Meet Chelsea Kauflin. Pt 1

I've been hanging out with my friend Chelsea Kauflin on my trip to Maryland for the Next Conference. I was able to ask her about her testimony not too long ago. I want to share her story with you.

(I have left her anti-capitalizing grammar intact)

"growing up in a christian home has taught me a lot. growing up in charlotte, nc, i was not a child that anyone would ever want to have. i was ruled by pride, selfishness, and anger. always wanting my own way and doing whatever it took to get it. In april of 1997 i gave my life to the Lord after numerous conversations with my dad. From then on, my mom said that I was a completely different child, God was helping me get rid of my pride, anger and selfishness that i had had for so long.

in may of '97 my family moved to gaithersburg, md where my dad took the job of the Director of Worship Development at Sovereign Grace Ministries. during this time, i got tired of being the "good christian girl" and tried to search for things that might make me happy. throughout high school i looked to a lot of things besides God to satisfy me, boys, shopping, my friends, and sports, were things that i strived after. i never did anything that i thought was really sinful, therefore i never felt a real remorse for what my sin was doing to me. i let this go on month after month, trusting myself more and more and placing myself in situations that i thought i could handle. if i had any distrust of my heart (jer 17:9), it was gone, and i was slowly going down the path i never thought to be possible. 

in april of '04 my parents found out all the ways i had been deceiving them. i was released from my job at Covenant Life, pulled out from the worship teams i was participating in, and still felt no remorse for what i had done. that summer, my parents told me i couldn't have a job, and so i spent the summer reading, praying and talking to my parents a lot. during this time, God revealed to me just how sinful i am. i had never thought of myself as the worst sinner i knew until i looked back at all the things i let myself do because i trusted myself too much. 

all this being said, growing up in Sovereign Grace Ministries, has definitely only been for my benefit, but i have made the mistake of trying to live on my own and not seeking the help of those around me. by God's grace, he is showing me more of himself every day, making me realize that i am not my own, he has bought me and the least i can do is give him my entire life for his glory by his grace."

The Ineffectuality Of The Gospel Witnessing

Oooh...got your attention, huh? It's true though isn't it. There are times--a lot of times--when the gospel is given to others and it is not effectual. Perhaps you've shared the gospel with someone and it produced no change whatsoever on that person. If you've ever witnessed to someone then you may have seen the ineffectuality of the witnessing. Why is this so? Puritan John Owen writes:

"The gospel will not transform minds unless it first communicates those spiritual principles which are necessary if its work of transforming the mind is to be effective. Put new wine into old bottles and all is lost, bottles and wine also. Put the doctrine of the gospel into an old, unrenewed, corrupt sceptical mind, and it is soon polluted and spoiled, and because it is unable to produce holiness of life, turns the mind in scepticism against it.

Many have seen how ineffectual it is to put gospel mysteries into carnal men and so have abandoned preaching them, sticking only to those doctrines which are suited to the natural understanding of men, such as moral behaviour and obedience to the law.

The holiness which the gospel requires is the transformation of our souls into the image and likeness of God. This is the new nature which gladly submits to the 'good and acceptable and perfect will of God' (Romans 12:2). But his will not happen unless we can 'behold the glory of the Lord', for by that alone can we be 'changed into the same image from glory to glory' (2 Corinthians 3:18). Nor can we 'behold that glory', unless 'he who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shines in our hearts to gives us the knowledge of it' (2 Corinthians 4:6). This is why the doctrine of the gospel is ineffective in the hearts and lives of many by whom its truth is openly acknowledged and professed."

In order for the gospel to work and change the hearts of dead sinners, the Lord Almighty must grant grace to the hearer to hear. God's light must shine in our hearts if we or another are to receive the gospel--if the gospel is to be effectual. Illumination is necessary. A spiritual birth must first take place if we are to comprehend spiritual truths, for the natural man cannot receive or discern the things of God. He is just not able to apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

That's some hardcore doctrine. Pretty useless stuff, huh? Some would say so. But in fact this is hardcore doctrine that dictates hardcore philosophy of ministry. Doctrine like this really informs our practices. If you don't realize that God must regenerate and illuminate the mind of an unbelievers if he is to believe the gospel and be saved, then you will resort to man-made practices and philosophies of ministry to try and convert the soul. You'll replace the clear commands of God with human traditions just like the Pharisees did in Jesus' day.

John Owen says that in his day people would turn from preaching the gospel and instead preach obedience to the law and moral behavior type sermons. The natural and unsaved mind loves this, does he not? Ouch! What and indictment of his times. Things are radically similar in our day. Because preachers and Christians are ignorant of doctrine, they use their fallible logic to try reason to a solution to win more converts. The result of poor theology and doctrine is not orthopraxy but malpractice! And that is the condition of a large part of American Christianity. Orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy. Right doctrine leads to right practice.

So do we abandon the gospel knowing that God must give grace to the sinner to comprehend? No, we pray that God would overcome the unbelief in the sinner. We pray that God would rip out the stony heart of the sinner and put in a fleshy one that gladly and joyfully receives Christ. We continue preaching the glory of God in Christ Jesus. We continue being faithful to the Word of God. But we don't dare run the church as if God gave us the authority to reinvent His method of reaching the lost. It's through prayer, holy living and the foolishness of preaching that sinners receive Christ--and by preaching I don't only mean standing behind a pulpit on Sunday morning from 9:30am to 11am...preaching includes taking the gospel out into the world.

I think the "professional pastor" has put unbiblical emphasis on community surveys, crafty programs, affinity groups and obedience to law type sermons to reach the lost. Oftentimes the motivation to build the church comes from pride. We want a big church. We want large offerings. We want cool technology in our buildings. We want our church to be bigger and better than the other guys down the street. In the circles that I grew up in I often heard pastors ask other pastors, "so how many you running and how big are your offerings," as if that was the litmus test to a healthy and vital church. As a former youth pastor my friends regularly asked me, "How many do you have coming to your meetings?" Numbers was the concern, not so much faithfulness.

Let me say that we Pastors lose our authority to lead the church and preach to the church as soon as we deviate from sound doctrine and theology. We cannot shepherd the flock as if the Lord left earth only to leave us to run things without His explicit diretion. God did not leave us to build His church, as if we're taking over the reigns for Christ. Rather, Christ is building His church and He works through His people for His glory.

When it appears that the gospel is ineffectual and when it appears that our evangelism is not working, do not give up. Press on. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to send out more laborers into the field. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to give you boldness in proclaiming the gospel. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to regenerate and give understanding to sinners. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to help you live a holy life so as to adorn the gospel. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to do what only He can do so that He can be glorified. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to help the church be the visible display of His glory.

Quote Of The Week: Jay E. Adams

"You may wonder why I speak of the obligation of marriage--in the singular--when, of course there are many obligations (for instance, Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 7 of the obligation of sexual relations). When I speak of the obligation of marraige, I have in mind the basic obligation underlying all others (including the sexual obligation). That basic obligation is to meet the other's need for companionship. When a couple takes marriage vows, whether they realize it or not (and often they do not), they are vowing to provide companionship for one another for the rest of their lives; that is what their vows amount to. Notice they do not vow to receive companionship, but to provide it for one another. Marriage itself if an act of love in which one person vows to meet another's need for life, no strings attached.

That means that when a husband or wife complains, "I am not getting what I want out of marriage" his or her statement is nonsensical. And you must reply, "You did not enter marriage in order to get something for yourself. You vowed to give something to your partner. Marriage is not a bargain in which each partner says, 'I will give so much in return for so much.' Each vows to give all that is necessary to meet his or her spouse's need for companionship, whether or not he or she receives anything in return. Therefore, the only question is, 'Are you fulfilling your vows?'" Many marry for what they can get out of the marriage; but that is lust, not love, and is biblically untenbale. For that reason it is often necessary to challence counselees about their inadequate views of marriage and their failures to live up to their stated vows. As an act of love, marriage vows commit one to giving, not getting. Therefore, the Christian counselor must help his counselees see that the fundamental question is, "How can I please God and my mate?" not "how can I please myself?" To please God by rightly pleasing one's spouse is the basic obligation of marriage.

Of First Importance- Starting Your Day off Right

This poem was taken from Milton Vincent's book A Gospel Primer. I have changed it only slightly to make it into the form of a prayer. I have been reciting this every morning for the past few days, and it has been powerfully-reorienting and passion-igniting. It starts my day off where I ought to start my day- remembering and thanking God for the gospel. I encourage you to make this a regular practice in your life as well, and I give you this prayer as a significant means of grace for your joy and God's glory.


Father,

Beholding the heavens, I know understand
You measured them all with the breadth of Your hand.
You fashioned the trillions of stars in the sky,
The sun and the moon You established on high.
All heaven and earth, which You made in six days,
Show daily and nightly Your merit of praise.

So wondrously caring are You every day,
Creating, sustaining, my life ev'ry way.
Each breath I intake, ev'ry beat of my heart,
All pleasure well-tasted are Yours to impart.
Indeed, for such blessings You should be adored
And honored supremely as eminent Lord.

In fact, for this purpose You brought me to be,
That I might Your glory and kindliness see
And cherish You fully in all of my days,
Obeying with pleasure whatever You say,
Fulfilling the calling You've laid upon me
To show forth Your glory deliberately.

Yet I could not fail You much worse than I've done.
Ignoring Your glory, for mine I have run.
I've spurned a life under Your wisdom and care,
Begrudging You the throne I pretended me there.
A prideful and lust-laden path I have trod,
Transgressing all Your Ten great Commandments oh God.

My foolish rebellion gives You ev'ry right
To damn me with haste to the mis'rable plight
Of terrible judgments in Your Lake of Fire,
Where wrath is most fierce and will never expire.
With wickedest sinners I truly should know
The worst of Hell's furies for failing You so.

So this is my status and these are my flaws
Apart from Christ Jesus and His saving cause:
I carry sin's guilt and am gripped by sin's power,
Held fast to its various lusts ev'ry hour,
Deserving of flames, both within and without,
And sliding t'ward Hell as I toss all about,

Too reprobate even to play a small part
In clearing my record or changing my heart
To pacify Your wrath and be worthy of grace,
To make myself lovely and win Your embrace.
Completely condemned by Your Law in its whole,
I've nothing to offer to ransom my soul.

But wonder of wonders, so great to behold,
Oh God, You chose to save me with method so bold.
What I could not render, You fully have done,
And doing, You rendered it all through Your Son.
You sent Christ to die on the cross for my sin
To suffer my anguish and pardon to win.

Amazing it is, when I stop to regard,
That You God would consent to an anguish so hard,
Surrend'ring Your Son unto mayhem and death,
To torturous writhing 'til His final breath.
'Why does My God forsake me?' alone Jesus cried;
But You left Him hanging until He had died.

That Jesus You were willing Your life to lay down,
Be scourged and insulted and wear a thorny crown,
For one such as I who had spited You so,
Amazes and blesses and makes me to know
That greater a lover is no man than He,
Who laid down His life for a sinner like me.

Now after Christ died He was placed in a tomb,
Which first was a grave, but then served as a womb,
Travailing and quaking the day He was raised
And brought forth by You God to be handled and praised.
The Firstborn from death on that day emerged He
With power so save to the utmost degree.

At Your own right hand Christ is now reigning on high,
A Friend in high places to sinners who cry,
To Him for forgiveness their evils confessed.
Jesus you give them a pardon and then make them blessed.
As Prince You are Savior to all who believe,
Who come to You humble Your grace to receive.

Now when my time came and to You Jesus I cried,
You gave me the pardon for which I had sighed,
You cleansed me completely from wrongs I had done,
Released me from bondage to sins, ev'ry one.
You shattered sin's chains which had held me before,
And thus made me free not to sin any more.

A child of the Father You made me to be
And You gave me the Spirit as Your guarantee
That, being God's child, I will one day obtain
A heavenly treasure that never will wane.
While in me, the Spirit gives power and love
and sweet premonitions of glory above.

In saving, Father You also did justify me,
Accounting me righteous by Your own decree,
Declaring me guiltless of all of my sin,
And bringing Your wrath against me to an end.
This wrath Christ You appeased in full brunt on the Tree,
When, bearing my sin, You endured it for me.

So now Father You relate to me only with grace,
The former wrath banished without any trace!
And each day I'm made a bit more as I should,
Your grace using all things to render me good.
Yes, even in trials Your grace abounds too
And does me the good You assign it to do.

And when I am sinning Your grace does abound,
Ensuring my justified status is sound.
No wrath is awakened in You at my sin,
Because Your Son appeased it, (to say so again).
Your heart pulses only with passionate grace,
Which jealously wants me back in Your embrace.

You don't even require that I confess,
Before You desire Your forgiveness to press.
Forgiveness has been in Your heart all along;
And when I approach You to make right my wrong;
You run up to greet me and draw me near,
Embracing and kissing and ready to clear.

You do see my sins and You grieve at them so,
For when I am sinning, Your love I don't know!
You even will send me some heart-rending pain,
So I'll learn new ways and Your holiness gain.
Your disciplines always are with love imbued,
A love that seeks ever my ultimate good.

So Lord this is my story; ongoing evermore.
How shall I thank You for this gospel of Yours?
A gift that keeps giving, the gospel confers
The bounty of heaven each time I rehearse.
Deserve it? I don't on my holiest day;
But this is salvation, and herein I'll stay.
Amen.

Why I Didn't Preach On Mothers On Mother's Day

For the past forty three weeks I have been preaching through the gospel of Matthew. This past Sunday our journey brought us to Matthew 15:21-28.

Matthew 15:21-28 [21] And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. [22] And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” [23] But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” [24] He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [25] But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” [26] And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” [27] She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” [28] Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

When I read this passage I had this fleeting thought, "This would make a great passage for a Mother's Day sermon. Here we find a great example of a godly mother." In a flash, that went through my mind followed by these thoughts:

1. Christ is the focal point of all Scripture. Every passage of scripture is like a spoke on a wheel with the hub being Christ.

2. While the mother mentioned is a key figure in the story, putting the emphasis on her is like putting the emphasis on the little boy who gave his lunch so that Jesus could feed the multitudes. The account is turned upside down and instead of Christ being the "hero" who gives grace, the "hero" becomes the secondary figure.

3. While the mother in this account does seem to provide a good model to follow, preaching the text in this way turns the account into "Law" and not "Gospel." The focus becomes "what must I do" versus "what has God done for me." Knowing that faith is a gift of God, even Jesus' response that commends her faith should be understood in a way that reminds us that the kind of faith that GOD GIVES has a certain quality and substance about it. Thus, the glory in the passage goes not to the woman but to the God who gives great faith that we may receive deliverance from our great enemy. Grace, grace, grace.

4. Honoring mothers is what scripture commands us to do. A quick glance at the Ten Commandments reveals that this is to be the normal part of our life. And to obey God in this matter is to also give worship to Him. Our daily lives are acts of worship to God. And there is nothing wrong with putting emphasis on mothers in a Christ-centered way if that is what the text leads us to say, but we shouldn't mangle the text to fit the social calendar.

5. Special services are often misleading. Every Sunday is special Sunday because Christ should be supremely exalted. And I think we do a disservice to our congregation when we make special days. People can sometimes think that some Sundays are more important than others when that is not the case. And then they'll show up on Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Ground Hog Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Back To School Day. We ought to be getting our people hooked on Christ, not special Sundays. Now obviously there are moments in a worship service that may be less regular than others: like the installation of an elder, corporate church discipline, etc., but even these should be seen as a normal part of the church life and related to the gospel of the glory of Christ. The church is not Israel in that it is commanded to observe all sorts of memorial services, festivals, new moons and jubilees.

6. Jumping on the bandwagon with the rest of society really commercializes the church. The world will see no difference in what we do on Sundays if we're just doing the same thing they're doing. How about we show them what really matters and why we really gather on Sunday. Not only that but as I said early, we should be honoring our wives and mothers all the time. Yesterday I took my wife out to eat with our little girl, then we went to Home Depot to get some trees. Then we came home and worked in the yard. I told my wife, "You know, I'm sorry today wasn't extra spectacular. We just kinda did the norm." She said, "You guys treat me special all the time. That's what really matters." And she's right. To honor your mother or wife only on Mother's Day is actually a disgrace. The world makes a big commotion out of days like this. Shouldn't Christians be doing this all the time, thus separating themselves from the crowd in order to display the glory of God?

7. Lastly, I didn't preach on mothers for Mother's Day because I didn't want our women getting a false sense of flattery because the service was about them. I would rather have them built up in Christ...I would rather have them see the greatness of Christ...I would rather have them reminded of the gospel...than to create a fleeting sense of sentiment in order to make them feel special. John Piper has an illustration that says you don't go to the Grand Canyon to have others tell you how great you are...you go there to see how great the Grand Canyon is. And on Sunday I had an object that was greater than the Grand Canyon and helping our people to see the vastness, greatness, beauty, splendor, awesomeness, glory and immensity of this object would bring them more delight than had I tried to make much of mothers. That object was Christ.

I love my mother. I love my wife. I love my daughter, too. The Bible commends godly and faithful mothers throughout. But I do love my Savior more--although imperfectly. His saving grace is what makes our godly mothers so worthy of honor. So let's honor Him above all.

Self-love & The Gospel

The gospel reveals to me the breathtaking glory and loveliness of God, and in so doing, it lures my heart away from love of self and leaves me enthralled by Him instead. The more I behold God’s glory in the gospel, the more lovely He appears to me. And the more lovely He appears, the more self fades into the background like a form love interest who can no longer compete for my affections.

Preaching the gospel to myself every day reminds me of God’s astounding love for me and also of His infinite worthiness to be loved by me above all else. These reminders leave me increasingly absorbed with Christ and with God’s ultimate plan to gather together all heavenly and earthly things to Him

Milton Vincent
A Gospel Primer

(Photo by: David Hensler)