Awake My Soul

The image of God invisible, the first born of all life

Before and within, he holds it all in

One name, one faith, one Christ

No one is good enough, to save himself

Awake my soul tonight, to boast nothing else

I trust no other source or name, nowhere else can I hide

This grace gives me fear, and this grace draws me near

And all that it asks it provides

No seam in this garment, all my rags to hide

No less than your love, Jesus is mine

When I stand on the edges of Jordan

With the saints and the angels beside

When my body is healed, and the glory revealed

Still I can boast only Christ

Romans 3:10-11 "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God."

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Galatians 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."

Prone To Wander, Lord I Feel It...

It's interesting how much of the day can go by in the monotony of life and not have a single thought about Christ or His work. Often I will cling to the cross in reliance, knowing that every step of obedience is a result of the cross. However I somehow will manage to sleepwalk away from the cross and then wake up only to find myself miles away from it.

I decided to set an alarm clock to wake myself up from this sleepwalking tendency. For some reason I happen to coincidentally look at the clock or an address or a receipt where there is a repeating number - very often. For example: 3:33pm, 222 San Jose Ave, $7.77, etc. I seem to see this about 3-5 times a day. Since it happens so often I decided to use it. Each time I see a repeating digit, I will thank God for an aspect of the gospel.

For example:

"Thank you Father, that because of the gospel, you have adopted me."

"Thank you Jesus for fully relying on the Father's will on my behalf."

"Lord, I am thankful that because of the gospel, this earth will be made new."

"Thank you God for vindicating your glory through the gospel."

It has been a blessing lately. I get excited dwell on these realities at random times unexpectedly throughout the day.

It's All About Love...No, It's All About Christ

Since the inception of our church I have tried to impress upon my brothers and sisters that all of Scripture is about Christ. To hear a sermon from the Old Testament or New Testament and to not have Christ as the aim or focal point is to have a Christless sermon—a non-Christian sermon really. The substance and essence of all Scripture is Jesus Christ Himself. He said so and taught accordingly.

John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

And so in some way, we must always head to Christ from whatever passage we preach from. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, “I take my text and make a bee-line to the cross.” So whether the passage shows us our sin and utter depravity and need for the Savior like in Genesis 3…or whether the passage shows God’s faithfulness in presevering the people through whom Christ would be born like in Genesis 50…or whether the passage gives a prophecy of the work and person of Christ like in Isaiah 55…or whether the passage shows us a type of Christ like Jonah…or whether the passage gives us the wisdom of Christ as in Proverbs…or whether the passage points to the judgment of Christ as in Joel…IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRIST.

My aim in the past three and a half years has been to build this truth into my family and into our church. Naturally, you can understand my joy when my daughter and I had this conversation last night after she read her Bible.

“Macy, what did you read in your Bible?”

She replied, “Dad, I’m a little nervous to tell you.”

“Why? It’s ok if you forget a little. Just pick up your Bible and show me some of the things you learned. Was it about soccer? What is about food? Was it about Jesus?”

”Dad! All Bible stories are about Jesus,” she replied as if I didn’t know and that it should have been obvious to me.

She went on, “Dad. It was hard to understand. I’m not sure if I got it.”

I replied, “Well, it looks like God gave something to Moses. Did he give him some fish? Did he give him a high-five? What did He give him?”

“Commandments,” she said.

The Bible she reads from has some lessons that are designed to teach her essential truths of the faith. This lesson focused on the fact that we can’t know God unless He reveals Himself to us. Thus we see God speaking His Word. Scripture, which is God-breathed, shows us what God is like and what He expects of us.

Our conversation then went on to explaining the point of why God gave us His Law: to show His perfection and our sin, thus our need for Christ’s perfect obedience and His salvation. We had a good chat as she snuggled up into my arms and I told her the gospel story once again from Exodus.

Gospel Realities in the Barnyard

I love how in just a few short words, Christ can teach us of mercy and judgment. On one hand, if we come to Christ, we receive mercy. On the other hand, if we reject Him via rejecting His messengers, we are damned.

Matthew 23:37-38 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.

In this passage, Christ uses a tender metaphor to teach Jerusalem, the Scribes and the Pharisees what He intends to accomplish for repentant sinners. Christ explains that the gospel work He came to accomplish is like that of a hen tucking her chicks under her wings. A hen will do this to provide protection for her little precious ones. Protection from what? From foxes, from hawks or from whatever dangerous predators may lurk out there. In the event that an animal comes to attack the chicks, the hens wings will be the first line of defense. Whatever wounds are meant to come upon the chicks will indeed be inflicted upon the hen. In may even be that the hen gives her life for her chicks in order for them to live.

Thus it is with Christ, as He says. "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" Sinners need protection under the wings of Christ. Protection from what? From foxes? From hawks? From what? From God. God and sinners are opposed to each other. As a just God, God will punish and inflict judgment and eternal death upon sinners. Violating God's holy nature is that serious, that offensive, that ugly. Yet our God is a merciful God. The Father, Son and Spirit had an eternally existing plan that was meant to provide protection for sinners. This plan entailed our coming under the wings of Christ so that when God comes to strike us down for our sin, our Christ edures the pain, the stripes, the punishment, the death blow.

We are safe from eternal danger because Christ is to us what a mother hen is to her chicks. Those outside the wings are Christ will be stricken, smitten and afflicted by God. They will be left desolate just as Jerusalem was.

Isaiah 53:4-12 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Dwelling on Gospel Truth

[an excerpt from a I.M. conversation that I had with Andrea's husband, Mike]

Michael: I was studying for the sermon this week and something struck me about the greatness of the gospel, so I want to share it with you

Joey: RAD. Let's hear it!

Michael: heb. 6:10 - God is not unjust so as to forget your work and love which you have shown toward his name.
What strikes me is God will not remember any of my sins, but will remember and reward the work that I have for His name sake. That is grace. Underserved blessing.
Sent at 12:25 PM on Wednesday

Joey: That's incredible. I have to dwell on that truth today.

Michael: Just imagine if God said, "I am going to weigh your bad deeds against your good and bless you accordingly"?
there would be fear, not toward God, but of doing more good then bad
but now, that my sin has been forgotten in Christ, I have freedom to serve Him for His glory
Ps. 130:4, there is forgiveness with you that YOU should be feared

You Are What You Worship

Worship is a as common to humans as breathing because it is part of who we are. Worship is not a religious thing it is a human thing. But the unique thing that I am starting to discover about worship is that you resemble most what you treasure deepest. That is to say you reflect in emotion, thought, and action what you worship with emotion, thought, and action. Psalm 115: 4-8 is the text I am drawing my understanding of this principle from. The Psalmist is giving a description of how idols are made (v. 4), the qualities they possess (v. 5-7), and the effect they have on those who worship them (v. 8). These idols are made by human hands (v. 4), yet do not even hold the attributes of a human because they cannot speak, walk, or talk (v. 5-7), and as a result those who worship them lack spiritually what the idols lack physically (v. 8). The error in understanding idolatry and its effect on those who participate in it is to assume that this was a cultural point and does not affect us presently. But because the Bible is timeless and worship is woven into the fabric of our being this principle is very timely.
To illustrate how timely the idea of you are what you worship let me give two present cultural examples:
The Second Largest American Religion: Sports
Any discerning person taking a trip to a Sports stadium during a game who understands historical pagan religion will see the connection. Pagan worshippers dressed up in weird gimmicks, painted their faces and bodies, and chanted unintelligible songs in order to influence their tribal deity. Compare that to a football game where people dress up in the most ridiculous costumes, paint their entire bodies in their teams colors in subzero temperatures, and sing fight songs to support their teams efforts. People get so wrapped up in the worship of a sports team that they start to refer to their team as “we” when referencing anything done by them. Also, a person who worships a sports team will also have his emotions determined by that sports team. When they win their happy and stable and when they lose they are depressed and unpredictable. Or if you are a Minnesota sports fan you are emotionless because you have been taking anti-depressants for so long that you have forgotten how to feel.
The Largest American Religion: Sex
I think this one is pretty obvious seeing as the Porn industry last year brought in more money than the NBA, MLB, and NFL combined. People who worship Sex are marked by the same passion that sex offers. They are people driven by passion and controlled by it so much so that they are willing to sacrifice anything to indulge it. Examples, would be husbands sacrificing their marriage and families to indulge a passion with a woman who is not his wife. A kid willing to sacrifice his purity and parents trust to view pornography. A man willing to sacrifice his freedom and risk going to jail to indulge a passion for someone underage. People resemble (are passionate indulgers of pleasure) what they worship (Sex: a passionate pleasure).
So the question is not do you worship but what do you worship. Sadly for most people they are idolaters who have worshipped themselves into sin by substituting the worship of the creator for the worship of created things (like sex and sports) (Rom 1:18-32). Jesus came to save us from our idolatry by paying for our false worship so that we could be restored to true worship (1 Peter 3:18). You worship your way into sin and you must worship Jesus to save yourself from sin (2 Cor 3:18).

Glory Central

"abide hard by the cross and search the mysteries of his wounds.”"
-Spurgeon

There is no more important thing to God than God’s glory; and there is no better display of God’s glory than the display of God’s glorious grace; and there is no better display of God’s glorious grace than the display of the gospel; and there is no better display of the gospel than the cross of Christ. If I am to live for God’s glory I must live next to the cross. If my passion for God is to line up with God’s passion for God then I must dwell by where His passion was manifested in this universe unlike any other point in history ever: I must dwell by the cross. If my mission for God is to line up with God’s mission for God, then I must labor in light of that most glorious manifestation of His mission for making much of Himself: I must labor in light of the cross. If I am to live admiring anything, if I am to live motivated by anything, if I am to live passionate about anything, if I am to live reflecting upon anything, if I am to live rejoicing in anything, if I am to boast in anything, if I am to live because of and for anything, let it be Christ and him crucified. Let it be the cross.

Photo Credit: Matt Wahl

The Precious Blood

Blessed Lord Jesus,
Before Thy cross I kneel and see
the heinousness of my sin,
my iniquity that caused thee to be 'made a curse',
the evil that excites the severity of divine wrath.
Show me the enormity of my guilt by
the crown of thorns,
the pierced hands and feet,
the bruised body,
the dying cries.
Thy blood is the blood of incarnate God,
its worth infinite, its value beyond all thought.
Infinite must be the evil and guilt that demands such a price.
Sin is my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper,
born in my birth,
alive in my life,
strong in my character,
dominating my faculties,
following me as a shadow,
intermingling with my every thought,
my chain that holds me captive in the empire of my soul.
Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light,
the air supply breath,
the earth bear my tread,
its fruits nourish me,
its creatures subserve my ends?
Yet thy compassions yearn over me,
thy heart hastens to my rescue,
thy love endured my curse,
thy mercy bore my deserved stripes.
Let me walk humbly in the lowest depths of humiliation,
bathed in thy blood,
tender of conscience,
triumphing gloriously as an heir of salvation.

|The Valley of Vision

Celebrities Vs. Refuse

My friend Erik Raymond (The Irish Calvinist) tweeted this:

"True gospel ministry does NOT produce celebrities 4 the world, rather men who are seen as useless & offensive, refuse"

1 Corinthians 4:13

"when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things."

photo credit: carissa gallo

An Update On Church Life

For those of you that don't know me, I'm not a big sports fan. I rarely crawl out from underneath my rock to see what's going on in that world. As such, it was February 4th, 2007, that we had our first church service. Later that day I found out that it was Super Bowl Sunday. Not exactly what you would call a great marketing idea. But then again, the cause of Christ is bigger than grown men fighting to move an oblong ball pumped with air down a green field. I have to admit though, it was an accident on my part, but one that I look back on with a smile. I often think, "How funny!" That was almost three years ago. Time flies!

Fourteen. That's the number of people that were present in our first service. Several of those people were dear brothers and sisters that were faithful members of their own churches that wanted to be there to encourage and support us our first Sunday. It was an exciting morning because none of us knew what to expect. We just knew that it'd be chaotic from time to time and that we'd have to make due with what we had. We also knew that the Lord would provide as He saw fit.

The first two years were rough. But then no one ever said ministry was easy. There were times when the only ones present were my wife, my daughter and yours truly. On those particular Sundays we'd have a short devotion and then go out to have breakfast and then I'd head to work a little earlier than normal. Those days were tough to rejoice in the Lord. There were a few times when I felt like calling it quits on the whole church-planting. I imagined that I'd take my family to an already established church that perhaps needed help with preaching. Then I'd grab the phone book and see that there weren't really any churches up here that held to a Calvinist/Reformed belief system. Because I know the grace teachings that flow from these beliefs, it troubled me that maybe only one or two churches in this whole desert area were like ours. So I put the phone book down, confessed my selfishness to God and then went right back to sermon preparation and evangelizing those whom God put in my path. This whole doubt thing with the phone book has happened on about five or six occassions.

The first two years were like a roller coaster. Many of the people that attended our church were from the dealership that I worked at. If you're not familiar with the car business, let me just say that the employment turnover is high. Not coincidentally, our church suffered the same turnover rate. It was always a bummer to lose someone because of schedule changes or relocations, but I still keep in contact with those dear brothers and they are growing strong in the Lord in their current locations. For that I praise God.

The first two years were spiritually transforming. I continually reminded our congregation that a right preaching of the Scripture and administering of the ordinances were the marks of a true church. Regardless of how big or small we were, we were a legitate assembly of believers. The building, the programs, the size, the resources were irrelevant to whether or not we were a true church. I tried to stress the importance of faithfulness to God and not success by outwards standards or indicators. And let me tell you, that is a tough one to break. Sometimes numbers matter more to pastors than anything and that is a difficult thing to remove from one's thinking. God used John Piper's book, Brothers We Are Not Professionals, to play a huge role in reshaping my ministry understanding. I will say that numbers are not unimportant, but neither are they the ultimate indicator of the health and success of a church.

The first two years+ have been a big blessing. For ten years I was in full-time ministry and received a regular salary from my brothers and sisters in the church. Because our current church was/is just starting, I preach for free. I don't think I've ever enjoyed preaching so much. It's been the greatest blessing to be able to feed the flock of God without having to be a financial burden on them. The Lord has graciously provided for my family through secular employment.

Our time together has been a blessing because we've seen some unbelievers regenerated and come to faith in Christ. That has been the biggest blessing of all. I have long since moved away from decisional regeneration and have simply focused on sharing Scripture (publicly and privately) and letting God do the converting through His Word. I'm not so quick to ge a "decision" out of someone just so that I can say "We had one saved!" I'm genuinely more concerned to see someone truly born again by the Spirit, thus we have no altar calls or decision cards but rather a call to repentance and faith each and every week during the preaching of God's Word. There are no "just pray this prayer and you'll be saved" kind of stuff. There are biblical and theological reasons why I don't do this anymore; the main reason being that the biblical response to the gospel is "repent and believe" not anything else. This summer we baptized several that have confessed Christ as Lord and given evidence of regeneration. It was totally awesome.

Over the past couple of months, some interesting things have happened. We have about thirteen new people start attending. That's exciting because several are unsaved and we are praying for their conversion. It's also exciting to see believers (who were looking for a church) now growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. We have some newer singles, seniors, married couples and children coming. What's great is that Christ has united us (those that are saved) regardless of ethnicity or age. What's great is that our unsaved visitors are being brought because of Christ. They know exactly why they are coming and what they should expect to hear. None are hoodwinked into thinking that they are coming to get entertained and then blind-sided with the gospel. There's no bait-and-switch. I love it. Just the reality of God and His Word.

A few weeks ago, another interesting thing happened. I became friends with a Pastor of a church that is about five miles away. Recently, I preached at this brother's church on a Sunday night. The reason I preached was because we are slowly (and I means slowly) talking about the possibility of merging our two churches. My new friend has been wanting to retire for some time and is seeking a replacement. Being the founding pastor of the church, he is the only pastor this church has ever known for 35 years. They're a small congregation--only about 40-50, but so are we...about 25-30.

Having never been a part of something like this, I have many questions and concerns. Ultimately, the glory of God is what I'm most concerned about. If our churches merge in a hastily fashion and factions forms, I do not want the gospel mocked in the community because of a church split. Secondly, I'm concerned for the members of both churches. If factions form and the church splits after a merger, I do not want the faith of any believer destroyed. So I'm very hesitant to go through with something like this. Yet I don't want fear to drive our decision...I want the glory of God to. And sometimes that is a risk worth taking.

My first criteria in deciding whether or not we merge is our theology. It's going to take some time to really see where they are. It's going to take some time for them to really see where we are. Hence, we are slowly setting up opportunities for me to preach at their location. I already mentioned that I preached there one Sunday night. Though the attendance was minimal, it was a wonderful opportunity to share God's Word which was received well.

The pastor and I have agreed that our churches should meet on Sunday, October 25th. That same morning I will be preaching to all and leading the entire assembly in a couple of spiritual songs. This meeting will serve to let their congregation know a little bit about our theology and will serve to help our church evaluate the second criteria of whether or not our churches should merge. Our second concern is brotherly and Christ-like love and submission (to each other and to the Word). If their church is not teachable, it would be a tough merge. If their church is turned inward and not receptive to others, it would be a tough merge. I don't imagine that is the case, but that morning will give us the chance to see if their church is characterized by glad submission to the Word and to other believers.

If things progress from here, I imagine that more preaching times will be scheduled and some sort of plan or map will be laid out for a smooth merge and transition from one pastor to the next. I have also talked with all of our church families and they are cautiously hopeful of the situation. My desires is that we be in complete unity when it comes time to make a decision either way. Either we merge, if the Lord wills...or we continue doing what we're doing, if the Lord wills. Either way, we will rejoice in our Lord for bringing two churches together or for allowing us to become friends with another local church.

Again, my biggest concern has to do with the theology aspect. The church that we're considering merging with is just like the church I grew up in. Having spent some time with the pastor, I am almost 100% sure I know what they believe. We even went to the same Bible collge. That may sound like a good thing, but I no longer hold to some of the beliefs I grew up with and learned in college. I am a former Calminian...part Arminian, part Calvinist. I sort of chose the things I like from both sets of theology. Now I am a fully convinced Calvinist. My fear is that if I come out and say "Calvinist" that the stereo-type of a Calvinist will cloud their thinking and prevent meaningful dialogue and progress. When most people who do not hold to Calvinism hear of a Calvinist they are automatically taken to the stereo-type of a Hyper-Calvinist, which is rank heresy. And they are often transported to the word "predestination" or "election" as if that is the only thing a Calvinist believes or is focused on. Truth be told, everyone Christian has to admit that both of these things are a reality because they are in God's Word. The only thing is whether a Christian wants to come out and actually say what these things really mean. So all Arminians and Calvinists belief in these doctrines...they just have different understandings of them.

When I left my former church in Los Angeles there were things that were said about me that had everything to do with Hyper-Calvinism and not Calvinism. I don't want that same faulty understanding to prevent any meaningful progress in a potential church merge. Therefore, I am going to avoid labels and instead focus on preaching the Word. I am not ashamed of what I believe or afraid to confess it, I just know how people responds to labels. My prayer is that the love of God in our church would shine forth brilliantly to show that we have a heart for God, for the church and for the lost.

Well, that is where we are in the history of God's redemption plan. I have on idea what the final results will be from our perspective. But somehow it will end in God being glorified.

Should I Give Money To Homeless Panhandlers?

"Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you" (Matthew 5:42).

I confess, I have not always obeyed this command.

I'm a veteran urban-dweller. Having lived in an inner city neighborhood for 18 years, I've encountered many beggers and borrowers. Some I discerned as cons I have called out or waved off. Some I have hired to do work. Others I've given to because I felt the conviction of this text.

I've thought a lot about this command of Jesus over the years. I've discussed it with many. I think I know all the major reasons why not to give when someone asks. You don't want to encourage deception. You don't want to feed a chemical addiction. You don't want to contribute to someone's cycle of poverty. And there are many others.

But still this text unnerves and convicts me.

The reason is that Jesus doesn't give this command in the context of addressing how I can best facilitate transformation in someone else. He is telling me how I should respond to those who are making demands on me, either from explicitly evil motives or just plain out of their difficult situation. He is telling me how I ought to respond even when being taken advantage of.

* Do not resist the evil person, he says. Let him slap you twice. (v. 39)
* Give him more than he is suing you for. (v. 40)
* Do more than he is forcing you to do. (v. 41)
* Give to those who ask. (v. 42)
* Love your enemy. (v. 44)

Jesus is telling me to actively show kindness and radical generosity toward those who hate me or who are seeking to take advantage of me.

Really, Jesus? Isn't that rewarding sinful, or at least unhealthy, behavior?

Of course, I can think of Biblical examples that illustrate when it seems right to resist or flee an evil person in situations of theft, deception, abuse, persecution, war, etc. So when the Word speaks, I must listen carefully, and I must weigh all of his words.

But from the words Jesus speaks here, I think it applies more often and more broadly than I want it to. He does not let me off the hook easily. He tests my heart with such radical love. And in my heart I see my selfish, unloving impulses that do not want to part with my money, possessions, time, or convenience for needy or evil people. And I have a ready arsenal of noble-sounding rationales that conceal my sin, almost from myself.

What Jesus is calling me to is gospel love. It's the love that drove him to die for me with when I was still a weak, ungodly, sinful enemy of his (Romans 5:6-10). There is something about such over-the-top, radically generous love that is so different from the way the world loves that it reflects the Father's love for sinners. It's why Jesus calls us also to costly love. It is both an expression and picture of the gospel.

Pray for me. I have an opportunity in my life right now to obey this command, which is why I'm wrestling with this text again. Pray that I will love the way I have been loved.

-John Piper

A Wedding Service

Just got home from finishing a wedding. I don't have a lot of time for a long commentary, but I wanted to post the wedding service and a couple of thoughts.

Over the past several years I have changed the way that I do weddings. First of all, I no longer charge for any services rendered. If someone wishes to give me a gift, I do not refuse (for various reasons like etiquette and traveling expenses). But when asked to do a wedding and asked what my fees are I say, "It's a privilege to do weddings. It's another opportunity for me to share the gospel with several hundred people at once. For that I cannot charge and I'll do it gladly for free" (even if there is no gift afterwards). Also, I let them know that doing it for free allows them to spend money on other costly things or they can save some money (novel idea).

Secondly, when I do a wedding, I disclose to the couple that the wedding service is actually a worship service so Christ and His gospel will be central to the wedding. I let them know that I only do Christian weddings. I give them an example of a previous wedding that I have done so that they can read it and decide if they still want me to perform the service. If they don't want me to then they can decline and that is ok with me.

Now some people have a conscience that will not allow them to marry unbelievers. I will marry two unbelievers because marriage is for all, not just Christians. I won't marry a believer and an unbeliever. But marrying two unbelievers gives me many opportunities to share the gospel (with the couple beforehand and with all the guest during the service). Today, I had this opportunity. I was a bit nervous because it was a wedding in which I practically knew nobody. Well, I knew the groom's mom and that was it...well, my wife was there, too...but that's really it. I wasn't sure how the entire gathering would respond. You know it's easier to preach in front of your the home crowd (your own church family) verses a group of people in which you assume most to be unbelievers. So who knew how this would turn out. But the groom and bride had read the sermon ahead of time and still wanted me to do perform the service, so I went ahead with many prayers and utter dependence on God.

I fumbled a few words. "Cherishes" is hard to say when you're a bit nervous. Not a big deal. I'm not sure how unbelievers received the message. I just know that I tried to be faithful to the simple task God had given me. Thank you for those that prayed for me and any unsaved present at the ceremony. I will say that there were several believers present that were happily stunned that the ceremony was so overtly Christian. They confessed that they had never heard a wedding service quite like it but were wonderfully pleased. That was encouraging to say the least (not for my ego, but to see the Lord encourage the body through His Word).

Anyway, so that's my comment on weddings: I do them for free and they are overtly Christian in nature. May the Lord be honored in all we do...even wedding services. Here now is the transcript--word for word...literally.



OPENING PRAYER/BE SEATED
Father in heaven, we bless your name and give glory to you now. We know that every good gift we have is from you. As we come together to celebrate the gift of marriage and love, I pray that our hearts would be filled with gratitude for your kindness. Bless this wedding service now for your sake. We pray this is the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Please be seated.

WELCOME
Love ones, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of all of you, to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our support and blessings to the covenant that will unite LUCAS and SUZEE in holy matrimony.

Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and instituted by God for the mutual caring on one another. Marriage was also given to us by God to help us understand the wonderful loving and everlasting union that also exists between Christ and His Church. So too may this marriage be adorned by true and lasting love. And so now I ask:

GIVING & RECEIVING OF THE BRIDE
Who gives this woman to be married to this man? (Father, responds)

LUCAS, you may receive your bride. (Father will place the bride’s hand with the groom's and steps back.)

LUCAS and SUZEE, God created people with the need for relationship. First and foremost, we were created to know and love God. Understanding this helps us to see how we can properly love one another. Let me explain. In the tragedy of all tragedies, sin entered the human race and has blinded us to the beauty, majesty and infinite worth of our loving God. Because of sin we do not naturally desire and love God and see Him as the true Treasure that will forever satisfy our hungry souls. Our relationship with Him has been ruined and we are no longer at peace and in love with Him. Yet God was not willing to leave our relationship with Him in this state. As a people who run away from God, God is one who runs after us with an intense love. His love is a restoring love and a reconciling love.

The way that God restores the relationship between Himself and sinful mankind is through the great sacrifice and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. The Father sent the Son to live the sinless life that we failed to live. Jesus loved the Father perfectly. Scripture declares that when we put our confidence or faith in Jesus to save us from our sin and God’s great penalty for our sin, that God gives us, as a gift, the perfect obedience of Christ so that when God looks at us, He no longer sees us as sinners but as sinless and perfect. By faith in Christ our sin was transferred to Christ so that when He suffered on the cross, He was suffering and paying the penalty for my sinful life and any who put their faith in Christ. This is how God makes peace and restores the love relationship between Him and sinful man. It is the love and mercy of God that brings us back to Him in complete love.

I mention this because Scripture uses the language of marriage to describe the relationship between Christ and those who put their faith in Christ, namely the church. Scripture calls Christ the groom and it calls the church His bride. The Bible tells us that Christ gave up His life for His bride--for the church--that she might be saved and have an everlasting and ever-increasing joy as she is brought to be with God for all eternity. And it is this pattern of love and devotion that God sets forth as the pattern for our marriage relationships. So first and foremost, if we do not understand the great lengths that the Godhead went through to restore sinners to Him, then we will not have the proper lens to look through with which to guide our marriages.

Ephesians 5:25-33 [25] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

[28] In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30] because we are members of his body. [31] “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” [32] This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. [33] However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

In as plain language as possible, the Bible teaches us that Christ loved His church and willingly laid down His life for her good and in order that she might live eternally. In response the church is to lovingly devote her life to her Savior. This is exactly how the husband and wife are told to relate to one another. The husband’s duty is not to seek his own good, but to seek his wife’s good. The wife’s duty is to seek her husband’s good, not her own. Marriage is not about self-gratification, but the gratification of the one to whom you are making this covenant with. The covenant and vows that you are about to make are written specifically in that way for a reason. They are statements that reflect the commitment that you are making to the other person. The vows are not promises to seek out the desires of self but to meet each others’ needs in all circumstances, good or bad, ‘til death do you part. As each of you keeps your vows, the other will have the utmost confidence that all of their needs will be met. In this type of covenant keeping is true security and the foundation for a long and fruitful marriage. And so my prayer is for both of you to honor God by portraying the everlasting love relationship between Christ and His church. And since nothing will separate the church from her Savior, so too shall this marriage continue until the day that God separates you by death.

Matthew 19:6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

The covenant you make here now before God and these witnesses is solemn and to be entered into with this understanding. The vows that you are about to partake in are your promise to each other and to God that with His help you will do all that is necessary to keep your marriage healthy, thriving and intact.

Press into each other. Fight for a great marriage. Never yield to things that would weaken your love for one another. Realize that it is a great and blessed thing to be married and that it is God’s gift to you to show you His goodness. And above all, let the love that Christ had for His church be your motivation and guide and example for loving each other.

Understanding now the gravity and delight of marriage rooted in the love of Christ for His church, would you please continue to hold hands and face each other.

VOWS
LUCAS, do you take SUZEE to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and respect her, honor and cherish her, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity; and leaving all others to keep yourself only unto her, so long as you both shall live? ("I do")

SUZEE, do you take LUCAS to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and respect him, honor and cherish him, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity; and leaving all others to keep yourself only unto him, so long as you both shall live? ("I do")

EXCHANGE OF RINGS
Wedding rings are made of gold that have been purged from all it’s impurities. In our culture they symbolize the pure and unending love that the two of you are to have for one another. As you wear them, you declare to the rest of the world that your hearts are spoken for and that you belong to another. They are the outward sign of your inward commitment to each other.

LUCAS, please take this ring and place it on SUZEE’S finger and repeat after me. “With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

SUZEE, please take this ring and place it on LUCA’S finger and repeat after me. “With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

CHARGE TO THE COUPLE
LUCAS and SUZEE as the two of you come into this marriage united as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your love for one another, I would ask that you always remember the vows you have made here today. Cherish each other as special and unique individuals. Respect each other’s thoughts, ideas and suggestions. You must always forgive, never hold grudges, and live each day with Christ-like love as you share it together. From this day forward you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge. And I pray that your marriage will be strengthened by your love and respect for our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

CLOSING PRAYER
Father, my prayer is that you would guard the covenant that has just been made. When life throws adversities at LUCAS and SUZEE, protect them. Give them endurance. Give them grace. Give them everything that is necessary for a long and healthy marriage. May their friends and family provide them with encouragement and counsel from this day forward. May the love that you have for us, inspire their love for each other. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

PRONOUNCEMENT / BENEDICTION / KISSING OF BRIDE
LUCAS and SUZEE in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony, having promised your love for each other by these vows, the giving of these rings and the joining of your hands…as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I now declare you to be husband and wife. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and may He gracious to you.

LUCAS, you may kiss your wife.

PRESENTATION & DISMISSAL
Loved ones, I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. LUCAS BLANKENSHIP.

Noah's Ark: Love, Care, Peace and Family?

What a massive replica this must be, if indeed it is to Biblical scale. I can only imagine how much effort and money this must have taken to build this. Although impressive in size, I wonder if the message of Noah's Ark will be lost if people think that this Biblical account is about love, care, peace and uh, family?



The words love, care, peace and family may be used to describe the account inaccurately if one understands these words from a human perspective. If one is thinking about the love and care of God for His elect, then yes, the story is partially about love and care. If one is thinking about the peace that God has with those that come to Him in faith for salvation, then yes, the story is partially about peace, too. But from a human standpoint, I don't think most people would be thinking about love, care and peace from this perspective. They may be more inclined to think this story is merely about the human love that is portrayed by Noah for his family and Noah's love for "mother nature" and her animals. That, I am convinced, is merely a man-centered perspective of looking at the Bible and in no way communicates the Biblical message of sin and salvation--which is what God intends for us to know from the account of Noah's ark.

God hates sin and will punish and destroy those who violate His holy nature and do not love His holy nature. Yet, God has made provision for salvation. That provision comes through faith in what God has said...faith in His Word...faith in the Living Word. When we take God at His Word, we are credited with the righeousness of God and are spared from the wrath of God for our sin and sin nature. Those poor souls who did not believe Noah's message from God were not spared, just as any soul who fails to believe God's Word will not be spared from the final judgment and destruction to come.

The rain of God's wrath is coming and will last not for 40 days and 40 nights but for all eternity. There is an ark that we can climb into to be spared from these horrible rains and floodwaters. That ark is Christ. We need to be immersed and baptized in Him. Like the ark covered Noah and His family from certain death, so the righteousness of Christ and His shed blood covers us from the wrath and damnation of God. This is God's love. This is God's care. This is peace with God. This makes us heirs and family of God. So if the story of Noah's ark is intended to communincate love, care, peace and family from this perspective, I say "AMEN!" If not, then I say "anathema" to the person who preaches a false gospel and message from Scripture.

There's nothing wrong with using the words love, care, peace and family to teach the account of Noah's ark. But you can have two separate meanings, understandings and perspectives depending on how you proclaim the story. And if you fail to use words like sin, judgment, death and salvation in the story of Noah's ark, then you've only told part of the story. Let's make sure we use the Biblical meanings to tell the whole story rightly.

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.

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)

Reliance On Biblical Principles For Sanctification

Studying the great Romans 7 debate, I have come across some beautiful gems of Gospel truth. One of them, once again, points out the inadequacy of relying on Biblical "do's" for sanctifying work. These Biblical principles that we all have a tendency to cling to in our Bible reading are no more than the "law" as described in Romans 2,3,4,5,6,7 and so forth.

Romans 7:4

"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God."

Doug Moo:

"[in Romans 7], Paul argues that a person's bondage to the law must be severed in order that he or she may be put into a new relationship with Christ (7:1-6)... Despite [the law's] divine origin, the law can neither justify nor sanctify."

We are quick to say that the law will not justify us (save us), but after we are "in", we quickly hug the law as our sanctifying tool. Instead, we should use the law in the same way it was used to show us our need for Christ for justification - As unregenerate sinners we only bring sin to the table. But as believer's we STILL only bring sin to the table. We can't depend on our ability to "love God and love others" but we need complete reliance on the cross. The righteousness of Christ is our only righteousness. So instead of "do" we rely on His "did".

Should We Take It Down A Notch With All This Talk About The Cross?

Galatians 6:14

"But may it never be that I would BOAST, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

BOAST:

Gaining in the Midst of Losing

As I was sitting in church on Sunday Pastor Francis Chan was teaching on Philippians 3:1-11 and I was driven to this thought:

Today we say we'll believe in Jesus IF:
-We can be COMFORTABLE
-We can be HEALTHY
-We can be WEALTHY

Because we value our COMFORT and our HEALTH and our WEALTH more than Jesus.

But Jesus calls us to believe in Him EVEN IF:
-We lose our comfort (Mt. 8:20)
-We lose our health (Mt. 16:25)
-We lose our wealth (Mk. 10:21)

Because JESUS knows that HE is more WORTHY than our comfort and our health and our wealth.

Paul captured this idea best when he said, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ..."

Not only did Paul 'count' everything as loss (as though he was just give lip-service to Christ) but he 'suffered' the loss of all things (making his words a reality) and still could say that He was 'gaining.'

Now how could Paul say that he was 'gaining' in the midst of his 'losing'?

Because he knew the person who's saving grace could abound even to the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).
Because he knew the person who although he was equal with God took the form of a servant and humbled himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8).
Because he knew the person who took upon his sin and gave him perfect righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
Because he knew the person who died on his behalf so that he would never be separated from the love of God (Rom. 8:31-39).

Paul could say he was 'gaining' in the midst of his 'losing' because he knew CHRIST.

Anonymous Asks....Josh Replies

What do we think of this quote:

“If we proclaim a gospel that focuses only on the private experience of the individual and the heavenly benefits for the next life, then we should not be surprised to see people dismissing the importance of good works in this life within the context of the Church.”

There are a couple of things that I would like to say regarding this quote:

(1). I'm not sure of the entire context in which this was spoken, so addressing it may be tough, but I'll give it a shot.

(2). The effect may not be due to the cause in this case. What I mean is "Proclaiming a gospel that focuses only on the private experience of the individual and the heavenly benefits for the next life," may not necessarily result in seeing "people dismissing the importance of good works in this life within the context of the Church." I am not advocating such a narrowly focused gospel presentation, but I was fed a lot of this type of "Christianity" growing up and it did not affect my good works within the context of the church. I loved my church and served it as best as I could and was excited of the gospel promises that await me.

(3). I think there may be a germ of truth in sone of what the author may be trying to communicate, but aside from it's full context it is hard to say.

I agree with the sentiment that is against the personalizing of Christianity. I am against the privatizing and personalizing of Christianity, because we are not so much individuals that are being saved, but a people who are being saved. We are the "called out ones." We are the people of God...His sheep. So I refuse to use phrases like "personal relationship" because it is a corporate relationship that we have with our Savior. In church we sing to the Lord and to each other, so I always discourage the privatizing of corporate worship--the kind where people close their eyes and get lost in the moment and forget that they are worshiping together with other believers and instructing admonishing one another through songs, hymns and spiritual songs.

I also think that a gospel that only focuses on the life to come is narrow in it's scope. Those things are not untrue, but they are not the only things that come with the gospel. The church, Christian or pastor that only preaches those as the highest goal of the gospel falls way short of what Scripture teaches. The highest aim of the gospel is to bring us to God and that happens at the moment of regeneration and it's subsequent faith and repentance. The new creation is simply the finalization of our salvation, the fulfillment, the completion.

I believe that we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved. In other words, there is much more to the gospel than simply "we are going to be saved." We must include how Christ has saved us and is saving us from sin. Hearing the gospel proclaimed in it's entirety with clarity and accuracy is us hearing Christ speak to us. It is by Christ's Words that we are sanctified as believers. And we know that sanctification includes all sorts of holiness--including loving deeds towards our newfound brothers and sisters. Now because the gospel promises of heaven and bliss to come are true and faithful to the Word of God, even hearing these truths will results in the believer being sanctified, which will lead to good works within the church and without. But as I stated, that is not the fullness of the gospel promises and the work of Christ. By the way, that is why expositional preaching is so beneficial. It forces the preacher to preacher every nook and cranny of the gospel metanarrative found from Genesis to Revelation.

Just some thoughts. Heck, I may have entirely misunderstood the quote.