tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44136469406495646882024-02-20T12:10:36.078-07:00Regenerationre•gen•er•a•tion (n)—spiritual renewal or revivalBVC Regenerationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796847213594927338noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-3521197298864970002010-05-22T07:33:00.001-06:002010-05-22T07:35:02.794-06:00Regeneration Sermon ArchiveSince I am tight on server storage space, the Regeneration sermon archive that I hosted while that ministry was active has been removed from my site. I have many fond memories of those Sunday evening services and of the messages that I received and that I prepared. I will keep all the mp3 files and can make them available for download upon request or send a CD with the mp3 files. If you are interested feel free to <a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/contact">contact me</a>.paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410214862789793611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-74954477953075403752010-02-15T19:33:00.007-07:002010-02-15T19:57:31.217-07:00Urban Legends (Part 4): Legends about Sin<span style="font-weight: bold;">I. Introduction</span><br /><br />A. Defining sin--we all agree that there is something wrong with the world and, at times, you and I may even be to blame for this wrongness. But what should we call this “wrongness” in the world? What’s the word for it?<br /><br />B. Cornelius Plantinga says: “Evil is what’s wrong with the world, and it includes trouble in nature as well as in human nature. It includes disease as well as theft, birth defects as well as character defects. We might define evil as <span style="font-style: italic;">any spoiling of shalom</span>, any deviation from the way God wants things to be. Thinking along these lines, we can see that sin is a subset of evil; it’s any evil for which somebody is to blame . . . All sin is evil, but not all evil is sin . . . all sin is <span style="font-style: italic;">culpable evil</span> . . . Sin grieves God, offends God, betrays God, and not just because God is touchy. God hates sin against himself, against neighbors, against the good creation, because sin breaks the peace . . . God is for shalom and <span style="font-style: italic;">therefore</span> against sin” (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Gods-World-Christian-Learning/dp/0802839819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266280954&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Engaging God’s World</span></a>, 51).<br /><br />C. Sin is something that affects everyone everyday. Therefore, it is something we can’t ignore. Furthermore, the pervasiveness of sin has given rise to many myths, legends, and misconceptions about its true nature.<br /><br />Some of these may not be new to you. In fact, you and I may already reject these intellectually, but I wonder, are we guilty of accepting them practically?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. Truth or legend? “I’m not a bad person.”</span><br /><br />A. This one is easy: it’s simply a denial of reality. As aforementioned, we all agree that there is something wrong with the world and we all agree that, at times, you and I are even to blame for this wrongness.<br /><br />What we really mean, then, when we say, “I’m not a bad person,” is, “I’m not as bad as some other people.” Okay, so if this is what we mean, then we need to be honest enough to phrase it that way.<br /><br />B. There is a question that naturally follows: are we responsible for ourselves, or are we responsible for other people? Clearly, we are responsible for ourselves, in which case, should we be comparing ourselves to other people when we are not responsible for them?<br /><br />C. What does the Bible say? (Isaiah 64:6; 1 John 1:8)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. Truth or legend? “All sin is the same.”</span><br /><br />A. This is not a biblical statement, but rather a logical inference made from biblical statements. The Bible says without qualification that sin results in death (Romans 6:23). So here is the inference: “All sin results in being cut off from God; therefore, all sin is the same.”<br /><br />The problem is, this inference takes into account only one point of comparison, when multiple points may be available. For example, all mammals are warm-blooded vertebrate, but it does not then follow that all mammals are the same. Why? Because there are other available points of comparison where various mammals are, in fact, different from one another.<br /><br />B. So in what ways may various sins be different from one another? Our obedience or disobedience influences:<br /><br />1. Giving an account of our life (Luke 12:47-48 and elsewhere)--Spiritual maturity isn’t how much we know, but how much we obey.<br /><br />2. Punishment in eternity (Luke 20:45-47)--Craig Blomberg says: “Salvation is consistently said to be by grace, damnation by works (cf. esp. Rom 3:21-5:21 with 1:18-3:20 respectively). There is an important asymmetry here that preserves the sovereignty of God, giving him all the credit for redemption, alongside the accountability of men and women, giving them all the blame for being ‘lost’ (cf. esp. 9:22-24). There does seem to be Scriptural support for the doctrine of degrees of punishment in hell, according to the extent of one’s conscious transgression of God's laws (see esp. Luke 12:47-48; cf. Matt 10:15; 11:22, 24; cf. also possibly Rom 5:13)” (<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?tznc2edyibm">Degrees of Reward in the Kingdom of Heaven?</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">JETS</span> Vol. 35 No. 2, 161).<br /><br />3. Consequences here and now (Galatians 6:7-9)--A seed sown starts out small, but it is reaped later and greater in harvest time as a full-fledged crop. So it is with the decisions we make and the actions we take in this life. We will reap what we sow later and greater (HT: Andy Stanley, via his sermon <a href="http://www2.northpointministries.org/player/player.jsp?occurrenceID=4557">The Disproportionate Life</a>).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. Truth or legend? “I’ve already sinned. I might as well continue.”</span><br /><br />A. This is like the first one. It is a denial, but this one is a little but trickier. It is a denial of the storyline of Scripture, which God desires to also be the storyline of our individual lives: <span style="font-style: italic;">Creation --> Fall --> Redemption --> New Creation</span>.<br /><br />So the problem with this line of thinking is that it denies the redemption that God desires in our lives. We have been justified; shall we not also be sanctified? Isn’t this the very story of being “in Christ”? What is the sense in trying to live some other story, one that is not redemptive but destructive?<br /><br />B. The most miserable people in the world are not non-Christians, but Christians living in sin (see 2 Peter 2:20).<br /><br />C. If this is where you find yourself, Scripture has encouragement for you (Revelation 3:19; 1 John 1:9). Embrace God’s story for you!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">V. Regen Reflection Q’s</span><br /><br />A. It is easy to accuse others of sin while excusing ourselves. Are excusing yourself of any sin in your life? If so, what are some specific action steps you could take to stop make excuses and start making progress?<br /><br />B. Spiritual maturity isn’t how much we know, but how much we obey. It is possible that many of us have been educated way beyond our level of obedience. Do you see any examples of this in your own life? What steps could we take to reverse this trend?Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-65915669097310042372009-12-29T09:56:00.007-07:002009-12-29T10:14:23.905-07:00Ten Questions for the New YearDon Whitney has <a href="http://www.biblicalspirituality.org/newyear.html">ten good questions</a> to ask ourselves as the calendar rolls over to 2010. He says, "Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It's so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we're going and where we should be going. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God."<br /><br />I will be thinking through these questions as well as his twenty-one additional questions, probably posted over at <a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net">my blog</a> in the first few days of January. Maybe they will be useful for your consideration as well:<br /><ol><li>What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?</li><li>What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?</li><li>What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?</li><li>In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?</li><li>What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?</li><li>What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?</li><li>For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?</li><li>What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?</li><li>What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?</li><li>What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?</li></ol><br />(HT: <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/12/29/10-questions-to-ask-in-the-new-year/">Justin Taylor</a>)paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410214862789793611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-32118129777788448732009-12-23T12:02:00.003-07:002009-12-23T12:13:31.325-07:00What to read in 2010?My apologies! I've been away from the blog for a while. Hopefully I will be on here more in the new year.<br /><br />I've been thinking about what books I want to try to read in 2010. This list will no doubt change as new books are released, but here are twelve that I am eyeing right now:<br /><br />- Collapse (by Jared Diamond)<br />- Made to Stick (by Chip Heath & Dan Heath)<br />- The Art of the Start (by Guy Kawasaki)<br />- Love Is An Orientation (by Andrew Marin)<br />- A Community Called Atonement (by Scot McKnight)<br />- Dreams from My Father (by Barack Obama)<br />- On the Brink (by Henry M. Paulson)<br />- Drive (by Daniel Pink)<br />- Mechanistic & Non-mechanistic Science (by Richard L. Thompson)<br />- The Lost World of Genesis One (by John Walton)<br />- The Resurrection of the Son of God (by N. T. Wright)<br />- Surprised by Hope (by N. T. Wright)<br /><br />What about you? Are there any books you are looking forward to reading in 2010?Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-91654176968483441272009-11-01T16:49:00.003-07:002009-11-01T17:02:12.413-07:00Words from an older pastor to young adults...In April 2008, I went on a weekend retreat with the Young Adult Community at <a href="http://www.ccefc.org/">my church in Kansas City</a>. Pastor Tom, the senior pastor, came for part of the weekend and shared with us five regrets he had from his twenty-something years. I have found myself coming back to these ideas from time to time since that weekend, and I have been reflecting on them a lot this past week in particular.<br /><br />Here are the five regrets he shared:<br /><br />(1) Driven to personally succeed, rather than energized to serve others.<br /><br />(2) Thought accomplishment was more important than intimacy.<br /><br />(3) Viewed the local church as optional, rather than essential.<br /><br />(4) Bought into the Western, Greek idea of <span style="font-style: italic;">life balance</span> (i.e. balanced compartments), rather than the Old Testament, Hebrew idea of <span style="font-style: italic;">life cadence</span>.<br /><br />(5) Thought about the Christian life as more about getting to heaven, rather than bringing heaven to earth.<br /><br />Tom's pastoral ministry today focuses on service, intimacy, the essential nature of the local church, life cadence, and bringing heaven to earth.<br /><br />What do you think? Do you see any of Pastor Tom's five regrets in your own life? (I know I do.) What can we do individually and as a community to grow more like Jesus in these areas?Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-55434060785385725462009-09-22T17:58:00.002-06:002009-09-22T18:03:37.055-06:00Reading Round-UpRJS has an on-going piece over at Scot McKnight’s blog about “missional campus ministry.” She is a professor at a large secular university (not a Christian college) who has been involved in academia for 28 years as a graduate student, post-doc, and professor. Check out her thoughts here: <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/08/missional-campus-ministry-1-rj.html">Parts I</a>, <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/08/missional-campus-ministry-2-rj.html">II</a>, <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/08/missional-campus-ministry-3-rj.html">III</a>, and <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/09/missional-campus-ministry-4-rj.html">IV</a>. What do you think?<br /><br />Here is <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/1060254.html">a good op-ed piece on credit card use</a> in America.<br /><br />Check out <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/business/media/25yorker.html?_r=2">this artwork made with an iPhone</a> using an application called “Brushes.” Pretty neat stuff!<br /><br />At just 28-years-old, Jon Favreau (President Obama’s top speechwriter) makes <a href="http://correspondents.theatlantic.com/conor_clarke/2009/07/is_the_white_house_a_poor_house.php">an annual salary of $172,200</a> working in the White House. Hmmm, maybe I can put my future communications degree to some good use after all... :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.salon.com/books/int/2009/09/19/better_pencil/">Is the Internet melting our brains?</a> “No,” says Dennis Baron, professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois and author of the forthcoming book, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Better Pencil</span>. He explains why such hysterical hand-wringing is as old as communication itself.Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-71277781056550790922009-09-06T21:16:00.001-06:002009-09-06T21:16:53.502-06:00Jesus' Ink...Part Two.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">So my last post asked whether or not Jesus will have a tattoo, when He returns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The conclusion is really no conclusion, we are just going to have to wait and see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So what about tattoos?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What if you have a tattoo?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What if you want a tattoo?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Are tattoos Christian? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Are tattoos a sin?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tattooing is a controversial issue in society today, without the addition of Christian ethics and morals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To start with (so you understand my perspective), I have a tattoo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Actually, I have several tattoos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think a better question than the ones listed above would be, is a tattoo right for me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In our culture tattoos aren’t looked at the same way as they were maybe just a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For me tattoos were and are right, I have chosen to get them to represent specific areas and times in life I want to remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I do however caution getting tattoos, it is a permanent expression; make sure you want to express that forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are some other things to take into consideration such as possible side effects and even the possibility of a disease, so be wise about your decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A tattoo is a personal decision, one to make wisely and not hastily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As Christians we need to realize we live in freedom with Christ, but we do not have a license to sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The bible is clear about many things that are without a doubt a sin, however tattoos are a grey area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Leviticus 19:28 says, do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark you skin with tattoos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This verse was specifically needed to combat the worship of pagan Gods and ancestor worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Furthermore we are not bound by the law to have a relationship with God because of the Sacrifice of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What if you want to get a tattoo to glorify God and speak of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>your Christian testimony?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Why not, the bible declares your body is a temple (2 Corinthians 6:15), so you are just putting out the sign, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I know many people who have the salvation story tattooed on them, from the fall of man to the risen Christ and it is an amazing testament to their dedication, they can never hide their light, their ink declares their victory in Christ and I applaud their decision to live life that loudly for Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think the best way to look at this is, if you feel like tattoos are wrong, then they probably are wrong for you, but I would caution you in redirecting people who feel they are right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you feel tattoos are right, then they may be right for you and I would caution you about trying to redirect those who believe it is wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The only thing we need to agree on is Jesus is our Lord and our God, everything else is gravy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Bart Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08169955754597342501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-5223531160775378372009-09-03T21:59:00.001-06:002009-09-08T11:01:27.889-06:00Jesus' Ink<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Earlier today I Twitted asking if Jesus would have a tattoo when he returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Revelation 19:16 says, on his robe at his <u>thigh</u> was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Everyone said yes, He would. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">It looks like it, although there are several approaches we can take to look at this verse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesus has Ink!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesus has a Sharpie and he wrote it on His leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s not a tattoo or Sharpie but a supernatural expression of a worthy title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then there is another view, that the word “thigh” is incorrectly translated and should actually be the word “banner.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The words “thigh” and “banner” are almost exactly alike in Hebrew and a translator could have had a difficult time reading a poorly written manuscript.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One could also argue that the Old Testament law stated not to mark your skin (Leviticus 19:28.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The NLT version actually says “On his robe at his thigh.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All these different views add up to Christians disagreeing on something, but lets try to find some common ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>First lets agree this is not a major point of contention or eternally significant in anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am going to take the fifth standpoint; I don’t really care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sure it would be cool if Jesus has a Tattoo but I think we are missing the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>More important than Jesus’ ink is the fact He is coming back to claim His people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is actually, in this context, coming to establish His 1000-year reign. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We need to look at who Jesus is, not what He may or may not look like, it is easy to get caught up in the non-essentials but we can’t let them distract us from the essential elements of our faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Revelation 19 should be a call to action, to make as many connection points with people as possible, to share with them who Jesus is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Bart Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08169955754597342501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-15627719779412885962009-08-26T14:33:00.007-06:002009-09-04T14:08:01.827-06:00The Fear of the Lord (Malachi 2:1-3:5, 3:16-4:6)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLINPCx_zy5X4wvbKKdq-MFp5e8juQ2sb697Z9CQh_NX8HxnbqWppvaq5xM-ArypuxdaSvmJUz1_fgvomtDe5GOy9ucLArNtpJdNzVSR5bjD1Bl37jx1evTRhhahocJh4km_PRGV0qtk/s1600-h/malachi-04.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLINPCx_zy5X4wvbKKdq-MFp5e8juQ2sb697Z9CQh_NX8HxnbqWppvaq5xM-ArypuxdaSvmJUz1_fgvomtDe5GOy9ucLArNtpJdNzVSR5bjD1Bl37jx1evTRhhahocJh4km_PRGV0qtk/s320/malachi-04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374373728682489794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I. Introduction</span><br /><br />A. Why do we do reckless things? Why do we make stupid decisions? Why don’t we show more compassion toward others? Why are our daily routines and life pursuits so often all about us?<br /><br />It has been said that <span style="font-weight: bold;">what you think about God is the most important thing about you.</span> Maybe the key to answering the questions above is to examine ourselves and what we think about God.<br /><br />B. Notice the many references to “honor,” “reverence,” “awe,” and “fear” in the text: 2:2, 2:5, 3:5, 3:16, and 4:2.<br /><br />C. Movie clips from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe</span>:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMTPWreDwr8">The camp bowing down before Aslan</a> (beginning @ 7:00 mins)<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAPaZLOjiGs">Susan & Lucy stroking Aslan’s mane</a> (beginning @ 3:05 mins)<br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Srppbhxv8">“Not safe, but good”</a> (beginning @ 6:00 mins)<br /><br />In the story of Narnia, the great lion Aslan is a kind of Christ-figure.<br /><br />In C. S. Lewis’ book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe</span>, the character Lucy asks: “Then he [Aslan] isn’t safe?” Mr. Beaver replies: “Safe? [D]on’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you” (81).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What we think about God ought to cause our hearts to bow down before him as King.</span> The Lord is not safe, but he is good.<br /><br />D. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7).<br /><br />Wisdom means basing the decisions we make and the actions we take solidly on our past experiences, our present circumstances/responsibilities, and our future hopes and dreams (HT: Andy Stanley). This is what the book of Proverbs is all about. <span style="font-weight: bold;">And the key to wisdom is what we think about God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. Israel does not fear YHWH because they do not know who he is (2:1-17)</span><br /><br />Israel no longer takes YHWH seriously. They do not fear the Lord. The priests bring blind, crippled, diseased, and blemished animals to offer as sacrifices. The men of Judah are divorcing their first wives and intermarrying with foreign women who worship foreign gods. Israel is withholding tithes and offerings, giving only a part of what the Lord has required. They even dare to question God’s justice, saying that evildoers prosper.<br /><br />Do they know who God is? Think about it. If they truly knew who God is, they would take him more seriously. If they truly knew the Lord, they would fear the Lord. In vv. 1-3, God admonishes the priests for the posture of their heart. They do not honor God. He says that they have failed to follow the example of Levi (vv. 7-9). He says to them: “‘And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin” (vv. 4-6).<br /><br />What does it mean to stand in awe of God? I think the image from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia</span> of the entire camp bowing down before Aslan the King says it all.<br /><br />Levi stood in awe of YHWH, but the Levites of Malachi’s day did not. This is because they clearly do not know YHWH (see v. 17, where they question his justice). We must know <span style="font-style: italic;">who God is</span>. This is absolutely imperative.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. Because Israel does not fear YHWH, they will be judged (3:1-5; 3:16-4:6)</span><br /><br />A. How we relate to God is a serious business. Malachi pleads with his people to guard themselves in their spirit and repent of breaking the covenant God made with their forefathers. God warns them that if they do not repent, they will be judged. The messenger of the covenant (that is, Jesus) will refine the Levites (3:2-4). In the Day of the Lord, arrogant and evildoing men will burn like stubble (4:1).<br /><br />Justice is “what is right.” What is right is determined by what God says (Torah). What God says is determined by who God is (just, holy, loving, triune, etc.). So the nature of God determines what justice is. God <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> “what is right” (<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2005/05/why-is-sin-urbanized.html">source</a>, accessed August 13, 2009).<br /><br />If you remember, those who had prospered in Babylon were now using their good fortunes to take advantage of fellow Jews who were less fortunate by lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest (usury). This was a great injustice and, as such, it violated the very nature and character of God. God promises that the messenger of the covenant will judge the people of Israel for all of their injustices (3:5).<br /><br />B. I think one reason we struggle with what we think about God is because he is not physical. Susan and Lucy had a real, live, physical lion ... a potent reminder of who Aslan is. But we do not. It is like there is nothing for our senses to grasp onto.<br /><br />Israel’s response in 3:16 is striking: it is all about the posture of their heart, yet they preserve their response in a physical scroll, something they can hold onto.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. Conclusion</span><br /><br />Donald Miller says: “If you ask me, the way to tell if a person knows God for real, I mean knows the real God, is that they will fear Him ... It seems like, if you really knew the God who understands the physics of our existence, you would operate a little more cautiously, a little more compassionately, a little less like you are the center of the universe” (<span style="font-style: italic;">Searching for God Knows What</span>, 38).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">V. Regen Reflection Q’s</span><br /><br />A. “Our God is not safe, but he is good.” What do you think about this statement?<br /><br />B. In what ways may you have taken yourself too seriously? In what ways may you have taken God too lightly?<br /><br />C. What do you think of Israel’s response to God in 3:16? How can we model this kind of response in our own lives and community?<br /><br />(<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/BVCRegenPodcast/%7E5/Dms-roXKjGY/20090823_Andrew_Malachi_Pt3.mp3">Download mp3</a>)Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-80134412458995444932009-08-24T09:42:00.001-06:002009-08-24T09:45:43.683-06:00The Gospel in ActionIt still surprises me when I see the Gospel in action! As disciples and followers of Christ it is our job to set the very words of Jesus in motion. It’s God’s desire that we act out the words he took the time to inspire. Yesterday I went to hang out with and get to know a guy who I feel God is setting apart to be a world changer. Aside from that something else caught my eye. The life of a twenty something is usually one busy day after the next, with work, church and social commitments begging all of their waking attention. So when I see them spending their time doing what God called us to do, it reminds me why I do what I do. It is a renewal for me; it inspires me to be more Christ-like myself. I love when the people I influence, influence me. <br /><br />I left this post intentionally vague for a reason. The point is Jesus works in small doses, when we act on the behalf of another out of love we act on Jesus. The kingdom of Heaven is expanded in inches and when we share our time with those around us, our light can’t help but shine. We may not be able to heal physical sickness with a touch, but we can mend brokenness with our time. Make a difference in someone’s life today with your time.BVC Regenerationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796847213594927338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-16914696027484075262009-08-19T15:13:00.006-06:002009-08-19T15:56:36.576-06:00Giving God Our Best (Malachi 1:6-14, 3:6-12)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQt1ZuhWox2Nmi3Jk560I7mn2qaWKFrE7BYxo5LUUK5yhwaqqQkAgnIK67ltzHD0fH6rvJ8hCWeUA5XXIex-SgCxyIQcBJ94S9fNg1v4S0Di_V5CQzhfKMvBsxoaR35qCFjLVd5yFGv4Q/s1600-h/malachi-03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQt1ZuhWox2Nmi3Jk560I7mn2qaWKFrE7BYxo5LUUK5yhwaqqQkAgnIK67ltzHD0fH6rvJ8hCWeUA5XXIex-SgCxyIQcBJ94S9fNg1v4S0Di_V5CQzhfKMvBsxoaR35qCFjLVd5yFGv4Q/s320/malachi-03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371786397119502610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I. Introduction</span><br /><br />A. Illustration: Texting while driving<br /><br />“Fourteen states already ban texting while driving, though three states, including New York, have passed measures that have yet to take effect. A spate of reports has highlighted the dangers of distracted driving. A study released in late July by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that truck drivers face a risk of a crash or near crash 23 times as much when texting than when not doing so. A study from the University of Utah using a driving simulator found that college students faced a crash risk eight times as much when texting” (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/us/politics/05drive.html">New York Times</a>, accessed August 16, 2009).<br /><br />“David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, estimates that only 2% of people are able to safely multitask while driving” (<a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1916291,00.html">TIME Magazine</a>, accessed August 16, 2009).<br /><br />In order to type a coherent sentence, texting gets the best of your attention, while driving gets whatever attention is leftover. You simply don’t have the capacity to give your best to both.<br /><br />B. In life, we all have <span style="font-style: italic;">responsibilities </span>(work, school, etc.) and <span style="font-style: italic;">relationships </span>(family, friends, etc.). Like texting while driving, the fact is that we will give our very best to some of these things, and everything else will get whatever time, energy, talent, emotion, etc. we have leftover. Something or someone is getting your best. Something or someone is getting your leftovers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. Giving God Our <span style="font-style: italic;">Best</span> (1:6-14)</span><br /><br />In v. 6, YHWH issues a scathing rebuke to the people of Israel, and the priests in particular. He is their father, yet they have not shown him honor. He is their master, yet they have not shown him respect. YHWH brings this charge against them: “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.” How do they respond? They play innocent. “How have we shown contempt for your name?” Even the religious leaders of Israel do not fear YHWH.<br /><br />In vv. 8, 13-14, we see that they are bringing blind, crippled, diseased, and blemished animals to offer as sacrifices. This says something about the posture of their heart towards God. What audacity! They would never think of giving such a gift to their fellow man or to the governor over them. There is no fear of the Lord to be seen here. They are not giving God their best. They are giving him their leftovers.<br /><br />Do you give God your best, or do you give him your leftovers? Do you live for God halfheartedly, secretly hoping he will not notice? What is the posture of your heart?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. Giving to God <span style="font-style: italic;">Generously</span> (3:6-12)</span><br /><br />Last week, we saw that YHWH says to Israel: “I have loved you.” He then goes on to trace this love all the way back to Jacob. Here in chapter three, YHWH says: “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed” (v. 6). It is because of his unchanging love that YHWH spares Israel despite their sin and folly and rebellion. “‘Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty” (v. 7). This is the key verse for the book of Malachi. This is God’s heart for his people.<br /><br />YHWH levels another charge against Israel: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me” (v. 8). Once again, Israel plays innocent. “How do we rob you?” He tells them that they are robbing him by not bringing in the whole tithe. They are holding something back. How we relate to God is a serious business. In the book of Malachi, the people of Israel take themselves too seriously, and they take God too lightly.<br /><br />If only Israel will give generously and bring in the <span style="font-style: italic;">whole </span>tithe, God promises that he will bless them abundantly (vv. 10-12).<br /><br />God is generous. He gives us life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25). We are made in the image and likeness of God, so we should be generous too. We should give God our best and give generously of our time, our talent, and our treasure.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. Application</span><br /><br />A. Time<br /><br />1. LOVE: We need to give generously of our time to invest in loving relationships. Paul Hiebert, late professor of mission and anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, says: “Alicja Iwanska, a Polish anthropologist, pointed out how difficult [it can be to understand all people as fully human]. In a study of Americans of the Northwest coast, she concluded that they divide their world into three broad categories: ‘scenery,’ such as the mountains, weather, and strange places, which provide the staple for most conversations; ‘machinery,’ such as tractors, cars, books, pencils, and other items used to do a job; and ‘people.’ She found, however, that they tended to see American Indians as ‘scenery’ and transient laborers as ‘machinery.’ Only friends and relatives were really ‘people’” (Hiebert, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cultural Anthropology</span>, 41). Maybe one reason we have such a hard time loving people is that we do not see them as God sees them. We need to repent and give God our best in loving the people he has created.<br /><br />2. SERVICE: We need to give God our best by cultivating and practicing a servant’s heart. There are opportunities to serve all around, but we must discipline ourselves to take those opportunities. Jesus was a servant (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45), so anyone who claims to be his disciple likewise ought to be a servant.<br /><br />B. Talent<br /><br />1. INSIDE THE LOCAL CHURCH: If you are part of a local church family, you should seek out ways to put your gifts, skills, talents, and abilities to good use there. How can you support the life and mission of your church?<br /><br />2. OUTSIDE THE LOCAL CHURCH: Whatever gifts, skills, talents, and abilities you possess are not yours to keep for building your own kingdom. They are yours to give away in building God’s kingdom. What is your vocation? What might be the intersection of your vocation and the kingdom of God? Are there ways you can be more kingdom-oriented in your day-to-day living?<br /><br />C. Treasure<br /><br />1. THE LOCAL CHURCH: If you are part of a local church family, you should give generously of your finances to support the life and mission of the church. You can write a check or set up a monthly electronic funds transfer (EFT). Whatever the case, you should create margin in your budget for both <span style="font-style: italic;">planned giving </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">spontaneous giving</span>.<br /><br />2. THE COMMON GOOD: Disciples of Jesus should be the best kind of citizens and contributors to society. Loving our neighbor dictates that we work for the common good. We have incredible resources for giving generously to help the poor and needy, both at home and abroad. Write a check. Sponsor a child. Get involved in micro-finance loans. There are all kinds of ways that you can make your money work for the common good of society.<br /><br />A report in the journal <span style="font-style: italic;">Science </span>said “a team of economists and psychologists at the University of Oregon said they found that donating money to charity activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure” (Mitchum, “Warm Glow of Giving Isn’t Your Imagination,” <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/153547.html">source</a>, accessed June 20, 2007). God created you to be generous! Once again, this includes both <span style="font-style: italic;">planned giving </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">spontaneous giving</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">V. Conclusion</span><br /><br />Think about it: the times in life when you have felt most fully alive are times when you were giving, not times when you were taking. God created you to be generous! So when you give, you feel his pleasure. Giving is, in many ways, the pathway to human flourishing.<br /><br />God is generous. He gives us life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25). We are made in the image and likeness of God, and being generous is part of bearing his image. The story of YHWH and Israel in the book of Malachi reminds us that we should give generously toward God and give God our best.<br /><br />(<a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090816_Andrew_Malachi_Pt2.mp3">Download mp3</a>)Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-58141382807907810982009-08-13T11:44:00.005-06:002009-08-13T12:03:36.565-06:00The Dark Night of the Soul (Malachi 1:1-5, 3:13-15)<span style="font-weight: bold;">I. Introduction</span><br /><br />A. Review: Malachi comes at the end of the OT chronologically. It is a time when Israel no longer takes God seriously --> so they grow weary of covenant-keeping --> so they turn rebellious.<br /><br />Last week’s big idea: “ ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty” (3:7).<br /><br />B. So we are unpacking this idea of returning to God. In my exposition of this idea last week and in the review just now, you probably thought to yourself, “Well, that makes sense.” And it does: it seems reasonable. In fact, if it were up to reason alone, we would probably <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> return to God. But it is not up to reason alone. Human beings are more complicated than that. Returning to God must involve our whole person. And this means that <span style="font-style: italic;">emotions</span> are involved. What if we <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> that we ought to return to God, but we don’t <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> like returning to him? We are complex beings, and oftentimes our soul might be conflicted within us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. The Dark Night of the Soul</span><br /><br />(1) “How long will Our Lord stay away?” (2) “For within me everything is icy cold” (3) “The more I want Him the less I am wanted” (4) “He is destroying everything in me” (5) “No faith—no love—no zeal” (6) “I understand a little the tortures of hell—without God” (7) “I did not know that love could make one suffer so much—this is of longing—of pain human but caused by the divine” (8) “The child of your love — and now become as the most hated one” (9) “If there be no God—there can be no soul—If there is no soul then Jesus—You also are not true” (10) “I no longer pray” (11) “I am perfectly happy to be like this to the end of life” (12) “I have come to love the darkness” (<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2007/09/mother-teresa-5-darkness.html">source</a>, accessed August 11, 2009).<br /><br />These are the words of Mother Teresa. They are excerpts from her personal letters (released in the 2007 book <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light</span>). In 1948 she began ministering to the poor and suffering in the slums of Calcutta. It was not long before the dark night of the soul described above set in, and it stayed with her for the rest of her life. How could a woman so famous for spreading the love of God to others experience such a deep struggle with the love and presence of God in her own life?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. YHWH loves Jacob, but hates Esau (1:1-5)</span><br /><br />A. “ ‘I have loved you,’ says the LORD. ‘But you ask, “How have you loved us?” ’ ” (1:2) What a way to start the book! What insolence on the part of Israel to ask this question of the loving Creator Redeemer God. What audacity.<br /><br />I am learning that whenever something in the Old Testament does not make sense or causes me to do a double take, it often helps to step back and get some perspective. Perhaps a quick history lesson will shed some light on Israel’s question. How does this local narrative fit into the larger metanarrative of the Old Testament? Of the Bible?<br /><br />“Even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals that when God wants to get something done He starts by selecting a dude to lead that change and works through that dude. Examples include sparing humanity (Noah), founding a nation (Abraham), liberating a nation (Moses), establishing a throne (David), building a temple (Solomon), preparing hearts (John the Baptizer), reaching Gentiles (Paul), and redeeming creation (Jesus)” (<a href="http://theresurgence.com/mark_driscoll_2006-06_elder_government">source</a>, accessed April 13, 2008).<br /><br />God uses Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to found the nation of Israel, and he makes some pretty big promises to them. God promises Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that they will always have descendents. He promises that these descendents will always have a title deed to the Promised Land (boundary markers: the Nile River and the Euphrates River), which was actually inhabited by other peoples when the covenant was cut. God even promised to bless <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of the peoples of the world through the fulfillment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These are big promises. However, somewhere around 1876 B.C. the nation of Israel becomes enslaved in Egypt. They remain slaves for over four hundred years. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. Then, finally, God raises up a man named Moses to liberate the nation. In 1446 B.C., Moses leads the children of Israel on a climactic exodus out of Egypt. The Exodus story is the most prominent story of deliverance in the Old Testament; in fact, it is sometimes called the Cross of the Old Testament. In 1406 B.C., Israel enters into the Promised Land. Things are looking up. However, the people quickly degenerate into self-destructive patterns of sin and folly and rebellion. This sad chapter in Israel’s history is recorded for us in the book of Judges.<br /><br />Up to this point, God has been Israel’s king. They are a theocratic nation in the truest sense of the word. In 1050 B.C., God begins mediating his reign over Israel through a king. The first king of Israel is King Saul. The second king of Israel is King David (reigned 1011-971 B.C.). God makes some pretty big promises to King David. He promises David that the Davidic throne and Davidic kingdom will be everlasting. However, in 586 B.C. Babylon conquers Jerusalem and lays waste to the temple. By the looks of things, the Davidic throne and Davidic kingdom have come to an end. “Why, it must often have been asked, should we serve a god who has just lost the last war? Why should we not run after Marduk, the god of Babylonia? After all, has he not conquered Yahweh, even as Yahweh himself earlier defeated the gods of Egypt and of Canaan?” (Isbell, <span style="font-style: italic;">Malachi</span>, 13). On this note, the Jews are exiled to captivity in Babylon.<br /><br />But God is faithful, even when we are not. He delivers Israel from captivity in Babylon just as he delivered them from slavery in Egypt all those years ago. How great is our God! But wait, the captivity in Babylon was quite dissimilar from the slavery in Egypt. (1) The Jews actually experienced some limited freedom in Babylon, and many of them actually enjoyed material success within the confines of their limited freedom. (2) Upon returning to Jerusalem after the Exile, the Jews found both the temple and the city walls in ruins. This was a far cry from the grandeur of Babylon. (3) The Jews were an agricultural people and they found the land very difficult to work upon their return. (4) Those who had prospered in Babylon were now using their good fortunes to take advantage of fellow Jews who were less fortunate by lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest, a practice called “usury” (Isbell, <span style="font-style: italic;">Malachi</span>, 15-16). Under these conditions, the Jews cry out to the LORD: “How have you loved us?” This was their dark night of the soul.<br /><br />B. God used Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to found a nation. Isaac, the son of Abraham, had two sons: Jacob and Esau. In vv. 2-4, God reminds Israel of how he has set himself against Esau and his descendents, the Edomites. Mustering all of the impetus and insolence of Babel, Edom says: “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But God assures Israel that he will utterly destroy Edom. By painting this stark contrast between his dealings with Jacob and his dealings with Edom, God demonstrates the incredible favor and faithfulness that he has shown to Israel (the descendents of Jacob). God says to his people: “I have loved you.”<br /><br />In v. 5, God reminds Israel that it is not about them anyways. It is all about God, and making his name great among the nations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. Israel speaks against YHWH’s justice (3:13-15)</span><br /><br />A. Israel says: “It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourner before the LORD Almighty?” (v. 14)<br /><br />Commentator Joyce G. Baldwin says: “Whereas most of the prophets lived and prophesied in days of change and political upheaval, Malachi and his contemporaries were living in an uneventful waiting period, when God seemed to have forgotten His people enduring poverty and foreign domination in the little province of Judah. Zerubbabel and Joshua, whom Haggai and Zechariah had indicated as God’s chosen men for the new age, had died. True the Temple had been completed, but nothing momentous had occurred to indicate that God’s presence had returned to fill it with glory, as Ezekiel had indicated would happen (Ezk. 43:4). The day of miracles had passed with Elijah and Elisha. The round of religious duties continued to be carried on, but without enthusiasm. Where was the God of their fathers? Did it really matter whether one served Him or not? Generations were dying without receiving the promises (<span style="font-style: italic;">cf.</span> Heb. 11:13) and many were losing their faith” (Baldwin, <span style="font-style: italic;">Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi</span>, 211).<br /><br />Again and again in the Gospels, Jesus calls his followers to self-sacrifice. Maybe you have tried to follow Jesus. Maybe you have tried to live a good, moral life and do the whole Christian thing. Have you ever found yourself saying, what’s the point? What’s in it for me? When is this ever going to end? Where is the rest for my soul that Jesus promised? What’s the deal?<br /><br />B. Israel goes so far as to speak against God’s justice: “But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape.” (v. 15)<br /><br />Justice is “what is right.” What is right is determined by what God says (Torah). What God says is determined by who God is (just, holy, loving, triune, etc.). So the nature of God determines what justice is. God <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> “what is right” (<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2005/05/why-is-sin-urbanized.html">source</a>, accessed August 13, 2009).<br /><br />Israel goes so far as to question God’s justice. They question whether he is right. They say, maybe he is wrong. In fact, they are sure he is wrong.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Israel has used their dark night of the soul as an occasion to turn their back on God, rather than turning to him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">V. Bringing It Home</span><br /><br />A. Personal application: I don’t know what your dark night of the soul is. Maybe it is in your past. Maybe it is still in your future. Maybe you are in the midst of it right now.<br /><br />Maybe you had to break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe you lost a job. Maybe your fiancé broke off the engagement. Maybe you lost a child to miscarriage. Maybe you have had to bury a parent. Maybe you have had to bury both of your parents. Maybe your church split. Maybe the business you started has gone under. Maybe you have been trying the whole Christian thing, but you feel no connection to God. Maybe you have felt no connection to God for years. Maybe you are burnt out. Maybe you are asking, what’s the point? Maybe you are asking, “God, how have you loved me?”<br /><br />I don’t know what your dark night of the soul is. But I do know you must answer this question: <span style="font-weight: bold;">will you use your dark night of the soul as an occasion to turn your back on God, or will you use it as an occasion to turn to him?</span><br /><br />B. Public illustration: Mother Teresa endured her agonizing dark night of the soul for over forty years, until the end of her life. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yet she did not use it as an occasion to turn her back on God. She used it as an occasion to turn to him and demonstrate his love to others.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">VI. Conclusion</span><br /><br />A. Excerpt from Chapter 8 of C. S. Lewis’ <span style="font-style: italic;">The Screwtape Letters</span>: “Humans are amphibians—half spirit and half animal. (The Enemy’s determination to produce such a revolting hybrid was one of the things that determined Our Father to withdraw his support from Him.) As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation—the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life—his interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down.<br /><br />“. . . Now it may surprise you to learn that in His efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, He [the Enemy] relies on the troughs even more that on peaks; some of His special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else. The reason is this. To use a human is primarily food; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our own area of selfhood at its expense. But the obedience which the Enemy demands of men is quite a different thing. One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself—creatures whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His.<br /><br />“. . . Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon the universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”<br /><br />B. Regen Reflection Q’s<br /><br />1. What do you think about C. S. Lewis’ commentary on troughs and peaks?<br /><br />2. In your experience, what role have emotions played in wandering from God? In returning to him?<br /><br />3. Do you think Jesus ever had a “dark night of the soul”? How did he respond? What does being “in Christ” mean for us in our troughs and struggles and times of emotional peril, when we find ourselves weary or rebellious?<br /><br />(<a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090809_Andrew_Malachi_Pt1.mp3">Download mp3</a>)Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-16603614409017570962009-08-13T11:38:00.005-06:002009-08-13T12:02:19.893-06:00Introduction to Malachi<span style="font-weight: bold;">I. “A Personal Relationship with God”</span><br /><br />A. What are the characteristics of a good, healthy long-term relationship?<br /><br />B. What are the obstacles to achieving a good relationship?<br /><br />C. These things are true of our relationship with God as well (i.e. same characteristics, same obstacles).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. Observing the Text</span><br /><br />A. [Read the whole text, pausing after each chapter to summarize.]<br /><br />B. What problems do you see in the relationship between YHWH and Israel?<br /><br />C. What is the solution to these problems (as presented in the text)?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. The Root of the Problem</span><br /><br />A. Israel no longer takes God seriously. They are incredulous. They have ceased to <span style="font-style: italic;">hear </span>YHWH’s voice or <span style="font-style: italic;">see</span> YHWH’s hand in their lives. Also, they have forgotten the past.<br /><br />B. God’s grace to Israel:<br /><br />1. He handpicked them from among the pagans to be his people (Abraham’s story).<br /><br />2. He redeemed them from Egypt.<br /><br />3. He brought them into the Promised Land against all odds.<br /><br />4. He gave them Torah.<br /><br />5. He kept his covenant with them (consider the Babylonian Captivity, 3:6, etc.).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. The Result of the Problem</span><br /><br />A. Israel no longer takes God seriously --> so they grow weary of covenant-keeping --> so they turn rebellious. Isn’t this so often what happens with us?<br /><br />B. Weary:<br /><br />1. On the verge of the Silent Period.<br /><br />2. Zerrubbabel and Joshua had died, with no apparent successors.<br /><br />3. The temple was rebuilt, but it had not been filled with YHWH’s glory, as pictured in Ezekiel 43:4.<br /><br />4. The age of miracles had ended with Elijah and Elisha.<br /><br />5. Torah seemed burdensome.<br /><br />C. Rebellious:<br /><br />1. Blemished sacrifices on the altar.<br /><br />2. Divorce, foreign wives, and foreign gods.<br /><br />3. Partiality in the law (e.g. taking advantage of the poor, etc.)<br /><br />4. Withholding tithes and offerings.<br /><br />5. Questioning God’s justice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">V. Conclusion</span><br /><br />Big idea: <span style="font-weight: bold;">“ ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’</span> says the LORD Almighty” (3:7).<br /><br />(<a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090802_Andrew_Malachi_Intro.mp3">Download mp3</a>)Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-56190641599828938202009-08-13T11:30:00.007-06:002009-08-13T12:01:20.083-06:00Christian Living (2 Peter 3:14-18)<span style="font-weight: bold;">I. Review (vv. 14-15)</span><br /><br />A. Context: Second Peter 3 ... will Jesus judge sin and sinners or not? The big idea Peter ends up with is “new creation.”<br /><br />B. In v. 14, Peter moves to talking about our <span style="font-style: italic;">response</span> to the coming new creation promised by Jesus.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. The Culture of a Faith Community (v. 16)</span><br /><br />A. <span style="font-style: italic;">The culture of a faith community is determined by how that community handles the Scriptures</span>—both what is taught and what is modeled. (Compare v. 5 with v. 16).<br /><br />B. “Theology is the result of Scripture, clarified by tradition, explained by reason, and tested by experience” (Tenny).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. The Best Defense is a Good Offense (vv. 17-18)</span><br /><br />A. Compare 3:17 with 1:10 ... Peter is compelled by care for his readers.<br /><br />B. 3:18 is Peter’s deep-seated desire for his readers ... our knowledge of Christ gives us (1) grace and peace in abundance, 1:2; (2) everything we need for life and godliness, 1:3; (3) escape from the corruption of the world, 3:20. Therefore, it is in our interests to <span style="font-style: italic;">grow</span> in this knowledge!<br /><br />C. Bounded-set vs. centered set.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. Regen Reflection Q’s</span><br /><br />A. What things have you found to lead you closer to Christ?<br /><br />B. What things have you found to lead you away from Christ?<br /><br />C. What will you take-away from this message?<br /><br />(<a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090712_Andrew_2Pet3_14-18.mp3">Download mp3</a>)Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-54510782360643719702009-08-13T11:16:00.011-06:002009-08-13T12:13:32.515-06:00Christian Hope (2 Peter 3:1-13)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVnqQwGUWYh8iMRScthsYGggkT65mk-bOTt4bf863Vagdvdl1dyxtXa8uEF4EWvz_pCHGrcD9jZV-Ohvr1y2f1615owC98Z6aUp6TSfl_CH6SJKzSSSiiZp91Z0CPkLWRqvhZrgY99Qc/s1600-h/2Peter-06.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVnqQwGUWYh8iMRScthsYGggkT65mk-bOTt4bf863Vagdvdl1dyxtXa8uEF4EWvz_pCHGrcD9jZV-Ohvr1y2f1615owC98Z6aUp6TSfl_CH6SJKzSSSiiZp91Z0CPkLWRqvhZrgY99Qc/s320/2Peter-06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369498782087439330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I. Introductory Discussion</span><br /><br />Three discussion questions:<br /><br />A. What problems in the world cause you the most grief and anguish?<br /><br />B. What do you see as the solution to these problems?<br /><br />C. What is the hope of the Christian (more generally)?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II. Three Broken Relationships</span><br /><br />A. Humanity’s relationship with God is broken.<br /><br />B. Human persons’ relationships with each other are broken. (Cf. community group study on 06-25-09.)<br /><br />C. Humanity’s relationship with the earth, its realm of sovereignty, is broken. [Watch excerpt from <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/sylvia_earle_s_ted_prize_wish_to_protect_our_oceans.html">Sylvia Earle’s TEDTalk</a>, 10:36-12:06 min.]<br /><br />D. Working conclusion: God created <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span> good: you, me, the earth, the entire cosmos. It was <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> created good. And it has <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> been broken by sin and death and decay.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">III. Exposition of vv. 1-9</span><br /><br />A. In Peter’s day, scoffers were scoffing at Christian hope (vv. 3-4). This still happens today.<br /><br />B. Peter argues against them by pointing to three big acts of God in human history: creation itself, the flood of Noah’s day, and the end of history as we know it (vv. 5-7).<br /><br />C. So why are there still problems in the world that cause us grief and anguish, two thousand years after the King of Kings and Lord of Lords walked upon this earth? Simply put, because the Lord’s patience means salvation (vv. 8-9).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IV. Reaction to vv. 10-13</span><br /><br />A. What is your first reaction to these verses?<br /><br />B. Read Isaiah 24:4-6; Rom 8:18-23; Acts 3:18-21; Matt 19:28-30; Col 1:19-20; Isaiah 65:17-25, 66:22-24; & Rev 21:1-5, 22-27, 22:1-6. What light do these shed on the hope of the Christian?<br /><br />C. Read Matt 5:12; Luke 16:22; John 14:2-4; & 2 Cor 5:1. Compare and contrast these to the previous set of verses. Which seem more clear? Which seem more ambiguous? What light do these verses shed on the hope of the Christian?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">V. Exposition of vv. 10-13</span><br /><br />A. Interpretation<br /><br />1. “[W]e should note that the translation of v. 10 in some versions (e.g., KJV; ASV; NASB), which has ‘the earth and everything in it’ being ‘burned up,’ is almost certainly incorrect. The text is notoriously difficult, but almost all modern versions and commentators assume that the reading ‘will be found’ is original. What it means is more difficult to determine, but perhaps the idea of being ‘laid bare’ before God for judgment is the best option” (Moo, <span style="font-style: italic;">JETS</span>, 7).<br /><br />2. “[T]he language of burning and melting that is found in vv. 7, 10, and 12 must be read against the background of the OT, where the language is often a metaphorical way of speaking of judgment. And even if some reference to physical fire is present, the fire need not bring total destruction” (Ibid.).<br /><br />3. “[T]he Greek word for ‘destroy’ in vv. 10, 11, and 12 is a verb that denotes, as Louw-Nida put it, ‘to destroy or reduce something to ruin by tearing down or breaking to pieces’ . . . ‘Destruction’ does not necessarily mean total physical annihilation, but a dissolution or radical change in nature. The widespread metaphorical sense of the venerable English verb ‘undo’ might accurately convey something of the sense. When a character in a C. S. Lewis novel exclaims that he is ‘undone,’ he does not mean that he has ceased to exist but that the very nature of his being has been destroyed . . . The parallel with what God did when he ‘destroyed’ the first world in the Flood of Noah suggests that God will ‘destroy’ this world not by annihilating it but by radically transforming it into a place fit for resurrected saints to live in forever” (Ibid.).<br /><br />B. The big picture (i.e. 2 Peter in the context of the whole NT and all of Scripture)<br /><br />1. The teaching of Romans 8 about the liberation of the cosmos<br /><br />2. The doctrine of the resurrection of the body (which demands a significant continuity of some kind between this world and the next)<br /><br />C. Eschatological living (v. 11)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">VI. Conclusion</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Big idea: God created <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span> good: you, me, the earth, the entire cosmos. It was <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> created good. And it has <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> been broken by sin and death and decay. And God wants to redeem <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of it.</span><br /><br />(<a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090628_Andrew_2Pet3_1-13.mp3">Download mp3</a>)<br /><br />For further reading, see <a href="http://www.wheaton.edu/CACE/resources/onlinearticles/MooNature.pdf">“Nature in the New Creation: New Testament Eschatology and the Environment” by Doug Moo</a> in <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal of the Evangelistic Theological Society</span>. I <span style="font-weight: bold;">highly</span> recommend this article. It is well worth your time.Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-65633491989593283102009-08-03T10:57:00.003-06:002009-08-11T21:49:12.531-06:00Missional Living Series Week 5: The Personal Mission of BelieversHere's the link to the last week in our Missional Living Series: <a href="http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/images/common/icon_resource-mp3.gif">Part 5</a><br /><br />The Response to Hope: Our Personal Mission<br /><br />Passages for Study: Acts 17:26‐28; Ephesians 2:10; and<br />2 Corinthians 5:14‐21<br /><br />Over the last four weeks we have discussed the Call to Mission we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Reason for the Mission we see in our utter depravity because of sin, the great Message of the Mission in the work of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and, last week, that the corporate body of the universal Church is to be the instrument by which Christ is revealed as the hope of the world. This week we move from the idea of mission to the application of mission in our individual lives. As we’ve discussed, in order to understand the mission of God we have to understand the story He is writing and the part we play. We have defined the mission of God as a redemptive mission in which we as His children have been given the ministry and message of reconciliation. Each member of the body of Christ plays his or her part in working out and proclaiming this great mission. We call this “Missional Living.”<br /><br />Missional Living starts with understanding that God has placed us in this moment in history, His story, for His purpose (His mission). No matter where we are or what we do in life, this is the purpose of each believer whom Christ reconciled – to live out the ministry and share the message that God is redeeming man and creation to a right relationship to Himself through the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. Once we realize this, then we can move into fleshing out how our gifts, talents, resources and life can be used for this purpose. This is Missional Living.<br /><br />Our personal mission is to use our gifts, talents, resources and life to glorify God by being ministers of reconciliation in every venue of our lives. For some this is engaging in the lives of their neighbors, for others it is moving to a “hard” part of town or the world to engage the poor, and yet for all of us it is the call by God to live missionally where we are.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />This Thursday at 7pm we are going to be looking at one of the most famous (or infamous) missionaries in the old testament Jonah. We will be looking at the ramifications of obedience and disobedience as well as what it means to be a witness. Hope to see you there!Scott Covellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422077744704619265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-57702700119450804432009-07-10T15:42:00.003-06:002009-07-12T12:54:41.420-06:00Missional Living Series Weeks 3 and 4<span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 3: The Cross</span><br /><br />Here's a link to week 3's audio sermon: <a href="http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/resource_files/audio/200904261100HWC21ASAAA_MattChandler_TheGreatCausePt03-GodSaves.mp3">The Cross</a><br /><br />Passages for Study: Romans 5:1‐11 and II Corinthians 5:14‐21<br /><br />Review and Reflection for Week 3:<br /><br />The cross of Christ reminds us of the love of the Father and that having been reconciled to Him by the work of the Son we are no longer enemies but co‐heirs with Christ in His kingdom. The shed blood of Christ on the cross has redeemed and purchased us from death. Therefore, we are no longer our own, but we are His. We are not to live for ourselves but to the One who died and was raised for our sake. What have you been purchased from? To whom are you living? We have been reconciled to God and called to participate in His mission of reconciling the world to Himself. We have been given the message of reconciliation that Christ died so that we might live. How has this message affected your entire life? Who are you sharing this message with? What is keeping you from sharing the message?<br /><br />Resources to keep Digging Deeper<br />• To Listen To:<br />o “<a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByScripture/10/1101_God_Demonstr%20ates_His_Love_Toward_Us/">God Demonstrates His Love Toward Us</a>”<br /><br />o <a href="http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Gospel/Tim%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%90Keller/">Timothy Keller on the Gospel</a><br /><br />• To Read:<br />o <a href="http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/becoming%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%90a%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%90believer">http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/becoming‐a‐believer</a><br />o “The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative” – Christopher J.H. Wright<br />o “God is the Gospel” – John Piper<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Week 4: The Corporate Mission of the Church</span><br /><br />Here's a link to week 4's audio sermon: <a href="http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/resource_files/audio/200905031100HWC21ASAAA_MattChandler_TheGreatCausePt04-OurCorporateResponse.mp3">The Corporate Mission of the Church</a><br /><br />Passages for Study: I Corinthians 3:1‐21; Ephesians 3:8‐12; and Matthew 28:18‐20<br /><br />Review and Reflection for Week 4:<br /><br />Christ is the hope of the world, and the Church is the instrument He has chosen to manifest this hope. Together as the local church body, we desire to build upon the foundation of Christ with materials that will stand by engaging, equipping and sending our members and believers all over the world to be ministers of reconciliation. This looks like us starting new churches, supporting struggling churches, and partnering for the glory of the Lord. Your elders and pastoral staff desire to see the universal Church function as the Lord intended her to on His mission. This is not merely joining “missions” opportunities, but understanding that Missions, Groups, Connections, Pastoral Care, Recovery, Next Generation, etc. are all working toward this goal and by using your gifts to serve this local church body and, through our Missions Department, by serving your city and world you are joining the corporate mission of the local church.<br />The question is how are you on “mission,” God’s mission?<br /><br />Resources to keep Digging Deeper<br />• To Listen To:<br />o <a href="http://theresurgence.com/podcast">The Resurgence Podcast</a><br /><br />• To Read:<br />o “The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out” – Mark Driscoll<br />o “The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative” – Christopher J.H. WrightScott Covellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422077744704619265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-719488219258072522009-06-28T13:46:00.004-06:002009-07-03T13:09:08.173-06:00Missional Living Series Week 2: SinHere's a <a href="http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/resource_files/audio/200904191100HWC21ASAAA_MattChandler_TheGreatCausePt02-TheReason.mp3">link</a> to part 2 in our missional living series.<br /><br />Sin separates us from God. All of us have sinned; therefore all of us are separated from God. Being in sin, we do not have the ability to overcome it, so we are lost and hopeless. Yet God, in His great love and mercy, has put forth Jesus Christ to be the propitiation for our sins providing reconciliation and restoration of our relationship with Him. He does this through the blood of Christ on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Notfrom our merit, but by His grace are we saved (Eph. 2:8‐9). Our condition separates us from God, only His grace reconciles, so why are we not the most humble people? A right understanding of sin allows us to be participants in the mission of God, not creators of our own “missions.” When we realize that we are participants only by God’s grace demonstrated in redemptive history and manifested in the person and work of Jesus Christ, then we can take the ministry and message of reconciliation to our world with love, gentleness, kindness and self sacrifice. In what ways are you letting sin continue to distort your relationship with God? In what ways is sin keeping you from articipating in God’s mission?<br /><br />Resources to keep Digging Deeper<br />• To Listen:<br />o “The Importance of Knowing Our <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2001/50_The_Importance_of_Knowing_Ou/">Sin</a>”<br /><br />o “Adam, Christ, and <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/50_Imputed_and_Original_Sin/">Justification</a>” parts 1‐5<br /><br />o “The Fatal Disobedience of Adam and the Triumphant Obedience of <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/50_Imputed_and_Original_Sin/2348_The_Fatal_Disobedience_of_Adam_and_the_Triumphant_Obedience_of_Christ/">Christ</a>”<br /><br />o “The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/1829_The_Supremacy_of_Christ_in_a_Postmodern_World/">World</a>”<br /><br />• To Read:<br />o “Mortification of Sin” (abridged) – John Owen<br />o “The Imputation of Adam’s Sin” – John Murray<br />o “The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative” – Christopher J.H. WrightScott Covellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422077744704619265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-85736945628644666012009-06-25T12:21:00.003-06:002009-07-03T13:23:00.137-06:00Truth & Falsehood (Second Peter 2)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjam-LEpO_rGsJAMaxed6tGNN0ckbWDjVZQIUWbHYKOKRrTcrZUMuIG8AISR2gEi7Yc04Fjf-vd428fG0LY3ERJQiwlOiqgnJncA-Uc7zxATcmt9BoLKEMECfm7RFPQL-8_OIX6zeCfbHw/s1600-h/2Peter-05.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjam-LEpO_rGsJAMaxed6tGNN0ckbWDjVZQIUWbHYKOKRrTcrZUMuIG8AISR2gEi7Yc04Fjf-vd428fG0LY3ERJQiwlOiqgnJncA-Uc7zxATcmt9BoLKEMECfm7RFPQL-8_OIX6zeCfbHw/s320/2Peter-05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351332292221720194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Okay, we are getting back into 2 Peter this Sunday night, so I wanted to post something reviewing where we left off.<br /><br />Second Peter is a book for people with questions, doubts, and frustrations about their faith.<br /><br />In Paul’s message on 2 Peter 1:12-21, we discussed the questions, doubts, and frustrations that we sometimes have with the Scriptures as they have been delivered to us. After all, isn’t it possible that we are all just following a bunch of cleverly invented stories? I think we can all benefit from engaging with this question.<br /><br />For Peter’s audience, the Old Testament Scriptures delivered from God by the prophets were trustworthy and true, and he affirms this in his letter. But weren’t there also false prophets in Israel? Weren’t there false teachers in Peter’s day? And aren’t there false teachers in our day? How do we discern if someone is trustworthy and true? This is the subject of Chapter 2 in Peter’s letter.<br /><br />Any discussion or discourse on false teachers assumes that there are such things as <span style="font-style: italic;">truth</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">falsehood</span>. But what is truth? This is a question that humanity has wrestled with for thousands of years.<br /><br />Philosophers have proposed at least three theories of truth: (1) correspondence theory, which says: “A statement is true if and only if it corresponds to the facts” (Velasquez, 427); (2) coherence theory, which says: “A statement is true if and only if it coheres or fits in with that system of statements that we already accept” (Ibid.); (3) pragmatism, which says: “A statement is true if and only if it effectively solves a practical problem and thereby experientially satisfies us” (Ibid.).<br /><br />There are strengths and weaknesses to each of these theories. For the most part, I would say that the Scriptures use something like correspondence theory: “truth” is what corresponds to reality, to the way things are. “Falsehood” is what is deceptive, what does not correspond to reality.<br /><br />What do you think?<br /><br />There is a group of teachers whose lifestyle and teaching Peter believes to be deceptive. Commentator Peter H. Davids suggests that they may have been Epicureans. Whatever the case, their lifestyle and teaching do not correspond to what we have in Christ, and Peter does not want them influencing the congregations to whom he is writing.<br /><br />They secretly introduce destructive heresies (v. 1). What is heresy? Mary Veeneman says: “I usually define heresy <span style="font-style: italic;">as a belief that is so fundamentally problematic it renders human salvation via Christ impossible”</span> (<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/04/heresy-and-our-collective-fait.html">source</a>).<br /><br />They bring the way of truth into disrepute (v. 2). They are lovers of money, likely exploiting the gospel for financial gain (v. 3). They despise authority (v. 10); oftentimes when someone despises authority, it is so that they can set themselves up as an authority instead.<br /><br />Clearly, their influence is destructive. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peter spends over half of the chapter (vv. 13-22) talking not about the content of their doctrine (which he addresses briefly in vv. 1-2) but about the content of their lives.</span> We must not miss this: <span style="font-weight: bold;">false living <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> false teaching.</span><br /><br />Here is the best definition of teaching I have ever heard: “Teaching is causing someone to learn.” Teaching is more than just the transfer of information. <span style="font-style: italic;">False teaching</span>, the kind that Peter is concerned with, is more than the transfer or proclamation of false doctrine, although it includes that, to be sure. Simply put, <span style="font-weight: bold;">false living </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">is</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> false teaching.</span> And this is Peter’s concern (see esp. vv. 13–14, 17–20). He does not want these false teachers to influence otherwise healthy, growing congregations.<br /><br />So what is the application for us? In 1 Tim 4:16, Paul says to Timothy: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”<br /><br />Some people are really good about watching their doctrine. They quote verses such as Jude 3, Gal 1:8-9, etc. This is good and necessary. Some people are really good about watching their lives. They quote verses like James 1:27, Micah 6:8, etc. This is also good and necessary.<br /><br />But if we are in Christ, we must watch our life and doctrine closely. We dare not preach a false gospel with our doctrine, but we also dare not preach a false gospel with our lives. <span style="font-weight: bold;">False living <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> false teaching.</span> Therefore, let us watch our life and doctrine closely. Let us strive to have a positive, godly influence on all those around us, by God’s grace.<br /><br />As we learn to cling to Jesus instead of ourselves, his lifestyle and teaching will become our own.<br /><br />(<a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090531_Andrew_2Pet2.mp3">Download mp3</a>)Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-29278953431037411062009-06-22T07:13:00.004-06:002009-06-22T07:26:29.997-06:00Isaiah 55:1-3 - Repenting of IdolsThis week we studied the first three verses of Isaiah 55. In order to get some background about the passage, we reviewed some of the context of Isaiah and the history of Judah around that time. Isaiah was a prophet who ministered to Judah after the nation of Israel had been divided and was on the downward slope of idol worship, unfaithfulness to God, and wickedness. Isaiah called God's people to forsake their idols and return to the Lord. Isaiah also looks forward to the restoration of Israel, especially through the work of the Suffering Servant, who is ultimately fulfilled through the Messiah, Jesus, who is the True and Faithful Israel.<br /><br />Isaiah 55:1-3 is an extended metaphor in which the Lord calls out to those who are hungry and thirsty and invites them to receive refreshment from Him at no cost. Like Israel, we are all hungry and thirsty for various things. Perhaps it is for love and acceptance, for value as a person, for purpose and meaning in life, or for freedom from guilt and shame. Whatever it is that we are deeply longing for, the Lord invites us to come to him to receive what we need but cannot provide for ourselves. This is the gospel!<br /><br />The passage then goes on in the second verse to contrast the foolishness of "spending money on what is not food" with the deep satisfaction that there is in going to God and receiving "the richest of fare". I gave some illustrations to try to help us imagine better what is being contrasted. It is as if we were really, really hungry and went to the store and spent our last dollar buying something totally useless to satisfy our hunger rather than buying food. Maybe something like Kleenex or a big carton of ice cream, something that would seem to satisfy hunger but ultimately will leave us feeling sick rather than satisfied. That is in contrast with going home and having your spouse or roommate or a friend have a lavish steak dinner all prepared for you.<br /><br />If you are really hungry, you would be a total fool to choose the Kleenex or the box of ice cream over the hearty meal. Yet that is what sin is like! So often we pursue idols in our lives and expect them to somehow satisfy our deepest desires and they can't. We choose the things that only let us down and deepen our ache when God is inviting us to come to him through the gospel and receive in Christ all that we need. Why are we so stupid?!<br /><br />There are many reasons why we might turn away from God to idols, but what the Lord calls us to is to turn back to him. In the third verse, God invites the people of Israel to listen to him and come to him in order that they might <em>live</em>. The invitation is made through covenant relationship, which we also, 2500+ years later, are invited into through faith in Christ. Through faith, we are included in Christ, the True Israel, and so inherit all the many great and precious promises that God has made with his people.<br /><br />Our relationship with God rests not upon anything that we can do but solely upon the covenant relationship that we have with God through faith in Christ. Each day, we are drawn away by our sinful nature and turn to idols, but God is calling us to day by day turn back to him and renew our covenant relationship with him.<br /><br /><i>"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost."</i><br /><br />Through the discussion time, I offered some questions that I hope will help us to identify some of the idols that we have in our lives and see how insufficient they are to satisfy our deepest needs and, in contrast, how absolutely sufficient God is to meet those needs.<br /><ol><li>What are you hungry and thirsty for?</li><li>What idols are there in your life that you go to to try to satisfy your hunger and slake your thirst?</li><li>How does that work out for you?</li><li>How is God sufficient to satisfy your hunger and slake your thirst where idols fail?</li><li>Spend some time praying and renewing your covenant commitment with God.</li></ol><br /><br />Recommended Reading/Listening:<br /><a href="http://www.goodmanson.com/2006-10/26/preaching-the-gospel-to-yourself/">Preaching the Gospel to Yourself</a> by Drew Goodmanson (blog post)<br /><a href="http://www.kaleochurch.com/sermon/how-to-preach-the-gospel-to-yourself/">How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself</a> by David Fairchild (sermon with a fairly complete text outline)<br /><br /><a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090621_Paul_Isaiah55_1-3.mp3">Audio</a>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410214862789793611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-42570188420968623112009-06-19T00:12:00.003-06:002009-06-19T08:36:23.840-06:00Missional Living Series Week1: The ResurrectionHere's a <a href=" http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/resource_files/audio/200904111900HWC21ASAAC_MattChandler_TheGreatCausePt01-TheCallToMission.mp3">link</a> to the sermon that we listened to on Thursday June 18th:<br /><br />Here are a few key points that we went over in our study:<br /><br />The Ministry of Reconciliation is: the corporate and collective activities of the Church to engage a world in all facets that is separated from the God who created and sustains it.<br /><br />The Message of Reconciliation is: the personal message of the gospel as seen in an individual's life and expressed to people who are separated from the God who loves them.<br /><br />The Mission of Reconciliation is: the mission of God to restore man and creation to right relationship with Himself. He has called us by the resurrection of Christ, having been made new by His victory over sin and death to participate in this mission.<br /><br />Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to God. He has removed our sin and shame and given us the message of reconciliation, the message of hope that should take root in every area of our lives. This means that we are to look at each aspect of life, our own hearts and minds, our relationships, our work, our time, etc.; through the lens of the gospel of reconciliation.<br /><br />Passages for study: 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 and 2 Corinthians 5:14-21Scott Covellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422077744704619265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-28128953210549264232009-06-12T18:52:00.003-06:002009-06-12T18:56:58.436-06:00Hospitality Pt. 1This past week we started a new two-week series talking about hospitality. This is an important topic and an important discipline because hospitality<br /><ol><li>Demonstrates genuine Christian love toward out brothers and sisters in faith by sharing our homes and our lives</li><li>Displays the gospel by treating those who are not family as if they were</li><li>Is commanded of believers and is a necessary mark of Christian maturity</li></ol><br />I referenced several passages throughout my message, and if you missed them, you can review <a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/Hospitality.pdf">my notes</a>—or read the book <cite>The Hospitality Commands</cite> by Alexander Strauch. He does an excellent job of surveying the New Testament teaching on hospitality.<br /><br />As we grow in showing hospitality toward other Christians, toward our neighbors and co-workers and others in our community, and toward the disadvantaged, I think we will see that God beams out the light of the gospel more strongly through our community. The key in all this is love. God first loved us, so we love others. As we love others, we demonstrate the love of God and give visible witness to the power of the gospel. I pray that the Lord will give us hearts to love those around us and eyes to see the ways that we can love them in tangible ways.<br /><br />This coming Sunday night we will have a special guest speaker to do Part 2 of the series. Brian Fort has been living out hospitality for some time and will be joining us to clean up after me and give more of a practical perspective. I'm looking forward to learning from Brian and being challenged to follow his example!<br /><br />Recommended Reading:<br /><cite>The Hospitality Commands</cite> by Alexander Strauch<br />Blog posts: <a href="http://soma-missionalmusings.blogspot.com/2009/04/gospel-hospitality.html">Gospel Hospitality</a> and <a href="http://soma-missionalmusings.blogspot.com/2009/04/gospel-hospitality-in-our-neighborhood.html">Gospel Hospitality in Our Neighborhood</a> by Jeff Vanderstelt<br /><br /><a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090607_Paul_Hospitality1.mp3">Audio</a>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410214862789793611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-62013818477729880622009-06-09T08:41:00.004-06:002009-06-25T12:19:42.154-06:00Thursday Night Community GroupHey so this is my first post ever on the Regen blog. That's pretty cool I guess. Anyways last Thursday at Community Group we listened to a stand alone sermon by Matt Chandler. We're going to be going through an audio sermon series by Matt Chandler on Thursday nights and I wanted to give everyone kind of an introduction and thought this sermon would be good for that. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/resource_files/audio/20070224BA01S_MattChandler_Gospel.mp3">Link to mp3</a><br /><br />If the link doesn't work or you would like a text version of the sermon go to thevillagechurch.net/sermons. If you would like more information on who Matt Chandler is go to thevillagechurch.net.Scott Covellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09422077744704619265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-8427874881841556322009-05-23T18:28:00.005-06:002009-05-23T18:32:43.924-06:00The Problem of EvilThe problem of evil and suffering has always been something of a difficulty for Christian theists. It just does not go away.<br /><br />How can a God who is said to be all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and all-good (omnibenevolent) allow for the evil and suffering we see in human history and in the world today? If he were all-powerful, could he not prevent or intervene in these issues? If he were all-knowing, would he not have the foreknowledge and “know-how” to do so? And if he were all-good, would he not <span style="font-style: italic;">choose</span> to do so?<br /><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">The Problem of Pain</span>, C. S. Lewis puts it this way: “‘If God were good, He would wish to make His creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty He would be able to do what He wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both.’ This is the problem of pain, in its simplest form” (p. 14).<br /><br />Yes, the creatures are not happy. And this is where we feel the tension, the pain.<br /><br />Have you ever thought through this issue? It is an important question to address. I would like to use this blog post to provoke some thought and discussion.<br /><br />This semester I took an “Intro to Philosophy” class at Metro State, and I wrote my final paper on the problem of evil and suffering. So here is my current thinking, in a somewhat polished form: <a href="http://www.xtreak.com/go/spinwizard/155388/problem_of_evil.pdf">Biblical Theism & the Problem of Evil</a>.<br /><br />What about you? What do you think?Andrew Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315283344297150907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4413646940649564688.post-87879983736386953142009-05-22T10:48:00.003-06:002009-05-23T00:59:33.423-06:002 Peter 1:12-21 - Connecting to Christ through ScriptureAlthough I have <a href="/2008/10/1-peter-113-25-holiness-by-faith.html">referred to this before</a>, I once again presented some <a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/en/node/467">helpful questions to ask</a> when reading the Bible. I don't go through these questions explicitly very often, but I find that it is a great exercise every once in a while to go back and study out a text using these questions for redemptive reading.<br /><br />The discussion time at tables was fascinating this week as we discussed why we trust the Bible and what doubts we have. Everyone came at it from different directions and with different reasons, and it was encouraging to hear all these diverse ways that can lead us to trust the Bible and, by the witness of Scripture, in Christ.<br /><br />Here is just a summary sampling of the responses that were shared at my table:<br /><ul><li>I trust the Bible because I have seen too many things in life that cannot be explained outside of God's supernatural intervention.</li><li>I trust the Bible because it makes sense of life and explains my experiences.</li><li>I trust the Bible because, out of all the religions and worldviews out there, it is the only one that is really coherent.</li><li>I trust the Bible because Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, proving his identity as God-in-flesh. If Jesus trusted the Bible, so can I.</li><li>I trust the Bible because of the many miracles of God that are visible in creation.</li></ul><br />Whatever our reasons are for trusting Scripture, this passage from 2 Peter encourages us to <i>pay attention to it</i> since the Bible, both Old Testament and New, testifies to Christ and the blessings of gospel power that are available through knowing him by faith. We always have to remember that Scripture was given as <i>"men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit"</i>. Whenever we read the Bible we are reading both what <i>"men spoke"</i> (the human origin) and what they spoke <i>"from God"</i> (the divine origin). Only by holding both of these together can we understand what God intends for us in Scripture.<br /><br />Recommended Reading:<br /><cite>How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible</cite> by Dr Gordon D Fee, Dr Douglas Stuart<br /><cite>A General Introduction to the Bible</cite> By Norman L. Geisler, William E. Nix<br /><cite>The Canon of Scripture</cite> by F. F. Bruce<br /><cite>God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-line of the Bible</cite> by Vaughan Roberts<br /><br />(Holly and I generally own the books that I recommend, so if you are interested in borrowing any of them, let us know.)<br /><br /><a href="http://pdb.homelinux.net/files/regenpodcast/20090517_Paul_2Pet1_12-21.mp3">Sermon Audio</a>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410214862789793611noreply@blogger.com0