The new "Church Year" starts in September. This is the time when new committees, officers, teachers, etc. take their place. For me it is also a time of reflection and planning. Reflecting not only on what we have done, but on who we have been. And planning not merely what we might do, but also what we need to become.
So on Sunday mornings in August I plan to take a sabbatical from our study in John and preach a series entitled, "Together in the Church." This series is taken from Philippians 1:1-2 and keys on four words: servants, saints, bishops and deacons. This Sunday morning's message is – Servants Are We All.
Sunday evening we continue our series on "The Centrality of the Gospel," looking this Sunday at the necessity of the Gospel.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday. May Christ be our treasure. His promise our hope. His gospel our message.
Brent
Secure in Christ! He will not cast us out. He will not lose us. He gives us everlasting life. He will raise us up in the last day.
How can we keep from singing His praise? How can we keep from living joyfully for Him? For nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ! (Romans 8:31-39)
Even in this culture that questions the existence of truth in general and rejects the truth of the Gospel in particular, confident in our security in Christ we are compelled to remain calm, patiently endure what suffering may come our way, evangelize the world, and fulfill the ministry God has given us.
The truths from Sunday's worship will find particular fulfillment in our lives this week. I pray that our hearts will be open to God's Word and the guidance of His Spirit. And may the knowledge of Christ within us give us the courage to live for Him every day.
A couple of things in anticipation of Sunday evening and "The Centrality of the Gospel":
First, this series is born out of considerable prayer, study, experience and counsel. The pastoral staff gave their time, study and wise counsel in helping me formulate the Biblical foundation for this series. The result of that can be found in what I have called "The Centrality of the Gospel – Affirmations and Denials". To read this document just CLICK HERE and then click on "Affirmations and Denials".
And second, I just want to remind us all that there is nothing this world can do to stop us from fulfilling Christ's calling in our life. Oh, yes, they can outlaw the Gospel and even imprison, physically harm and kill those who follow Jesus. But they cannot stop Jesus and His Gospel. If they could the Gospel message would have been silenced in the first century.
And they cannot stop us. Christ's calling for our lives is ultimately beyond this life. So even if devotion costs us now, nothing done to us will take from us the promise we have in Him. Therefore, let us bravely live and suffer for Him now while awaiting with full confidence the trumpet sound and resurrection.
May Christ be our treasure. His promise our hope. His Gospel our message.
Brent
I am not a reader of "Christian Fiction". I'm not saying that I never have (though I don't recall such a book offhand) and I'm not saying I never will (there are times I might read a book just to be informed of what is going on). But as a general rule, I don't.
Sometimes I am asked if I have read a book classified as "Christian Fiction" and I usually just give a short but polite answer in the negative. I have been asked several times if I have read "The Shack", a best seller by William P. Young. I confess that I have intended to read it (just to be informed of what is going on), but I haven't as of yet.
Why don't I read "Christian Fiction"? For one, there is nothing fictional about Christianity. As a preacher of the gospel, I am called on to deal in the truth of God and His Word.
Also, fiction is about supposition. While some "Christian Fiction" may spring board from the platform of Biblical truth, the world of fiction soon enters the realm of the author's imagination. And imagination is not Divinely inspired. If one is not careful, one might adopt supposition as Biblical truth simply because it is from a work of fiction called Christian while it is in reality anything but Biblically true.
Further, as exciting and emotion provoking as some fiction may be, it is not the Word of God. And in this postmodern culture, the tendency exists even among the well meaning to supplant the Bible with books that connect at a fleshly level of human experience rather than the spiritual level of Divine truth.
As for "The Shack," I would direct you to a review by Dr. Glenn R. Kreider who serves as a professor of theological studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. The review is posted at the website of Charles Swindoll at Insight for Living. Just CLICK HERE to read it.
My prayer is that we will all be people of prayerful and Biblical discernment, trying the spirits to see if they are of God. (1 John 4:1) May the first book we read and the book by which all other books are judged be the Bible, God's holy Word.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
It was great being back in the pulpit this past Sunday. Cindy and I enjoyed good vacation and a wonderful trip to our nation's capitol. But there is nothing like worshiping with the people of faith at Faith.
I pray this week that you are living the satisfied life through Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. He, Himself, is our infinite and ultimate joy. Here is the quote I shared near the end of Sunday morning's sermon:
"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." - C.S. Lewis
May we be full-hearted creatures exulting in the joy of Christ!
Sunday evening we began a six part series entitled, "The Centrality of the Gospel." The Gospel is The Issue. It is The Issue worth standing, suffering and even dying for. Jesus did.
In Sunday evening's sermon, I referenced a blog by Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. It addresses statements made by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. You may read it in its entirety at the following link: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=4129
May Christ be out treasure, His promise our hope, His gospel our message.
Brent
