Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Contend for the Faith

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 1:3

Beloved,

My grandparents were first generation Americans. My heritage comes from Norway. Although my grandparents were Americans, they held onto to their Norwegian heritage. I can still remember walking in my grandmother’s kitchen seeing her standing over the stove making Norwegian pancakes. As my grandparents pass on their Norwegian heritage to their family, it is our responsibility to pass on and contend for our Christian heritage that was “once for all delivered to the saints.”

Jude writes to the church about our common salvation. We share a common salvation with every believer that has come before us and with every believer that will come after us. This common salvation is what the church has always believed and has always taught. In recent years, certain denominations have strayed away from our Christian heritage. They have chosen not to contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints, but rather to drift from our heritage taught in God’s Word. The church is under attack, but the church has always been under attack.

Our historical documents, like the Apostles Creed (390 AD), were written to protect and preserve our Christian heritage from false teachers. Great men and women of faith stood against the tide of change and contended for the true faith. We must not drift from our heritage, but rather fight for the faith.

We need to look at the great saints that came before us and heed their example. This is the advice given to us in Hebrews 12:1-2,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

We look back to the saints behind us and we look ahead to our Savior before us. We have a faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus is the founder and the perfecter of our faith. If we drift from the historical Christian faith, we will drift away from our Savior, Jesus Christ.

One way we contend for the faith is to teach what the Church has always believed about God’s Word. Our world wants the church to change and drift from our heritage, but God wants us to contend for what He has already given us. Let us hold fast to our common salvation and contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Union with Christ

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Beloved,

At the end of a marriage ceremony right before the pronouncement of the marriage, the minister usually quotes Mark 10:9, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (KJV). God joins a husband with a wife and the two become one flesh. They are united. In this union, marriage provides a small picture into our salvation with Christ.

As sinners we do not just have faith, but we have faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, unites with Christ. We are no longer two but one. Therefore, every benefit of salvation is ours in Christ. We are in Christ and Christ is in us. We are like Christ and we are with Christ. Our old self was crucified with Christ on the cross setting us free from sin therefore we, “must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Every benefit that we now have in our salvation is intimately connected to our union with Jesus Christ. Wayne Grudem writes,

From God’s counsels in eternity past before the world was created, to our fellowship with God in heaven in eternity future, and including every aspect of our relationship with God in this life—all has occurred in union with Christ.[1]

Take a moment to stop and think that we are united with Christ. His death is our death. His resurrection is our resurrection. His righteousness is our righteousness. His eternal life is our eternal life. His inheritance is our inheritance.

God does not merely save us from our sins, but unites us with His Son for all eternity. Pay attention to how often the New Testament says “in Christ,” “in Him,” “with Christ,” and “with Him.” Open your eyes to the joy and beauty of being united with Christ. We no longer live, but Christ lives in us. The life we now live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God.

As God has joined us together with Christ, let no man put asunder. Do not allow the flaming arrows of the evil one to limit your salvation for you are united with Christ. You are no longer two, but one. Beloved, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3). Salvation is to be one with Christ. Praise God, Jesus love us and gave Himself for us so that we could be one with Him!!!



[1] Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine.  Zondervan. Grand Rapids, MI. p.840
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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Why Apologetics?


Guest Blog - Devin Pellew


Susie was brought up in a Christian home. Her father was a pastor and instilled in her the need to read the Bible and memorize Scripture. As a child Susie excelled in her Sunday School class and won many awards. As Susie got older, she began learning things in her high school science classes that caused her great distress. If the Bible is the Word of God, where does science fit in? She was being taught that the universe came into existence through natural processes alone and that the origin of life was really just a freak accident. What about "cave men" and the transitional forms in the fossil record? Are we really just a product of chance and natural processes? These issues weighed heavily on Susie yet she did not want to tell her Dad that she was having some serious doubts as science seemed incompatible with what she had been taught in her Sunday School classes growing up.


Things got worse when she entered her first semester of college. Her second class of the week was Intro to Philosophy. She was shaken to the core when the professor boldly proclaimed that "God was dead". Throughout the semester the professor not only attacked the existence of God but also taught that the Bible could not be the Word of God because it was "filled with contradictions". Susie, shaken to her core, came home at Christmas break and told her parents that she had abandoned her faith because science and philosophy had demonstrated that God did not exist and that the Bible was not His Word. Her dad was heartbroken but was not able to counter the arguments Susie had learned in school. He thought to himself "where did I go wrong?" Susie was brought up in the church, memorized scripture and went to VBS every year. How could this happen?


Sadly this scenario plays out in many homes every year. It is estimated that three out of four teens, who grew up in a Christian home, walk away from the faith they were brought up in. [1] So how do we respond? Sadly, many churches do not know how to "stop the bleeding".


Throughout the history of the church, there have always been vicious attacks on the existence of God and the Bible. Scripture commands believers to give a defense for these attacks. 1 Peter3:15 reads: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”. The Greek word for “defense” in this verse is apologia, which is where we get the term Apologetics. Apologetics is the branch of Christian theology that provides a defense of the faith drawing from philosophy, logic, science and history. Many today in the church believe that faith and reason are opposed and incompatible. Many have never heard of thinkers like Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Anselm and others who dedicated their lives to answering the attacks on the Christian faith.


Why Apologetics?


Christians need to learn apologetics for these three reasons:

1) We are commanded by God to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter3:15).

Not every Christian is called to go to seminary and to dedicate their lives to defending the faith. However, all Christians need to know what they believe and why they believe it. Throughout church history there have been many who have tried to infiltrate the church in order to lead others astray through false teachings. Paul addressed this in his admonition to the Ephesian Elders:


Acts 20:28-31 ESV
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears."


In order to identify and discern a false view of God or a corrupt gospel, we must first know what the correct teaching is. This comes through reading the Bible, prayer and studying theology. Everyone is a theologian on some level. The question is whether we will be good ones or bad ones. Scripture tells us to "study to show ourselves approved" (2 Timothy 2:15) and to be able to give an answer for the faith we believe (1 Peter 3:15). Learning apologetics for the Christian is a command- not an option.

2) We are commanded to evangelize (Matthew 28:19).

We live in a culture that is increasingly skeptical. Forty years ago there was a tremendous degree of respect for the Bible in this country. However we now live in a culture where mocking the Bible is not only acceptable but is encouraged. The rise of Scientism, the view that only that which can be proved scientifically is true, makes dialoging about the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible particularly challenging. When engaging in evangelism, Christians are challenged to give reasons why one should believe that God exists and that the Bible is an authoritative book. Up until the 1800’s, Christians have been well versed in philosophical and historical arguments for the existence of God, the Resurrection of Christ and the authority of the Bible. However, today most unbelievers (and many Christians) have never heard the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible defended with logical arguments. In our culture it is impossible to do evangelism without engaging in apologetics. We all have different gifts and talents within the Body of Christ so everyone will not be experts, but we should strive to study up on some of the basic objections commonly given to help us and to give us confidence as we share the Gospel with others.

3) The future of Christianity in America depends on it.

There is a battle going on in academia and in our society as a whole and biblical Christianity in America unfortunately is on the decline (as was noted above). One way to counter this decline and to intervene as our young people are abandoning the faith is to show them that there are real answers to the objections that they will hear in the classroom and in the media. Most of these objections have been answered centuries ago by men like Aquinas, Augustine and many others. We do not have to fear reason and logic. These tools are actually on our side!

If we want to be effective in our evangelism, protect our young people from the attacks on Christianity and be faithful to God’s command to defend and share the Gospel, then we must not neglect the ministry of apologetics. Below I have listed a few of the top, beginner level books that will equip any Christian to dialog with the average atheist or skeptic. We have truth and the power of the Holy Spirit on our side. Let’s not run away from the culture when our faith is under attack but rather let’s engage the culture and defend the Gospel. Let us contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).

I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek (Crossway, 2004)

On Guard by William Lane Craig (David C. Cook, 2010)

The Case For Christianity Answer Book by Lee Strobel (Zondervan, 2014)


You can follow Devin at http://www.h0lytrinity.blogspot.com/





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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

"I Do It Myself"

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Beloved,

My little girl, Olivia is two years old.  She has gotten to the age when she loves to try and complete task without any assistance.  She loves to say, “I do it myself.”  At least once a day, Olivia becomes extremely frustrated with some task because no matter how hard she tries, she cannot complete it by herself.

There is the two-year old spirit in all of us who say to the Lord in our hearts that “I do it myself.” We want to believe that our work and our effort bring us into a right relationship with God, but we will become frustrated for salvation cannot be completed by ourselves.

The Scriptures says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”  Grace is unmerited favor.  Grace is a gift. It cannot be earned or won, but it is freely given.  We must destroy the two-year old “I do it myself” spirit, by putting all our hope and trust in Jesus Christ.  God has saved us through faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf.  If we had a part to play in our salvation then we would be able to boast before God, but God called us when we were low and despised.  1 Corinthians 1:28-31,

God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’

We cannot boast in God’s presence because of our works, but we can boast in the Lord who became to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  Beloved, God has given us grace and made us righteous through Jesus Christ.  God has made us holy and bought us back from the grave through His shed blood on the cross.  Beloved, boast in what God has done for you through Jesus Christ.


Never try to earn your salvation.  Never bring your works before God as a reason to boast.  Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.  Be free from trying to earn your salvation. Trust in the grace of Christ. We are born with an “I do it myself,” attitude, but only when we are broken and see our desperation can we say, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”  It is only then that we walk away justified.  We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  

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Sunday, July 13, 2014

Shrewd Stewardship Luke 16:1-13


 On June 4th, 2014   members of the radical Islamist group, Boko Haram, posed as Christian ministers inviting the villagers to come and listen to them preach before opening fire on the crowd killing 45 people.  This followed an attack two days earlier when members of the same group dressed up as soldiers and attacked three villages slaughtering around 200 civilians.  The Boko Haram has announced their goal to wipeout the Christian faith from Nigeria. It is dangerous to be a Christian in Nigeria[1].  We need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria. And although it is dangerous to be a Christian in Nigeria, America is still one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian.  Listen to Josef Tson, one who endured extreme persecution in Romania as a preacher of the gospel, he said, “Ninety percent of Christians pass the test of adversity, while ninety percent of Christians fail the test of prosperity.”


America is not one of the most dangerous places physically, but one of the most dangerous places spiritually. If our lives are taken for being Christians, we are safe in the presence of God.  Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Death is gain for the Christian.  We should pray for our brothers and sisters in the world who are facing the threat of death for the faith.  And although their lives may be in physical danger, our souls are in spiritual danger. Spiritual danger will always be greater than physical danger, because the consequences last longer.  Eternity awaits us. Our souls are in spiritual danger, because of our wealth. 
America is one of the wealthiest nations in the history of the world. Our wealth and our country’s love of wealth poses a serious danger to our souls.  Matthew 19:23-24,

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

And 1 Timothy 6:9-10,

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

We are under constant attack to love money.  How does our country train us to love money?

Advertising – Marketing appeals to your desires to crave more material comforts. Whether it be a new speaker system, 3D Flat-screen TV, new furniture, or new lawn care equipment, they are appealing to your desires to get more.  Advertisers want you to spend your money and if you spend your money, you can easily crave more money so you can buy more stuff.

Social Media – Social media may be a place where you are tempted to covet or desire the kind of things or the kind of lifestyle that your friends have and lead you to focus more on this world than the world to come.

Education – The mantra in modern day education is to work hard in school so you can go to a good college and get a good job and make good money to provide a “good” life for your family.

Celebrities – The news that the media really cares about is the rich and famous.  And in constantly portraying the details of their life, the media is subtly implying that their lives are the pinnacle of success. Celebrities do not just abound in the media, but they are also a danger in Christian circles. 

There are other ways we are encouraged to pursue riches, but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. Do you see the grave danger we face in America?

Our country’s love of riches is a danger for our souls.  Hebrews 3:12, “Take care, brother, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God.” This morning, I want to exhort you to have a proper prospective of wealth and to use your wealth for the glory of God.  Jesus encourages us to practice shrewd stewardship.  Let us look at two examples of shrewd stewardship. The first,

Shrewd Stewardship for Earthly Wealth

Luke 16:1, “He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions.” The audience changes from addressing the Pharisees and the scribes in the previous chapter to the disciples. In, the previous story we see how the lost son was “wasting his possessions,” and now we see how the manager is charged with wasting his master’s possessions. And the response of the rich man is he believes the charges against his manager.  Verse 2,

And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manger.

The manager is called to the carpet and given his notice.  This poses a problem for the steward.  At this point in the story there is no sign of immorality or dishonesty in the manager, but simply a wasting of the possessions.  It could have been the result of dishonesty or it could have been because of incompetency or neglect.  The text does not give us a reason here, but makes the manager start thinking about his future.

      In verse 3, we get a window inside the manager’s head,

And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

The manager does not want to return to physical labor or to plead with others for help so he devises a plan for his future.  Verses 4-8a,

‘I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘a hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”

There are many interpretative questions that this passages raises. In what ways was the manager dishonest? Does the master praise his dishonesty? What was taken off the bill to the debtors?  We could camp on these questions for weeks, but let me address each one briefly. First, what was taken off the bill? Some scholars believe the manager “removed his own commission, sacrificing his own money, not that of his master.” [2]Others believe the manager removed the exorbitant interest rates to bring the debt in line with the Law specified in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (Lev. 25:35–37; Deut. 15:7–8; 23:19–20). Others feel he simply cut the debt, costing the rich man money, but gaining him favor with the debtors. 

It is all speculation because the text does not make it clear. Although the text does not make clear what was taken off the debt, we do know the motivation of why it was lowered.  The debt was taken off so that the manager would gain favor with the debtors so he would be received into the debtors’ houses because he did not want to beg or dig. The motivation was selfish and sinful. Regardless of what was removed, we know that the manager acted immorally.  He was dishonest in his dealings, but was he commended for his dishonesty?  He did acting dishonestly, but was commended for his shrewdness.  The text is clear in verse 8, “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” To be shrewd is to have or to show the ability to understand things and to make good judgments; mentally sharp or clever. The manager acted shrewdly in preparing for his future.  Jesus summarizes the parable, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”  The point is that this man demonstrated shrewd stewardship for earthly wealth.  He dealt wisely as a son of this world in preparing for his future after being dismissed as the manager.  He is not praised for his dishonesty, but praised in taking action to prepare for his future. 

Jesus says that the sons of this world act more shrewdly in preparing for their future than the sons of light. The sons of light are referring to believers while the sons of this world are referring to non-believers. This passage is not, “If people of this world are preparing for their earthly wealth, then God’s people should be preparing for their eternal wealth.”  The second example of shrewd stewardship,

Shrewd Stewardship for Eternal Wealth


This point of this passage is not to encourage you to be wise in preparing for your earthly future, but to be wise in preparing for your eternal future.  Jesus says, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”  He is rebuking his disciples in not preparing for the future.  If the sons of this world prepare for their future, then even more so, the sons of light should prepare for their future.  Believers are called sons of light or children of day to imply that our eyes are open to the reality of our future.  We do not live for this present world, but for the world to come. 1 Corinthians 15:32, “If the dead are not raised, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”  What Paul is saying is that if there is no resurrection, then we should live for today and enjoy ourselves for there is no pleasure later, but we are no longer the sons of this world living, but we have seen the light and now live for the resurrection. The manager lived for his pleasure so that he could avoid digging and begging. He was preparing for earthly pleasure, but he did not understand eternal pleasure. 

God does not want your heart focused on this world, but on the life to come. We know there is a resurrection, but we too often we spend our money as if there is no eternal life. Matthew 6:19-21,

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God wants us to treasure Him. And isn’t he worth being our supreme treasure?

He is so glorious, holy and righteous. He is all that is good.  He is perfect in his character. He is worth all glory and honor and praise.  He created the world as a reflection of his good and benevolent character.  God created man in His own image to glorify Him. Sadly, man rebelled against His goodness and spurned Him as One who was worthy of being our supreme treasure. Our sin separated us from God. And God would have been just and good if He ended the world as soon as sin entered it. We were under condemnation deserving eternal hell for our sin, but instead of crushing us, God crushed his Son for us on cross.  God demonstrated his hatred towards sin by unleashing his wrath on His own Son. Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Jesus was forsaken so that we could be accepted.  He died in our place. He took our sin and gave us his righteousness.  He has given us hope for the future in his resurrection from the dead.  He promises eternal life to whoever would turn from their sin and trust in Him.  Through faith, He rescues us from Hell and gives us the Hope of heaven.  Deuteronomy 7:6,

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

God has made us his treasured possession by sending His own Son to die and be raised in our place, is He not worth being our supreme treasure?


God wants to be our supreme treasure, but He also wants us to treasure what he treasures.  I find it interesting how Luke through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit arranged this material. The end of chapter 14:33 Jesus says, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”  Jesus is referring to our possessions and our treasure. Then in chapter 15 Jesus addressed the Pharisees showing God’s heart for the lost with three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.  The scene changes and Jesus is speaking to his disciples about a manager who is squandering the rich man’s wealth. 

            The American church has been mismanaging God’s possessions. He has given us so much so that we could reach the lost, but we have spent it on our comforts rather than on the cause of Christ.  We do not really understand what sacrifice is in our country.  We have to go outside our country to get a proper perspective.  John Piper shares a story from Stanford Kelly of a Haitian man named Edmund,

The church was having a Thanksgiving festival and each Christian was invited to bring a love offering. One envelope from a Haitian man named Edmund held $13 cash. That amount was three months’ income for a workingman there. Kelly was as surprised as those counting a Sunday offering in the United Sates might be to get a $6,000 cash gift. He looked around for Edmund, but couldn’t see him.  Later Kelly met him in the village and questioned him. He pressed him for an explanation (for missing the festival) and found that Edmund had sold his horse in order to give the $13 gift to God for the sake of Gospel. But why hadn’t he come to the festival? He hesitated and didn’t want to answer. Finally Edmund said, “I had no shirt to wear.”[3]

Edmund sold his horse and gave it all for the sake of Jesus Christ.  He didn’t attend the banquet because he didn’t have a shirt.  Beloved, Edmund gave his $13 for Christ, but he did not lose $13. He sent it ahead of him to heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. Edmund lived like he believed in the resurrection. Do we?

            We are squandering God’s wealth if we are using it only for earthly comforts.  I have been looking at my life this week and around my home and I have been blessed with so much and I have been asking myself, “Am I spending my money for eternal or earthly pleasure?”  And I am not referring simply to my tithe.  A tithe is the minimum we should give to God. If you don’t tithe and/or are not working to tithe, you need to repent and get right with God.  What I am talking about is whether I am demonstrating a shrewd stewardship with my wealth.  God does not own my 10%, but my 100%.  Jesus says unless you renounce all that you have, you cannot be His disciple.  All my money belongs to him. 

Therefore be:

Generous


Verse 9,

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

The beginning of the verse says, “And I tell you,” showing the importance of what comes next. This verse can be a little confusing.  Who are the friends we are called to make? What is unrighteous wealth? Unrighteous wealth is not wealth made dishonestly, but the wealth of this world which so often produces worldly responses keeping one’s eyes off of God.[4] The friends that Jesus mentions is most likely referring to God because He is the only one who can receive us into eternal dwellings.  Jesus wants us to shift the use of our money. He wants us to be generous managers of the resources He has given us. Proverbs 11:28, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” Worldly wealth will fail. It will not last. As children of light we should know this and practice shrewd stewardship. We should invest our money for eternity and we do that by giving it for the cause of the gospel.

Faithful

Verse 10-12,

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is so also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”

The question is not how much money we have but how we handle the money we do have. We are trained by the world to focus more on how much money we have, whether it is a little or a lot, but God wants us to focus on how we handle what we have.  What we do with little is what we will do with much. Are you faithful with what God has given you?  If you are not faithful with little, how can God entrust you with true riches?

This principle transcends money.  It is about stewardship.  How are you stewarding the things God has given you? How are you stewarding your money? Your time? Your family? Your body? Your gifts? Your mind? Beloved, this life is only preparation for the life to come. If we are faithful on earth, we will be given true riches by God for all eternity.  He has promised us an inheritance, but if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

 A Wise Servant


Verse 13,

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Money is a barometer of spiritual health.  The reason America is so dangerous because our culture encourages you to live for today rather than for eternity; for yourself rather than for God. Who is master?  Who are you serving?  Not who you should be serving, but who you are actually serving. What does your spending say?  Is your money serving God or are you serving your money?

Remember what Romanian Josef Tson has said, “Ninety percent of Christians pass the test of adversity, while ninety percent of Christians fail the test of prosperity.” Many Christians are failing the test of prosperity.  We need to take an honest look at our budgets and our spending both as individuals and as a church so that we can be sure we are not wasting our master’s wealth.  Do not fail the test of prosperity; practice shrewd stewardship, use your wealth to prepare for eternity.




[2] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1330). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
[4] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1334). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Marks of Effective Evangelism - The Church

Marks of the Effective Evangelism

The Church

The best kept secret of evangelism is the local church.  The local church is God’s plan to reach the world.  We gather as God’s building, His temple, His people, His family, and His flock. As we gather to sing, to pray, to hear God’s Word, the world gets a glimpse of God’s glory.  Effective evangelism happens best within a local church.  It happens best first and foremost, because that was God’s design. God is smarter than all of us and His plans never fail.  We should trust Him when He said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against them” (Matthew 16:18).

Evangelism is a community project. We encourage each other, we push each other and we pray for each other. The church will always be more effective at reaching the nations than any individual Christian can ever be. Sometimes effective evangelism comes down to the most basic Christian commands, John 13:34-35,

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.


If we love God and love our brothers and sisters in Christ, the world will know that we belong to God.  And if the world sees a glimpse of God’s glory, they will want to taste and see that the Lord is good.   

If you have the time watch this great sermon given at the Together for the Gospel conference in 2010 by Mark Dever, "The Gospel Made Visible"

The Church Made Visible



Friday, July 11, 2014

Excerpt from: The Lord Calls Sinners by David Benson Kiehn

Excerpt:

A True Disciple Recognizes the Divinity of Jesus

Verse 6:
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

This is incredible.  Only a few hours earlier, zero fish had been caught.  They labored all night and caught nothing, and now they had so many fish that the nets were beginning to break and the boats were beginning to sink.  This was a miracle!!!  We do not know if this was a miracle of knowledge, meaning that Jesus knew where the fish were going to be, or a miracle of power, in that the fish were drawn to the nets, but what we do know was this was a miracle by Jesus.  This miracle made an incredible impression on the fishermen.  They knew that this was something special. Verse 9:

For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partner.

Peter, James, and John recognized that Jesus was the Lord. Peter responded by falling at Jesus’ knees, an act of worship, and called Him Lord. Before one can become a true disciple of Jesus, one must first recognize His divinity.  This was God in the flesh.  Peter had heard Jesus’ teaching and seen his miracles. Peter came face to face with the one true and living God.  The most important person for a true disciple is Jesus Christ.  All true disciples love and worship Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and the one true, living God.  
Our culture does not like Jesus and His disciples because of His exclusive claims on being God.  Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  All other religions, according to Jesus, are wrong.  There is only one way to God the Father and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ.  If you do not believe in the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ then you cannot be a true disciple. We should take Jesus Christ at His Word. Believe in the most inclusive exclusive claims of the gospel. All are welcome, but all must come through Jesus.

A True Disciple Recognizes their Sin before Jesus

Verse 8,
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!”(emphasis added)

The closer one gets to Jesus Christ, the more one recognizes their own sin. When sinners enter into the holy presence of the Lord, their own sin is magnified.  We see this same reaction from Isaiah in the 6th chapter of his prophecy:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (emphasis added)

In the holy presence of God, a sinner cannot escape their own sinfulness.  A true disciple does not attempt to hide their sin or justify their sin.  A true disciple is undone and grieved with their own sinfulness. Peter and Isaiah both recognize that they could not stand in the presence of the God.  They realize that because of their sin, they should be cast out of the presence of the Lord. 

            Every true disciple must recognize their own sin and the consequences of that sin.  Our sin against God condemns us to Hell.  We rightly deserve to be cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. If we don’t understand what our sinfulness deserves, we will never fully follow Jesus.  People do not want to hear about their sin.  They want to hear positive message of hope, but the hope that we have in the gospel is the only real message of hope.  The Bible exposes that we are far more sinful than we could ever imagine, but we are also far more loved than we could ever dare dream.  Our sin is great, but God’s grace is greater.

Grace, Grace, God’s grace/ Grace that will pardon and cleanse within /Grace, Grace, God’s grace/ Grace that is greater than all our sin.[1]


We should never be afraid to admit the wickedness in our own heart.  We don’t want to believe it’s there, but, make no mistake, it is most definitely there. When we do not acknowledge our sin, we hinder our ability to love Jesus.  Jesus tells this parable:

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly… He, who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:41-43;47 ESV)

We love Jesus more when we realize how much we have been forgiven.  So, when we admit the depths of our sin, we are able to more clearly see how much we have been forgiven. Then we can sing:

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

            How are we forgiven? We are forgiven through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Our sin brings judgment. For the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).  We all deserve death because of our sin. And God being fair and just must punish us for our sin,  but God, who is rich in mercy, sent Jesus to be punished for us. He died in our place, and after His death, God raised Him from the dead, conquering the grave for anyone who would put their trust in Him.  Jesus took our death that we deserve, and He accredited His righteousness to us by faith.  We are forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus, all of our sin, past, present, and future. All of our shameful, wicked, perverse sins are forgiven by faith in the Son of God.   A true disciple recognizes his sin before Jesus.

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[1] Grace Greater than Our Sin. Julia H. Johnston, in Hymns Tried and True (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: The Bi­ble In­sti­tute Col­port­age As­so­ci­a­tion, 1911), num­ber 2.

Mark of Effective Evangelism - Time

5th Mark of Effective Evangelism (Mark 1 Mark 2 Mark 3 Mark 4)

Time



One of the most important principles of effective evangelism is time.  It has been said, “If Satan cannot make you bad, he will make you busy.” Busyness is a huge problem in culture. There are many problems with busyness, but let me name two that I think are very important in regards to evangelism.  First, we are too busy with the wrong things.  God wants us to glorify him with our time.  Colossians 4:5-6,

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (emphasis added).
And Ephesians 5:15-16,

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (emphasis added).

We have to make the best use of our time.  We only have such little time in this life so we cannot waste it with being busy with things that distract us from God and His mission. 

Technology has not made us less busy, but has created more busyness with the wrong things.  Too many people are slaves to Facebook, Twitter, Video Games, Pintrest, TV, etc. that they are wasting their best time for things that do not matter.  I am guilty of wasting time on things that do not matter. God wants us to make the best use of our time. The Bible does not say you can’t, but it implies that you shouldn’t.  Simple question, are you making the best use of your time?  If not, change. 

The second problem with busyness is that people think that we should not be busy.  Jesus was busy, Paul was busy, Peter was busy, but they were busy with the right things.  We all have different capacities for our labors.  Our capacities change during different seasons of our life.  A stay-at-home- mom with three little kids has a different capacity that an-empty nester.  A bachelor in their twenties has a different capacity than the seventy year old widow. That being said, we are called to use our gifts for the service of others.  What did Jesus say about the one who did not use their talent,

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Matthew 25:24-30).

God does not expect us to work all the time, but he expects us to work most of the time. There is only one Sabbath day during the week.  The question is not how much you are doing, but are you making the best use of your talents with the time you have?

So we must re-prioritize our time and we must spend our time.  Again notice Colossians 4:5-6,

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (emphasis added).

Evangelism is more about speaking to each person. If we are too busy with the wrong things or not busy enough, then we will never get to know anyone. No one can answer an objection to the faith unless they know the objection that a person has to the faith. The most effective evangelism is bringing the whole gospel to the whole person.  People do not like packaged presentations, but answers to their questions.  Most people have never really engaged with their faith, because they have never been confronted in a gracious, thoughtful way. 

It is impossible to know people’s questions and answer them without knowing them.  And if you do not make the best use of your time, you will never know them.  And if you do not plan, you will never have the time. And if you do not have compassion, you will never plan. And if you do not read the Word and pray, you will never have compassion. 


Everything starts with God.  If we spend time with God, the rest will fall into place. We must prioritize Jesus and His mission more than anything else.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Marks of Effective Evangelism - Plan

We continue our series of marks of effective evangelism.
(Find the first there marks (First Mark, Second Mark,  and the Third Mark)

Plan

If you do not plan, you plan to fail.  We must have a strategy and a plan to reach those who are lost. Jesus and Paul both began their ministry in the synagogue as was their custom (Luke 4:16, Acts 17:2).  They both started trying to convince the Jews from the Scriptures before moving to the Gentiles.  Jesus encouraged the disciples to look for a person of peace in a different town or village as a starting point of the gospel (Luke 10).  Paul reminds his followers that Christians are the aroma of Christ who are being saved and who are perishing.  As people are open to the aroma of life, we should continue to minister to them. 
Jesus used the ministry of hospitality to engage with the lost.  Jesus is known for receiving sinners and eating with them (Luke 5, Luke 15, Luke 19).  Elders are called to be hospitable. Although not exclusively referencing bringing people into one’s home, but certainly including it in the lifestyle of a pastor.  Peter charges the church to practice hospitality without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9).  The early church was known for using the home as a means for fellowship and evangelism.  Acts 2:42-47,

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (emphasis added).

The early church was bringing people into their homes and eating with one another and the Lord added people day by day to those who were being saved.  The home was the center of evangelism in the early church.

We have to start thinking and planning as missionaries.  Missionaries live in hostile environments and are strategic in their work for the gospel.  We use the ministry of the home to bring people to Christ.  In our anti-institutional, anti-authoritative society the home is going to be vital to reach people in this generation.  We must plan to use our homes as a ministry for the gospel.  Jesus said that unless you renounce all that you have you cannot be my disciple.  Renounce that your home is your home.  Your home no longer belongs to you primarily, but belongs to God.  Use your home to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples.  Break bread with the lost introducing them to Jesus and break bread with fellow believers reminding one another of the great and precious promises of God’s Word.


What if during our Wednesday or Sunday night service people were freed up to practice biblical hospitality?  What if we sent laborers into the harvest field of Rock Hill as missionaries once a week?  What if we developed a plan to send some out and to hold the rope through prayer and giving?  If we do not plan, we plan to fail.  God wants us to think strategically, as Jesus and Paul did, to reach our crooked and depraved generation with the power of the gospel.