Are We Making Jesus Sick?

"So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked... As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." -Revelation 3:16-17, 19

Ok, so I know I've posted a lot of sermons lately, and I promise to actually write something as soon as I can, but I can't pass up sharing this one, delivered yesterday by Eric Swinney, an elder of New Life Baptist Church. Also, here's an old blog entry on the same text.

More actual blogging coming soon, if the Lord wills.

Knowing & Loving God; & Be Biblically Emotional!

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." -John 17:3

"We love Him because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19

I thought I had already posted a link here to a sermon that God allowed me to preach this past January. I was going to re-post it, (something which I don't think I've ever done,) because I need to hear it again. Maybe that was a prompting of the Holy Spirit, because when I went back to find the blog post, I found that I never posted it. I pray it may be used by God to compel us toward a deeper personal knowledge and love of Him, and to hunger for the fiercely intense emotions which God commands of us in the Bible.

[The first bit of audio was cut off from this recording. All that is missed is the reading of John 17:3 (above) as the initial text of several in this topical sermon, and a very brief introduction.]

Staggering Joy

This morning I listened to a sermon by Sam Storms preached at the 2003 Desiring God Conference... I've been absolutely stunned. I think I may listen to it weekly, or as close to weekly as possible, at least for a time. It's called, "Joy's Eternal Increase: Edwards on the Beauty of Heaven." I cannot recommend it highly enough. Though much of it emphasizes truth which I've already believed, it's also brought several aspects of heavenly reality to my attention which I have never before considered, and which I believe will increase my capacity for joy in God and for progress in Christ-likeness both in this life and the next. May God be pleased to revolutionize your life along with mine through this powerful message.

Slow Going

I regret that I haven't been updating ye olde blog very frequently. But that's mostly because, for primarily financial reasons, I've opted not to have internet at my house. Consequently, opportunities to really sit and blog have naturally become sparse. I'm also still settling in at my new house-sitting gig, so most of my spare time is being spent there.

But I'm not giving up. With the relocation comes a new set of responsibilities and thus a necessary restructuring of my schedule. When that gets established, I have a couple of ideas about how to work around the no-internet thing, (unless some charitable reader feels compelled to donate the money for that! Hahaha... Ok fine, I'm just kidding. ...Unless you want to.) :-D

More soon. Don't touch that dial.

Sex and the Supremacy of Christ

These are the opening and closing sermons delivered by John Piper at the 2004 Desiring God Conference, Sex and the Supremacy of Christ. Both are absolutely tremendous. The second one contains the most glorious, passionate, soul-stirring exaltation of the infinite supremacy of Jesus Christ that I have ever heard. Why did God bother to create us as sexual beings? What does the Bible say about sexuality beyond the obvious behavioral prohibitions? How does personal knowledge of Jesus affect God-given sexuality, and visa versa? I encourage you to listen and reflect prayerfully.

Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, part 1
Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, part 2

A wealth of resources from the 2004 conference is available online here.

I Need You

Coming soon: a multi-part blog that will prove very emotionally challenging, both to write and to read. Until then, here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs: "I Need You" by The Swift. May your heart be stirred to cry out to God, whether today it be in joy, sorrow, longing for God, or all of these.

"My heart is restless in me
My wings are all worn out
I'm walking in the wilderness
And I cannot get out
I need You, Oh, I need You
Blessed Savior come
I need You, Oh, I need You
Fill the every longing of my soul

Oh, how I need You, Lord
I need Your perfect Word
With tearful eyes to see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today

My bed is soaked with sadness
My sadness has no end
A downward spiral of despair
That I keep falling in
I need You, Oh, I need You
To You my soul shall fly
I need You, Oh, I need You
Yaweh, how I love You more than life

Oh, how I need You, Lord
I need Your perfect Word
With tearful eyes to see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today

Your silence is like death to me
So won't You hear my desperate plea

Today my soul is soaring
Way over mountains high
Though I can see the valleys
They're all just passing by
It's not that I am stronger
Look at my feeble wings
But I've been lifted higher
Yaweh's lifted me in His own strength

Oh, how I love You, Lord
I love Your perfect Word
With tearful eyes to see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That You have shown me grace
And made my heart in grace to stay
You've made my heart in grace to stay
Lord, make my heart in grace to stay

I need You, Oh, I need You"

Preaching Sabbatical

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. - 2 Timothy 2:15

So I'm taking a break from preaching through Colossians on Wednesday nights, possibly for the duration of the summer. I've preached through Colossians before at another church, and was ready to do so again in much the same way, but I've hit a snag. As I recently read Charles Leiter's new book, Justification and Regeneration, (foreword by Paul Washer,) my understanding of some key themes relating to regeneration and sanctification were challenged.

It's hard to summarize my new questions in a brief blog post, but they have to do with the Christian's "death to sin" (Rom. 6:11) and "freedom from sin" (Rom. 6:18, 22); the "old man" and "new man" (Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:20-24); the "basic principles [or "elements"] of the world" to which the Christian has died (Gal. 4:3, 9; Col. 2:8, 20); the nature of the famous "wretched man that I am!" passage (Rom. 7:14-25); and "sin that dwells in me." (Rom. 7:17, 20)

I already had what I considered to be a biblically consistent, though basic understading of these things. Yet Leiter argues a different perspective which is by no means new or unorthodox within conservative evangelicalism, and which, if accurate, would reshape my thinking of the nature of sanctification--not dramatically, but enough to make me pause.

So I'm pausing. I dare not stand before the assembly of God's saints with open Bible in hand and declare "thus says the Lord," without first diligently studying His Word and seeking the guidance of His Spirit until I am convinced that He has indeed "spoken thus." God created all things by His Word. He preserves the heavens and the earth by His Word. (2 Peter 3:7) At His return, Jesus will slaughter His enemies by the Word of His mouth. (Rev. 19:21) "The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." (Heb. 4:12) I'm terrified of misrepresenting that Word.

In addition to studying the passages listed above and others, I've already begun reading Indwelling Sin by John Owen, (the third but most foundational of his three classic works on Overcoming Sin and Temptation) and Finally Alive by John Piper. I hope to read all of Owen's trilogy and maybe re-read The Complete Green Letters by Miles Stanford. Let me know if you'd recommend other good books on regeneration, sanctification, and the Christian's union with Christ.

Please pray for me as I seek to grow in the knowledge of God and to faithfully exhort God's people toward biblical sanctification. Soli Deo Gloria.