This past weekend we had the opportunity to reconnect with our good friend Rick Holland who is now pastor of Mission Road Bible Church in Kansas City, Kansas. This is a healthy, vibrant, and growing church. Rick has also launched a location of The Expositor’s Seminary and plans to train young men in the context of local church ministry.
While in the Kansas City area I visited Countryside Baptist Church in Olathe Kansas and got to spend some time with Pastor Mike Summers. Mike and I have been friends for many years now and it is such an encouragement to see how this ministry has grown and developed under his leadership. One of the most visible things is the number of young people who have a passion for Christ. Many of these have come to Northland and we have been so blessed to have them on our campus!
This weekend they plan to present Journey to Judea. Over the four day period they expect now to host over 5,000 and share the unfolding story of redemption.
I am uncomfortable outside of my box. I know my own box is probably different than anyone else’s and it certainly isn’t infallible, but it is the the world that I have chosen to live in. For me, it is easily defined by lines that I have drawn in my own mind that are a result of conclusions I have come to over time.
Some of the lines God has clearly drawn for me in Scripture. Other lines have been formed as I have applied biblical principles. And still other lines I have drawn are out of personal preference.
I don’t like getting pushed out of my box—but there are some things that just have a tendency to do that.
People ask “what’s it going to look like?” In other words “show me the box.” I don’t think any of us can tell what the box is going to look like unless we conclude that we are not going to change anything.
What we can do when we are faced with challenging questions and changing times is commit ourselves to:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding, in all you ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5, 6
It was great to catch up with a few alumni and friends in KC today. Thanks to Bob and Amy Gibler for hosting this at their church—Redeemer Fellowship.
So you call yourself a servant? Would other people call you that? Are we really servants because of our self designated title or perception? Ultimately it is God who will make that judgment—if we really live like Jesus. Consider the glory He left, how He came, and how He lived. Do any of us really live that way? We could find out pretty quickly by asking the people around us. All of them.
For those of us who live in or intend to enter another culture, I suggest we postpone naming ourselves “servants” until the local people begin to use words about us that suggest they see servant attitudes and behaviors in us.
Duane Elmer in his book Cross-Cultural Servanthood.
In this video, Josh Matteson, pastor of Immanuel Bible Church in Scottsdale, AZ, joins me for a discussion on the gospel.
The following is from page 65 of Tim Keller’s newer book, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. You can download the PDF by clicking on the image.
“Sinclair Ferguson (in his lectures on the Marrow Controversy) and others have argued that the gospel is not at all a balance between two opposites but an entirely different thing. In fact, it can also be argued that legalism and antinomianism are not opposites but essentially the same thing — self-salvation — opposed to the gospel. So please note that putting Gospel between these two extremes is simply a visual shorthand.” Center Church by Timothy Keller.
Here is another quote from Tim Keller from Center Church. It is hard to say it much better than this.
The gospel is not just the ABCs but the A to Z of the Christian life. It is inaccurate to think the gospel is what saves non-Christians, and then Christians mature by trying hard to live according to biblical principles. It is more accurate to say that we are saved by believing the gospel, and then we are transformed in every part of our minds, hearts, and lives by believing the gospel more and more deeply as life goes on (see Rom 12:1 – 2; Phil 1:6; 3:13–14).
If you were to ask me who has impacted me the most over the past ten years, teachers or students, I would have to say my students. Students have asked tough questions and have forced me to dig deep and to be honest with what the scriptures say or don’t say. Students know when I am making something up, spinning it, or parroting the party line.They know what is in the Text and what is simply my opinion. They know what is transcendent truth and what is an application of truth to a particular time or situation. These past years have been humbling for me as I have been taught by my students. But they have also been very rewarding as the students’ honest inquiries keep pushing me to the Word. I thank the Lord that he is patient and never done growing me into Christ likeness. Being forced to go to the Word and seek God in prayer will direct us in the right paths. Now, we need to have the courage to walk those paths.
It is easier to throw rocks from a cornfield than to get involved in someone’s life. And so we can get pretty good at throwing rocks. It is easier to judge someone than to love them. It is easier to point out a fault than to restore. Grace is not the easy path. It will cost you more than you want to give. It will mean stepping out of the shadows and doing what the average man fears to do. It will mean making yourself vulnerable and taking the risks of getting hurt. And you will get hurt. It will mean making sacrifices of time, energy, and resources. Grace does the hard things. Sounds a lot like Christ, doesn’t it? I also sounds like the words of Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy, “Be strong in grace” (2 Timothy 2:1).
There are two very different kinds of fear: First, there is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). Secondly, there is the fear of man (Proverbs 29:25). What you fear tells your story.
The fear of the Lord comes from a right view of God, is rooted in faith, and evidenced in love (Galatians 5:6). The fear of man comes from an absent or flawed view of God, is rooted in unbelief, and cannot please God (Galatians 3:2,21, 22).
“By faith” has always been the way to righteousness. In Genesis 15:6 we read, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This is true for both justification and sanctification. God does not change the means after we are saved. Sanctification is by grace, through faith as well, and will bear the fruit of righteousness. More