no substitutes, no shortcuts. We are not compelling; on the contrary, we are sinful, often poor imitations of our Lord. But when God lives through us, shines through us, and overcomes our worst inclinations with his merciful transformation – that’s compelling. People become interested not so much in us but in what’s so different about us. The non-Christian notices the changes as we become more and more like Christ – if indeed we are experiencing more and more of Christ.
– Gary Thomas in Holy Available
Tag: Christianity
Acts Articles – Intro
In preparation for a new sermon series at my church, I have been studying the book of Acts. It has been an exciting study so far. I feel like I am breathing new air as I see what the church is called to be, what it should be, what it could be, what I hope it will be.
In the following weeks, I want to explore several inter-related themes found in Acts. These include Jesus, witness, Spirit, prayer, suffering, church, and the Word. If we put all the themes together we find that the church is called to be witnesses pointing to Jesus through the Word in the power of the Spirit and in the context of prayer and suffering. As the church fulfills this mission, Jesus is acting and speaking through us. I look forward to unpacking this with you, as well as exploring a few other themes that come up along the way.
Passion Points
Here are some good posts addressing the important issue of sin in our lives:
What Does Jesus Do With Sin? – Jared Wilson
Here are 6 things Jesus does with sin.
Steps to Overcome Temptation – D. A. Carson (via Desiring God)
Carson talks about some simultaneous steps to take for overcoming temptation, including a deepening delight in Jesus.
I Chose To Sin – Tim Challies
If I sin today—when I sin today—it is not because I had to or because anyone forced me to, but only because I chose to.
4 Reasons People Backslide – Tim Challies
Here are four reasons that people backslide.
How to Backslide in 9 Easy Steps – Tim Challies
1. Stop meditating on the gospel. “They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.”
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day growing in your delight of our Lord and your hatred for sin as you gather together with your local church family!
Healthy Small Town Church
At the RHMA Small Town Pastors’ Conference, Ron Klassen suggested the following six key health indicators from Colossians for a healthy small town church:
1. Respected People’s Commendation (1:1-6) – Do other Christians look at our church with high regard?
2. Twin F’s: Faithfulness and Fruitfulness (1:2, 6) – Are we faithfully doing the right things so that we are fruitful; that is, so lives are being changed?
3. Healthy Relationships (1:4, 8) – Do the people love one another in the Spirit?
4. Faithful Leaders (1:7) – Are the leaders faithful in their service? Marks of a faithful leader include: making the teaching of the Word a priority (1:6-7), being a servant (1:7, 4:12), being a prayer warrior (4:12), being a hard worker (4:13), and being committed to doctrinal purity (4:12).
5. Commitment to Discipleship (2:6-7) – Is the church committed to going, baptizing, and teaching?
6. Commitment to Progress (1:28) – Is there a desire for the church and its people to mature?
How well does your church meet these key health indicators? In which indicator does your church particularly need to grow? Of course no church is perfect, but is your church moving in the right direction? Regardless, what steps might you take to help it move in the right direction?
A Pastor’s Longing
One of the great longings of my life is that we at Bethlehem [Baptist Church] would be the sending base of ever-increasing numbers of missionaries to the unreached peoples and that we would send them with ever-increasing effectiveness and ever-increasing faithfulness and ever-increasing care for them and their families. When I think about not wasting my life, this is what I think about as often as anything: study and pray and write and speak and lead in a way that results in more and more visionary young people and restless mid-career people and wise, mature retired people who pull up their stakes, pack their tents, and go with Jesus and the gospel to unreached peoples of the world, no matter where they are – far or near.
– John Piper in A Holy Ambition
May we have the same passion for missions!
Passion Points: Idolatry
For your weekend reading, we return to the important issue of idolatry: placing ourselves or something else before God.
We Are Not God – John Piper (via Tim Challies)
But when humans forsake their Maker and love other things more, they become like the things they love—small, insignificant, weightless, inconsequential, and God-diminishing.
Same-Sex Marriage Make a Lot of Sense – Michael Horton
If God exists for our happiness and self-fulfillment, validating our sovereign right to choose our identity, then opposition to same-sex marriage (or abortion) is just irrational prejudice.
Why Idolatry Was (And Is) Attractive – Kevin DeYoung
Can you see the attraction of idolatry? “Let’s see I want a spirituality that gets me lots, costs me little, is easy to see, easy to do, has few ethical or doctrinal boundaries, guarantees me success, feels good, and doesn’t offend those around me.”
That Idol That You Love Doesn’t Love You Back – Justin Buzzard (via Crossway)
Here’s what you need to know about your idol: That idol that you love, it doesn’t love you back. False gods don’t love you. Idols don’t keep their promises. Anything you worship and build your life on other than God will suck the life out of you and destroy you.
Or as Psalm 115:2-8 so well puts it:
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your church family worshipping the one true God!
Book Look: A Holy Ambition
A Holy Ambition is a collection of sermons by John Piper (and one article by David Mathis) on the topic of missions. After a sermon and the article introducing missions, the book is divided into three parts: a Biblical theology of gospel-centered missions, the mandate of world missions, and the costs and blessings of mission. It closes with a final sermon, plus two appendices: one arguing against prosperity preaching and the other declaring 14 driving convictions behind missions.
Overall the book was challenging. I’m sure different sermons will hit hard on different people, but I was especially challenged by three. The first sermon which introduced the book calls us to a holy ambition to reach those who have never heard. The sixth sermon was based on John 10:16 and ended with four reasons we can do missions confidently. And the tenth sermon calls us to be willing to suffer to accomplish the mission.
Recommended to fuel your desire for missions whether God calls you to go or simply grow in prayer and giving.
Missions and Worship
Missions is about the worship of Jesus. The goal of missions is the global worship of Jesus by his redeemed people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The outcome of missions is all peoples delighting to praise Jesus. And the motivation for missions is the enjoyment that his people have in him. Missions aims at, brings about, and is fueled by the worship of Jesus.
– David Mathis in A Holy Ambition
RHMA Take Home Thoughts, Part 3
At the RHMA conference, D. A. Carson gave a two part seminar on “How To Think Wisely about Suffering and Evil.” I wish you could have heard the entire thing. What follows doesn’t begin to give the topic or seminar justice, but are simply some points that stood out to me:
- We all sin, so we all deserve to suffer.
- Suffering is short compared to eternity (at least for those in Christ).
- We can’t grasp God’s plan; we need to trust him.
- Our suffering may be God’s providential discipline (Hebrews 12:3-11).
- God brings good things out of bad things (think Joseph in Egypt).
- When you doubt God’s goodness, go back to the manger and the cross and see his love.
- Christians have been granted to believe and suffer (Philippians 1:29).
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend:
Don’t worry…
Eight Reasons Why My Anxiety is Pointless and Foolish – Justin Taylor
Exactly what the title says!
…be happy
The Road to Happiness Part One and Part Two – Paul Tautges
Jesus defines the path to happiness very differently than the world does.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day rejoicing in the Lord with his people!
