Friday, June 29, 2012

"Tempted and Tried": A Review

The next book you need to buy, borrow, or check our is without a doubt Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ by Dr. Russell Moore and after you pick yourself up, seek Christ, and begin your fight as a Serpent fighting warrior you can thank me. Dr. Moore has written an important book that has inspired rappers (Flame's album "6th" was inspired by this book) and challenged it readers. Dr. Moore is one of the best Christian writers around and has an amazing ability to pierce through the readers heart with the gospel.

You are in the midst of a war led by the Devil himself. Right now you are subject to the arrows of the enemy who used temptation as a means to fight the gospel and to pull us away from the greater glory of Christ. Our hope in facing and overcoming temptation is not self-help remedies, but the gospel of Jesus Christ by which we submit to His Lordship and follow His example.

Most of Dr. Moore's book is focused on the temptation of Jesus who faced the temptations of provision, protection, and pride each of which we face relentlessly every minute of everyday.  Christ overcame these temptations, unlike Adam, Esau, the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses, David, and every human in history.  Dr. Moore walks the reader through the temptation of Christ reminding us that Christ must go through these temptations as the fulfillment of Adam, the fulfillment of Israel, the fulfillment of the Law, and as our High Priest who can sympathize with us. Moore has a rare ability to weave the whole biblical picture in a way that points us to Christ and His cross. Moore repeatedly takes us to the gospel and that makes the book worth your investment.

Regarding his ability to reach the reader consider the following example I quote at length:

Self-control is, in this fallen world, counterintuitive and countercultural, so much so that anyone possessing it will seem bizarre if not subversive.  That's especially true for those of us living in an era of unparalleled affluence, in which there is the illusion of a limitlessness of conceivable consumption.This has changed te makeup and witness of our churches, I fear, in ways that are mostly invisible to us. We have become the people Jesus warned us about - fat, upwardly mobile, and politically influential. In the meantime we've become accommodated in almost every way t the culture that surrounds us. We must recognize that one of the roots of the family crisis around us - in the pews we sit in or preach to every week - is the wallet in our own back pocket. 

Too many of our churches, too many of us, have made peace with the sexual revolution and the familial chaos left in its wake precisely because we made peace, long before, with the love of money. WE wish to live with the same standard of living as the culture around us (there is no sin in that), but we are willing to get there by any means necessary. 


Why does the seemingly godly church member in one of our congregations or parishes drive his pregnant teenage daughter to the nearest city under cover of darkness to obtain an abortion?  Because no matter how much he "votes his values," when crisis hits, he wants his daughter to have a "normal" life. He is pro-life with, as one feminist leader put it, three exceptions - rape, incest, and my situation. 


Why do Christian parents, contra Saint Paul's clear admonition in 1 Corinthians 7, encourage their young adult children to delay marriage, sometimes for years past the time it would take to discern whether this union would be of the Lord? Why do we smilingly tell them to wait until they can "afford" it? It is because, to our shame, we deem fornication a less awful reality than financial hardship. 


Why do our pastors and church leaders speak bluntly about homosexuality but not about divorce, despite the fact that evangelical Christian divorce rates are the same or higher than those in the world we consider "unchurched"? It is because in many cases church leaders know the faces of the divorced people in the pews before them, and they fear losing the membership statistics or the revenue those faces represent. To put it bluntly, we have many more out-of-the-closet multiple divorcees than out-of-the-closet homosexuals in our churches. John the Baptist put his head on a platter to speak the truth that not even a king can claim another man's wife. John the Modern Evangelical isn't willing to put his retirement benefits on the table to say the same thing to a congregational business meeting
. -87-89

Amen! And Ouch!! As you can see, Moore convicts more than "those sinners" but us Pharisees and this is only a small taste of the entire book.  Moore leads the reader to the cross in this war over our souls. He exegetes Scripture and always makes a bee line to Calvary - preachers ought to take note.

I cannot recommend this book enough. As I said at the beginning, you need to read this book and read it soon and return to it often. Dr. Moore is a great writer and he has something we need to hear here. If you want to be conformed to the image of Christ, get Tempted and Tried.










For more:
Reviews - "Adopted for Life" by Russell Moore
Blogizomai - Moore: Gambling, Justice, & the Gospel
Blogizomai - Where Are They Now?: Moore on God's Providence & the Next Billy Graham
Blogizomai - Robertson Has Repudiated the Gospel: Russell Moore on CNN
Blogizomai - Dungeons & Dragons, and Calvin, O My!: Moore's Exhortation to the New Calvinists
Blogizomai - Gospel-Centered Ecology: A Reality That Christians Must Face Without Abandoning the Gospel
Blogizomai - Moore: The Man In Black at 80 Blogizomai - "Mapping Out Our Next Trillion Years: How the Kingdom of Christ Reshapes Your Mission" by Dr. Russell Moore

Blogizomai - "Zen and the Art of Mammon Maintenance: How the Kingdom Reorders Anxiety" by Dr. Russell Moore

Thursday, June 28, 2012

"Make War!": Piper's Call To Fight Sin

Sunday we begin a new series looking at the Temptation of Christ. We'll begin by highlighting Mark's brief account in order to highlight the greater war behind His temptation and ours. In short, we will declare war over sin, temptation, the flesh, the world, and the devil himself.

In preparation, I strongly encourage you to listen to the following sermon by John Piper on Romans 8:10-17 called How to Fight Sin, Part 2. The money quote is:

I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections and their failures and their addictions and their short-comings, And I see so little war! ‘Murmur, murmur, murmur… Why am I this way?’ MAKE WAR!” 


Listen to the sermon here.


This sermon and the quote above inspired one Christian rapper to write a song simply titled "Make War." Here's the video.




For more:
Sermon - December 20., 2009 - Worship the King:  The Folly of Misplaced Allegiance 
Sermon - November 22, 2009 - Self-Control in the Face of Temptation
GBC - Still Surviving The Storm


More on Piper:
GBC - Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper 
GBC - Repost | The Critical Question For Our Generation: Piper on Heaven & the Satisfying Presence of Christ 
GBC - Bloodlines: A Documentary About Racism 
GBC - The Gospel Animated


June 24, 2012 | Ruth 4:16-22 - Heliocentric Theology: Those Begats, the Gospel Story, and Why You're Not the Center of the Universe

Sunday we finished our series on the book of Ruth. I have really enjoyed this book I hope you return to it often. It is a great story about the Providence and Grace of God colliding. Here is the sermon on Ruth 4:16-22:

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.






Audio
Notes


April 29, 2012 | Ruth 1:1-22 - Better or Bitter: When Providence Means Suffering
May 6, 2012 | Ruth 2:1-13 - And It Just So Happened ...: When God's Invisible Hand Becomes Visible 
May 20, 2012 | Ruth 2:14-23 - Grace in Abundance: That's Why Its So Amazing
May 27, 2012 | Ruth 3:1-9 - Resting in the Providence of God - Part 1
June 10, 2012 | Ruth 4:1-15 - When Providence and Grace Kiss
June 24, 2012 | Ruth 4:16-22 - Heliocentric Theology: Those Begats, the Gospel Story, and Why You're Not the Center of the Universe



For more:
GBC - I Love Ruthie - Narrated by Alistair Begg
GBC - Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper
GBC - Tony Evans on God and Purpose
Sermon - September 19, 2010 - God is Provident
GBC - Calvin on Providence 
August 1, 2010 - Matthew 6:25-34 - Worry and the Providence of God:  What Our Anxiety Says About What We Believe About God
April 18, 2010 - Haggai 2:1-9 - And the Lord Said, "Get-r-Done"
August 30, 2009 - Psalm 23:6 - The Peace of the Shepherd's Providence 
Sermon - Esther 4 - God's Providence 
GBC - Providence and Prayer:  Carson Responds

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

June 17, 2012 | A Help-Mate For Him: Eve and Biblical Femininity - Father's Day 2012

On Mother's Day, we looked at the story and legacy of Adam - the first man. Thus for Father's Day, we looked at his wife - Eve - in order to understand the creation of woman and what true, biblical femininity is. There are hard truths here, but necessary truths.

My concern here is that such a message will be labeled as patriarchal and sexist without even really considering the argument. Unfortunately, we live in a feminized culture where it is ok to criticize men and masculinity, but not women and femininity. The Bible is an equal opportunity employer and calls sin what it is. Sin transcends gender and so does the gospel. Our only question is, will we submit?



Audio 
Notes


For more:
Sermon - May 13, 2012 | Men Are Priests: Why Christ is a Better Man Than Adam - Mother's Day 2012
GBC - May 8, 2011 - Proverbs 31: The Virtuous Womans - Mother's Day 2011
GBC - November 20, 2010 - God is Triune: God the Father  
GBC - June 21, 2009 - The Faithful Father 
GBC - May 9, 2010 - Manly God for Godly Men:  A Word to Men on Mother's Day
GBC - The Maternal Nature of God: Jim Wallis and the Emergent Worldview
GBC - God is Not a Dude:  Rob Bell and the "She" Video
GBC - Myths of Fatherhood     

June 10, 2012 | Ruth 4:1-15 - When Providence and Grace Kiss

"We are all beggars. This is true." -Martin Luther right before his death.



Audio 
Notes 


April 29, 2012 | Ruth 1:1-22 - Better or Bitter: When Providence Means Suffering
May 6, 2012 | Ruth 2:1-13 - And It Just So Happened ...: When God's Invisible Hand Becomes Visible 
May 20, 2012 | Ruth 2:14-23 - Grace in Abundance: That's Why Its So Amazing
May 27, 2012 | Ruth 3:1-9 - Resting in the Providence of God - Part 1


For more:
GBC - I Love Ruthie - Narrated by Alistair Begg
GBC - Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper
GBC - Tony Evans on God and Purpose
Sermon - September 19, 2010 - God is Provident
GBC - Calvin on Providence 
August 1, 2010 - Matthew 6:25-34 - Worry and the Providence of God:  What Our Anxiety Says About What We Believe About God
April 18, 2010 - Haggai 2:1-9 - And the Lord Said, "Get-r-Done"
August 30, 2009 - Psalm 23:6 - The Peace of the Shepherd's Providence 
Sermon - Esther 4 - God's Providence 
GBC - Providence and Prayer:  Carson Responds

June 3, 2012 | Ruth 3:10-18 - Resting in the Providence of God - Part 2

We had to break chapter 3 into two parts because there is so much there.  Here is the second part looking at how we can rest in God's Providential timing.




Audio
Notes


April 29, 2012 | Ruth 1:1-22 - Better or Bitter: When Providence Means Suffering
May 6, 2012 | Ruth 2:1-13 - And It Just So Happened ...: When God's Invisible Hand Becomes Visible 
May 20, 2012 | Ruth 2:14-23 - Grace in Abundance: That's Why Its So Amazing
May 27, 2012 | Ruth 3:1-9 - Resting in the Providence of God - Part 1


For more:
GBC - I Love Ruthie - Narrated by Alistair Begg
GBC - Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper
GBC - Tony Evans on God and Purpose
Sermon - September 19, 2010 - God is Provident
GBC - Calvin on Providence 
August 1, 2010 - Matthew 6:25-34 - Worry and the Providence of God:  What Our Anxiety Says About What We Believe About God
April 18, 2010 - Haggai 2:1-9 - And the Lord Said, "Get-r-Done"
August 30, 2009 - Psalm 23:6 - The Peace of the Shepherd's Providence 
Sermon - Esther 4 - God's Providence 
GBC - Providence and Prayer:  Carson Responds

He's Ours: Jeff Armstrong in Rodney Atkins' New Music Video

For those who didn't know, my barber in Hardinsburg, Jeff Armstrong, is featured in Rodney Atkins new music video "He's Mine." Here it is. Congrats Jeff!!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

I Love Ruthie - Narrated by Alistair Begg




It can't be true, I can't go on,
Oh everything we had is gone
Naomi wept, poor Ruthie cried,
Naomi's precious sons had died.
And oh one precious priceless son,
Naomi's son,
that very one
Was Ruthie's husband.

Lord above--Our one and only one true love.
Now sometimes when it rains, it pours,
And this time it would pour for sure.
For evil people ruled the land,
As evil people sometimes can.
And sometimes will and sometimes do
When you and I allow them to.

From here to there, from there to here,
The food began to disappear.
It filled the people full of fear,
Yes, full of fear from ear to ear.

"Orpah! Ruth!" Naomi cried,
"The time is come, we must decide,
We have to leave, we cannot stay,
We cannot stay not now, no way!
From north to south, from west to east,
The men are gone, extinct, deceased."

"Without a man," Naomi said,
"We're all about as good as dead.
Just look at me, I'm old and wrinkled,
Sagged and bagged, and crooked and crinkled,
Crumpled, puckered, nooked and crannied,
Rip Van Winkled, grayed and grannied.
Oh there is just no hope in sight,
To find another Mister Right
Or even just a Daffy Duck,
An Elmer Fudd or Mr. Yuck.
The time is come, the time is now,
The time is come right now and how,
You must return, you must I say
Return back home right now today."

Naomi prayed that they would bite
And hoping you that she was right,
She packed her bags without a fight,
And left for home that very night.
But oh, not Ruth, not her, no way,
She had a thing or two to say,
"I can't return, I want to stay,
I will not go right now, today!
For where you are, is where I'll be,
And when you stay, you'll stay with me,
And when you die, I'll die with you,
And that is what I'm going to do.
Your God will be my God, and He
Will surely care for you and me."

Oh what a thing for Ruth to say,
A kind of thing can make your day,
And make you shout "hip hip, Horray!"
They hugged and kissed and packed up tight,
And left for Bethlehem that night.

Naomi? Is it really true?
What happened Girl! Just look at you!
Your hair, your clothes, your shoes, your toes,
Your eyes, your ears, your mouth, your nose,
You're lookin' pale! You're lookin' thin.
In fact if we may say again,
You're really looking more a kin
To something that the cat dragged in.

Well things looked bad the way things can,
But listen now, God had a plan.
"Oh Naomi, please don't cry,
Oh please don't cry,
I'll tell you why.
I'll find a farm, I'll be real nice,
I'll ask them once or maybe twice,
To take our jugs and jars and sacks,
And fill them full of treats and snacks.
Yes, crumbs and morsels, flakes and flecks,
Leftover kernels, crumbs and specks,
A black banana, bagels, locks,
Some cheese stuck to a pizza box.
I'll beg and plead, I'll sob and bleat,
I'll ask them for a tasty treat,
An itsy bitsy, teeny weenie, tiny scrap for us to eat.

So off she went, she did her thing,
She did it, never noticing
That someone had been fastening
His bulging eyes on everything.
"Who is that girl, out in my field,
And what's she doing!" Boaz squealed.
"Look at that hair, look at those eyes,
Excuse me just one minute guys,
I'd rather go and socialize."

He shaved his toes, he licked his lips,
He checked his teeth for cracks and chips,
He combed the bugs out of his hair,
Yes, Don Juan, double-debonair,
With savoir fair--extraordinaire.

Now don't be too quick to judge, Amen!?
Don't think what your thinking then,
For Boaz was a gentlemen.
"Please stay with us, take what you need,
Take what you need, and more indeed."
He loaded up all Ruthie's sacks
And jugs and jars with treats and snacks,
Yes it was true love at first sight,
A double thumping heart delight.
She headed home, oh what she found,
Her world was turning upside down.
She ran the whole way back to town,
About ten feet above the ground.

I'm telling you, tonight's the night,
Naomi grinned and if I'm right,
There's only one thing left to do
To get that man to say "I do."
So do they did, oh did they do,
They fluffed and puffed, they crimped, they curled,
They powdered, sweet perfumed and pearled,
They thanked the Lord, they sang His praise,
They marveled at his wondrous ways.
And off she went into the night,
To have and hold her Mister Right,
Her Mister Shining-Armored-Knight,
Her straight-from-heaven-sent delight.

Now as I'm sure that you suppose,
Boaz said "yes" when Ruth proposed,
Yes, Ruth proposed, that's what I said,
Just look it up, go right ahead.
They tied the knot and lived to be
Quite happy ever after-ly.
And soon God blessed them with a son,
A precious little baby one,
But wait! The story's far from done,
Because their son, he was the One
Who had a son who had a kid,
Known as King David, yes he did!
And David was the great, great, great, great, great,
Times three times one plus eight,
Great grand dad of a man who's wife
You've probably heard of all your life.

A man who's son to be precise
Was Jesus. No! Yes! Jesus Christ!
Just take a second. Think it through.
Oh what God will go and do.
For God is Love. And love is kind.
The kindest that you'll ever find.
The kindest that you'll ever see.
That's something else, don't you agree?

-"I Love Ruthie: The Story of Ruth(Perfect in His sight)", Phil A. Smouse.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

How Do I Find God's Will? (John MacArthur)

Tonight we're discussing knowing God's will.