Most Important T4G Message

All the T4G messages were outstanding. I especially gleaned from Thabiti Anyabwhile, and R C Sproul. But John Piper's message is one we all need to ponder upon in order to get the Gospel right.
Here is the link. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByConference/35/4574_Did_Jesus_Preach_the_Gospel_of_Evangelicalism/

Job Seeks God in Suffering

Saints,

Here again are my rough notes from the Sunday sermon. I apologize for not having them as a more detailed expression of what was preached. Prayerfully, we will begin putting the sermon MP3 on iTunes.

Job Seeks God in Suffering
Job 2:11-13 & 3:1-26


The Three Friends Arrive
They had planned to meet and show sympathy and comfort.
They had not recognized him from a distance by his disfigurement.
How did they know to come?
How long of time had passed since the disasters till their arrival?
Common courtesy was that the guests would not speak till spoken to. So for seven days and seven nights they silently waited. Mourning the dead 7 days was a common practice.


Job Wishes He had Never Been Born
The expression of grief and pain
Job breaks forth is an emotional Lament
3:3-10 are rhetorical in nature, and often a curse. They call in the “fairness” of life. Her we get a glimpse of the despondency and depression that is now setting in. He did not just want to hold onto his life as satan had accused, but he was looking at the purposelessness of continuing on.
3:11-16 Job wonders his reason for having been born.
3:26 The lack of rest from affliction is a problem that many of us face. The failure to have hope in future grace bewilders us. Note that Job had no idea of the coming Savior or the richness of God’s kingdom. This is where the Christian turns for truth to set them free despite circumstances.



The silence is a customary way of morning and grieving with a friend.

The three friends represent 3 geographical and thus cultural perspectives. We often get a variety of “Advisements” when we have problems. Job contains 3 cycles of speech looking at suffering. Like a great play, this story has passion and drama, Job however is very real.
This is an apologetic on suffering. The pain we can relate to, but moso we need to relate to know God.

3 tests in Job
• Disaster test, sudden loss both material and biological
• Emotional and physical
• Theological test
Here Job will be tested in his discernment of the experience. This is his most detailed challenge.

Read Verses here
The sudden burst of communication is the rending of Job’s heart.
It is not a pity party
He is finding that he is falling into the foolish talk his wife had advised him.

See the pain involved. Satan had started the first two tests, material and emotional. Now the natural course takes its course.

God is not ignoring Job’s Pain. He is building up in Job a time of learning, of character, and of discernment. These can only come through the pain of waiting and meditation on the issues at hand rather than rushing through them. We must take time to meditate and explore the word. What led the Pharisees to their missing the mark was their failure to think the Gospel through, they stopped at their first and most self serving conclusions.


Job has not been having his times of worship. (In the end he will return to worship)

Armor of God Thoughts

Sunday I taught on the "Armor of God" from Ephesians 6:10-20. In order to persevere we MUST live in the abiding strength of God and not of ourselves. I understand that the armor is afforded to us by the work of Christ upon the cross. Thusly the armor is available if we walk by faith in Him. So below you will find a chart and scripture for abiding and persevering in His accomplished work. I apologize for it's difficulty in reading.

The Weapons in Christ, Imagery, Christ’s Name, Scripture,
Truth, Belt, Way, Truth, Life, John 14:6
Righteousness, Breast plate, Righteous, 1 Cor 1:30
Ready Peace, Shoes, Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6
Faith, Shield, Faithful One, 2 Thes 3:3
Salvation, Helmet, Salvation, Heb 2:10
Spirit & Word, Sword, The Word became Flesh, John 1:14
Prayer, Prayer, Interceding, Rom 8:34

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

My scripture for the benediction related to this. It was But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11)

Sunday Preperations

As I prepare for Sunday, and the Lords Supper my thoughts run that this should not be taken for granted. But what can be done to make the most out of communion? Too often this act of worship has become cheap grace, as Bonhoeffer would say. It is my desire that every one of my flock leave the service having worshiped and been renewed in a passion for God. Only God can do this in us, but we must be mindful to remove hindrances to the Spirit. So again, how can we go about our week being prepared for the sacrament.

Here are some rough notes I have at present. Enjoy.
There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. (Ephesians 4:4-7)

Last week I introduced the ideas of Indicative and imperative moods o the text.

Indicative is indicating what has been done it is a past tense work, such as grace.

Imperative is a work to be done, such as law

Both of these are relevant. Keeping the law as a Christian is part of our desire to keep close to God and give proper weight to the grace we have been shown. We are grateful for the law as it reveals our sin that we might repent and seek God. But we must not confuse grace and law. Law says obey these rules. Grace says Christ is the fulfillment of the law. When you listen to a sermon or read a book, you will find those that list “imperatives to happiness” and "solutions for a better life" will tend to be law centered as well as man centered. This is what Paul rallied against when the Jews were demanding that the Gentiles be circumcised in order to be saved. However, what sets us free is the grace in what Christ has done, this is indicative as we can ascribe them as being cross and Christ centered. Law will wear you out, grace will fill your cup.

So as we take the Lords Supper today we must see that law works in us to open our remembrance to our need for God and what was to happen to us, and then mount up with grace in adoration of what now will be.

God has created the church to have a nature of self denial in which unity is a notable character. This is based on what Christ has done.

Scripture attests that man is selfish. It also attests that when we become a Christian there is an intrinsic change of nature within us. This change moves us from selfishness to self denial, taking up a cross and following Christ. The one of the greatest evidences of the church is its unity and love for others.

Notice not division, no lack

One Body

One Spirit

One Hope

One Lord

One Faith

One Baptism

One God

One Father

Of all

Over all

Through all

In all

To each grace given

according to the measure (worthy?)

Christ’s gift. The Cross