Grace Blog
Tim Keller on Fox News
Tim Keller has what looks to be an excellent new book on the life of Jesus Christ called King’s Cross. Recently, he was interviewed on FoxNews about his new book and in particular the questions skeptics and unbelievers raise about the reliability of the gospel accounts and the attempts of re-making Jesus into their own liking. I thought his answers were superb.
Labels: Cape Coral, FoxNews, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus, King's Cross, Tim Keller | posted by TimBrister at 11:56 pm | Categories: Books, Gospel, Jesus |
The Message of the Bible in 240 Words
Ever wanted to read a succinct summary of the message of the entire Bible? Check out this 240 word response by D.A. Carson found in his article “The Biblical Gospel“.
God is the sovereign, transcendent and personal God who has made the universe, including us, his image-bearers. Our misery lies in our rebellion, our alienation from God, which, despite his forbearance, attracts his implacable wrath.
But God, precisely because love is of the very essence of his character, takes the initiative and prepared for the coming of his own Son by raising up a people who, by covenantal stipulations, temple worship, systems of sacrifice and of priesthood, by kings and by prophets, are taught something of what God is planning and what he expects.
In the fullness of time his Son comes and takes on human nature. He comes not, in the first instance, to judge but to save: he dies the death of his people, rises from the grave and, in returning to his heavenly Father, bequeaths the Holy Spirit as the down payment and guarantee of the ultimate gift he has secured for them—an eternity of bliss in the presence of God himself, in a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
The only alternative is to be shut out from the presence of this God forever, in the torments of hell. What men and women must do, before it is too late, is repent and trust Christ; the alternative is to disobey the gospel (Romans 10:16;2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).
Labels: Bible, Biblical Theology, Cape Coral, D.A. Carson, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church | posted by TimBrister at 2:25 pm | Categories: Biblical Theology, Jesus |
The Bible Is All About Jesus (and not about you)
Starting this month, our adult Bible study is going on a journey through biblical theology–the narrative of Scripture–to discover the story of God in redemptive history. In this short video, Tim Keller explains how this overarching story is about Jesus from beginning to end. Check it out.
Labels: Biblical Theology, Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus, Tim Keller | posted by TimBrister at 9:55 pm | Categories: Biblical Theology, Jesus |
A Prayer About 2nd Coming Loving
My friend Scotty Smith is one of the most “gospelicious” guys around. He has an incredibly encouraging blog called “Heavenward” on The Gospel Coalition website where he writes out prayers each morning. It “just so happened” that on the morning before I preached on the second coming of Christ (last Sunday), Scotty penned this prayer on his blog:
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:7-10
Dear Jesus, may Peter’s words sink and settle deep into our heart. If we really believed “the end of all things is near”… if we really believed your return could happen within our lifetime, it would definitely make a significant difference in how we live and love.
Whenever we attend a funeral, we always go away with a sense of our mortality and the fragility of life. At least for a few days, we hug loved ones a little tighter and linger a little longer in conversations. But then it’s “back to normal,” and the same old harried pace takes over and the same old broken patterns in relationship resume. Normal sinners loving as normal sinners do.
Rather than covering sins, we get irritated with one another’s sins… rather than welcoming one another without grumbling, we guard our own space with complaining… rather than using your gifts to serve each other, we hoard your gifts to satisfy ourselves… rather than administering your multi-faceted grace to one another, we withhold it from one another. Yet, “the end of all things is near.” God have mercy on me, the sinner.
Jesus, please bring the gospel to bear in fresh and powerful ways in my way of relating to others. I don’t want to love by guilt, but by grace. I don’t want to love by fear, but by faith. I don’t want to love with a heart of manipulation, but with a heart of ministry. I don’t want to love with a view to another funeral, but with a view of your 2nd coming. I don’t want to love to get anything, but because I’ve received everything in you.
Jesus, you’re the one who loves us deeply. You’re the one who’s covered, not just a multitude, but all of our sins. You’re the one who always offers us hospitality without grumbling. You’re the one who’s always serving us and give us more grace, in all its forms. Live in us and love through us, whether you return in 15 minutes or 1500 years. So very Amen, we pray, in your faithful name.
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Prayer, Scotty Smith, Second Coming of Jesus | posted by TimBrister at 11:10 pm | Categories: Eschatology, Jesus, Prayer |
King Jesus!
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus | posted by TimBrister at 1:36 pm | Categories: Jesus |
God’s Wonderful Surpise: The Resurrection Story
Below is the video account of the resurrection from The Jesus Storybook Bible - a fantastic resource for walking your children through the Bible while at the same time always pointing them to Jesus. Take a moment to share this video with your children this Easter season!
Labels: Cape Coral, Easter, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus, Resurrection, The Jesus Storybook Bible | posted by TimBrister at 2:36 pm | Categories: Jesus, Parenting/Family, Resources |
Gospel and Poor: Implications from the Resurrection of Christ
To date, I have addressed the gospel implications related to the poor from the life and death of Jesus Christ. The third reality of the gospel that I want to bring to our attention is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The seven implications I have touched on are intended to show how the vertical realities of the gospel bring forth horizontal implications as it relates specifically to the poor.
Gospel and Poor: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the vindication of God’s character and fulfillment of all God’s promises through the life and death of His Son. A quick glance at the early church and you will find that the fundamental doctrine and reality that irritated crowds and caused others to retaliate was the faithful preaching of Jesus Christ risen from the dead (e.g. Acts 4:2, 33; 17:18, 32; 23:6; 24:21). In his powerful argumentation in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul explains that without the resurrection of Jesus, all preaching is in vain and all faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:14). Furthermore, everyone who has testified about Jesus Christ is a liar and has misrepresented God (1 Cor. 15:15). The outcome of a Christ crucified but not risen is a world remaining in their sins, without hope or rescue (1 Cor. 15:17).
Labels: Cape Coral, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus, Poor, Resurrection | posted by TimBrister at 12:20 am | Categories: Gospel, Jesus, Poor |
Gospel and Poor: Implications from the Death of Christ
Picking up where I left off on the horizontal gospel implications regarding the poor, I want pick up on the death of Jesus Christ. I mentioned that the gospel realities from the life of Jesus should horizontally cause us to work out His righteousness in us through dwelling with the poor (presence), intentionally pursuing relationships with the poor (community), and demonstrating personal hospitality towards the poor (welcoming).
Gospel and Poor: Death of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ lived the life we could never live (righteousness) and died the death we all deserve to die (substitute). Jesus was motivated to give Himself on the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:1)–a joy to please the Father by completing His earthly mission. At the very heart of the gospel message is the reality of substitution (e.g., 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18): His death that we might experience everlasting life; His righteousness for our sinfulness; His condemnation for our acceptance: His taking the wrath of God that we might know the love of God; His bearing God’s judgment for sin that we might know God’s infinite mercies; His becoming cursed that we might experience God’s blessing, etc.
Labels: Cape Coral, Cross, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus, Poor | posted by TimBrister at 10:04 pm | Categories: Gospel, Jesus, Poor |
What the Gospel Is Saying
Of First Importance is a blog that is dedicated to giving you daily gospel gold. If you have not bookmarked or subscribed to their feed, I encourage you to do so. Here is an entry from last week:
“The gospel is saying that, what man cannot do in order to be accepted with God, this God Himself has done for us in the person of Jesus Christ. To be acceptable to God we must present to God a life of perfect and unceasing obedience to his will. The gospel declares that Jesus has done this for us. For God to be righteous he must deal with our sin. This also he has done for us in Jesus. The holy law of God was lived out perfectly for us by Christ, and its penalty was paid perfectly for us by Christ. The living and dying of Christ for us, and this alone is the basis of our acceptance with God.”
- Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom, p. 86
Labels: Cape Coral, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church, Graeme Goldsworthy, Of First Importance | posted by TimBrister at 10:58 am | Categories: Gospel, Jesus |
Gospel and Poor: Implications from the Life of Christ
Continuing the commentary on what the Scriptures say about the poor, I want to turn to the heart of biblical revelation–the gospel of Jesus Christ–and see what implications we can draw as it relates to the poor. In other words, when we understand what God has given us in His Son from a vertical perspective, what kind of implications does that have from a horizontal perspective as it relates to the poor? What difference does being recipients of the gospel mean for us? Do the vertical (spiritual) realities bear any consequence on the horizontal (physical) application of such realities in the way in which we treat the poor and needy? I want to begin first with the life of Jesus Christ.
Gospel and Poor: Life of Jesus Christ
Why is the life of Jesus so important to us? God sent His Son into the world that we might behold Him and believe in Him. We behold Him because he dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we have come to see Him who is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). The life of Jesus is essential to the gospel because He accomplished for us what we could never do for ourselves–live a perfectly righteous, sinless life before a holy God. Every Christian is saved by good works–the works of Jesus Christ.
Labels: Cape Coral, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church, Poor, Social Responsibility | posted by TimBrister at 10:48 pm | Categories: Gospel, Jesus, Poor, Social Renewal |
12 Observations about the Poor from the New Testament
Why should we take up the subject of the poor in our studies of the gospel-centered life? From the New Testament alone, let me provide you with twelve observations for your consideration.
Jesus and the Poor
1. Jesus began his earthly ministry by defining it according to prophecy fulfilled regarding the preaching of the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:16-21).
2. The proof that Jesus chose to give to John the Baptist that he indeed was the Messiah was ministry to the poor (Matthew 11:1-6).
3. Jesus lived on earth as a poor man (Luke 9:58) and enjoyed community among the poor and needy.
4. Jesus links the fulfillment of the second table of the Law in reference to having mercy and compassion upon the poor and needy (Luke 10:25-37).
5. Jesus indicates that our confidence in the resurrection should lead us to welcome the poor to the banqueting table of our lives (Luke 14:12-14).
6. The basis of Jesus’ judgment upon his return is grounded in how we cared for “the least of these my brothers” (i.e., the poor) (Matthew 25:31-46).
Early Church and the Poor
7. The early church believed (and practiced) that caring for the poor was fundamental to their identity such that there was “not a needy person among them” (Acts 2:45; 4:34-35).
8. When Paul was received by the apostolic leadership in Jerusalem, they left him with a simple charge: remember the poor, something that Paul was eager to do (Galatians 2:10). Of all things they could have said, apparently this was very important to leaders of the early church.
9. It was a common practice for the early church to take up contributions/offerings to help meet the needs of the poor (Romans 15:25-26; 2 Corinthians 8-9).
10. When Paul exhorts the Corinthians believers, he reminds them that God has chosen the weak, the lowly, the despised in the world (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). As history reveals, not many of the early church were rich or of noble birth.
11. James declares that justifying faith is authenticated by good works in reference to the poor (James 2:1-26). Ignoring the poor is an indication that you may not rightly understand what it means to be justified by faith in God.
12. John questions whether or not we have come to know the love of God through the sacrifice of His Son if our hearts are closed to the poor and needy (1 John 3:16-18). The love we have received vertically ought to be demonstrated horizontally in deeds to the poor.
These observations strike at the heart of the New Testament community of believers–what they believed, how they lived, and why they embraced the poor and needy in their community. May God grant us an understanding of the gospel that fuels a passion to love, serve, and bless the poor in our city!
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Jesus, New Testament, Poor | posted by TimBrister at 8:42 am | Categories: Jesus, Poor |
2010: A Clear, Close, and Continual Looking to Jesus
I had the privilege of preaching on the first two Sunday’s of 2010, and during preparation the Lord led me to a familiar passage–Hebrews 12:1-3. Although familiar, this passage proved to be very fruitful and engaging to my own heart, and I pray that you were encouraged as well. It is my hope that this year we will have a clearer, closer, and more continual looking to Jesus. The kind of endurance we need this year is nourished in the gospel, and the danger we face each day is to allow weights to distract us or unbelief to blind us from beholding the author and finisher of our faith.
For your benefit, I am making my sermon manuscripts available here for you to download. If you would like to listen or download the audio, go here for the first sermon and go here for the second sermon.
To download my two manuscripts put into one (PDF), simply click here.
Labels: Gospel, Hebrews 12:1-3, Jesus, New Year | posted by TimBrister at 12:02 am | Categories: Jesus, Resources, Sermons |
He’s Here - The Jesus Storybook Bible
The Jesus Storybook Bible has been a great gift to our family for our family worship. We are close to completing it for the second time, and our boys are increasingly loving their Bible with each time of learning about Jesus. Below is a video narration of the birth of Christ. I encourage you to share this with your children sometime during this advent season. You can pick up a copy at Westminster Bookstore for just $11 and change.
Labels: Advent, Jesus, Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible | posted by TimBrister at 12:17 pm | Categories: Advent, Jesus, Parenting/Family |
Power of the Cross
Lest we forget, the power of the cross changes everything.
Labels: Forgiveness, Jesus, Power of the Cross, Salvation | posted by TimBrister at 3:33 pm | Categories: Jesus, Worship |
Encouragement from Leisa
On Thursday, September 15, Leisa Goodall did something she had never done before. Having been a Christian for only a couple of years, she has developed increasing desires to share Jesus with strangers but had not followed through - until recently. At the conclusion of the previous Sunday night’s message by Pastor Tom Ascol about the relationship of the mission and the church, God had convicted Mike and Leisa in the area of evangelism. With tears in their eyes, they told me, “We will be there Thursday night. You can count on us.”
Sure enough, Mike and Leisa were the first ones to show up. I had not realized this was Leisa’s first time going out (and Mike’s second) in the neighborhoods to share Jesus and invite people to come to our “Worship @ the Park,” so I asked Mike if it would be okay to take Leisa with me. Of course, the devil would have you believe the worst when you are entering “enemy territory” and desiring to take the light of the gospel into the darkened hearts whom he is seeking to keep in ignorance and rebellion against God. And, frankly, I was a little concerned that the potential rejection and angst we could receive would discourage Leisa. Nevertheless, we went out and ended up visiting roughly 40 homes, only to be stopped by a torrential rainstorm.
In all, we talked to 19 different families and individuals, and to my surprise and shameful unbelief, all 19 people warmly received our invitations and a couple of them even assisted us in who to visit next! I asked Leisa to briefly describe her first experience, and here is what she sent me:
I do have to say being this was my first time going door to door reaching out to the community that I was a bit nervous. Pastor Timmy and I teamed up and after about the 5th house I felt better about talking with people, especially when the first lady I talked to worked at Publix. After we finished our 25 houses I was ready to do more. I didn’t know what to expect or how people would react to us, but out of all 19 people we talked with all of them seemed to be thankful that we had invited them to the picnic. This is really out of my comfort zone, but I know in my heart that this is something that I have a desire to do, so I’m thankful that I went and hope in the future to do more for the community, and if the Lords wills doing short term mission trips.
The encouragement from Leisa did not end there. What she did not say was that the next morning, Leisa went by herself in her neighborhood inviting them to the outdoor worship gathering and desiring to talk to them about Jesus! How cool is that? Evangelism and witnessing is one of those things that is better caught than taught. Two hours of going with Leisa and doing the work of evangelism brings more fruit than twenty hours of talking about evangelism in a Bible Study. The fear, intimidation, and anxiousness that precedes the obedience of God’s people almost inevitably changes to joy, passion, and earnestness afterward.
I pray that the encouragement from and example of Mike and Leisa as new Christians getting out of their comfort zone to share Jesus will inspire and challenge you to do the same. God has so designed the church to be the vehicle through which He accomplishes His saving purposes, and you play an important part of that–yes, you! As good stewards of the Great Commission, let us all follow Jesus to His harvest field with the confidence in His promise to make us fishers of men.
Labels: Encouragement, Evangelism, Great Commission, Witnessing | posted by TimBrister at 2:08 am | Categories: Encouragement, Evangelism, Gospel, Jesus, Testimonies of Grace |
