The Transfiguration

Today we are going to continue in the series for the month, called Encounters with Jesus. This message begins with one of the more spectacular events in the life of Jesus, and involves three of his closest men. Then, what follows the transfiguration story is of particular interest because hopefully we will identify with this man who had a son with an unclean spirit. So turn to Mark chapter 9 where we can find a little background to our encounter with Jesus.

ASCENDING the Mountain – Mark 9:1-2a

  1. The Prophecy – Mark 9:1 – Some would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God, after it has come with power. This would be a reference to the next event which was the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain. It was sort of a mini-kingdom vision of Jesus in his glorified state.
  2. The People – Mark 9:2a – Six days later, Jesus selects his three closest men, Peter, James and John to accompany him up to a high mountain. This was likely NOT Mt. Hermon, which has a snowy peak that rises 9,232 feet, and is the highest point in the Promised Land. Perhaps it was one of the foothills surrounding Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made his great confession of Jesus’ identity, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” This transfiguration event evidently made a huge impact on Peter and John, since they refer to the transfiguration in their writings (John 1:14, 2 Peter 1:16-18)

ON the Mountain – Mark 9:2b-8 – he was transfigured before them; so what did they see?

  1. The Apparel of the Savior – Mark 9:2b-3 – When Jesus was born on this earth, his glory was veiled or hidden. At that time he came in humiliation, he was a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief. But He will one day return in glory and no one will mistake Him then. He will be visibly the King of kings and Lord of lords. THIS transfiguration event was a foretaste of things to come.
  2. The Appearance by Elijah and Moses  – Mark 9:4
    1. Elijah is mentioned in Malachi 4:5-6 in connection with the future coming of Christ. I believe THIS is why people in the gospels asked John the Baptist if he were Elijah (John 1:21).
    2. Moses was the lawgiver and liberator of the Hebrew people, while Elijah was the first of the great prophets. The presence of these two men, representing the Law and the Prophets, confirmed the reality that Jesus is the Messiah of Peter’s confession.  We read about Peter’s confession in Mathew 16:16 (You are the Christ, the Son of the living God) which is then followed but the Transfiguration story in Matthew 17.
  3. The Assumption by Peter– Mark 9:5-6
    1. The Title – Mark 9:5 – We often have the same story in different gospels, but there are slight variations in what we read. The synoptic Gospels use three different words for Peter’s addressing of Jesus. Rabbi (Mark 9:5), Master (Luke 9:33), and Lord (Matthew 17:4) are separate Greek translations of whatever Hebrew or Aramaic word Peter used to address Jesus on the mount. Mark’s emphasis is on Jesus’ respected position among the disciples as their leader, so he used the term Rabbi.
    2. The Tents – Mark 9:5 – Three tabernacles (or booths) suggests that he wanted to STAY on the mountain and continue to enjoy this mountaintop experience. But this experience was not to be savored, but to prepare him to carry his cross and live out his faith in the day-to-day world, down in the valleys of life.
    3. The Terror – Mark 9:6 – As you know, Peter often blurted out words without thinking them through. Here, he likely was putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah when Christ is clearly in a class by himself. “Let’s make three tents” likely all the tents would be the same kind. THAT is something that should bother us as well. How often do we say that Jesus is our “buddy” or use some other term of familiar endearment to describe him? We must always remember that Jesus is the Creator of this universe, and the Sacrifice that was made in order to bring our salvation. He is much more than a causal relationship; Peter might have forgotten the awe and wonder of who Jesus really was.
    4. The Truth – what can we learn from this event? How about this… How many times do we have some wonderful spiritual experience and our desire is to stay here and never leave? Perhaps the worship was great, the music was wonderful, the retreat was insightful, the conference was uplifting. When we leave the event to go back down the mountain, we can’t wait for the time when we will have another powerful experience to keep us sustained in life. How about THIS for a lesson? Don’t desire to remain on the mountain in memory of a past vision. While we encounter God through our worship experiences here, Jesus needs us to be active in THIS world, OUTSIDE the church walls. Jesus does not intend for us to stay on the mountain, so don’t seek to build a tabernacle or tent so you can stay there. Mountaintop experiences are great, but we belong elsewhere, and I’ll get to THAT in a moment.
  4. The Approval by the Father– Mark 9:7-8
    1. Peter speaks, at an inappropriate time, and a cloud forms. The cloud may have been the shekinah (or glory) cloud which stayed in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and temple in OT times. It was the visible expression of God’s presence. The text indicates the very same thing, the Father shows up; his presence is right there on the mountain.
    2. The Father speaks, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him!” It was as if God was telling Peter to “shut up and stop speaking, THIS is my beloved Son, listen to HIM.” He is NOT just one of the boys along with Moses and Elijah, he is MY SON. So for us, when we come into the presence of God, we should NOT be the ones with all the words. Don’t just blurt out something in an awkward moment of silence, but listen.
    3. Here’s a fun fact: Did you know that the voice of God the Father was heard audibly three times during the life of Christ? The other two occasions were at Jesus’ baptism (Mark 1:11) and during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:28).

DESCENDING the Mountain – Mark 9:9-10

  1. The Command – Mark 9:9 – On the way down the mountain, Jesus gives the three disciples specific instructions to NOT tell anyone about what they have seen until after his resurrection from the dead.
  2. The Confusion – Mark 9:10 – I love this next verse, that they seized upon the statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead might mean!

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Discipleship in 3D

Scripture Reading for the morning was from Luke 15:22-24, part of the story of the Prodigal Son, “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (Luke 15:22-24)

The lost son in this story returns and the waiting father throws a party. When we reflect on our own experiences, we each may have a similar story of before we became a follower of Christ; we recognized our lostness and the fact that we were spiritually dead. The wayward son looked around at his circumstances and his surroundings and the Bible says that “he came to his senses” (Luke 15:17). I love that phrase. It tells me that the Christian faith does not expect us to check our brains at the door, but to discover that Christianity is a reasonable and rational belief system.

Another story about coming to life is found in John chapter 11, the story about Lazarus. Not a spiritual coming to life, but he actually came back from the dead. I love this visual adaptation of this famous story:

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Video Text: John 11:34, 38-45, 12:1-2, 9-11

This is a story about a man who goes from the barren tomb to the banquet table.

I believe that every person in this room will discover exactly where you stand with Christ. I’m going to make it very easy because I call this message, Discipleship in 3D. The D’s are listed in your notes. Let’s begin in John 11:33-35, and check out that first scene.

  1. What Jesus Saw (John 11:33a): Jesus saw that Mary was weeping, and also the Jews who came with her. A better word might be “wailing.” Think about it, Jesus had come down from heaven, stepping out of eternity where there is no sin, sorrow, tombs or tears. On a practical side, this family was special to Jesus, and he saw these special people grieving over the loss of Lazarus. So let’s move on to…
  2. What Jesus Suffered (John 11:33b): Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. The word used is similar to agitated and pretty close to “snort” like a horse. It is used in the NT for displeasure or indignation. He was troubled, he literally shook with emotion.
  3. What Jesus Said (John 11:34): “Where have you laid him?” Note that Jesus was not ignorant to the location of Lazarus, but rather he wanted to get the people focused on the place of his greatest miracle to date. All these people made their way to the tomb. Think about it. All of us are also on the way to the grave. Why? Because of our sin. Jesus was going to the tomb for the same reason… because of our sins.
  4. What Jesus Showed (John 11:35): it is here that we read the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” This Greek word (dakruo) occurs here and nowhere else in the Bible, meaning he burst into tears. It is a different word used for Mary’s tears (John 11:31) and the tears of the Jews (John 11:33).
    1. This was no wailing in despair, it is the strong emotion of the Son of God, as we read in Hebrews 5:7 (While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death). He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief; he cried because his heart was broken over the sorrow of his close friends.
    2. I think he also wept because he could see what the crowd could not, perhaps he saw Lazarus in paradise, surrounded by the saints of God. He was in a place where time stands still, where the hosts of heaven were eagerly awaiting the time for the Son of God to be glorified. He was barely introduced to Abraham and Moses; perhaps the saints were questioning him about what he knew about Jesus. And now, Jesus was about to call him back into this world of sin, suffering, pain and death. I think Jesus wept out of a different sorrow for Lazarus.

All of this is by way of introduction to the scene: the feelings of the Savior and the finality of the grave. All those around the tomb that day knew for certain that once someone lands in the graveyard, there’s no leaving, sort of like checking in to the Hotel California.

The Order (John 11:39a): We read that Jesus tells them to remove the stone. He is all-powerful, and he could have done it all by himself, but I believe Jesus wanted the people to participate in the miracle. This was going to be the greatest miracle yet, and he was not going to show off his power in an inappropriate was by commanding stones to move by themselves. Besides, Jesus commands people, not stones. Remember that story in Luke 19:38-39, during the celebration and entry into Jerusalem, “if these disciples remain silent, the stones will cry out.” Jesus wants people involved in his mission here on earth.

The Objection (John 11:39b): The objection to removing the stone was that after four days, there will be such a stench.

Here is where we will discover our first D of Discipleship; we discover for certain that Lazarus is DEAD. How can you tell if someone is dead? It is fairly obvious when it comes to physical death: the heart stops beating, the lungs stop breathing, the person grows cold, but Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:1 that we all “were dead in our trespasses and sins.” He was speaking to believers who were born again; so those who are not born again are still dead. We walk around people every day, and there are people in this room, who are dead on the inside. How can you tell?

There is no health: they might have physical health, but on the inside, they’re rotting away. Have you noticed that those who are dead will often engage in behaviors that will hurt them physical, emotionally, and relationally? They are involved in habits, hurts and hang-ups that are damaging to their health.

There is no happiness: people might say they are happy and have all they want, but there is no real or lasting peace on the inside, which only comes from knowing that our sins are forgiven and we are loved unconditionally by God.

There is no hope: These spiritually dead people seem to be fine as they go through life, but when it comes to eternal matters like physical death, they have no hope or assurance of what happens to them after they die; they fear the unknown.

Some of you sitting in here today can’t say for certain that you have passed from death to life. You wonder why you get nothing out of the worship experience, and can’t figure out what these church people are all about. Don’t feel bad, because the Bible tells us WHY you don’t get it. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “But people who aren’t spiritual(spiritually dead people) can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

Is this YOU? Are you dead? Those who are alive in Christ can tell that you’re dead, because we are able to inspect the “fruit” that people bear. But we are never to judge, because we reserve judgment for God alone. What needs to happen today is that you follow the steps of the Prodigal Son, come to your senses (Luke 15:17) and allow the love of God to flood your soul and forgive your sin. Come to life and be born again, born anew, born from above in order to become one of God’s children. Jesus is calling your name and he invites you to step out of the tomb and to walk in newness of life.

Lazarus was dead, but after calling his name, he is now delivered from the grave (John 11:44a): “he who had died came forth.

  1. I believe that there is a reason that Jesus called Lazarus by name. If he would have simply shouted, “Come forth” everyone in the graveyard would have been raised from the dead that day.
  2. Jesus also called him in a loud voice, which tells me that when we do something for Jesus, let’s not be shy or remain in secret, but allow people to see Jesus through your words and actions. Let people see your good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven.

When we are delivered from death, God wants us to be set free from sin, which brings us to the second D of Discipleship, Lazarus was DEAD, but now that he is alive, he is DISABLED. He steps out of the tomb bound hand and foot and his face was wrapped with a cloth (John 11:44). He was wrapped up and held in bondage with the funeral garb of his day. The man is alive but he is not set free until Jesus tells the people to “unbind him and let him go.

I think that many people in the room find themselves in this situation. You’ve prayed the prayer, you’re born again, delivered from death, but they are disabled and defeated by some sin that they are just not willing to give up. Jesus speaks to us daily about walking in a manner worthy of our calling and Christians, but you turn aside and refuse to get rid of the sin that so easily trips you up. What are some things that bind Christians?

Bound by darkness: (John 11:44) there was a cloth over the face of Lazarus, which prevented him from seeing clearly. For us, perhaps someone doesn’t really know that certain behaviors are sinful. He needs to be taught the Word of God so that they will know how to live and what sins to avoid. God’s children need to be able to walk in the light. Let’s learn what pleases God and and what displeases God.

Burdened by disillusionment: it is here that people can stop attending church and following Christ. Perhaps they thought that when they were made alive in Christ, their problems would go away. They have become disillusioned. Their passion for Christ has gone AWOL. Perhaps you’ve listened to too many skeptics bad-mouth the Christian faith to the point you are sliding backwards away from Christ. Jesus does not remove problems in life as much as he gives us a new way to deal with our problems.

Bought by declaration: Jesus tells the people to unbind him and let him go, so we must remember that the same power that raised Lazarus from the dead is available to us today. If we want to be unbound and set free, it is only through the power of God’s word. Jesus declared that we are to be set free. We are bought with a price.

Is this YOU? Are you disabled? You claim to be a follower of Christ, maybe you’re a member of this church, and have been baptized, but you have some sinful habits that continue to hold you captive. You’re disabled. The Bible talks about overcoming the world, and you have no clue what that is all about. It is only with God’s help, and the strength we find in gathering as the community of faith. Notice that Jesus told the people to unbind him; so for me, I believe Jesus does not expect us to be set free on our own.

The next time we see Lazarus, he is back home dining with Jesus. He has gone from the barren tomb to the banquet table. Imagine the celebration! But the mood becomes heavy when they discover that the Jew are seeking to kill Jesus, and while we’re at it, let’s kill Lazarus, too (John 12:10).

It is here that we get to the third D of Discipleship, Lazarus was once DEAD, then he was delivered from the tomb, yet DISABLED by things that had him bound. Now he has become DANGEROUS. Why is Lazarus dangerous? John 12:11 tells us point blank, “because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.” Our common enemy, the devil, saw Lazarus as a threat that needed attention. He needed to be eliminated. Lazarus was alive, people were coming to Jesus and that got Satan angry.

When you hang around with lost people, how many times do you get shot down because you don’t participate in whatever activity you are convinced that it is sin if you did it? Maybe it’s drinking alcohol at a bar, or living a promiscuous lifestyle or committing adultery, you insert the sin. The fact that you don’t participate is condemning to lost people; the Spirit convicts them of their sin and the best way avoid the guilt is to get rid of YOU. They think they won’t feel convicted if you’re not around.

When people are controlled by the enemy, they will seek to get rid of all that is holy. If you are convicted that your mission is to point people toward Jesus, then you my friend have a desire to be dangerous.

But there is another danger that is more subtle. What if Lazarus was simply happy to stay at the dining table with Jesus? Is that not a dangerous thing for believers? We come to church and we sit down and soak up inspiration, relationships, perhaps enjoy the entertainment, and now we have the potential to become consumers. The church can become all about me.

A great word-picture for me is the difference between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Galilee has water flowing in and also flowing out of it; and it is full of life. The Dead Sea has all sorts of life and living water flowing into it, yet nothing ever flows out; nothing lives in it either. It is dead. Don’t let that happen to you.

I am convinced that what we need can be boiled down to this formula: Worship plus two. Coming to worship is fine, and enjoyable, but it is really non-committal. We just show up an hour a week putting in our time for God. We need worship plus two:

  1. Involvement in a Small Group: to develop community and put ourselves into a greater position to experience life transformation. We don’t really experience community when we sit in a pew looking at the back of someone else’s head. We need interaction and accountability.
  2. Involvement in a Serving Ministry: where I can give back and serve God and others. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

It is dangerous to ourselves if we only dine at the Master’s table, but we can be dangerous to the enemy by making an impact on the world around us, and point others to faith in Christ.

So, where are YOU in this story?

Are you still in the tomb, dead spiritually? Then you need to repent and believe the gospel, and be born again.

Are you alive in Christ, but disabled by some sin that you can’t shake? Today can be the day that you allow Jesus to be your Lord, not just your Savior. Are there sins you need to forsake, seek forgiveness or repent of? Don’t wait another day. Once you know you’re disabled, how can anyone live that way any longer?

Perhaps you’re born again, set free from sins that used to plague you in your early Christian life, but now you realize that you need to be dining with Jesus on a regular basis. Any living thing grows, if it’s not growing, it isn’t alive. Disciples grow in their faith. We can teach you how to do that.

Finally, maybe you have been made alive in Christ, you’re no longer bound by habitual sin, your devotional time with Jesus is going well, but you realize that you have never become dangerous to the enemy. Today is the day you want to learn how to tell others about Jesus, how to let your light shine in dark places. Today can be your day to publicly tell Satan that you intend to be like Lazarus, you want to be dangerous.

The alternative is found in John 11:46, those who did not come to believe in Christ, went away to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. I don’t believe they went to witness for Christ, they went into the enemy’s camp rather than stand up with Christ.

So, are you dead, disabled or dangerous? Where do you stand with Jesus? The choice is up to you. There is always room to move toward a higher level of commitment to Christ and his church. What is your decision today?

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Love One Another

In the 1980’s, Tina Turner asked the infamous question, “What’s love got to do with it?” According to John, it has a lot to do with it. The key passage for today is 1 John 4:7-16.

This month Skip has been preaching out of First John, a series about Learning to Love God’s Way. It seems to me that love is a funny word. We use it to describe the intense feelings that we have, but the word is somewhat limiting.

In the New Testament, there are primarily three separate words used for LOVE, and all of them are translated into English as “love.”

  1. Agape is a word used to describe the unconditional love that God has for us, a divine sort of love that comes from the nature of God.
  2. Phileo is more of a brotherly love; like Philadelphia is actually the city of brotherly love.
  3. Eros is a word use to describe the intimacy we find within marriage, like the erotic love that binds together a husband and wife.

We use the word love today in regard to things like, “I love my wife” to “I love the Auburn Tigers,” to “I love pizza.” It would be a good thing not to confuse my love for Kim and my love for pizza by using the word phileo or even eros.

Love can also bring up WARMTH as we think about that special someone in our lives, or it can bring FEAR, and maybe even COLD SWEATS because we know this relationship is getting serious.

So today, I’m going to talk about love. Now men, I know this is a tough topic for all of us. We are not too strong on expressing our feelings. Our wives and daughters can be crying over something and we have no clue what to do or how to make it better, so most of the time, for good or bad, we just leave them alone.

And then there’s the church. It’s a place that is FULL of feelings. When we begin to understand the sacrifice of Christ, and the depth of love that sent Jesus to the cross, it is emotional, and we don’t often know what to do with that emotion. So, if we are unsure or uncomfortable, we simply do our best to avoid the situation. That’s tough when it comes to church. Let me tell you, I’m uncomfortable talking about love; I’m no expert and I don’t have it all together when it comes to love, but this letter of First John is WAY TOO FULL of love to simply ignore it.

I sense that many men don’t come to church because it’s just not all that manly to hear about a guy name Jesus who loves us. We sing about love, in public, and declare our great love for Jesus, who after all, is another guy. Wrapping his arms of love around us just seems uncomfortable to men who are not yet believers. At times I wonder if we need to “man up” the church so that we don’t set up unnecessary barriers to reaching unchurched men for Christ. But today, this message is about the Love of God, a love that so many people often do not understand.

John had a lot to say about love, he comes back to this theme over and over in this little book. The Holy Spirit obviously wants us to understand love from a much deeper perspective.

Let me submit to you that there are two things about love that I notice in this chapter:

  1. What Love Proves
  2. What Love Produces

What Love Proves (1 John 4:7-11, 14)
How often do we read stories or watch movies that have a theme of proving one’s love or loyalty? How many times must we QUALIFY our love since it can mean so many different things to different people? For instance, conditional love sets up restrictions. It says,

  1. I will love you BECAUSE; (you have done something for me in the past).
  2. I will love you IF; (you will do something for me in the future).

But I doubt many of us enjoy this conditional form of someone’s love, because it appears to be a selfish kind of love. People will love someone else for what THEY get out of it. We don’t find this sort of love in John’s letter. I think the better way to describe God’s love is: “I love you ANYWAY.” JJ Heller has a song on K-love and she puts it this way: I will love you, for you. Not for what you have done or what you’ll become. That is God’s kind of love. So, what exactly does love prove?

1. Our love for God is proven by our love for one another (1 John 4:7-8, 11): 7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

  1. Love is a Test: Love is actually a test of our fellowship in God, and our worship of God, because John tells us that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). Love is at the center of God’s being; it is his nature. Since God’s nature is love, it becomes the ONLY test of the reality of our spiritual life. If God is living through us, his love WILL shine through.
  2. Love is a Guide: Not only is love a test but love is a Guide. Think for a moment about sailing. A navigator depends upon a compass to help determine his course, but why a compass? It’s because a compass determines our direction. The needle points north. Why? It’s because the compass is responsive to the nature of the earth. God’s nature is love and it acts as a guide in life, so we act out his love the way he has already demonstrated his love.
  3. Love is Responsive: Not only is love a test and a guide, it is responsive. Since the nature of God is love; then the person who knows God and has been born of God will respond to God’s nature. As a compass naturally points north, a child of God will naturally practice love.
    1. So this type of love for one another is proof of our love for God and is a test of a sincere and true faith. Believers claim a special relationship with God, having become “born of God” (1 John 4:7). If we are children of God, we share his divine nature. Although we are not perfect, we have a higher calling in life, to become more into the image and likeness of Christ.
    2. Not only are we born of God but we have the capacity to know God. This word “to know” (in 1 John 4:7) is much deeper than to simply have an intellectual understanding of God. The word has been used in Genesis 4:1 to describe the intimate union between the first husband and wife. So, “to know God” signifies a DEEP relationship with God, to share his life and to enjoy his love.
    3. John goes on to tell us that the one who does not love God, does not know God (1 John 4:8). To me, this indicates the lack of a personal experience with God. How could someone know God yet not love as God has commanded? It could be that this person has the knowledge in his head, but he has never allowed that knowledge to travel the 18 inches down into his heart. This person has sincerely deluded himself into believing he is one of God’s children. This is a dangerous position to be in. Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance!

2. God’s love for us was proven by the sacrificial death of Christ (1 John 4:9-10, 14): 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

  1. Love is Real: John tells us, “THIS is REAL love.” Not “I love you because,” or “I will love you if,” but “I will love you unconditionally.” Romans 5:8 tells us that God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now that’s real love. Bruno Mars sings about a girl he’s in love with, “I’ll catch a grenade for ya, throw my head on a blade for ya, jump in front of a train for ya,” but Jesus willingly gave his life so that the whole world might have everlasting life through his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection.
  2. Love is Active: Not only is love REAL, but it is also ACTIVE. All you need to do is look at Paul’s description of love to discover that love is NOT a feeling, or an emotion; it is a verb, and it is active. Here is what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13: 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Now that doesn’t sound like an emotion or even a warm fuzzy feeling when she walks into the room.
  3. Love was Sent: Not only is love REAL, and ACTIVE, but it was also SENT to us from the Father. Did you notice that three times in three verses John mentions that Jesus was SENT? We know that Jesus was BORN into the world, that’s the essence of the incarnation; the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Children are BORN into the world, but John says Jesus was SENT; God had a mission from the beginning to reconcile all people to himself.
  4. Love was Sacrificed: So, love is REAL, it is ACTIVE, love was SENT, and it was also SACRIFICED. We may have asked the question at some point in our spiritual journey, “Why did Jesus have to die?” “Was there not some other way?” Look again at 1 John 4:9, it says, God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. His death was NOT an accident; it was intentional. A sinner’s greatest need is for life (according to Ephesians 2:1) because, without Christ we are dead in our sins. So, it is ironic that Christ had to die in order for us to have life. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God is love. Have you really grasped the impact of that message? Have you embraced the love that God offers? Singer/songwriter, Chris Rice, understood this fact when he wrote a song called, Untitled Hymn, the first verse goes like this:

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

God is love, and his love allows us to be reconciled to the Father. John challenges us to love others because God so loved us anyway (1 John 4:11, 7). Remember we are not saved by loving Christ, or loving others, or being good (or believing that we’re better than the next guy). We are saved only by believing in Christ, trusting Christ, receiving Christ. Once we understand the magnitude of his sacrifice, our normal response must be to love God, and to love others. This is a spiritual transformation that takes our heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh.

Hey, let me bring this to a close, so I’m going to save the second part of this message (What Love Produces) for some another time. Right now, we need to focus on our relationship with God. In this passage, John tells us what love proves:

  1. Our love for God is proven by our love for one another: If we say that we love God, let’s evaluate our current relationships: spouse, kids, neighbors, co-workers, your boss… are we demonstrating an “I love you anyway” sort of love?
    1. If not, what personal changes do you need to make?
    2. Who do you need to go to, in order to reconcile a relationship?
    3. Who do you need to forgive and demonstrate the love of God?
  2. God’s love for us was proven by the sacrificial death of Christ:
    1. Do you not yet understand the magnitude of God’s love for you?
    2. Have you experienced God’s love first hand? Or have you just become familiar enough with a few Bible stories? Maybe your faith is really just second-hand, like people in your family believe, so maybe that covers you good enough. Don’t deceive yourself with poor theology.
    3. God wants to take all the scraps, the left over pieces of the broken dreams of your life, and all the junk, and make a great piece of art, a masterpiece that resembles the one who sacrificed himself so that you may have life.
    4. So, have you embraced the love of God and personally accepted Christ as your Savior? That was the reason he was sent, to take you from death into life, to save your soul, and give to you everlasting life that can start right now.
    5. Or perhaps you have been playing around with church just being close enough to be comfortable with God.

*The more we love God, the more we understand the love of God.
*The more we understand God’s love, the more we will love him and love others.

If you need to know more, or get things right with God, don’t delay. Don’t put it off another week.

If you need to receive Christ, I’m asking you to move out from where you are and come up toward the stage area and talk about getting right with God.

If you need to recommit yourself to Christ and begin demonstrating God’s love or get involved in God’s mission in this congregation, don’t leave this building the same as when you came in. It’s time to make a change.

If you have been debating on whether to join this church, what better time to unite with this congregation than right now? Get involved and connected to what God is doing in this place. He has created you for good works, acts of kindness and love, and for service within a local body of believers. Let the Love of God make something beautiful in your life.

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Being Thankful for Our Mentors

Chapter one of First Thessalonians introduced us to Paul the evangelist. Chapter two introduces us to Paul the pastor. It explains how the apostle cared for new believers in the churches that he started. Paul considered “the care of all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28) a greater burden than all the sufferings and difficulties he experienced in his ministry (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Just as God uses people to bring the Gospel to the lost, so He uses people to nurture new believers and help lead them to maturity. The church at Thessalonica was born through the faithful preaching of Paul and his helpers, and the church was nurtured through the faithful pastoring that Paul and his friends gave to the infant church. This helped them stand strong in tile midst of persecution.

In these verses, Paul reminded them of the kind of ministry he had as he taught and cared for the young church. Three pictures of his ministry emerge.

The Faithful Steward (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6) Paul had been “put in trust with tile Gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). It was not a message that he made up or that he received from men (Galatians 1:11-12). Paul looked on himself as a steward of God’s message.

A steward owns nothing, but possesses and uses everything that belongs to his master. Joseph was a steward in the household of Potiphar (Genesis 39:1-6). He managed his master’s affairs and used all his master’s goods to promote his master’s welfare. Every steward one day must give an account of his stewardship (Luke 16:1-2). If he is found unfaithful, he will suffer.

The message of the Gospel is a treasure God has entrusted to us. We must not bury it, we must invest it so it will multiply and produce “spiritual dividends” to God’s glory. Some Christians think that the church’s only responsibility is to protect the Gospel from those who would change it (Galatians 1:6-9). But we also must share the Gospel; otherwise, we are protecting it in vain.

Faithfulness is the most important quality a steward possesses (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). He may not be popular in the eyes of men; but he dare not be unfaithful in the eyes of God. “Not as pleasing men, but God who tries [tests] our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). The Christian who “plays to the grandstands” will lose God’s approval. When we see the characteristics of Paul’s ministry as a steward, we understand what faithfulness means.

The manner of his ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2).

Paul and Silas had been beaten and humiliated at Philippi; yet they came to Thessalonica and preached. Most of us would have taken a vacation or found an excuse not to minister. Paul was courageous-he was not a quitter. He had a “holy boldness” that came out of his dedication to God. Like the other Apostles before him, Paul boldly proclaimed the Good News (Acts 4:13, 29. 31).

His preaching was “with much contention.” This is an athletic term that means “a contest, a struggle.” The Greek world was familiar with athletic contests, and Paul often used this idea to illustrate spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Timothy 4:7). He used this same word in Philippians 1:30 where he pictured the Christian life as an athletic contest that demanded dedication and energy. It had not been easy to start a church in Philippi, and it was not easy to start one in Thessalonica.

The message of his ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:3a).

“For the appeal we make does not spring from error” (NIV). Here he assured them that his message was true. Six times in this letter he mentioned the Gospel. This message of Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:16) is a true message and is the only true Gospel (Galatians 1:6-12). Paul received this Gospel from God, not from man. It is the only Good News that saves the lost.

The motive of his ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:3).

He was not guilty of “uncleanness,” for his motives were pure. It is possible to preach the right message with the wrong motives (Philippians 1:14-19). Unfortunately, some people in Paul’s day used religion as a means for making money. Paul did not use the Gospel as “a cloak to cover his covetousness” (1 Thessalonians 2:5). He was open and honest in all his dealings, and he even worked at a trade to earn his own support (see 2 Thessalonians 3:8-10).

The method of his ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:3-6).

Paul did not use guile or trickery to win converts. The word translated “guile” carries the idea of “baiting a hook.” In other words, Paul did not trap people into being saved, the way a clever salesman traps people into buying his product. Witnessing and “Christian salesmanship” are different. Salvation does not lie at the end of a clever argument or a subtle presentation. It is the result of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

Paul hated flattery (1 Thessalonians 2:5). David also hated it, “They speak vanity everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak” (Psalm 12:2). I once read that a flatterer is a person who manipulates rather than communicates. A flatterer can use either truth or lies to achieve his unholy purpose, which is to control your decisions for his own profit.

Some people flatter themselves. “For he flatters himself in his own eyes” (Psalm 36:2 RSV). This was the sin of Haman, that evil man in the Book of Esther. He was so interested in flattering himself that he even plotted to slaughter all the Jews to achieve that goal.

Some people try to flatter God. “Nevertheless they [Israel] did flatter Him [God] with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues” (Psalm 78:36). Flattery is another form of lying. It means saying one thing to God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him (Mark 7:6).

The Loving Mother (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8) The emphasis of the steward is faithfulness; the emphasis of the mother is gentleness. As an apostle, Paul was a man of authority; but he always used his authority in love. The babes in Christ sensed his tender loving care as he nurtured them. He was indeed like a loving mother who cared for her children.

It takes time and energy to care for children. Paul did not turn his converts over to baby-sitters: he made sacrifices and cared for them himself. He did not tell them to “read a book” as a substitute for his own personal ministry (though good Christian literature can help young believers to grow).

Paul had patience with the new Christians. Children do not grow up instantly. They all experience growing pains and encounter problems as they mature. Paul’s love for them made him patient, because love suffers long, and is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Paul also nourished them. First Thessalonians 2:7 can read, “even as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” What is the lesson here? A nursing mother imparts her own life to the child. This is exactly what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:8. You cannot be a nursing mother and turn your baby over to someone else. That baby must be in you arms, next to your heart.

The nursing mother eats the food and transforms it into milk for the baby. The mature Christian feeds on the Word of God and then shares its nourishment with the younger believers so they can grow (1 Peter 2:1-3). A nursing child can become ill through a reaction to something the mother has eaten. The Christian who is feeding others must be careful not to feed on the wrong things himself.

A mother also protects her child. It was this fact that enabled King Solomon to discover which woman was the real mother of the living child (1 Kings 3:16-28). Paul was willing to give not only the Gospel but his own life as well. His love for the Thessalonians was so great he would die for them if necessary.

If we do not nurse the new Christians on the milk of the Word, they can never mature to appreciate the meat of the Word (Hebrews 5:10-14).

The Concerned Father (1 Thessalonians 2:9-12) Paul considered himself a “spiritual father” to the believers at Thessalonica, just as he did toward the saints at Corinth. “For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15, NASB). The Spirit of God used the Word of God in Paul’s ministry, and many people in Thessalonica were born again into the family of God.

But the father not only produces children; he also cares for them. As he defended his own work against false accusations, Paul pointed out three of his duties as the spiritual father to the Thessalonians.

His work (1 Thessalonians 2:9). The father works to support his family. Even though the Christians in Philippi sent financial help (Philippians 4:15-16), Paul still made tents and paid his own way. No one could accuse him of using his ministry for his own profit. Later on, Paul used this fact to shame the lazy Christians in the Thessalonian church (2 Thessalonians 3:6ff).

Paul used the words “labor and travail.” It was not easy to make tents and minister the Word at the same time. No wonder Paul toiled “night and day” (Acts 20:31). He worked because he loved the believers and wanted to help them as much as possible. “For I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children” (2 Corinthians 12:14).

His walk (1 Thessalonians 2:10). Fathers must live so that they are good examples to their children. He could call the Thessalonian believers as witnesses that his life had been exemplary in every way. None of the members of the assembly could accuse Paul of being a poor example. God had witnessed Paul’s life; and Paul was not afraid to call God as witnesses that he had lived a dedicated life, while caring for the church family.

His life was holy. Our word pious is close to it, if you think of piety at its best and not as some fake kind of religion. This same word is applied to the character of God in Revelation 15:4, 16:5.

His life was also righteous. This refers to integrity. uprightness of character. and behavior. This is not the “righteousness of the Law” but the practical righteousness that God works out in our lives as we yield to Him (Philippians 3:4-10).

Paul’s life was also blameless. Literally, this word means “not able to find fault in.” His enemies might accuse him, but no one could level any charge against Paul and prove it. Christians are supposed to be “blameless and harmless” as they live in this world. (Philippians 2:15).

His words (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). A father must not only support the family by working, and teaching the family by being a good example. He must also take time to speak to the family members. Paul knew the importance of teaching these new believers the truths that would help them grow in the Lord.

Paul dealt with each of the believers personally. “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children” (l Thessalonians 2:11 NIV). As busy as he was, Paul still had time for personal counseling with the members of the church. While it is good for church leaders to address the larger group, spending time with people on a one-to-one basis is also needed. Our Lord was never too busy to speak to individuals, even though He preached to great multitudes. To be sure, this is difficult and demanding work. But it is rewarding work that glorifies God.

Paul encouraged the new believers. Children are easily discouraged, and new Christians need someone to encourage them in the faith. The word exhorting means “to call to one’s side, to encourage.” It does not mean that Paul scolded them. Rather, it means he encouraged them to go on with the Lord.

Paul also comforted them. This word carries the same idea of “encouragement,” with the emphasis on activity. Paul not only made them feel better, but he made them want to do better.

Finally, Paul charged them. This word means that Paul “testified to them” out of his own experience with the Lord. It carries the idea of giving personal witness. Sometimes we go through difficulties so that we may share with new Christians what the Lord has done. God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (1 Corinthians 1:4 NIV).

What was the purpose for this fatherly ministry to the believers? His aim was that his children might “walk worthy of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). Just as a father wants to be proud of his children, so the Lord wants to get glory through the lives of His children. “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth” (2 John 4 NASB). Paul ministered to them in such a personal way because he was teaching them how to walk.

Every child must learn how to walk. He must have good models to follow. Paul instructs them to walk “worthy of the Lord” (see Colossians 1:10 and Philippians 1:27). We are to walk worthy of the calling we have in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:1). God has called us; we are saved by grace. We are a part of His kingdom and glory. One day we shall enter the eternal kingdom and share His glory. This assurance ought to govern our lives and make us want to please the Lord.

The verb in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 is in the present tense: “who is continually calling you.” God called us to salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14), and He is constantly calling us to a life of holiness and obedience. “But as He which has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation [behavior]: because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

This passage gives us a beautiful example of New Testament follow-up. Paul has shown us how to raise the babies. He outlined the method of discipleship. We must be faithful stewards, loving mothers, and concerned fathers.

No wonder the church at Thessalonica prospered in spite of persecution, and shared the Gospel with others for miles around. They had been born right (1 Thessalonians 1) and nurtured right (1 Thessalonians 2). This is a good example for us to follow.

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Passion-Driven Sermon, Part 5

The Passion-Driven Sermon: The Passion-Driven Sermon: Practical Theology for Pastoral Preaching (Jim Shaddix).

  1. Preaching from a Biblical Perspective
  2. The Message of Preaching
  3. The Shepherd’s Stewardship in Preaching
  4. The Shepherd’s Power in Preaching
  5. The Shepherd’s Relevance in Preaching

The Shepherd’s Relevance: Application of Incarnation?

Haddon Robinson is quoted as saying, “More heresy is preached in application than in Bible exegesis.”

1. Reforming Application from the Outside In: we must look at the basic nature of God and the passage before we jump in to personal application.

Reclaiming the Relevance: application is not primarily about addressing perceived needs with practical advice but addressing real needs and restoring right relationships.

Redefining the Meaning: as we visit a doctor, we are prescribed medication, which we must apply in order to get better.

  1. Specific Application – involves linking truth with a current situation in the listener’s life.
  2. Stored Application – involves truth that is being deposited and kept for life situations that the listener has not yet fathomed.
  3. Subliminal Application – involves application made below the conscious level. Much of the Spirit is not understood but is truth that is stored below our consciousness.

Redeeming the Focus: what approach to application provides the preacher with the best chance of connecting eternal truth with the most number of listeners? The funnel of relevance narrows at each point.

  1. Theological Application is first – what does the text teach us about God and His relationship with people?
  2. Universal Application – timeless truth in any given passage that is applicable to all people of all time.
  3. Generational Application – which is for all people living on the planet at the time the message is preached.
  4. Cultural Application – which is germane to all people within a particular culture.
  5. Communal Application – involves the connection of truth with those persons whose lives are bound by some type of relationship.
  6. Individual Application – when the preacher seeks to identify and address the needs of individual listeners or selected groups.

2. Transforming Lives from the Inside Out: Christ is to be formed in the believers (Philippians 3:10, 21; Colossians 1:27)

Preaching for Christ’s Character: the target of incarnational preaching is the character of Christ within the believers. The concentric circles are:

  1. Christ in You.
  2. Conscience (mind, will and emotions).
  3. Conduct.
  4. Community.

Preaching for Christ’s Conscience: you are what you eat. A man is what he thinks (Proverbs 23:7). Conscience is general and broad and may influence many different situations. It is more effective than to just change a person’s conduct. Let this mind be in you (Philippians 2:5).

Preaching for Christ’s Conduct: the purpose of preaching ought to see faith expressed in the conduct as a result of character formation and conscience alteration.

Preaching for Christ’s Community: loss of community is one of the most overlooked realities of contemporary church growth. Fundamental questions for the faith community has always been, “Who are we and what do we do?” Many churches are trying to convince a listening audience that we are all on the same page (same language, same problems, on the same journey). Some avoid the language of the church to use the language of the culture. The terms will lose their meanings; terms that help define the community of faith. People are growing in biblical illiteracy.

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Passion-Driven Sermon, Part 4

The Passion-Driven Sermon: The Passion-Driven Sermon: Practical Theology for Pastoral Preaching (Jim Shaddix).

  1. Preaching from a Biblical Perspective
  2. The Message of Preaching
  3. The Shepherd’s Stewardship in Preaching
  4. The Shepherd’s Power in Preaching
  5. The Shepherd’s Relevance in Preaching

The Shepherd’s Power: Subjective or Objective?

One ingredient separates the preacher from other passionate speakers, it is the anointing of God, whereby the preacher is binding himself to the Holy Spirit and His power.

The Work of the Shepherd: he is interdependent upon himself and the power of God.

  1. The Influence of Persuasion – Paul often used this method (1 Corinthians 2:4, Acts 13:43; 17:4-5; 18:4;19:26; 28:24; 2 Corinthians 5:11).
  2. The Interdependence of Preaching – Bible writers spoke with the authority of God (2 Peter 1:19-21). Secular speakers depend on their skills of argument and persuasion, but the preacher must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. The Christian preacher must also assume that God will speak to his listeners through his preaching.

The Work of the Scriptures: God-breathed Scriptures are the only source of faith and practice; that will bring lasting life change.

  1. Completing the Pastor: Preaching for life change comes out of the role of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-17). It is a work of inspiration of God, that is for all people. It also equips the shepherd in that it completes him; he has everything he needs to fulfill his calling.
    1. The Bible provides wisdom for all godliness (2 Timothy 2:17) – pointing to justification and sanctification; growing in Christ-likeness.
    2. The Bible provides instruction for knowing godliness (2 Timothy 3:16) – profitable for doctrine, a complete body of divine truth.
    3. The Bible provides rebuke for straying from godliness (2 Timothy 3:16) – reproof means to convict of error in behavior or belief.
    4. The Bible provides restoration to godliness (2 Timothy 3:16) – correction is found only here in the NT, referring to restoring something to its original and proper condition.
    5. The Bible provides training for pursuing godliness (2 Timothy 3:16) – instruction is better rendered training or discipline. The idea is to build up.
  2. Changing the People: Joshua was challenging the people to remain in God’s Word if they wanted to experience success or prosperity (Joshua 1:8). The idea is not foreign to the Bible (Psalm 19:7-13); Providing spiritual cleansing (Psalm 119:9-11); inspiring wonder (Psalm 119:18); navigating life’s journey (Psalm 119:105); spiritual nourishment (1 Peter 1:22-2:2).

The Work of the Spirit: transformation is the goal of Christianity.

  1. The Spirit and the Work of God – like the Incredible Hulk, we are transformed through the process of metamorphosis into the likeness of Christ (Romans 12:1; Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Philippians 2:5). We will be like Him spiritually, bodily (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:49).
  2. The Spirit and the Word of God – Jesus’ prayer was that His followers be sanctified in the truth (John 17:17), and our ultimate transformation will be glorification. It is through the Word of God that we may be transformed (Romans 12:1-2).

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Passion-Driven Sermon, Part 3

The Passion-Driven Sermon: The Passion-Driven Sermon: Practical Theology for Pastoral Preaching (Jim Shaddix).

  1. Preaching from a Biblical Perspective
  2. The Message of Preaching
  3. The Shepherd’s Stewardship in Preaching
  4. The Shepherd’s Power in Preaching
  5. The Shepherd’s Relevance in Preaching

The Shepherd’s Stewardship: Good Stuff or God Stuff?

Many conservatives have championed biblical inerrancy, however they are often functional errantists (by the way they handle the Bible in their preaching, like it was entrusted to us for any and every use under the sun).

Exalting God, Not Resourcing Man: it is the testimony of God

  1. The Essence of the Bible – People are weary of sermons listing only historical facts and no connection to real life. The Bible has a most important quality, its divine feature, that it is God-centered and not man-centered. The shepherd is to speak God-stuff (thus says the Lord) and not just good stuff.
  2. The Agenda of the Bible – The beginning and the end of the Bible are similar, a creation with a garden and the Tree of Life. On the journey between the two we are called to conform to the image of His Son. The shepherd and sheep must align themselves with God’s agenda.

Explaining Revelation, Not Revealing Information: new vs. existing revelation; God told me…

  1. A Revelation About Revelation – The author received a comment about not getting his messages from God, since he preached through books of the Bible. He was preaching the next passage that followed rather than listening to God and preaching what God wanted. Preachers cannot say, “thus says the Lord” if they are getting information from non-biblical sources. Are they heralding heresy or transmitting truth? God has revealed through His Word, new revelation from God would mean that Joseph Smith or Charles Taze Russell might be right.
  2. An Explanation About Explanation – Preaching has evolved from being revelatory to being explanatory. Post-apostolic preachers began explaining that which God has already revealed and persuaded men to act upon it. The Bible is our only source of knowledge of God’s truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Peter 2:2). Today, people are more interested in personal experience, emotional feeling and pragmatic application than explanation of the biblical text.
  3. An Understanding About Understanding – Explanation is not an end unto itself but a means to an end, which is understanding.

In Nehemiah 8, those who could understand gathered at the revival event. First, they read directly from the book (Nehemiah 8:8). Second, Nehemiah gave it sense, likely it was translated from Hebrew into Aramaic (Nehemiah 8:8). Translation is not as effective as interpretation.

The Emmaus Road experience we see something similar, they did not have proper understanding (Luke 24:25, 27, 32). Paul challenges us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2).

The preacher is not to give opinions, indirect implications or extra-biblical principles, but instead to reveal the Spirit’s intended meaning in Scripture; to help their lives to transform.

Edifying Churches, Not Reaching Seekers: Although we are to be all about evangelism, being seeker-sensitive is not the same.

  1. The Savior on Church Growth – Jesus mentioned building His church on the Rock (Matthew 16), and that all that the Father gives Him will come to Him (John 6:37). Human efforts produce human results. The early church had the Spirit growing the church (Acts 2:39, 2:47, 5:14, 11:24, 13:48). Church growth is His doing, not any strategy, method, principle or program.
  2. The Shepherd in Church Growth – We are to be equippers of the saint, for the work of service (Ephesians 4:11-16). The shepherd is to build up the body, teaching gifted men who can teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).
  3. The Stewardship of Church Growth – Seeker-sensitive services boast about making it casual for lost people, but where is the highest percentage of lost people, inside or outside the church? Most lost people never darken our doors. So, it is better use of energy and resources to build up the body to impact their believers’ circles of influence. The Great Commission uses a term, “as you are going…” like along the way, make disciples.

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Passion-Driven Sermon, Part 2

The Passion-Driven Sermon: The Passion-Driven Sermon: Practical Theology for Pastoral Preaching (Jim Shaddix).

  1. Preaching from a Biblical Perspective
  2. The Message of Preaching
  3. The Shepherd’s Stewardship in Preaching
  4. The Shepherd’s Power in Preaching
  5. The Shepherd’s Relevance in Preaching

The Message of Preaching:
God’s Word vs. Man’s Wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

The Preacher as Reporter: just the facts, ma’am.

  1. The Subject of the Report – We are to report the testimony of Scripture, or the mystery of Christ. This comes out of a study of God’s Word.
  2. The Significance of the Report – Isaiah and other writers often used the word “report” (Isaiah 53:1, Matthew 9:26, Romans 10:16, Luke 7:17). The report was about what God was doing, the good news about the crucified Christ.
  3. The Source of the Report – The author makes a point regarding a preacher delivering a message about God vs. a preacher delivering a message from God. Communicating God’s revelation is both about God and from God.

The Preacher as Reminder: like using the PDA feature.

  1. Task of Reminding – Scripture writers often did this as well (Romans 15:15, Jude 5, Philippians 3:1, 2 Peter 1:12-15, 2 Peter 3:1-2).
  2. Topic of Reminding – Paul’s message was Jesus Christ and Him crucified (2 Corinthians 1-2, Acts 2:37, Philippians 2:9-11)
  3. Tension of Reminding – The message was often a stumbling block. Reminding suggests repetition, and preachers often fear being repetitive; needing something new each time in the pulpit.

Preacher as Reflector: like stops signs and road markers.

  1. Reflection of the Cross – The preacher does not need to come up with the light, rather he reflects the light. The reflection does not come from the audience or culture. The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. What about “felt needs” preaching? This often addresses the listener’s questions but never introduces them to a holy God in Christ.
  2. Reflection on the Church – Every sermon need not be a salvation message. Paul always preached Christ, but his messages were not always evangelistic. Much of the NT is written to churches, and Paul did a lot of instruction in theology, too.
  3. Reflection of a Conviction – At Mars Hill, Paul did not change his style: First, he did not finish his sermon because he was cut off at the mention of the resurrection. Second, Paul began the sermon with a biblical presentation of creation and ended it with the resurrection. Third, some people believed that day and joined him. The preacher must make a willful decision to stick with the Book and its authority.

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Passion-Driven Sermon, Part 1

The Passion-Driven Sermon: The Passion-Driven Sermon: Practical Theology for Pastoral Preaching (Jim Shaddix).

  1. Preaching from a Biblical Perspective
  2. The Message of Preaching
  3. The Shepherd’s Stewardship in Preaching
  4. The Shepherd’s Power in Preaching
  5. The Shepherd’s Relevance in Preaching

Kim and I went to Music and Worship Week at Ridgecrest in 2006 and Dr. Jim Shaddix was the preacher for the event. I purchased his book and even bought the CDs of his main messages. Below are some notes regarding his book.

The forward by John MacArthur makes a comment about the decline of biblical preaching and a rise of great pulpiteers in modern society; a trend toward entertainment, oratory, people-centered messages. Popular books on preaching tend to emphasize meeting people’s felt needs, being relevant, being practical, being user-friendly, and being contemporary. He says modern preaching is self-consciously shaped to fit a pragmatic agenda of purpose-driven, rather than being compelled and tempered by a passion for faithful and courageously delivering the whole counsel of God. Shaddix gives us a biblical perspective on preaching; encouraging the preacher with a passion for God’s truth and advancement of God’s glory.

These posts are notes from the four sections I found most interesting (chapters one, four, five and six).

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