| Speaker: | Victor R. Scott |
| Date: | January 12, 2014 |
| Scripture: | 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 |
Tag: The Gospel
The Gospel is at stake if “Heaven is for Real”
There are many reasons why I will not read and will not attend the upcoming movie “Heaven is for Real.” The most important is that I will not be lead astray by accounts about heaven or hell that are unbiblical and unwarranted. I have come across a variety of responses to these kinds of accounts. Some might see these as mildly entertaining and essentially harmless. Others would argue they serve as conversation starters with people who are otherwise closed off to the Gospel. And still others would go so far as to argue that this (my response) is why some in the world outside the church are disenchanted with the church.
I would like to give an answer to each of these.
1. A Lie is ALWAYS harmful
If we, as the church, are going to entertain every frivolous account about doctrinal questions, we need to stop complaining about the church being too strict on other doctrinal subjects. Whatever might be wrong with the church and anything else we may want to complain about related to what people are doing in the church are not reason enough to entertain lies. Lies are deadly. Any argument to the contrary undermines the testimony of the bible and reason itself. In fact, a lie is the reason sin entered the world and lies are the reason hell exists. Lies are eternally harmful.
2. A conversation starter about faith in Jesus should not begin with a lie, but with the truth of the Gospel.
Not only are lies harmful to the church, a believer’s witness and faith, a lie should not be the opening statement of the Gospel to a non-believer/seeker. This is pure madness. Not only does it show a lack of trust in the Holy Spirit/God’s Word/God/Jesus, it trivializes the problem of sin. We have to stop allowing the world the access of dictating to us, the church, how it should do its work and fulfill its mission.
I know there are many who think I am overreacting. And they may be right. But, my question is why aren’t more believers reacting at all? The problem is if we never react at all, when the time comes for the needed strong response, it will be too late. We will have waited too long and lost too much ground. The truth must be the bastion of our faith and evangelistic efforts.
3. What the world thinks about the church should not cause the church to give ground on truth
I find myself growing wearisome of the constant droning about why this group or that group are leaving the church. Could it be more true that people are leaving the church for the same reason they leave everything else? Maybe the church is not “me” centered enough. It is possible that people are leaving the church because we are trying harder to get them in the building, rather than spending time trying to get HIM in the building.
I am not going to allow those who are not on the journey of faith with me from altering my focus and direction. There are many issues the church needs to address, many concerns that must be answered. But, these issues and concerns will not be solved by listening to the masses. It was the crowd that called for the death and crucifixion of Jesus. Or have we forgotten this as well?
The world and those who love it are not the counselors we should seek. Only the counsel of God is necessary and will be sought.
Whether we like it or not, the Gospel is at stake if “Heaven is for Real.”
The following video by Dr. David Platt provides a succinct and compelling reason for avoiding material (regardless of medium) that is not clearly and undeniably grounded in God’s Word.
Lent Day #6 | The Power of Truth
We are living in a world that is growing more and more disconnected from any idea of what truth is. It seems that truth has become personal rather than universal. It is a preference to have rather than a principle to be adhered to.
We are living in a world that is growing more and more disconnected from any idea of what truth is. It seems that truth has become personal rather than universal. It is a preference to have rather than a principle to be adhered to. As we walk on this earth we will be faced with a difficult choice. Will we uphold the reality of truth or will we cave to the pressure to remain silent?
Continue reading “Lent Day #6 | The Power of Truth”
The Gospel and Black Cats
When we stand in the light, all darkness disappears. That is the wonder and beauty of light.
This past weekend I saw something with my own eyes that I would not have believed it had not happened right in front of me! My family and I were going to the mall here in Columbus and getting some amazingly, delicious Auntie Anne’s pretzels. (They are my favorite! But, I digress.) We had gotten our snack and were headed over to the playground to lets the girls run around and burn some energy.
So we arrive at the stop sign and I see this small sedan pass right in front of us and come to an abrupt and complete stop. I was wondering what was going on, and that is when I saw it. A black cat ran out from the grass and darted across the road, right in front of the car. From were I was I could see the driver and she had this look of panic on her face. What stunned me was what happened next.
The driver put the car in reverse and backed up very quickly, made a right turn and passed us. I looked over at my wife and said, “Did I just see that happen?!” It was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. As I have thought about it over the last several days, I have come to realize that superstition can be a powerful reality in the lives of people. But, what does the Gospel offer to us as believers when we face something like this?
First, the initial thought that I had was, “How sad.” This woman almost caused an accident because she was motivated by fear. A fear based on a lie. That cat crossing in front of her car was not a bad omen. It was just a cat crossing the road. The apostle Paul gives Timothy a challenge as it relates to these kinds of occurrences.
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. — 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Second, the Gospel is truth and it takes away any reason for entertaining “irreverent, silly myths.” When we stand in the light, all darkness disappears. That is the wonder and beauty of light. The reality of God’s love and of Jesus’ example and sacrifice means we no longer have to fear crossing cats, walking under ladders, spilling salt, breaking a mirror, opening an umbrella indoors or any other superstition this world has.
The Gospel represents freedom. The kind of freedom the driver of the car did not have.
Gospel Basics: Seeing the Goodness of the Good News
Purchase here: Kindle Edition or Paperback
No Running from Romans 1
Romans 1:16-17 has been the catalyst for a radical transformation in my understanding of what God desires in us as his people. Paul writes these words after a brief introduction:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
These two clauses have done more to ruin my tendency to sugarcoat what it means to be a pastor and a Christian than any other verses I can imagine.
The message and retelling of what Jesus did and what he secured for all who believe is so incomprehensible, the longer I think about it, the more my brain hurts and my heart yearns to see him. The Gospel is something that will never grow old, tired or weak. What happens is that our sensitivity to its message wains because we do not fully see its depth.
The Power of God For Salvation
This phrase, “the power of God for salvation,” can be difficult to understand on the surface. But, what stands out is that whatever it means there is an undeniable and unbreakable link between the Gospel and salvation. These two realities are so closely link by this text that if the Gospel is not proclaimed, then there is no salvation. And, if no salvation occurs, then the Gospel was not preached. The power, the dynamic active component necessary for salvation is the Gospel proclaimed. Why is this the case? I have no answer other than to say that is the way that God designed it.
If we take Peter’s declaration in Acts 4:12 that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” then we have to draw a straight logical line from the Gospel to Salvation. When the Gospel is clearly and intentionally presented, and the work of regeneration is done by the Holy Spirit, then salvation is the necessary byproduct. If this is not the necessary effect, then the power that Paul talks about is not present.
I think you can begin to see the problem. IF we, the modern church, are proclaiming the Gospel, then why are there not more people “getting saved” in our churches? We have one of at least two choices. Either, we are not preaching the Gospel. Or, the Gospel has no power? But, we know that the second of these options is not reasonable. Therefore, we are left with the first. There is something wrong in our Gospel presentation. The conviction that the Gospel should elicit has somehow been tamed, softened, dulled.
The Righteousness of God Is Revealed
Clause number two is just as potent as the first. This clause is interesting because it makes an unusual assertion. What makes this assertion unusual is that it ties God’s righteousness to the Gospel itself. Paul said that “in it” the “righteousness of God is revealed.” Wow! That means that every time the Gospel is accurately, faithfully and completely proclaimed God’s righteous acts toward sinners are on full display for all to see. If anything qualifies as a theological mouthful, this is it. The danger inherent in this claim is that the opposite is also true. When the Gospel is NOT accurately, faithfully and completely proclaimed God’s righteousness may be missed at best, and diminished beyond recognition at worst.
What I realized, as the weight of these verses landed on my heart, is that I do not want to be the reason that someone else does not hear the Gospel accurately. If you have not discovered that the Gospel can be unpopular at certain times among certain people, you will. It can be difficult to preach, teach, proclaim and tell the Gospel without shrinking back. However, I realized that I was unwilling to fail at being a faithful steward of God’s News to a fallen world. I do not want to be the one who would deny sinners the opportunity of encountering the righteous God and creator of the world. That is too high a cost for being liked by my peers.
My Hope For Gospel Basics
This book is my attempt at deciphering the fullness of the Gospel’s message. It is not an exhaustive treatment of the Gospel. I do not think that such an approach would be wise. I just wanted to remind myself and any who read it, of the Gospel’s beauty and simplicity.
It is not written with a lot of technical language, but there are important biblical concepts and theological ideas discussed. It should not take to long in reading. My hope and prayer for Gospel Basics is that it might serve as a reminder of what we have received in and because of Jesus.
The Epistle of Joy and A Theology of Suffering
In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians there is an interesting dichotomy developing. Paul gave thanks for what God was doing in his life and in the life of the believers in Philippi. He then turns his attention to what is happening to him. And what is that? He is in prison because of his preaching of the Gospel. He is doing exactly what God wants him to do and he gets thrown in jail.
There is no easy road to evangelism. It is paved with the rough stones of adversity. There is no beautiful scenery. There is only the destruction of sin and the carnage of willful disobedience. Jesus never promised that the task of communicating the message of salvation was going to be easy. Whenever we grumble that it isn’t we have not paid attention to what Jesus taught us on the matter.
There are several passages in the first chapter that truly reveal this paradox of faith. How can Paul write such encouragement when he is shackled to a wall or guard all day long? How can he rejoice because of his situation? I just doesn’t make sense. What are we missing that Paul seems to have understood?
Here are a few samples of what I mean.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
These three verses are Paul’s introduction to what he believed about his current state. He did not see being in jail and suffering as a concern. He was actually pleased at the effect that it was having on those around him. The entire guard had heard the Gospel, and many of the believers outside had been stirred to action as well. It really does challenge our modern, American sensibilities to think that going to jail for our faith is a good thing. But, Paul doesn’t stop there. He goes and says the following.
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Paul knew that there are some people preaching the Gospel for the wrong reasons. They were out there for profit, for acclaim or, as Paul writes, to make it more difficult on Paul! Can you image that. You are sitting in prison and someone dislikes you so much that they are intentionally trying to make things worse. And yet, Paul looks past all of that and says that the reason is irrelevant to him because the truth is being proclaimed. Now, those preaching for the wrong reason will be held accountable, but God is so good that he will even use these wrong motives to accomplish his ultimate purpose.
But again, this is not the end of what Paul said. He continues.
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Really?! It is hard for you to decide whether you want to stay on earth or go to heaven? I sometimes wonder why we don’t talk like this? And then I realize that many of us are not willing to go where Paul went. Paul knew and understood something that many in the Western church have not learned to even acknowledge. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I believe that Paul’s commitment to the proclamation and spread of the Gospel had a lot to do with it. The power of evangelism to motivate and refocus the believer is largely lost in our day.
Here is Paul’s final salvo in the chapter 1.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Paul really does lay out for us his theology here on the subject of suffering and the Gospel. There is a mysterious way in which our faith in Jesus will lead to some form of suffering. If we are not making any effort to spread the Gospel to those whom God sends along our journey, we will find no resistance. The intentional advancement of the Good News of Jesus is what causes friction between what we believe as followers of Jesus and what the world is leaning towards. We are not merely interested in propagating a religion. We want to produce fruit because of a relationship with Jesus the Savior.
Related articles
- The Power of Joy In The Prison Of Pain in Philippians (Intro) (stevemidkiff.wordpress.com)
- The Power of Joy In The Prison Of Pain in Philippians (part 1) (stevemidkiff.wordpress.com)
Book Review | Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God
What makes Radical Together helpful is the way that you are confronted, comforted, and challenged to make the changes that need to be made.
If reading Dr. David Platt’s first book Radical was like getting a punch in the stomach, then reading Radical Together was like getting your teeth knocked in. Dr. Platt uses a simple and direct way of communicating the heart motivation that believers should have. And every time I read something that was not present in my life my heart was pricked by conviction. The Gospel is radically good news. It should change us and leave us wanting for more, but this is not always the case.
In Radical Together Dr. Platt moves the focus from the individual Christian to the corporate fellowship of believers. How should radically transformed believers live out their lives together? This is a powerful question that we have to take seriously. There are six areas that are covered in the book:
- The tendency to be satisfied to easily
- Misunderstanding what the Gospel is and does
- A failure to trust the Word of God
- The arrogance of favoritism
- Our fear of what’s to come
- Our prideful sense of our own worth
These are my takeaway’s from reading the book. It is difficult at times to come face-to-face with what you are doing, or not doing for that matter. What makes Radical Together helpful is the way that you are confronted, comforted, and challenged to make the changes that need to be made. It is not that you are doing these things on your own. I think that this really is the point. The combination of the church’s power and presence to facilitate these changes is invaluable and incalculable.
I would say that the book is worth the price of three pages found at the end of the book. As I read them I was so convicted that I had to re-read them as they spoke to my heart. Dr. Platt shares a personal story about sharing tracts to an unreached people group and thinking to himself that “God must be really glad to have me on his team.” He then quotes several paragraphs from A. W. Tozer‘s book The Knowledge of the Holy. As Dr. Platt puts it, he just so happened to be holding the book. This particular passage captures the essence of whole.
“An effective speaker can easily excite pity in his hearers, not only for the heathen but for the God who has tried so hard and so long to save them and has failed for want of support. I fear that thousands of younger persons enter Christian service from no higher motive than to help deliver God from the embarrassing situation His love has gotten Him into and His limited abilities seem unable to get Him out of.” (A. W. Tozer, quoted in Radical Together, p. 122)
This section alone is worth the price of the book! I am thankful for Dr. Platt’s faithfulness in sharing these insights and encouragements. I pray that the universal church would take to heart what God has called her to. I also pray that I would live a life worthy of the God who saves in such a radical way.
Romans Series (Pt. 3) – Romans 1:16-17
Paul’s Confession (1:16-17)
In these two verses we find one of the greatest confessions of what the Gospel is and what it is designed to do. This is not an overstatement of the Gospels intended purpose. Nor is it an exaggeration that Paul wanted the Romans to understand that the Gospel, by design, was intended to be the means through which people are regenerated and the gospel is the seed from which the germ of eternal life will emerge in the life of all who believe. It is this seed that will mature into the tree that the psalmist alludes to in the opening psalm of the psalter.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. [Psalm 1:3, ESV]
But it doesn’t end here. Even Jesus himself said,
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. [John 1:3, ESV]
Here in lies the heart of what Paul is speaking to. The Gospel’s power breaks the dam of sin in our lives which is keeping us from having a right relationship with the Father. And it releases unto us the power of God to make us his children and the Gospel gives us the right to claim for ourselves the righteousness that rightfully belongs to Jesus. The challenge to anyone who agrees with Paul is that we have to receive this truth and grace in faith. For it is only from faith that we can receive it and it is only by faith that we can live it.
What is the Gospel? (Pt. 15) – “Victory!”
This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?
I hope you have benefited from out time spent looking at the multi-faceted diamond of the Gospel. We have discovered that God is holy and that our sin has kept us separated from God. We have looked to Jesus as the ultimate remedy for reconciliation with God. We have been confronted with the fact that it is through repentance that salvation is procured. As a result of salvation, we are given a new life, a new purpose, and a new journey. The Gospel is such a wonderful truth if we would just embrace it and live it out to the end. One of the more comforting realities of the Christian faith is that we are provided with the final scene. God inspires hope in His children because He is able to let us take a peek at what awaits us.
Paul in 1 Corinthians provides us with some insight to into what he calls a mystery. A mystery is not something that is unknowable, but something that has not yet been made known. Paul declares a mystery for all that believe: “Behold! I tell you a mystery. …When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Corinthians 15:51, 54–57 ESV] The Gospel’s ultimate goal is to bring Victory over sin; Victory over Death; Victory in Christ! Learn to love the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who will believe it [Romans 1:16].
What is the Gospel? (Pt. 13) – “Obedience is Greater than Sacrifice”
This is part of the series “What is the Gospel?”
Jesus’ final admonition to the disciples has been called the Great Commission. Matthew records it this way for us: “19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” [Matthew 28:19-20 NIV]. Jesus said in another place, “And you are my friends, if you obey me” [John 15:14 CEV]. The idea of the word obey is that of a continued process. Jesus is telling us that we are His friends, His faithful servants if “we keep on doing” what He has commanded.
I have often wondered at the meaning of this phrase: Obedience is Greater than Sacrifice. It has not been until now that I understand its meaning. If God makes His will known we are commanded to obey. But what if the result of obedience is death, as it was for Jesus? What will we do then? I think that this is the mystery inherent in the command. God is not asking us to submit to pain, suffering or injustice. God has called us to submit to Him, trusting that the ends that lie outside of my purview will achieve the ultimate will and purposes of God. Sacrifice can be self-serving because it validates us and our motives. But obedience only serves the greater good of the one who commanded us to act. When we obey we are bending our will to that of our King. If we have committed our lives to the service of Jesus, then everything else is just what we do in the line of duty. No more reward will be offered other than the praise of our God, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Is that enough for you?