Last Sunday evening a fifty-something year old guy approached me after the Element service to express his thanks for the sermon. He was profusely appreciative and complimentary. Expounding on the greatness and the wonder of the glory of God in His wrath and His mercy from Habakkuk 3 had clearly resonated deeply with him.

I thanked him for his kindness and then shared with him that the message had occurred in spite of my weekly struggle with the temptation to offer something else.

We talked about that for a while, and another reason I gave for aiming high -- and by that, I mean in subject matter, not in quality of presentation, although obviously I don't try to suck either -- is that I don't want to leave the building in my car, get hit on the interstate and die, and have people be able to say, "His last message was on our inner potential to be awesome." Or whatever. I want to teach so that if any given message is my last, it can't be said that I went out failing to have preached the gospel, failing to have proclaimed the glory of God.

Why do we settle for less?
When we have in the endless fountain of Scripture "the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God" and "the unsearchable riches of Christ" why do we break even for one week from that stuff to preach the searchable riches of us? Why do we press pause on the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God in the amazing gospel of grace to press play on the Seven Steps to Being a Better Person?

I don't know how many of you saw the original soundbites of Jeremiah Wright's controversial statements from the pulpit. In doing research on Black Liberation Theology, for a presentation for my church, I looked up the clips on youtube to see them for myself. I found some that Wright's church wanted me to see.

Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago has posted a little more context as a way of response. Here are much bigger clips from which the controversial sound bites came. They want us to see the context. I think it's worth watching. If you want to understand this sort of thinking, I'd encourage you to take the time.

I don't do this to disparage, but if we want to understand, then we should listen and pay attention. This is how Black Liberation Theology responds to the world and reads the Bible. What flows out of the pulpit, is the natural product of the theology.

America's Chickens - This is the sermon preached the Sunday after 9-11-01


It makes sense if you understand that Liberation Theology views history and social wrongs as the primary emphasis of Scripture. Liberation theology teaches that salvation history is the story of the oppressed vs. the oppressor. And God is on the side of the oppressed. Liberation theology teaches that capitalist countries such as the U.S. do what they do militarily to keep poor people poor, and the rich people rich.

And like the prophet Amos, Liberation Theologians believe they must pronounce judgement on the nations that perpetuate social injustice and violence against the oppressed.

God CURSE America - because the Gov't wages war on the oppressed

An insightful post from Caleb Kolstad:

The syrup I have grown accustomed to is imitation “light” syrup. As a matter of fact I really don’t enjoy “regular” syrup anymore. It is too sweet for my liking. I would even choose light syrup over tree-tapped genuine Vermont maple syrup.

Sadly, I realized that many people are wired the same way when it comes to preaching. Many Christians have become so accustomed to shallow evangelical principalizing that when real expository preaching is tasted it’s rejected (at least initially) . . .

The problem is that many people want so many illustrations, stories, or application points that no time is left for true exposition. Who wants to hear about the historical background of Romans when in that time 3 or 4 stories, illustrations, or jokes could be shared? Now most people wouldn’t say that aloud but that is in fact what they’re thinking.

Those who most gifted in oratory are often most prone to this extreme. It’s what I call shallow evangelical principalizing. I noticed this response over 10 years when I was a student at the Master’s College. During a school sponsored Bible conference three gifted men brought the Word. All were great communicators but one was especially humorous and “relatable”. Unfortunately his sermons were also the lightest of the three. His preaching was thoroughly evangelical but not truly expositional or deep. Still most of the students I talked with in the dorms during and after the conference thought his sermons were the “best.”

Engaging oratory and great communication is not synonymous with a great sermon. In our preaching we should seek both light and heat. I’m not calling for dry, lifeless, preaching here. Passionate, clear, text-driven preaching is what our people most desperately need. Just don’t be surprised if you bring that type of syrup to your people if they initially reject it in favor of the “light” stuff.

I listened to a sermon this month that began with a 10-minute illustration, transitioned to 2 minutes of connecting the illustration to "spiritual truth," and then transitioned to another 5-minute personal story. Yes, I was timing. 17 minutes before any Scripture was referenced or cited, much less explicated. It was a 30 minute message, and the remaining 13 minutes included more illustrations.

I was bored.

But I'm a nerd, I admit. I'm also thirsty for Jesus and hungry for the manna of Scripture, and I've been starving lately. Light beer isn't cutting it. I want a straight shot of homiletical whiskey. :-)

(HT: Transforming Sermons)

Cross-posted at The Gospel-Driven Church

Well, I wish.

I didn't start listening to his messages until about two months ago, but I have no problem saying that you should be listening to them too. :-)

Okay, if you're the sort of person who listens to sermon podcasts, you should add Keller to your library.

Allow me to recommend Gospel-Centered Ministry, which I've plugged at Gospel-Driven Church before but must plug again, because I'm listening to it again today and realizing again just how flippin' awesome it is.

Heck, even if you don't want to listen to the whole thing, listen to his hilarious opening in the first 55 seconds. Just do that. Good stuff.

This past Friday, a column by David Brooks, of the NY Times, focused on seven reasons why Huckabee might/will win the Republican nomination. He begins:

"The first thing you notice about Mike Huckabee is that he has a Mayberry name and a Jim Nabors face. But it’s quickly clear that Huckabee is as good a campaigner as anybody running for president this year. And before too long it becomes easy to come up with reasons why he might have a realistic shot at winning the Republican nomination:"

The seven reasons, without Brooks' explanation/substantiation are:
1. Voters in Iowa & NH are restless
2. Each of the [media-declared] top-tier candidates make certain parts of the GOP uncomfortable.
3. Mike is the most normal person (of any party) running for President.
4. Mike is part of the new generation of evangelical leaders.
5. Mike is most in tune with the white working class, whom Brooks mentions is the backbone of the GOP.
6. Mike's a former Governor.
7. Mike's a collaborative conservative.

He ends the column with:

". . . Huckabee is something that the party needs. He is a solid conservative who is both temperamentally and substantively different from the conservatives who have led the country over the past few years.

He’s rising in the polls, especially in Iowa. His popularity with the press corps suggests he could catch a free media wave that would put him in the top tier. He deserves to be there."

(There is much I've left out, it's best to read the relatively short column on your own.)


Also over the weekend, Arnold Schwarzenegger asserted that the Republican party should, "challenge the questions they were asked in the debates. “Someone has to say: ‘We’ve talked enough about immigration, now I want to talk about healthcare reform’.” The candidates had to “move the agenda”, he said."

What better reliably conservtative candidate to center the party than Mike Huckabee, who along with his conservative values including his (lifelong . . . cough cough . . . Romney, Thompson etc.) pro-life stance, finishing the war with dignity, 2nd Amendment Rights, Constitutional Pro-Marriage Amendment, etc. also includes things in his platform like increasing funding for Arts & Athletics in education, and building up renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar, hydrogen, etc.


At the FRC Value Voters Summit this past weekend, Huckabee secured first place in their straw poll with 51% of the on-site voting. (Romney, who got 10.4% of the on-site poll won overall, after including online votes.) With Romney in a virtual tie for second in Iowa and mere points behind Romney's first place, The next 45 days could see a major shift in the whole election.

Instead of being like Bob Jones III, who has chosen a candidate for the chief reason of their ability to beat Hillary Clinton (btw - this is some of the more-flawed reasoning I've seen in a while), maybe you should choose a candidate who actually believes what you believe, stands what you stand for and honors God in the process. Forget the fact that he doesn't seem electable now - if you and enough others choose to stand on principle instead of politics, what seems impossible quickly becomes probable.

To hear it from the man himself, here's the last few minutes of Huckabee's speech at the Summit (excuse the lame Elvis joke):


I like Mike.

Okay, so Merry Christmas.

Those of you who've been asking and emailing, your patience is rewarded. I guess.
:-)

I am happy to say that Element's web/tech/audio wizard succeeded in uploading the complete Element message catalog over the holiday weekend. Everything is all caught up. The entire Old School Jesus series is there. All of the Kill Your Idols series. And the current Exodus series up through last Sunday.
You can listen to or download messages delivered by yours truly at the Element podcasts page.
(They are also available for subscription via iTunes and various other podcasting sites.)

Some are better than others (and I am thankful we have left off the first message series, on Philippians, as it marked my return to public speaking after a ten year absence and definitely showed). The remainder available won't exactly blow your barn door off, but I do think they demonstrate a trajectory of improvement, and for the most part, I am satisfied not with my oratory skill, but with being able to preach Jesus unabated.

If I could recommend one, it would be the message from this past weekend: A Hard Life, part four in the Exodus series.

Hope you may profit from them. Sorry for the long wait.

UPDATE:
iTunes glitch fixed. There are two Element podcasts listed. Subscribe to the one with "Christianity" listed in the category. All the podcasts back to the full Jesus series are there. Disregard any odd timeframes (a couple might say the messages are only a minute long). The complete messages are there. Refresh if you need to. Sorry about that!

This sounded really lame to me at first. But then I listened to a few, and they are actually pretty dang cool.

Sermon Jams

I couldn't listen to sermon podcasts like this on a regular basis, but they really do a good job of aesthetically augmenting great preachers like John Piper, Ravi Zacharias, or Alistair Begg (among others) with musical "atmosphere."

(HT: Founders Ministries Blog)

(Btw, I listened to two great podcasts today:
1. "The Pastor as Resident Theologian" by Greg Heinsch from an Acts 29 Network Boot Camp. Good stuff in there about the cross and culture in the church.
2. "Being Filled with the Holy Spirit" by Wayne Grudem, preached at Piper's Bethlehem Baptist Church. Got that one off of Monergism Audio. Non-cessationism probably has no better theologian than this hoss. And I love his God-centered (rather than wonders-centered) pneumatology.

Last night, I was able to make it to College Station to hear John Piper speak at the local University. Although I don't find it particularly enjoyable venturing into such a place, hearing John Piper speak on the "Radical Effects of the Resurrection" was more than enough to make the visit not just bearable, but a joy.

Not only is Piper an incredible author, he also communicates very well. He came under the guise of a book he recently wrote named, "Don't Waste Your Life," which you can download and read in PDF form for free here. Desiring God Ministries also brought 3500 of the books to campus and had them for free at the event along with some other books.

I highly recommend that you take a break from chess, work, lunch or life to listen to his words from last night. They will certainly challenge you. If you can find a spare hour to "get away," you can listen to him at this site. Piper was very vulnerable, engaging and, most importantly, Biblical. If I ever communicate as well as God has enabled him, it would truly be a miracle gift from God.

He spoke on 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The main idea of his message was that if your life, and all that it entails, do not point to the resurrection of Christ, you are not living an obedient life.


Do you live life that would be pitiable were it not for the resurrection?

The gospel is not merely a proclamation of good news. It is the power of God to save. It comes not only in word but in power and in the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5). It is the instrument of God's effectual call (2 Thessalonians 2:14). It is the occasion of his regenerating power (1 Peter 1:23). It accomplishes what God sends it forth to do.

The gospel is the word of God. It is the voice of the Lord. And we know that

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars...
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness...
The voice of the Lord strips the forests bare;
and in his temple all cry "Glory!" (Psalm 29)

Paul refers in Colossians 1:23 to "the hope of the gospel." And there is no sweeter message of hope in all the world than to hear God announce that when you get up in the morning miserable and depressed with a sense of guilt and estrangement before a holy God, you can go to bed that very night'this very night'with a quiet and peaceful heart knowing that every sin you have ever committed and ever will commit is forgiven and you are reconciled to the Almighty by the death of his Son. That's the free offer of the gospel!

If last week we saw that we were chosen by grace, and called by grace, and sanctified by grace, and sustained in faith by grace, and glorified by grace, today we learn that all that grace was purchased by the blood of the cross and is emphatically a grace for estranged and hostile sinners.

And the gospel is the good news that there is hope for sinners, the worst of sinners'the hope of forgiveness (a weeping harlot saved by faith); the hope of reconciliation (a broken prodigal coming home); the hope of holiness (a leper cleansed by the touch of Jesus).

But the hope of the Gospel is more. It is a world wide hope, and nothing else will satisfy our hearts in the end. It is the voice of the Lord that strips the forests bare. It is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:11-12). It is like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29). It goes forth from his mouth and does not return empty, but accomplishes that for which he sent it (Isaiah 55:11). The grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God stands for ever (Isaiah 40:8).

And therefore it will reach to every people and tongue and tribe and nation; the ransomed will be called; the full number of the gentiles will come in; the eyes of all Israel will be opened; and the Son of Man will come on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The wheat and the tares will be divided: one into the furnace of fire, the other into the masters granary. And those who have believed the gospel will shine like the Son in the kingdom of their Father. And they shall reign for ever and ever in light.

This is the great global hope of the gospel! Let him who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires take the water of life without price. Receive the gospel. Stand in it. Hold it fast. There is no other hope than "the hope of the gospel"!

-- John Piper

Yes!

Why are you there? Why are you in your church?

How do you figure out how you fit in?

First, there?s a right way and a wrong way to ask that question.

The wrong way is bad and unhealthy. And it comes from our pride. Our pride can be the source of this question in two ways:
1-?Lord of the Ants? attitude ? This attitude looks at a church from the outside, and sees them like a poorly organized anthill. ?Those poor people?, this person thinks, ?how did they ever do church without me. When I join, I?m going to fix it up and show them how it?s done. They?re so lucky to have me.?
This is prideful, arrogant and wrong. The church got along fine without you there, and they?ll be fine after you leave. Sure you may contribute some, but your attitude will probably do them more harm than good.

2-?I am an ant? attitude ? This attitude looks at the church and sees a group of people who have it all together. ?I?m such a nobody?, This person says. ?How will I ever fit in? No one there sees me or cares about me. I have nothing to contribute. And even if I did, those people are so busy about their cliques that they are ignoring me.?
This attitude is also unhealthy and wrong. Of course you are important. But in your own way, you are being prideful too. It?s not all about you. Because someone doesn?t say hi on a certain day, or doesn?t ask you to be a committee doesn?t mean that they are ignoring you. You want some friends? Then go make some.

The right way to ask, ?Where do I fit in?? is to see the Lord?s church and love her as He does?warts and all. See that a perfect God is using an imperfect vessel to build his kingdom and glorify his Son. Ask yourself, ?How can I be a part of God?s work here at this church? How can the unique gifts that God has given me help this church accomplish God?s mission for it??

So how do you figure out the answer to the question, ?Where do I fit in??

1-Give yourself to God ?

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God?this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is?his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

God changes your life. He does it when you give him yourself as an offering. Then your mind is renewed and you become a living sacrifice to God?s glory!
That?s where it starts. Realize that your being in the church is not for you. It?s not even for the church or the other people in the church, chiefly. It?s for God?s glory. Quit being the consumer. The church is not about customer service. In the marketplace, if a business doesn?t provide good customer service, we leave and go to its competitor down the street. But the church is not in business, and it is not a competition. The church exists for God?s glory. If there is a problem with your church, ask, ?Am I a part of the problem?? and whether you are or not, become a part of the solution.
But first of all, commit to serving the Lord through and with that church.

2-See your place honestly ?

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:3-5)

And Paul begins by exemplifying exactly what he is talking about. He said, ?For by the grace given me, I say?? He, even in teaching this concept, models it. He recognizes that the only authority he has?.the only contribution he makes?his very role as an apostle is because of God?s grace. He doesn?t take any of the credit for who he is in the church. That?s God?s place to decide who we are in the church.

So it is with you. Don?t think of yourself too highly. Do you have a lot to offer? Yes. But it?s not for your own glory or credit. It?s for God?s. And he?s the one who made you who you are.

How do you see yourself honestly?
Embrace the difference, be who you are. God made you different from your fellow church members. That?s good. And God made you differently, not so that you would compete, but so that you would complement one another. You are supposed to be different. And it is supposed to bring you together.

How do you see yourself honestly?
Realize that you don?t exist just for yourself and the church doesn?t exist for you- you exist to build the body. ? reread v. 5

5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

So do your part joyfully. And remember you belong to each other. You are to support one another and be accountable to one another.
And in humilty, and recognize that What you have to offer is a gift of God.

3- Use your gifts! ?

6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8)

We each have different gifts, use yours! (v. 6)

And do it cheerfully! Don?t use your gift begrudgingly. Don?t lord your gift over others. Do it, and enjoy it as you serve as God has gifted you.

And let it be a source of praise to God. God has a place for you. Look at your self honestly, your church lovingly, and to God as the one you are to be serving and then...

Jump In!

This is from a provocative post about John Wesley by Todd Rhoades over at Monday Morning Insight - a blog for church leaders. (It's a really good blog by the way.)

10 Things You'd Hate about John Wesley (and 10 Things He'd Hate About You!)

John Wesley: inspiring preacher, inspired organiser, relentless social activist, challenging writer, historic church builder, world-shaking reviver... but would you actually want to be in his church? And would he let you in?

He rode 250,000 miles on horseback, preached 40,000 sermons, gave away ?30,000 and left behind 132,000 followers. A hero maybe, but is he someone better appreciated at a distance? You decide.


10 things you'd hate about John Wesley

1. Despotism ? Even Wesley's own preachers called him "Pope John". He ruled his followers like an enlightened despot, and his beloved brother Charles plotted to "break his power". John expected every Methodist society to follow his rules like a McDonalds franchise, and took personal charge over every member's private life, expelling them for laziness or selling spirits.

2. Superstition ? He saw rain storms as God's punishment on him - or the Devil's attack. He made decisions by opening the Bible at random for God's guidance, and even decided whether to marry by pulling bits of paper out of a hat.

3. Copyright ? Wesley was a plagiarist and pseudepigrapher - he passed other people's writings off as his own and his own as other people's. He got into trouble for ripping off an anti-American tract of Dr Johnson's. And he attacked a book by Toplady (of "Rock of Ages" fame) by publishing a cheap caricature of it at the same time under Toplady's name. Toplady denounced him as a common crook worthy of deportation to America.

4. Grief ? He didn't believe in it, as Christians should be happy when someone goes to heaven. "I believe the death of your children is a great instance of the goodness of God towards you," he told his sister. "You have often mentioned to me how much of your time they took up. Now that time is restored to you, and you have nothing to do but serve the Lord without carefulness and without distraction."

5. Drink ? He wasn't against alcohol, actually, unlike later Methodists. While he forbad spirits, he loved wine and beer, published home brewing tips and campaigned for real ale. He also allowed tobacco for medicinal purposes. But he discouraged Methodists from drinking tea, being a waste of time and money.

6. Charismania ? Wesley often reduced his hearers to ecstatic convulsions, screams and groans, fainting, beating the ground and uncontrollable laughter. He claimed exorcisms and healings, and once thought he might have raised the dead. You might like that kind of thing or you might not.

7. Narrowness ? After his evangelical conversion, he considered all non-evangelicals "almost Christians". Though one of the most devout believers alive before then, he had been "an heir of hell". In later years he mellowed a lot.

8. Women ? Despite great services to the role of women in church, even his greatest admirers admitted that Wesley had "an inexcusable weakness" for the prettily devout. Nothing sinister, but as a married man, his gushing and intimate letters to his circle of young female acolytes was neither good matrimony nor good pastoring. And his treatment of a quasi-fianc? in Georgia led to him jumping parole and fleeing the state at night.

9. Perfection ? Throughout his life, Wesley preached the thoroughly eccentric doctrine that Christians can be perfect, full of love and without sin. Later he came to see it as a miraculous sudden change, like salvation, though he was as surprised as anyone when Methodists started to claim it had happened.

10. Plain-speaking ? Wesley believed in the importance of pointing out others' errors and faults with utter candour. As "one of the greatest instances of friendship", he told an old friend whose only child was dying that she was the most spoiled he had ever seen, "Happy would it be for both her and you if God would speedily take her to himself!"

To find out what 10 things Wesley would hate about you, you'll have to go over to the site and check it out. Todd intended this post as a lighthearted post about how times have changed. However, much of the feedback he got was negative. So he added this to the beginning of the post:

I'm taking a good amount of flack for posting this article. Some, after reading this article are very upset. Some feel that the statements below are not true. Some feel that the purpose of the article is to tarnish the reputation of John Wesley and impune his character. Some felt that the real purpose of the post was to make you really 'hate' (literally) Wesley.

Nah... this article is meant to be an interesting piece that, at least to me, shows how things can change in our culture over a few hundred years, and 1. What it would've been like to live in Wesley's time, or 2. What it would be like to have Wesley alive today. That's all. Nothing else. There is nothing deep here.

I, for one, wasn't offended at all. No Christian leader is perfect. God does indeed "hit a mighty lick with a crooked stick." Besides, times do change. It cracks me up that Billy Sunday dedicated entire sermons to the condemnation of cardplaying. I wonder what sacred cows we have today, that we just think are so Biblical, will just turn out to be cultural 300 years from now?