Thanksgiving 2014

Today, i'm thankful for;

My salvation. It should come first, it's the foundation for everything else.

My marriage. Seven years ago this week i first told Rachel, 'i love you.' I've not regretted one moment since.

The Church. The global body of believers who love Jesus and will one day be with Him.

My church. I love Trinity.

The Bible. Nourishment, joy and hope every morning.

My Bible. I use the ESV Readers Bible, and i recommend it to you.

My family. I love my parents and my sister, and i'm thankful i get to be their son and brother.

My in-laws. Who welcome me in, love me, and put up with my cheap West Virginia jokes.

My wife. I love her heart, her compassion and her desire to do all things well.

My new house. Perfect for us, a mercy from God.

My ministry. A joy and a responsibility to work with teens day in and day out. One that i love, and i love them.

Trinity Christian School. It thrills my heart to see what the Lord is doing here.

God's love is steadfast and enduring. And the more i know myself, the more i understand how it must endure.

Why Does Each Gospel Sound Different?

The first four books of the New Testament report the same Gospel account, but from four different perspectives. They give the same message with differing but perfectly harmonious emphases. Matthew presents Jesus as the sovereign, whereas Mark presents Him in the extreme opposite role as servant. Luke presents Him as the Son of Man, whereas John presents Him as the Son of God. The same Jesus is shown to be both sovereign God and servant man.  

In presenting the sovereignty of Jesus, Matthew begins his Gospel with the genealogy of the Lord - going back to Abraham, the father of the Hebrew people through King David, Israel model King. In presenting Jesus' servanthood, Mark gives no genealogy at all, because a servant's lineage is irrelevant. In presenting Jesus as the Son of Man, Luke traces his genealogy back to the first man, Adam. In presenting Jesus as the divine Son of God, John gives no human genealogy or birth and childhood narratives. He opens up his Gospel, by giving, as it were, Jesus divine genealogy: 'in the beginning was the Word, as the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' 

John MacArthur, Matthew 1-7, pp xi-xii

Like Elijah

I've come to love James' letter over the last couple of months. We've just finished fourteen weeks going through it in Teen Church at Trinity. It's part Sermon on the Mount, part Amos, part Isaiah, all Jesus. I suppose, since it's in the Bible, it would be. It's a letter that gets in your face and forces you to deal with things you'd rather not, it's a book to challenge, and to encourage.

Near the end of the letter, written to struggling, dispersed, Christians, James makes a startling comparison. An encouraging comparison. A provocative comparison. In his conclusion, as he challenges his readers to examine their faith, their prayers and their community involvement, he tells us in 5:17 that 'Elijah was a man with a nature like yours.'

Excuse me?

'Elijah was a man with a nature like yours.' In terms of provocation, and encouragement and startling the kids in the back row awake, he couldn't have chosen much better. Elijah was a man just like you. There is power in your faith, power in your prayers, just like there was for Elijah. He prayed that it wouldn't rain, and for forty months it didn't, and then he prayed that it would rain, and it did.

'Elijah was  man with a nature like yours.'  Elijah who fed the hungry and healed the sick and raised the dead. Elijah who faced down the prophets of Baal, Elijah, to whom and through whom God worked wonderful things. James doesn't tell us that 'a king who you can barely remember' had a nature like ours, or 'that minor prophet whose book you skip ober,' had a nature like yours. He says Elijah.

So stop wishing that you had faith like that man, and realise that through and in Christ you have something better. Your nature is just like his, and he longed to know what you. Stop assuming your prayers bounce off the ceiling, and pray in faith, knowing that Christ's name is the signature on your dirty cheque, and God is listening. Struggling, dispersed Christian; stop doubting the power of your prayers, and pray with faith.

Be encouraged, Elijah...Elijah! was a man with a nature like yours!

The Lord's Name (ii)

James closes this verse with a warning,’ so that you may not fall under condemnation.’ our words are sacred, what we say is serious. 

Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 5:37, ‘let anything you say be simply yes or no, anything else comes from evil.’ That word condemnation is used everywhere else in the Bible to talk about the condemnation of those who don’t believe in Jesus. that’s how significant your words are. Really, James says, if your words aren’t under Jesus control, it’s because your heart isn’t either. You words reveal what’s in your heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, Luke 6:45 tells us. So what is the abundance of your heart? What flows out of your heart

James isn’t asking us if we’ve ever made a mistake, but he’s asking us about the theme of our lives. Is honest, truthful, God honouring talk the direction of your life and the desire of your heart? Is that what you’re known for? Is that what you want? To respect God’s name, to be known as someone whose yes means yes and who’s no means know. Someone who confesses Jesus with their tongue by guarding their mouth and watching what they say. One commentator said, ‘we ought to be so disposed in thought and speech that we neither think nor say anything concerning God and His mysteries without reverence and much serious that in estimating His works we conceive nothing but what is honorable to Him.’

The devil is called the father of lies in John 8. Jesus said I am the truth. So which are you more like? Who are you following more closely? Constant lying, constantly taking the Lord’s name in vain is evidence that you’re not saved, that you’re failing this test. But Jesus came to save. That’s what His name means, more or less, God saves. And He is willing to save you from condemnation and forgive your dishouring words and dishonest talk. Let’s ask Him to together now.

The Lord's Name (i)

One Yale professor has said this, ‘in truth, there is probably no country in the Western world where people use God’s name quite as much, or quite as publically or for quite as many purposes as Americans do. The 3rd commandment not withstanding, few candidates for office are able to end their speeches without asking God to bless their audience or the nation or the great work their undertaking. Athletes thank God in television after the winning TD, politicians like to thank God, because He was on their side.’

So how do you use God’s name?

At the beginning of verse 12 James says ‘above all, brothers,’ above all! This seems to mean that james wants our attention of this if nothing else. It’s like an exam review, you can skip all the classwork, as long as you pay attention to the review, you’ll have it pretty good. This is the beginning of the end of the letter, and James is eager that we don’t miss what he wants to tell us about the Christian life. he wants our attention, he wants us to get it. Above all, of all the important things that James has shared, this is at the top, about all brothers, do what? Do not swear, either by Heaven or by Earth or any other oath.’

Do not swear. James isn’t talking about profanity here, that’s covered elsewhere, he’s talking about how we use the Lord’s name. do not swear by Heaven or by Earth. Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. In the OT, ppl made oaths all the time. The spies made an oath not to kill Rahab after she helped them, David made an oath to do good to Jonathan’s family. But we don’t really do that any more. What do we do? We casually and frequently take God’s name in vain. Have you ever said ‘I swear to God?’ you've taken God’s name in vain. Have you ever said ‘oh my God?’ you’ve taken God’s name in vain. Have you ever used the name Jesus out of context? You’ve taken the Lord’s name in vain. Do not swear by God’s name is the restriction. When I was growing up I wasn’t even allowed to say ‘oh my gosh,’ because everyone knew what I meant. You might be thinking. We’’ I don’t mean anything by it.’ That’s exactly what James is addressing. We’re too casual, too lazy with our God talk to mean something by it. You don’t mean anything by using God’s name? That’s almost the very definition of taking God’s name in vain!

How do you use God’s name?

Maybe verbally you don’t have a problem with it, but non verbally you do. How do you non verbally take God’s name in vain? You goof off in worship. You don’t pay attention to the reading and preaching of His Word. You ignore the work that the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life. you say, ‘ God told me to,’ when the truth is, you wanted to. You try to pass off your will, your plans as God’s will and God’s plans. Don’t do this, James says, don’t swear by Heaven or by Earth, don’t use His name to justify your desires.

Instead, James instructs us, ‘but let your yes by yes and your no be no.’ just tell the truth! When you say yes, do it! When you say no, don’t do it! Make life simple for yourself by keeping your word. Sometimes the Bible is had to apply, and sometimes it’s really easy…this is one of those easy times. Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no.

I can’t be the only one that thinks the more someone insists on something the less likely it is to be true. You know what I mean, if someone keeps telling you something is true, they’re determined to convince you and wear you down about it, you’re a bit less likely to believe them right? Don’t be like that, let your yes mean yes, and your no mean know. If people trust you, if you’re of good character, you won’t need to ‘swear to God,’ or make an oath. People will know you’re telling the truth because you always do. Christians, more than anybody, should be known as truth tellers. Jesus said, I am the truth,’ right? Jesus is the truth, His people must be reliable and trustworthy in every area of life.

Are you? Do people trust your word? 

The Power in Preaching

Keep close to the eternal source of spiritual vision. Imagination finds it's inspiration and power in the upper room today in the same way as on the wonderful day of Pentecost; expectant waiting, continual prayer, reflection upon the word of the Gospel - these were in the background. And what happened? Tongues of fire and a rushing wind were it's open symbols, and the coming of the Holy Spirit it's explanation. By the power of the Spirit these things happened, a great realization, an overwhelming spiritual energy and power of utterance. Their eyes were opened as they saw Reality as it had never been seen before. The invisible spiritual world became more real than the upper room. It was no longer remote or future. They were even now under the ruling authority of God more than the Romans or the Sanhedrin. From that time on their imaginations - their power to see and to relate facts were given unclouded vision, their wills the strength of rushing wind, their speech the warmth and glow of fire. That is how the Spirit of God always responds to the open heart. Rhetoric, logic, psychology are the channels and instruments of preaching, the Spirit of God is the source of power, as His Word if the message of life.

John Broadus, On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, P233