Basic Christianity: Tuesday Night Addition

As I mentioned on the last post, we have decided to take the practical track for new Christians.  Yesterday, we discussed the foundation and source for a spiritually disciplined life found in the abiding life (John 15:1-8).  The abiding life begins by recognizing that just as we received the Lord Jesus, in the same manner we should walk in Him (Colossians 2:6)–through an attitude of trust and dependence on God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  We also discussed how God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our relationship with Jesus Christ, and the goal of spiritual growth is to see Christ formed in our lives through daily being devoted to our Savior–loving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind.  Developing such spiritual disciplines keeps a Christian rightly connected to the Vine (Jesus) as well as cultivates a pursuit of God which does two things: safeguards us from being “ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” and also makes our calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:3-11).  The expressions our love for Jesus Christ will be seen as we follow in His steps, in obedience to His commands, in pursuit of God’s pleasure. 

Over the past week, I have been thinking about a small way to incorporate a little theological development that can supplement our study of spiritual disciplines.  I took another look at John Stott’s classic piece called Basic Christianity and picked up copies for everyone else.  We decided to read a chapter a week and spend the first 15 minutes discussing what we read.  Below is the chapter outline of the book, and I would encourage you if you are a new Christian to pick up a copy and read it for yourself.  Stott explains the gospel of Jesus Christ in a very clear and understandable way, and I have good reason to believe that it would be of great help in your personal growth and knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Here’s the details.
1.    The Right Approach

Part One: Christ’s Person
2.    The Claims of Christ
3.    The Character of Christ
4.    The Resurrection of Christ

Part Two: Man’s Need
5.    The Fact and Nature of Sin
6.    The Consequences of Sin

Part Three: Christ’s Work
7.    The Death of Christ
8.    The Salvation of Christ

Part Four: Man’s Response
9.    Counting the Cost
10.  Reaching a Decision
11.  Being a Christian

Tuesday Night Update

As I mentioned last week, we have started a meeting on Tuesday nights before sort (start time) at UPS for any new Christians who want to be established in the gospel, bear fruit, and cultivate spiritual disciplines for the purpose of godliness.  Unfortunately, when you become a Christian, God does not give you a file to download in which you automatically know everything about God, the Bible, salvation, etc.  We also don’t become spiritually mature with some magical formula or osmosis.  Rather it comes by holy sweat, daily discipline, and a pursuit of God that brings perseverance in doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

There were two tracks we were looking at.  Ideally, I would love for us to do both, but given the time restraints, we are currently only able to do one.  The first track is a theological track where we would first look at the attributes of God (such as God’s sovereignty, goodness, righteousness, holiness, mercy, love, wrath, etc.).  The second track is a practical track where we would discover the “how to’s” of spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, Bible study, witnessing, Scripture memory and meditation, journaling, serving, fasting, etc.).  Having discussed it this past Tuesday, we will be taking the practical track first, beginning next week with the topic of prayer.  Each week will learn a new discipline and seek to apply them to our lives on an everyday basis.

Please be in prayer for the new Christians at TPF as well as my investment in their lives.  For the most part, they shared with me that this will the only place where such attention to their new beginning in grace will be given.  It is my earnest hope and abiding joy that my new brothers and sisters in Christ develop and insatiable desire for Jesus as they learn to glorify Him in their lives.

What’s Great About the Great Commission? Our Great God

Yesterday, I began a series of posts thinking about the Great Commission.  In these last words given to his followers, Jesus Christ provided the Church with its marching orders.  Yet, it is often the case that the Great Commission has become the Great Omission as some have put it, and many Christians have failed to get into the trenches of the world and are missing in action.  For whatever the reason, the Great Commission hasn’t been all that great.

The first reason why the Great Commission is great is because it is given by our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.  The Father sent His Son into the world; the Son has sent His Spirit to the Church; and the Church has been sent into the world just as the Father has sent the Son (cf. John 17:17; 20:21).  God in three persons invested into this sending of the Church reveals just how great this commission is to the heart and redemptive purposes of God.  The God, who as Creator spoke this world into being and sustains it with his very being, is also our Redeemer who will be worshipped from every people, tongue, and tribe.  It is his promise that he, being all-powerful, will build his church (Matt. 16:18), and he has chosen to work through ordinary people like you and me to accomplish this extraordinary work.

Imagine being before the President of the United States–the most powerful and influential man in the free world.  You stand before him as he gives you a task to accomplish, specifically to deliver a personal address to the world in his place.  As millions watch and listen and every station is tuned in, you stand to speak on his behalf.  The greatness of that task lies in the degree of importance and influence of the person you are representing.  Now, for the Christian, we are not representing a finite man with a temporary message capable of failing.  No, we are representing the God of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, who in his infinite power and wisdom, given us a task which cannot fail and a message which will endure for all generations.  Why is this so?  Because it is his message, not ours. 

I am convinced that contemporary Christianity has a vision of God far too small.  Majesty was never meant to be seen at a distance.  Before we begin to consider anew the greatness of what God has called us to, we need to consider the greatness of the God who has called us to himself.  It is only then we can passionately cry out, “Here am I Lord; send me!” (Isa. 6:8).  Let us pray that God will reveal himself to us in his greatness and glory so that the fuel of worship by which we accomplish this mission will cause us have greater passion and perseverance in taking the gospel to all the people in the world. 

What’s Great about the Great Commission? Introduction

It has been said that a person’s last words are most memorable.  In fact, books have written as compilations of the last sayings of famous men and women in history.  When we look at history, no one has made a greater impact than Jesus of Nazareth.  After his resurrection and before his ascension, Jesus spoke some last words to his followers familiarly called “The Great Commission.”  Jesus said,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

This passage entails the heart of God and the heart of the Christian Church.  In upcoming days, I hope to expound on this passage, answering the question, “What’s great about the Great Commission?”  While many Christians are familiar with the title “The Great Commission,” very few are familiar with The Great Commission lifestyle.  Therefore, there is a missing link between our familiarity with the term and its reality in our own lives.  If it is so great, should its greatness not affect us?  Should our relationships, priorities, investments, and time reflect the greatness of these last words of our risen Savior?  Indeed they should, and it is my prayer that we can take a fresh look at this incredible passage and commit ourselves to being disciple-making Christians who are impacting our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t Waste Your Life Online

This book was the first evangelistic project at TPF. In the summer of 2005, we handed out this book as a free gift to all those who would be interested in reading it with us. 18 fellow UPSers joined us as we discovered how not to waste our lives. Below is the summary and links from the Desiring God website.

God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work, not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.

• Chapters 1-2 (4.78MB PDF)
• Chapters 3-5 (3.12MB PDF)
• Chapters 6-8 (3.51MB PDF)
• Chapters 9-10 (2.66MB PDF)
• Don’t Waste Your Life Poster (1.64MB PDF)
• Don’t Waste Your Life Reader’s Guide (6.8MB PDF)
• Don’t Waste Your Life Leader’s Guide (286KB PDF)

Celebrate with Us This Sunday Night

One of the great joys of last year was seeing one of my coworkers trust in Jesus Christ as her Savior.  I first began sharing the gospel with Brittney two years ago, and through a long and continued conversation about Jesus and what he accomplished for sinners, Brittney fled to him as her only hope for salvation.  Over the past two months, we have discussed growing in Christ, the purpose and meaning of baptism, and developing a deeper understanding of the gospel.  This Sunday night, Brittney is going to be baptized in obedience to the call of her Savior and as a public witness to the Christian community with whom she desires to enter into covenant.

If you are in the Louisville area or a fellow UPSer, the service is this Sunday night (the 14th) at 6:30 p.m. at Ninth and O Baptist Church.  You can find directions here.  Be sure to get there early because the baptisms take place at the beginning of the service which sometimes take place right at or before 6:30.  This will be a wonderful time to celebrate what God has done and continues to do in Brittney’s life.  May her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to establish, confirm, and strengthen her faith as she delights to do His will.

Gospel Conversations: The Beer Fest

Every so often, I thought it would be good to share some conversations we are having with our friends and coworkers about the gospel and Jesus Christ.  Maybe we can share with each other ways which God has allowed us to sow seeds in the hearts of people and also remind us to be praying for one another, for boldness and humility on our end, and receptivity and repentance on their end.

I don’t know how the conversation actually got started, but I dialed into what three of my coworkers were saying when they started talking about how could “down” the most beer.  The bragging rights were at stake while each were explaining just how much and by what means they can chug multiple cans of beer.  In the course of the jesting and fraternal one-upmanship, my supervisor who happened to be winning the stakes paused to ask if the conversation was offensive to me.  I told him (as others were listening) that I do not drink alcohol because of my love and devotion to Jesus Christ and that as a Chrisitian I should do all things to the glory of God.  I began to explain to him that the reason why I don’t drink is not because I am trying to be a better or more moral person than him, but rather my decisions are governed by what God has revealed to me in the Bible, which says that drunkenness is a sin. 

As I hoped to communicate that I was in no way wanting to come across with a spirit of condemnation, I told him that those who do not know Jesus Christ cannot obey the exhortations and commands of the Bible.  Rather, they do what sinners do.  It was then that I explained that my goal as a friend and coworker was not to convince him that drinking was sinful (thought it is), but rather that he is a sinner in need of a relationship with God.  Drinking is just a manifestation of the real issue of his separation from God.  Were God to open his eyes and draw my supervisor to Jesus Christ through conviction of the Holy Spirit, he would see that falling short of the glory of God is a reality for human beings, and that our sin ultimately leads to death.  The great tragedy is not that he would spend his money and life on alcohol, but rather he would have wasted it not knowing Jesus, the only One who could satisfy his thirsty soul.

It was a good conversation which concluded with me sharing with him my desire of him coming to know Jesus personally as some of my fellow coworkers have in recent months.  When I listened each of my coworkers share about their competency regarding alcohol, I realized that they are indeed thirsty.  However, their thrist can never quenched or met at the bottom of a bottle but rather at the foot of the cross.  Jesus met a woman whose lifestyle was quite notorious (she had many husbands).  Going back to the usual well where she retrieved water, Jesus said to her,

“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thristy again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thristy forever.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:12-14)

What was the woman’s response?  She replied, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water” (v. 15).  Why come to Jesus for this water?  Jesus in another passage answers,

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38)

The reality is that we live in a world full of thirsty people.  They have hewed out cisterns for themselves, “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:12-13).  My heart’s desire is that for my supervisor and coworkers respond to their thirst, not by trying to find fulfillment in winning a beer fest, but by coming to Jesus who promised to not only give life but give it abundantly (John 10:10).  O that they would respond like this woman, saying, “Sir give me this water so that I will never thirst again!”  For the glory of Christ, the Fountain of Living Water, and the satisfaction of their souls, may I be a witness of the supreme satisfaction Jesus is in knowing and treasuring him about all what live offers now and what death can take later.  Forbid it that our world finds us sipping in the sewage of this world!  Rather, may they find on our lips and lived out in our lives the invitation of thristy sinners to come.  Come freely.  Come quickly.  Come humbly.  Come.

“The Spirit and the Bride say, ’Come.’  And let the one who hears say, ’Come.’  And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”
Revelation 22:17 

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, but and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”
Isaiah 55:1-2

Here to Meet the Hungry: A New Gathering

Last night, I had the privilege of spending some time talking with Erin, a fellow co-worker at UPS.  She is one among a few that I have met that are relatively new Christians (that being less than six months).  In the short time I had with Erin, a couple of things immediately sprung from our conversation.  First, God has placed a tangible desire in Erin’s heart to know Him more; second, she has very few Christian friends and opportunities to discuss her new Christian life and relationship with Jesus.  As I heard her share the excitement of new life in Christ, I dually felt burdened that my sister need more opportunities for Christian fellowship as well as encouragement in her pursuit to know God more. 

In the past couple of weeks, I have conversed with others whose situation is almost identical with Erin’s.  So having recognized the hunger among these new Christians and their desire to grow and experience more community, I have decided to begin another meeting on Tuesday nights beginning at 11:00 p.m. in the same UPS cafeteria specifically for new Christians for the purpose of being grounded in the gospel and cultivating the spiritual disciplines necessary for personal growth.  During this time, I hope to answer any questions you might be having, look at any Scriptures with you that you might be studying, and finally equip you with the nuts and bolts of the Christian life such as prayer, Bible Study, sharing your personal testimony, Scripture memory and meditation, and the process of change.  The environment is intended to be free from tought theological terminology where no question is irrelevant or too dumb to ask.  If there is anything I can do to help you love Christ deeply, live the Christian life thorougly, and enjoy God’s grace sweetly, then it would bring me pleasure to serve you in this way.  Please consider coming and partnering with others who want to glorify God by growing in grace.

Passion 2007 Videos Available Online – This Week Only

268 Generation is the ministry popularly known as Passion.  Passion exists “to glorify God [while] uniting students in worship and prayer for spiritual awakening in this generation.”  Here is the 268 Generation Declaration.  Last week, the Passion ‘07 Conference was held in Atlanta, GA and included speakers such as John Piper and Louie Giglio.  The video for the conference is worth watching, especially John Piper’s message.  To watch Passion 07, go here.  Do so soon, because they will no longer be available to watch online after midnight Friday night.

Jesus Christ: The Theme of Pastoral Ministry

Tom Ascol, Director of Founders Ministries writes:

One of my firm convictions is that pastoral ministry must be centered on the gospel. All preaching, ministering and living must be founded on and flow out of what God has given us and done for us in Jesus Christ. Sometimes I am asked why we don’t advertise our church as a “Reformed” Baptist church and why, even though we are affiliated with the SBC, we don’t make a bigger deal of that. I always give the same answer. I really have no desire for Grace Baptist Church to be known as as “Southern Baptist” or “Reformed.” Rather, I would love for us to be known as “Christ-saturated.” My desire for my own life and for the lives of the people who constitute the family of Grace is that we would genuinely be permeated in every dimension of our thinking and living with the grace of God in Jesus Christ. I think I see this the Scriptures and I want to press forward to experience it more and more.

Great stuff.  He also has a quote from Charles Spurgeon worth reading.  To check out the entire post, go here.