God Loves To Be A Slave, Do I?

There are things I just do not like to do. There is no good reason for my dislike, but please don’t ask me to do them. Logic doesn’t enter into the picture when it comes to jobs and serving (but should it?). I do not like to take out the trash. I do not like to prepare coffee the night before. I DO NOT like to weed. I’ll do pretty much anything, serve however you ask, but don’t ask me to do those…

Some parents teach their kids to be passionate about sports. Others, reading or the arts. (All perfectly good and fun things to be passionate about!) My parents taught their children to be passionate about serving the body of Christ. I cannot remember a time when my parents didn’t serve. Long before dad became a pastor, I remember him showing up early on Sunday mornings. He ran the transparency machine (back in the day before PowerPoint) and set-up chairs. He and mom led a care group and we always had people in our house. Serving in our house was akin to breathing. As Christ’s redeemed sinners, it’s supposed to be our joy and delight to pour out our lives for others (& the Savior). Dad & Mom taught us this very early on. I love to serve, I feel weird when I can’t. There’s few things I enjoy more than gettin’ r’ done and making things run smooth so people can meet and experience God. But, I was convicted by Sunday’s sermon…very convicted.

“We should never settle for where we are.” – Jim Britt

On Sunday, I wrote in my notes, “I will never be like Jesus so I always have room to do better. You will never be fully sanctified, so there is always room for change, room to do better, and countless ways to reflect my Savior even more.”

I serve, but am I a slave? Do I wear myself out serving or do I serve when it’s convenient? Granted, we’re responsible for our bodies and we should be mindful of what we can and cannot/should and shouldn’t do. But, is itmy desire to serve with everything I have? Or to serve in the ways I prefer? Do I cheerfully take out the trash? Or do I just clean the kitchen? Do I serve in every way possible or do I only serve in ways I like? Do I serve when I’m tired and need some “me” time? Do I serve when I don’t feel good?

What’s my goal in serving? To do my duty (good thing)? Or is it fueled by a passionate desire to be like my Savior? To model Him and serve as much like Him as I can. A couple of things that dad said in his sermon which made me think:

“Stop being in charge (of your life), it’s a fool’s errand.

“We can risk all, look who He (God) is.”

I have a lot of room to grow. I often serve because it has become rote, not because I passionately want to serve Christ and His bride. I serve because I’m proud. And there are so many times I do not serve (especially at home), when I should.

Apart from God’s grace in the gospel (Ro. 1:16), I do not have the power to change or to serve at all. But, thankfully, I do not change or serve by myself. He is with me. All I need to do is repent and ask for help. God gives me the grace, power, and strength to be like Him. I try and He gives me the power and ability. I love my Savior!!!

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13

You can download the sermon, sermon notes, and application questions HERE.

Anxiety: Anything & Everything

I attended the Sovereign Grace Church in Apex, NC, this Sunday. Mickey Conolly spoke on Anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7.

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As he began to read the text, I laughed to myself. God was setting me up, this was a message I needed to hear. I need to listen to this sermon 20 more times. There is so much to glean from the many points that Mickey taught on. However, there were a couple of things that did stand out to me.

“Anxiety is a mild case of atheism. It denies that God will care from me.” Ouch. When I’m anxious (i.e. fret, worry, etc.) I am simply telling God that He does not care and that He is not in control. I can worry about anything and everything. Sadly, I worry much more than I realize. Every time I have an anxious thought I am practically denying the existence of God. I am charging God with not caring and not being God. Because God is either in control of all things or in control of nothing. If He is in control of nothing, He cannot be God.

The remedy to anxiety is prayer and thanksgiving. “In everything we haven an invitation to come to God in prayer.” In every situation, every circumstance we should lay our burdens at God’s feet. We should come to God with everything. (Heb. 4:16, 1 Peter 5:7, Ro. 8:32) Mickey made a couple of statements that I really liked:

“Prayer does not mean passivity.”

“You cannot do more than pray before you pray, but not after you pray.”

“God has authored these circumstances. We give thanks because it reminds us that God is at work.”

I was also struck by the end of verse 7. GOD will guard your hearts and minds.
So often I think that I’m responsible for guarding my heart and mind (which I am, but in His strength). But, this passage says that if I am bringing all worry to God in prayer and if I am thanking Him and remembering His past faithfulness that I will receive His peace. And that peace is what guards my hear and mind. It is God’s working, His power, His faithfulness. It’s not pulling myself up by my bootstraps. It’s once again sitting at His feet and trusting Him. I find that so hard to do. But, I’m slowly learning that it is the most wonderful place to be. Letting my soul rest in Him does bring a peace that passes all understanding. Resting in His sovereignty and omniscience. Not fretting about my future or things I do not understand. But focusing my heart and mind on Him. That is the best place to be!

You can download Mickey’s sermon HERE.(As of 9:30am, it is not online yet, but I’m sure it will be soon.)

 

“The root of anxiety is inadequate faith in our Father’s future grace.” John Piper

True Worship Is About God

This Sunday’s sermon was on worship. Matt hit it out of the park! As I was reviewing the sermon, I was having a hard time focusing on one thing and applying it. Not because I’m amazing and godly (ha!), but because there were so many things to apply. So many ways that you could take this sermon and allow it to affect your life. As I was reading through the passage (John 4:4-26), verses 23 and 24 stood out to me:

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

One of Matt’s points was, God is seeking true worshippers. He made the comment that, “we don’t deserve to be sought.” As I read these verses I was amazed. God is seeking people! God is seeking people to worship Him with all that they are. Matt also said, “He (God) wants what is best for us and what is best for us is Him”. God wants us to worship Him with all that we are (mind and body). Why? It brings Him glory and worshipping Him is the best thing for us. (Insert smoke coming out my ears at this point.) God seeks me out. God wants me to worship and glorify Him. Why? Because it is what will satisfy me and give me the most pleasure. God is so amazing and so different from me.

This leads to another question. If worship is so good for me, what should it look like? Oh, there are so many ways to answer this question. So many facets and aspects of worship. I believe I worship in everything I do. When I work, I worship. When I sleep, I worship. When I eat, I worship. When I play, I worship. When I’m on the internet, I worship. But, am I worshipping God or other things/people? Do I magnify, exalt, savor, enjoy, and bring glory to God in every day to day thing I do? And yet, it’s easy to focus on the doing. I think there’s a grander way to worship. The ultimate focus takes care of the doing, but keeps me from legalism and duty.

A simple point. Only 5 words. But, Matt’s second point, I think, is the key to worshipping God correctly. “True worship is about God.” I can get caught up in action (which is good) and forget that the end result of glorifying God is God. Jessica being a good, obedient Christian isn’t the ultimate goal. God is the goal. He is the satisfaction of my soul. He is the recipient of any glory and praise my life produces. I am patient with others because He is patient with me. I sleep as a declaration of my need and dependence on Him. I eat because He has created me as a dependent creature who needs His provision. I play because it brings Him joy. I blog/facebook  to point others to Him. I raise my hands, dance, sing loudly, kneel, to proclaim the truth of His greatness. None of this is about me. It’s all about Him and His glory. It’s all about pointing to His greatness and power. And when I focus on Him, I am blessed. Because of His mercy towards me, I find peace, joy, satisfaction in Him when I attempt to glorify Him. That’s motivation to worship!

You can download Matt’s sermon HERE.

You can also get Sovereign Grace Church’s sermons via. iTunes…Click HERE.

What Is Your IFF?

IFF stands for, “Identification, friend or foe.” It is…“a cryptographic identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military, and national (civilian-located ATC) interrogation systems to distinguish friendly aircraft, vehicles, or forces, and to determine their bearing and range from the interrogator.” Soldiers on the ground wear IFF transmitters in their helmet and armor. Tanks transmit IFF signals as do planes and other military transportation. (I’m sure many other things, too. But, this description is just my puny attempt at explaining something very cool and complex.) This is helpful in so many ways. But, on Sunday dad was talking about C-130s. A C-130 is an enormous plane (think an elephant that flies)! One of the functions of a C-130 is to fly low to the ground at night and bomb houses, cites, etc. The pilots of these planes carry IFF transmitters and they look for people and vehicles on the ground that are transmitting their IFF signal. If the person/vehicle is blinking rapidly, they are a friend. This distugishes them from the potential foes and helps the pilots know where to drop a bomb and where not to drop a bomb. Fascinating Jess, but is there a point? Yes! If you’re flying a plane or driving in battle and you see a flashing person shooting another flashing person, what are you going to do? Nuke ‘em! The enemy may have taken a dead soldiers armor or even worse, a friend has turned into a foe. Dad’s question on Sunday was, “What is your IFF?” What kind of signal are you transmitting? Friend or Foe? If you’re a friend, are you acting like it? Are you shooting your comrades? Are you sleeping on the job? Are you drunk on the job? Are you representing the country you fight for?

Dad was preaching from 1 Thess. 4:13-5:10. Personally (though some of my friends couldn’t grasp it) I found this illustration helpful. What kind of signal do I transmit? What do other people see? What do I think/feel that no one else sees? I can be good at hiding what I think and feel. I can be strangling someone in my head and look fine to those around me. (Not something I recommend, btw.) So what does my heart reveal?

Sunday was encouraging and convicting. It was good to see where God was at work and where I had grown. The Holy Spirit was actively pointing to the things that I do right. That was so encouraging. That would no have always been the case, so it was cool to see where God had been working. I was also convicted. How often I “shoot” my fellow soldiers in my head. How I harbor anger and bitterness. How I judge self-righteously. And how I get “sleepy” on the job. I can serve out of habit, not actively being motivated by my love for them and my Savior. I go through the motions without reminding my heart why. I do not serve to be notices. I do not serve to be thanked. I serve because I love my Savior. I serve because I dearly love the people He has put in my life. It doesn’t matter if they don’t notice or if they don’t like it. Am I faithfully representing my King? Love should not be conditional, but tireless. Serving should never stop, never cease. It is the job of a soldier. But, serving isn’t motivated by duty. It’s motivated by the gospel. When I forget the gospel, when I forget my love for my friends and Savior, I serve out of duty. Then my guard goes down and I get sleepy. Joy is gone. Pride, self-righteousness, and self-pity assail my soul. I need to wake myself up with a strong cup of the gospel!

Difficult Love

1 Thessalonians 2:17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker [1] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

As I read Sunday’s passage, I was struck by Paul’s intense love for the Thessalonians. The verbiage reminds me of a mother that is estranged from her children. She loves them so much, she’ll do whatever it takes to see them/hear from them. There is a longing, a yearning that can only be satisfied with a first-hand report. Paul’s love for this little church is compelling. He had only known them for a month, yet it seems like he was ready to burst with want of news of their welfare. Do I love people like that?

The other thing that struck me was his immediate discussion of persecution. He didn’t shy away from talking about hard things. Persecution is a very real part of the Christian life. Paul wanted to make sure that his friends were biblically informed. He wanted them to have the correct view of the hardships they were facing. He wanted them to know that it was part of God’s plan. What? God wants us to experience persecution. Yes! The intensity may be different, the circumstances change, but God has designed for His children to face affliction at the hands of sinners. Why, you may ask? That’s a good question. I do not fully grasp the reason why, but I’ll take a stab at it. We’re called to imitate Christ, to be like Him. To be like Him in everything, not just the easy things. Persecution refines our sinful hearts unlike any other trial. Persecution shapes convictions, love, and a steadfast spirit. If walked out correctly, persecution draws us even closer to the Lover of our soul. It make us dependent on Him for strength and wisdom. Because Christ suffered for us, we have the privilege to suffer (so small in comparison) because we love Him.

That may seem harsh. But, it isn’t. Our puny brains cannot even begin to grasp the goodness and wisdom of God’s plans. God promises to never leave us or forsake us. He promises to never give us a trial or temptation that we cannot handle. He promises to be near and to give us the grace and power to handle whatever He puts in our paths. So, no matter if the trial is persecution, sickness, fighting with sin, contentment, bereavement…He is always there. He never leaves, never forsakes, and always provides the power (Rom. 1:16) to stand up under the trial. He is good and faithful.

He has saved me from my sins. He has snatched me from my head-long leap into hell. He is the Lover of my soul. The Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep. What is a little persecution (what we as Americans deal with is so puny, compared to many places in the world) compared to what He has done for me? It should be my joy to sacrificially love my Savior in any way that He chooses.

Love Is The Result

Where God is the focus, love is the result. –Jim Britt

God has to be the focus. Not my own reputation, comfort, or my own solutions. I cannot love others, if I do not first love God. If I love God, than I will be enamored with Him. And if I am enamored with Him, then I will want to pour the love I have received onto those He loves.

Indeed I love my fellow-Christians not simply because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with the gospel. –Milton Vincent

I guess the real question is, who do I love the most? Christ or myself. I cannot love others if I do not love Christ. And I cannot, not love others if I am entranced with my Savior. It’s an interesting thought. How do I love others more? How do I change from selfishness to selfless love? By loving Christ more than anything. It’s not about actions and checklists to change (though they are important). The goal as a Christina is to love Christ more. When my soul is full of Christ, it will naturally turn to loving His people (actions & checklists). Nothing else is possible for a redeemed soul.

Where God is the focus, love is the result.

Change Occurs When…

1 Thess. 2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers, [1] that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, [2] as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle [3] among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God constantly [4] for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last! [5]

This passage of Scripture is simply amazing to me. To be honest it leaves me somewhat in awe. If I was facing questions and malicious accusations like Paul, I would not have worded my defense as He did. I would have been attempting to be eloquent, step carefully, and I would have done a lot of backing down. But, Paul didn’t! He told the Thessalonians exactly what he did, reminding them of everything he did right. He wasn’t being arrogant, he wasn’t boasting. He was simply stating facts. His boldness staggers me. Oh to be like that. To be that confident in God. I constantly give into the fear of man. I’d rather serve quietly in the background and let other people be bold. Confrontation…no thanks. Speaking the truth in love…every once in awhile, but it’s not my preference. Doing things out of my “comfort zone”…um, yeah no! God has been increasingly convicting me of these sins. Often times by putting me in a situation and as I’m squirming, showing me my sin. There has been a lot of fear of man (being consumed with another’s opinion or perceived opinion of me). I have also been giving into fear (instead of trusting God to provide in all things.) I’ve also seen my no-so-nice companions, pride and selfishness. 

What is the difference between Paul and I? (Besides the obvious. I am aware that I’m a girl and he was a guy :)…) It’s a very simple difference. Paul was God-centered, he was God-focused. He was more concerned with loving and pleasing God than anything else. His boldness didn’t come because of his personality or from himself. It came from God. He relied on God to give him the power and grace to do what he had been called to do (Ro. 1:17, 1 Pet. 1:5). Another way to put it, He was a Mary, more than a Martha. He was listening, relying on the Holy Spirit instead of his actions and abilities.

I like to come up with a 5-step checklist. I need to do this, this, and this. Once these things are done, I’ll be different. Fear of man will be gone. Pride will have vanished. But, it doesn’t work that way. This side of heaven, I don’t think I’ll ever completely kill my fear of man. And change will not come to pass through my actions and strivings. Gazing upon my Savior produces the desire to change. Working on my sin, while trusting in Him, will give death blows to my pride. It can’t be done without Him. And when I try to do it on my own, I begin to drown in the waves like Peter.

I’m so grateful for a Savior who picks me up and points me back to Himself. I love that change occurs when I gaze on Him and trust in Him. What a gospel! Change happens by enjoying God. How upside-down (and amazing) is that!!!

Election Reflections

John 6.37-40 ESV All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Where God is the focus, hope is the result. – Jim Britt

I was struck this morning how contemplating election gives me hope for so much more than just my salvation. Duh, I know. But, I was reading over the sermon outline on my church’s blog. During the sermon (and today) I found the Scripture above so comforting. Jesus does the will of God. Always. And it is God’s will that He should never loose a single redeemed sinner. That brings so much hope! My sanctification is based in the will of God, it’s based in the gospel. It’s God’s will for me to be His child, for me to belong to Him. It’s His sovereign desire for me to become like Him and live in Heaven with Him for all eternity. If it’s God’s will, then you can take it to the bank that it will happen. What does that mean? He will keep me. He will guard me. He will protect me. The emphasis is on God working out my sanctification, not me pulling myself up by my boot straps. I participate, but it is only by His grace and power that I succeed. It is such a glorious truth, I can’t go anywhere! I can’t leave His side. I am His and He is never letting me go!!! WooHoo! Now that’s something to party about.

Some may say, that this reassurance would tempt people to license. And given human nature, I’m sure that it does/can. But, God has changed my heart. And while I still sin all the time, my desire is to serve my Heavenly Father. Love motivates my obedience. Love to the Redeemer who snatched my soul from Hell. I want to be kept. I don’t want to leave His side. And even though there is a Gollum-like battle in my soul constantly; I do not want to sin. So this truth/Scripture produces hope in my soul. Hope to ride out the storm of life. Hope that God will give me the power to fight sin (Ro. 1:12). Hope that His love is not based on my performance. Hope that I will reside in Heaven one day. Hope that He will perfect the good work He began. Wow, what a God I serve!

The Power of the Gospel

We’re about to start 1 Thess. at church. To prepare, I have begun to read a commentary on 1 Thess. The introduction was talking about where Thessalonica was (Macedonia) and how Paul (Acts 17:1-13) came to the area (the Macedonian call). Mark Dever says, “When Paul answered that missionary call, history changed. The gospel of Christianity went from Asia to Europe for the first time.” I was struck by the unusual way that Paul was called to Macedonia. It wasn’t a physical person, a gut feeling, a rumor heard; it was a vision. I wonder if Paul was tempted to discard his “dream”. Did he argue with the Holy Spirit? Did he think that it was a simple dream, no a vision from God? Was he tempted to doubt what he had seen? Either way it was a huge step of faith. I’m not a risk taker. I like to be careful & safe. I want to know 100% before I take a step. I often give in to fear. I’d rather someone else do it (talk to that person, do that task, etc.). I’m not the person that God should use. Or I don’t want to change in this area. It would require too much uncomfortable trust. But, that is the power of the gospel! In my notes from Sunday’s sermon I wrote, “The power of God transformed Paul. God can use whomever He wants.” God is all-powerful and do whatever He desires and plans. He is not limited by my limitations (spiritual or physical). He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. It’s disobedience and a severe lack of trust to tell God that you shouldn’t be used (or won’t be used) or that you can’t change. Who am I to tell God anything? I should trust the Lover of my soul. Knowing that He has the wisdom and knowledge to know what I can and cannot do. The power of the gospel can do/change anyone!

Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Heb. 11:1 assurance. Greek hypostasis, also translated “confidence” (3:14). hoped for. On hope, see 3:6; 6:11, 18; 7:19; 10:23. conviction of things not seen. By defining faith (Gk. pistis) as “assurance” and “conviction,” the author indicates that biblical faith is not a vague hope grounded in imaginary, wishful thinking. Instead, faith is a settled confidence that something in the future—something that is not yet seen but has been promised by God—will actually come to pass because God will bring it about. Thus biblical faith is not blind trust in the face of contrary evidence, not an unknowable “leap in the dark”; rather, biblical faith is a confident trust in the eternal God who is all-powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy—the God who has revealed himself in his word and in the person of Jesus Christ, whose promises have proven true from generation to generation, and who will “never leave nor forsake” his own (13:5). Such faith in the unseen realities of God is emphasized throughout ch. 11 (e.g., 11:7, 8; cf. v. 3) and has provided confidence and assurance to all who receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.

- ESV Study Bible

Eternal Nature of God

"Are you not from Everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die..." Hab. 1:12a

"Habakkuk grounds His confidence in God's future for his people in the eternal nature of God." - ESVSB

Habakkuk's confidence was not based in what He could see (what he saw was nothing but evil). It wasn't based in his present circumstances or even future circumstances. It wasn't based on his emotions and his subjective feelings. His confidence was based on objective truth, the objective Truth. He was trusting in One thing...the character of his God. He had knowledge, he knew scripture. He had seen God move in the past and was confident in His faithfulness. Even though God was answering Habakkuk's prayers in an odd & terrifying way; Habakkuk was confident his nation would not be wiped out. God was good. God was faithful. Even in the midst of complaining, and I would guess fear, Habakkuk was clinging to the character of God as His refuge.

Do I do that? When things don't go according to my plans. When I do not feel good. When I am tempted to feel overwhelmed at work. When I complain because I cannot see the future. When I am in a conflict...Where does my heart turn? Fear and complaining. Or a firm confidence in my God and His unchanging character.

We Desperately Need God's Active Presence...

Have you ever had a gnawing sense that something was missing that used to be there? Have you ever done really well spiritually in a particular area and then all of a sudden realize you've stopped doing so good? Ever felt the Holy Spirit gut-punch you in a sermon? Well, that was my experience this past Sunday morning. Matt Rawlings was preaching on The Nature of Spiritual Gifts. Wow! Did he do a good job! I'm going to e-mail him to get all of the quotes he used (since, I'm his secretary, that shouldn't be to hard :)!). But, the Scriptures, quotes, and points that he brought out were very challenging. Matt preached on 1 Cor. 12. The whole chapter! You can view his outline, application questions, and mp3 sermon HERE. But, I'll probably be blogging about it some this week too. Matt started with this quote:

“Biblical illiteracy and theological naiveté have reached epidemic proportions in the church today. But more than knowledge is needed. Mere doctrine won’t suffice. What the church needs is truth set aflame by the power of the Holy Spirit. What the church needs is the divine energy of God Himself bringing what we know to bear on how we live and how we pray and how we love and how we witness.” - Dr. Sam Storms

The message was a great reminder of things I know, but so easily forget. Here are some things that stuck out to me:

• The pursuit of the gifts of the Spirit is a commandment for every Christian.
• God chooses to give us gifts of His grace.
• Spiritual gifts are not things. It is God Himself we are pursuing, expression of God working in us.
• Do you expect God to continue to work in spectacular ways...The God of the Bible is still the God of today. He has not changed, though we act practically as if He has changed.
• We should pray for the manifest presence of God. We are weak that He may be strong.
• Correction of improper use does not mean to stop using, but proper use.
• Every member has a part to play. The body will not be strengthened unless every part participates. Without diversity the body is not edified.

In short, I was convicted that I do not actively pursue God's presence. I do my devotions, I worship Him, pray to Him, read about Him, do my best to glorify Him. Am I asking for and passionately pursing God's active presence? No, not really. I do some, but it's more out of obedience, not because I really want to. It's a command of Scripture and it's a wonderful place to be. There is nothing as sweet as God's presence. It's really very foolish and stupid to not actively pursue my Heavenly Father. It was a very convicting, but very encouraging sermon. I look forward to delving into Scripture and my notes this week! I'm sure there will be more to come.

The Local Church: a Place, a People, or Your Passion?

The following quotes came from my church's care group blog. My dad preached an incredible message on the importance of the local church. You can listen to the sermon here. 

The most important decision a person will ever make is whether he or she will be devoted to Jesus Christ. And devotion to Jesus cannot be effectively implemented without a devotion to the local church… Without a high view of the church, our understanding of small groups will be pitifully incomplete. - Dave Harvey, Why Small Groups?, page 92.

But I’m concerned that many Christians don’t realize how this most important relationship with God necessitates a number of secondary personal relationships – the relationships that Christ establishes between us and his body – the Church. God doesn’t mean for these to be relationships that we pick and choose at our whim among the many Christians “out there.” He means to establish us in relationship with an actual flesh-and-blood, step-on-your-toes body of people… Why do I worry that if you call yourself a Christian but you are not a member in good standing of the local church you attend, you might be going to hell? Think with me for a moment about what a Christian is. – Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church?, page 22.

“Lone-Ranger Christians” are a contradiction because becoming a Christian means being united to Christ, and union with Christ expresses itself in union with a local body of believers. It seems to us that in the New Testament, to be excluded from the local church was to be excluded from Christ. This is why the issue of membership is so important… Are you an accountable member of a local church? Not just: Is your name somewhere? But, are you committed to discipline and being disciplined according to biblical standards? Have you publicly declared your willingness to be shepherded and to be led by the leaders of a local church? Do you see yourself and your gifts as part of an organic ministering body? Do you show by your firm attachment to Christ’s body that you are attached to Christ? – John Piper,  http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2008/2989/

Far from being only one of many options for the Christian, the church is the primary means through which God accomplishes His plan in the world (italics in original) . It is His ordained instrument for calling the lost to Himself and the context in which He sanctifies those who are born into His family. Therefore God expects (and even demands) a commitment to the church from everyone who claims to know Him. – Wayne Mack and David Swavely, Life in the Father’s House, page 6.

The New Testament assumes that all Christians will share in the life of a local church, meeting with it for worship (Hebrews 10:25), accepting its nurture and discipline (Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1), and sharing in its work of witness. Christians disobey God and impoverish themselves by refusing to join with other believers when there is a local congregation that they can belong to. – J.I. Packer, Concise Theology, page 202.

The Lord esteems the communion of his church so highly that he counts as a traitor and apostate from Christianity anyone who arrogantly leaves any Christian society, provided it cherishes the true ministry of Word and sacraments. – John Calvin, quoted in Life in the Father’s House, page 5.

Your pastors will stand before God and give an account for how they have led your congregation (Hebrews 13:17). But every single one of us who is a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ will give and account for whether or not we have gathered together regularly with the church, spurred the church on to love and good deeds, and fought to maintain a right teaching of the hope of the gospel (Hebrews 10:23-25). – Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church?, page 16.

Looking for a good, biblical church? Check out these two websites:

9Marks

Sovereign Grace Ministries

Casting All Your Anxieties

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5b-7

I have never connected "God opposes the proud..." with "casting all your anxieties...". But as I was listening to Sunday's sermon, Matt made a very profound statement. He said that worry and anxiety are symptoms of pride. When we worry we functionally become our own god. Worry looks to ourselves for our own strength. So when I'm being anxious and not trusting, it goes a lot deeper. It's not that I'm just "not trusting", I'm being proud. I'm telling God that I am in control, not Him. I want to be god, I want to depend on my own abilities and strength. I'm being proud. I'm not humbling myself and trusting Him to give me the grace I need in every circumstance.

You can view sermon notes and download sermon HERE.

Faithful Creator

Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 1 Peter 4:19

"Do you bite, do you stand around moping, are you shocked, or do you rejoice...what kind of sufferer are you?" -Jim Britt

While I don't feel like I'm going through any suffering right now, this question still struck a cord. How do I handle suffering? When it comes, how do I respond? Do I become angry and bitter? Do I withdraw into self-pity? Or do I joyfully entrust myself to a faithful Creator?If I'm suffering because it's God's will, can't I trust Him to take care of me? So often I'm surprised with suffering, not knowing what to do or how to handle it. But, Peter a couple verses before says not to be surprised. You're a follower of the Suffering Servant, what do you expect? Instead of cowering, shouldn't I stand and rejoice? My loving Savior will sustain me through whatever He ordains as right...

Plant Trees & Pay Taxes

The prop statement from this past Sunday's sermon was: If it's all over tomorrow what should you and I be doing today? Dad started with a story about Martin Luther. When asked what he would do if he (Martin Luther) found out that God was returning tomorrow, Luther replied, "I would plant a tree and pay my taxes". It was a great sermon from 1 Peter 4:7-11. If you have iTunes (my sympathies if you don't) you can download the podcast HERE. Or you can go to our website (www.sgcsc.org) and download it there.

As I was looking over my notes, I was struck by a comment my dad made. "We should be consumed with His reputation." In the past when I've thought about living for God's reputation, I've thought about it in the normal/general ways. Evangelism, mortifying sin, pursuing the spiritual disciplines, denying myself, etc. All of which are fantastic ways to put His reputation ahead of my own! But, this time, I thought a little more specifically. One of the areas that I sin in is the Fear of Man. I call it my sin of choice. I'm very experienced and knowledgeable in this sin! Unfortunately, I've perfected the skill of having the Fear of Man. The Lord has been working in my hear a lot lately. One of the things I've been convicted about is being myself. Being myself in the little things. Not being consumed with my perception of how someone wants me to be, but being who God made me. And I'm talking little silly things like, Clemson Football, music preferences, etc. Taking pleasure in the personality God gave to me. Reflecting His character with the way He's made me and gifted me.

So, I started thinking about the sermon in light of my Fear of Man. If I was consumed with God's reputation (and not my own), I would be myself. It doesn't matter what someone thinks about my station wagon. It doesn't matter if I love college football. It doesn't matter that I like to play with HTML. That's who God made me to be. He didn't make me to be clones of those around me. And when I am the person He created me to be, He gets more glory. The gospel shines forth. His reputation is magnified. Why? Because I'm at peace and looking to Him. I'm not consumed with myself and my reputation. I'm trusting in Him. My confidence lies in Him. I'm a redeemed sinner! I have been snatched from the fires of Hell and brought into the "Family Room" of the awesome Creator of the Universe. Of course His glory and His reputation should be of first importance. I've been loved so amazingly. I want to show that love in return. I want to be a reflection of my amazing Savior! We live for That Day by being faithful to Him this day...

(Hopefully that rambling made sense!) 

Put Yourself in the Way of Grace

The 2nd point in dad's sermon on Sunday had to do with prayer. Dad mentioned that, "...prayer proves He (God) loves you...you want to pray, but even if not the Lover of your soul is still there to meet you." He also said, "groaning in faith, to the God who loves and works powerfully...". He said that prayer: proves, purifies, protects, and empowers. As I'm sitting here thinking about this, I keep thinking about Mark Altrogge's blog post, Put Yourself in the Way of Grace. Mr. Altrogge talks about his dog and how she is constantly in his way, trying to attract his attention and affection (which he's not inclined to give). He draws a comparison of how we should be that way towards God. We should put ourselves in the way of God's grace. Recently Chica (our 11 month old boxer) has begun to lay on my feet while I'm working in the kitchen. She knows we won't feed her scraps, so she lays on my feet in anticipation, hoping I'll drop stuff as I cook. This has been a recurring remind to me. Am I putting myself in the way of God's grace? Mr. Altrogge concludes his post by saying:

We never force God to give us his grace, but we can put ourselves in the way of it. And there’s a big difference between my dog putting herself in my way and us putting ourselves in way of God’s grace. I’m not inclined to cuddle with and pet my dog. But God is anxious to pour out his grace on us. He’s poised and waiting to give good things to his children. So let’s take advantage of the means God has graciously given us to receive his blessings.

Do I put myself in the way of grace via. prayer? Do I realize that the Lover of my soul is eagerly waiting to meet me and provide for me? Is prayer a duty or delight? A drudgery or a daily encounter with the Lover of my soul? Is it boring or an ecstatic joy? Do I look forward to it?