Discipleship, Understanding, Obedience, Pulpit Helps ... · Web viewSubstance Abuse: Pain and Healing Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May 2007. Since the most prevalent mental

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Table of Contents:Life Together - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1The Information Age and Compassion Fatigue - - -2Making the Point at Communion - - - - - - - - 3Exegetically Speaking- - - - - - - - - - - - 4Words to Stand You on Your Feet - - - - - - - 5Living out the Living Word- - - - - - - - - - 7Following God - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9Points to Ponder - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10Jewels from Past Giants - - - - - - - - - - -11

Counselor’s Corner - - - - - - - - - - - - 12The Story behind the Song - - - - - - - - - -13Church Builders - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel - - - - 15Marks of the Master - - - - - - - - - - - - 16Book Reviews- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17News Update- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -18Sermon Helps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19Puzzles and ‘Toons - - - - - - - - - - - - 22

__________________________________________________________________________________________Life TogetherUnity and Discipleship in the CongregationBy Justin Lonas

A version of this article appeared in Pulpit Helps, June 2007.

Why is it that when Christians meet together under threat of arrest in communist China and other closed countries, they praise God with fervor, unity, and commitment seldom seen in the free environments of the West? Why here in the West, where neither persecution nor financial pressures prevent us from being able to gather together freely and frequently, do church members drift in and out of fellowship at local churches as casually as one switches toothpaste brands?

If we want to faithfully proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the lost and serve as a beacon of hope in our ever-darkening culture, a reasonable starting point is for Christians to recapture the deep, Christ-like love for one another we are exhorted to in Scripture. A healthy and growing local body is not a product of church size, financial assets, never-ending programs, slick marketing, celebrated leaders, or a prominent location. At minimum, it is the outflow of brothers and sisters washed in the blood and abiding in Christ’s command to love one another. The Common Denominator

The first step to loving one another is remembering where we all came from. Paul addressed petty squabbles within the church at Corinth by reminding them of their common redemption, and his exhortation applies as powerfully as ever today: “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our Lord” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

We are all Christ-bought sinners! That’s the beauty of Christian community—our partaking in the Church is not

about our individual contributions, but about Christ’s uniting us through His blood. The sooner we take this truth to heart, the sooner we begin to recognize that what unites us is more solid and real than what divides us. As C. S. Lewis put it through one of his characters in The Great Divorce, “That’s what we all find when we reach [heaven]. We’ve all been wrong! That’s the great joke. There’s no need to go on pretending one was right! After that we begin living.”

Of course, divisions will come, and sometimes they are as much called for as unity is. When “unity” comes at the expense of truth, we cannot stay together without transformation. If some among us dilute the Gospel to allow some sins to remain present (as opposed to defining what we “were” before Christ rescued us) or refuse to allow God’s Word to define belief and practice, and they cannot be won back through pleading and reasoning together, separation is necessary for the sake of the truth. The problem comes when we separate over issues that should not be important enough to divide.

Rejoicing in the Privilege If we can’t live in truth and love toward one

another in the Church—as 1 John 3:18 says, not “with word or tongue, but in deed and truth”—it’s no wonder that the world has serious doubts about the legitimacy of our faith. An effective witness requires an abiding love for our own fellow partakers in grace. That’s what has always made Christ’s teaching unique—He said that we would be known by our love for one another (John 13:35), not our achievements, our morality, or our cultural relevance.

Because we often allow the ethos of individualism to reign in our fellowship, we are in need of a shift in the way we view our fellow believers and what it means to be a local church together. German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer addressed this in his 1939 book, Life Together, stating that we should enter into Christian community “not


as demanders but as thankful recipients.” He went on to say that “We thank God for giving us those who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily…. It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians.”

Bonhoeffer’s call to viewing membership in the Body of Christ as a privilege should wake us. That’s why oppressed believers can rejoice so vibrantly—they are acutely aware of the tremendous cost that Christ paid so that we may have intimate fellowship with Him and with each other! As always, however, the issue gets sticky when we move from abstract to concrete. This is about more than the big picture; it is about you and me and our local church bodies.

Faithfulness Beyond Sunday Morning Working out the teaching of love for another “in

deed and truth” within a congregation is a huge undertaking because the love John is speaking of only comes from Christ’s transformation of our hearts.

What does it mean to love in truth? In practical terms, we need to cultivate intentional, continual fellowship with those in our church, to the end of deepening our relationships to Christ and to one another. This comes through faithful teaching from the pulpit, to be sure, but for the truth to take deep root, we need devoted relationships that carry us beyond the one or two relatively “sanitized” church meetings each week and into our daily lives. If God is concerned about all of our lives, so should we as believers be concerned with the lives of our fellow church members outside of our official gatherings.

One of the best ways this is played out is through small groups of families and even smaller groups of men or women meeting together regularly outside of Sunday worship services. Such gatherings over time give

participants a chance to truly know each other, to cultivate relationships, sharpen each other’s knowledge of the Word, to practice the “one-anothers” of Scripture, and to exhort one another to seek God’s glory—in short, this is discipleship. Intentionally meeting together is much more important in an era when many church members drive long distances to attend services—congregations aren’t necessarily a part of each other’s lives outside of church anymore, so we need to make the effort to bond together in Christ.

In bringing church members closer together in Christ, small groups and discipleship groups also help in developing a church’s attitude toward the community at large. How can we expect to love and serve the lost without first practicing loving service of those with whom we share the eternal bond of salvation? In working toward humble and faithful fellowship with other Christians, we are awakened to the need to be the salt and light to everyone else around us as well.

Churches with vibrant congregational life beyond Sunday worship almost always have a more vibrant congregational dynamic on Sunday morning, too. These churches, by seeking to love one another, are often the most ready to respond to community needs, the most willing to reach out to non-believers, and the most willing to take bold steps for God. This fact is too important to ignore. Unless our congregations are willing to submit to one another in love and the common gratitude of redemption, the other aspects of our church life will not flourish. The privilege of communion with one another is a crucial aspect of God’s design for our time on earth; we forget that at our own peril. When we honor that, however, we draw closer to His will in our whole walk.

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

__________________________________________________________________________________________The 21st Century Christian, the Information Age, and “Compassion Fatigue”By Shea Oakley

It is impossible for the believer to be content with this world as it is, but it is also impossible to change everything our spirit tells us is wrong with it. This can create a conundrum for the sensitive soul who longs for the redemption of all things, knows this must await the return of Christ, but at the same time also knows that we are called to be lights in the darkness in the interval. This dilemma is only compounded by living in an age in which mass communication on a global scale has made us more aware of what is wrong with the human race than any other generation in history.

The vast majority of Christians in 500 A.D. or 1000 A.D. or 1500 A.D. most likely had no idea what the needs

were of people outside of a twenty mile radius from their place of birth. The ability to know what was wrong with the world (and to act in any way other than prayer to address how that wrong impacted people) was radically limited by the lack of media technology we take for granted today. This most likely both simplified and focused the lives of our predecessors in the faith. Their immediate community was their only world and, thus, their primary concern.

This kind of existence is nearly impossible for a conscientious believer today, at least in the developed world. Through an endless supply of print media, television programming, websites and other forms of modern communication we citizens of the 21st Century daily come

http://www.amginternational.org/



face to face with a myriad of problems that plague both the Church and the world at large. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the immensity of needs on this fallen planet.

This reality contributes in a profound, but perhaps little appreciated, way to the afflictions in the community of faith that we today call “compassion fatigue” and “ministry burnout.” There are saints who deeply and sincerely want to make a difference for the Kingdom of God, but they have become so inundated by what they see and hear and read every day that they either feel paralyzed by the immensity of it all or they have taken on too many causes at one time. The result is a sense of frustration and failure that can be discouraging to an extreme.

Added to this problem is the wrongheaded assumption in the West that we are all capable of doing far more than the benighted people of the past. Too many in the church have unconsciously adopted the world’s idea of unaided human potential being somehow limitless. Some have justified the taking on of too many challenges by using the biblical declaration that “with God all things are possible” or “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” They take this to mean that God can give us the strength to do the superhuman things it would take to address many, or even most, of the problems we see everywhere thanks to living in the Information Age. The rub here is this: God will indeed give us the strength to accomplish what He truly has called us to accomplish. What He will not do is give us the strength to accomplish something he never had in mind.

In this truth is the solution to our conundrum as Christians living in the 21st century West. We must seek God’s will for our ministerial lives while purposefully not listening to the cacophony of needs that are served up by our access to mass information. God expects us to learn to listen to His often “still, small voice”, not to what other people, or we ourselves, may tell us we must do to save the world. We are only responsible to do what He has called us to do with our finite human lives. Yes, our Lord can empower us beyond what we are capable of accomplishing in the flesh alone, but He does not expect us to achieve what He has never asked of us.

Sometimes we truly need to ignore all the voices telling us to “do something” and listen to the Voice which says “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” If we decide to only take on that yoke we will find we accomplish far more than we could ever do, in and of ourselves, at the beck and call of even the Christian voices in media that tell us we must somehow do the impossible.

© Shea Oakley. All Rights Reserved.

Converted from atheism in 1990, Shea Oakley has written over 350 articles for electronic and print publications since

2002, including Disciple Magazine (and Pulpit Helps Magazine),The Christian Herald, The Christian Post,

Christian Network and Crosshome.com. In 2003 he graduated from Alliance Theological Seminary with a Certificate of Theological Studies. Shea and his wife

Kathleen make their home in West Milford, New Jersey. __________________________________________________________________________________________Making the Point: Delivering Powerful Communion MeditationsBy Andy Heisler

Preparing a 3 minute Communion meditation has challenges that are unique from crafting a 30 minute sermon or Bible lesson. Through a sermon, the speaker is able to follow the arc of a story, and take time to unpack the meaning of a text. In a meditation, the presenter only has a few critical moments to engage the congregation and lead them to the foot of the cross. Preparation is so critical to crafting a message that hits the mark. Consider the following suggestions:

I. Make the PointBeing clever or creative is not of greatest

importance, and can become a distraction in the short time that you have to share. Consider if an illustration or story will distract from, or lead toward the ultimate point. Be sure that what you share quickly moves to a clear and compelling message of the cross. The remembrance of Christ’s body and blood will never be stale or lacking in power. As Paul inferred, things of great importance are worth repeating (Phil. 3:1).

II. Make It SimpleIf your church is growing and reaching out, you

will be speaking to people of many faith stages. Consider the terminology and illustrations you use. Are you assuming that your hearers understand theological terms? If you are sharing a less common concept, frame it in a way that helps those who are newer in the faith to understand its meaning and impact. The message of the cross should be kept simple and accessible (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

III. Make Every Word CountAs you are preparing, write your meditation in

manuscript form, then read and speak through it multiple times. Are there concepts that could be stated more clearly? Could a sentence be constructed more concisely? As the message is honed, your familiarity will increase so that you will not be overly tied to your notes when you deliver the meditation.


IV. Make It PersonalAs you approach the platform, remember that you

are speaking as one who has been personally delivered by that message you are about to share. Speak with the passion and amazement of one who has experienced the power of

the cross first-hand. By your example you invite others to revisit and reflect on their own salvation.

Andy Heisler serves as discipleship and care minister at Newberg Christian Church in Newberg, Oregon.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Exegetically Speaking—by Spiros Zodhiates

The Height of HumilityJames 1:9

From Faith, Love & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James, AMG Publishers, 1997.

“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted” (James 1:9).

James fully acknowledges economic distinctions in human life. In his day there were poor people and there were rich, even within the Christian community. In his epistle he makes no endeavor to eliminate these classes, but to introduce an equalizing factor, and that is the common faith in Jesus Christ.

The Word of God is very much concerned with this great problem of all times, poverty and riches and their coexistence in harmony. Being poor is no absolute indication of being unhappy, and being rich is no guarantee of being happy. God is more interested in the state of the heart and mind than in the things that pertain to the satisfaction of the body.

The first thing that I want to call your attention to is that again this verse, as so many others in this chapter, has the little transitional particle de, which sometimes should be translated “but” and sometimes “moreover.” I do not know why the translators sometimes do not bother with these particles. I believe them to be very important in the understanding of the connections that exist between the verses, because the whole structure of thought is made clear through them. Here I would like to translate this little particle “moreover,” and show its connection with the second verse of this chapter. Let us connect the two: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations…. Moreover, let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.” Trials and temptations, besides causing you to be patient, to be perfect, to be mature, to be wise, have another effect upon you, and that is to humble you. And in this rejoice, brother, is the message of James.

The translation that we have in English, and which I quoted, is very poor, indeed, and hardly conveys the real meaning of both the words used in the original Greek and the thought which James wants to leave with us. A more faithful translation would be: “Moreover, let the brother, the humble one, boast in his height.” I have not given the words in the exact order in which they appear in the Greek,

for the sake of putting them into understandable English. The verse begins with the word kauchasthō, “let him boast,” which is in the emphatic imperative. It is as if James were commanding the Christian to boast. This seems strange, does it not? We always conceive of the Christian as an unassuming character, and yet it seems that as he goes through trials there is something that he ought to boast about.

This same word is used thirty-five times by the Apostle Paul and twice by James. Perhaps it is not fair for this word to be translated “boast,” for this would imply empty boasting and vainglory, whereas the meaning of the Greek word here would be rather to profess loudly something of which one has a right to be proud. This word kauchtisthō is also related in its root to the word euchē, which means “an aspiration, a wish.” Do you get the meaning now? It is to profess loudly something that you have a right to be proud of, the companionship of God in your trials, which while you are so low makes you so high. Praise God for the measure of our stature in Christ Jesus. Christian, do not hesitate to declare your height in Him; in fact, you are commanded to do so. When you go through trials and tribulations and come out victoriously, you know that it is not because of your own strength but because of Him through whom you can do all things. It is therefore in our humility that we boast of our height in Him.

Beware, however, lest you give any credit to yourself because that may be most destructive. You may have heard the story of the geese and the frog. Two geese about to start southward on their annual autumn migration were entreated by a frog to take him with them. When the geese expressed their willingness to do so if a means of conveyance could be devised, the frog produced a long stick and got the two geese to take it at each end, while he clung to it by his mouth in the middle. In this manner the three were making their journey successfully when they were noticed from below by some men, who loudly expressed their admiration of the device and wondered who had been clever enough to discover it. The vainglorious frog, opening his mouth to say, “It was I,” lost his hold, fell


to the earth, and was dashed to pieces. Beware, Christian, lest you meet with the same calamity as that of the frog through your vainglorying in self.

There are many dangers inherent in the victories which we have through tribulations. There are dangers in humility. In a large prayer meeting a rather pompous man rose and said, “Brethren, I am on board the old ship Zion, and I am sailing heavenward, and I am going at the rate of 16 knots an hour, and I shall soon sail up the harbor of the blessed.” Then another man with more pomposity rose and said, “I, too, am on board the old ship Zion, and I am sailing heavenward at the rate of 30 knots an hour, and I shall soon sail up the harbor of the blessed,” and he sat down. Then another man with even more pomposity got up and said, “I, too, brethren, am on board the old ship Zion, and it is a steamship with a terrific horsepower, and on this steamship I shall soon sail up the harbor of the blessed,” and he sat down. Then a plain Christian woman rose and said, “Well, brethren, I have been going to heaven seventy years, and I have been going afoot; and I suppose from the looks of things that I shall have to go afoot the rest of the way; and if some of you people that are going by steam don’t look out, you’ll burst your boilers.” As a dear saint of God said, let us make our boasting in the following way: “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be, but by the grace of God I am not what I was.” Never leave the grace of God out.

In the same way as James speaks to his brethren in the second verse, here also he speaks of the brother, the humble one. This same brother refers also to the rich man described in the following verse. Rich and poor, remember that you are one in the house of God, in the family of God. It is the same grace which saves the poor and the rich.

The Greek word translated “of low degree” is the word tapeinós, which in its proper meaning is, “the one who does not rise far from the ground.” Metaphorically it means that one who is depressed. Here you surely see the connection of this verse with the second, don’t you? It

seems that the circumstances of life always knock the Christian down; they try to keep him close to the earth. But it is not so, James declares. While everybody thinks you are low, you are high, and your spiritual height can only be seen as you struggle with the circumstances of life which keep you low. Here is the mystery of the Christian life. You are high when you are low. A paradox, but a divine truth which we shall do well to learn, for only as we learn it do we become partakers of the heavenly joy down here on earth.

Some years ago, a party of Americans was leaving Cairo, Egypt, on a journey across the desert and bought vessels in which to carry water. Each one chose the kind of vessel that pleased him. One found jars of brass whose fine designs attracted him. Another purchased porcelain vessels of rare beauty. A third, however, took some plain earthenware bottles. The way across the desert was long and wearisome. The heat was intense. Every drop of water was of value. The brass vessels heated; the water became impure, unfit to drink. The costly porcelain jars cracked in the heat, and the water was lost. But the plain earthenware bottles kept the water pure and fresh to the journey’s end.

You and I are nothing more than earthenware vessels; we never seem to recover from the heat of the atmosphere in which we live, from the knocks of life, but in spite of the fact that we are of the earth, we can preserve the heavenly water pure and refreshing for some weary traveler to drink and receive life eternal through our life afflicted. Are you low, very low as you read these words? Arise and boast in your spiritual height, for it was the Master who said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).

Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) served as president of AMG International for over 40 years, was the founding editor of Pulpit Helps Magazine (Disciple’s predecessor), and

authored dozens of exegetical books.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Words to Stand You on Your Feet—by Joe McKeever

Encouragement and Discouragement: What Does the Trick?

Before I retired from pastoring, nothing would encourage me like these wonderful blessings:

1) A note in the mail from a church member going into detail on how God had used a sermon of mine or some other ministry to minister to his or her situation. Some of those I have kept for decades and still pull them out and read occasionally.

2) A call from the local men’s clothing store saying someone had just paid for me to pick out a new suit with all accessories. Talk about fun! One of the best aspects of this

was its anonymity. This forced me to be appreciative to everyone I knew since any one of them could have been my benefactor! Because this meant so much to me, several times over the decades since I have done it for other ministers.

3) Someone telling me a kindness one of my children had done to them. As John said, “I have no greater joy than hearing my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4).




4) A church member standing up in the business meeting to endorse my recommendation, and pointedly answering the naysayers with expressions of faith in God and confidence in me the minister.

5) The church insisting that I take a vacation, take it now, do nothing important during that time, and by the way, here is the money to fund it. Ah, sweet. Did that happen? In one way or the other, it did.

6) When I was preaching in a neighboring church, some of my members drove over to sit in the congregation and hear a sermon they had heard before. “We just wanted you to know we love you,” one said. There is nothing better than that.

7) When someone was stirring up trouble in the church, without asking me, two of our men went to them in private and stopped that division dead in its tracks. I never had to deal with it at all.

Paul knew what it was like to have people minister to him. “I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because...they have refreshed my spirit...” (1 Cor. 16:17-18).

Likewise, unfortunately, some people bring discouragement to the minister. Here are some of those factors that did the devil’s dirty work to me from time to time.

1) An anonymous letter filled with baseless criticism. You would like to answer them, but do not know where to send your response. And if you answer it in church, you have just spread their poison. So, you try your best to ignore the letter, and wish you had never opened it. In time, my secretary and I worked out a system to prevent nameless writers from destroying my day. Letters without return addresses, she opened. If it was unsigned, she read just enough to know whether I should see it or not. If it was negative, she destroyed it and I never saw it.

2) Someone leaving the church abruptly without telling you why. I once went to great lengths to encourage a lady in our church who was struggling through nursing school. Several times she called to ask for prayer as she was facing this test or that chore. When she graduated, the family abruptly joined a church down the street without a single word of explanation. It’s been many years now, and it still hurts.

3) Someone misrepresenting something I said in a sermon and getting upset. Some people seem to want to be

angry. They look for reasons to carry grudges. More than once in 42 years of pastoring, I saw members twist a statement into something negative, then try to turn it into a battering ram. Fortunately, no one in the church believed them or joined their little crusade.

4) A church member criticizing something which should have made them happy. The pastor is asked to serve as a trustee of a denominational agency which sends missionaries to the ends of the earth. He will have a front row seat in what the Lord is doing, and will occasionally travel to visit these missionaries. This could be life-changing for the ministry and a great blessing for the church. But not everyone is happy. Some members want the pastor at their call 24/7 and nothing taking him out of the city is worthwhile. After all, they reason, “we’re paying his salary.”

5) The finance committee refusing to grant a raise (to yourself as pastor or the staff) when such an act is overdue and the money is available.

6) An employee of the church resisting the pastor’s supervision because her husband is an influential leader of the congregation. Furthermore, if other lay leaders are unwilling to back you up, as pastor you have a discouraging situation.

7) An unresponsive congregation. You announce a work day when closets will be cleaned out, old materials discarded, and rooms painted, and only a few people show up. You bring in an outstanding speaker at great cost and inconvenience, and only a handful attends. You try to have a community outreach event and get sparse support. It’s discouraging.

Best of all, however, is when pastors read this list and say, “I’ve not seen any of that! My people have all been encouragers!” If they have, pastor, if they are getting it right, then may we say: a) someone has taught them well in years past; b) they will need your encouragement and appreciation for work well done; c) a note of appreciation to a few ring-leaders who are most responsible is in order; and d) give thanks to the Father who has shown you great kindness by allowing you to serve with such a special people!

Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He blogs regularly at

www.joemckeever.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Living out the Living Word—by Justin Lonas

Preach the Word!2 Timothy 4:1-15

2 Timothy chapter 3 distills the passion of Paul’s life and Gospel ministry. In forceful, unvarnished words, he

warns his young disciple that the times are evil and populated by all manner of evil men. He decries the false


teachers worming their way through the church, and then points Timothy back to the only foundation that will hold—the Word of God. Paul stakes his life on this reality, knowing that the Gospel is the world’s only hope because it was also his only hope: “This is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15).

I. The ChargeAt the outset of chapter 4, Paul effectively “swears

in” Timothy to his ministry, requiring him to give feet to his understanding of the power of Scripture. “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom” (4:1). This fourfold oath underscores the importance of what Paul is about to say. Echoing similar commands in 1 Timothy 5:21 and 6:13, he claims God (the maker and sustainer of all things—including Timothy) and Christ (the judge of all men—including Timothy) as witnesses of his commission. Here, he also anchors it on two certain things about Christ—“His appearing” (His certain return at the Second Coming) and “His kingdom” (His present and eternal reign). Paul makes clear to Timothy that what follows is an apostolic command, not merely a recommendation from a spiritual mentor.

II. The TaskWhat is the responsibility Paul so breathlessly

places on Timothy? “Preach the Word” (4:2a)! This inspired and useful Scripture he has just praised and commended to Timothy must be brought to bear on the Church and the wider world by preaching. He uses the Greek verb kēruxon, literally “herald” or “proclaim”, emphasizing the public and exclamatory nature of preaching that separates it from mere teaching. The Word is “living and active” (Heb. 4:12), and so its preaching speaks with that life and power to those who hear. Paul does not charge Timothy to preach, as though the activity itself is powerful, but to preach the Word. In preaching, contrary to most other forms of communication, the message is the medium—preaching derives its power and authority not from the preacher’s charisma, skill, or style, but from the content of the Word preached. Preaching is declarative, bold, and often abrasive to its audience because it cannot be simultaneously pleasing to sinful men and faithful to Scripture.

This inherent brashness of Gospel preaching is reflected in the rest of the commands in this verse: “be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (4:2b). Solomon wrote that “there is an appointed time for everything” (Ecc. 3:1), but Paul says that there is never an inopportune time to speak the Word of God. There are, no doubt, seasons of life when our faith is weak, but God’s Word is ever strong.

There will be times when our hearers are cold to the truth, but God’s Word melts stony hearts. Of course, Paul is not exhorting Timothy to “holy rudeness,” but neither does he give him room to make excuses for not preaching God’s truth.

Paul turns the attributes of Scripture described in 3:16-17 into commands for what Timothy’s preaching of it should accomplish. He is to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” the Church through the Word. In preaching, he should teach those who misunderstand the truth, convict those who cling to sin and error, and stir up the whole Body to faithfulness in action. John Stott suggests that Paul’s choice of words here emphasizes three levels on which preaching operates: intellectual, moral, and emotional.

“Reprove” translates elenxon, meaning argument or convincing through evidence—Scripture must be taught accurately and in depth, showing God’s full character. “Rebuke” translates epitimēson, carrying the idea of warning or admonition—preaching must convict of sin and warn of its dangers. “Exhort” translates parakaleson, a legal term reflecting the role of advocate, giving the sense of coming alongside with comfort and encouragement—faithful proclamation of the Word should mirror the work of the Spirit, shoring up those who doubt and equipping them to boldly follow Christ. In each area, Timothy is to proceed “with great patience,” carefully applying God’s Word to members of the Church, knowing them well and ministering to their specific weaknesses, sins, and doubts. He is also to proceed with “instruction,” carefully interpreting and expositing the Word so that the Church grasps its meaning and is not easily swayed by false teaching.

III. The OppositionWhy this profound and powerful call to preach? As

though his warnings in 3:1-9 were not sufficient, Paul gives further reason: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (4:3-4). His earlier caution focuses on the dangers of a hostile world, but here his concern is clearly for the straying of the flock—the treason of those who were formerly faithful but have swerved into error.

When the truth hits close to the mark, threatening the autonomy and favorite sins of these people, they run to abandon the Gospel in favor of a message speaking comfort to their rebellious souls. They “accumulate” teachers, turning to and fro until someone scratches their peculiar itch. No heresy or myth is off limits if it gives their conscience peace without the price of repentance. It does not take a master exegete or modern prophet to see this warning of Paul living and breathing in today’s Western Church. Whether our choice sin is greed, lust, sloth, pride,


gluttony, envy, anger, or any other, we can always find a church willing to undercut the truth to accommodate the unrepentant (or at least conveniently ignore any teaching of Scripture that might pinch toes).

The faithful minister of the Gospel, however, will oppose and plead with those who would “shipwreck” the faith (cf. 1 Tim. 1:19). Paul’s final charge to Timothy in this line echoes in the ears and hearts of Gospel preachers across the centuries: “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (4:5). These four succinct commands show how Timothy and who came after him were to stand against the tide of apostasy.

The people of the world, indeed, many in the Church, are swayed by fads and whims; the preacher must be “sober”, staying grounded in the Word, keeping an eternal perspective on present circumstances. Unbelievers and errant church members will not tolerate the continued proclamation of the truth; the preacher must be willing to suffer ridicule, persecution, and all manner of “hardship” for the sake of the Gospel. Those hostile to the truth are nevertheless loved by God and always welcome to repent and believe; the preacher must faithfully give the good news of salvation, even to enemies (c.f. Rom. 5:6-10). The temptation to shrink from the battle or to go into more private work is ever-present; the preacher must endure to the end, faithfully obeying his call, and fulfilling his ministry.

IV. Ministry FulfilledReflecting on his own fulfilled ministry, Paul

reiterates to Timothy that his time on earth is nearly over, implying again that Timothy must continue the work to which he was appointed. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (4:6-7). As his life has been spent, poured out on the altar of obedience, Paul confidently rests in what God has done in and through him. He returns to metaphors of the faithful soldier and perseverant athlete that he so often used to describe life with Christ. Most

importantly, he has kept secure the “treasure” of the Gospel which was entrusted to him (cf. 1:14), teaching it to the next generation untainted by heresy and undiluted in its power. He shares this, I think, both to ground his exhortation to Timothy (“Do this work, for which I have given my life, so that it continues far beyond both of us”) and to encourage Timothy that a lifetime of faithful ministry is possible by the Spirit’s power, in spite of all Satan’s efforts to discourage and destroy.

Bookending his charge, Paul reminds Timothy that the final verdict of his faithfulness will not be rendered by his peers or the authorities of the present age, but by Christ, “who is to judge the living and the dead” (4:1). “In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (4:8).

ConclusionThis closing word, that the reward of faithfulness is

for all believers, not just for Paul as an apostle, suggests that the responsibilities of Gospel ministry he has laid out are likewise to be applied in some measure to all Christians. This passage is included in Scripture because its message applies far beyond Timothy’s ministry at Ephesus. We should read it with an eye toward application both for pastors and elders and for every Christian’s interactions with neighbors inside and outside the Church. Paul previously wrote to Timothy that if any man of the church aspired to be a leader and teacher of the Body, “it is a fine work he desires to do” (1 Tim. 3:1). His entire second letter commends this work as being of critical importance and difficult beyond compare. Proclaiming the Gospel is no light task, but it is commanded by God, and His willing and faithful servants will be empowered to obey. Scripture remains our most powerful tool for strengthening and growing the Church, and there is no plan B; preach the Word!

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine for AMG International in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Following God—by Erik Christensen

Salvation Purchased, Given, and Lived OutAn Overview of Ephesians

Editor’s Note: We are very excited to introduce to you our newest columnist—Erik Christensen, pastor of Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque, N.M. Erik has faithfully served in ministry there since 2011, and has previously served as a youth pastor, associate pastor, and senior pastor at other churches in the South and Southwest.

Erik has long been a friend of AMG International; he was mentored in the Word by Spiros Zodhiates, and has travelled with AMG to several countries to teach and preach. He and his wife Stephanie have been married since 1992, and they have two children.




Ephesians is certainly one of the greatest New Testament letters written to the Church. The Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus giving a beautiful picture of our salvation in Christ and walk of faith as the Body of Christ. Grand themes such as our election, grace, faith, the bringing together of both Jew and Gentile believers into one body, unity, the vastness of Christ’s love, and the greatness of His strength in the believer, are all elements woven together within this letter.

Paul writes this letter in two parts. The first three chapters deal with the reality of believers’ identity in Christ; the last three chapters are an exhortation of those “in Christ” to walk in a manner worthy of the calling being empowered by Christ. Paul gives us an overview of his letter immediately in his introduction, “to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (1:1).

In the first three chapters, Paul expounds on who the saint is “in Christ.” Paul details what the Father has done on our behalf calling us into relationship with Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul clearly explains our salvation as being of the Father, who is blessed (1:3) and “who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” We have been called, chosen “before the foundation of the world” in order that we would walk with Him in holiness and in love (1:4). Paul establishes that the believer’s salvation is not by any effort or work but rather is a receiving of the gift of Christ’s salvation through belief (vs. 13).

Paul makes very clear Christ’s headship over the church. God the Father has placed Christ in authority over all things including the church (1:22). In writing to believers, Paul reminds them how at one time we had been without Christ. In chapter 2, he continues to expound on the theme of Salvation by grace through faith encouraging believers to remember what we used to be apart from the Lord and now what He has declared us to be “in Christ.”

Paul, in writing to mainly Gentile believers, reminds the Ephesian believers how they were separate even from the covenants of promise, having no hope. He makes clear that both Jews and Gentiles are now one in Christ through faith revealing a profound mystery. Jew and Gentile believers are being built into a holy temple in the Lord. Paul emphasizes this truth through chapter 3 and concludes this portion of his letter with one of the great Scriptural doxologies. Christ, whom we are saved by as a result of His doing, whom we are blessed with, whom we are loved by and who is building us into a holy temple, is

able to do far more than we could ask or think, deserving all glory.

In the final three chapters, Paul directs his attention to imploring the saints “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called” (4:1). As a result of who we are, saints—called out ones—who are now “in Christ,” Paul exhorts and commands believers to walk empowered by Christ and in His love. Due to the salvation that we have received as believers by grace through faith, we are now indwelt by Christ Himself and have the opportunity of experiencing Christ in action in and through our lives as we submit to Him.

Paul immediately addresses relationship themes within the Church such as unity and love for one another. He also gives practical commands concerning work, speech, and attitudes. As a result of our new nature, Paul consistently reminds us of the difference from what we used to be outside of Christ to what we have been called to be in Christ. This certainly carries over into his directives concerning wives, husbands, children, slaves, and masters. Families and those either in authority or under authority have specific God-ordained roles, which, once embraced, should be recognized as ultimately service rendered to Christ. Paul also acknowledges the spiritual battle we are in as believers reminding us of the presence of Christ, who is our armor, and encourages saints to be engaged in the battle through prayer.

The Church, the Body of Christ, reflects the very life of Christ. Through our son-ship, having “been brought near by the blood of Christ” (2:13), and into a relationship with the Lord and one another, the Church now has the privilege of not only experiencing the Lord individually and corporately, but also reflecting the glory of Christ in the midst of the world’s spiritual darkness.

Paul’s final words to the Ephesian believers are, “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (6:24). It is interesting to note that only about 40 years after Paul penned these words to this church, the Lord tells John to write to the Ephesians that they had left their first love (Rev. 2:4). As we take a look at this amazing letter to the church let us remember that it is the Lord Himself who has called us out of darkness, now empowering us to walk in such a way as to glorify Him in all that we do and say.

Erik Christensen is senior pastor of Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Points to Ponder—by David L. Olford

The Source of Living Waters

http://www.hoffmantownchurch.org/


Text: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37).

Thought: Thirst is one of the most basic longings a person can have. Jesus uses the language of thirst and the quenching of thirst to speak of Himself as the source of abundant life-giving waters. This great invitation on the part of our Lord is unique to John’s Gospel as the writer presents his account in order that the reader “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). As we consider these words of Jesus in context, notice three aspects of His call to us.

I. The Time of Interruption “On the first day, that great day of the feast, Jesus

stood and cried out, saying…” John 7:37a). The Feast of Tabernacles was in its final day. This was a significant time of religious ceremony for the Jews as they recognized God’s care for them throughout their wilderness wanderings. Merrill Tenney references Isaiah 12:3 as a key Old Testament Scripture associated with the priestly ritual of drawing water that was part of the celebration*. Jesus stands up and cries out on this the last and great day of the feast. Regardless of the exact relationship of Jesus’ words to the ceremony, His words were a loud interruption and intrusion into what was taking place. He wanted to be heard, and His words were an invitation like no other. The very fact that He calls people to Himself near the climax of this feast indicates that these are words of great significance.

II. The Word of Invitation “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” John 7:37-38). What an invitation! Jesus is speaking of a spiritual thirst that He can satisfy abundantly and perpetually. The invitation is open-ended—it is to “anyone,” but it implies a specific type of person, one who senses their true spiritual thirst. Jesus invites such people to Himself. He is the source of water; He is the source of life. This means that people will find their spiritual thirst quenched and true life through believing into Him.

Jesus ties His invitation to the Scriptures, which certainly points to the expectation of God’s future blessing of His people that the Old Testament prophets emphasized. The emphasis on the “heart” or the inner person indicates that Jesus is speaking of a personal spiritual satisfaction. The picture is not of barely having enough to drink, but of an abundance of life-giving waters flowing.

III. The Need for Explanation “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom

those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The Gospel writer adds a word of explanation at this point. This shows a concern for correct understanding. The correct interpretation of Jesus’ words needs the broader biblical context rather than just the immediate original setting. The full implication of this invitation of Jesus would not be known until He was glorified and the Spirit given. Jesus was actually speaking about the Holy Spirit who would fulfill the Old Testament prophecy of the blessing of God’s Spirit, and the Spirit’s inner working in the life of the people of God. The Spirit’s presence and work in the heart is likened to an abundance of life-giving waters flowing outward. What needs to be stressed, though, is that Jesus is the one who is to be believed in, and it is through belief in Him that the Spirit is received and experienced in the life of the believer. In that sense, Jesus is the source of living waters.

IV. The Result of Division “…So there was a division among the people

because of Him” (John 7:43). John’s Gospel makes it very clear that many did not believe on Jesus, despite His claims, His words, His miracles, and His invitations. Division seemed to be the normal response to the person and claims of Christ. It would have been a wonderful conclusion to this account if John had emphasized those who came to Jesus and found in Him what they truly needed. But the reality is that confusion, division and rejection were real parts of the Gospel account as we see exemplified in this text and the following verses (John 7:45-52). Yes, some believed and received life, and would be recipients of the Spirit when He was given. But, for many, that was not the case.

Thrust: The invitation of Jesus is still to be heard today. As sad as it is, we should expect division in terms of response. But, for those who respond in faith to Jesus “the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31), theirs is the blessed life of abundance through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is still the source of living water and life abundant.

David L. Olford teaches expository preaching at Union University’s Stephen Olford Center in Memphis,

Tennessee.

*p. 86, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9; General Editor: Frank E. Gaebelein, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Jewels from Past Giants

http://www.uu.edu/centers/olford/

http://www.uu.edu/centers/olford/


Exposition of Romans Chapter 2—Part 2 of 2Martin Luther

What follows are Luther’s notes on the chapter, with the text of Scripture interspersed with his commentary, from Lectures on Romans. This version is translated by Walter G. Tillmanns.

In Romans 2, the Apostle Paul refutes the faults of the Jews (who know God’s Law), saying that, as far as their guilt is concerned, they are the same as the Gentiles and in a certain respect even worse.

VII. Verses 17-21But “if you,” just look, “call yourself a Jew,”

although you are not one in truth, but still have the name, “and rely upon the Law,” that is, you are confident and seem secure to yourself because you have the written law, “and boast of your relation to God,” that you have God and are the people of God and have knowledge of Him, “And know,” but don’t do, “His will,” which has been made known in the Law, “and approve what is excellent,” that is, the things that are good and salutary, “because you are instructed,” to be sure, “in the Law,” which has been given.

“And if you are sure,” because of your presumption and arrogance, “that you are a guide,” that is, one who can show the way by means of the example of his life and morals, “to the blind,” when you yourself are blind and in need of a leader, “a light,” pertaining to things that can be known and to the mysteries that can be observed, “to those who are in darkness,” although you yourself are in darkness—and are sure you are: “a corrector,” although you, too, are foolish, “of the foolish,” of people who do not know God and the things of God, a teacher of children, not only of the older ones but also of the little ones, that is, you think you are a teacher of them all—and you are confident of: “having in the Law the embodiment,” the measure and pattern by which it is known and truly understood, although you do not have it at all, “of knowledge and truth,” of true understanding, which he proves thus: “you then who teach others,” as you trust, although you are not really teaching, because you are teaching the letter without the spirit, “teach not,” namely, the spirit of the Law “yourself,” because you, like those whom you teach, are in need.

“You who preach,” adopting the commandment from the Law, “that men should not steal,” namely, as far as the external work is concerned, “do steal” namely, you yourself by an act of your will or in a hidden act. Because if you could, you would do it. But even this will is considered an act in the presence of God.

VIII. Verses 22-23

“You who say,” according to the Law, “that one must not commit adultery,” according to the external act only, “you commit adultery,” namely, through inward concupiscence in the presence of God. “You who abhor idols,” you who teach according to the Law that idols should be detested in the sight of men; “you commit sacrilege,” by polluting and violating the true temple of God, which is the heart, with your concupiscence. “You who boast in the Law,” that you have received it and now keep it in your works, “you dishonor God,” because the honor of God is the holiness of His people, and conversely, the contempt of God is the wickedness of His people, by breaking the Law, namely, because you willfully neglect to fulfill it, as emphatically required.

IX. Verses 24-25“For, as it is written,” (Is. 52:5), “the name of

God,” which is called out over you, because you are called the people of God, “through,” on account of, “you is blasphemed,” just as the glory of a prince is the strength of his people and his shame is the poverty and baseness of his people, “among the Gentiles,” who say: “What kind of God is this who has such a disgraceful people?” “Circumcision indeed,” namely, the external one, lest you think that I disapprove of it, “is of value,” for salvation, “if you obey the Law,” by fulfilling it spiritually. “But if you break the law,” also through your will, no matter how much you keep it with works, which is of necessity true for him who is not in Christ, “your circumcision,” in the external work before men, without any in your heart before God, “becomes uncircumcision,” namely, before God, because your heart remains uncircumcised.

X. Verses 26-27“So if the uncircumcision,” that is, a Gentile who is

uncircumcised in the flesh and yet believes in Christ, “keeps the precepts of the Law,” spiritually, “will not his uncircumcision,” that is, the fact that he is not circumcised is not against him, but will, “be regarded as circumcision” by God, on account of the circumcision of his heart, just as your circumcision becomes uncircumcision?

“Then that which by nature is uncircumcision,” that is, the Gentiles, those who without the restraint of the Law have uncircumcision, “keeping the Law,” fulfilling it from the heart and the spirit, “will judge,” your brief will condemn you, “you,” a Jew, “who by the letter,” external righteousness, “and circumcision,” of the flesh only “break the Law,” because you have not circumcised your evil will.

XI. Verses 28-29


“For he,” that you are such a person is apparent from this, “is not a real Jew,” that is, of the seed of Abraham, “who is one outwardly,” in the external man and according to the flesh, “nor is that true circumcision which is outward,” external in the eyes of the people, “in the flesh,” in imitation of Abraham.

“But he is a Jew who is one inwardly,” in the inward man on the basis of faith in Christ, of the faith of Abraham, “and,” this is the real circumcision, “circumcision is a matter of the heart,” away from all forbidden concupiscence, “in the spirit,” that is, in the spiritual man, or in spiritual righteousness, “not in the letter,” that is, in the carnal man or carnal righteousness; “whose praise is not from men,” as is the circumcision and the righteousness of the flesh, but rather there is vituperation and persecution, “but from God,” for God

approves it and praises it, that is, He makes it and deems it praiseworthy.

Martin Luther (1483-1546), was a German Catholic priest and theologian who challenged the established Roman

Catholic Church over the sale of indulgences and many other distortions of Scripture and abuses of power, setting

off the Protestant Reformation. His list of grievances, known as the 95 Theses, were nailed to the church door in

Wittenburg, Germany, on October 31, 1517. Luther worked tirelessly to teach God’s Word to his people, translating the

Bible into German, preaching, writing hymns, and publishing numerous popular theological works and

commentaries on the entire Bible. Because of his courage and faithfulness, his influence on the history of the Church, and indeed, the Western world, is difficult to overstate and

his legacy continues to impact believers across the globe.

_____________________________________________________________________________Counselor’s Corner—by James Rudy Gray

Substance Abuse: Pain and Healing

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May 2007.

Since the most prevalent mental health problem in the United States is substance abuse, the odds are high that a Christian counselor or pastor will be called on to help a person dealing with this problem. What can you do?

Nearly all addicts or alcoholics will have some pain in their lives that they have not dealt with properly. They have tried to escape it or self-medicated. Every addiction has some pleasure or reward in the beginning; otherwise, no one would ever become an addict or alcoholic. However, the pleasure quickly turns into torment and the person surrenders his or her life to the drugs and/or alcohol. When the cycle of addiction has gone this far, an addictive personality has been created.

The bondage of drugs and alcohol can be broken, but not without purposeful and powerful intervention. The touch of God’s grace at the point of deepest need is indeed the place where deliverance begins. If a person has surrendered his or her life to drugs and/or alcohol, the obvious cure is for that person to turn around, and surrender his life to Jesus Christ.

God uses means to accomplish His purposes of grace. A person will need to detoxify his body before real progress can be made. A person must do something he has become expert at not doing: being honest. Most of all, a person must learn to walk day by day in truth and willingly be accountable to people who love him or her.

For many, perhaps most, that will mean enrolling in a Christian treatment program. Usually, an eight-week residential program is best. I teach and counsel at a

Christian rehab facility. The motto there is “Alcoholics and drug addicts are being delivered one day at a time through Jesus Christ.” I would recommend that any pastor dealing with a drug-dependent person or an alcoholic should help that person enroll in such a Christ-centered program. The success rate where I serve is over 65%.

There is a great deal of debate that revolves around the alcohol question in our culture. Since it is a legal drug, social drinking is an accepted form of behavior among many professing Christians. Personally, I reject that option in favor of a position of abstinence. In fact, there is no other position for a recovering alcoholic.

Behind every addict or alcoholic is a story of pain. The hurt is often so deep and buried that the individual seems to have forgotten it. But they really haven’t forgotten. One of the keys to ongoing sobriety is to deal with pain and replace it with the forgiveness and power of God’s love. The process of becoming sober is important. However, this is only one step. The pain must then be faced and overcome through appropriating the truths of God’s Word.

Harold E. Doweiko in his book, Concepts of Chemical Dependency, presents a vast amount of research and theory regarding substance abuse. Despite all the debate circulating around the idea of a disease model or a medical model for addiction, he states forthrightly, “For each addicted individual, a spiritual awakening appears to be an essential element of recovery.” Chemical addiction often reflects a misguided attempt to gain control over life or the pain in one’s life. This becomes the mother of all contradictions because the reward and pleasure that was


gained at the beginning of drug and alcohol use soon becomes an addiction that takes control of the person’s life.

There are personal and practical issues that must be worked through while a person goes through rehabilitation. There are often severe financial problems, relationship problems, and extremely low self-esteem. In a systematic way, a person can learn to live in the truth and take his or her life back (recovery). Jesus Christ is still the way, the truth, and the life. At the base of every program that is really successful is unrelenting devotion to God and His Word.

When a person graduates from the rehab program, that individual and the family will need continuing attention

and help within the boundaries of genuine love. Substance abuse can be overcome. It may take time. It will mean making some tough decisions. It may involve a time away from home in a residential ministry. In the end, the journey to recovery begins with the first step. That may be the most important part pastors can serve in the process.

James Rudy Gray is certified as a professional counselor by the National Board for Certified Counselors, and is a

member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He serves as the editor of The Baptist Courier,

the official newspaper of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

__________________________________________________________________________________________The Story behind the Song—by Lindsay Terry

His Best Move Was Back HomeSong: “I Stand in Awe of You”

“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Ps. 33:8).

“At age fourteen I became excited about the Beatles. I was not a Christian at the time, so I wanted to play guitar, get into a band, and be just like them.” It was not until ten years later that, through the influence of Mark Altrogge’s parents, Julian and Jonalee Altrogge, his interests were turned toward spiritual things.

After six months of guitar lessons, Mark, still in his early teens, formed a small band and taught the other members of the group to play their parts. This led to an attempt to make a career of rock and roll music, which lasted until he was twenty-four years of age. I asked Mark to tell me of his conversion experience, and he told me the following story:

“In 1974, during a Bible study, which had as the subject genuine repentance, I truly realized what it meant to surrender my life to the Lord, and I wholeheartedly turned my life over to Christ. I soon realized that I would have to give up the rock and roll band. We were playing in places and using music that I knew were not glorifying God, so I quit the band and began to follow the Lord.”

Mark continued, “The year 1980 was a notable year in my life. I was married in February of that year, and since I had a degree in art, I was an itinerant instructor, traveling to five different schools, teaching art to six hundred elementary students. During that same year, Brent Detwiller became pastor of our church, which had been started from a Full Gospel Businessmen’s Bible Study, and I was asked to be the worship leader.” Several years later Mark became the senior pastor of the church—Lord of Life Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

During our session, Mark shared with me the details surrounding the writing of his most unusual song.

“In 1988, I had been studying the attributes of God. Several books were influential in my life at the time: The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul, The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer, and particularly The Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock. The writings of Charles H. Spurgeon were also very meaningful.

“I began to reflect on the beautiful truth that God is infinite in each of His attributes—in His beauty, His holiness, and His wisdom. He is unsearchable! We will never come to an end of learning new things about him—even throughout eternity.

“I was playing my guitar as I thought on those things, trying to write a song capturing the thoughts of my heart. The first phrase came quite quickly—acclaiming the beauty of God and the marvel of His being. Then came my response to His beauty, a feeling of awe. I had an idea for the chorus, so it took me quite a time to work out the complete song—several days. In all of my songwriting, I have only had one song come completely at one sitting.

“I am grateful for the assistance of two friends, Bob Kauflin and Steve Cook, who made suggestions, strengthening the song. At the recommendation of David Clydesdale, I later wrote the second verse, to be used in a musical he was writing.”

Mark first used “I Stand in Awe” in the church he pastors, and from there it has made its way around the world, becoming one of the most requested songs in churches of the United States.

He continues to write songs, along with fulfilling his duties as senior pastor of Lord of Life Church. Mark and his wife, Kristi, have three sons, Stephen, David, and Jonathan, and one daughter, Beth.

Mark’s song brings to our minds the realization of the beauty and the majesty of our heavenly Father, which

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we will only be able to fully realize when we stand before Him in our heavenly home. Then we will know, even as we are known.

© 2008 by Lindsay Terry. Used by permission.

Lindsay Terry has been a song historian for more than 40 years, and has written widely on the background of great

hymns and worship songs including the books I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (2008), from which this piece is

excerpted, and The Sacrifice of Praise (2002).

__________________________________________________________________________________________Church Builders—by Bernard R. DeRemer

David Brainerd: Missionary to Indians

David Brainerd (1718-1747), was born in Connecticut to Hezekiah and Dorothy Brainerd. He and his nine siblings were orphaned when he was fourteen, as his father died in 1727 at the age of forty-six and his mother died five years later. After his mother's death, Brainerd moved in with one of his older sisters. At the age of nineteen, he inherited a farm near Durham, but did not enjoy the experience of farming and so he prepared to go to college.

On July 12, 1739, he recorded having an experience of “unspeakable glory” that prompted in him a “hearty desire to exalt [God], to set Him on the throne and to ‘seek first His Kingdom.’” Two months later, he entered Yale to prepare for ministry. During that time, the students and faculty of the university were often in conflict, as the students had been overcome with passion for God’s Word and work through the preaching of such men as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. Brainerd was an especially vocal opponent of the dry faith of the faculty, and in 1741, he was expelled “for persisting in attending meetings of the ‘New Lights’ and for criticizing one of the tutors for having ‘no more grace than a chair.’”

His fervor caught the eye of other faithful believers, though, and in 1742 he was licensed by the Ministerial Association of Danbury, Conn., and later appointed missionary to Indians by the Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. The Presbytery of New York ordained him. From 1743-46, he worked “devotedly and heroically” for the conversion of Indians in New York and Pennsylvania. His greatest success was

among the Delaware tribe near present-day Newark, N.J. He baptized 85, about half of them adults.

The spirit of the Great Awakening prevailing among English colonists under the preaching of Whitefield and others had reached and evidently influenced the Indian community as well.

In 1747, Brained had to give up his missionary work because of failing health. Later that year, he died of tuberculosis in the home of Jonathan Edwards, who preached his funeral sermon from 2 Corinthians 5:8. David’s brother John took up the work among Indians.

Brainerd’s Journal, the diary of his powerful but brief life and work among the Indians, with all its hardship and suffering, “has had a telling influence upon many,” inspiring many others to continue reaching the native tribes of America and others, such as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Jim Elliot, to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

“…Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” (Matt. 25:21).

Bernard R. DeRemer chronicled the lives of dozens of heroes of the faith in more than a decade of writing for

Pulpit Helps Magazine. He continues to serve in this capacity as a volunteer contributor to Disciple. He lives in

West Liberty, Ohio.

Reference: Who Was Who in Church History, by Elgin S. Moyer; excerpts used by permission of Moody Publishers. Wikipedia “David Brainerd”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brainerd.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel

Toward a New Awakening: The Gospel in GreeceBy AMG International Staff

“A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen

the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the Gospel to them” (Acts 16:9-10).


From this vision, the Gospel first came to Greece. The churches Paul went on to plant as a result—in Philippi, Thessaloniki, Corinth, and elsewhere (not to mention the Christ-centered letters he wrote to them)—formed much of the core of the first-century church and became the beachhead for the evangelization of Europe.

Nearly two millennia later, the Greek people still cry out for God. Since the 1940s, AMG International has been faithfully proclaiming the good news of God’s salvation in Greece and around the world. Today, this need is greater than it has been in many years, with Greece in the grip of a financial crisis that has left millions unemployed and struggling to survive.

In the midst of the despair hanging over Greece, AMG continues to shine the light of hope through Christ. Our missionaries and national workers there continue to pour into the lives of the hurting and needy. In the current economic situation, their own needs are also great.

One of AMG’s oldest ongoing ministries in Eastern Europe is the chain of O Logos (the Word) bookstores. These stores provide an open door for people with questions about life, God, suffering and evil to come in and seek answers from the compassionate believers behind the counter. Often these bookstores become community fixtures, providing their neighborhoods with a welcoming place to make photocopies or purchase school supplies, earning the trust and respect of surrounding communities.

Michalis and Xaroula Zekos serve at the bookstore in Patras (a large port city in southwestern Greece), which has become the meeting place of university students. He recently shared with us this testimony: “Many people have come to know the Lord visiting our bookstore in Patras but Xarilaos is the most recent family the Lord has allowed us to minister to. He visited our bookstore 4 months ago. After a lot of discussions, he opened his heart to the Lord and his life changed! Then he brought his wife and sister to the bookstore to meet his new friends. Their lives changed too by the power of the Gospel and they have joined the local church in town. Now Xarilaos is visiting with us every week in order to study the Word of God together so he may grow in his faith”

In addition to the tremendous ministry value of the stores themselves, the income they produce helps support AMG’s national workers and fund other ministry projects. Because of the recent financial crisis, however, revenues from the bookstores have fallen more than 50%, creating

tremendous difficulty for all of AMG’s ministries in Greece.

For decades, Greek-speaking evangelical Christians around the world have looked to AMG’s monthly publication, The Voice of the Gospel, for spiritual encouragement, training in discipleship, and information about the global cause of Christ. In recent years, however, AMG’s postage cost for the magazine has risen over 150%. Of course, this has presented major challenges for the continued operation of this vital publication.

Another key outreach in Greece, the CosmoVision Center (CVC) outside of Athens, is in the midst of a busy summer season of hosting youth and sports camps to reach out to the next generation of Greeks. Additionally, the CVC continues to host conferences, retreats, and outreach activities for many evangelical churches around the Athens metro area.

This year, the CVC hosted two week-long camps for children of Polish immigrant parents (many of whom are unemployed). These camps provide an opportunity for these children to experience the love and hope of Christ, showing them a way out of the poverty, drugs, and alcoholism that are all too common in their neighborhoods.

Each of these ministries is an incredible tool God has given us to reach a hardened, secularized people with the transformative message of the Gospel of Christ. The needs facing AMG’s work in Greece right now are equally incredible. By God’s grace, these needs have been faithfully supplied over many years through the generous support of churches and individuals across the world. We pray that God will continue to provide and ensure that His Gospel message continues to be boldly proclaimed in this part of the world that is desperate to hear and experience a new awakening of its power.

To learn more about AMG’s ministries in Greece around the world and how you can partner with us, please visit

www.amginternational.org or call 1-800-251-7206.

Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel (AMG) International is a non-denominational, international

missions agency based in Chattanooga, Tenn. AMG’s distinctive has always been its reliance on national workers

to carry the Gospel in their own cultures. Today, they operate ministries in over 40 countries around the world

through partnership with national believers.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Marks of the Master—by the Old Scot

Powerful Paradox

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, July 2008. Fruit is a delicious and important part of our diet, but anyone who works with an orchard or vineyard can tell




you that apple or pear or bunch of grapes you may be enjoying right now didn’t “just happen.” It was carefully brought along by the grower, by taking proper care of the parent tree or vine.

Let’s focus on the grape vine. Despite the abuse of its fruit by some, the grape vine has been a blessing to man for thousands of years—and for thousands of years, man has treated the vine harshly. And therein lies a very significant paradox, which our Lord Jesus Christ used in His lesson on the vine and the branches (John 15:1-8): “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it; that it may bring forth more fruit” (v. 2).

God “purges” (kathaírō) the good branches. The word means “to cleanse,” but it is here used to mean pruning—cleansing the branch of useless shoots which would keep the vine from bearing well. If we see how this works in the vineyard, we may gain appreciation for how it works in God’s vineyard—even though we are the branches being purged!

When the pruner comes, he will select perhaps two of the strongest branches: these he will treat “unmercifully,” by leaving only a few fruiting spurs, and only a few buds on these. One might think that such harsh treatment would deeply curtail the harvest, or ruin it altogether. But the vine is amazingly tolerant. When it is left with little to work with, it will pour all its energy into them—and by harvest time, large clusters of delicious fruit will be ready.

Note that this is not the grape vine’s own choice. Wild grapes grow on untidy, sprawling vines, in sharp contrast to the disciplined vines trained by man. And while the untamed vines may out-produce their domesticated cousins, the fruit will generally be small and sour, and will be in stringy, unattractive clusters.

It makes little difference to the grape vine whether its fruit is delicious or bitter. The birds and small animals which will distribute its seeds as they eat the fruit are not fussy about such things. The vine’s objective is reproduction, and this goal would be met either way. We may also note at this point that “natural” vines do not exhibit the surprising rush of energy which pruned vines pour into their remaining branches. If they did, the vines might well have overwhelmed every woodland in the world.

Nature does not prune, nor does it cultivate. Therefore there would be no pressure for so-called “natural selection” to build this quality into the vine. This ability

was built into the grape vine not by evolution, but by God, who gave it as one of countless good gifts to man. In His wisdom, He made the vine able to live wild and free, but also capable of being tamed by man for his service.

And therein lies a lesson—one which our Lord Jesus Christ taught when He said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it; that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:1-2). Our Lord indicated that just as grape vines produce better fruit when they are pruned, so do Christians. Children of God need to be trained and disciplined, just as do grape vines.

Pruning is painful! We do not know if the grape vine hurts when it is cut back; but we know that the equivalent disciplining of Christians causes us pain. What did Jesus have in mind when He spoke of pruning? Surely He meant the circumstances of life which God uses to cut away the bad wood of pride and greed, of lust and worldly ambition. Pruning may include anything at all through which God speaks to us—from the sneer of an unbeliever to the death of a loved one.

Whatever the hurt may be, the important thing to remember is that God allowed it—and therefore there is something in this circumstance meant to bring about growth and fruitfulness in our lives. What else can Romans 8:28 mean when it tells us: “All things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose?”

So a believer in Christ Jesus should never become discouraged when God’s pruning shears do their work, for as the Bible says again: “No chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb. 12:110). You are being pruned in order to make you more fruitful in the future. Praise God!

The Old Scot (Ted Kyle) served as managing editor for Pulpit Helps magazine (Disciple’s predecessor

publication) from 1993-2008. He was always fascinated by the natural world, and readily saw God’s hand in every

detail. Ted went to be with His Creator and Savior in April 2013.

Source: General Viticulture, A. J. Winkler and others, Univ. of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1962 & 1974, esp. p. 274 and pp. 287-300.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Book Review—8/19/13


The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, Alan Jacobs, 2011, Oxford University Press, New York, ISBN 9780199747498, 176 pages, $19.95, hardcover.

Let me say at the outset that this review represents a departure from the type of books we typically examine for you in Disciple. Rather than a book about Scripture, theology, ministry, missions, or leadership, this is a book about an activity that every pastor worth his salt probably engages in weekly (if not daily)—reading. This is a book about books and about how we engage with them.

As the title implies, Jacobs, a professor of humanities in the honors program at Baylor University (before that, an English professor at Wheaton College for over 20 years), wrote this short volume to extol the virtues and joys of losing oneself in a good book. He suggests this as an antidote to the fast-paced, multi-tasking, media-saturated atrophy of our ability to hold our attention in one place. This is emphatically not another list of “great books” or a reading plan built around the preferences and vanity of its compiler. Rather, Jacobs adds a log to the fire of literary life, urging readers to read for the peculiar pleasure that only comes from being “rapt” in a narrative.

On a number of levels, this represents Jacobs’ attempt to write a counterpoint to Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren’s classic How to Read a Book. While he does consider that work praiseworthy for refusing to take for granted that the average reader actually knows how to approach books thoughtfully, he takes issue with the “eat your veggies” approach to mastering the classics. Jacobs instead holds up the sheer joy of encountering ideas and imagination through reading as a higher guide to taste than self-improvement, cultural literacy, or any of the other reasons we are commonly taught to read great literature. If we can recapture that joy, he says, perhaps we wouldn’t always feel the need to make and check off lists of things we ought to have read.

The big ideas Jacobs unpacks here are, in his own terms, “Whim” and “Serendipity”. If these seem like impossible concepts to nail down, you’re tracking right along with his thesis. By Whim, he means the freedom to read not just what we are told to read, but those books that

strike our fancy as they come across our path. If reading is nourishment for the soul, then we should approach reading as we might approach dinner—with one eye toward nutrition and one eye toward variety and flavor, built upon our previously established tastes but always willing to try something new. Under that umbrella, he suggests that we focus the direction of our reading upstream; that is, when we find a book or author that we do enjoy, we should look back to those who influenced them for subsequent reading choices.

Reading in this way, he proposes, helps us to begin to recognize the books and authors that speak most clearly to us, but also to grow in understanding of our learning style and the weaknesses of our ideas and character we should seek to challenge. This self-taught criticism is only cultivated by close and patient reading of those books we do choose, and this encompasses Jacobs’ concept of Serendipity—the openness to powerful gems of thought we were not even seeking as we read, but also the ability to recognize and properly appraise them. This idea of serendipity can even apply to reading Scripture, as we often discover the most treasured promises and exhortations only after slow and thoughtful reading and re-reading of passages.

If you, like me, are always surrounded by books that you are expected to read (whether as a part of your work, because of obligations to others, or even because of goals you set for yourself), Jacobs book may be the breath of fresh air you are looking for, giving you a better framework for organizing and making the most of the time you have to read. In the process, it just may inspire you to slow down a bit and read more deeply, turning off the computer or smartphone long enough to get fully absorbed in a text. Those we teach and serve depend on us to impart wisdom, and reading well is among the best tools God has given us to fulfill that calling.

Justin Lonas

Target: AllType: Reading/LiteratureTake: Recommended

__________________________________________________________________________________________News Update—8/19/13

3,400 Christians Rescued from Persecution in Sudan

An organization called Barnabas Fund was able to transfer 3,400 Christians out of hostile Muslim Sudan to relatively safe South Sudan, International Christian Concern reports. Most of those rescued were widows and orphans, and the organization plans to continue focusing on aiding them.

Those evacuated are living in tents, but praising God for their rescue. Christians are facing increasing levels of persecution in Sudan since the country divided, and the aggressive Islamist government wants to eradicate the Christian presence from the north. Because of border tensions, Christians in Sudan have been unable to flee to South Sudan, leaving many of them in shantytowns surrounding Sudan’s capital Khartoum. Barnabas Fund has


airlifted and bussed nearly 5,000 vulnerable Christians to South Sudan.

Religion Today Summaries

Egyptian Christians under AttackIn the violence that has exploded across Egypt in

recent weeks, supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi have attacked scores of church buildings and Christian-owned homes and businesses in response to national security forces breaking up two protest camps in downtown Cairo.

At least two Coptic Christians were killed in the reprisal attacks, which started mid-morning after the armed break-up of the camps the Muslim Brotherhood and others had occupied in downtown Cairo for six weeks. Pro-Morsi assailants attacked 27 church buildings, setting fires that gutted most of them, according to the Coptic Watani Weekly; the government reported attacks on only seven Coptic churches.

The assailants attacked a women-only monastery along with at least two Christian schools and set at least 30 Coptic-owned homes across the country on fire, along with scores of businesses. They also destroyed three Bible Society stores in Egypt, sources said.

Wael Ibrahim, manager of the Assuit branch of the Egyptian Bible Society, watched helplessly from a distance as a group of Morsi supporters circled his store several times at 9:15 a.m., threatening to attack any Christian who approached. He left only to receive a cell phone call informing him that his store was on fire.

“I watched from afar, and I saw the Muslim Brotherhood people divide up into teams of 10 to attack anyone who approached the store,” Ibrahim said. “I eventually left and I called the police because it was all I could do. I left, and half an hour later I got a call, and someone told me the Bible Society was on fire, so I quickly went back.

Morning Star News

Indonesia: Evangelists Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Kashfi and Jalaudin, two Christian brothers, were sentenced to three years in prison on August 2 after being convicted of “evangelizing Muslims,” Voice of the Martyrs reports.

On March 20, 2013, their home was attacked by an angry mob of about 200 Muslims. Police stopped the attack on their home and then arrested the two brothers. The brothers were convicted despite their lawyers’ insistence in court that the trial violated their human rights. Five other families associated with the brothers’ ministry were forced to leave the area for their own safety.

Release International has provided support to help these families resettle elsewhere. Kashfi and Jalaudin, along with others in their team, have led more than 100 Muslims to Christ. They plan to appeal their conviction.


Imprisoned Pastor’s Torture-Related Internal Injuries Growing Worse

The Iranian family of American pastor Saeed Abedini was once again able to visit him in Evin Prison in Iran, Charisma News reports. Despite previous threats from Iranian authorities that they would cut off Pastor Saeed’s visitation privileges, he was able to spend some brief time with his family on Monday.

Unfortunately, Pastor Saeed’s internal injuries are causing him increased pain. He has been suffering from internal bleeding—the result of intense beatings he has sustained in prison for his faith. Iranian authorities recently allowed Pastor Saeed to be treated by a doctor at a local hospital, and since that time he has continued to take the medication he was prescribed. However, his pain has recently increased to the point that on one occasion, he fainted from the immense anguish.

“Iran must see to it that Pastor Saeed is treated humanely and receives the critical medical attention he so desperately needs,” said Matthew Clark of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing Pastor Saeed’s family. “He must be released from this torment for his Christian faith and be allowed to return home to receive medical attention in the United States and, more importantly, be reunited with his loving family.”


Abortion Clinics Close in Various States Abortion centers across the country continue to

close. According to Baptist Press, two Ohio clinics closed in recent months, and another is expected to shut down soon.

A Toledo clinic closed after being unable to enter into a transfer agreement with a public hospital for its patients, as a new law prohibits public hospitals from participating in such arrangements. Another Toledo clinic is expected to close for the same reason, resulting in no such center in the city. A clinic in Cuyahoga Falls, which is near Akron, shut down in April after an inspection found it violated various health and safety standards.

The only abortion clinic in Green Bay, Wis., was to close Aug. 1, when its sale to Bellin Health Systems took effect. Bellin will not provide abortions. A Harlingen, Texas, clinic will close because of a new state law. The law, signed by Gov. Rick Perry July 18, requires abortion clinics to meet the same health and safety requirements as outpatient surgical centers.


Recent closings previously announced included clinics in Fairfax City, Va.; Durham, N.C.; and Bryan, Texas.


IRS Harassment of Pro-Life Groups Continues Despite Claims to Contrary

On August 1, the Thomas More Society submitted an updated second memorandum to Congressman Aaron Schock of the House Ways and Means Committee, detailing additional evidence of continued IRS targeting of pro-life organizations, the Christian Newswire reports. Despite claims by the Obama administration that the harassment has ceased, the Society produced over 250 pages of documentation showing the federal government is still interrogating pro-life groups beyond the scope of its legal authority, infringing upon these organizations’ First Amendment rights of assembly, free speech and religious liberty.

“Despite claims to the contrary, the IRS continues to target and harass pro-life and conservative charities,

illegally questioning their religious activities and withholding their tax exemptions,” said Peter Breen, vice president and senior counsel of the Thomas More Society.

“We have now produced irrefutable evidence of six clients whose First Amendment rights were trampled upon by the IRS because of their position upholding the sanctity of life. Even after public disclosure of this wrongdoing, the Obama administration’s IRS has refused to cease its illegal activity. We will continue to aid Congress in its investigation until those responsible are brought to justice and the IRS is made to respect every American’s constitutional rights.”

Since the Thomas More Society disclosed evidence in May showing IRS harassment of three pro-life groups, the Society has been contacted by numerous additional organizations seeking legal counsel related to IRS issues. The Society has now presented Congressman Schock and the committee with compelling documentation of six different groups which have experienced viewpoint-biased discrimination by the IRS, dating back to 2009 and involving multiple IRS offices and agents.

Religion Today Summaries__________________________________________________________________________________________Sermon Helps—from www.sermonhall.com

Sermon OutlinesJacob and Rachel as Type of Christ and ChurchGenesis 29:20 (cp. Eph. 5:25-33)

Inquiry: What intense commitments did Jacob make for his love?Intro.: In this passage it is not too difficult to see the typical relationship of Jacob/Rachel and Christ/Church.I. Jacob Labored Extensively for His Beloved! He “served seven years for Rachel”II. Jacob Focused Intently on His Goal! Time “seemed to him but a few days”III. Jacob Loved Deeply His Wife to Be! “because of his love for her”IV. Consider the Attributes of Christ in His Relationship with His Bride (Eph. 5:25-33)

A. Christ “loved” her! (25a).B. Christ sacrificed for her! (25b).C. He set her apart! (26a).D. He perfected her! (26b).E. He made her glorious! (27).F. He cared for her as He would care for Himself! (28-29a).G. He became one with her! (30).

Application: “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies” and “for this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Conc.: “This mystery is great; for I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband” (Eph. 5:32-33).

John Gillmartin

Three Gifts That Can Not Be Improved2 Peter 1

I. The Word of God (vv. 16-21)A. The Bible is not devised of man (v. 16).B. The Bible is greater than an exalted experience (vv. 17-18).C. The Bible is a sure word (vv. 19-21).

1. It is not for private interpretation (v. 20).2. It. was given through holy men (v. 21).3. It was given by the Holy Spirit (v. 21).

D. Humans do well to take heed (v. 19).II. The Method of God’s Salvation (vv. 2-4)

A. God’s salvation gives all things that pertain to life and godliness (v. 2).B. God’s salvation gives personal knowledge of the Redeemer who calls us (v. 3).C. God’s salvation offers great and precious promises (v. 4).D. God’s salvation frees from corruption (v. 4).E. God’s salvation allows us to partake of His divine nature (v. 4).


F. God’s salvation is received by faith (vv. 4-5). III. The Way for Believer to Live Offers Best Benefits for Life (1:4-11)

A. What to add to faith is specified (1:5-7).B. This way to life gives benefits now (1:8-10).C. This way to live gives benefits eternally (1:11).

Conc.: Don’t try to reinvent salvation. Be wise: believe the Bible and receive the benefits.

R. G. Witty

IllustrationsDeliverance from the Lions

“Within a week after my conversion, I passed by a store window in St. Louis and saw hanging there an engraving of a painting of Daniel in the den of lions. The prophet, with his hands behind him and the lions circling about him, was looking up and answering the king’s question.

“The one thing I was in mortal fear of, in those days, was that I might go back to my sins. I was a drunken lawyer in St. Louis when I was converted, with no power over an appetite for strong drink, and I was so afraid of a barroom or a hotel or a club that when I saw I was coming to one, I would cross the street. I was in torment day and night. No one had told me anything about the keeping power of Jesus Christ.

“As I stood before that picture, a great hope and faith came into my heart and I said: ‘Why, these lions are all about me—my old habits and sins—but the God that shut the lions’ mouths for Daniel can shut them for me.’ I learned that my God was able. He had saved me, and He was able to deliver me from the lions. Oh, what a rest it was!”

Anonymous

Anger and SunsetJohn, patriarch of Alexandria, had a controversy

with Nicetas, a chief man of that city, which was to be decided in a court of justice. John defended the cause of the poor, and Nicetas refused to part with his money. A private meeting was held, to see if the affair could be adjusted, but in vain; angry words prevailed, and both parties were so obstinate that they separated more offended with each other than before.

When Nicetas was gone, John began to reflect on his own pertinacity, and although his cause was good, “Yet,” said he, “can I think that God will be pleased with

this anger and stubbornness? The night draweth on, and shall I suffer the sun to go down upon my wrath? This is impious, and opposed to the Apostle’s advice.”

He therefore sent some respectable friends to Nicetas, and charged them to deliver this message to him, and no more: “O sir, the sun is going down!” Nicetas was much affected, his eyes were filled with tears; he hastened to the patriarch, and saluting him in the most gentle manner, exclaimed, “Father, I will be ruled by you in this or any other matter.” They embraced each other affectionately, and settled the dispute instantly.

Anonymous

Bulletin InsertsOn Responsibility and SuccessThe best way to succeed is to get your wisdom from old people and your enthusiasm from young people.

Denny J. Brake

You will keep on getting what you always got if you keep on doing what you always did.

Ships will never come in that have never been sent outThese two from R. W. Seaman

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

Those who try to do something and fail are much better off that those who try to do nothing and succeed.

Being put on a pedestal has disadvantages which you will discover the first time you fail to watch your step.

The door of success swings on the hinges of obstacles.

He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

These five anonymous

The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.

The Old Union Reminder

Today’s poor choices are a down payment on tomorrow’s problems.

J. David Branon


__________________________________________________________________________________________Puzzles and ‘Toons

Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeever


Answers to last issue’s puzzles:

Father Abraham and Hidden WisdomBy Mark Oshman

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, August 1997

Hidden Wisdom on next page


Documents

Discipleship, Understanding, Obedience, Pulpit Helps ... · Web viewSubstance Abuse: Pain and Healing Originally published in Pulpit Helps, May 2007. Since the most prevalent mental