Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cherish the gospel!

What do you most cherish in life? In ministry? What drives your private conversations, your small group discussions, your preaching? What gets the adrenaline pumping and stirs your heart with affection?

Is it the gospel?

While studying through 1 Corinthians, I've enjoyed reading some of D. A. Carson's paperback The Cross and Christian Ministry. The paragraphs below really caught my attention and invite deeper thought. It really summarizes the whole reason for movements like the The Gospel Coalition and Together for the Gospel, and hopefully the Great Commission Resurgence as well.
What it means to be 'spiritual' is profoundly tied to the cross, and to nothing else...

This lesson is especially important when so many Christians today identify themselves with some 'single issue' (a concept drawn from politics) other than the cross, other than the gospel. It is not that they deny the gospel. If pressed, they will emphatically endorse it. But their point of self-identification, the focus of their minds and hearts, what occupies their interest and energy, is something else: a style of worship, the abortion issue, homeschooling, the gift of prophecy, pop sociology, a certain brand of counseling, or whatever [we might add social justice here]. Of course, all of these issues have their own importance. Doubtless we need some Christians working on them full time. But even those who are so engaged must do so as an extension of the gospel, as an extension of the message of the cross. They must take special pains to avoid giving any impression that being really spiritual or really insightful or really wise turns on an appropriate response to their issue.

I have heard a Mennonite leader asses his own movement in this way. One generation of Mennonites cherished the gospel and believed that the entailment of the gospel lay in certain social and political commitments. the next generation assumed the gospel and emphasized the social and political commitments. The present generation identifies itself with the social and political commitments, while the gospel is variously confessed or disowned; it no longer lies at the heart of the belief system of some who call themselves Mennonites.

Whether or not this is a fair reading of the Mennonites, it is certainly a salutary warning for evangelicals at large. We are already at the stage where many evangelical leaders simply assume the message of the cross, but no longer lay much emphasis on it. Their focus is elsewhere. And a few, it seems to me, are in danger of distancing themselves from major components of the message of the cross, while still operating within the context of evangelicalism. It is at least possible that we are the generation of believers who will destroy much of historic Christianity from within - not, in the first instance, by rancid unbelief, but by raising relatively peripheral questions to the place where, functionally, they displace what is central. And what shall the end of this drift be?

We must come back to the cross, and to God's plan of redemption that centers on the cross, and make that the point of our self-identification. (pp. 62-64)

Oh may this be true in my life, my family, my ministry, our local ministerial, our denomination, and evangelicalism as a whole.

Photo credit: El Struthio

Saturday, May 22, 2010

No Monday sermons

Friends, there are no Monday sermons.

I've heard this advice from pastors in the past, and it rings painfully true this afternoon. Whether I like it or not, Sunday is a-comin' like a freight train, and I've got to get ready. I can't postpone my studies and my sermon until Monday. I've got to stand up at the pulpit tomorrow morning and had better have a word from the Lord.

This has been a very strange week. Heidi was up most of Sunday night with a fever and vomiting, most likely due to heat exhaustion. Monday and Tuesday, we made a quick trip to Fresno and back for our second SBC Open Forum (I hope to write more about this next week). Wednesday was fairly uneventful. But Thursday night I came down with either food poisoning or a flu bug, which kept me in the bathroom much of the night. Friday, I spent almost the whole day in bed recuperating. Today, I'm finally getting back to normal.

So now, it's time to study and get ready to preach tomorrow. There are no Monday sermons.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

B21 Lunch Panel at the SBC Convention

I just registered for the Baptist Twenty-one panel on June 15th. I attended this event in Louisville last year and it was one of the highlights of the entire convention. If can make it to Orlando for the 2010 convention, you'll definitely want to add this to your schedule. Here's the full announcement.
Baptist 21 is excited to announce that Johnny Hunt and Ronnie Floyd will be joining us at the B21 Panel Luncheon. They will join a very important conversation with Akin, Platt, Scroggins, Stetzer, Chandler, and Mohler about the future of the SBC and the Great Commission Resurgence.

This year’s SBC is being compared already to the 1979 Convention when the Conservative Resurgence started. That means it will be one of the most important in recent memory. This panel will discuss the most significant issues facing the SBC and our future.

We are delighted to have these two key figures in SBC life joining us. Johnny Hunt is the Pastor of FBC Woodstock and the President of the SBC. His leadership during his two years as President has been outstanding. He has boldly set the course for a Great Commission-focused future in the SBC. Ronnie Floyd is the chairman of the GCR Task Force. He has shown bold, wise, and consensus-building leadership in that role. Much of the GCR is the dream and vision of these two men and so we thought it necessary to hear from them.

Please make every effort to attend this event! This event will take place immediately prior to the selection of the next SBC President and the GCR Task Force Presentation.

Register Today – Space is limited and filling up quickly. There is a capacity of 1,200

When is the b21 panel: June 15th 11:30 am – 1:30 pm (during the lunch break of this year’s Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando immediately following President Hunt’s address). Lunch will be provided.

Where is the b21 panel: The panel will be on site at the Convention in the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), West Building in Rooms 311B-H

Who is on the b21 panel:

* Daniel Akin
* Matt Chandler
* Albert Mohler
* David Platt
* Jimmy Scroggins
* Ed Stetzer
* Ronnie Floyd
* Johnny Hunt

Why hold the b21 panel: This is a pivotal year for the SBC with the report coming from the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. This could be a “tipping point” for our future. We want to have significant leaders help guide us in thinking through these issues.

How much is the b21 panel: There will be a $7 charge that will accompany registration for the event. This $7 will include lunch and books.

Possible Topics at b21 panel: These are some possible topics that will be covered. In addition, there will be a future blog asking for your questions as well.

* Gospel-centrality in life and the church
* Discerning what ministries to prioritize in the church, associations, denominations?
* How the Gospel should affect budgets: church, personal, a denomination, etc.
* Cooperative Program and Great Commission Giving
* Challenges facing the SBC in next year
* Why should I stay in the SBC when there are others doing great mission work?
* And More…

This is going to be a key year for the future of the SBC. We urge you to make plans to be in Orlando for it. We hope this panel will provide an exciting venue at the SBC for you to connect with others, receive resources, and gain insight from key leaders. Please make every effort to attend and help us spread the word about this lunch.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Respectable Sins small-group curriculum

One of the most helpful and convicting books I've read in the past couple years is Respectable Sins by Jerri Bridges. You can find my original book review here.

Now, this book is available in a Bible study format at an incredibly low price. Here's the announcement from NavPress:
Jerry Bridges believes that just as culture has lost the concept of sin, the church faces the same danger.

Available in an all-in-one book and group study guide, Respectable Sins Small-Group Curriculum teaches that there is no sin that is acceptable in God's eyes.

This topical Bible study includes wide margins for taking notes, and discussion questions at the end of each session.

This 9-week topical Bible study can be used as a tool for discipleship and can be done on your own or in a small group.
Click here to view a sample chapter of the new format.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Southern Baptist open forum on May 18

The officers of the California Southern Baptist Convention will host an Open Forum next Tuesday, May 18, in Fresno to discuss the future of the Southern Baptist Convention.

We invite your input on questions such as "How can we get young people more involved?" "How can we cooperate more effectively as local churches?" and "What is the Great Commission Resurgence?"

The forum will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the California Southern Baptist Main Office, 678 East Shaw Avenue, Fresno, California 93710.

This is the second in a series of forums being hosted across the state this year. Our first meeting in San Diego generated some great discussion and feedback. For more information, please email me at desertpastor [at] gmail [dot] com or call me at 760.365.5771.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Are hymns still relevant in our worship?

Some songs are composed in a sudden gush of inspiration. But others spring from a deep well of personal experience. The song “Abide with Me” is one of those. It was written by an Anglican pastor named Henry Lyte who knew what it means to abide with Jesus in life’s darkest moments.

For almost 25 years, Lyte had pastored the blue collar sailor families of Devonshire, England, in spite of his poor health. Finally, his tuberculosis and other ailments became intolerable, and doctors instructed him to move to a milder climate. In 1847, Lyte prepared for his final sermon. Some friends begged him not to preach, warning that his health was simply too poor. But on September 4, 1847, with the help of his parishioners, Henry Lyte ascended to his pulpit for the last time.

As Lyte stood, he said, “Oh, brethren, I stand here before you today, as alive from the dead, if I may hope to impress upon you and get you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to all. I plead with you to become acquainted with the changeless Christ and His death.” As the sermon concluded, amid great tears, Lyte celebrated one final communion with his flock, and then left for France where he died from a seizure soon after.

During those final days in Devonshire, Lyte wrote one of our most treasured hymns, “Abide with Me.” It was composed by a man who knew the shortness of life, the pain of suffering, and the comfort of Jesus Christ. The final verse is a wonderful prayer of hope: “Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes. Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies; heav’n’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee—In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.”

Stained by blood, sweat, and tears, such hymns have withstood the test of time and are still worthy of our worship services today. A band called Page CXVI (‘one-sixteen’) is arranging these great hymns of the faith into a fresh, new style for a younger generation. We invite you to hear their music at First Southern Baptist on Friday, May 14. Our free BBQ begins at 6 pm. Please join us.

This article first appeared as a Minister's Message in our local newspaper, the Hi Desert Star.

Photo credit: mondays child

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The foolish cross that saves


Imagine if we pooled the leading minds of every field to invent a new religion. All the Fortune 500 CEOs.  Presidents of our most prestigious Ivy League universities. Neuro-surgeons and astro-physicists. Artists, philosophers, and New York Times bestselling authors. All these people are gathered together and commissioned to invent a new religion. They would need to design a God and determine what he would be like. They would need to write a holy book and determine a whole system of ethics.

After much research and discussion, what would they come up with? It would be interesting to see if they could arrive at any consensus at all. But one thing's for sure: they wouldn't invent Christianity.

As we saw last Sunday, the message of a crucified Messiah defies all human wisdom and understanding, and yet it is the only message with the power to save us from sin. We saw three elements that make the gospel unique:
  1. A pathetic cross (1 Cor. 1:18-23). To unbelievers, the cross appears 'foolish' (moria, from which we get our word moronic!). Devout Jews continue to stumble over the message of a cursed, crucified Messiah. Philosophy-loving Greeks find the message utterly absurd. In the first century, the Roman author Pliny called Christianity "a perverse, extravagant superstition.' Two thousand years later, Christopher Hitchens says, "Christianity is a wicked cult, and it's high time we left it behind." The US Army's recent decision to disinvite Franklin Graham from the National Day of Prayer is just one more proof that this world wants nothing to do with a crucified Christ who demands our exclusive faith.
  2. A powerful Christ (1 Cor. 1:24-25). Though the cross is pathetic from a human perspective, to those who believe it is a powerful message that saves. The cross is powerful because Jesus conquered death, and because He can forgive and radically change us. The cross is wise because it was the only way to judge our sin and yet simultaneously show mercy. As the hymn says, that old rugged cross has a 'wondrous attraction' to us.
  3. A profound cause (1 Cor. 1:26-31). Why would God use such an unconventional means to save us? So that we would have no cause for boasting. Christ will not tolerate proud people in His kingdom. When people trust in their own wisdom and good works, man gets the glory. But when we humble ourselves and look at a bloody cross for salvation, God gets all the glory. Thus, forever and ever, we will boast in the Lord and celebrate His sovereign grace in saving us.
Questions for thought and discussion:
  • How do you know for sure you are saved? Are you relying on anything besides a crucified Christ?
  • How did you view the cross before you were saved?
  • Should we grow discouraged or stop sharing when people sometimes reject the Gospel?
  • How do churches sometimes 'water down' the gospel or turn to pragmatic methods to make the cross more appealing to unbelievers?
  • Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 again, noting every time Paul says 'to' or 'so that.' According to these phrases, why has God chosen to save through a cross?
  • How does this gospel provide a powerful antidote against the pride and quarrels mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:11-12?
Sunday's sermon is available for free download on our podcast site.

National day of prayer

This Thursday, May 6, is designated as the National Day of Prayer.

To honor this event, the pastors of the Morongo Basin invite you to a time of prayer with local community leaders at 7 am this Thursday at Remembrance Park. Our service includes singing, Scripture reading, and prayer, and usually concludes by 7:45 am. Remembrance Park is located at the corner of Yucca Trail and the US-62 east of Pioneertown Road. Just look for the white saber tooth tiger!

In future years, this event is in serious jeopardy of becoming unconstitutional. I would encourage you to take a moment to visit and sign your name to the official Petition form to keep this day on our national calendar.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Pastor arrested for so-called "hate speech"

Al Mohler wrote an important piece this morning on the British pastor arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin. This may be a harbinger of things to come on both sides of the Atlantic. His conclusion:
We are witnessing the constriction of Christian speech and the criminalizing of Christian ministry. The Bible clearly condemns homosexual behaviors, and the Christian church has been clear about this teaching for twenty centuries. But now, the statement that homosexuality is a sin can land a preacher in jail.

We will soon learn which nations truly believe in religious liberty and freedom of speech. Cases like this are inevitable when the logic of hate speech and special rights for “sexual minorities” prevails.

You can read the whole thing here.

What is the right response to all this? Fear? No. Anger? No. Political and legal recourse? Perhaps. But most importantly, we must be a people of prayer and steadfast faith. I cannot help but think of Hebrews 12:3-4, "For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin."

Concert promo video

If you haven't seen this yet, here's a promo video for our Spring Concert on Friday, May 14. A new local band Iam Sailboat will open up the night with a worship set and a few of their own songs. Then, Page CXVI will take the stage. Page CXVI has gotten a lot of well-deserved attention in the past week with the release of their second album. We're privileged to be hosting them live on May 14, starting with a free BBQ at 6 pm. Hope you can join us.

Monday, May 3, 2010

An historic moment in the SBC

The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force released their Final Report today with some sweeping recommendations for the Southern Baptist Convention. This report will no doubt receive a lot of attention and debate over the next month, culminating with a convention-wide vote in Orlando in June. This is an historical moment. Here's the release from chairman Ronnie Floyd:
As promised, we are releasing today the Final Report of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. It is called, “Penetrating the Lostness: Embracing a Vision for a Great Commission Resurgence Among Southern Baptists.” You can access the report on our website www.pray4gcr.com. There are three types of media located there:

1. The written report, available to download and print
2. The report on video
3. A five-minute video that looks at lostness in our world and the reason we have need for a Great Commission Resurgence. This stirring piece is available for you to download free of charge so that you can show it to your church or ministry.

Finally, thank you for praying toward this day. Please continue to pray for this need all the way to the SBC in Orlando in June and beyond.

We are grateful for each of you.
Ronnie W. Floyd, Chairman
Great Commission Resurgence Task Force
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