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HT: SBC Voices

Carson on the Theme & Message of Scripture

What is the overarching theme of the 66 books of the Bible?  Dr. D. A. Carson weighs in.  I thought this was a helpful video.





HT: Ordinary Paster


For more:
Why Preach Expository?  
Some Helpful Answers to Common Questions:  DA Carson Weighs In 
Don Carson:  The Aseity of God 

January 23, 2011 | Knowing is Only Half the Battle: The Authority & Power of King Jesus

Here are the notes and audio from yesterday's message.  I am thankful for everyone who drove through all of the bad weather and came out yesterday morning.  I had a great time with everyone.


Audio
Notes





For more:
January 16, 2011 | Matthew 8:18-27 - The High Worth of Discipleship  
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel 
The Sermon on the Mount Series
Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series  

Don Carson - The Aseity of God

This is an important clip that runs under 6 minutes. One of the doctrines we didn't get to discuss last year was the Aseity of God. In this clip, Dr. D. A. Carson (one of my favorite theologians and Bible scholars) discusses this doctrine and shows why it matters and how it applies. Few are talking about this important subject and that is unfortunate. Give this a quick listen.

Bibledex on Joel

Here is the video from the folks at Bibledex regarding the book of Joel which we'll discuss tonight.  Its shorter than the other videos and the least impressive.  The folks don't really discuss the book in its entirety nor do they even mention the locusts which is the foundation of the book.  Nonetheless, here it is.  Joel, as the video rightly points out, is a call to repentance.  And we need that now more than ever.





For more:
Bibledex on Amos 
Bibledex on Jonah  
Bibledex on Michah 
Bibledex on Nahum  
Bibledex on Habbakuk 
Bibledex on Zephaniah
Bibledex on Zechariah
Bibledex on Malachi  
Bibledex on Matthew 
Bibledex on Mark  
Bibledex on Luke 
Bibledex on John 
Bibledex on Romans
Bibledex on 2 Corinthians
Bibledex on Ephesians 
Bibledex on Philippians
Bibledex on Colossians 
Bibledex on 2 Thessalonians   

Tony Evans on God and Purpose

We started our God series looking at the doctrine of creation and we established that if God is our Creator, then we are not accidents.  We then discussed His Sovereignty and Providence and established that life is not full of luck, but God's divine rule.  Luck and chance are myths.  This brings us great hope even in the bad times because we know that God will work all things out for His glory, even when we suffer.  Remember the cross.

The following video is of Pastor Tony Evans who lays out these issues clearly.  I enjoyed watching it and want to pass it along.





HT: Tim Challies

Building Great commission Families Conference

Here is the conference I'll be speaking at the first weekend of February called BUILDING GREAT COMMISSION FAMILIES.  I highly recommend everyone try going (and not just because I'm one of the speakers).  The topics being discussed are important for us to understand and there will be plenty of worship, fellowship, and of course, food.

My talk will be on adoption and it should be a fascinating discussion.  Adoption is something I want our church to take more seriously.

Here's the flyer for the conference

Visit the Cash Creek Baptist Church website by clicking here.

January 16, 2011 | Matthew 8:18-27: The High Worth of Discipleship

I have really enjoyed our time in Matthew's gospel for the past year.  As I mentioned in the message, we will return to Matthew 8:23-27 next week and add to it vs. 28ff regarding the healing of the demoniac.  It is amazing how after 2,000 years we continue to meet Jesus anew everyday.

Audio
Notes





For more:
January 2, 2011 | "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel 
Reviews - "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Sermon on the Mount Series
Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series 

Morning & Evening: January 15

This mornings devotion from the great pastor, known as the Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon, spoke to me this morning and I wanted to pass it along to ya.  I recommend everyone reading each morning's and evenings short devotional daily from Spurgeon.  You will be blessed.

2 Samuel 7:25 - Do as thou hast said.

God's promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; He intended that they should be used. God's gold is not miser's money, but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him, and say, "Lord, do as Thou hast said." We glorify God when we plead His promises. Do you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you the riches He has promised? Do you dream that He will be any the less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you imagine He will be any the less pure for washing you from your sins? He has said "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Faith lays hold upon the promise of pardon, and it does not delay, saying, "This is a precious promise, I wonder if it be true?" but it goes straight to the throne with it, and pleads, "Lord, here is the promise, 'Do as Thou hast said.'" Our Lord replies, "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." When a Christian grasps a promise, if he do not take it to God, he dishonours Him; but when he hastens to the throne of grace, and cries, "Lord, I have nothing to recommend me but this, 'Thou hast said it;'" then his desire shall be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the word of promise out of its scabbard, and use it with holy violence. Think not that God will be troubled by your importunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favours. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of flowing. It is God's nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne with "Do as Thou hast said."

Be Radical: Count the Cost and Follow Christ

Today I will join with other pastors at the Association office and begin our weekly discussion of David Platt's wonderful book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt.  This is one of the most important books written in recent years and will be a theme in our discussion this upcoming Sunday.  Are we willing to be radical for Christ?  Do we care more about turning our church into a prosperous business or into a group of believers - sold-out slaves - dedicated to building the Kingdom of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we are safe, then we are not radical.  If we are comfortable, then we are not Christian.  We are not followers of Jesus Christ who has called us to abandon our wants, desires, needs, reputations, resumes, careers, and our world for a better world and a better life in Him.  The gospel costs a lot, but well worth the investment.

Luke 9:21-26:

Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Luke 9:57-62:

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”








For more:
Reviews -  "Radical" IPhone App
Reviews - "The Cost of Discipleship"  
Bonhoeffer on Anxiety  
Bonhoeffer on the Golden Rule 
Bonhoeffer on Treasures in Heaven  
Bonhoeffer on Matthew 5:7-9 
Bonhoeffer: The Meaning of Poor In Spirit and the Joy of Being Spiritual Bankrupt
Bonhoeffer:  "By Willing Endurance We Cause Suffering to Pass" 
Weekly Recommendation: "The Cost of Discipleship"
Bonhoeffer: Truth and the Cross

MacArthur on Matthew's Use of Isaiah 53

In a sermon on Matthew 8 pastor and author John MacArthur deals with Matthew 8:17 and Matthew's quotation of Isaiah 53:4.  The issue regards how the atonement affects our present situations and sicknesses.  Is there healing power in the cross?  Being that we spent much discussing Isaiah 53 and how vs. 4 applies to Matthew's text, I though MacArthur's words should be shared here.

Many prosperity gospel, charmismania preachers, and healing ministries claim that Christians should be sick because of the cross.  This is utterly foolish.  As MacArthur points out in his sermon, if we cannot get sick (if we have enough faith), then that must mean we should never die.  MacArthur corrects this error in the following quote.

Beloved, Christ died for our sins not our sicknesses. The gospel is good news about forgiveness, not health. Christ was made sin, not disease. Christ took away our sin not our sickness. He died on the cross for our sin. And we would never interpret Isaiah 53 any differently. We'd just say Isaiah 53 means He's healed us from sin if it weren't this use here in Matthew, because in Peter's, I Peter 2:24, when Peter says, "By His stripes we are healed," he says that having said who bore in His own body our sins." Peter's talking about the spiritual healing from sin. But Matthew opens up to us the fact that the statement, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases," extends from the sin problem to the sickness problem. Yes there's healing in the atonement. Yes there's wholeness there, but only in so far as it comes to us in the fullness of salvation, the redemption of our bodies when we're glorified in His eternal kingdom.

The cross deals with our sin, not our sickness.  And loved ones, we need our sins forgiven more than we need our sicknesses healed.  The pain of illness, disease, treatments, and sickness should remind us of the seriousness of our sin as it is deeper and worse than anything we can ever suffer. 



MacArthur -  Matthew 8:16-22:  What Keeps Men From Christ?   




For more:
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel 

January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed": The Great Healer & His Great Gospel

This Sunday we began a new series returning to the Gospel of Matthew.  Between now and Easter we will be walking verse-by-verse through Matthew's Gospel through about chapter 12.  I really enjoyed our first text from Matthew 8:1-17.  The reason Jesus healed so many was to make the connection between His power and authority to heal the body and as a result of His death and resurrection, to heal the soul and to be reconciliation and forgiveness to everyone who believes (like the Centurion).





Audio
Notes


Happy New Year to all!

For more:
The Sermon on the Mount Series
Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series

Jesus is Lord and I am His Slave: MacArthur on Being Slaves of Christ

The following is a sermon preached by r. John MacArthur regarding what it means to be slaves of Christ.  I agree with MacArthur that we are slaves of our Lord Jesus Christ who purchased us at a high cost at the cross.  He is my Lord and I am His slave.  This is language utterly lost by virtually every believer in the West today and explains why we are so anemic.  We cannot understand redemption without understanding the freedom we have gained from going from the slavery of sin, to slaves of Christ.  In the New Testament understanding, we go from being slaves of Christ, to friends, to children of God, to finally joint heirs.

I strongly encourage everyone to watch the first part of MacArthur's sermon available below.  Grasp this and everything else about the Christian life, Scripture, and the gospel itself will make much more sense.





For more:
Basic Christianity: Romans 6 - Slaves of Christ
Basic Christianity: John 13:1-17 - Jesus As the Model of Service
December 5, 2010 - Jesus is Lord
August 29, 2010 - Matthew 7:15-23:  Watch for False Gospels
Reviews - "Slave" by John MacArthur  
Theology - Get "Slave" by John MacArthur