I'm guessing that one of the most disappointing sentences for Paul to write was 2 Timothy 4:10. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul writes this: "Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica." Demas had been a fellow worker of Paul's (Col. 4:2; Philemon 24), but the final word spoken of him in Scripture is "Deserter." John's counsel could have been very timely to Demas: "Do not love the world or the things in the world . . . For all that is in the world . . . is not from the Father . . . and is passing away" (1 John 2:15-17). I have often wondered what it was about the world that was so alluring to Demas. What caught his eye? What appeared more beautiful than the Gospel? What was more attractive than a sinless savior taking on the sins of His people? Regardless, whatever it was he took none of it with him when he died. John Owen aptly exhorted: Do not have living affections for dying objects. Like the Rich Young Ruler, Demas and those like him gain "stuff" but also sorrow. Jesus tried to warn us "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?"
When any of us follow the world it's bad, but when one who is serving in ministry chooses the way of the world, then it's really bad. It's devastating for the minister, for his family, for the congregation, for those who hear of the matter, and for the Kingdom. Sure, redeeming factors will come (Rom. 8:28), but the consequences can be brutal. I'm burdened this week because of 3 ministers who have made poor choices and have caused a riptide of painful consequences in their wake. My immediate thought is "but for the grace of God there go I." But on a deeper level, I'm burdened. How did they get to the places they were in their walks with Christ? How did hope become replaced with hopelessness? Did they not feel they could tell anyone about what was really going on? How did sin become more alluring than obedience? (I know this answer. I battle it every day in various forms). Fundamentally what has happened with them is true of all us. At some point, eyes were taken off of Christ and placed squarely on sin. When we aim at sin there is a strong chance we will hit it, but when we set our eyes on Christ then we will not aim at sin. When we are satisfied in Christ, nothing the world offers is as alluring as it seemed before. As Paul says, when I saw Christ, then I realized all the rest of the stuff was dung.
Ministers are not immune from the need for accountability, transparency, and to be reminded repeatedly of the Gospel themselves. Please pray for your pastor and his family. Pray for his eyes to be completely set on Christ. Pray that in the Gospel he finds freedom, peace, hope, contentment, strength and relief from the feeling of having to be perfect. Pray for these brothers who have made poor choices, their families, their congregations, their healing. Pray for the grace that they faithfully have proclaimed to wash afresh in their own journey and in mine.
Pray for all of us to walk like Paul and forsake the world rather than walk like Demas and embrace it. Gal. 5:16, 24 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. . . . And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Gal. 6:14 "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Gospel Centered Pastor
Col. 1:24-29
A Gospel Centered Pastor is:
• God’s man called to God’s ministry to proclaim God’s message for the maturity of God’s people through God’s means.
GOD’S MAN (1:21-23)
i. Paul (I became a minister) - Acts 26:9-11; 1 Tim. 1: 13-15
CALLED TO GOD’S MINISTRY
i. A Call (Acts 26:12-18; 1 Tim. 1:12)
ii. A Call to Stewardship (1 Pet. 5:2; Heb. 13:17; 1 Cor. 9:16-17)
iii. A Call to Service (2 Cor. 4:5)
iv. A Call to Suffering (Phil. 2:30; Acts 14:19-23; 2 Cor. 11:24-28; Gal. 6:17)
v. A Call to Struggling (Gal. 4:19)
TO PROCLAIM GOD’S MESSAGE
i. Proclaim Christ (2 Cor. 4:5; 1 Cor. 18-31; Lk. 24:27)
ii. Warning Everyone (Acts 20:31)
iii. Teaching everyone (Col. 1:9, 2:7, 3:16)
iv. We make the word of God fully known so that the people of God might be fully mature.
FOR THE MATURITY OF GOD’S PEOPLE
i. This is our aim: (Eph. 4:11-13, 15; Rom. 15:14)
ii. Epaphras’ prayers – 4:12 (Is this our aim and prayer?)
THROUGH GOD’S MEANS
i. All God expects from us He provides for us in Christ Jesus
ii. God gets all the Glory: God reconciled Paul, God gave Paul the ministry, God gave Paul the message, God gave Paul the motivation, God gave Paul the means
A Gospel Centered Pastor is:
• God’s man called to God’s ministry to proclaim God’s message for the maturity of God’s people through God’s means.
GOD’S MAN (1:21-23)
i. Paul (I became a minister) - Acts 26:9-11; 1 Tim. 1: 13-15
CALLED TO GOD’S MINISTRY
i. A Call (Acts 26:12-18; 1 Tim. 1:12)
ii. A Call to Stewardship (1 Pet. 5:2; Heb. 13:17; 1 Cor. 9:16-17)
iii. A Call to Service (2 Cor. 4:5)
iv. A Call to Suffering (Phil. 2:30; Acts 14:19-23; 2 Cor. 11:24-28; Gal. 6:17)
v. A Call to Struggling (Gal. 4:19)
TO PROCLAIM GOD’S MESSAGE
i. Proclaim Christ (2 Cor. 4:5; 1 Cor. 18-31; Lk. 24:27)
ii. Warning Everyone (Acts 20:31)
iii. Teaching everyone (Col. 1:9, 2:7, 3:16)
iv. We make the word of God fully known so that the people of God might be fully mature.
FOR THE MATURITY OF GOD’S PEOPLE
i. This is our aim: (Eph. 4:11-13, 15; Rom. 15:14)
ii. Epaphras’ prayers – 4:12 (Is this our aim and prayer?)
THROUGH GOD’S MEANS
i. All God expects from us He provides for us in Christ Jesus
ii. God gets all the Glory: God reconciled Paul, God gave Paul the ministry, God gave Paul the message, God gave Paul the motivation, God gave Paul the means
Friday, October 14, 2011
A Gospel Saturated Church
My prayer for Trace Crossing is that we will be a Gospel Saturated Church. On my first Sunday as lead pastor at Trace Crossing, I shared the following outline from Colossians 1:21-23:
As a Gospel-saturated church . . .
I. We want to be a church that always remembers what we were like without Christ (1:21)
a. Without Christ we were alienated.
b. Without Christ we were hostile in mind.
c. Without Christ we were doing evil deeds.
II. We want to be a church that always remembers who we are in Christ (1:22)
a. With Christ we are holy
b. With Christ we are blameless
c. With Christ we are beyond reproach
III. We want to be a church that always remembers what our reconciliation cost Christ (1:20, 22)
a. Reconciliation
b. Via Propitiation
c. For the Purpose of Glorification
IV. We want to be a church that always perseveres in and proclaims Christ (1:23)
a. Persevering in the Gospel
b. Proclaiming the Gospel
If we are going to be a Gospel-saturated church then we must think often on the cross. If we are going to love God passionately and others rightly then we must meditate on the cross constantly.
As a Gospel-saturated church . . .
I. We want to be a church that always remembers what we were like without Christ (1:21)
a. Without Christ we were alienated.
b. Without Christ we were hostile in mind.
c. Without Christ we were doing evil deeds.
II. We want to be a church that always remembers who we are in Christ (1:22)
a. With Christ we are holy
b. With Christ we are blameless
c. With Christ we are beyond reproach
III. We want to be a church that always remembers what our reconciliation cost Christ (1:20, 22)
a. Reconciliation
b. Via Propitiation
c. For the Purpose of Glorification
IV. We want to be a church that always perseveres in and proclaims Christ (1:23)
a. Persevering in the Gospel
b. Proclaiming the Gospel
If we are going to be a Gospel-saturated church then we must think often on the cross. If we are going to love God passionately and others rightly then we must meditate on the cross constantly.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Trinity and the Atonement
Sinclair Ferguson: The atonement is not a form of inner-trinitarian blackmail. No: the Father loved us and did not spare his own Son for our salvation (Rom. 8:32); the Son loved us, and ‘did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped . . .’ (Phil. 2:6); the Spirit loved us (Rom. 15:30) and is not ashamed to indwell and sanctify us.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Psalm 56:3
As a child, I was involved in the Bible Drill program sponsored by First Baptist Church in Leesville. With regard to scripture memory and Bible familiarity no other program has had as profound of an impact on me as Bible Drill. I'm thankful my mother not only wanted me involved with the program but also took the time to help me memorize each year's verses. Looking back, it's not the competition part that was beneficial but the treasuring of the Word in my heart. Many of the verses I learned as a child are still with me today.
One verse the Spirit has used repeatedly in my journey is Psalm 56:3. It was easy to memorize because of the rhyme with "thee" and "three." The psalmist says: What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee (Psalm 56:3). I can still remember our leader emphasizing the rhyme and from that moment the Spirit sealed it in my heart. Countless times, the Spirit has used Ps. 56:3 to crush fear and move me to trust in God. Some examples include: when I was in junior high and had to visit my father every other weekend and every other Wednesday night. There were some nights where I was honestly scared to go to sleep because I did not know what my father might do to me or those I loved. The Spirit would use Ps. 56:3 to bring me peace and push me to rely on Christ. Other times the Spirit has used Ps. 56:3 in my life include: the day my father died, the day we learned that Arabella had a hole in her heart, and just about every time when I have check the "bump" in the middle of the night. Most importantly, the Spirit uses Ps. 56:3 to crush fears I have in stepping out in obedience to something Christ is calling me to or even to crush fears that I have in being a father. I'm learning that being a man does not mean that you are never afraid, but rather when you are afraid that you place your complete trust in the Lord and not yourself.
I'm thankful to have Scripture in my language. I'm thankful to have had a mother and others in my life that saw the value in children memorizing the Word. I'm thankful God has spoken and continues to speak through His Word.
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." (Psalm 56:3)
One verse the Spirit has used repeatedly in my journey is Psalm 56:3. It was easy to memorize because of the rhyme with "thee" and "three." The psalmist says: What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee (Psalm 56:3). I can still remember our leader emphasizing the rhyme and from that moment the Spirit sealed it in my heart. Countless times, the Spirit has used Ps. 56:3 to crush fear and move me to trust in God. Some examples include: when I was in junior high and had to visit my father every other weekend and every other Wednesday night. There were some nights where I was honestly scared to go to sleep because I did not know what my father might do to me or those I loved. The Spirit would use Ps. 56:3 to bring me peace and push me to rely on Christ. Other times the Spirit has used Ps. 56:3 in my life include: the day my father died, the day we learned that Arabella had a hole in her heart, and just about every time when I have check the "bump" in the middle of the night. Most importantly, the Spirit uses Ps. 56:3 to crush fears I have in stepping out in obedience to something Christ is calling me to or even to crush fears that I have in being a father. I'm learning that being a man does not mean that you are never afraid, but rather when you are afraid that you place your complete trust in the Lord and not yourself.
I'm thankful to have Scripture in my language. I'm thankful to have had a mother and others in my life that saw the value in children memorizing the Word. I'm thankful God has spoken and continues to speak through His Word.
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." (Psalm 56:3)
Friday, September 9, 2011
2 Helpful Thoughts on Discipleship from Capitol Hill Baptist Church
In one of their core seminars on discipleship, Capitol Hill Baptist Church offers the following 2 thoughts:
PROCESS OVER PROGRAM
Why might it be easy to think of discipleship as a program instead of a process? Many programs have been developed to “grow” disciples. But because every person is different and has different struggles and temptations, discipleship cannot be so easily packaged. Hebrews 10:14 says that Christ “has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” What an interesting statement. On the one hand, Christ has made us perfect. On the other, though, we are continually being made holy! With his death on the cross, Christ stood as our substitute before God and we were justified in God’s sight. In regard to His justice, then, we are already perfect. But another process is taking place throughout our lives – the putting to death of our flesh so that our body of sin will be destroyed. Read Philippians 1:3-6. Paul is confident that as Christ has begun this process of sanctification, so He will carry it on to completion. As disciplers, though, we must remember that the process is not complete yet. Our prayer should be that of Paul a few verses later in Philippians 1:9-11.
IT TAKES A CHURCH
In Hebrews 10:24-25, it is the church who is charged with encouraging believers, not just one person. This class will deal mainly with one-on-one discipling, but we must remember that Christ intends for His disciples to be brought to full maturity through the ministry of the church. No one of us has the full arsenal of spiritual gifts that is necessary to bring a person to full maturity in Christ. Even in your own life, there are areas where you will probably need more to be discipled yourself rather than to be a discipler! Each person in the church is able to contribute to the growth and development of a Christian. We are not to make clones of ourselves, but disciples of Christ, so we should not assume that we can personally provide everything a person needs. One person in the church may be gifted in one area, while another person is gifted in another. Both of those people are needed to bring a disciple to full maturity.
PROCESS OVER PROGRAM
Why might it be easy to think of discipleship as a program instead of a process? Many programs have been developed to “grow” disciples. But because every person is different and has different struggles and temptations, discipleship cannot be so easily packaged. Hebrews 10:14 says that Christ “has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” What an interesting statement. On the one hand, Christ has made us perfect. On the other, though, we are continually being made holy! With his death on the cross, Christ stood as our substitute before God and we were justified in God’s sight. In regard to His justice, then, we are already perfect. But another process is taking place throughout our lives – the putting to death of our flesh so that our body of sin will be destroyed. Read Philippians 1:3-6. Paul is confident that as Christ has begun this process of sanctification, so He will carry it on to completion. As disciplers, though, we must remember that the process is not complete yet. Our prayer should be that of Paul a few verses later in Philippians 1:9-11.
IT TAKES A CHURCH
In Hebrews 10:24-25, it is the church who is charged with encouraging believers, not just one person. This class will deal mainly with one-on-one discipling, but we must remember that Christ intends for His disciples to be brought to full maturity through the ministry of the church. No one of us has the full arsenal of spiritual gifts that is necessary to bring a person to full maturity in Christ. Even in your own life, there are areas where you will probably need more to be discipled yourself rather than to be a discipler! Each person in the church is able to contribute to the growth and development of a Christian. We are not to make clones of ourselves, but disciples of Christ, so we should not assume that we can personally provide everything a person needs. One person in the church may be gifted in one area, while another person is gifted in another. Both of those people are needed to bring a disciple to full maturity.
What/Who is a Disciple?
Mark 1:16-20
* Called by Christ (this is where discipleship starts)
* Respond to Christ
John 8:31-32
* Disciples abide in His Word, know the Truth, and are set free
Matthew 10:24-25/Luke 6:40 (fully trained)
* Not above sharing the sufferings of Christ
Luke 14:26-27, 33
* A disciple loves Jesus more than anything or anyone else
* A disciple bears his cross and follows Jesus
* A disciple renounces all that he has.
John 15:8-17 – Disciples . . .
* Glorify the Father by bearing fruit and proving they are disciples
* Abide in His love by keeping His commandments
* Possess full joy
* Love one another – laying down our lives for one another
Acts 9:36
* A disciple is full of good works and acts of charity
Other marks of a disciple (From Mark Dever)
1. A desire to know what God says. (Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16; Deut. 6:5-7; Rom. 10:17; I Pet. 2:2)
2. A break from the world’s standards. (I Cor. 10:13; II Cor. 5:17)
3. Self-discipline. (Gal. 5:22-23; Matt. 16:24; Luke 3:11; I Cor. 9:25-27)
4. A desire to seek other disciples. (Rom. 15:5-6; Acts 2:42; Eph. 3:17-19; Heb. 10:25; I Pet. 1:22; I John 1:2, 7)
5. Evangelism. (I John 3:16-24; I Pet. 2:21; II Cor. 9:6-7; Philip. 1:21; Matt. 10:32; John 14:12)
6. Perseverance. (Philip. 3:13-14; I John 1-4; Ps. 37:23-24; Rom. 6:1-14; II Pet. 1:1-10; John 5:37-39)
* Called by Christ (this is where discipleship starts)
* Respond to Christ
John 8:31-32
* Disciples abide in His Word, know the Truth, and are set free
Matthew 10:24-25/Luke 6:40 (fully trained)
* Not above sharing the sufferings of Christ
Luke 14:26-27, 33
* A disciple loves Jesus more than anything or anyone else
* A disciple bears his cross and follows Jesus
* A disciple renounces all that he has.
John 15:8-17 – Disciples . . .
* Glorify the Father by bearing fruit and proving they are disciples
* Abide in His love by keeping His commandments
* Possess full joy
* Love one another – laying down our lives for one another
Acts 9:36
* A disciple is full of good works and acts of charity
Other marks of a disciple (From Mark Dever)
1. A desire to know what God says. (Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16; Deut. 6:5-7; Rom. 10:17; I Pet. 2:2)
2. A break from the world’s standards. (I Cor. 10:13; II Cor. 5:17)
3. Self-discipline. (Gal. 5:22-23; Matt. 16:24; Luke 3:11; I Cor. 9:25-27)
4. A desire to seek other disciples. (Rom. 15:5-6; Acts 2:42; Eph. 3:17-19; Heb. 10:25; I Pet. 1:22; I John 1:2, 7)
5. Evangelism. (I John 3:16-24; I Pet. 2:21; II Cor. 9:6-7; Philip. 1:21; Matt. 10:32; John 14:12)
6. Perseverance. (Philip. 3:13-14; I John 1-4; Ps. 37:23-24; Rom. 6:1-14; II Pet. 1:1-10; John 5:37-39)
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