Gospel Living

6  And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,                         “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;             7            in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8  You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” All sinners ultimately reject the Word of God.  Romans 1:18 says that, we “suppress the truth” in our unrighteousness.  That chapter continues with exchanges taking place—trading the glory of the Creator for images of the creation, the truth of God for a lie, and those given over to all forms of debauchery.  Even so, here, religious leaders do exactly this but in the...

Voddie Baucham preached in the final session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "The Need for Reformation in Worship." NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22  For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23  And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” … 26  And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. … 29  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Herodias unsuccessfully plotted to murder John the Baptist until this point because her husband had him arrested.  On this strategic night, she finally persuades Herod to follow through with her plan.  Herod knew it would be wrong, but he sinned nonetheless because of two reasons. Herod fell to his temptations.  Lust was obviously a pro...

21  And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22  Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23  and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24  And he went with him. Jesus, rejected by the people on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, returns to Capernaum on the northeastern shore.  Not much time had passed, so we are not surprised to find this crowd of people awaiting Him.  Indeed, the crowds of the opposing shores represent opposing reactions to the ministry of Christ—one of rejection and one of welcome.  Nonetheless, Jesus didn’t follow just anyone in the jubilant crowd, and we see a hint of the only reaction to Christ that means anything. It’s not enough to simply have a positive view of Je...

Last Wednesday's sermon did not record, so that gives us a chance to listen to the next session of hte G3 Conference.  Tim Challies preached in the second session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His subject was, "Let the Gospel Give You Your Song."

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7  And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8  For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” One of the most terrifying passages in all of Scripture is from the Sermon on the Mount.  There, Jesus doesn’t just say that He will cast out unbelievers , but also many calling Him “Lord, Lord” (Mt 7:21–23)!  Here, we see pictured false prayers to Jesus from the demons in this man, and we must learn from their negative example.  The demons “worship” as they speak to Jesus.  The term “fell down” is a term that means “bowed down” (NASB) and can mean that they “worshipped” (KJV, NKJV).  Even so, the mere act of prostrating oneself before Jesus doesn’t constitute true worship—the Roman soldiers would also bow down, but in mockery (15:19).  Assuming a physica...

As a devotional this morning, let's consider the marking of the new year together through the sound of the shofar.  Dr. William Barrick has posted an excellent overview of what the Bible has to say about new years over at Parking Space 23 .

As Michael Horton observed, we suffer from a Christless Christianity in this country.  We have moving church services that honor veterans, sing stirring renditions of “God Bless the USA,” and sometimes even recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag to stage-right of the pulpit.  Yet, while we feel sufficiently patriotic after such a service, can we honestly say that we have corporately worshipped in Spirit and in truth? There are reasons why such a celebration in the middle of church makes Christians uncomfortable.  Here are a few: The disjunctive purpose of the service.  As one veteran told me yesterday, he doesn’t want the recognition, period, especially not at a time when people’s eyes are supposed to be on Jesus.  The question is whether the service is meant to honor the country and possibly even our servicemen, or the Lord of Hosts.  Another way of phrasing it would be: why would we take the Lord’s Day service and conflate it with other p...

Sermon from Tim Foster, Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA on 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (audio only).  Foster carefully navigates the text to discern the proper order of worship while affirming the imago dei  and spiritual equality of women in Christ.

I was talking to a church member this week who was troubled that a family member viewed the Holy Spirit as a force.  While reading the Nicene Creed, I was struck afresh by the early church's view on God the Spirit. The Nicene Creed, originally penned in AD 325, was amended in 381.  The whole creed is as follows: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;  And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and si...

What Does It Really Mean to Worship God in Spirit and Truth? http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130716 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24 ). That frequently quoted verse has become a popular proof text for charismatic doctrine. In fact, a recent article in Charisma magazine used it as biblical support for speaking in tongues as a form of "spirit-to-Spirit communication with God." But do Jesus' words in John 4:24 really affirm sign gifts as necessary parts of our worship? In the following audio, John MacArthur explains the true meaning of worshiping God in spirit and truth. God calls His people to be worshipers—people who revere Him with all of their adoration and affection. The Strange Fire conference is designed to encourage true spiritual worship by defining it rightly. For more information about Strange Fire, please visit the conference website http://www.tmstrangefire.org . In anticipation of the so...

As it exalts Christ and His Word, we added this song to our worship set at church.  Give it a listen: Lyrics: Verse 1 Prepare our hearts, O God Help us to receive Break the hard and stony ground Help our unbelief Plant Your Word down deep in us Cause it to bear fruit Open up our ears to hear Lead us in Your truth Chorus Show us Christ, show us Christ O God, reveal Your glory Through the preaching of Your Word Until every heart confesses Christ is Lord Verse 2 Your Word is living light Upon our darkened eyes Guards us through temptations Makes the simple wise Your Word is food for famished ones Freedom for the slave Riches for the needy soul Come speak to us today Bridge Where else can we go, Lord Where else can we go You have the words of eternal life Credits: Music by Doug Plank, words by Doug Plank and Bob Kauflin © 2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Dr. Paul Plew serves as the Director of Choral Activities and chairs the impressive music department at The Master's College .  He also leads worship at Santa Clarita Baptist Church .  His ability is outstripped only by his love for God, and he recommends the following songs for us. If you find a song you don't know or would like to know more about its history, search it on Cyber Hymnal . The Top 70 Hymns You Should Know *Indicates Top 20 (in no particular order) From the 2005 BIB363 Worship TMC class syllabus *Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing *Praise to the Lord, the Almighty  *O Worship the King  *Immortal, Invisible  *A Mighty Fortress is Our God  *The God of Abraham Praise  Great is Thy Faithfulness  Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah  *O God, Our Help in Ages Past  This is My Father’s World  I Sing the Mighty Power of God  *All Creatures of Our God and King  *O ...

( Part 1 | Part 2 ) The first two posts of this series form an important foundation: we must rely on the truth the Holy Spirit revealed to us through His Word, lest we grow arrogant and embrace bold deception in the name of God.  If we lean on our own understanding of how God operates, we will fall.  If we grow unsatisfied with the Bible and seek words and visions, we invite spiritual destruction. Indeed, the light of Proverbs 30:6 dispels our confusion:     Do not add to his words,         lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. In total, we said we must avoid Bethel because it is spiritually dangerous, and we said there are two reasons for that.  The first reason we examined in length last week, that it promotes false doctrine , and we looked at the heretical teachings streaming from the pulpit to computers and MP3 players near you.  If you have not read at least that post, please do so now, beca...

( Part 1 | Part 3 ) In the previous post , I argued that doctrine is not only unavoidable, the Holy Spirit wants us to grow in our knowledge of biblical doctrine.   Even so, I understand the many Christians who, burned by those intellectuals whose convictions were buried in seminary, believe avoiding deep theological study is the best salve for the injured soul.  They believe that you can feed only your intellect or your spirit, seeking a moving experience that is not necessarily meaningful, and missing the fact that God created both in union. As such, some of today's most popular teachers and preachers proceed with that foundation; books and sermons promising bigger and better experiences create many celebrity pastors.  However, upon this foundation a house of theology must reside, inside which a Christians find a spiritually environment that is not up to biblical code.  We will see this with our case in point --- Bill Johnson --- as we exami...

( Part 2 | Part 3 ) Doctrine and theology: sour words in the ears of many today, and with good reason.  Knowledge can puff up (1 Cor 8:1), inflating otherwise well-meaning Christians with hot air.  You probably even know someone seemingly more concerned with crossing the "t" in theology than showing the love of the cross.  Yet, God designed our hearts and minds to grow in doctrine ( instruction or teaching ), and we can't go far in our Christian walk without it.  Consider Jesus, who employed sound doctrine when His proper understanding and application of God's Word defeated Satan's temptation (Mt 4:1-11; Lk 4:1-13).  He also chastised the poor doctrine or teaching of the leaders of Israel, saying, "Have you not read" (Mt 12:3, 5, 19:4, 22:31; Mk 12:10, 26; Lk 6:3).  He equated knowing Scripture to knowing the power of God (Mt 22:29).  His Great Commission includes the directive to make disciples and to teach them (Mt 28:18-19).  As...

I think... I think I've sung songs like this.... (HT: Dan Phillips )

Praising God using worldly songs may be an obvious sign of unhealthy church leadership.  Adopting secular concepts of leadership would be another.  However, many churches today would rather have an MBA than an M.Div. as their pastor. In 2006, Christianity Today sat down with pastor Andy Stanley to discuss his philosophy of leadership.  In the award-winning interview (!), he advocates a corporate, “get-it-done” approach to leadership in Christ’s church. The interview begins with a clear admission on Stanley’s part: “ There's nothing distinctly spiritual [about my church’s leadership].”  He continues, One of the criticisms I get is "Your church is so corporate." I read blogs all the time. Bloggers complain, "The pastor's like a CEO." And I say, "OK, you're right. Now, why is that a bad model?" A principle is a principle, and God created all the principles. That’s quite a leap, but he continues by throwing out a distinctly biblical appro...

I hope your church has more sense than this: (HT: Appraising Ministries ) In the song this "pastor" plays, a Korean comedian praises the pleasures of the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea, not the Lord .  (In case you are not among the 1.2 b illion views of the video on YouTube, head over and watch the silliness  - not for young eyes). I'm sorry, but playing such a worldly song while quoting Bible verses does not make it Christian, nor does it make it into acceptable worship of the Holy and Living God.  One YouTube user  aptly drew a parallel between this kind of behavior and the way the priests of Israel brought in worldly worship into the temple: That's sad, day after day the world goes deeper into the church  "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed between the unclean and the clean" Ezekiel 22:26a  "Destru...

A funny video to make us think about the genuineness of our worship music: