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Last month, the Acts 29 Network hosted a Boot Camp in Dallas, Texas, and the audio from the messages have been made available. Here they are:
• The Mission and Vision of Acts 29 Network by Mark Driscoll
• Cultivating a Culture of Repentance by Darrin Patrick
• Vivification & Mortification: A Process to Holiness by Matt Chandler
• Going Deep With Sabbath Rest by JR Vassar
• The Role of Social Justice & Poverty in Discipleship by Matt Carter
• Spirit-Led Ecclesiology: Following the Spirit Through Church-Planting by Jonathan Dodson
• Pitfalls of Church Planting by Barry Keldie
Sometimes God uses the most unusual spokesman to communicate something we need to hear. I think this is a great example of that. Consider this video excerpt from a well-known atheist and how this verse relates:
Earlier in this series, I talked about developing missional patterns for the purpose of living incarnationally and intentionally in the city. Today I want to simply follow up on that with the encouragement to employ means of gathering and organizing information regarding your labors in the mission. Let me begin by offering my own attempt at doing this.
Moleskine is a company that (in my humble opinion) makes the best journals in the world, and they have a set of journals called “cahier moleskines” which are perfect to take with you for recording events and information pertaining to the details of the mission. You can buy a 3-pack of these journals for only $7.00 and will serve you greatly in recording information you will want to use in praying, sharing, and using in the future.
In my “missional moleskine,” I record any and all information available after the encounter. Some of the information include:
* Name (first and last name if possible)
* Where I met this person
* When I met this person (including exact time)
* What the person was doing (at work, in line at store, sitting at park, etc.)
* Particular info that would help me remember them in the future
* Particular info from the conversation about their life, worldview, past history, etc.
* Particular info for prospective next encounter (work days/hours, schedule, routine, etc.)
Once I have gathered this information, I leave room in my journal for future encounters. For example, if I cultivate a relationship with a server at a restaurant, I will schedule my eating around their work schedule and attempt to connect with them on a regular basis, building on the previous encounters and conversations. Each successive encounter would be dated and filled out, creating a chain of commentary hopefully leading to progress in loving them and leading them to Jesus. The end result is to chronicle the movement around the mission as we cultivate relationships with unbelievers and seek to sow the good seed of the gospel in their lives as a faithful witness and relentless commitment to advancing the cause of Christ. Other benefits include specifics for ongoing prayer and intercession and research/reflection for cultural exegesis, planning, and corporate strategies.
If you developed a missional journal and would like to share your ideas, please do so in the comments.
In part one of this chapter, we discussed the great need to be gospel-saturated. In the remaining part, Anyabwile gives us five steps in the path of becoming gospel-saturated. I want to provide them for you below, along with some pointed excerpts from his book.
* Five Steps to Becoming Gospel-Saturated *
1. Know the Gospel
“The gospel or good news of Jesus Christ is that God the Father, who is holy and righteous in all his ways, is angry with sinners and will punish sin. Man, who disobeys the rule of God, is alienated from the love of God and is in danger of an eternal and agonizing condemnation at the hands of God. But God, who is also rich in mercy, because of his great love, sent his eternal Son born by the Virgin Mary, to die as a ransom and a substitute for the sins of rebellious people. And now, through the perfect obedience of the Son of God and his willing death on the cross as a payment for our sins, all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ, following him as Savior and Lord, will be saved from the wrath of God to come, be declared just in his sight, have eternal life, and receive the Spirit of God a a foretaste of the glories of heaven with God himself” (40-41).
2. Desire to Hear the Gospel and Preach the Gospel to Yourself
“We must cultivate and protect a ravenous desire for this message. Regularly bearing and plumbing the depths of the gospel increases our knowledge of the message, our affections for the Savior, and our skill in sharing the message” (41).
3. Order Your Life Around the Gospel
“As church members, our aim is to understand the gospel so deeply, so intimately, that it animates every area of our lives. We want the gospel central to our communication with others, central to how we encourage and correct, central to individual career and relationship decisions, central to the decisions the church makes corporately, and central to all our habits of life. We want the gospel, the God of the gospel, to take priority in every area of life” (42-43).
4. Share the Gospel with Others
“If we would contribute to the health of our local congregations, we must be committed not only to harvesting the gospel for ourselves but to shipping it to others as well. We must do the work of an evangelist. With urgency and love we must tell the non-Christians among us to repent of their sins and to believe on Jesus Christ. . . . A gospel-saturated life is a life that splashes out onto others with the good news. A healthy church is built, in part, on healthy gospel-motivated members” (44).
5. Guard the Gospel
“The healthy church and church member fight for and protect the apostolic gospel delivered and preserved in the pages of Scripture” (45).
This chapter on being gospel-saturated, I would argue, is the most important mark of a healthy church member. The importance and sufficiency of the gospel for believers could not be emphasized enough. Anyabwile has done a great job in laying out five incremental steps in the path of becoming gospel-saturated, and we would all serve our churches well to consider ourselves in light of these important truths!
In light of our recent discussions about loving sinners and cultivating relationships with them, I am reminded of how easy it is to get into the rut of befriending them but failing to have the gospel on our lips. One ditch to avoid is being obnoxious an unattractive as a witness to unbelievers. The other ditch to avoid is being good at developing friendships with unbelievers but failing to commend Christ and shares the gospel. The first is confrontation without conversation; the second is conversation without confrontation. The first lacks compassion for the lost; the second lacks courage for the gospel.
Consider this video excerpt from John Piper on the means of grace in the preaching of the gospel. May God grant us compassion and courage to lovingly communicate the gospel through our lips and in our lives.
The church planting section of the Leadership Network has some helpful articles and resources to browse through. Be sure to check out their resources such as downloads, books, and podcasts. I should mention that I do not agree with some of the methodologies and approaches to church planting offered on LN; nevertheless, this is a good place to see where church planting has been, where it is going, and things we can learn (both how and how not to plant churches). Their four main article are worth downloading (PDF):
Church Planting Overview
Funding New Churches
Improving the Health and Survivability of New Churches
Who Starts New Churches?
In chapter three of his book, C.J. Mahaney shows how Jesus redefines greatness by being a servant to all, and in chapter four, he continues to show how Jesus demonstrates true greatness in giving Himself sacrificially as a ransom and Redeemer for sinners. The primary text which reveals the redefining and demonstration of true greatness is Mark 10:42-45 which says:
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Verses 43-45a reveal the redefinition; 45b reveals the demonstration. The latter is a prerequisite for any of us to be delivered from the worldly definition of greatness and experience it’s true nature in our lives. Mahaney writes,
“[O]ur own service to others is always both an effect of His unique sacrifice and the evidence of it. His sacrifice alone makes it possible for us to achieve and experience true greatness in God’s eyes” (48).
Jesus’ death on the cross was the ransom which paid the price required for our deliverance from bondage, captivity, and condemnation, and Jesus’ resurrection from the grace vindicated His life as Savior and Redeemer of all those who put their trust in Him. The reality that we need to be ransomed is, as Mahaney explains, a fresh reminder of how affected we are by own serious and sorry state, our miserable lostness, and wretched bondage to sin (52).
And yet the Savior died as a ransom. We who have been rescued glory in our Redeemer. Those who have been forgiven and transformed understand that “a fundamental and radical change has occured” in us so that “you have the desire to serve others and see God glorified. We know the inner call to lay down our lives for one another because He laid down His life for us” (58). Mahaney concludes,
“True greatness is attained only by emulating the Savior’s example–and made possible only by the Savior’s sacrifice” (58).
When it comes to the planting and establishment of a church, we must understand it is not about who gets the credit. We will be asked to serve in ways we may have never imagined, doing things we are not gifted or passionate about. If we lose sight of the fact that we have been rescued by our Redeemer who came not to be served but to serve, then we will find ourselves exhibiting an attitude and demonstrating a life contrary to Him who died for us. May God keep us near the cross and cause us to serve one another that Christ may be glorified in all that we do, whether noticed or not.
Last week, I focused on prayer in the context of the book of Acts. While Wednesdays are typically devoted to a topical study in Acts, I want to tease out prayer in the early church by going a step further by examining the reciprocal nature of prayer among Paul and the churches he ministered. What you will see the prayer relationship between Paul and these churches is fundamentally focused on the gospel and the mission of God. First let’s begin with general exhortations to pray.
To the Romans, Paul encourages them to “be constant in prayer” (Rom. 12:2); to the Ephesians, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18); to the Philippians, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6); to the Thessalonians, “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17); and to the Colossians, “continue steadfastly in prayer” (Col. 4:2). It is evident that the call to fervent, continuous prayer was expected among all believer everywhere. To borrow from Jude, they were “building themselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).
Now, let’s consider the mutual prayer exchange of intercession and request with Paul and these NT churches.
To the church in Rome, Paul interceded: “without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you” (Rom. 1:9-10). On the other hand, Paul requested, “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company” (Rom. 15:30-32).
To the church in Ephesus, Paul “did not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers . . .” (Eph. 1:16). Paul’s motivation for praying for them was because they had “heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him . . .” (Eph. 1:13). The circumference of His praying was the the gospel believed and the mission embraced. Similarly, Paul requested that they would pray “also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20). Paul could of requested any number of personal prayer requests, but his requests are exclusively centered on the mission Christ had given Him and the proclamation of the gospel.
To the church in Philippi, Paul said, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Phil. 1:3-5). Later in that same chapter, Paul was confident that “through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance” (Phil. 1:19). Again, we see Paul motivated to pray continually because of their partnership in the gospel.
To the church in Colossae, Paul said, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth . . . And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding . . .” (Col. 1:3-6, 9). Much like the Philippians and Ephesians, he prays on behalf of their reception of “the word of truth, the gospel” and that they would “be filled with the knowledge of His will.” On the other hand, Paul asked that they “pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak” (Col. 4:3-4). Almost an identical request to the one offered to the Ephesians–door of opportunity, the mystery of Christ, and clarity of the gospel.
To the church in Thessalonica, Paul gave thanks to God “always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thess. 1:2-5). And at the conclusion of his letter, he simply asks, “Brothers, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:25).
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul says, “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:11-12). On the other hand, he asked that they “pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you” (2 Thess. 3:1). If you are going to pray, when you pray for us, pray for the gospel, the word of the Lord to prosper and be glorified, says Paul.
Here is the exchange of prayer among New Testament churches in Scripture. Do you see a pattern here? The gospel, the mission, the partnership in the call, the consecration to the task–this is the context and substance of the intercessions of and requests by the Apostle Paul.
The only question left to ask is, “What does the exchange of our prayers look like?”
There are any number of reasons we can come up with for not being actively involved in the lives of unbelievers so that the gospel can effectively work in and through our lives to impact their lives and lead them to a saving knowledge of Christ. One of the biggest, if not the biggest setbacks is the lackluster of personal holiness. I know that it sounds kind of odd that being separate from the world is a requirement to effectively reach the world, but that indeed is the case. Your relationship to your sin and application of the gospel in faith and repentance has a reciprocal relationship in how the gospel is at work through you to impact others for Christ.
Indwelling sin that goes unconfessed and unmortified hardens the heart. If you are not broken over the sin in your life, how is it possible to be broken over the sin and lostness of an unbeliever? A casual, indifferent approach to the darkness of heart will reveal an indifference towards the darkness and blindness of the lost and a casual approach to their souls. Those in darkness need the light of the gospel to shine on them, but if the gospel is not continually shining in your heart, then sin will debilitate you from being useful in their lives. Those who are daily repenting and believing in Christ, regularly applying the gospel are those who will find the light of the gospel most commendable to those in need of that response when confronted with the glory of Christ.
Furthermore, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. If we spurn that conviction and do not consecrate ourselves as the temple of the Holy Spirit, then how will the grieved and quenched Spirit of God empower us to witness as Acts 1:8 promises? Paul explains that the flesh sets itself and its desires against the Spirit so that you may not do as you please. Would not one of those things you would find pleasure in doing is leading someone to Jesus? Your flesh will fight to prevent that from happening.
God uses those who are closest to Him. If, because of a lethargic approach to sin, you are living in a guilty distance from the Lord, filled with guilt, it will be impossible to be available to be used at God’s disposal. The fight to win souls begins with the fight against sin in our own hearts. Paul explains to Timothy that “if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” The prerequisite for usefulness and readiness is being set apart for the honorable work of our Master.
It is not a selfish thing to pray for one another, for the gospel’s work in our lives. We will not weep for sinners who are lost until we weep for the sins of the saint. When we are awakened to survey the wondrous cross and are not too quick to leave, we will be more inclined to bring others there as well. As the gospel has a thorough work in us, we can have confidence that the gospel will, by the Spirit of God, work through us, dispelling darkness, convicting sinners, magnifying God in Christ, and attracting sinners to the beauty of the cross where the curse of sin was laid upon the sinless Son of God.
The danger of those things we consider most fundamental to Christian living and the health of a church is taking them for granted. Taking a look at the early church in Acts, the nearness of God was evident as they prayed for just about every situation. It was natural that, when the church gathered, prayer dominated their fellowship. As they waited for “power on high” in the upper room, they were “with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). After Pentecost, the thousands of new believers in Christ had “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). This church, when their elders were released, prayed together such that “the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). When Peter was imprisoned, Luke records that “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5) such that when he was miraculously released, he found them still “gathered together and were praying” at the house of Mary (Acts 12:12).
Prayer was especially seen in the early church in the commissioning of leaders for the sake of the mission. Beginning in Acts 1, Scripture says,
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place” (Acts 1:24-25).
When the apostles had committed to “devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4), the congregation set deacons before the apostles who “prayed and laid hands on them” (Acts 6:6). When Ananias was to find the man who would eventually bring the gospel to the Gentile world, Jesus told him to “look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying” (Acts 9:11). The Antioch church commissioned the first missionaries, Paul and Barnabas by “fasting and praying” (Acts 13:3). In the same manner, when these men had planted churches in the cities they traveled, they “appointed elders . . . with prayer and fasting, committing them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23). Whether it was determining the apostle who would replace Judas, the deacons who would serve the church, the missionaries who would be sent out, or the elders appointed in the churches planted, prayer was the essential and key ingredient.
Prayer was evidenced not only corporately but individually. Peter and John prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15). Cornelius was a man known as one who “prayed continually before God” (Acts 10:2) whose prayers “ascended as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). Peter again, when approaching a city, went up to pray about the sixth hour (Acts 10:9). When Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi, Luke records that Paul and Silas “were praying and singing hymns to God” about midnight (Acts 16:25). Finally, for both Peter and Paul, prayer was essential in their healing ministry. In the case of Peter, he prayed alone to God prior to raising Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40); in the case of Paul, he prayed for the father of Publius who was sick with fever and dysentery, laid hands on him, and healed him (Acts 28:8).
These are just some of the instances we find the pervasive influence of prayer in the life of the early church. If prayer was so crucial to the vitality and growth of the early church, how are we to expect God to bless our efforts unless we are devoted to prayer both individually and corporately as the body of Christ? May God us a passion for prayer more than growth, success, or anything else. If we have Christ, we have everything. May we pray to Him in faith and live in light of that reality!
Growing up, I remember singing the song, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he . . .”. While I recall the enthusiasm in which I sang that song, I did not understand the point of this account in the narrative of Jesus’ life. More than being a “wee little man,” Zacchaeus was a sinner (or to be more specific, a tax collector), and although he received Jesus joyfully, those looking on did not appreciate it. In Luke 19:7, Scripture says,
And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
The point of this passage is emphatically underscored when Jesus concluded, saying, that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus came for a certain group of people–sinners. Consider these verses which speak of His coming:
* Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)
* The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19)
* The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)
Why did Jesus come into the world?
1. To seek and save the lost
2. To call sinners to repentance
3. To befriend sinners and tax collectors
4. To save sinners
But notice how Jesus did this. He did not parachute into the world to land on a cross, nor did he fly the banner in the sky that “Jesus Saves.” No. He came to their homes, welcome sinners into His life, and enjoyed the most intimate of settings around dinner tables. He clothed Himself in humanity, and in His incarnation, became like them yet without sin. At the beginning of Luke 15, Scripture tells us the charge against Jesus:
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:1-2)
These same people grumbled when Jesus came to the house of Zacchaeus to bring salvation, the same people who grumbled when Jesus enjoyed dinner with Matthew and his tax collecting friends. Matthew retells the event in his gospel account:
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:10-11)
When two men went up to the Temple to pray, it was the sinner who knew only to beat his breast and cry out, “God be merciful to be, a sinner!” that Jesus said went home justified in the eyes of God, not the self-righteous Pharisee. That same sinner who beat his breast in full acknowledgment of his sin is the very sinner who would find the embrace of a compassionate Savior.
This man welcomes (receives) sinners!
Don’t let that statement pass you by. If there was every a person totally unlike another, it was the sinless Son of God embracing the sinfulness of those who came to Him. He identified with them. He was intimate with them. He invited them to come for salvation. He instructed them in the way of righteousness. He was able to do this because He was the Incarnate Son of God who for sinners became the Son of Man who would die for those condemnation was just and whose punishment was eternal.
Jesus did not see a tax collector; He saw a sinner. He did not see a prostitute; He saw a sinner. He did not see a thief on the cross; He saw a sinner.
In the day in which we live, we do not need to ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” Rather, we need to ask, “What Did Jesus Do?” One thing is for sure–Jesus welcomed sinners and died for them. What does this mean for us who bear His name and have His Spirit dwelling in us?
This means that we cannot live a secluded life from “sinners”–especially those not like us. Loving sinners, welcoming them into our lives, and inviting them to know Jesus is messy work. People will make accusations against you. Nevertheless, the call to follow Christ is a call to love like Christ. It is a call to live incarnationally where sinners feel welcome and are received in our lives. It is impossible to love a Savior who sought out and saved the lost and at the same time hunker down and hide away in order to avoid the lost. If we are not careful, we could cultivate the grumbling spirit of a Pharisee and not the compassionate heart of a sinner-embracing Savior.
I mean, could it be possible that one of the reasons why unbelievers are not being won to Christ is because they do not feel welcome among His followers? Cultivating community contacts means that we cultivate a warm invitation to cold, hardened hearts that says, “You’re welcome here.” When, on the cross with His spread wide, that’s what Jesus said. Let us learn to live, love, and leave invitations for sinners in our world to come to Jesus who will never cast them out.
It can be argued that the gospel is the most assumed reality in the current evangelical climate. Christians know the importance to share the gospel with others, desiring that they come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But in many ways, the gospel has been either lost, reduced, watered down, truncated, or shelved. Anyabwile is right to begin his third mark, being gospel-saturated, by saying:
“The greatest need in the world today is the gospel. It is the greatest need of the world because men, women, and children are perishing without a vital knowledge of God through the good news of our Savior and his Son, Jesus. The greatest need in the church today is the gospel. The gospel is not only news for a perishing world, it is the message that forms, sustains, and animates the church. Apart from the gospel, the church has nothing to say–that is, nothing to say that cannot be said by some other human agency. The gospel distinguishes the church from the world, defines her message and mission in the world, and steels her people against the fiery darts of the evil one and the false allurements of sin. The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering, hopeful, and healthy Christian and Christian church. So essential is the gospel to the Christian life that we need to be saturated in it in order to be healthy church members” (39).
What Anyabwile is saying is that the gospel is sufficient for not only the unbeliever to come to salvation but to strengthen the believer in sanctification. The gospel is not only the message of the person and work of Jesus Christ to believe, but it is also the means by which Christians are equipped to live out the Christian life in the power of the cross. The sad reality is, were one to interview the average church member and asked them to explain the gospel in 60 seconds or less, the majority of them would not be able to communicate what Paul describes as the “immeasurable riches” and “surpassing worth” of knowing Jesus Christ in His perfect righteousness, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection.
But Anyabwile goes even further than being familiar with the gospel–we are to be saturated with the gospel. Gospel-saturated church members glory in the cross as those who are regularly repenting of sin and believing on Christ as they grow greater in their awareness of the holiness and glory of God and the sinfulness of their sin. Where do we find God most glorious? In the supremacy of His Son. The gospel is the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, Scripture says, so to be saturated with the gospel is to continually behold the face of Jesus through the prism of the glory of God. Jesus, in His infinite perfections and glorious excellencies, shines forth in our hearts by His Spirit to increase faith and deepen affections for Him. As Robert Murray M’Cheyne was known to say, “For every one look you take at yourself, take ten looks at Jesus Christ.” In doing so, you will become far less me-saturated and much more gospel-saturated!
In part 2 of this mark, we will pick up on the five ways Anyabwile shows how to become gospel-saturated as healthy church members.
Taking a brief break from the Sowing Grace blog schedule to wish everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving!
In part 1 of the second mark of a healthy church member, we discussed what it means to be a biblical theologian and how in particular biblical theology promotes health among church members as well as the church. In part 2, I want to follow up with the seven ways, according to Thabiti Anyabwile, you can become a healthy church member by becoming a biblical theologian. They are:
1. Reading Good Books on Biblical Theology
There are some excellent books on biblical theology, not the least of which are authored by Graeme Goldsworthy, Scott Hafemann, Vaughn Roberts, Herman Ridderbos, and Geerhardus Vos.
2. Studying the Scriptures Thematically
There are various themes that run throughout Scripture. By studying themes, you are taking a syncrhonic approach (same theme across Scripture) versus a diachronic approach (through Scripture chronologically). Examples of themes include prophet, priest, and king, atonement, servant, covenant, law, etc.
3. Adopting the New Testament’s Attitude Toward the Old Testament
Anyabwile encourages readers to ask certain questions, including:
- How is this passage a fulfillment of something promised in the Old Testament?
- How is this New Testament idea different from or similar to an Old Testament teaching?
- In what way does this New Testament passage clarify, unveil, or amplify something from the Old Testament?
4. Studying the Old Testament with Jesus and the New Testament in View
Again, Anyabwile asks some good questions, such as:
- Were does this passage fit in the time line of redemptive history?
- How does this passage point to Jesus?
- Which New Testament passages help me to answer these questions?
5. Studying the Books of Prophecy in the Old Testament
A biblical theologian recognizes that there are multiple “horizons” to properly understanding and interpreting the biblical text. There is the immediate context, the epochal context, and the canonical context. The Bible has a unifying theme in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Studying the books of Old Testament prophecy should how Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament promises and the true prophet who not only speaks the truth but is truth Incarnate.
6. Knowing and Agreeing to Support Your Church’s Statement of Faith
A church’s statement of faith or confession is a concise doctrinal summary of the core beliefs in a covenant community of believers expressing a common faith and commitment to the truths revealed in Scripture. One of the ways you can better know and agree with your church’s doctrinal position is to take different articles and use them in personal study or devotional reflection.
7. Seeking Doctrinal Unity and Avoid Needless Disputes
“In all things essential, unity; in all things nonessential, liberty; in all things, charity.”
A healthy church member, committed to becoming a biblical theologian, will work to know the difference between beliefs that are essential to biblical Christianity and beliefs that are non essential to the integrity and continuance of the faith. Healthy church members will commit themselves to defending essential things of the gospel (Phil. 1:27; Jude 3), while avoiding strife and contention over thins that are not essential to the gospel” (35).
The third mark of a healthy church member–being gospel saturated–will be picked up next week.
“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
- Romans 16:25-27
To read a sermon manuscript by Tim Brister on this passage, go here.
Over at the Church Matters blog (IX Marks), the notes have been provided on a talk recently given by Mark Dever where he brings out “three things church planters need to know.” The notes are provided below:
Three Things Church Planters Need to Know
1. The Church is God’s Idea
– Matthew 16:18, Jesus founded the church
– Faithfulness involves less creativity and more repetition. We don’t want to say new things, we want to repeat the things that God has said.
– Christ bought the church with his blood (Acts 20:28), he identifies with his church (Acts 9).
2. The Church is to Reflect God’s Character
– We are about something so much bigger than we think when we meet with church.
– God has always been interested in a corporate collection of people. For example, much of the fruit of the Spirit can’t be exhibited in isolation. Things like kindness and love are tough to manifest in isolation.
3. The Church Displays Jesus’ Character
– John 13:34-35, the church should make Jesus known in its conduct and character
– Biblical life change is the best advertisement for the church.
Ultimately, when we read the end of the Bible we can have confidence that the church wins!
Jonathan Dodson is currently planting a church in Austin, Texas, and has an excellent blog dedicated to church planting, called Church Planting Novice. I encourage you to check out his blog which has a nice blend of practical helps, missiological reflection, and good resources. There aren’t many blogs dedicated specifically to missional church planting (at least good ones!), so I wanted to be sure to call Jonathan’s writings to your attention.
In chapter three of his book Humility: True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney takes up the subtitle of this book, beginning with redefining greatness. Greatness accordingly to worldly standards is measured by power, influence, and achievement and recognized with worldwide acclaim and applause of men. Jesus Christ, the greatest who ever lived, did not live in the limelight or amass crowds of followers to define his status in society. As the son of a carpenter in the contemptible city of Nazareth, Jesus Christ was brought up in obscurity and ultimately died in isolation. By His words and His life, Jesus redefined greatness.
“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all,” Jesus said (Mark 9:35). Jesus shattered the pursuit of self-righteousness, self-promotion, and sinful ambition. Personal exaltation has no place in the kingdom of God. “Not so among you,” Jesus says. It is not the kingdom ethic. We are not to look for greatness on the way up, but the way down; not in the applause of men but in the smile of God.
Mahaney draws out this reversal, stating,
“Jesus does not categorically criticize or forbid the desire and ambition to be great. Instead, He clearly redirects that ambition, redefines it, and purifies it: ‘But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all’ (Mark 9:43-44) (43).
Mahaney brings out an important point here. Ambition in and of itself is not bad. Not to be ambitious for Christ, I would argue, is a sinful attitude! Paul said that he did not only run, but he ran in order to win the race! (1 Cor. 9:24). He was one that “pressed on for the upward call of God in Christ” (Phil. 3:14). He made it his ambition to know Christ in the power of His resurrection. What an awesome ambition! Paul was a slave to all–to Jew and Gentile–for the sake of the gospel and glory of Christ. While selfish ambition is according to worldly-defined greatnesss, servant-defined ambition is conformed to the Christ-defined greatness. As Mahaney summarizes, “What’s required is that you become a servant to others; it means nothing less than becoming a slave of everyone.”
The biblically defined pursuit of greatness is found in serving others for the glory of God (44). This, according to Mahaney, is “the genuine expression of humilty; this is true greatness as the Savior defined it” (ibid.). The promise of breaking free from pride is found on the tracks of servanthood. As a servant, we place others before ourselves and point them at the same time to Christ who “came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark. 9:45).
Are you pursuing greatness according to the example of this world or according to Jesus? Is your ambition in life a glorious one where Christ is seen and treasured as you humbly seek to know Him in joyful obedience? Worldly greatness will always engender a prideful spirit, but Christ-honoring greatness will always engender humility. As Paul said,
“Have this mind in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus . . .” (Phil. 2:5)
Cultivating Community Contacts, Part 5
November 25, 2008 in Commentary, Evangelism | Tags: Evangelism, Jesus, John Stott | by Timmy Brister | Leave a comment
There has been an ongoing debate through out the church’s history of the relationship of Christianity with the world. On the one hand, fundamentalism tells you that Christians are to be totally removed from the outside world, and the evangelical ghetto was developed. On the other hand, liberalism tells you that Christians should embrace the world, and thus the Christian distinctives were removed. Neither option are right, so what are we to do?
We are to look to Jesus Christ.
Jesus prayed for his believers that they be “in the world and not of the world” (John 17). If they are to be salt, they are the salt of the earth; if they are light, they are to be the light of the world. Jesus wants His people to love sinners and at the same time pursue holiness. As we are conformed more and more into the image of Christ, part of that will mean we live in the world incarnationally as Jesus did and love sinners with authentic gospel-devoted lifestyles.
John Stott, in his great little book Our Guilty Silence: The Church, The Gospel and the World, shares about the “holy worldliness” of the Son of God who became flesh. Consider Stott’s words as you continue to cultivate community contacts.