An Odd Sermon Illustration

As I was thinking about the Apostle Paul today, in preparation for my sermon Sunday on Acts 22, I remembered this commercial:



Wasn't Paul a little like the Energizer Bunny? Beaten, flogged, slandered, falsely accused, stoned, shipwrecked, etc. (see 2 Corinthians 11:25ff).

Yet he kept going and going and going...for Christ.

I want to be like him.

The Battle

Anyone who knows me well knows that my life is full of flagrant hypocrisies. Yet Christ bore all my wrath. Believing this is a daily battle.

Today, I feel like I'm losing the battle. But I take comfort in knowing that Jesus never loses a battle. He said:

"This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day." (John 6:39)

That's good news today. It's good news every day, but especially when I'm most aware of my sin.

Paul's Ambition

In Acts 20:24, Paul says:

"I do not account my life of any value, if only I may..."

How would you finish that statement?

I think it's good to ponder this daily...especially during MLB playoffs.

5-1 wins and brilliant pitching performances aren't what gives my life value.

Eschatology Discussion

If, like me, the area of eschatology (the study of the last things) is an area where your knowledge is limited, you might find this two-hour discussion helpful. John Piper, Sam Storms, Doug Wilson, and Jim Hamilton weigh in on the different schools of thought regarding Christ's return.

If anyone watches this, let me know what you think.

American Idolatry

Did anyone see Mark Driscoll on Nightline the other night? If you missed it, here’s the six-minute link to watch the ABC News feature of Driscoll discussing idol worship in America. Apparently, the show is doing a series going through each of the Ten Commandments.

I thought Driscoll did an outstanding job, and I am somewhat shocked that a major network would air this. Let's pray that God would use it to make many people question their idols, see their futility to give what they promise and turn to the One who is worthy of worship.

The Key to a Good Marriage

According to John Piper:

Success in marriage is not finding the right person, but being the right person in the power of the one perfect Person.

Amen!

Not Divine Schizophrenia

In Luke 19:27, Jesus says (in the form of a parable) that He desires that His enemies be brought before Him and slaughtered.

A few verses later, Jesus weeps over His enemies in Jerusalem and longs for their salvation(v.41).

The emotional life of Jesus is complex, but it is not contradictory.

People who desire more than a superficial understanding of Jesus ought to think long and hard about this.

Don't Forget to Groan, 10/6

About 5:00 pm on September 30th, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck just offshore of the town of Padang in Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake toppled buildings and started many landslides, smashing homes and swallowing up entire villages. Over 1,000 people are known to have died, an additional 3,000 still missing (see more photos here).


(Why should we groan?)

What we have to look forward to

A great tweet from Tim Keller got my week started this morning:

Everything you've EVER longed for will be will be multiplied by a trillion in your heart in that first second before God.

That's an amazing thought, isn't it? But it's only true for those who are in Christ.

David Letterman & the Gospel

At the Gospel Coalition blog, Russell Moore has a great commentary on last week's news of the extortion threat to Late Night talk show host David Letterman.

The upshot:

"Let’s remember the gospel, and learn from Dave Letterman how scary blackmail can be. As the accusations come at us, let’s acknowledge the truth of the satanic claims. Let’s find ourselves in Jesus. And let’s point to a bloody cross and an empty tomb where those accusations were verified and crucified...

"And let’s remember not to be paralyzed by cosmic blackmail. The satanic powers have the evidence against us; yes, they do. But every accusation comes before an Advocate with a still conscience in his chest, scabbed-over spike-marks in his hands, and a crushed snake skull at his feet."

I'd Rather Have Jesus

Thought of this hymn during today's sermon; may it be so of all those who bear the name "Christian":


I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

The Clothes of Christianity

In Titus 2, Paul says that in everything, Christians are to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. I take this to mean that in every aspect of life, the conduct, attitudes and words of Christians ought to put on display the truth of the Gospel. Obviously the gospel must be declared for people to be saved, but a life adorning the Gospel reveals how beautiful the truth of Christ is, and commends that truth to others.

So what kind of life adorns the Gospel? In Jerry Bridges' book The Discipline of Grace, he mentions 27 marks of a life that adorns the Gospel. Here they are:

1. Compassion
2. Considerateness
3. Contentment
4. Faith
5. Faithfulness
6. Forbearance
7. Forgiving spirit
8. Generosity
9. Gentleness
10. Godliness
11. Goodness
12. Honesty
13. Humility
14. Impartiality
15. Joy
16. Kindness
17. Love
18. Mercy
19. Patience
20. Peace
21. Perseverance
22. Purity
23. Righteousness
24. Self-Control
25. Sincerity
26. Submissiveness
27. Thankfulness

A pretty humbling list, right? Yet this is what we're called to pursue. How good to know we don't pursue it in our own strength, but in looking to the One who is the perfection of all these qualities: Christ.

Is this a spiritual gift?

I've been reading a book about prophecy lately, but I don't think this is the kind of thing the author had in mind:

Flawed, yet Free

“The gospel gives you psychological freedom to handle the wrong things that you will do. You won’t have to deny, spin, or repress the truth about yourself. Only with the support of hearing Jesus say, ‘You are capable of terrible things, but I am absolutely, unconditionally committed to you,’ will you be able to be honest with yourself.”

Tim Keller

One Year Ago Today...

Victorino takes CC deep in Game 2 of the NLDS. Maybe the Phils have some October magic left for this year?