Summer Sermon Series

It has been several months since the last entry here, largely in part to being gone for Chaplain Officer Basic Leadership Course. Now I am back and will be starting a series of sermons for the summer as part of a fulfillment for a course I am taking in graduate school. I hope you enjoy the series.

It is Firday

Well today is Friday, and my last day of classes for this semester. (internal celebration). So this will be short as I have to study for one last Greek Vocab test of the semester. But my thought for today is from John 3, where Nicodemus comes to Jesus.


You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named hNicodemus, ia ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus1 jby night and said to him, k“Rabbi, lwe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do munless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is nborn oagain1 he cannot psee the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born qof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 rThat which is born of the flesh is sflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.1 7 tDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You1 must be born uagain.’ 8 vThe wind1 blows wwhere it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, x“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel yand yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, zwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but zyou1 do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 aNo one has bascended into heaven except che who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.1 14 And das Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man ebe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes fin him gmay have eternal life.1

For God So Loved the World

16 “For hGod so loved ithe world,1 jthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not kperish but have eternal life. 17 For lGod did not send his Son into the world mto condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 nWhoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not obelieved in the name of the only Son of God. 19 pAnd this is the judgment: qthe light has come into the world, and rpeople loved the darkness rather than the light because stheir works were evil. 20 tFor everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ulest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever vdoes what is true wcomes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Taken from http://biblia.com/books/esv/Jn2.21 

What I have been working on...

  The following is one of the reasons I have not posted in a while, it is a subsection of a larger work on the History of Worship from the New Testament until Today. I am working on this for a class in Church History specifically the sections covering the New Testament and the Church Fathers. Let me know what you all think and maybe I will find time to publish the rest later.

 

The New Testament – Acts of the Apostles - 100A.D .

Many have debated over the centuries about when the Church of Jesus Christ began. Some hold that the church began with the incarnation of Christ, others hold that the church began with Christ’s declaration to Peter, and others that the church started at the day of Pentecost, with many variations in between. Regardless of what view you hold, we can say that at the latest the church was in existence at the day of Pentecost, and it is here that we will begin our historical look at how the Christian Church has worshiped.

Old Testament Connections

            To begin we first must realize that, as Schaff explains, during the apostolic age “Christianity here appears still in intimate union with the Old Testament economy.[1] It comes forth from the bosom of Judaism, and for a long time clothes itself in the forms of that religion.”[2] Indeed, upon viewing the roll of the apostolic church in Acts 2, we find that the church is made up primarily of Jews, with the core group having followed Christ during His earthly ministry. The book of Acts records that throughout the early days of the church, beyond meeting in houses, the church would also meet at the temple or synagogue.[3] There runs a risk of fallacy though if you view Christianity as only a division of Judaism because Christianity from its earliest days represented a paradigm shift from the Jewish center of the Temple to Christianity is centered upon the eternal living center of Christ.[4] Still Christianity maintains roots to its Jewish heritage such as the idea of monotheism that was unique facet of Jewish belief and Christianity and would not be found in any other religion until Muhammad founded Islam in approximately 622 A.D.

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[1] The disposition or regulation of the parts or functions of any organic whole; an organized system or method. “Economy | Define Economy at Dictionary.com”, n.d., http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/economy.

[2] Philip Schaff, History of the Apostolic Church: With a General Introduction to Church History (New York: Scribner, 1854), 187.

[3] An example is Acts 3 – 4.

[4] See Schaff, History of the Apostolic Church, 546.

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Why

Does life seem empty at times and you wonder what you are doing or why you are where you are. Are you lacking purpose? Maybe it is because you have moved away from the one who gives all life meaning and purpose. No, I am not just talking to those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior for as much as their life may lack purpose and meaning, we who have accepted the we are sinners and that we have no way to pay for the sins we have committed and trust wholly on the sacrifice Christ offered for us, we still have times in life where we wonder what we are doing or why are we where we are.
    I will admit that I was feeling and thinking this way even this morning. I was wondering why I was subjecting myself to the rigors of school and working and why I was here? But, then I asked myself why am I wondering about the purpose and meaning of my life. Then through a singspiration  in a class today I realized through the words of the hymns that we sang, I was the reason I was questioning and felt a lack of purpose. You see I had taken God's purpose for my life and walked off trying to do it on my own. In doing so I left the empowering and gracious surety of provision that God provides when we are doing His will. It is there that I found myself today seeing life hollow and without purpose or meaning.
   Now there is someone out there that is going yeah I had the same situation whether they really would admit it or not they know that they fell a lack of purpose and meaning in their life even though they are on the outside "doing the right thing." And they like I have walked out of the presence of God to try and do life on our own. So how do regain purpose and meaning, how do we face without drudgery the rigors of our calling? The answer for both you and I is return. Return, to God, in our pride we have said "I can do this on my own" but reality is we have no power or ability to accomplish the will of God in our lives. When we walk away to do in our own strength we quickly face reality that we have no power, endurance or desire to do what God wants us to do. At this point we can face a pivitol decision and go one of three ways. We, can just drudge on and postpone to a later time, we could just become fed up and quit whatever it is we are doing to make life easier for ourselves, or we could return to God who gives us power, endurance, purpose, joy, peace, and meaning to all that we do. If we quit yes we may alive the temporal discomfort but the hollowness and lack of purpose and meaning remains. But if we return to God we can return to joy and accomplish goals and tasks with purpose and meaning. I had to spend some time this morning and just read Scripture and pray, returning to God and away from self reliance. What will you do? Will you quit or return? As you make that decision think about this statement that I once saw on a sign: "If you feel away from God who does not change, who moved?"

Who is your God

Who is your God? Is He in complete control? Scripture tells us that God's will (sovereign will) will cannot be changed, that it will be completely fulfilled (Daniel 4:35). So if God's will will be done and that He is in full control. Does this challenge our attitudes and our worry warts? If God is in control why do we worry and why do we "woe is me"? Is God not in control and His will will be done no matter what.
    This is something that I had in class a week or so ago and some other circumstances have challenged this in my life. But every time I want to worry or I want to complain to my mind the truth is recalled about who God is. So if you are worrying or you are having the woe is me attitude who is your God. Is He in control and will His will be accomplished. Or, is your god weak and inept? Is your god of your own designs?

Questions on Technology

Today where I attend Seminary we had a panel on technology and the Christian. For once the panel actually was composed of some whose area is in Bible and others whose area is technology (this is an improvement over my undergrad years when they had biology and rhetoric professors doing such panels). This panel returned a question to my mind that I have had before and not found a completely adequate answer. The question is what place does technology have in the body of the church, specifically in the local evidence of the universal church being the local church? As an extension to that question are the questions, what place does technology have in the edification and instruction of the saints? Also, how does technology engender the communal aspects of Christian fellowship?

I have not come up with a patent answer or heard one that satisfies biblical principles. Then today because of the panel my mind added the question of then based upon the answer of the above question(s) what is the appropriate use of technology in the life of the Christian in relation to the church and the proclamation of the gospel? Such as, using technology for witnessing, for studying, even in worship, or maybe even just should Christians being using electronic devices in church?

This topic is one that it may be worth for some trusted expositors to start writing  in an expositional/applicational basis.

What are you singing?

In an age of controversy about what Worship including music styles are acceptable in the church I have a simple question. What are you singing? Those on the conservative side many will say well it has to follow a certain pattern or be from a certain era. Those on the liberal side proclaim liberty, liberty, we sing whatever we want especially to bring in the crowds. Neither of those positions on the surface hold much water to me. I must preface that when it comes to music and generally my faith I am in the conservative camp, but before we have a shouting match, condemn something as heresy or start a religious war over worship it may be instructive to look at the history of song and worship in the church. I am doing such a thing in graduate school taking church music of which one of my courses is Hymnology. I would encourage anyone who is considering the issue of music in the church to do a study on the history of song throughout the church. It may surprise you on what you find.

Colossians 1:1-3

    So you may wonder why the title of the this post  is  the first three verses of the New Testament Epistle to the Colossians written by the Apostle Paul. The answer is twofold, first where I am attending graduate school our theme for the school year is "New Creature Living" taken from Colossians in the third chapter. Secondly, our chapel speaker yesterday Dr. Jim Berg spoke about meditation and scripture memory. Dr. Berg, spoke on using the MAP method of meditation and scripture memory (to find out more see his website or contact him through Bob Jones University). Out of this message I was challenged that my scripture memory is severely lacking and I have decided to memorize the book of Colossians. So to begin I am working on the first three verses.
     Colossians 1:1-3
       1 "Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother"
       2 "To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:"
       3 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father."

    So you may be wondering what is basically the salutation line of an ancient letter of teaching (an epistle) have that is profitable? Doesn't Paul tell us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that all scripture is profitable but how can an introduction be profitable? Well today for me verse one was especially close to my heart. Today is much like last Friday in that I had a bad attitude about going to school and was annoyed at myself for not getting enough done and that I always feel like I have to much to do. I was feeling really glum for myself then I went to my first class which we call Friday Preacher Boy's. Today Dr. Bob Jones III spoke to us from Ezekiel and one small thing (not even his main point) that Dr. Bob said struck at me, that if Ezekiel had not been sure of his calling that he would not have ministered to Israel as he did. We are in a day much like Ezekiel with a nation that is sinful and stubborn, who do not want to hear the Word of God. This point of assured calling and my poor attitude made me cry out to God in silent prayer asking for confirmation of my calling. Then I remembered the words of Colossians 1:1 "Paul and apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."

   Yes I may be feeling sorry for myself and have a bad attitude and I should not, because as overwhelming and oppressive feeling the responsibilities now are, I have assurance that I am not called to the task now or future tasks by my own will but by the will of God. I can remember the day in which I was called by God to be a proclaimer of His word (no I did not have a vision), I can remember the evening of brokenness at camp where I   re-submitted myself to God's call, and I recall the multiple times God has reaffirmed His call through times of ministry and the joy brought by being in the will of God. Now I take comfort in a sure call by God knowing that it is His Will that I am here today studying, and He is with me as He promised and I can say with Paul "I can do all things through Christ Jesus".

May Jesus Christ be Praised


[Scripture from the  ESV]

Feeling Like Jonah

Have you ever felt like Jonah? You know what God wants you to do but you don't feel like doing it, it feels inconvenient and hard and all you want to do is stay in bed and at ease. However, having the experience of Jonah given to us in Scripture we know the consequences for not doing what you know God wants us to do and we grudgingly get out of bed to face God's will. Yet in our hearts we are still rebelling though outwardly complaint, at the same time we we are missing out on the joy of doing the will of our Creator, Redeemer, and King. This is exactly where I was this morning not wanting to move out of the comfort of bed to face the will of God by going to school. I could make all sorts of excuses and within my mind and heart I did, even to the point of I don't feel well. Then I arrived in at school and my first class where God in his divine omniscient used that very class to strike my heart and convict me of my horrible attitude. Yes school my be challenging and at time down right insanely hard but I can still and should have joy even in the difficulty.  So when we start to feel like Jonah remember the lesson of Jonah, that true joy only comes in willingly obeying the will of God.

Need for today

This week I have attended Bible Conference @ Bob Jones University where I heard powerful and pertinent preaching. But alas have we not had powerful preaching before? What are we lacking then to effect change in us which will spread throughout all true Christianity and the world? The answer is Practical Theology, simply the practical application of the doctrine we are taught. This all seems so high and out of reach but for a few to attain but really the key basis to Practical Theology is simple obedience. However, because of our sinful flesh obedience is not at all really simple within us wars our sinful desires in rebellion to Holy God versus the Holy Spirit. The question remaining is who will you let win?