Still Surviving The Storm

The more I think about it, the more that title sounds like a gospel song.? Anyways, I just wanted to updated everyone one Amanda, Elijah, and I's situation in light of the recent winter storm that we have been experiencing all week. Tuesday our power went out, as it did for most Kentuckians. And being that Elijah is only 3 1/2 months old, we sought refuge and found it at Betty Phillips house. We remained there until Friday morning when the power at the house came on. Shortly upon arriving at the parsonage, the power went out again due to the melting ice on the power lines.

Therefore, we fled to Owensboro to my great-uncle's house. In fact, this is where we are right now. It is late, everyone is asleep, and I finally have some time to try to update some of the people at the church. The three of us plan on returning home early Sunday morning (by the way, church is cancelled)

I pray that God has protected and provided for everyone during this difficult week. I realize that most will not have any power for perhaps another week or so. Virtually all of the county's phone lines are down. Even cell phones aren't hardly working. And though I don't suspect many will be able to access this site, I wanted to update anyone I could on our situation and encourage everyone to persevere through this difficult time.

All week, I have been struck by the amazing beauty of outside. I love ice storms, especially whenever the sun is setting. I just really enjoy walking outside and enjoying God's creation and His gift of ice. The problem, however, is what happens during an ice storm: power outages, freezing weather, no water, etc.

I am reminded on this one thing: many of the things that we find so attractive can be the most deadly. In life, we find ourselves attracted to the things that we should fear rather than celebrate the things that are pure and lovely. I love ice storms, but I would much rather it always be spring (minus the tornadoes) and remain safe. Praying for an ice storm and getting it is not always the best thing in the world. Like all people, this has not been a fun week.

And so as we continue to clean up and get our power turned back on, let us learn the lesson that throughout all of life, sin is oftentimes the most attractive thing, but at the same time, the deadliest. Just like winter storms.

I pray that everyone is doing well and we will see each other soon in worship!

The Triumphal Entry of Obama

I came across this picture and found it hillarious. Regardless what one thinks of the new administration, the whole Obamessiah thing is getting a bit out of hand. Here, some artist have their own version of the Messiah's triumphal entry, only this time it is Obama riding in on a donkey, not Jesus.

I thought that since we have been going through the last week of Jesus and we began with the triumphal entry, this would be interesting to post.

Sunday Sermons: January 18, 2009

Sunday Morning: Matthew 21



Sunday Night: 1 Samuel 15

Final Week of Jesus: Questioning the Authority of Christ - Matthew 21

Sunday Morning: Matthew 21



Sunday Night: 1 Samuel 15

Weekly Recommendation: "Mere Christianity"

As we continue to walk through the final week of Christ, one of the most influential books in all of Christianity is CS Lewis' "Mere Christianity." This is perhaps Lewis' most famous non-fiction book. In it, Lewis lays out his basic defense for his faith in Christ.

Lewis faith from atheism to Christianity begins with a look at the moral law. Lewis began to wonder why everyone has a moral conscience and where did it come from if there was no God. As Lewis began to think about this issue, and as he lays the argument out in the book, there must be a divine law giver; one that has revealed His moral law to man.

From there, Lewis lays out his defense for God and eventually, for Christianity. One of the best points he makes regards Christ and how we must consider Him. Jesus is either Liar, Lunatic, or Lord. He cannot be just a moral teacher. This is a profound argument. If Christ was a good man and not the Messiah, then His life and ministry was based on a lie. We cannot have both. He is either a liar or Lord. And if Lord, then subject to worship and obedience.

There is one unfortunate argument laid out in the book that must be brought up: inclusivism. Inclusivism is the argument that some outside Christianity will be saved in the end. Lewis embraces this heresy. He embraced it so much that he included it in his Chronicles of Narnia series, namely, in the last book, "The Last Battle." There we see Aslan, representing Christ, allowing those who rejected him but embraced other faiths into heaven.

This is perhaps the most unfortunate part of Lewis' life and theology. "Mere Christianity" is so influential, it is sad to see such an important issue to have to be raised. But nonetheless, I recommend this book based on its philosophical influence and logical conclusions (outside of the inclusivist argument which runs against Biblical revelation). For those wanting a good introduction to Lewis' non-fictional writings, this is a great place to turn.

"Nothing But Hypocrits": A Response from the Prince of Preachers

I am sitting in my office preparing for Sunday mourning's sermon. This week, as we continue to march through the final week of Jesus' life and ministry, we will be looking at Jesus' command to Love God and Love Others as the greatest and foremost commandments. And as I always do, I read and study as much as I can on the text, on Jesus, on His words, it's meaning, all of the background, plus any applications I can.

And thus I came across one of my favorite pastors/preachers of all time, the Prince of Preachers Charles Spurgeon. In his sermon, he brought up the response of those who refused to go to church because it is made up of hypocrites. Spurgeon puts it:

But I hear one of these gentlemen reply, "Well, sir, I make no pretensions to religion, but still I believe I am quite as good as those that do; I am quite as upright, quite as moral and benevolent. True, I do not often darken the door of a church or chapel, I do not think it necessary, but I am a right good sort; there are many, many hypocrites in the church, and therefore I shall not think of being religious."

Sound familiar? I find this to be one of the most common excuses given by people who refuse to come to church. Spurgeon exhorts us to respond thus:

When your Maker speaks to you, he appeals to you personally; and if you should tell him, "My Lord, I will not love thee, because there are hypocrites," would not your own conscience convince you of the absurdity of your reasoning? Ought not your better judgment to whisper "Inasmuch, then, as so many are hypocrites, take heed that thou art not; and if there be so many pretenders who injure the Lord's cause by their lying pretensions, so much the more reason why thou shouldst have the real thing and help to make the church sound and honest."

I find this to be a profound response. I calls on everyone to be the solution rather than complain about the problem. The church is made up of hypocrites: redeemed hypocrites. Even though we have been wiped clean by our Savior, we continue to return to the pig slop of our sin. This should be a reminder of our responsibility to be obedient and perfect as Christ is perfect. Therefore, all of our bickering, complaining, and hypocritical lives must come to an end.

Perhaps we should conclude with Spurgeon:

...the great fault of our time is the fault of indifference; people do not care whether the thing is right or not. What is it to them? They never take the trouble to search between the different professors of religion to see where the truth dies; they do not think to pay their reverence to God with all their hearts. Oh, no; they forget what God demands, and so rob him of his due. To you, to you, great masses of the population, this law doth speak with iron tongue—"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Amen!

Let Us Be Bold

Here is one of those quotes that just rips you inside. The title is what caught my eye: "So Preach as Though There Were Men Standing in the Back Waiting to Arrest You."

"The hallmark of the apostolic method of preaching was boldness. Again and again as we read Luke's account we are arrested by the power and boldness that characterized the way in which the gospel was proclaimed by those early preachers . . . This characteristic boldness is all the more striking when we compare it with the preaching of our day, which is so often lacking in this biblical boldness. We may not like to admit it, but it is nevertheless a fact that many of today's preachers may be loud and bombastic at times, may even become tactless and offensive at times, but for all that, they lack the boldness that is so obviously evident in the apostolic preaching of Acts" (Wagner, Tongues Aflame, p. 39).

I just can't help but wonder if we as a church and as individual believers will have this sort of boldness. It is true that the believers in Acts had boldness that we have never seen today. Perhaps it's because they prayed for boldness (Acts 4:23-31).

Right now, it is fairly easy to be a Christian. But do we live our lives with such boldness that we care more about our message than our reputation. Oftentimes I do not. Whenever I teach, preach, speak, live, converse, and relate to others, I find that I am more of a coward than a lion. I am one that wants people to like me, respect me, and find me funny. I fear that I do not have such boldness.

In our church services, do we care more about our numbers and the size of our offerings than the gospel? Beloved, let us be bold for Christ and trust that His glory will be seen through it all. Let us be like the first believers rather than the latest that make up our culture. Let us be bold with the gospel with apology, even if that means we loose it all.

Sermon Player For Goshen

In case anyone is interested, every sermon that I have recorded, which remains a work in progress, is now available in a sermon player. Every audio file I have from Goshen is available on the player. If I have my notes in .pdf's, then you can download the notes as well as follow along in the Bible and listen to the audio all at the sametime. I pray that this will be a helpful resource, not because each file is of me, but because God's Word has the power to break man's hearts and shape us into a more perfect image of God.

You can also check out the podcast by clicking here. I will keep it on the left hand column of this page and it will be in the right hand colomn on my sermons page.

Here is the player:

Wednesday Bible Study: January 14, 2009

The Bible: God's Divine Story - Genesis-Deuteronomy: The Failure of Legalism

Sunday Sermons: January 11, 2009

Sunday Morning: Mark 11:12-20



Sunday Night: Micah 6:1-8

The Bible: God's Divine Story - Gen-Deu: The Failure of Legalism

Final Week of Jesus: The Cleansing of Religion - Mark 11:12-20

Sunday Morning: Mark 11:12-20







Sunday Night: Micah 6:1-8

Resources:

Books

Mark

Barclay, William. The Gospel of Mark. The Daily Study Bible Series. 3rd edition. Philedelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1975.

Calvin, John. Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, vol. 3. Calvin’s Commentaries vol. XVII. trans.

Rev. William Pringle. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003.

France, Richard Thomas. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Compnay, 2002.

Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1975.

Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Word Pictures in the New Testament: The Gospel According to Matthew and the Gospel According to Mark. vol. 1. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1930.

Jesus, the Gospels, and the New Testament

Barnett, Paul. Is the New Testament Reliable?: A Look at the Historical Evidence. Downders Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986.

Blomberg, Craig L. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.

Bock, Darrell L. Jesus According To Scripture: Restoring the Portrait From the Gospels. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.

Bruce, F.F. New Testament History. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1972.

Kempis, Thomas A. Imitation of Christ. Nelson’s Royal Classics. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999.

Lewis, Clive Staples. Mere Christianity. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1980.

Miller, Calvin. The Book of Jesus: A Treasury of the Greatest Stories and Writings About Christ. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Swindoll, Charles. Jesus, Our Lord. Bible Study Guide. Fullerton, CA: Insight For Living, 1987.

Tenny, Merrill C. New Testament Times. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,1965.

Thomas, Robert L. And Stanley N. Gundry. The NIV Harmony of the Gospels: With Explanations and Essays. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1988.

Martin Luther

Atkinson, James. Martin Luther and the Birth of Protestantism. 2nd edition. Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1981.

Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. 14th edition. New York, NY: The New American Library, 1950.

Kittleson, James M. Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career. Minneapolis, MI: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986.

Marius, Richard. Martin Luther: The Christian Between God and Death. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999.

Software

Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible. software, E-Sword.

Gill, John. Luke. software, E-Sword.

Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. software, E-Sword.

Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, & David Brown. A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.

Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. software, E-Sword.

Sermons

MacArthur, John. Matthew 21:18-22: The Way of the Fig Tree - The Promise Without Performance. From http://www.gty.org/Resources/Browse/Scripture/Matthew; accessed January 5, 2009. Text found at http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/2352; accessed January 5, 2009.

__________. Matthew 21:12-17: Purging the Perverted Temple. From http://www.gty.org/Resources/Browse/Scripture/Matthew; accessed January 5, 2009. Manuscript found at http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/2351; accessed January 5, 2009.

Revelation Bible Study Notes Now Online

A few years ago, I went through the book of Revelation in some great detail with some of our youth and some of the adults in the family and in the church. Since we are marching through Revelation, chapter-by-chapter, at the men's breakfast every month, I thought that it might be helpful to make my notes available online. I pray that they help as we walk through this difficult book.

However, one must be warned that I have Greek words and letters in my notes without them being transliterated. So other than that, hopefully they will still be understandable. It's not all Greek. Also, the notes begin at chapter 6. This is because prior to meeting at my parents house, we had gone through chapter 5 and I did not use detailed notes. Therefore, the notes now available online begin at chapter 6.

You can download my notes by clicking here.

Weekly Recommendation: "The Message of the Old Testament"

On Wednesday nights, we are walking through the Bible and learning about what it contains, why it matters, and the overall message of Scripture. We are calling it, "The Bible: God's Divine Story. The Failure of Man and the Triumph of God." This Wednesday, we will begin by looking at the Torah - Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Therefore, I want to recommend a book by Dr. Mark Dever that lays out a good survey of each Old Testament book, their message, their meaning, and why it matters. The book is called, "The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made." If you are interested in understanding better the Bible and it's message, I highly recommend this book, and any book by Dever for that matter.

As Christians, we have the responsibility of understanding, knowing, obeying, and sharing God's Word. Here is a great resource to help us fulfill that responsibility. Let us be obedient and learn from His Word.

Our Series:

• Gensis-Deuteronomy: Failure of Legalism
• Joshua-Ruth: Failture of Liberty
• 1 Samuel-Esther: Failure of Leglisation
• Job-Song of Solomon: Failure of Literature
• Isaiah-Malachi: Failure of Lamentation
• Matthew-John: Triump of the Cross
• Acts: Triump of the Church
• Romans-Jude: Triump of Christian Living
• Revelation: Triump of Christ

The Bible: God's Divine Story - Genesis 1-3

We have begun a new series on Wendesday nights recently. We will be walking through the Bible, section by section. We begin with an introduction to the subject asking the question, "Why is the Bible Necessary?" The answer is found in Genesis 1-3

Wednesday Bible Study: January 7, 2009

Genesis 1-3: Why is the Bible Necessary?

Louisville vs. Kentucky Recap

I had a great time watching the game last Sunday. But I am certainly glad that Louisville one. That has to be one of the greatest games I've seen in a while. And for your viewing pleaseure is the Paul Rogers calling the game winning shot:




And here is the last 6 minutes of the game:

Sunday Sermons: January 4, 2009

Here is the audio of both Sunday morning and Sunday night messages. Click on the references and you will be directed to the .pdf's of my sermon notes. I hope it all helps.

John 12:12-19:



Isaiah 44:6ff:

The Final Week of Jesus: A Chronology

Since we have begun our series on the Last Week of Jesus, I thought that I would propose a possible chronology of some of the major events that took place during that week. This will be helpful for us as we walk through the last week of Christ day by day for the next couple of weeks.

It should be noted, first, that there is no general consensus as to the exact order of events during this week. We know more about this week than about any other time in the life of Christ. However, given the different motives, purpose, and theological emphasis of each Gospel writer, it is virtually impossible to say for certain that the following chart is absolutely correct. We, as faithful Christians, have been given the task of looking at the Biblical evidence and try to figure out what the chronology of the last week is. But it must be made clear that the Gospel writers were not necessarily trying to give us a play by play historical sketch of this last week. Each of their own motives and purposes for writing and thus write in the order that they do (for example, Mark is ordered by geography).

The following chart is taken from Robert Stein, "Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ," 197-198.

Palm Sunday - Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Mk 11:1-11)

Monday - The cleansing of the temple (Mk 11:12-19)

Tuesday - Jesus teaches in the temple and answers questions (Mk 11:20-13:37); and Judas's plan to betray Jesus (Mk 14:1-11)

Wednesday - Jesus rests

Thursday - The Last Supper, Gethsemane, Judas's betrayal, Jesus' arrest (Mk. 14:12-52)

Friday - The trial, crucifixion and burial

Saturday - Jesus in the tomb

Easter Sunday - The resurrection

After giving this chronology, Stein points out that such a tidy list is problematic. Perhaps the biggest problem is concerning Wednesday. Many scholars, and I am inclined to agree with them, that we have no idea what happened on Wednesday. I wish Stein had chosen something rather than "Jesus rests" but the point is fairly clear: we are unaware of what happened. Likewise, the placing of the cleansing of the temple is also uncertain. Some of the Gospel writers seem to place it on Monday while other suggests that it happened immediately or soon after the triumphal entry.

These does not mean that the Gospels are contradictory, but rather each have their own theological and methodological purpose behind their composition. Therefore, their orders and wordings are going to be slightly different, even among the Synoptics. Let us not forget that John puts the temple cleansing towards the beginning of his Gospel (chapter 2) while the others put it at the end. The question is, is this the same cleansing or a different one (though I am no expert at answering this question, I lean towards the latter; there are 2 cleansings).

So I hope this helps, more than confuses, everyone as we walk through the last week of Christ's life and ministry.

Weekly Recommendation: "Jesus: The Greatest Life of All"

As we continue to walk through the final week of Christ, I would like to point everyone to another excellent book on the life and ministry of Christ. This one is more simple and straightforward than the previous. Charles Swindoll has written an excellent book looking at our Lord full of great illustrations, insight, and application.

The book, "Jesus: The Greatest Life of All" is another addition to his successful and wonderfully written "Greatest Lives" series. In this series, Swindoll covers the lives of Joseph, Elijah (my personal favorite), Moses, Job, and others. Each volume is full of needed explanation that isn't too deep or too difficult with plenty of application. They all serve as a great introduction to each major character of the Bible.

The books downfall, at least for me, is that Swindoll does not go into much detail into the life and ministry of Christ. The book is more of a survey than a detailed look into Christ. Therefore, those with much experience and some expertise into the life and ministry of Christ who want to know more about the Gospels, their harmony, their composition, their theology, etc. would not enjoy this book as much.

However, those who do not have much experience or knowledge about the Gospels or Jesus specifically will love and enjoy Swindoll's book as it serves not just as a book of theology or biography, but also as a book about how we can live as greater Christians straight from the mouth of our Savior.

Final Week of Jesus: Mr. Potato Head God - John 12:12-19

This was our first week of Sunday night services. Rather than post the .pdf's here, I simply want to link to it. Also, you can download my notes from Sunday morning and below are the books I used and recommend during my study of John 12:12-19. I hope they help.

Here is the audio from Sunday morning:





Books

Barnett, Paul. Is the New Testament Reliable?: A Look at the Historical Evidence. Downders Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986.


Blomberg, Craig L. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.

Bock, Darrell L. Jesus According To Scripture: Restoring the Portrait From the Gospels. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.

Bruce, F.F. New Testament History. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1972.

Bruce, F.F. The Gospel & Epistles of John: Introduction, Exposition, and Notes. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983.

Burge, Gary. The Life Application Study Bible: John. Gen. ed. Terry Muck. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000.

Calvin, John. John 12-21 vol. 2. Calvin’s Commentaries vol. XVIII. trans. Rev. William Pringle. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003.

Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1953.

Hull, William E. Luke-John. The Broadman Bible Commentary , vol. 9. Gen. ed. Clifton J. Allen. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1970.


Kempis, Thomas A. Imitation of Christ. Nelson’s Royal Classics. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999.

Lewis, Clive Staples. Mere Christianity. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1980.


MacArthur, John. God in the Manger: The Miraculous Birth of Christ. Nashville, TN: W. Publishing Group, 2001.


Miller, Calvin. The Book of Jesus: A treasury of the Greatest Stories and Writings About Christ. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Swindoll, Charles. Jesus, Our Lord. Bible Study Guide. Fullerton, CA: Insight For Living, 1987.


Tenny, Merrill C. New Testament Times. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,1965.


Thomas, Robert L. And Stanley N. Gundry. The NIV Harmony of the Gospels: With
Explanations and Essays. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1988.


Software


Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible. software, E-Sword.


Gill, John. Luke. software, E-Sword.


Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. software, E-Sword.


Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, & David Brown. A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. software, E-Sword.

Weekly Recommendation: Jesus the Messiah

We are beginning a new series. The title of the series is "The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphant Entry to Triumphant Grave." For the next 15 weeks, we will be exploring the final week of Jesus' earthly ministry beginning with the Triumphant Entry and ending with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In preparation for this series, I have been reading a number of books on the life, ministry, and theology of Christ. Perhaps my favorite is by Dr. Robert Stein who is an expert on the Gospels and the Book of Acts. He has written a survey of the ministry and life of Christ in his book, "Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ."

I have written a full review of the book. I would recommend it to anyone who has consider experience in the life and ministry of Christ. It would not be the easiest read for those who are just beginning in their study of Christ because of his in-depth look, and constant return, to difficult, though understandable, issues of source, form, and textual criticism.

One must realize that discussing these issues are imperative to understanding the Gospels and Jesus. But they can be at times difficult, but interesting nonetheless. So I recommend this book as a good introduction, by no means an exhaustive biography, to Jesus.