Radical Thinking 2

Tonight is the second session of the Radical study at our church. On the inside cover this David Platt book, Greg Matte, pastor of First Baptist Church of Houston, writes: "Radical will cause you to bounce on a spectrum between two words: ouch and amen. Tough truths do that." I couldn't agree more. In chapter two of Platt's book, the chapter being covered tonight, he addresses the practices of reciting the "sinner's prayer", walking forward to answer a public invitation, or simply "accepting" Jesus. Plenty of ouches here, especially when considering that many of the devices used today in evangelism leave out the essential explanation of the gospel. That's not to say that people can't be saved through such tools and methods. God saves us in spite of ourselves! But that doesn't give us an excuse to complicate and cloud the biblically obvious: we are called to repent and believe in Jesus. My faith isn't in a prayer. Or in the fact that I "went forward", whatever that's worth. My faith isn't in a methodology or persuasive tactic. I was called to faith in Christ Himself; and that's how I am to call others needing His grace. Just something to think about...

Praying for Sight

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.'"

John 3:1-2 ESV

Notice Nicodemus' use of the plural pronoun we. Although he is engaging Jesus in a personal conversation, he references the observations and beliefs of his brotherhood. Nicodemus states plainly that they know Jesus has come to them from God! Yet they do not relate to Jesus as such. They do not receive him as the fulfillment of God's covenant promises. How can they know what they know and believe what they believe and not open their lives to Jesus and receive him as Savior and Lord? Why can't they see? Because their hearts are hardened. They can't see Jesus for who he really is. What is the remedy? Being born again. That is why Jesus' declaration in verse 3 is crucial: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." God must supernaturally change the sinner's heart. As we consider the spiritual condition of those around us, we need to pray with absolute dependency on the Holy Spirit, recognizing that only God can cause a Pharisee to really see.

Radical Thinking!

"When someone asks, 'Where is your church?' we point them to a building or give them an address, and everything centers around what happens at that location. When we gather at the building, we learn to be good. Being good is defined by what we avoid in the world. We are holy because of what we don't participate in (and at this point we may be the only organization in the world defining success by what we don't do). We live decent lives in decent homes with decent jobs and decent families as decent citizens. We are decent church members with little more impact on the world than we had before we were saved. Though thousands may join us, ultimately we have turned a deaf ear to billions who have never even heard his name. Discipling is much different. Whereas disinfecting Christians involves isolating them and teaching them to be good, discipling Christians involves propelling Christians into the world to risk their lives for the sake of others. "

David Platt, Radical

We are beginning a new session of Discipleship Study at our church this month, using the book Radical by David Platt as our resource. Periodically, I will share a quote from his writing or a point from our lesson and discussion. While we may not agree with David's points on everything, his passion for Christ is evident in his writing and he does force us to think about things we would like to ignore. So let's tackle the hard things together, as brothers and sisters in Christ!

Chandler on the Gospel

"The idolatry that exists in man's heart always wants to lead him away from his Savior and back to self-reliance no matter how pitiful that self-reliance is or how many times it has betrayed him. Religion is the tool the self-righteous man uses to exalt himself. Again, this isn't new; the apostle Paul lays out in Philippians 3:4-9 his religious pedigree and practice as an example of what a man can accomplish with discipline and hard work. In that passage Paul states that all his religious effort, exhaustive checklist of all his accomplishments included, amounts to nothing compared to the surpassing greatness of Christ. He goes a step further and even calls it 'rubbish' or 'dung'. Think about that: all your church attendance, all your religious activities, your Sunday school attendance medals, your journals, having a 'quiet time', reading the scriptures-it's all in vain if you don't have Christ. When you read Paul's texts together, you get a feel for his attack on the Christian, moralistic, therapeutic deism of his day. We are saved, sanctified, and sustained by what Jesus did for us on the cross and through the power of his resurrection."

Matt Chandler, The Explicit Gospel

Relying on the Word!

"All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

II Timothy 3:16-17

Most Christians have some level of familiarity with the above verses. And while it is beneficial that these verses be understood in the broadest context, it is equally beneficial that we understand the immediate application of Paul's description of God's word. Ask yourself: why did Paul include these sentences at this point in his letter to Timothy? Why did he say what he said and why did he say it when he said it? Begin reading in verse 10 and read through to 4:8. Here we find some reasons. Paul has set an example for others...because of God's word. Paul has endured great afflictions for Christ...because of God's word. Paul is honest in his assessment of present and future hardships...because of God's word. Paul declares that we may know about the gospel...because of God's word. Paul warns of the coming judgment...because of God's word. Paul encourages the preaching of sound doctrine...because of God's word. Paul is certain that all sacrifice will be richly and eternally repayed...because of God's word. See the pattern? Paul is making certain that we understand that scripture is not the invention of men. It is not limited in its usefulness or power. It has not been pulled out of "thin air". It is not the product of religious minds. It is from God himself; scripture is God-breathed! Therefore, we may build our lives on its content, knowing that God himself will always, without fail, honor His word. Paul desired for Timothy to carry this conviction into his ministry. Let us carry this same conviction into ours.

Don't Be Naive!

Last Sunday, while preaching from Acts 16:16-33, I warned our congregation against the casual dismissing of the demonic in both the biblical storyline and our present world. Many will simply deny the fact that scripture clearly attributes various personal afflictions and oppressions directly to demonic influence. Others, wanting to uphold the truth of the Bible, will affirm the stories as accurate and trustworthy. But, they explain that somehow, in the advance of the past two thousand years, demons have simply vanished. Both views are wrong. We still live in a fallen world where the demonic is ever-present. That's the bad news. The good news is this: We have authority over the enemy in the name of Jesus! Don't be naive. Demons are real and present...right here...right now. But don't be afraid. Remember the words of Jesus: "Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

Goodbye Andy!

I just received word that actor Andy Griffith passed away this morning at the age of 86. Although his career was marked by various successes, he will be best remembered as Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry. The Andy Griffith Show will forever be remembered as an icon of American television. And deservedly so! I still laugh out loud when watching the exploits of Andy, Barney, and the Mayberrry citizenship. Several biblical principles come to mind when considering The Andy Griffith Show. They include:

*Simplicity. It's the simple things that can make us the happiest. Simplicity makes contentment shine.
*Family and Community. The people around us are gifts from God. Granted, some require diligent patience and care, but, at some point, we are all on that list. That's why the rule of love is so important. 
*Laughter. The Bible tells us that laughter is a great medicine. That's why The Andy Griffith Show is such a great prescription. How can we watch Otis or listen to Floyd and not laugh?
*Resolution. At the end of each episode, life was seen as back to normal in Mayberry. Problems solved. Relationships mended. Criminals jailed. Barney humbled (sometimes). While life is not a sitcom with convenient and quick resolutions, we trust that in the end everything will be O.K. Why? Because God said so! And like Andy and Barney on the front porch at the close of the day, we can share the same peace and tranquility knowing that all is well because of Jesus. Thanks, Andy, for the fond memories. We will miss you.

p.s.- For laughs courtesy of Mayberry, check out some of my Mayberry Monday entries from the first year of this blog.