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[HT: The Resurgence]

I finished up chapter four of 1st Timothy this past weekend with my church.  We’re doing a verse-by-verse study through this book and last Sunday I preached a sermon titled “Five Lessons on Pastoral Leadership” out of I Tim. 4:12-16.

Timothy was a young pastor serving in a church where many, even other leaders, were significantly older and possibly more experienced than him.  This undoubtedly proved difficult as Paul urged him to confront false teaching and wayward leaders.

I too am a young pastor.  I serve in a church where many, including all the deacons and lay-leaders, are older than me and have served in this particular church longer than I’ve been around.

How was Timothy to address these situations?  How am I to address the people God has called me to serve?  This sermon seeks to provide a biblical response to these and other related questions.

Here’s a brief outline and commentary of what I shared:

1. Lead by Example

(I Tim. 4:12)—Whatever the reasons people may have for not wanting to follow the leadership of a person younger than themselves, Paul here says to Timothy to live in such a way that those reasons cannot substantially be claimed.

2. Lead by the Word

(I Tim. 4:13)—The leadership of a pastor should be, first and foremost, directed from and manifested out of the authority of the Word of God.  Leaders lead per their devotion to the Scriptures and their delivery of the Scriptures.

3. Lead by Being Yourself

(I Tim. 4:14)—Timothy had been given a gift by God for leading God’s people.  The text doesn’t say, but maybe it was something like the gift of teaching, discernment, or prophecy.  Whatever it was, Paul urged Timothy to be the leader God had created, called, and gifted him to be.  No apologies necessary for being the person God made you to be!

4. Lead by Hard Work and Growth

(I Tim. 4:15)—Devote yourself completely to living out the Christian faith (i.e. ‘leading by example’), to preaching the Word (a la ‘leading by the Word’), and being comfortable in your own spiritual skin, so to speak (that is, ‘leading by being yourself’).  As you do this you will grow as a person and as a leader.  Let your followers see this progress!

5. Lead by Faithfulness

(I Tim. 4:16)—Paul sums up these instructions with the command to “persist in this”—that is, be faithful in carrying out and existing within all these things I’ve told you about.  People want a leader they can count on.  It’s very simple, though not very easy.

Here’s the sermon audio:

Part 1

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Part 2

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[HT: Post header image clipped from CreativeMYK]

This is the eighth  post in a series of discussions centered upon a devotional classic, The Bruised Reed, by puritan author, Richard Sibbes. I am participating in an online book club of sorts called “Reading Classics Together,” hosted by Christian blogger and author, Tim Challies. Here are my previous posts in this series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII.

This week’s reading from chapters 14 & 15 was very encouraging.  Chapter 14 discusses ways to ensure victorious Christian living.  Chapter 15 speaks to the issue of Christ’s imminent return and reign upon the earth and the practical ramifications of living in the light of that expectation.

If a Tree Falls In the Woods…

One particularly helpful image from chapter 14 is employed underneath the heading, “Reasons for Seeming Lack of Progress.”  There Sibbes suggests two primary reasons why a Christian may not be experiencing growth in their spiritual life:

1. Because spiritual growth often requires much work with little immediate reward
2. Because there is sin in the camp (see Joshua 7:1ff)

The beneficial illustration Sibbes uses is that of a tree being chopped down.  This image is compared to the process of spiritual growth. Sibbes writes that,

“The tree falls upon the last stroke, yet ll the strokes help the work forward.”

If you’ve ever chopped down a tree you know exactly what Sibbes means.  The first few swings of the axe yield what appear to be great results.  The bark is broken through easily.  The girth of the tree appears to shrink more and more with every chop.

But just before reaching halfway the tree begins to seem more resistant to the idea of being cut down. It appears that the chops are loosing their effect. Maybe its because the axe is getting dull.  Maybe its because by now you’re getting somewhat winded from the constant swinging and your strength has began to weaken.  Each swing is starting to be more difficult than the one before.  There’s a period there of several cumbersome chops where it seems as though nothing is happening.

This is precisely what Sibbes is getting at with his illustration.  Some people are in a place where there spiritual lives feel like the axe-swinger who is tired and seems trapped swinging away in the middle of the tree.  Sibbes’ point is that every swing counts! So keep on swinging. The tree will soon fall and you’ll see that there was never a swing in vain.

Three Related & Helpful ‘Nothings’

In chapter 15 there is a string of paragraphs where Sibbes emphasizes the word “nothing”.  In a section referred to by the heading, “We Must Not Look To Ourselves,” Sibbes capitalizes on the word “nothing” in at least three different ways:

Nothing #1

“Nothing is stronger than humility, which goes out of itself, or weaker than pride, which rests on its own foundation.”

Nothing #2

“Christ says, ‘Without ye me’, the apostles, who were in a state of grace, ‘can do nothing‘ (John 15:5).  He does not say you can do a little, but nothing.”

Nothing #3

“Satan knows that nothing can prevail against Christ, or those that rely upon his power.  Therefore his study is how to keep us in ourselves…”

The point of these “nothings” is to get us to trust in Christ, not ourselves.  Is that ever a reminder that we need to hear!

What About You?

What images or anecdotes reached out and comforted or challenged you from this week’s reading?   Mine were the tree-chopping and the “nothings”.  You’ll notice that my post isn’t really a summary, as much as it is a list of personal highlights.  What were your favorite phrases or images from Sibbes this week?

Make Sure to Check Out My Friends!

Over the course of this series of posts I’ve had the privilege of meeting a few new online kindred spirits. They too are reading and blogging their way through this book.  Make sure to click through to their sites and check out what they have to say about this week’s reading.  They are Audrey, Becky, Kevin, Lisa, and Paul.

Charles Savelle over at BibleExposition.net shares three brilliant observations about the way role models teach:

1. Their Lips (what they say)
2. Their Life (what they do)
3. Their Love (what they value)

His original post was given with regard to the influence of role models or leaders, but there’s really a much wider application of these truths.  These three things—what we say, what we do, and what we value—reveal nearly everything about who we are.

So let me ask you:

What have you been saying lately?

Have you been speaking the truth of God’s Word into people’s lives?  Or have you only been small-talking about whatever happens to come up in conversation?  Have you been building others up?  Or have your words been destructive and constantly negative (Eph. 4:29)?

What have you been doing lately?

Does your life’s actions reveal or conceal God’s gospel?  Are you living out the Christian life as spelled out in the Scriptures?  Sure, no one’s perfect, but there should be some evidence of spiritual progress over the course of time (James 2:14ff).

What have you been valuing lately?

What do you give your money, time, and affections to?  Your answers tell on you (Luke 12:34). Is the telling good or bad?  Be honest with yourself.

[HT: Charles @ Bible X]

—From C. H. Spurgeon’s, Lectures to My Students

Related Post(s):

• Spurgeon’s Defense of Systematic Theology
• Spurgeon on the Value of Training Ministers
• Charles Spurgeon’s Approach to Controversy

A small taste of what I’m listening to this morning…

Here’s John MacArthur preaching to what I think are a group of graduates from The Master’s Seminary.  He is speaking from I Tim. 4:6-16.  His address is titled, “12 Marks of Excellent Pastoral Ministry.”

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MacArthur describes this address as “a wonderful summary of what ministries should look like.”  At sermon’s end he asks the question, “So what does a pastor do?”  His answer?

“[A pastor] makes the following commitments:

1. I will warn my people of error.
2. I will devote myself to the study of Scripture.
3. I will avoid the influence of unholy teaching that sucks out my conviction.
4. I will discipline myself in godliness.
5. I will work hard.
6. I will teach with divine authority.
7. I will endeavor to be a model of spiritual virtue.
8. I will maintain a thoroughly Biblical ministry.
9. I will employ my spiritual gift and not neglect it.
10. I will be passionate about this privileged work.
11. I will let all see my growth in grace
12. [I will] persevere with endurance to complete the task that God gives me…”

Anyone else been listening to good sermons lately?  Do share in the comments below.

Cult?  What is that?  It is somewhat hard to define without pointing to particular examples.  The American Journal of Sociology defines it as a pejorative term which “refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are reasonably considered strange” (source).

But who’s doing the considering?  I suppose that in a similar way to how, as the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” determining what is a cult and what’s not is in the eye of the determiner.

Of course you would be hard-pressed to find anyone or any group that would readily admit, “Yes, we are in fact a cult.  Would you like to join our cult?”

So how do we decide?  How can we be honest and truthful with ourselves and others in discerning what is cultish and what is orthodox?  Here’s something that may help.

Lisa Robinson shares five signs of a cult-like ministry over at the popular theology blog, Parchment and Pen.  Excellent and succinct list of factors to consider when distinguishing between what is the true Christian Church and what is not:

1. Time Factor—how long has it been around?
2. Doctrine Factor—does it deny essential Christian truths?
3. Leadership Factor—is the leader/founder elevated to an unbiblical level of authority?
4. Biblical Authority Factor—is there another source of writing outside of the Bible?
5. Organization Factor—does it consider itself to be the only true Church?

Robinson’s list includes several paragraphs of easy-to-read commentary and explanation.  Make sure to click through the following link and peruse the entire thing: “Five Signs You Might Be in a Cult-Like Ministry,” by Lisa Robinson.

If you’re church or organization falls underneath a positive response to any of the factors on this list then you may have some serious thinking to do.  Can you think of any organizations or ‘churches’ that are guilty of one, a few, or all of the points on this list?

I preached out of 1 Tim. 4:1-3 this past weekend (sermon available here).  Its a passage where Paul warns Timothy about certain prevalent heresies which involved the forbidding of marriage and abstinence from certain types of foods.  Paul explains that these heresies had supernatural origins.  They were the deceptive and influential teachings of demons.

Among a few other things, this passage serves as an opportunity to address the ever-recurring problem of legalism within various religious sects.  A few examples:

• Hinduism—don’t eat meat
• Islam—don’t eat pork
• Jehovah’s Witnesses—don’t celebrate holidays
• Latter-Day Saints/Mormons—don’t consume caffeine

At this point everyone was nodding along in agreement.  Its easy to see the error of other people’s ways.  However, as Christians we certainly are not immune to this sort of extra-biblical ‘prohibitioning.’  We do the exact same thing, only in our own little Christian way.  So many Christian groups (including my own SBC) have this perfect picture of what a good Christian is supposed to look like:

• You can’t listen to rock, country, or rap music—only gospel music
• You can’t drink alcohol
• You can’t smoke cigarettes
• You can’t get any tattoos
• If you’re a man, you must have short hair
• If you’re a woman, you must have long hair
• Etc.

As you can see we certainly have our own brands of legalism.  And taken to extremes I believe, along with the Apostle Paul (see 1 Tim. 4:1), these legalistic doctrines are the “teachings of demons” as they influence and trickle their way through parishes and congregations all over the world.

If you’ve got a church where someone is a liar and everyone knows about it and just sort of accepts it, but a woman who is addicted to smoking cigarettes walks in to your church and is looked down upon….you’ve got a problem.

If you’ve got a church where its unspoken and understood that a certain group of persons love to gossip and everyone just quietly sweeps that issue under the rug, but a guy walks into your worship service with long hair, tattoos up and down his arms, and he’s sporting a t-shirt with a big, bold Budweiser logo across the front—if the first thing you think is, “Well, we’ve got to either get this guy cleaned up so that he looks more like us or else we’ve got to get him out of here”…..then you’ve got a problem.

And the problem is legalism.  Consider what legalism accomplishes:

1. It robs the Bible of its authority
   →Instead, it says “Here, let our way of doing things tell you what to do.”
2. It steals the conscience of its purpose
   →And replaces it with “Well, I’ll tell you what is right and wrong.”
3. It denies the Holy Spirit of his life-changing power
   →In its place is the line, “If you were serious about your walk, you would force yourself to do this or not do that”
4. It strips the gospel of its message of salvation by grace
   →And instead argues subconsciously that “You can save yourself if you’ll dress a certain way, if you’ll learn to talk a certain way, if you”’ only listen to a certain type of music, only pay attention to these particular preachers, and only read from one particular version of the Bible, etc.”

Legalism is bad stuff.  And I’m afraid that its everywhere.  What else would you say legalism accomplishes? I’m sure there’s more.  I’ve only listed four things.

This is the fifth post in a series of discussions centered upon a devotional classic, The Bruised Reed, by puritan author, Richard Sibbes. I am participating in an online book club of sorts called “Reading Classics Together,” hosted by Christian blogger and author, Tim Challies. Here are my previous posts in this series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV.

This week’s reading from chapter’s 8 and 9 is summarized by 3  D’s:

1. Duties (performance of the spiritual disciplines)
2. Discouragement (when we feel poor spiritually)
3. Deception (believing what is not true)

Sibbes deals with duties and discouragement in chapter 8 and deception in chapter 9.

Chapter 8

The question of whether one should perform Christian duties (i.e Bible study, prayer, evangelism, etc.) when they feel discouraged is addressed in this chapter.

Sibbes says a big “Yes, absolutely” to this question and does so with four responses.  I’ve paraphrased them to avoid excessive quotation.  He says to the discouraged Christian struggling with their duties:

1. Do what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it.
2. Often we find God there in the duty and are encouraged.
3. Doing the duty even when we don’t feel like it reveals truest devotion.
4. Discouragement may well be lifted after we have performed our duties.

Regarding these points let me add this: I have never in all my life regretted performing a Christian duty.  Whether it was spending time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, sharing the gospel, its no matter.  The result has always been the same.  God blesses these things.  They put us into contact with his grace.  And we’d all be the better for practicing them more.

On a related note this week in the blogosphere, pastor and author, Kevin DeYoung,wrote a wonderfully helpful post titled, “Are Christians Meant to Feel Guilty All the Time?” He asks and provides four powerful answers to why Christians are so often discouraged in their walk with the Lord:

1. We don’t fully embrace the good news of the gospel.
2. Christians tend to motivate each other by guilt rather than grace.
3. Most of our low-level guilt falls under the category of “not doing enough.”
4. When we are truly guilty of sin it is imperative we repent and receive God’s mercy.

I include this nod to DeYoung’s entry because it deals perfectly with what Sibbes covers in chapter 8.

Sibbes also briefly speaks of discouragement that is caused by suffering and trial.  I could not help but to think of James 1:2-4.  Please see these three little thoughts on Christians and trials that I wrote several months ago.  Its one of my favorites posts I’ve ever written.

Chapter 8 was so rich with wisdom and grace that I chose not to include it all in one post.  You’ll just have to read some of the blogs I link to down below and hope that they cover the rest.

Chapter 9

I honestly did not gain much from this chapter.  Perhaps my mind was struggling to stay on track as I read.  What I did glean came from the opening paragraph.  Sibbes points out that Satan doesn’t mind letting us have Christ so long as we have a distorted and inaccurate view of him.

In this way Satan is revealed as the deceiver he is.  He longs to trick us into perceiving the Lord as anything other than what he truly is—a loving, gracious, sovereign King.

Taking Stock

We’ve come just over halfway in reading through Sibbes’ book, The Bruised Reed.  I’d just like to say how beneficial and gracious of a read it has been for me thus far.  The thought that there is no person more gentle and merciful with sinners than Jesus has truly impacted my life and ministry.  It has shown up in various ways in my preaching.  It has fleshed itself out in visits that I make.  It has been referred to as I counsel.  Thank God for writers and works such as this.

Have any of you been helped in ways like this?  I would love to hear of how God has used this book in your life and ministry as you’ve read through it. Encourage us all and drop a comment below.

Check Out My Friends

Over the course of this series of posts I’ve had the privilege of meeting a few new online kindred spirits. They too are reading and blogging their way through this book.  Make sure to click through to their sites and check out what they have to say about this week’s reading.  They are Audrey, Becky, Kevin, and Lisa.

Anyone Else?

If there’s anyone else who has somehow clicked their way here to deekdubberly.com, please make sure to drop a little note in the comments field below letting the rest of us know that you’re out there, most especially if you’re taking part with us in Tim Challies’ “Reading Classics Together.” Thanks.

Sensitive issue.  It must be addressed with a source of truth outside of our own opinions.  Here Pastor John Piper does just that.

(If you’re reading this post through an email subscription or RSS feedreader you may need to click through to my site in order to watch the video clip)

[HT: Desiring God]

Really ‘amening’ this brief video clip of Francis Chan talking about half-hearted devotion to Christ.  He refers to it as some sort of ‘middle road.’

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If you resonated with what Chan says here you’ll probably enjoy this clip too where he uses a balance beam as an object lesson to teach us to trust God.

[HT: TJ Dreyer]

I preached through Mark 4:1-32 this past weekend at my church.  This passage records several familiar parables taught by Jesus.  The most notable among them is the parable of the sower.

For any that may not be entirely confident as to what a parable is, Wikipedia defines it as “a brief, succinct story…that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.”

Jesus Taught in Parables:

After Jesus told the story of the sower he shared with his disciples why he taught in parables.  Mark 4:11-12 records this:

“And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

We learn from these verses that part of the reason Jesus used parables was in order to maintain a distinction between two groups of people: those who ‘had been given the secret of the kingdom of God’ and those who had not.

Judgment for Sin:

But why maintain this distinction?  Why not let everyone in on the secret?  The answer is as simple as it is sobering: judgment for sin.

God often judges the present hardness of our hearts by  disabling our ability to make them soft again in the future.  The callousness, blindness, and deafness of our spiritual organs is often the product of our own lack of response to the spiritual stimuli God’s grace has been pulsating our way for years.

Over and over again in the Scriptures people who are consistently rebellious, unfaithful, and unbelieving toward God, even despite their having been given ample instruction and evidence of His power and favor, are described in terms of having deficient spiritual senses (Scripture references). This lack of ability to sense and believe God’s revealed truth is God’s present judgment for sin in their lives.

Apart from God’s gracious and miraculous healing of spiritual senses in the lives of those He’s redeemed, no one would be able to see the kingdom revealed through Jesus’ parables.

Back to Mark 4:

The problem in this passage comes when we read into it a view that the people who were kept ‘outside’ of the secret of the kingdom were good, innocent people desirous of the truth of God and the revelation of his kingdom.  This is not the case.

In fact, we know from Mark’s previous chapter that these same people had begun to attribute Jesus’ ministry of miracles to the power of Satan.  That’s pretty bad—so bad, in fact, that its referred to there in Mark 3:28-30 as the unforgivable sin.

Two Final Maxims:

This passage of Scripture and the questions that surface from it center upon the realization that some people undeservedly experience God’s salvation while others deservedly do not.  This is not a pleasant or easy subject to consider.  Here are two parting words of wisdom.  These two truths will help to guide our thoughts within this sensitive realm of discussion:

1. God’s judgment of sin is always just.
2. God’s forgiveness of sin is always a miracle.

Now It’s Your Turn:

How would you respond to someone if they read Mark 4’s account of Jesus’ reason for speaking in parables and asked you why it is that God saves some people and doesn’t save others?

I shared a sort of impromptu message with a group of about 75 teenagers this morning.  I thought I was going to be speaking to little children.  A few scheduling wires got crossed and I spoke to the middle and high school students instead.  Even better.

Here’s the gist of what I shared.  Of course there were little stories, illustrations, and anecdotes along the way.  But here’s the main thoughts.

1) God is the greatest promise maker of all time.

• b/c He makes BIG promises
• b/c He always keeps them

2) God’s greatest promise is Jesus.

• b/c He promised that He would fix everything
• b/c that promise has been fulfilled in Jesus

My aim was to bring out God’s faithfulness.  I told the students that when God makes a promise you can take it to the bank.  Hopefully it sank in and, by God’s grace, will be as seed sown on good soil.

Howard Pyle illustration of pirates burying treasure, from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates.

Jesus taught this great and sobering principle in his Sermon on the Mount (see especially Matt. 6:19-21).  His point is as simple as it is profound—that the things we value reveal the people we truly are.  The guy who values his wife and kids can rightly be described as a family-man.  The person who values his money and toys can rightly be described as a selfish man.  You see how this works.

Regarding a professing Christian’s giving record to a local church or donations to gospel-sharing missions organizations (e.g the IMB or GFA), this same principle can also be applied—whether and how much percent we give reveals the persons we truly are in relation to our Savior’s mandate to go and tell the world the gospel.

If you turn Jesus’ statement in Matt. 6:21 upside down it really adds valuable perspective.  Not only is it true that ‘where our treasure is, there are hearts will be also,’ but its also equally true that ‘where are treasure is not, there are hearts will also fail to be.’

If you’re not giving to the cause of sharing God’s good news of salvation through Jesus Christ then your heart is not where God’s heart is.  And friends, that’s not a good place to be.

Giving can take many shapes.  It’s not only shaped like a dollar sign.  It can take the shape of your time, effort, care, prayers, and many other wonderful and worthy-to-be-treasured forms.  I’m here to tell you, though, if your giving doesn’t also include the shape of a dollar sign, then something’s wrong.

(This post discusses one point out of five that I preached to my church in a sermon titled, “Living Distraction-Free for the Glory of God.”  That sermon can be listened to or downloaded here.)

D. A. Carson

This is definitely one of the greatest sermons/addresses I’ve ever listened to on the nature of pastoral ministry.  It’s by D. A Carson so I’m not surprised.  It’s been out for a while but I just found it last week.

Here’s where I found it over at 9Marks.  And here’s a download link and an audio player to listen to it here on my site.

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Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

There are certainly more reasons than this.  Given that these students were following a schedule and soon had to be in another class I had to keep my comments brief.  So help me out.

What are some other reasons that we should ‘love our enemies?’

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, by Pieter van Aelst (click for larger image)

The opening verses of Luke 5 tell the story of Jesus calling his first disciples.  At the beginning of this tale Peter is but a curious fishermen.  By the time its through he’ll be on his knees before the Savior, acutely aware of his own sinfulness and ready to follow Christ to the ends of the earth.

Here’s the Scene:

• Jesus taught the word of of God from a boat (Simon Peter’s) to people on the shore (Luke 5:3).
• After his teaching was finished Jesus told Simon Peter to cast his fishing nets into the sea (Luke 5:4).
• Peter doesn’t see the point seeing as to how he and his colleagues had fished there all night without catching a thing, but he does it anyways (Luke 5:5).
• Not surprisingly, the nets are filled so full with fish that they begin to burst (Luke 5:6).
• Enough fish were caught to fill and nearly sink two boats (Luke 5:7).

Here’s the Result:

• When Peter realizes the power and authority that Jesus wields over nature (i.e. the fish) he falls at his feet and expresses a deep realization and conviction of his own sinfulness (Luke 5:8).
• Jesus uses this opportunity to call Simon Peter to a life of sharing the gospel with others (Luke 5:10).
• Peter’s response was to leave everything and follow Jesus (Luke 5:11).

When was the last time Jesus did something in your life?  Did it show you how sinful you are?  Did it beckon you to follow him and share his truth with others?

I’ve been preaching through the book of 1st Timothy now for just over two months.  This past weekend I finished a mini-series of three sermons on the qualifications for ministry.  I’ve titled these messages, “The Man and the Ministry.”

“The Man and the Ministry—Part 1″

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“The Man and the Ministry—Part 2″

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“The Man and the Ministry—Part 3″

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In Gen. 17 Abraham asked God to let his son, Ishmael, be the one through whom the promise of blessing was fulfilled.  God said no.

Has God ever said “No” to you?  Here are a few reasons why he may have done so.

Three Reasons:

1. To teach us to have faith
2. To show us that He accomplishes great things in our lives, and not that we accomplish great things in our lives (aka exalt him, humble us).
3. B/c a 1,000 other things are providentially waiting their turn to fall into place and be better than any “Yes” we could have ever imagined.

What are some other reasons God may tell us NO???

If you knew that you only had one hour left on this earth, and if you were able to gather all of your closest family and friends, what would you tell them? What would you want them to know?  What parting advice or charge or word of encouragement would you want to leave them with?

This is a sobering situation to consider.  It was not merely an imagined scenario, however, for our Lord after he resurrected and was about to leave the earth and ascend to the right hand of the Father.

His last message was a passage known by most as “The Great Commission.”  It’s found in each of the gospels, but the most notable occurrence is in Matt. 28:18-20.  These are likely the final words Christ spoke to his followers before he left.  Notice these six characteristics of his parting message.  It was a:

1) Sovereign Message — (”all authority”)
2) Sending Message — (”Go”)
3) Saving Message — (”make disciples”)
4) Incorporating Message — (”baptizing”)
5) Instructing Message — (”teaching”)
6) Inspirational Message — (”I am with you always”)

(Screenshot from esvstudybible.org)

I’m currently reading through the Gospel of Mark.  Mark, not unlike the other gospel writers, emphasizes that Jesus was always teaching people (Mark 10:1).  Jesus would use any and every circumstance possible as an opportunity to teach his followers the ways of his kingdom.

In Mark 11:20-25 Jesus uses the occasion of a cursed, fruitless fig tree to teach his disciples about prayer.  Among other things in this passage, he explains in vs. 24 (highlighted above) that whatever we ask for in prayer, so long as we believe that we’ll receive it, we’ll get it.

This is puzzling to me.  I understand that we’re to pray by faith—that is, by believing that God is real, that he’s powerful, that he hears us when we pray, that he’s concerned about our lives, etc.  I get that.  What I don’t get is how this verse squares with all the things that I’ve prayed for that have not come to pass.  I’ve prayed for them believing.  Yet many prayers were not answered when and how I had hoped and even ‘believed’ that they would be.

When we’re puzzled like this by something we read in the Scriptures the best place to look for help is in other Scriptures.  That’s exactly what I did and here’s what I’ve learned.

When praying we most definitely should pray believing.  Our belief can be said to be blind (II Cor. 5:7), but it shouldn’t be said that our belief is dumb, uninformed, or ignorant of God’s truth—not when we’ve go the Bible to go by.  So when you pray make sure to put the following three things into practice.

1. Check Your Motives (James 4:3)

We’re not to pray for things simply because we want them.  In fact, James 4:3 explains that sometimes we don’t get what we pray for specifically because we want them for the wrong reasons.  So check your motives when you pray.  Make sure that your ultimate aim is as Jesus’ when he prayed to the Father, “Not my will, by yours” (Luke 22:42).

2. Know the Word (I John 5:14-15)

If we pray for what we know God already wants how can we go wrong?  We can’t!  So pray God’s will.  How do we know what his will is?  Well, thankfully he’s written it down for us in something called the Bible.  So READ IT, and by it know God’s will, and then pray for that.

3. Remember the Spirit (Rom. 8:26)

Don’t lose heart!  Don’t be discouraged in your prayer life.  Remember that Rom. 8:26 teaches that God actually helps us pray as we’re praying.  Now that’s reassuring!  So when you pray, rely on that help.  Ask for it.  Look for it.  Pray with it and by it…in faith.

Let me ask you:

What other truths from God’s Word can you think of to shed light on the subject of prayer?  I’ve only listed three.  There are many more.  Help me out.  Click here to leave a comment.

I helped to officiate a funeral this weekend.  My role, besides giving the invocation and reading the obituary, was to share a few words at the graveside.

I shared the verse, Psalm 116:15.  It says,

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

I asked the question, “Why is it precious to God when a Christian passes through this life to the next?”  In an attempt to both encourage the family as well as faithfully bear witness to the gospel I answered this question as it relates to three different persons or groups of persons: the individual who passed away, the Christians affected by his death, and the non-Christians affected by his death.

So why is it precious to the Lord when his faithful pass?  Because its a homecoming, an encouragement, and a challenge.

1. Homecoming—for the deceased

→The deceased believer is at home with Jesus.  They were not made for this world with its sin, suffering, and shame.  They were made for God and now they are with him and enjoying him and worshipping in a more fully realized sense than ever before.

2. Encouragement—for the believing bereaved

→ This is not the end.  Your loved one is not lost and gone forever.  They are merely on the other side.  They are with God.  And one day we will be there with them.

3. Challenge—to the unbelieving bereaved

→ May this occasion be an opportunity for you to be challenged by considering the brevity of life, your need for a savior, and the invitation of the gospel.

Have you ever had some close to you pass away?  What words were shared with you that were helpful as you tried to endure the grieving process?

John MacArthur’s got a three-part series of articles on how to endure in the ministry.  Very beneficial stuff…and better still, very practical stuff.  Here’s are his 10 practical thoughts on an enduring ministry:

1. Don’t arrive unless you plan to stay.
2. Learn to be patient.
3. Don’t be afraid to change.
4. Study to know God, not just to make sermons.
5. Be thankful and be humble.
6. Don’t lose sight of the priority.
7. Expect to work hard.
8. Trust the Word to do its work.
9. Always depend on the Lord.
10. Don’t just leave to leave.

Some points on this list may seem a little ambiguous.  I’ll let MacArthur explain himself.  Find these ten points with additional commentary here:

• Practical Thoughts on an Enduring Ministry—Part 1
• Practical Thoughts on an Enduring Ministry— Part 2
• Practical Thoughts on an Enduring Ministry—Part 3

In case I’ve never mentioned it before on this site, John MacArthur is the man.  I listen to at least one of his sermons nearly every week.  In fact, I’m always looking for new places to find resources and new preachers to listen to.

What preachers or ministries help you most often?

Leave a comment and let us all know who’s online resources help you.  If possible, give a link to their website or online sermon archives.  Thanks!

Thoughts from Doug Wilson on magic.  Found the video here.

This can be a pretty divisive issue.  Some are opposed to any sort of ‘magic’ in literature or film.  Others aren’t offended by anything.

What are your thoughts on magic?

Last night I preached on the stand of faith taken by Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 13 & 14.  Perhaps you’re familiar with the story.

Directed by God’s leadership, Moses sends 12 spies into the Promised Land on a reconnaissance mission—to check out the land and the people.

The spies do that and return.  Their report is that the land is good but that the people there and their cities are too strong to be successfully conquered.  All of them felt this way except for two: Joshua and Caleb (more about them in a moment).

This report upsets the people of Israel greatly, so much so that instead of advancing forward into the land God had promised them they would rather go back into Egypt and be slaves.

At the heart of my sermon was a comparison between the “evil report” of the spies and and the stand of faith taken by Joshua and Caleb.

5 Observations Concerning Those Who Fell Prey to the ‘Evil Report’:

• They took their eyes off of the purposes and power of God and placed them on the problems they saw in front of them.
• They placed their faith in themselves instead of in the Lord.
• They grew content in a ‘backslidden’ state.
• They were afraid to take risks for the kingdom of God.
• The murmured and complained themselves into misery.

5 Observations Concerning the Faith of Joshua and Caleb:

• They experienced great grief over sin among God’s people (Num. 14:6)
• They knew that what God promises is both good and desirable (Num. 14:7)
• They trusted God more than anyone or anything else (Num. 14:8)
• They submitted to God’s leadership and were not afraid to advance into enemy territory (Num. 14:9)
• They did all of these things even though it wasn’t the popular thing to do (Num. 14:10)

Sermon Audio:

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• (Download link on this page)

I recently had some questions posed to me by a couple church members about baptism and church membership.  I’d already been feeling somewhat compelled to do a few topical studies on both subjects.  Their questions sealed the deal for me and Sunday night we did a topical sermon called, “On Biblical Baptism.”

Among other things I did in preparation for this sermon (like looking at this, this, this, this, and of course, this), I consulted a number of free online resources on the subject of baptism from the likes John MacArthur, John Piper, and Alistair Begg.

The most helpful was a sermon by Alistair Begg entitled, “Biblical Basis for Baptism.” You may click through to Begg’s site to download the sermon.  Or you can listen to it here:

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Begg explains helpfully that the reality of salvation is displayed in baptism, not dispensed—a very helpful and catchy distinction.  He covers the history, meaning, and practice of baptism.

I need your help:

I’m currently preparing for a sermon(s) on church membership.  I’m in the process of looking for helpful resources but I’m not having much success.

What resources (books, sermons, articles, etc.) have you found helpful on the subject of church membership?  Thanks in advance to any who respond.

Pastor Gumball, by Naked Pastor

This artwork from Naked Pastor is disturbing.  (Don’t be worried by his name, though.  I can assure you everything in this post is fully clothed.)

It’s disturbing because its true.  How many pulpits in churches around the globe are more like contemporary Christian candy stores than platforms from which the great and deep truths of God’s Word are passionately and consistently expounded?  I’m afraid the answer is a simple but scary, “Too many.”

Preachers, let’s make sure that we don’t, as Naked Pastor put it, “Trivialize the truth for the sake of popularity.”

What truths do you think are trivialized and turned into “gumballs” most often?

Ananias restoring the sight of Saint Paul, by Pietro da Cortona

(Note: this is a follow-up post to “Learning from the Apostle Paul: Sharing Your Testimony”)

I’m continuing to preach my way verse-by-verse through Paul’s 1st Letter to Timothy with my church.  Lord willing, we should wrap up the first chapter this Lord’s Day.

A couple of weeks ago I preached a sermon on “Paul’s Personal Testimony” out of I Tim. 1:12-17.  I’ve already posted some thoughts from that sermon.  This post seeks to draw seven practical conclusions from Paul’s salvation story.

Our testimonies should make Jesus look good.

• Notice how in I Tim. 1:12 it’s all about Jesus—Paul says he’s thankful to Christ, strengthened by Christ, counted faithful by Christ, and placed in ministry by Christ.  There’s a whole lot of Christ there…and that’s definitely to be a lesson for us.

Our testimonies should stir our hearts with affection and praise toward God.

• After Paul has finished sharing the details of his testimony its as if he just can’t help it but to burst forth into praise.  See in I Tim. 1:17 how he all of a sudden jumps into a word or adoration to his God.

God’s grace is enough.

• It didn’t matter that Paul was said to be the “foremost” of all sinners (I Tim. 1:15), when God’s grace “overflowed” in his life it was more than enough to to save and transform him forever (I Tim. 1:14).

The message of Christ is not simply about getting better, it’s about getting saved.

• I love how in these verses Paul gives a sort of Jesus-statement-manifesto (I Tim. 1:15).  He says unapologetically that the reason Jesus came into the world was to save sinners.  It wasn’t merely to help us become better people.  It wasn’t to help us figure out who we are.  Those things are good and do come with it, but the reason Jesus came was to save us.

It is possible to be very religious and yet not be saved at all.

• We know from another passage of Scripture (Phil. 3:4-6) that the ‘pre-Christian’ Paul was a super-religious guy.  And yet here we learn that he was the worst sinner of them all.  It just goes to show you that being a good person and playing by all the religious rules won’t get you anywhere with God.  He’s got to save you.  Apart from that we’re without hope.

No one is good enough to be saved.

• This is very similar to the point above.  Simply put: no one can earn there way into a right relationship with God.  I don’t care what good deeds you do or how long you’ve been doing them, God’s Word says that even if we only break one of God’s rules, its as if we’re guilty of them all (James 2:10)

No one is bad enough that they can’t be saved.

• Paul was the worst—he said so himself (I Tim. 1:15).  And yet God saved him.  That gives hope to even those who think themselves the most lost of all causes.  God can save you.

What else can we learn from Paul’s testimony?  I know there’s more.  Help me out.