Are We Trusting God’s Sovereignty?

To all these questions, I could add one more: “Are we trusting God’s sovereignty in the gospel?” God causes the deaf to hear and the blind to see. He melts hearts of stone and hardens others. Paul did not always see a favorable response to the gospel. Neither will we. God may send a season of blessing and revival or He may use us, like so many of the prophets to give one last warning of the judgment to come. Some will plant, some will water, and some will reap a harvest.

Our part is to do our part…But only God saves. It is right to plan and pray for “results” and plead with others to know Christ, but no one can change the number of God’s elect.

Remember that on that “great gettin’ up morning,” God will not reward churchgoers, or His churches for that matter, for being big and influential, or hip and culturally with-it, but for being good and faithful (Matt. 25:23). That’s all God asks of us-be good and faithful, which is right, because that’s the best we can do.

-Kevin DeYoung, Why We Love The Church

Why We Love The Church

“Is a head still a head if it doesn’t have a body? Is a basement still a basement if there’s no house on top? Is a friend really your friend if you can’t stand his wife?

According to 1 Corinthians 3, the church is God’s building, with Jesus Christ as its foundation. To be sure, there can be no superstructure without a solid foundation. That’s obvious. But it should also be obvious that no one lays a foundation unless he plans to build on it. No one drives past a cement foundation in the dirt and thinks, “Looks like they’re about ready to move in.” We know that a foundation exists to be built upon, not lived in all by itself. Who wants to live in a basement without the rest of the house on top? On on I know, except for the Christians who want Jesus but not the Church.”

This was the first two paragraphs of the introduction for “Why We Love The Church”. I am hooked. I am screaming through this book at a pace (for me) that is earth shattering. I love it! It is amazing. I heartily recommend that you read it…multiple times. I recently read Josh Harris’ blog where he was talking about this book. He says that he likes it more than the book he wrote on the church (Which is saying something, ‘cause Josh’s book is VERY good.). I am confident many quotes from the book will find it’s way onto this blog. :D In fact, here are a couple:

Indeed, being part of a church-and learning to love it-is good for your soul, biblically responsible, and pleasing to God. – Kevin DeYoung

The church we love is as flawed and messed up as we are, but she’s Christ’s bride nonetheless. And I might as well have a basement without a house or a head without a body as despise the wife my Savior loves. –Keving DeYoung

We’re not perfect (far from it) but we love Jesus, we love the gospel, and we try our best to love other Christians. –Ted Kluck

You can purchase this incredible book HERE…the shipping is very cheap and they ship very fast!