Beginning Sunday, January 31, 2010 we will observe communion every Lord’s Day during our time of praise and worship. Christians have practiced baptism for new believers and the weekly breaking of bread for nearly 2000 years and we want to continue this truly ancient / future tradition. In the Lord’s Supper we remember His broken body and shed blood to cover our sins, celebrate His resurrection and abiding presence in the present, while looking forward to His soon return and the wedding supper of the Lamb.
Our weekly meeting at the Lord’s table will provide us with an endless number of opportunities to remember, reflect, repent and return. It can also be a time of joy, celebration and praise as we experience the Spirit of Jesus in our midst and look forward to that day when He returns for His bride, the church.
We will offer the supper in such a way that each one can take a moment or two, during our worship, time to “examine himself… and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 1 Corinthians 11:28 Communion also provides a wonderful visual aid for instructing children in the Gospel and allowing families to participate according to there conscience. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, please join us at the Lord’s Table each Sunday.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20
We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing… 2 Corinthians 6:3-10
John Piper closes the first chapter with the last phrase of this passage, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing….” How appropriate was this foray into one of the most difficult challenges to the Christian faith on a Tuesday following the destruction in Haiti, in the middle of an economic recession, amid a wide array of personal crises and trials. We were challenged by the realization of an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God’s superintendence over a fallen world and a sinful race. We came away more convinced than ever that the grace of God in Jesus Christ and the Gospel message is the only antidote to what ails us… the only tonic that will see us through to the other side of some very dark valleys. It all came to crescendo in our Tuesday night Bible study and worship time — Jesus was exalted, we were abased and there was a potent and comforting realization that, through it all that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
These are the questions we discussed on Tuesday morning:
- What does John Piper mean when he speaks of God’s sovereignty over sin? What does he base this assertion on? (pg. 22ff – 2 Chronicles 10:15, 18:22 and 25:20)
- Have you ever wondered why God wanted His superintendence over evil to be revealed to us in His Word? What conclusions might we have drawn from the 2 Chronicles passages if God’s role in these matters had been left a mystery?
- Think of some natural disaster… or, some heinous act of barbarism. Could Jesus have prevented those evil events? (pg. 26)
- Why does the author conclude that sin, suffering, persecution and pestilence “somehow fit into [God’s] purposes?” (pg. 27)
- How is Jesus magnified and glorified in light of the pain, death and suffering that surrounds us?
Continue reading about Spectacular Sins: God Sovereign Over Human Sin
We began our discussion of Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ by John Piper. We began where most good books begin: in the Introduction. We looked at Joni Eareckson Tada’s observation, ”When it comes to holocausts or other horrors, most of us assume God has his hands tied and his back to the wall. We figure the devil wreaks havoc when God’s not looking; we rationalize the Lord’s ‘mistakes,’ figuring he absentmindedly took his hands off the wheel when tragedies happen.” Have you ever found yourself thinking along those lines? How does the author say we can avoid self-pity or rage and endure such catastrophes with faith and hope? The author leads us to the window of the Scriptures to let us know that God has not been caught by surprise when bad things happen, He doesn’t stand aloof and He isn’t powerless. No, He sent Jesus, Who willingly identified with a sinful and suffering humanity, took our guilt and, despite all appearances, won the victory over and through some of the most spectacular sins. Here are some of the questions we discussed:
- John Piper begins with the creation of the universe. For what purpose does the author tell us the universe was created? What does that imply about our purpose in life?
- What is the apex of Christ’s glory and what part did evil play in fully displaying that glory?
- What is the author’s purpose in writing this book? Do you think his assessment of Christians in the West is accurate or has merit?
- Why do many Christians have a wimpy worldview – what’s missing and where can we go to get what we need to pump up our sometimes wimpy view of God?
- Are you facing or have you faced suffering or a trial or persecution that put your Christian worldview to the test? What kept you from breaking?
On Tuesday, our men’s group will be getting together at Java John’s to begin reading and discussing John Piper’s Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ.
From the Desiring God site:
In this series John Piper seeks to provide a biblical perspective on God’s sovereign and righteous governance over even the sinful acts of men.
History’s greatest sins do not thwart God’s purposes to save his people and glorify his Son; they fulfill them. And knowing this is the key to having “Christ-exalting strength in calamity and Christ-exalting courage in conflict.”
We will begin with the Introduction this week. You can read along for free online or purchase a copy here.
Next up will be Miracles by C.S. Lewis, so keep your eyes open for bargains out there.
Continue reading about Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ
We’ve come to the end of our journey through Tim Keller’s return to the Parable of the Prodigal Son in his bestseller, The Prodigal God. I hope those of you who have read along with our Tuesday morning group have been feasting on this retelling of the gospel in a contemporary setting.
The author closes with this summary:
Jesus tells us that both the sensual way of the younger brother and the ethical way of the elder brother are spiritual dead ends. He also shows us there is another way: through him. And to enter that way and to live a life based on his salvation will bring us finally to the ultimate party and feast at the end of history. We can have a foretaste of that future salvation now in all the ways outlined in this chapter: in prayer, in service to others in the changes in our inner nature through the gospel, and through the healed relationship that Christ can give us now. But they are only a foretaste of what is to come.
Here are the questions we discussed over the past two weeks:
- Tim Keller tells us that salvation is experiential – like a feast, it involves not only our minds and affections, but all our senses. What are some of the benefits the author finds in the approach that “Jesus’ salvation is a feast?” Can you think of any blessings he missed?
- After reading page 109, do you identify more with the rational, controlled temperament or the mystical approach to the faith?
- Did you find it surprising that the Bible speaks of the new heavens and new earth as physical realities? Given that the earth will be renewed and we are to be resurrected, how do you think we should live the life we have here and now?
- What did Martin Luther say is the default mode of the human heart?
- How does Paul, the apostle, motivate his readers toward obedience in his letters? How can you and I see our motivations, identity and worldview restructured?
- What does the author tell us is the greatest motivation to obey Jesus? What are the two edges of the answer to this question?
- If we believe we are saved by grace, yet we remained unchanged and disobedient, what aspect of grace does the author say we don’t understand? How can we change that situation?
- Do you think it is possible to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, apart from a community of believers – particularly, a church with elder brothers? Why or why not?
- I never read the quote by C.S. Lewis on pages 126 and 127 – it blew me away. Have you ever experienced a circle of friends like that? If not, would you like to?
- Have you seen Babette’s Feast? I remember the film just as the author describes it. How does Jesus resolve the question raised by that film, as well as the parable we’ve been reading: The Prodigal? What is the third way?
Continue reading about The Prodigal God: The Feast of the Father
Join us at our new time beginning January 10, 2010.
We will begin at 8 AM and end at 8:45 AM.
We will be starting a series on Bible Interpretation.
Looking forward to growing in the knowledge and love of our Lord this New Year.
Continue reading about Men’s Sunday Morning Theology and Doctrine
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15 – 17
We covered this text from John’s first letter on the last Sunday of 2009 and it formed the perfect transition into the new year. January is a good time to reflect and resolve: in this case, we may want to reflect on our relationship to the world and resolve to love it less and love God more. I distilled this into three simple (not necessarily easy) steps we can take in the right direction:
- Faith
- Feast
- Fast
We begin in faith, affirming along with Paul the apostle, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) We don’t want to embark on yet another project of self-reformation. Rather, we put our faith in Jesus, offer ourselves up as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1&2) and see that faith worked out in our lives.
Second, we want to feast on Jesus and His words. That means time in the Bible, prayer and meditation on the texts and truths we find there. If you have a hard time blocking out time or sitting still for very long, you may want to follow a one-year Bible reading plan to help you along. This is one I recommend.
Finally, we want to fast from the world. God has blessed us in so many ways, yet sometimes we can overdo even a good thing like food, leisure or rest and turn it into a worldly desire. So, fasting is an effective way to discipline yourself and put the things of this life into their proper place. Jesus said, “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:14 & 15) We are in the time of fasting, yet many of us don’t know when, how or what to fast from. Actually, the Bible doesn’t talk much about the “how to” of fasting, so many of us don’t fast at all. That’s a shame and, if you find yourself a bit confused or hesitant to fast for that reason, I recommend you look for discussions of fasting online or pick up this book by John Piper, A Hunger For God. It’s one of the best I’ve found on the subject of fasting and prayer.
In the sixth chapter, Redefining Hope, Tim Keller observes, “Home, then, is a powerful but elusive concept. The strong feelings that surround it reveal some deep longing within us for a place that absolutely fits and suits us, where we can be, or perhaps find, our true selves. Yet it seems that no real place or actual family ever satisfies these yearnings, though many situations arouse them.” These feelings, the author says, point to that homecoming that awaits each Christian in the resurrection, when our exile in this present world comes to an end in the arms of a welcoming Father. We will find ourselves at a banquet of sights, sounds and pleasures, far more real than anything we experience in this life.
- Tim Keller owes a lot to C.S. Lewis in this chapter. Do you identify with the homesickness described by Lewis, Steinbeck, John Knowles and the author?
- The author points out that we are all exiles; the reason behind our homesickness. If our exile causes such pain and feelings of lostness, why do you think being “on the road” or “in the wind” is portrayed so romantically or ideally in books, films and the culture?
- In the parable, there is a feast at the return of the younger brother and we are promised a place at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in the Book of Revelation. Can you think of other feasts or meals in the Bible that relate to this theme of homecoming celebration?
- The chapter ends with this statement: “Jesus, unlike the founder of any other major faith, holds out hope for ordinary human life.” Would you agree with that notion and why would someone hope for an ordinary life? How does that relate to our feeling of “exile” or homesickness?
