Grace Blog
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 and not risen is a world remaining in their sins without hope or rescue in this world (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” (Rom. 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 |
Parenting Children Through Hard Thoughts About God
C.J. Mahaney recently shared about some counsel he gave to a father who was concerned that his constant call to obey the Lord would produce in his child hard thoughts about God, knowing his children do not have the power to live up to God’s commands. Consider the wise counsel Mahaney provided:
* You have the privilege of introducing them to God the Father and describing the ways in which he is different from you, different from all sinful fathers, and how in any way you are like him it’s only because of grace that you reflect him. See Luke 11:11–13.
* Your honest confession of your sin to your children will protect them from having hard thoughts about you or God.
* Communicating your affection for them—and joy when you are with them—promotes both good and accurate thoughts about God.
* Initiate time with them at both planned and spontaneous times. Don’t leave them with the impression that they get most of your attention when they disobey. Let them know you are so grateful for them and love being with them as much as possible.
* Bless your children with many gifts in many forms! See Luke 11 again. Study your children in order to discern what gifts would genuinely bless them and then purpose to surprise them as often as possible.
* Requiring appropriate obedience does not promote hard thoughts about God. This only happens when we do so in self-righteousness or anger. See point 2 again.
* Frequently preach the gospel to them (and not at them). Reveal to your children just how far God has gone to show his love for sinners like us.
* My friend, if you follow the example of our gracious God, your children will not have hard thoughts about him. They will have accurate thoughts about him—and a deep love for you.
Labels: C.J. Mahaney, Cape Coral, God, Grace Baptist Church, Parenting | posted by TimBrister at 3:15 pm | Categories: Parenting/Family |
Preparing for Grace Gathered :: March 14, 2010
Over the past couple of months, God has continued to use the Sunday gatherings to minister to more and more people from our community. Because of God’s blessing, we are seeing more people attending our gathered services now than at any other time in our church’s history. It is exciting to see how God is working in our community and with that comes a stewardship of and sensitivity to the needs that accompany these people. The elders continue to ask those of you in the Grace family that can the early service to please consider doing so to allow for more seating in our 10:45 service.
If you are new to the area or are looking to attend one of our services this Sunday, visit our “New to Grace” menu on our website where you will find information such as directions, what to expect, the latest at Grace, and other frequently asked questions. We look forward to meeting you and have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and how He has changed our lives!
Bible Study: The Gospel Centered Life: An Addendum
For the past three of Sunday’s, Pastor Tim has been addressing the social implications of the gospel as it relates to the poor, needy, and marginalized. Last week, we discussed the implications of the gospel as from the life of Christ, namely righteous living includes an incarnational presence, neighboring community, and generous welcoming of the poor and marginalized. This week, we will examine the implications from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, focusing on stewarding the mission through sacrificial giving.
Grace Gathered (Worship Services)
In our gathered worship services (8:00am and 10:45am), we will renew our hearts through the means of grace as God reveals Himself to us through His Word and by His Spirit. Pastor Tom Ascol will continue his series on “The Gospel-Driven Church”–an exposition on the book of 1 Corinthians. The text will be 1 Cor. 2:1-5 which focuses on the true nature of gospel-driven preaching. How did the Apostle Paul approach the Corinthian church? What was his message? How did he present it? Why did he deliver in this manner? These questions strike at the very heart and character of what biblical, gospel preaching is all about.
During our time of singing, we will seek to humble ourselves before our Sovereign King and recognize that apart from Him we are nothing. Below is YouTube video of “Let Us Adore”–one of the gathering songs we will be singing this Sunday. Let us anticipate the gathering of God’s people in corporate praise with hearts adoring our Savior Jesus Christ!
Reminders
1. Those who are look to visit with us or are coming down as Snowbirds, please note the schedule change for Sunday morning. We have two morning services (8:00 and 10:45) with Sunday School in the middle at 9:30am.
2. Don’t forget to spring FORWARD this Saturday night by turning your clocks ahead one hour!!!
3. The annual GBC Picnic is schedule for this Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Lakes Park in Ft. Myers. Festivities will begin around 11:00am at pavillion C1, so come early and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and fun with the entire Grace family!
4. Our next Grace Community Group meets this Sunday, April 4. If you are not part of one of our groups and would like to be, please see Pastor Tim who will assist you in getting connected with a group in your area. For more information, click here.
– Words and Music to “Let Us Adore” by Reuben Morgan. Copyright © 2005 Hillsong United Music
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Grace Gathered | posted by TimBrister at 4:30 pm | Categories: Grace Gathered |
Events vs. Family - Giving Appropriate Emphasis
Tim Chester, author of several books include Total Church, recently wrote a thought-provoking blogpost about performance-based ministry and real-life ministry as it relates to the “store-front” image of the church. His desire is that people not ask about their meetings (events) but rather ask about how the church lives their lives together with gospel intentionality.
Chester writes:
For many Christians church is an event. It is a meeting you attend or a place you enter. Churches may talk about being a family, but most of their resources go into the Sunday morning event. Acquiring a building. Preparing the sermon. Producing the bulletin. Equipping a venue with sound and light. Planning the show. Practicing the band. That’s were their money and their staff time go. We talk about being family and community, but when you look at how we spend our time and money it becomes clear that in practice we view church as an event.
People often ask me about our meetings. ‘When do you meet? Where? What do you do when you meet together?’ But if you ask those questions then you have completely missed the point! We’re not advocating a new way of doing meetings. Actually our meetings are not good! The music is poor and the teaching is nothing you’d go out of your way to hear. What matters to us is our shared life: sharing our lives, doing ordinary life with gospel intentionality.
The church will never out perform TV shows and music videos. But there is nothing like the community life of the church. There is nowhere else where diverse people come together. There is nowhere else were broken people find a home. There is nowhere else when grace is experienced. There is nowhere else where God is present by his Spirit.
Although our corporate times of gathered worship are very important in the life of our church, relatively speaking if we are a healthy church, we would view church life much more than an “event” but a shared journey where we live life together on mission in our community with a gospel-driven passion. While the de-churched in our community will perhaps find their way to one of our corporate gatherings, the unchurched and unreached people will not exposed to the glorious realities of the gospel without the community apologetic and everyday witness of kingdom living through word (proclamation) and deed (service).
While we do not want diminish the significance of our times of gathered corporate worship, we ought to raise the significance of everyday life in between these gatherings to authentically and intentionality demonstrate how the gospel continues to transform our lives where the Spirit of God makes ordinary moments extraordinary opportunities for glorying in Jesus Christ!
Labels: Cape Coral, Community, Family Life, Grace Baptist Church, Tim Chester | posted by TimBrister at 8:28 am | Categories: Community, Gospel, Small Groups |
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 |
Grace in 60 Seconds: The Gospel
A couple of weeks ago, I shared on our blog that I was starting a series called “Grace in 60 Seconds.” This is a series that seeks to distill the very essence of Grace Baptist Church in six words in order to answer the question, “In sixty seconds or less, what distinctly defines Grace Baptist Church?”
This evening, I addressed the first word - gospel. It is the first word because it is “of first importance.” Looking at 1 Cor. 15:1-3 alone, we see just how crucial it is. It is preached, believed, held fast, stood upon, delivered, and received. If we want to get at the heart of God and the Christian faith, we need to look nowhere else than His gospel. I want to elaborate on the gospel through five aspects: fluency, centrality, intentionality, sufficiency, intensity.
Gospel Fluency (Definition)
The first element of the gospel is fluency–that is, how well one understands the gospel. We never want to assume the gospel in any context nor do we want to find ourselves in a context where a clear understanding of the gospel is not necessary. Our familiarity with the gospel should not breed contempt but contemplation and competency in grasping the most important news in the whole world. Every member should be able to explain who Jesus is, what He has done, and what that matters to every single person on the face of the planet. They ought to be able to speak of the gospel as it relates to God, man and sin, Jesus Christ, and the response it invokes. Christians ought to be able to tell the gospel story as the overarching theme of all of Scripture beginning with creation to the Fall to redemption and ending in consummation. For there to be fluency in the gospel, there must be a commitment to meditate, rehearse and pray the gospel into our lives on a daily basis. Those who are most fluent in the gospel are most prepared to speak much of Jesus, and because we are prone to forget the gospel, we like Martin Luther ought to “beat it continually in our heads.”
(more…)
Labels: Cape Coral, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church | posted by TimBrister at 5:15 am | Categories: Core Values/Practices, Gospel |
Preparing for Grace Gathered :: March 7, 2010
Over the past couple of months, God has continued to use the Sunday gatherings to minister to more and more people from our community. Because of God’s blessing, we are seeing more people attending our gathered services now than at any other time in our church’s history. It is exciting to see how God is working in our community and with that comes a stewardship of and sensitivity to the needs that accompany these people. The elders continue to ask those of you in the Grace family that can the early service to please consider doing so to allow for more seating in our 10:45 service.
If you are new to the area or are looking to attend one of our services this Sunday, visit our “New to Grace” menu on our website where you will find information such as directions, what to expect, the latest at Grace, and other frequently asked questions. We look forward to meeting you and have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and how He has changed our lives!
Bible Study: The Gospel Centered Life: An Addendum
For the past couple of Sunday’s, Pastor Tim has been addressing the social implications of the gospel as it relates to the poor, needy, and marginalized. Numerous questions were generated from last Sunday’s discussions on the 12 observations made from the New Testament regarding the poor. We hope to pick up where we left off by answering those questions and looking at the horizontal implications regarding to the poor in relation to the vertical gospel realities as experienced in the gospel.
Grace Gathered (Worship Services)
In our gathered worship services (8:00am and 10:45am), we will renew our hearts through the means of grace as God reveals Himself to us through His Word and by His Spirit. Pastor Tom Ascol will continue his series on “The Gospel-Driven Church”–an exposition on the book of 1 Corinthians. The text will be 1 Cor. 1:26-31 where the apostle Paul exhorts us to “consider our calling.” When we look at what we were when God called us and saved us, it is a constant reminder that all that we are is because of the grace of God, and all that we would ever become is to boast in the cross and glorify God.
During our time of singing, we will seek to humble ourselves before our Sovereign King and recognize that apart from Him we are nothing. Below are the lyrics to “I Will Glory in My Redeemer”–one of the modern hymns we will be singing this Sunday. Consider the lyrics and allow it to prepare your heart and mind for this coming Lord’s Day.
I Will Glory in My Redeemer
I will glory in my Redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgment tree
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
I will glory in my Redeemer
My life He bought, my love He owns
I have no longings for another
I’m satisfied in Him alone
I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace
My feet are firm, held by His grace
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who carries me on eagle’s wings
He crowns my life with lovingkindness
His triumph song I’ll ever sing
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who waits for me at gates of gold
And when He calls me it will be paradise
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold
Reminders
1. Those who are look to visit with us or are coming down as Snowbirds, please note the schedule change for Sunday morning. We have two morning services (8:00 and 10:45) with Sunday School in the middle at 9:30am.
2. Our next Grace Community Group meets this Sunday night, beginning at 6:00pm. If you are not part of one of our groups and would like to be, please see Pastor Tim who will assist you in getting connected with a group in your area. For more information, click here.
3. The annual GBC Picnic is schedule for Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Lakes Park in Ft. Myers. Festivities will begin around 11:00am, so come early and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and fun with the entire Grace family!
– Words and Music to “I Will Glory in My Redeemer” by Steve & Vicki Cook. Copyright © 2001 Sovereign Grace Music
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Grace Gathered | posted by TimBrister at 10:04 pm | Categories: Grace Gathered |
The Biblical Gospel and It’s Social Implications
Here’s a short video clip from James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel in which he rejects the substitution of the social gospel for the biblical gospel and yet affirms the social implications which result from a right understanding of the gospel.
Social Gospel vs. Proclamation Gospel from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
Labels: Cape Coral, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church, James MacDonald, Social Responsibility | posted by TimBrister at 7:29 pm | Categories: Gospel, Social Renewal |
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: Jesus, Poor, Social Renewal |
Clarifying the Gospel and Its Implications
Matt Chandler is a dear brother whom we have been praying for in recent months, joining with him in his fight against brain cancer. I was able to attend the 20/20 Collegiate Conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where Matt was scheduled to speak. Due to his chemo and radiation treatments, he was unable to attend. However, he was able to pre-record his session in which he deals with clarifying the gospel and its implications. Check it out.
Matt Chandler - 20/20 2010 Session 1 from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.
Labels: 20/20 Collegiate Conference, Cape Coral, Gospel, Grace Baptist Church, Matt Chandler | posted by TimBrister at 1:05 pm | Categories: Gospel, Poor |
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 |
Preparing for Grace Gathered :: February 28, 2010
Over the past couple of months, God has continued to use the Sunday gatherings to minister to more and more people from our community. It is exciting to see how God is working in our community and with that comes a stewardship of and sensitivity to the needs that accompany these people. The elders continue to ask those of you in the Grace family that can the early service to please consider doing so to allow for more seating in our 10:45 service.
If you are new to the area or are looking to attend one of our services this Sunday, visit our “New to Grace” menu on our website where you will find information such as directions, what to expect, the latest at Grace, and other frequently asked questions. We look forward to meeting you and have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and how He has changed our lives!
Bible Study: The Gospel Centered Life: An Addendum
Last Sunday, Pastor Tim walked us through what Scripture says about the “poor” in order to build a biblical/theological foundation and framework for our thinking and living. During our adult Bible Study time (9:30am), he will pick up the issue of the poor as it relates to the gospel and lead a discussion on what the implications are for us today. Should we care for the poor? If so, are we only to care for the poor in our congregation? If not, what are some specific ways Scripture shows us how we can care for the poor in our community? These questions and others we hope to address from Scripture with the intention of bringing it home to our church and our social responsibility in our communities.
Grace Gathered (Worship Services)
In our gathered worship services (8:00am and 10:45am), we will renew our hearts through the means of grace as God reveals Himself to us through His Word and by His Spirit. Pastor Tom Ascol will continue his series on “The Gospel-Driven Church”–an exposition on the book of 1 Corinthians. The text will be 1 Cor. 1:18-25 where the apostle Paul brings up a very powerful argument on “the foolishness of preaching.” Of all the ways God has determined his purposes of salvation to be accomplished, the plain preaching of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit is chief among them.
During our time of singing, we will focus our attention on the cross and the glories of Calvary. Below are the lyrics to “The Power of the Cross”–one of the modern hymns we will be singing this Sunday. Consider the lyrics and allow it to prepare your heart and mind for this coming Lord’s Day.
The Power of the Cross
Oh to see the dawn of the darkest day
Christ on the road to calvary
Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten then
Nailed to a cross of wood
This the pow’r of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross
Oh to see the pain written on Your face
Bearing the awesome weight of sin
Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow
Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath
Quakes as its maker bows his head
Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life
‘Finished!’ the vict’ry cry.
Oh to see my name written in the wound
For through Your suf‘fring I am free
Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live
Won through Your selfless love
This the pow’r of the cross
Son of God slain for us
What a life, what a cost
We stand forgiven at the cross
Reminders
1. Those who are look to visit with us or are coming down as Snowbirds, please note the schedule change for Sunday morning. We have two morning services (8:00 and 10:45) with Sunday School in the middle at 9:30am.
2. Attention men: On Monday, March 1st, you will have the opportunity to hear from one of the top leadership experts, Chris Brady, on leading well through adversity and suffering. This meeting will take place at GBC from 7:00-9:00PM. You will not want to miss this challenging time together!
3. Our next Grace Community Group meeting will be on March 7, beginning at 6:00pm. If you are not part of one of our groups and would like to be, please see Pastor Tim who will assist you in getting connected with a group in your area. For more information, click here.
4. The annual GBC Picnic is schedule for Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Lakes Park in Ft. Myers. Festivities will begin around 11:00am, so come early and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and fun with the entire Grace family!
– Words and Music to “Every Promise” by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend. Copyright © 2005 Thank You Music
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Grace Gathered | posted by TimBrister at 4:04 am | Categories: Grace Gathered |
Tchividjian on the Everyday Gospel
Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, recently wrote a helpful summary article in Christianity Today on what “The Gospel-Centered Life” is all about. In this article, he presents two challenges to preachers of the gospel. Let me encourage you to think that this not only applies to those who preach behind a pulpit, but to every Christian who preaches the gospel to themselves and to others.
An excerpt:
There are two challenges for preachers, those of us called to announce this good news. First is to help people understand theologically that the gospel doesn’t just ignite the Christian life but it’s also the fuel that keeps Christians going and growing every day. The second challenge, which is much harder for me than the first, is to help people understand how this works functionally.
I address the second challenge by regularly asking myself this question: Since Jesus secured my pardon and absorbed the Father’s wrath on my behalf so that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” how does that impact my longing for approval, my tendency to be controlling, and my fear of the unknown?
In other words, how does the finished work of Christ satisfy my deepest daily needs so that I can experience the liberating power of the gospel every day and in every way?
If you’re a preacher, then God has called you to help others make the connection between Christ’s finished work and their daily life. To do this, we must unveil and unpack the truth of the gospel from every biblical text we preach in such a way that it exposes both the idols of our culture and the idols of our hearts.
Every sermon ought to disclose the ways in which we depend on lesser things to provide the security, acceptance, protection, affection, meaning, and satisfaction that only Christ can supply.
I pray that as you come to a better understanding of the length and breadth of the gospel, you will be recaptured every day by the “God of great expenditure” who gave everything that we might possess all.
Labels: Cape Coral, Gospel, Gospel-Centered, Grace Baptist Church, Tullian Tchividjian | posted by TimBrister at 2:14 pm | Categories: Gospel |
Two Ways to Live - Regarding the Poor
This past Sunday during our Bible Study time, I did a quick overview of what the Bible says about the poor from a redemptive-historical perspective (creation, fall, early Israel, later Israel, Jesus, early church, consummation). One particular book I did not mention which speaks much about the poor is the book of Proverbs. Consider these texts and notice the relationship between one’s attitude and actions regarding the poor and how God responds to it.
Negative Approach to the Poor
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
Proverbs 14:31
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 17:5
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
Proverbs 21:13
Positive Approach to the Poor
Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
Proverbs 14:21
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
Proverbs 28:27
A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.
Proverbs 29:7
On the one hand, you can oppress the poor, mock the poor, despise the poor, and close your ear the poor. God’s response? You are in insult to him, and he will not hear and answer your prayers.
On the other hand, you can be generous to the poor, honor him, and know his rights. God’s response? You will be blessed, not be in want, and will be repaid by God himself.
Two ways to live regarding the poor . . . which way will we choose?
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Poor, Social Action | posted by TimBrister at 8:42 am | Categories: Poor, Social Renewal |
