I am seriously considering using the Holman CSB 2nd edition for my preaching and teaching when it is fully released later this year. I have found it to be a very good translation of the Scriptures. I will still use the NASB as my primary study Bible. It has been difficult to switch, but I am pretty sure about it now.
The Walk
following after the God of the Bible
What I am reading right now
Here is a selection of what is on my shelf and in progress:
The Great Commandment Principle by David Ferguson
A Resilient Life by Gordon MacDonald
The Disciple-making Pastor by Bill Hull
An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels
The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren
The Master’s Plan for the Church by John MacArthur
7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Any Stanley
Too Busy not to Pray by Bill Hybels
Building High Commitment in a Low Commitment World by Bill Hull
Praying in the Word of God by Kathleen G. Grant
Why so much fighting over worship?
It is an interesting reality that so many Christians fight over things related to worship. When a person surveys the Word of God to find if there are any principles to be guided by in the area of worship, he does not find a lot of the information dealing with the form. This should be a call to patience and understanding for those on both sides of the debate (traditional and contemporary). Most of the discussion revolves around, surprise, God! Everything in worship and in life revolves around Him!
So what does this mean? It means that a person’s life is to reflect loving devotion expressed through obedience to God’s Word. God desires obedience over sacrifice. God is looking for people to exalt Him. Worship is expressed in many different ways. Christians should recognize God as worthy for who He is and what He has done. We cannot truly be worshiping in our church services, if our lives are marked by disregard for God’s Word elsewhere. We cannot truly be worshiping in our church services, if our focus is on whether we like the music or not. Maybe, one of the most necessary forms of worship that we can present God with during our times is, a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51:17). Maybe, God just wants us to humbly repent of our selfishness, then we will truly be worshiping.
The Necessity of Expository Preaching
I was thinking recently about the importance of preaching. I recently finished an article written by John MacArthur on the relationship between inerrancy and expository preaching. The article was filled with strong encouragement to preach expository sermons exclusively. I appreciated the article because it reminded me (in our age of quick fixes and topical sermons) that the Bible is God’s inerrant Word. It is His truth. It is what He wants people to hear, know, and to live accordingly.
I immediately have different preachers enter my mind while pondering this mess of topical preaching that is ever present in churches. It seems that some have resorted to topical preaching in an effort to make the Bible “relevant.” Whether we realize it or not, this is an issue that must be addressed. If the Bible is God’s authoritative Word, what are we doing “patch-working” it together in a “ten-step program?” MacArthur’s article brought me back to reality. It is apparent that our topical preaching and our “Christianity-lite” has not helped the church to become healthy and strong (Eph. 4:11-16).
I thank God that He has revealed His Word and preserved it, so that we may grow in our knowledge of Him. May God find us faithful in proclaiming His Word as it is written.
Asking God for more workers for His harvest
This past Sunday night at our church we prayed for God to raise up workers for His harvest. Individuals prayed for God to raise up men and women for full-time ministry from within our church and from within all the continents. It is interesting to think about the fact that Jesus told the disciples that there were not enough workers for the harvest. I don’t know what they must have been thinking, but it probably would have made me a little nervous. Jesus looked around at all the people, and seeing their incredible spiritual needs, He says that Christ-followers are going to need reenforcements! Fast-forward to today and the need is still there. There is incredible spiritual need around this world, and there are still not enough workers for the harvest.
We should probably take this instruction from Jesus more seriously. The need for more workers for God’s harvest has always been real, but this is the only life that those reading this post will have. So Christ-followers, let us confess our sins and humbly ask God to raise up more workers for His harvest. Let all glory be His and His alone.
The Need for Passionate Christ-followers
There is something that is sweeping American evangelical churches like the plague, apathy. It is a disease. There needs to be a radical heart transformation in the life of churches. Paul writes that we are to, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called,” (Eph. 4:1). This does not seem to be happening. There is more passion and desire for accumulating possessions than there is for impacting this world for Christ.
What will it take for there to be passionate Christ-followers? God will have to do something dramatic to get our attention. I am not talking about a person doing something dramatic, but God. It will take Him shaking our personal worlds. I am certain that all Christ-followers (including myself) need to remember what God has done for us through Christ (read Ephesians 1-2 for example). God please change our hearts!
How Great is our God
How Great is our God
Intro:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” (Gen. 1:1). How many of you have stopped to think recently about the fact that God (the God of Israel, the God of the Bible), made this planet? The ground that you walk around on was not always there. The ground that you walk around on was not always there. After God made the earth He gave it shape and filled it (see Gen. 1:2; formless and void). He made the sky/expanse/firmament, and He made it so the dry land appeared. He filled the earth with fish and birds, animals and insects, and most significantly with man.
Message:
– Here are some things that you may never have thought of before about God’s act of creating:
* God created light 3 days before He created the sun (Gen. 1:3; cf. 1:14-18)
* God created plant life 1 day before He created the sun (Gen. 1:11; cf. 1:14-18)
* God created fish and birds 1 day before He created animals and insects (Gen. 1:20-22; cf. 1:24-25)
* God created man on the same day He created animals and insects (Gen. 1:24-25; cf. 1:26-31)
– According to a person who believes the process of evolution explains the origins of this planet and the life that resides on it:
* the sun existed before the earth and was once a part of the sun
* plant life couldn’t exist before the sun
* fish evolved into birds
* animals evolved into man
– I once had a female co-worker say to me that it was scientifically impossible for there to be:
1) light without the sun
2) plant life without the sun
I answered her by saying, “God can do whatever He wants. Who are you to say He can’t do these things?” Really, the issue is that people who believe evolution explains the origins of life, have attempted to establish rules that limit what God (if they allow for there to be one, and the one that evolutionists allow for: an intelligent designer, has very little in common with the God of the Bible) is able to do. Evolutionists believe that God (“if there is one”) must play by their rules or the places where He doesn’t (in the Bible) aren’t true. One thing that I must say about that, God does what He pleases. He isn’t limited by people’s theories or understandings.
– God says that people decided to worship other things (Rom. 1:22-23). He says that they didn’t honor Him or give thanks to Him (1:21). How is it that people (whom God created) would reject the very God who created them to worship Him? When God created man (Adam) He gave him one command to obey. The man chose to disobey the one command and sin entered the human race (Gen. 3:6-7). At the moment the man sinned he brought about a spiritual separation between himself and God (Gen. 2:15-17). The Bible says that as a result of Adam’s sin every human being born with a human father (which would be everyone, except Jesus) is born having sin and is separated from God (Rom. 5:12, 14).
– The result of people being sinners has led them to not give God the glory (credit) He deserves. Here are some things about God that He deserves glory (credit) for:
* He led the Israelites through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:22).
* He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to walk through on dry ground (Ex. 14:13-31).
* He helped David defeat Goliath (1 Sam. 17:31-58).
* He took Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire (he never died – 2 Kg. 2:11-12).
* He revealed Himself to Isaiah (Isa. 6:1-7) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:22-28).
* He revealed how Jesus will come someday and make all things right on earth and reign as King from Jerusalem (Dan. 7:13-14).
* He sent His sinless Son Jesus to earth to take the punishment, that all people deserve for their sins, by dying on the cross (Rom. 5:8-9).
* He raised His Son Jesus from the dead 3 days later (1 Cor. 15:3-8; see Rom. 5:10).
– So one of the most important ways that you can glorify God in your life is to:
* Ask God to forgive your sins (Repentance)
* Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again (Savior)
* Surrender your life to Him and let Him be in charge of your life (Lord)
– If you have already surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, then God wants you to live your life for Him, with His help.
* Eph. 5:1; 4:1; 2:10
Does God still judge believers who sin?
I have been preaching through the book of Daniel and I am now in chapter 9. Daniel prays in chapter 9 for the forgiveness and restoration of the nation of Israel to a proper relationship with God. The people had experienced judgment/punishment at the hands of God that was severe. I mention again that these are God’s people.
I was discussing this point with another believer, wondering aloud what form God’s judgment/punishment takes in the lives of Christians today. Is it possible (as one of my former professors believes) that God has judged the Church today, with apathy? The person I mentioned this to, thought it was not possible. The person did not believe that God would ever “give up” on a believer.
I think the answer to that person’s statement is, yes and no. No, God does not ever remove the justification that a person has received through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection (eternal security). Yes, I do believe that God judges/punishes Christians severely at times for their sin (see Hebrews 10:26-30; 1 Cor. 11:27-32). I don’t know exactly what God is doing to punish the sins of the Church right now, but I am certain that if He hasn’t done so already, He will. God forgive us for our selfishness and worldliness.