Love for God & Evangelism

Last week Keith Goad, one of our elders, preached on Matt. 22:34-40 which contains the great commandment of loving God and loving our neighbor. He had several good things to say, but the part that struck me the most was his point that the ultimate way we love our neighbor is by proclaiming the gospel to them. Here is a summary of the point: The great commandment is connected to the great commission (Matt 28.18-20). Too often we pass up opportunities to share the gospel with neighbors. We believe that God is sovereign and that his gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom 1.16). The victory has been won, and we are on the winning team. All we have to do is join the game and be faithful to the gospel. God does the rest of the work. This is convicting truth. If we truly love God, and love our neighbor, we will be faithful in evangelism.

Pastor as Warrior

Clinton Arnold, in his insightful book "Powers of Darkness," writes, "Immersed in a culture that says that evil spirits do not exist, Western Christians struggle even to begin the task of spiritual warfare. . . . Although mental assent is given to the likelihood that evil spirits exists since it is affirmed in the Bible, in reality it makes no practical difference in the way we live our day-to-day lives" (148).

Last week, Dr. Mohler preached a great convocation message on "The Year of Living Dangerously" (read summary here). One thing he said was that the risk is greatest where the gospel is breaking through the most. I am very encouraged by what God is doing in the North American church. Southern seminary alone is pouring out all sorts of pastors who, in the words of Dr. Moore, "fear nothing but God and are anxious about nothing but the judgment seat of Christ." There are thousands of young aspiring pastors who are deeply passionate about the gospel, have a strong vision for complementarianism, have a robust view of God's sovereignty, quickly bow the knee to Scripture, and seek to keep Christ at the center of all they do.

Satan hates this. He wants to destroy these men, and will do all he can to do just that (1 Pet 5.8). This means we must be on guard; this means war. We must repent of our anti-supernatualistic worldviews and view life with biblical lenses. This means that when we counsel a struggling marriage, we see more than two selfish people. We see Satan and the hosts of his kingdom seeking to split the marriage up. A faithful marriage points to Christ and his church, a picture the demonic realm detests because it is a symbol of their downfall drawing near. . .When the young, flirty girl at the gym gives you eyes, its more than a temptation to lust; The principalities and powers are pursuing the discrediting of your ministry and desolation of spousal trust. . . This means that abortion is not just the fruit of liberal politicians or selfish women, but the seed of the serpent seeking to destroy the seed of the woman (Gen 3.15). . . The blue-haired hater in your congregation who lacks fruit of any sort and consistently majors on the minors is a person stuck in unbiblical tradition, no doubt. But behind the person are the powers of darkness seeking to breed disunity in the body. For in the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Eph 3.10). The new covenant community is a tangible reminder to the powers of darkness that their authority has been broken at the cross (John 12.31, 1 Jn 3.8, Heb 2.14, Col 1.16, 2.15) and their ultimate downfall is certain. . . When we pray for years for a friend's conversion and they persist in unbelief, there is more going on than just their stubbornness. They are following the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2.2), and blinded by the god of this age (2 Cor 4.4, 1 Jn 5.19). . . We don't need to just pray that the 35 year old heretic who still lives with his folks would just attend a different church, but that he would escape the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will (2 Tim 2.26).

Pastors, and all believers, must view life as war. Our victory is certain because the tomb is empty, but there is still a battle to be fought.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
(Eph 6:12-18)

Helpful Questions

We are currently working through Ephesians at Third Avenue Baptist Church, and last week, Pastor Kurt preached on Eph 5:1-21 and avoiding sexual sin. He made a helpful point of application concerning our use of time (Eph 5.15-16). A question he often asks himself is:

What am I doing, and why am I doing it?

These simple questions cause us to reflect on our use of time, and keep us from sin and mind-numbing activities. Life is a vapor, and Christians should seek to redeem every moment for God's glory, or to use Pastor Kurt's words, live wise lives 'characterized by time management for God's glory.'

New Biblical Theology Blog

Here is the purpose of the blog:

This blog exists for the glory of God, in service to the church, to promote the study and discussion of biblical theology’s history, methodology, aims, achievements, developments, direction, and points of contact with other approaches to the study of the Bible.

The contributors are T. Desmond Alexander, Jim Hamilton, Stephen Dempster, and Michael Bird. Should be edifying!

Xenos Audio

PJ has posted the audio from the recent Xenos conference we attended a few weeks ago. Here is the link.

"For every one look at myself I must take ten looks at Jesus."

--Ed Welch, 'When People are Big and God is Small,' 67

Chapel Schedule Up

Looks like a semester full of good preaching at Southern's chapel this Fall, including such gifted preachers and teachers as David Platt, Daniel Montgomery, Ray Ortlund Jr., Darrell Bock, and of course several from our own faculty.

Louie Giglio & Chris Tomlin Planting Church??

It's true. Peep it here and here.

Church as Career Ladder

I was perusing through the current issue of Christianity Today and came across an advertisement for the Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Here is part of the ad:

"In his first 16 years of ministry, Bryan Wilkerson took a church of 50 people in a 'run-down little building' on Long Island, New York, and helped it grow to a congregation of more than 500. His preaching and pastoral skills did not go unnoticed, and in 1999 he was offered the pastorate at Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, a congregation of 2,000."

What picture of the church does this paint? Seminarians and pastors, please love Christ's church and commit your life to a local congregation. Do not view smaller or less 'noticed' churches as a stepping stone to a church that is bigger, more talked about, or pays more. Of course it is not sin to leave a church, but pastors need to plan on dying where they start. The 50 member church in rural Kentucky that no one knows about is equally as blood-bought as the thriving city church that frequently makes the 'evangelical news.'

Edwards on Criticism

Spiritual pride disposes us to speak of other persons' sins, their enmity against God and His people, the miserable delusion of hypocrites and their enmity against vital piety, and the deadness of some saints, with bitterness, or with laughter and levity, and an air of contempt; whereas pure Christian humility rather disposes, either to be silent about them, or to speak of them with grief and pity.
Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others; whereas a humble saint is most jealous of himself; he is so suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The spiritually proud person is apt to find fault with other saints, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they be, and crying out of them for it; and to be quick to discern and take notice of their deficiencies: but the eminently humble Christian has so much to do at home, and sees so much evil in his own heart, and is so concerned about it, that he is not apt to be very busy with others' hearts; he complains most of himself, and cries out of his own coldness and lowness in grace, and is apt to esteem others better than himself.

Online Church

I have heard people speak of this, but didn't know it already actually existed. Visit LifeChurch.tv for all your religious needs without even getting dressed and leaving your home. Only in America.