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.
We got together for our monthly men’s fellowship and kicked off our theme for 2010: Make Disciples. We had a wonderful time of table fellowship. The salad and pizza were prepared to perfection and served by Aaron Crew and Pat Brennan. Then, we spent some time in the Word and prayer, with the goal of making disciples, who love Jesus and bear His image to the Brunswick and beyond.
We took our text from Matthew 28:18 – 20:
And Jesus came and said to them, “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.”
Discipleship was a common practice in classical world, but a survey of the NT reveals that much more was required to be a disciple of Jesus:
- First, Steve and Lois Rabey remind us that: Jesus doesn’t call people primarily to a social or political movement or even first and foremost to a life or religiosity or ethical living. More than anything, He calls us to love God
- Jesus calls His disciples to “come and see,” inviting them to join Him in a calling that involves all of life. (John 1:35-39)
- The ultimate goal is to be like Jesus: Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
- We are called to a denial of self and a deliberate choosing of the cross
- We must forsake all to follow Him and exhibit a fervent, sacrificial love for one another in the Body of Christ
- Finally, we share an unswerving commitment to the Word of God and prayer
What are our goals for 2010… what are we aiming for? What can we expect to see by the end of this year, if we are making disciples?
- Greater depth and maturity in our relationship with the Lord
- More and richer relationships between men
- Healthy disciples, like healthy sheep, will reproduce – we expect to see new disciples
What are the values, character traits and content disciples at NCCF will be trained in?
- Prayer
- Bible study habits and skills
- Life skills, living in community and loving others
- Self-sacrifice and giving
- Evangelism
So, we’re spending a year pursuing this one initiative… this one defining goal. We will focus on what it means to be a disciple as modeled in the relationship between Paul and Timothy:
Philippians 2:19 –22 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
If you would like to have someone mentor or disciple you, speak to me the next time we meet or message / call / email me. I will see who’s available and pass that contact info along. If no one is available right now, I’ll steer you to some resources until a qualified mentor is available.
Bo Salisbury
Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is now available, all 52 chapters, as a podcast on iTunes. But, here’s the best part: it’s not a narrator reading the text, but Dr. Grudem instructing the course at his home church. Each session includes question and answers from participants. You can also download individual chapters or subscribe by going to feedburner.
This is probably the most widely used theology ever and the men at NCCF have gone through it a couple times on Sunday mornings over the past ten years. Now anyone can join us in the study and discussion. I know that this has been a valuable resource for a number of us, as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.”
That’s the message Pastor Steve Trint brought us from Kampala Church in Uganda. On Tuesday, he encouraged us to seek God’s call and outlined the attributes of the calling of God in your life — the indicators of what the Lord would have you do. There are too many to list here, so you can pick up a copy of the message on Sunday. Friday night, Steve addressed our monthly men’s meeting and urged us to follow our call, overcoming our self-imposed barriers. He took us to Exodus chapters 3 and 4, where we saw Moses’ struggle with his identity, his lack of intimacy with God, intimidation, inadequacy and his inferiority. Through all of his objections, God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 (ESV) You and I need to remember that, too.
This Tuesday we will begin reading and discussing Tim Keller’s book, The Prodigal God. It’s a nice change-up from the more technical books we’ve been reading at Java John’s and I think it will be helpful to a wider audience. Please feel free to join us in reading and dialogue online or in our gatherings. Don’t panic if you haven’t gotten a copy yet… we will begin slowly and let everyone catch up. This week, we’ll warm up with the Introduction and The Parable.
From D.A. Carson:
There is more than one way to run away from God and defy him. But there is only one way back: God is so prodigal in his grace that he reaches out to humble and restore and receive both. Few books unpack this theme with greater force than this slim volume from Tim Keller.
This is a book that fits nicely with our Mission and reaching out with the Gospel
Continue reading about The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
The Tuesday morning crew at Java John’s just finished George Eldon Ladd’s Gospel of the Kingdom — it was a very worthwhile look at the Kingdom of God and the “already and not yet” quality of Christ’s reign on the earth. We closed with this thought, which is both timely and relevant to our mission at NCCF:
Do you love the Lord’s appearing? Then you will bend every effort to take the Gospel into all the world [beginning with the Brunswick and Nevada County]… All authority is His. “Go ye therefore.” Wherefore? Because all authority, all power is His, and because He is waiting until we have finished our task. His is the Kingdom; He reigns in heaven, and He manifests His reign on earth in and through His church. When we have accomplished our mission, He will return and establish His Kingdom in glory. To us it is given not only to wait for but also to hasten the coming of the day of God (II Pet. 3:12). This is the mission of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and this is our mission.
Over the next couple of months, we will be discussing The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller. Even if you don’t join us on Tuesday mornings at sunup, please get a copy and join us in online discussion or when we get together.
Before I move on, did anyone have any comments about The Gospel of the Kingdom?
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance 1 Peter 3:9
My time in preparation to teach through 2 Peter 3:1-10 was rich, as I considered the will of God and the different uses of that term in the Scriptures. There are at least three senses the will of God is expressed in the Bible:
God’s sovereign will: some call it God’s will of decree or His decretive will. It’s sometimes referred to as His hidden or secret will. In this sense, His will is absolute, independent, unlimited and fixed. It’s expressed best in Daniel 4:35 “He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”
God’s perceptive will: It’s God’s will of command or revealed will for all of us in the form of laws and commandments. (as I pointed out Sunday, these are theological labels and not Bible words so you are free to come up with your own categories – if you look this up online you will find a variety of descriptions and spellings of God’s (pre)perceptive will)
God’s will of disposition describes God’s attitude or disposition. It reveals what is pleasing to Him and what grieves Him.
If you would like to pursue the subject in a little more depth, I would direct you to these resources:
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/wills_sproul.html
http://www.ligonier.org/blog/2009/05/the-meaning-of-gods-will-pt-1.html
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1580_Are_There_Two_Wills_in_God/
I came away, resolved to think and live in such a way that I will embrace God’s sovereign will by following His perceptive will, while asking Him to bring me in line with His will of disposition. I think it looks something like this:
1. God displays His sovereign will in the full range of His glory: mercy and wrath, grace and justice, people living eternally or perishing: I want to trust God and work with Him, not against Him, even though His ways are mysterious and sometimes troubling.
2. He declares “that all people everywhere should repent…” (Acts 17:30) and gives ” His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ…” (1 John 3:23) I must repent, believe and take up my cross daily to follow Jesus. Then, I urge others to do so, as well.
3. God says, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23) I want to have God’s heart for the lost, so I won’t become callous and indifferent to “those who are perishing.”
I recently finished reading Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring by Andi Ashworth (her husband is writer, performer and producer Charlie Peacock). Hospitality and caregiving in a Christian context has been an interest of mine since the first time I read the Acts of the Apostles. Denise and I have always been blessed to enjoy fellowship in Christian communities that value table fellowship and deep relationships. Alex Strauch’s Hospitality Commands came along to provide a Biblical framework for the experience.
Real Love takes the discussion even further, emphasizing the creative nature of caregiving that flows from a deep sense of calling or vocation, as followers of Jesus. This is a particularly valuable insight for moms and others, providing care without financial compensation for family, friends and neighbors. From Amazon.com:
In Real Love for Real Life, caregivers of all kinds can find the help and hope they need to fulfill their calling. Through personal illustrations, timely research, and thoughtful quotations, Andi Ashworth addresses the practicalities, philosophies, challenges, and joys of providing care in the relationships of home and community – leading readers to a greater understanding of the value and the validity of their call to be caregivers. With the encouraging hope and creative insights they’ll find in these pages, they can serve others in more effective, more fulfilling ways–in the name of God.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10 & 11 (ESV)
Last Sunday we learned that Peter, facing imminent death, felt compelled to pass on a comforting truth, a doctrine, to his loved ones. His desire was to fortify them with a hidden, yet very real promise from the Bible, which they could build their lives upon in the face of this world’s toughest trials.
Peter reminded them that God had chosen them, because He loved them and wanted them for His own, long before the creation. Although they already knew and were established in this truth, it was his desire that they experience an abiding assurance of God’s purpose for them. You and I can be sure, as well. But, how? By choosing to grow in grace, through cooperating with God in the process of our sanctification… our becoming more and more like our hero, Jesus. Walter Elwell has this to say in the Baker Dictionary of Theology concerning God’s choosing or election and our appropriate response:
human beings may trust God to do what is right [in election], and our highest good is to choose the will of God for ourselves.
It is a good thing to have that assurance that God not only called, but has chosen us for salvation. We can enjoy that assurance as we yield to His Spirit and the instruction of His Word, resulting in the working out of God’s will in our lives.
Denise, Emma and I are vacationing in Maine, so that means we get to relax and do what we want to do for a week. For me, that means I can finish a book that’s been on my nightstand for over a year: The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God by Greg Beale.
It’s not light reading as the author takes the reader through a highly detailed description of the temple, it’s significance as the dwelling place of God’s presence and all that means to us, His people. Dr. Beale has served as a pastor and college professor most of his life, so his books never scale the ivory tower of intellectualism or tumble down the cliff of abstraction. While always challenging and deeply Biblical, particularly in his sweeping command of the Old Testament, he brings it right down to where you and I live. We are witnesses to the saving power of Jesus and the dwelling place of God’s presence in this fallen world.
I thought Dr. Beale’s purpose in writing The Temple and the Church’s Mission is appropriate for NCCF at this moment in our church’s life: He writes:
The main point of this book is that our task as the covenant community, the church, is to be God’s temple [Ephesians 2:19-22 & 1 Peter 2:4&5], so filled with his glorious presence that we expand and fill the earth with that presence until God finally accomplishes the goal completely at the end of time! This is our common mission.
In order to reach that goal:
We as individual Christians, as members of a local church and as part of Christ’s church throughout the world must not merely share our lives and God’s word with one another, but we need to get out of our little fishbowls and manifest the presence of Christ through our words and lives, so that the boundaries of the temple, the church, will grow until the whole earth is encompassed with and manifests the presence of God. Through us, God will fulfill his promise in Habakkuk 2:14, ‘For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.’
But, what does that look like and how can we experience the indwelling presence of God more fully? Dr. Beale puts it simply:
God’s presence grows among his priestly people by their knowing his word, believing it and by obeying it, and then they spread that presence to others by living their lives faithfully and prayerfully in the world… a persevering and joyous faith in the midst of trial is an amazingly priestly witness to the unbelieving world. It gets the world’s attention. Such a witness either sparks more persecution or it influences some who persecute to join the church. This is what ‘missions’ is all about.
So, let’s recap: God’s presence grows in us when we know His Word, we believe it and then we live faithfully and prayerfully. And, we need to remember that each one of us is on mission and want to be “so filled with his glorious presence that we expand and fill the earth with that presence until God finally accomplishes the goal completely at the end of time!”
