The New Middle Road – Francis Chan

I recently came across this video and found it to be very insightful…

I admit… to my shame… that I have been guilty of this at times.

How about you???

Consider this as you are reading through Scripture…

Preaching… monologue or dialogue? Thabiti Anyabwile answers…

I read an excellent post today by Thabiti Anyabwile regarding the common complaint that traditional preaching should be rejected due to it being a monologue rather than a dialogue.  Thabiti responds (rather clearly, I might add) that traditional Protestant worship service is not centered around a monologue (i.e. preaching), but it is a dialogue between God (who speaks by His Word and Spirit through the preacher) and His people who respond back to Him in praise and worship (i.e. prayer, song, etc.)

Read the post for yourself.  You can find it here http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabitianyabwile/2011/02/08/whos-doing-the-talking-in-our-church-gatherings/.

Where Did Old Testament Preaching Go? – by David Murray

I came across a post by Dr. David Murray today commenting on some of the reasons why there is so little preaching from the Old Testament these days.  He gives the following 8 reasons:

1) Liberalism’s attack on the Old Testament.

2)Ignorance of the Old Testament.

3) Perceived Irrelevance of the Old Testament.

4) Dispensationalism’s unintentional relegation of the Old Testament to a secondary role in the life of the New Testament Church.

5) Bad examples of Old Testament preaching lead us to shy away from Old Testament preaching.

6) Good models of Old Testament preaching are hard to come by.

7) Laziness on the part of the preacher/teacher.  (Let’s be honest… Leviticus is hard to preach.)

8) Prevalence of Christ-less preaching from the Old Testament.

You can read the whole article here http://headhearthand.posterous.com/where-did-the-old-testament-go.

 

The Unequaled Greatness of Jesus Christ – by Art Azurdia

I came across this video on YouTube and was reminded of the immeasurable greatness of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Watch the video… remember… and praise the greatness of Jesus!!!

Evangelism Course @ FBC Pine – Homework Assignment for Week # 12

For a review of this week’s study, read I Peter 3:13-17:

1 Peter 3:13-17 (ESV) – 13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

In studying this passage, we see six aspects of Peter’s apologetic method (i.e. how to answer objections to the faith…):

1)      Do not fear man (v. 14, cf. Matt 10:28.)

2)      Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart (v. 15.)  (Note: This is the controlling verb in this passage.  Everything else flows from this aspect of the Christian life.)

3)      Demonstrate hope (“… make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” – v. 15.)

4)      Always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in you by sharing your faith (v. 15.)  (Note:  The ground of our hope is our faith.  Without faith in Christ… we have no hope.)

5)      Give a defense with gentleness and respect (v. 16, cf. II Tim 2:24-26.)

6)      Live a godly and righteous life so that those who slander you will one day be ashamed (v. 16.)

We will examine how to apply this method to various objections to the Christian faith next week!

Homework for Week # 12:

–          Memorize I Peter 3:15-16 and review your Scripture memory verses (Luke 10:2 and I Corinthians 15:1-4.)

–          Spend some time each day going over the 4-point outline of the gospel (i.e. God, Man, Christ, and Response) and the 4-point outline of redemptive history (i.e. Creation, Fall, Redemption and Recreation) either out-loud or in writing.  Be prepared to share the gospel next week in class.

–          Engage in at least 1 gospel conversation this week with an unbeliever.

–          Read Romans 9:1-5.

• Describe Paul’s attitude toward unsaved Jewish people.
• How does this compare to our attitude toward those who are lost around us?
• Spend some time meditating on this in preparation for class.

–          Review the homework assignment from Week # 11 regarding answering objections to the authority of the Bible and rejection of the exclusivity of Christ.

–          Spend some time reviewing the material we have covered over the past 11 weeks:

• What have you learned?
• What do you still need to learn?
• What questions do you have regarding the gospel and evangelism?
• How will this course affect your evangelism in the future?
• Be prepared to discuss this in class next week.

Evangelism Course @ FBC Pine – Homework Assignment for Week # 11

–          For a review of this week’s study, read the sermon entitled “The Birthmarks of the Church” found here https://ramblingpastorman.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/the-birthmarks-of-a-true-church-%E2%80%93-acts-242-47/.

–          Homework for week # 11:

• Review your Scripture memory verses (Luke 10:2 and I Corinthians 15:1-4.)
• Spend some time each day going over the 4-point outline of the gospel (i.e. God, Man, Christ, and Response) and the 4-point outline of redemptive history (i.e. Creation, Fall, Redemption and Recreation) either out-loud or in writing.
• Spend some time thinking about common objections to the gospel in our culture today.  Engage in a discussion with a fellow Christian this week regarding these objections and how to address them biblically.  Be prepared to discuss this in class next week.
• Engage in at least 1 gospel conversation this week with an unbeliever.
• In preparation for next week’s class, consider the following passages of Scripture:
  • Read I Peter 3:15-16.  (It might be helpful to read the entire context (verses 8-17, but focus on verses 15-16.)  Then answer the following questions:
  • What does this passage teach us about how to respond to unbelievers who disagree with us regarding the Christian faith?
  • What are the implications of this for our evangelism?
• We will be discussing two common objections to the gospel and Christian beliefs.
  • Objection # 1: Disbelief in the authority of the Bible
    • What are some common misconceptions regarding the Bible in our culture today?  Provide some specific examples if possible.
    • Read II Timothy 3:14-17 and II Peter 1:19-21.
      • What does this teach us about the nature of Scripture?
      • How should we respond to the misconceptions in our culture regarding the Bible?  How can we answer the objections of the world?  Should we?
  • Objection # 2: Rejection of the exclusivity of Christ
    • Read John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.  (It might be helpful to read the context of these verses.)
      • What does this teach us about the nature of salvation?
      • How does this relate to our evangelism?
      • How does our culture respond to the exclusive claims of Jesus?
      • How should we answer the objections of our culture to the exclusive claims of Jesus?

 

 

Evangelism Course @ FBC Pine – Homework Assignment for Week # 10

–          For a review of this week’s study:

• Consider listening to the sermon by Phil Johnson entitled “What Was Paul Doing on Mars Hill?”  You can find the sermon for streaming or download here http://gracelifepulpit.media.s3.amazonaws.com/GL-2008-12-07-PJ.mp3 .

–          Homework for week # 10:

• Review your Scripture memory verses (Luke 10:2 and I Corinthians 15:1-4.)
• Spend some time each day going over the 4-point outline of the gospel (i.e. God, Man, Christ, and Response) and the 4-point outline of redemptive history (i.e. Creation, Fall, Redemption and Recreation) either out-loud or in writing.
• Spend some time thinking about common misconceptions in our culture regarding the 4-points of the gospel: God, Man, Christ and Response.  Engage in a discussion with a fellow Christian this week regarding these misconceptions and how to address them biblically.
• Engage in at least 1 gospel conversation this week with an unbeliever.
• In preparation for next week’s class, consider the following passages of Scripture:
  • Matthew 5:13-16, John 13:34-35 and Philippians 2:14-16. (Note:  In each of these passages, the terms translated “you” and “your” are all plural in the original Greek, implying that these are statements and commands regarding a group of people rather than simply an individual.)
    • What do these passages teach us about the role of the church in evangelism?
    • Read Acts 2:42-47 and think through the questions below:
      • What is the context and setting of this passage?
      • Make a list of all the characteristics of the early church.  Be specific.  Define each characteristic clearly.
      • What was the impact of this church on the community around them?  (Think carefully about this.)
      • How is evangelism described in this passage?  (i.e. What does the church “do” in this passage in order to evangelize the lost?  Think carefully about this.)
• Reflect on the following questions and issues:
  • Does the church today in our culture resemble the church as described here in Acts?  In what ways are we similar?  In what ways are we different?  How does this affect our evangelism?
  • Consider what you can do to facilitate your local church becoming more like the church described in Acts 2.

 

Evangelism Course @ FBC Pine – Homework Assignment for Week # 9

For a review of this week’s study, consider viewing the following resources:

–          Read the manuscripts for the sermons entitled “The God Who Keeps His Promises” (found here http://mbcpastoringlobe.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-god-who-keeps-his-promises-%E2%80%93-acts-1313-41/) and “Three Responses to the Gospel” (found here http://mbcpastoringlobe.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/three-responses-to-the-gospel-%E2%80%93-acts-1342-52/.)

–          For a further study of the role of divine sovereignty and human responsibility in salvation, consider listening to the 2-part sermon series by C.J. Mahaney entitled “The Mystery of Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility.”  You can download it here http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1251-00-51.

Homework for Week # 9:

–          Review your Scripture memory verses (Luke 10:2 and I Corinthians 15:1-4.)

–          Spend some time each day going over the 4-point outline of the gospel (i.e. God, Man, Christ, and Response) and the 4-point outline of redemptive history (i.e. Creation, Fall, Redemption and Recreation) either out-loud or in writing.

–          Think about how to connect biblical events (particularly Old Testament historical events) to the gospel.  Discuss this with a fellow Christian.  Begin making it a habit to connect everything you read in Scripture to the gospel.

–          Engage in at least 1 gospel conversation this week with an unbeliever (preferably a “churched” unbeliever). In this conversation, attempt to utilize biblical events or passages to ask the following question:  What does this teach us about God?  What does this teach us about Jesus?

–          In preparation for next week’s class, read Acts 17:16-34 and think through the questions below:

• What is the context and setting of this passage?  (You might find it helpful to look up the location on a map and/or in a Bible dictionary.)
• What affect does the idolatry in this culture have on Paul?  What does this teach us about Paul’s motivation in evangelism?
• Who is Paul sharing the gospel with in this passage?  (Make sure you read the entire passage before answering this…)  How does this affect his evangelism?
• Make an outline of Paul’s presentation of the gospel in verses 22-31.  Specifically think through the following aspects of his message:
  • How does Paul start his gospel presentation?  What efforts does he make to “connect” with his hearers?  How can we do this today?
  • Paul spends a considerable amount of time describing the attributes and actions of God.  Why?  Make a list of God’s attributes and actions in this passage.  How is this relevant to our gospel presentations today?  How can we do this today?
  • What does Paul teach about humanity?  Sin and judgment?  What response does Paul call his hearers to?  How is this relevant in our evangelism today?
• How do Paul’s hearers respond to the gospel in this passage?  (Be specific.)  What does this teach us about the responses we should expect engaging in evangelism?
• How is this passage relevant to our evangelism today?  Spend some time this week thinking about the problem of biblical illiteracy and idolatry in our culture today.  How much or how little does the “average person” know about the Bible today?  What forms of idolatry do we encounter in our culture today?  How does this affect our evangelism?

 

Evangelism Course @ FBC Pine – Homework Assignment for Week # 8

For a review of this week’s study, consider reading the sermon entitled “Two Unlikely Men and One Unlikely Salvation” on Acts 8:26-40.  You can find it here https://ramblingpastorman.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/two-unlikely-men-and-one-unlikely-salvation-%E2%80%93-a-sermon-on-acts-826-40/.

Homework for Week # 8:

–          Review your Scripture memory verses (Luke 10:2 and I Corinthians 15:1-4.)

–          Spend some time each day going over the 4-point outline of the gospel (i.e. God, Man, Christ, and Response) and the 4-point outline of redemptive history (i.e. Creation, Fall, Redemption and Recreation) either out-loud or in writing.

–          Engage in at least 1 gospel conversation this week with an unbeliever. In this conversation, attempt to ask the following question:  What do you believe about Jesus? (i.e. Who is He?  What has He done?)

–          Engage in a conversation this week with a fellow Christian regarding how the gospel relates to human brokenness and sin.

–          In preparation for next week’s class, read Acts 13:13-52 and think through the questions below:

• What is the setting of this passage?  (You might find it helpful to look up the location on a map and/or in a Bible dictionary.)  What has taken place prior to this?
• What type of people is Paul sharing the gospel with here?  Why does this matter?  How does this affect his presentation of the gospel message?  (Think carefully about this…)
• What is Paul doing in verses 16-22?  Make a list of the actions of God described by Paul in this passage.
• What is Paul attempting to communicate in verses 23-37?  How does Paul describe Jesus in this passage?  (Be specific.)
• What response does Paul call his hearers to in verses 38-41?
• How do the people respond to Paul’s message in verses 42-52?
• How do Paul and Barnabas respond to rejection?
• How can we apply the principles seen in this passage to our evangelistic efforts? To answer this question, it might be helpful to answer the following questions:
  • What are some wrong understandings of the gospel which are common in the church today?  How does this passage inform our evangelism of those who might hold to wrong understandings of the gospel within the church?
  • How does Paul use Scripture to share the gospel in this passage?  When might this be appropriate in our evangelism?  Is this always appropriate?  Why or why not?
  • What responses can we expect when we share the gospel with others?  How should we respond to rejection in our evangelism?

 

Another Post on Why Church History is Important – by William Boekestein

A couple of days ago I posted some thoughts on why I think church history is important and I linked to a blog post by Rick Rose on the same topic.  Here is another post, entitled “Avoiding Chronological Snobbery” by William Boekestein over at the Reformation21 site talking about the same subject.  His conclusion is that knowing church history helps us to:

1) Appreciate the sovereignty of God.

2) Apply debated biblical teachings.

3) Defend against heresies and cults.

4) Resist being captivated  by fads (this is a big need today!!!)

5) Reevaluate common church practices.

6) Live courageous Christian lives today.

It is worth reading the whole post to see how he fleshes these out.  You can find the article here http://www.reformation21.org/articles/avoiding-chronological-snobbery.php.