To Live Is Christ | Phil 1:12-30

A message delivered at FBC Maryville
9-4-2011 AM


1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

• Phil 1:12-14 To live is Christ… when your life advances the gospel
• Phil 1:15-18 To live is Christ… when you keep your purpose in perspective
• Phil 1:19-26 To live is Christ… when you rejoice in the middle of life’s struggles
• Phil 1:27-30 To live is Christ… when you are willing to suffer for the cause of Christ

American Idol | Ezek 14

A sermon delivered at FBC Maryville
6/28/2009 PM

When The Church Is Missing An 'I'

This message was originally given at First Baptist Church Euless on March 11. 2007

NOTES:

Acts 4.32 → When the church is missing an ‘I’… We love people instead of possessions

* MOVE FROM “I” TO “WE”

Acts 4.33 | When the church is missing an ‘I’… We share salvation instead of seeking our self-interests

* MOVE FROM “WE” TO “THEY”

Acts 4.34-35 | When the church is missing an ‘I’… We give instead of being greedy

Acts 4.36-37 | When the church is missing an ‘I’… We are known for encouragement instead of our ego.

Why We love...

Why do we love people?

#1 It's not for us!  We do not enter into love so that we will receive love in return or so that we will receive happiness.  Far to many "Christians" believe that God just wants them to be happy.  NO NO NO!  While it may be a tertiary result or a byproduct of a life devoted to God (and often is), He wants you to have a deep and rich relationship with Himself - this is holiness.  Marriage brings joy, belonging, happiness, companionship, comfort, support, and many many other things - but these are not the goals of marriage.  In fact, they pale in comparison to the purpose of marriage, and in fact the purpose of all life, to bring people into relationship with the God of the universe.  Happiness fades, excitement wanes, but a relationship with God can NEVER be taken away.  If you seek happiness as your primary goal, it is your god and you will never catch it.  If you seek God above all else, even through trial and pain, you will ultimately not miss it, and you will experience joy and fulfillment at a level you've never imagined possible.  If happiness is your goal, you've placed yourself at the center of the universe, and you're just not that great...

#2 It's not for them!  When we share the Gospel with someone, we can be moved by compassion and the reality that Hell is forever (just like Heaven) and we don't want them to spend eternity there, but our primary motivation is not compassion, it is God.  If the reason we are so passionate about sharing the gospel is that we care for people, then you just care too much about them.  God is the one we care most about.  People will reject the Gospel, in fact, most people will reject the Gospel (think "narrow path").  So, if your motivation is the pity of the pagan, you will lead a life of disappointment and you'll eventually hit a wall of ministry burn-out that might even lead to questioning Gospel-centered ministry or your own salvation.  God tells Isaiah to preach and preach and preach even if only 10% believe and they wholly reject you.  Jesus says that we need to be willing to HATE our family and friends for the sake of the Gospel.  This is hyperbole to describe the fact that our love and devotion to God should be the driving passionate force in our life that compels us to share the Gospel with anything that moves ("every creature under heaven").  Are people important, sure, but people are NOTHING compared to God.  That's why when caring for the poor, we take care ESPECIALLY for the household of God, because when you do things unto the "least of these MY BROTHERS" we do it to Jesus (Gal 6:10; Matt 25:40).  So caring for the poor is great, but to do so indiscriminately while passing over Christians needs is to have priorities out of what, and to care for the poor without a clear verbal Gospel witness is POINTLESS (Matt 16:26).

#3 It's for God! Obviously (based on my sermonizing above) God is to be the absolute center of our lives. Your marriage will get boring and your spouse will not love or respect you like you think you deserve, YOU DON'T DESIRE ANYTHING.  You love them because God loved you, period!  Most often when loved like Jesus loves us, your other-half will be compelled to love back, but not always, you don't love them based on their response.  When you share the Gospel, it's not about their response.  When you give time or money with people, it's not about their response, though many people are more likely to receive your words if you couple them with kindness, they will not always listen.  It's about God, and it's not a dry devoted obligation, it's a passionate commitment to the all-loving, all-powerful, all-caring, all-sufficient Lord Jesus Christ.  We do what we do for God who does not change.  If you do it for another reason, you'll eventually be disappointed, you'll burn-out, you'll need "time away" from church, and you'll never live the life God has for you.  You'll flit from one thing to the next in search of the all illusive "happiness" and you'll never find it.  Seek first HIS KINGDOM and living by His boundaries and God will take care of the rest.

Everything is about God, we're able to do everything by His power and grace, and every single part of our life should be a memorial to the gift of His Son and the abundant life we've recieved. Or as the Apostle Paul said "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." (Rom. 11:36)

How (When) Did We Get Our Bible?

Many people today are under the mistaken impression that Constantine or some counsel put our New Testament together. This is not the case. Someone I read quite a bit of, Darrell Bock, explains in just a few min. how early the 27 books of the NT (and especially the 4, and only the 4, gospels) were considered the Bible.

Watch this video...

"...why have you forsaken me."

The words of Jesus on the cross are haunting and paint a picture of someone who is at the point of despair.  Mt 27:46 captures these words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Why Exercise!

Why should I exercise?

1Tim 4:8 tells us "for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come"

Wise Men & The Boy King

The timing of the event surrounding Jesus' birth have always been interesting to me. As I read through the two nativity stories (Mt & Lk) I found some I teresting things, I'll just throw-out some of the more interesting (to me at least).

Both Mary & Joseph were visited by an angel, maybe the same one, but Gabriel is only named in Mary's situation.

Also, Joseph is always communicated with in a dream. I thought this was interesting because he could have just dismissed the whole thing as a bad bit of beef giving him a nightmare.

Regardless, Joseph is the real hero here (other that Jesus), he is described as a "just man," high praise in scripture. And then he takes Mary as his wife and raises Jesus as his own. Great example!

So when was Jesus born? Well Dec. 25, 0 right? Wrong!

First, there's no "year zero," meaning the silly folks celebrating the new millenium 1999-2000 were 365 days early (oh-well).

We also have no idea (or at least I don't) what time of year Jesus was born. There are examples of year-round sheep in the field even in modern times, and who knows what the climate was lime in that area 2,000+ years ago. We all k ow how tricky climate predictions can be.

The point is this, what YEAR was Jesus born in. I have always heard 4BC or so, but I thought about this fir the first time and had some revelations (so to speak).

We have a pretty good idea that Herod died in 4BC, so it's not that Jesus was born in 4BC, it's that he couldn't have been born after 4BC.

Add to that all the other events that took place, and it really made me think, and I like this kind of stuff.

Herod made a decree that all the Hebrew boys 2 years or younger would be killed around Bethlehem, but he based this on the timing of the star told to him by the wise men. This tells me a couple of things...

Herod was alive about 2 years after Jesus was born. And he likely did not die on the spot when he made the decree, so even if Herod was adding 3 months or so, I think we can call it 2 years at least from the birth of Jesus to the death of Herod.

That means that Jesus was born in 6BC or earlier! Now we know he started his ministry (thanks to Lk 3) in the 15th year of Tiberius, which was around AD29, and that Jesus started his ministry when he was "about 30."

So, I think he was probably born in early 6-7BC and couldn't have been born in 4BC.

There was so much going on. The sheppards came and saw Jesus right when he was born and he was wrapped up and lying in the food trough. But that's the same time that the wise men, in the East, saw the star.

That's right, your nativity display from Kirkland's is incorrect (as is the otherwise great "The Nativity Story"), the wise men were not there when Jesus was born.

They saw the star when he was born, then they packed-up and went to Jerusalem (a long way). Then Herod's wise-men (reading Micah 5) told them the king would come from Bethlehem, so then they went there. I guess word spread about little Jesus because they found the "boy," the Bible doesn't use the word for baby, in the "house" not in any stable.

After this, they didn't return to Herod and enough time passed for him to figure out they were not coming back, so a month or two?

Then Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt and stay there awhile after Herod's death decree until Herod's own death.

In other words, a lot of stuff happened between Jesus' birth and Herod's death in 4BC.

I find all this timing so interesting, and it's more weight on the side of this being an actual historical event, timing just doesn't work-out when multiple sources make things up.

Just wait until I do the passion week!

Next I'll give my thoughts on the genealogy of Jesus...

Peace on Earth!

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to blog about a few quick Christmas items that you might find interesting, that I often feel the inner compulsion to share this time of year. Perhaps this will help abate that innate desire and allow me to have a happier holiday (as in THE HOLIDAY) season.

#1 - I don't celebrate multiple holidays after Thanksgiving and before New Years, so telling me "Happy Holidays" is somewhat offensive, Christmas is a holy-day, Kwanzaa is a cultural festival.

#2 - The Bible does not tell us how many Kings went to go see Jesus. While it does tell us that they brought Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, and thus it is possible (if not probable) that each king brought one gift, in fact it just says "wise men." It could be as few as 2 or as many as you think...

#3 - The kings did not visit while Jesus was a baby in the manger. In correspondence with the command to kill all the boys 2 years and under, Jesus was probably 1-2 years old when the wis men visited him. Please remove the "kings" from you manger scene, or place them across the room on their way.

#4 - the "X" in Xmas is not the English letter X but is in fact the Greek letter Chi (pronounced key) which is short-hand for Jesus Christ. So, not only is it not "X-ing out Christ from Christmas" to write Xmas, in fact, it draws attention to Christ and allows you to explain to people that CHRIST is part of Christmas!

#5 - Luke 2:14 in the King James Bible says "Peace on earth, good will toward men" seeming to indicate that Jesus came to bring peace to the whole world so that there would be harmony and good will among all the people of the earth. It fits in line nicely with "the Christmas spirit" but is, in fact, bogus Theology.

Jesus did not come to being peace and harmony to all people. In fact, he came not to bring peace but to bring division (Mt 10.34). The peace that Jesus brings is between God and those that are found in Jesus, it is for those who choose to place their faith in Christ and by grace become believers.

The KJV is unfortunate because it uses the Greek word eudokia (found in the manuscripts that the KJV uses), while eudokias is the form most other modern translations use. The KJV uses what's called the "Majority Text" as the Greek from which it was translated. It was the state of the art in 1611, but that is not the case today.

Today we have what is called the "Critical Text" which is a forensic recreation of the New Testament to reproduce that which is most likely to have been the original writing of the Greek. Some still prefer the Majority Text, but I do not. I believe the Bible was inspired in the form it was originally written in.

Thus we come to eudokia and eudokias. One little letter is the difference, is that such a big deal? Well the KJV's eudokia is a Nominative form (usually denoting a subject) meaning simply "good will" and the Critical Text's eudokias is the Genitive form meaning something like "of good will" or "characterized by [God's] good pleasure."

In other words, the "peace on earth" in Lk 2.14 is not for everyone simply because baby Jesus came to the world. This peace is only for those who obtain favor with God by believing in His only Son Jesus Christ (cf. Rm 5.1)

Reading the KJV might cause someone to buy into the lie of Universalism, the idea that we're all okay and love will reign supreme in the world if we'll just all get along (puke!). The real message of Christmas is that peace is available to everyone, but only IN Jesus. Jesus is the answer, believe in Him and He'll change you life!

Blessings this wonderful Xmas season ;-)

5-Things

Here's 5-Things that we all need to help us grow into a successful Christian!

1. Practical teaching from the Bible: we need to hear from God's word from those who have the time to study and digest His revelation. This is why the early church created the office of "deacon" so that some would have time to devote to the word and then turn around and teach the church.
2. Providential Relationships: anyone who thinks they can have a growing and vibrant Christian life all alone, have a misunderstanding about what it means to be a Christian. The point of you being a part of God's people is for you to be a part of God's people. You are meant to help a local church grow up into the fullness of Christ. You can't be a Christian apart from a church, at least not very successfully. You need people who will challenge and encourage you. You also need people you can challenge and encourage.
3. Private Disciplines: you can't grow in your faith if you don't pray, read God's word, give, fast, etc... Your private growth is just as important as your part in helping your church's corporate growth.
4. Personal Ministry: what are you doing? Every believer has a ministry to do, what's your part in doing what Jesus has called us to do? Find out what it is and do it. How are you using your gifts and talents to help a local church grow? How are you helping to fulfill the great commissions? How are you loving God and others? Get a ministry, then do it.
5. Pivotal Circumstances: when a fork comes in the road that forces you closer to God or farther from your faith, choose God, He will use it to grow you like never before.

The Doctrine of Decision Making

In my class on Wednesday nights (7:00P - 8:00P) here at FBC Maryville, IL I've been going through some material that I'm calling "What God Says" and it's basically a systematic look at Biblical Doctrines. In other words, it's what the whole Bible says and looks like it would take 3-4 years to get through it all :-) It's loosely based on a "Christian Doctrines" series that one of my mentors, Dr. William E. Bell Jr., taught at my former church FBC Euless, TX.

Anyway, I'm finishing up the notes for tomorrow night, and I was looking ahead about 4 weeks and I wanted to share with the bloggosphere.

This Wednesday, we're finishing up our two part discussion on what Christian Salvation really is and we'll be talking about the Atonement of the Cross, don't miss it! It's gonna be good!

In about 4 weeks (it's actually 2 lessons), after we talk about what the Christian life is & is not, we'll be looking at a "checklist" for Christian decision making. "Is it OK for a Christian to ________?" would be more than could be listed, but if we give people to tools to make Biblical decisions on their own, then that will last a lifetime.

Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll leave you alone ;-)

If I were a "real blogger" then I'd have to split this into 5 different blogs, but I hate doing that, and I know I wouldn't follow-up, so, here are the 5-Points of the Doctrine of Decision Making:

Point #1: Specific Scripture

If God's word specifically prohibits something, you don't even have to pray about it, DON'T DO IT. God is not going to contradict His word, so that's a pretty easy one (theoretically).

Point #2: Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

In 1Cor. 6:19; 3:16; & Rom. 8:9 we learn of this idea that God's Spirit resides in every believer. The implications of this are profound on the physical and mental level. Don't do or participate in anything that you would not want to join Christ to. The things you physically put in your body, and those things you put in your body by hearing or looking at need to be pure and non-polluting. This could have radical implications for the typical American lifestyle, and I know it's convicting for me.

Point #3: Spiritual Headship

There are several relationships of "headship" that are described in the Bible. Obviously we follow God rather than men, but in general If you should find yourself within one of these relationships you should respect and follow your "head" in applicable situations. Some examples are: WIVES are under the headship of their HUSBANDS (Eph. 5:22-23; Col. 3:18-19; 1Pet. 3:1-7); CHILDREN are under the headship of their PARENTS (Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20-21); CHURCH MEMBERS are under the headship of their PASTORS "Elders" (Acts 20:28; 1Tim. 5:1; 5:19; Heb. 13:7; 13:17; 1Pet. 5:2-5); CITIZENS are under the headship of their GOVERNMENT (Rom. 13:1-7; 1Tim. 2:1-4; Tit. 3:1; 1Pet. 2:13-17); WORKERS "Slaves" are under the authority of their BOSSES "Masters" (Eph. 6:5-9; Col 3:22-4:1; 1Tim. 6:1-2; Tit. 2:9-10; 1Pet. 2:18). Most of us will fall into multiple categories, if you don't, join a church!

Point #4: The Weaker Brother

Is what you are wanting to do going to possibly cause any fellow believer to somehow "stumble" or take a step back in their faith? If there is some "matter of conscience" that you know some people really struggle with, then it's best not to do it (see: Rom. 14:1-15:13; 1Cor. 8-10)

Point #5: The Glory of God

In what you are proposing to do, will God be given the glory. If you are choosing 2 things, choose the one where God will be lifted up. If you can't glorify God in what you're doing, then don't do it (see: 1Cor. 10:31).

I suppose there could be some things that this does not cover, but I'd have to struggle to come up with decisions that I've had to make in my life that would not be answered in this way. I know when someone comes to be with "what does God want me to do about..." I take them through this process.

Now you have the "behind the curtain" answer as to how to make all your decisions in a biblical way! Augustine said it best "Love God (and others) and do what you will!"

I'm happy to help you see what God would have you do, with respect to specific choices you're struggling with.

On The Old Testament

Well, many people read my former blog on the New Testament (which I'm amazed by) and they asked "hey, what about the Old Testament?" so here you go.

Now, I'm a NT major. I know more about the NT than the OT, but that's not to say I know nothing about the OT. In fact, I believe you can't understand the NT without an OT understanding. I'm currently working towards doing an exhaustive study of how to interpret NT Eschatological texts in light of OT Apocalyptic texts, but that's another story. Buy my book (when I write it) in about 6 years or so. ;-)

The Old Testament is, mostly, a different kind of literature than the NT. It was written primarily in Hebrew, at least as old as we can go back. Actually, there are languages, such as Ugaritic, that pre-dates Hebrew (such as in the time of Abraham) which I believe it's possible that portions of the Bible were written in first. But that's another story too...

The Hebrew culture was much different than ours today. They were an oral culture. There would have been very few written copies of the Bible (what we call the OT today) in the beginning. This culture even held true on through Jesus' day within Jewish circles. Most Hebrews, and all of the well educated, had the entire OT memorized. Yes, memorized, word-for-word. We can't imagine this today, but it was their way of life.

As God spoke to His people, He do so through prophets. They would speak an oral word to the people. This word would then be taken down, maybe something like we do today with court reporting, and the record would be kept. Today, we focus more on the written record, however the ancient Hebrew would rely on the oral tradition passed down via memorization.

So which books "made it" as scripture? Well, as long as (1) they were written by a prophet of God, (2) that prophet's authority was confirmed by an act of God, (3) the prophetic writings told the truth about God in harmony with the other prophets, (4) the prophetic writings were accompanied with the power of God to change people's lives, and (5) the prophetic writings were accepted by the people of God as true, they were in.

Malachi, the last book of the OT to be written, was completed and the canon of scripture was agreed upon by 400BC. The next prophet in redemptive history, according to Malachi, would be the one crying in the wilderness (John the Baptist) so we have over 400 years of silence between the end of the OT and the start of the NT called the intertestimental period (Mal. 4:4-6).

There were some books written during the intertestimental period called the "apocrypha" (which means secret or hidden), but these books do not adhere to the 5 criteria above, and they were written after Malachi but before John the Baptist so they are not valid scripture (though they are interesting books). The Apocrypha is similar to the pseudepigrapha for the NT. pseudepigrapha (books like "The Gospel of Thomas" or "The Gospel of Judas") was written hundreds of years after the NT was finished and are not valid scriptures either. Both Jews and Christians always rejected apocryphal books until the Catholic church changed it's mind in 1546.

Just as the NT, the OT was written by various men inspired by God. They spoke God's word, and the words were taken down. Over 3,800 in the OT it says "Thus says the Lord" showing that it intends to be God's very word.

The New Testament, such as in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, tells us that the OT, what they had at the time as the "Law, Prophets, & Writings" was God's word and profitable for Teaching, Rebuke, Correcting, and Training in Righteousness. The statement is that ALL scripture is God's word, this makes it ALL true. As well, Jesus accepted what we have as the OT as being true. In fact, we have made some archaeological findings to show that what we have as the OT is what Jesus and the Apostles had and trusted in their day. We have always had copies of the OT that were written in Hebrew several hundred years after the time of Christ. In the late 1940's some "new" manuscripts were found close to the Dead Sea that came to be known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. The interesting thing is that the DSS were virtually word for word identical to the copies we had, but the DSS were written before Jesus was born.

The long and the short of it is, we can trust the OT as God's word, because Jesus and the Apostles took it as God's word, and we know just as well as with the NT what the Bible said in Jesus' day.

It all comes down to Jesus. Both OT and NT are verified by Jesus and His followers, we can believe the whole Bible.

Much of the NT relies on it's readers understanding the OT. Actually, these terms "old" and "new" for the two sections of our Bible were not original to the Bible itself. The first recorded time this kind of designation was used was by Melito of Sardis in the late second century (recorded in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.26.1). He called them the "Old Covenant" and the "New Covenant", but in his usage it did not mean what we hear today in the modern usage of the terms. We think "new replaces old" but that's not the case. The old simply pre-dates that which came later in the new. As Jesus makes clear, He did not come to abolish the OT (Matt. 5:17).

So, the OT is good, the OT is trustworthy, get to know and love your OT!. :-)

Is Jesus your Idol or Lord?

My wife and I (and Reagan) go to an American Idol party most Tuesdays, it's fun.  That show is built on the premise that theses young singers can use "Idol" as a vehicle to get what they want, fame and fortune.

I think this is a good definition of what an idol is: something you use to get what you really want.

Do you remember the movie "Major League?"  I like baseball and it's a funny movie.  Do you remember the character Pedro Cerrano and his idol "Jobu."  This is how Cerrano described his relationship with Jobu : "Bats, they are sick.  I cannot hit curveball.  Straight ball I hit very much.  Curveball, bats are afraid.  I ask jobu to come, take fear from bats.  I offer him cigar, rum.  He will come."

Obviously, this is a joke and a funny part of a comedy.  But, essentially it's true.  His idol (Jobu) is what he uses to get what he wants (hitting a curve ball).  He does not love Jobu.  Jobu didn't do anything praiseworthy.  Jobu is simply a means to an end.

We do the same thing.  Is your idol wealth?  Maybe you sacrifice your family at the altar of your job.  Is your idol power/influence?  Maybe you sacrifice your morals and ethics at the political altar of election campaigns.  Is your idol sex?  Maybe you sacrifice your dignity and go to strip-clubs and pay for Internet porn.  We have our idols in the western world just like in the 3rd world.

Here's the tragedy, many times Jesus is our idol.  Let me ask you this question to determine if Jesus is your idol and not your Lord.  Why are you a Christian?  Is it because you want to follow Jesus and all you need in the world is God, or are you a Christian so that Jesus will make your life better?

Let's look at a quote that Jesus gives us in Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few"

What is Jesus saying here?  He means that not many people will really follow him, not many people will really be Christians.  But I thought most people in the west were Christians, aren't they?

When Jesus talks about separating the wheat from the chaff He is talking about the church.  Paul talks about evil people and impostors that grow up from within the church.  The message is clear, not all who are in the church are actually part of the church.

I think many, perhaps even the majority of western Christians have Jesus as an idol rather than their Lord.

Their God is a happy life in stead of having Jesus as their God.

Here's how we know.  When someone loses something they care about (a job, family member, relationship, possessions, etc.) or when they don't get something they want (promotion, money, spouse, etc.) their true God comes out.  Initial reaction aside, if the hardship draws them closer to Jesus, then He's their God.  On the other hand, if the reaction is loss of faith, or anger with God because they are "being good" or they are doing the "right things", or in any way drives them away from Jesus or the church, then Jesus is most likely an idol and not Lord.

Many people use Jesus to get what they want, to be happy.  Well, the goal of our life is not to be happy.  It's not for our family to be safe.  It's not to be healthy.  It's not to get more stuff and feel good with as little hardship as possible.  The goal of life, is Jesus.

Do you go to church to "pay your dues" so that you get on Jesus' good side and He'll make sure you get to keep all the good things in life?  Go to church to become a vital and intricate part of the Body of Christ.  Do you give money through your church so that you won't lose your job or so that Jesus will "bless your finances?"  Give to God through your church to honor God and give Him what's already His anyway.  Give joyfully.

Bottom line, Jesus' goal is not to get you what you think you need, it's to make you more like Him.  God's goal is not your happiness, it's your holiness.

When tragedy strikes and we ask "why did you do this to me God," the answer is always the same.  To make us more like Jesus.  Our questions betrays how much we follow Jesus in order to get what we want, rather than to get what we've already been given, namely Jesus Himself.

In "Major League" Eddie Harris tells Pedtro Cerrano "You know you might think about taking Jesus Christ as your savior instead of fooling around with all this stuff"

Then Pedro responds "Jesus, I like him very much, but he no help with curve ball"

How often do we say "Jesus, I like him very much, but he no help with making me happy"

I believe this is why people "fall away" and leave the Faith, they didn't really follow Jesus to begin with.  If you're seeking Jesus, you can't lose because He's already given Himself for you.  However, if you're using Jesus as your idol to get some other picture of "the good life" that you want, then it's more likely you will be disappointed.

Follow Jesus for Jesus' sake, not for the perks...

What is the Bible?

I recently read a book called "Evangelical Essentials" - it is really good. The idea is that a self-espoused "liberal" was writing a critique of "conservative" (or evangelical) theology. At the end of each chapter, John Stott (who is the representative conservative) responds to the liberal's comments.

It is a great book to show what our faith really is and defines those elements that are essential for true evangelical faith.

Much of the debate came down to two main things. #1 the nature of the Cross, what Jesus really accomplished and #2 our authority, what the Bible really is.

On the Cross, Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and He died bearing the sin of the world. He died in our place and thus gives us the ability to have a relationship with God.

I believe, however, as important as that doctrine is, the issue of "Authority" is even more important. I believe our view of the Bible is what defines us as either "liberal" or "evangelical". As important as the cross is, without a solid doctrine of the Bible, you can make the cross mean whatever you want.

That's the point, our faith is not simply subjective and can mean whatever we want, our faith is based on God's word. The Bible is God's very word!

I believe in the doctrine known as "Verbal Plenary Inspiration." Big words, deep meaning. This means that the words (verbal) all of them (plenary) have their source from God (inspiration).

The classic word that has been used to identify what side of the line people stand on has been "Inerrant" (or "Infallible" in Brittan). I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS INERRANT. It's God's word, and God's perfect, thus His word is perfect. It's a simple concept. Now, that does allow for mistranslations, misinterpretations, and our own inability to understand the meaning of the text, but as it was originally written - God's word is perfect and "Inerrant."

Inerrant, however, isn't a word that we use in common English conversations, so I prefer to simply say "True." God's word is true. For me, does that mean inerrant YES, but beware of people who want to twist the meaning of true. If I have the time (a few min.) to spare, I'll usually use the word Inerrant and define it, but usually "true" is enough to convey the meaning.

The point is this. Reason and experience are extremely helpful in understanding God and how to follow Him - but the only source of true is what God reveals to us in His word. Everything else is subject to scripture. We worship the God of the Bible, in the Son of the Bible, by the Spirit of the Bible. Without a right understanding of God's word, you're just not worshiping the same God.

Have you heard from Him today?

"I Love Christ, Just Not The Church..."

I've never actually heard someone say this, but the sentiment is obvious from most Believers my age. It comes from our generational aversion to authority and organized systems, and it's also not a viable belief system.

Here's a great quote from Martin Luther "Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?"

Hebrews 10:23-25 says this "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

You, if you are a follower of Jesus, are called to be a part of the church. If you are not actively involved in a local church, you are not following Christ. Your faith, your salvation, is not something private to keep between you and God, and it's not something that effects only you (or if it is, it's not Biblical belief).

Part of your job as a Believer is to encourage other believers. You also need to be encouraged yourself. That's how you hold fast the confession of the Christian hope without wavering. It's not something you can accomplish by yourself, it's not designed to be.

Ephesians 4:1-7 & 11-16 says this "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift... And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

So what's your job as a Believer? Feed the poor? Clothe the naked? Help the environment? Build a home? Do community minded work? As an individual... No, it's not. Your job is to be who God called you to be. We do this by bearing with one another and supporting each other. This is unity. Unity is not the absence of strife, you can get that by staying home, but it's working together for a common goal - YOU CAN'T DO THIS AT HOME.

In my profession I see hundreds of people who think their great Christians simply because they "keep their nose clean" and show-up to church 2-3 times a month. My great fear is that they are probably tears rather than wheat. In Matthew 25 the Lord tells us that tears grow up among the wheat and at the last judgment, they will be removed and cast into the fire. I'm afraid that most people "play church" or have Christianity as a hobby.

The Ephesians passage above shows us what a church is to be. We are to do the work of ministry and build up the church. How are you doing that if you sleep-in on Sunday, or if the only time you are a Christian (practically) is at your church building?

If you ever consider sleeping-in on Sunday mornings, you are not following Christ the way He has called you. Did you catch that? You probably didn't - I did not say that if you sleep-in your not following Christ, I said if you ever consider it. In other words, if sleeping-in is an option for you, you are not a vital part of your local church body.

Romans 12:3-8 says this "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness."

So are you more "special" than the rest of us? You don't "need" to go to church to be close to God? Hogwash, there is no such thing as following Christ without involvement in and the support of a local church body. Every Believer is gifted according to the grace of God, but the reason we were gifted was to serve within the body of Christ. We are one body full-time, body parts don't get to mail-in their service.

So you're a part of a para-church ministry, you give money to an organization that helps the poor, and you're involved in more than one Bible study... Good for you, how are you serving a local church body?

Amazingly enough, Christianity is NOT ABOUT YOU. It's not about you growing yourself, it's not about you getting what you need, it's not about fitting into your schedule... It's about you loving and serving the church so that the church can do the work of ministry.

"I just can't find a good church home..." This is translated into Greek by the word bologna!

What's a "good church home?" One where you enjoy yourself while you are there? Wait, I missed the part where Christ died so that you could enjoy yourself...

There are hundreds of good churches out there close enough to wherever you find yourself. There are even several where you can enjoy yourself and have a great time. The bottom line is, you need to pick one and get involved. Start using the gifts that God has given you. Stop defying God and start following Jesus.

So, for God's sake, stop playing "Christian" and start being a part of the Body of Christ!

Biblical Dating - LONG BLOG

At our final Tuesday night Bible study for the summer, I taught a lesson on biblical dating. This is one of the most important things for single adults to hear. 91% of all people in America today get married, most do not end well.

Dating is the process by which we select a partner for LIFE and it is extremely important. Below, I will attempt to summarize this 45 point message that I taught! I'm indebted to Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill church for much of this content and statistics. His church is growing like crazy with 50% men and 60% single adults!

First of all, God is in relation to Himself (He is a "trinity") and we are made in His image. We are made for relationship. This is not to say that if you are single you are somehow broken, but we are designed to relate to other people. In fact, both Jesus and Paul indicate that there are very spiritual reasons to remain single if you can. Regardless of that, it is a good thing to be in a relationship leading to marriage if you so desire.

There are sometimes 2 reactions to dating - because it's so messed-up today - from those trying to live a righteous life in the church.

#1 Fierce independence - this is the guy who says that he would never get married
#2 Worshiping a relationship/marriage as an idol - this is the girl who "just wants to get married"

The real issue is not between two people, but is primarily between an individual and God.

So here are three questions to start with...

#1 Are you good with Jesus? Do you have a solid relationship with Him first? If not, fix that one before seeking a relationship with someone else.
#2 Do you believe any cultural lies? Do you worship sex or personal satisfaction like the world does? Do you get your idea of what a relationship or what men/women should be from movies/magazines etc?
#3 Do you understand that the goal of marriage is NOT to make you happy, but to help you to be more holy? (BIG ONE)

There are 4 ways to have male/female relationships that lead to marriage.

#1 Prearranged marriage - don't discount it right away. Trusting those who are objective and who love you and love the Lord is not a bad idea all the time.
#2 Courtship - as in Jer. 29:6 a formal process of taking and giving brides/grooms in marriage. Very formal where the guy basically dates the dad of the girl first. This is the way kids should do it.
#3 Non-Christian Dating - this is bad. "Dating" started out as a term for prostitution in the late 1800's and some view it as essentially the same today. The guy pays for a nice meal, movie, night out, and expects something in return. THIS IS NOT CHRISTIAN...
#4 Christian Dating - this is the good one. Christians we need to grow up (especially the men).

1 Cor 13:11 Paul says that when he was a child, he acted like one, but the time came for him to grow up.

Men, you need to serve in your local church, stop with the video games all the time, and start caring for the women and kids at your church. That's part of our job, married or not. Men 18-34 average 2 hours and 43 min. of video games PER DAY! That's insane, and a big part of the problem.

So here is the deal, and I mostly have to come from a man's perspective, because That's what I am.

If you have strong physical desires - marriage is your answer. That's what Paul says in 1 Cor. 7.

So, be the kind of man that the kind of woman you want to marry, wants to marry. Make since?

Here are some Principles for Christian Dating

#1 First, Maximize your singleness for God. You have the time now, use it for God. If you don't, you won't attract the right kind of person anyway. Think about it, you don't want to marry someone who would date someone who's not fully committed to Christ...

#2 Do not pursue a relationship until you're in a season of life when you can actually get married. So, if you're just starting medical school, you don't have a job, you still live at home (and you're a guy) you're not ready to get married today - so you're not ready to date today.

#3 Be reasonable with your (superficial) expectations. Focus on the things that really matter, you know what they are.

#4 Be SUPER stringent with your standards relating to biblical values. Don't date a bum.

#5 One date, is not dating. Go out, hang out. Guys, use 1 Tim. 5 as your example. Treat the younger women like sisters. So, treat them like sisters - that means looking out for them too.

#6 After a couple of dates, if you're both still interested, then you are dating. Be a "one woman man" and don't "date around" at the same time.

#7 The man initiates & the woman responds. Ladies, if you really like him you can let that me known, but if you have to pursue him you will have to do that for the rest of your life. Look at Ruth, she put herself in Boaz's way and he initiated then she responded. Put yourself in his way, if he's interested he will initiate. Let him lead, and if he won't, then he's not a "keeper." Men, don't worth "through the friend" just ask. If she says yes then it's a yes, if she says no then it's a no. Rejection is a part of being a man.

#8 Under no circumstances should you ever date a nonbeliever. James 2:19 says that demons believe in God, so belief in God is not enough. Actively serving the Lord Jesus Christ through a local body of believers is the standard. 2Cor. 6:14 is the verse that tells you not to be unequally yoked - heed that verse, or stop pretending to "play church" and don't complain when you're "unhappy" with the results later.

#9 Look at those whom God has placed in front of you already. Don't miss the obvious.

#10 Use Technology wisely. Meeting people online is fine, just be smart about it. Use godly friends and family to help you. Always meet them in public and let those who know you and who love the Lord be in on the process.

#11 Only invest in someone you're attracted to. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, hobbies, etc... If there is no spark, don't waste your time.

#12 Only date someone who agrees with you on gender roles. It's more important that you agree, there is room for different opinions within the Christian faith - but there is no room for disagreement within Christian families.

#13 Guard your heart - Prov 4:23 - Girls, don't picture your wedding and your kids on the first date. Take a realistic approach and don't give your heart away right away.

JUST FOR THE MEN:

#1 Are you overlooking good godly women? They might be divorced (rightly) with kids, they might be shy, take a second look. And if the "good ones" are saying no "all the time" then maybe you need you work on you a little...

#2 When you're with her, do you honor God more? Do you honor her, her friends, her family, her church? OR is your goal to separate her from her existing network of friends, family and church? Good guys become a part of her life, they don't steal her away from hers.

#3 Is she modest? 1Tim. 2:9 makes it clear. If she likes the attention of every guy in the room, when she's your wife that won't be so cool.

#4 Can you lead her? Eph 5:23 means that it's your job to lead her. If she's way ahead of you spiritually, take that as a challenge to improve your relationship with God before you ask her out. Maybe even tell her, that might impress her - if it doesn't, she's not the one.

#5 Does she have noble character? Prov. 31:30 tells us that a woman with good character is the best and most attractive quality in a woman. And it's true.

#6 Can you provide the kind of life-style that she is going to expect? 1Tim. 5:8 tells you that's your job man. If she's a Prada/Gucci girl and you're a wal-mart guy, it's just not going to work. Unless you're willing to work, really work...

#7 Is she like the negative women in Proverbs? Prov. 19:13; 27:15; 21:9; 25:24 as well as Prov. 7 & 9 describe a wife/woman who is a nag. Don't date a nag, because being married to a nag (a constantly negative woman) is like water torture.

FOR THE LADIES:

#1 Does he have a plan for life that he is actively pursuing and are you excited about joining him in his vision and supporting his goals? In Gen 2:18 the woman was made to help the man. 1 Cor 11:9 makes it clear that the man leads the family and the wife supports the husbands goals. This does not mean that you get married and your goals go out the window, this is the point, find someone with the same goals as you. If he wants to do something different than what your goals are, do not date him.

#2 Is he rough enough to make it through the hard times? 2Tim. 2:3 tells us that suffering is a part of life. Date a man who can take it, and help your through it when times of suffering come. Real men know how to suffer with joy. Don't date a boy who cries at the slightest bit of hardship.

#3 Is he considerate and gentle with you (and the other women in his life - mom, sisters, Christian-sisters). 1Peter 3:7 tells us that the man should be gentle and considerate - if he's not - DON'T DATE HIM. If he's a jerk with a temper, you will have to get a restraining order 2 years into your marriage, you should not date him to begin with.

#4 Will he make a great dad? Does he serve in the pre-school at church and is he good with nieces and nephews and other kids? Eph. 6:4 - if you're "planning" for kids or not, things happen. Don't gamble with the next generation because you're worshiping the idol of marriage. Only date men who would be great dads.

#5 Is he a "one woman man" - this is a must. 1Tim. 3:2 makes it clear that any man worth following needs to be the kind of man who gives his life to one woman at a time. If he dates multiple women at the same time (or even one right after the other so that people never know which one he's onto this week) then don't date him. If he's looking at porn, he's cheating and it won't stop once you get married. Job 31:1 is the kind of man that you want.

#6 How valuable are you to him? That is to say, is he willing to die for you, because that's his job if you get married. Will he finish school so you can date? Will he get a job and keep it? Will he move-out from mommy and daddy's house? Will he go to church on his own like a big-boy? Will he read his Bible on his own? Is he willing to wait for you while he gets these kind of things right in his life? Ladies, if he can't do these things on his one, he will NEVER lead you and your kids - don't waste your time and don't give away your heart. Look for the kind of man that cries "women and children first" when the ship is sinking.

#7 Is he already the kind of man that you would want your sons to be like and your daughters to marry?

CONCLUSION:

Dating is nothing for Christians to mess-around with. It is serious business. Most people don't take it that way, and that's why most people do not end-up with the "happily-ever-after" marriage.

I have the best marriage that I know of, so listen to me - especially if you are single (or "single again") - I'm not kidding about this stuff. It's not worth ruining your life over.

Ephesians 5:3 - DO NOT HAVE ANY SEXUAL CONTACT BEFORE MARRIAGE

Song of Solomon 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 - DO NOT HAVE SEXUAL CONTACT BEFORE MARRIAGE

If you're asking "where's the line" you are asking the wrong questions. Men, treat them like sisters - then marry them. Build intimacy mentally, emotionally, then (and only then - after marriage) physically.

BLESS Y'ALL!

Magi

“The Gift of The Magi” by O Henry is a great story of love and sacrifice...

It’s the story of Dell, a woman with beautiful long hair, and Jim a man who had a watch that he treasured very much. They were poor people and couldn’t afford much.

One year they each wanted to express their deep love for each other so they gave up something most precious to each of them...

Dell sold her hair so that she could buy a beautiful watch chain for her husband. Jim sold his watch so that he could buy he wife some wonderful combs for her hair.

This is a beautiful story of self sacrifice! But here's the rest of the story...

Eventually Dell's hair grows out again and she gets to use the combs while Jim is stuck with a stupid chain and no watch, which he eventually sells to get Dell a dress to match her combs. Welcome to marriage Jim!