We are introducing a new ministry that will be a part of the audio and teaching ministry of
CGMF. It is called Covenant Minutes. This will be a ministry where thoughts and considerations concerning Christian Living will be taught. We hope you will enjoy this new ministry of CGMF, and be encouraged in your faith in the Lord.
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There's a book I recently added to my library, that once again makes a powerful presentation for the need for Spirit anointed preaching ( Spirit-Led Preaching, by Greg Heisler ). You know that type of preaching. The kind where you can't get by on talent, methodology, style or nice public speaking skills. Much of that type of preaching is predominant in mainstream churches, or even some of the Pentecostal churches we have today. However, it is not the way God intends to feed His sheep and direct their spiritual journey.
Nothing can compare with a prayerful pastor or teacher who listens to the Holy Spirit and obeys His direction in the Word. For out it will come rivers of living water, that will give life to all that hear it. I don't care if your teaching a series of lessons, or a one time sermon. The God anointed Word breaks yokes of bondage and sets the captive free. There is substitute! A week or two ago I preached in two churches ( which I do quite often ). The message I presented I preached for both churches, and truly was trusting God. For it was not a pretty outlined sermon or anything. However, I knew God wanted the Word I had to be preached. After the first service at an Episcopal church a lady came up to me and said " Thank you for that Word. " So I said, " Your welcome. " Then she asked, " Do you minister here often? " I informed her that I did and then she remarked, " You are some crazy preacher, but I know that was God. I better come to this church for I want to hear from Jesus. " LOL. I then let her know a bit about the church there and our fellowship at CGMF. She already is going to both. Isn't God good? I have said all of that to say this. Remember in all you do to never leave Jesus out of the equation when it comes to your ministry. Also, understand that the Holy Spirit can operate in an extraordinary fashion and can illuminate things you would never otherwise be able to convey or teach. Take time in His presence and avoid all the shortcuts modern preaching employs with so many tools and outlines. Use them to make you better, do not to use them to fill in gaps when you just " don't feel like praying ". God wants to use you for His Glory, trust Him to give you understanding so you can see His Word come alive through you. To make my point I want to share with you one of introductory portions of Mr. Heisler's book. I think it will encourage you soul. After you read it think about it and meditate on it awhile. You might not be Superman, but you are God's Man and Woman who He can transform into someone's super hero. That saves their life, and sets them on course toward powerful Kingdom living. Amen. ( From the Book ) Everybody needs a hero. My childhood hero of choice was Superman—faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s ——! I think the transformation of mild-mannered Clark Kent into the bold and courageous Superman was something everyone could identify with. Judging from outward appearances, Clark Kent wasn’t much to contend with. But we all knew what was underneath that shirt and tie. The “S” on his chest stood for the true power inside him. Do preachers have a hidden S underneath their ministerial garb—not an S pointing to their superhuman strength but an S pointing to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit still empower preachers today? If so, how? Do we pray and study throughout our week like a Clark Kent, only to change into blue lights and a red cape on Sunday morning in hopeful expectation of something supernatural happening? Or do we begin our sermons as the mild-mannered Clark Kent, waiting expectantly for the Spirit to miraculously transform us at some point of the message into Superman, so we can fly out of the pulpit at high noon every week? “Nonsense,” you may be saying to yourself, “preachers are just human beings like everybody else.” Yet in a 2004 Knight Rider news article on the Holy Spirit, one evangelical pastor had this to say about the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian’s life: “We are Clark Kent, but with the Holy Spirit, we become Superman.” When I read a statement like that, immediately my childhood images of Superman come to mind: able to bend steel bars with his bare hands, able to see through walls with X-ray vision, able to lift massive objects with superhuman strength, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive. It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s … a Spirit-filled Christian? Talk of Christians turning into Superman via the power of the Holy Spirit may fit well with a culture obsessed with extreme makeovers, but it certainly has no foundation in Scripture. In fact, Paul’s self-assessment as a God-called, Spirit-filled preacher of the gospel stands in stark contrast to any Superman mentality: “I came to you in weakness and in fear, and with much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). Paul doesn’t sound like Superman, does he? Yet in the next verse Paul affirms that underneath all his trembling and weakness, his preaching donned the S—not of Superman but of the Holy Spirit: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom [not even Superman’s!], but on God’s power” (1 Cor. 2:4). Paul acknowledges that his powerful preaching is not from anything within himself; he plainly tells the Corinthians there is nothing special about him: “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants” (1 Cor. 3:5). It seems the Holy Spirit turned Paul into a servant rather than a Superman, and a weak one at that. Furthermore, I cannot recall Superman boasting about his inherent weakness to kryptonite. To do so would lessen his superhero image. In contrast Paul not only admits his weaknesses; he boasts in them! “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9). Judging from the verses quoted above, Paul doesn’t sound like a superhero at all. Yet no honest reader of the New Testament would deny the power of God that accompanied Paul’s ministry of the Word. As pastors today, we live in a church culture filled with large egos, supersized pride, and superhero expectations—pressures the man of steel himself could not handle! Yet we must reject any notion that we are Superman called to be a superhero. The hero of our preaching is Jesus Christ, and our goal as preachers is to be Spirit filled and Spirit empowered so that our audience knows the difference between supernatural preaching and superhero preaching! Preaching is not an exhibition of the Superman skills you may have learned in seminary or at a seminar; rather, as Paul says, it is a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. If we know we want to end up with preaching that is Spirit-empowered, the question remains, “What path do we take to get there?” As preachers we are quick to confess the need for the Spirit’s power in our preaching, but we fall short when it comes to explaining how to involve the Holy Spirit in our preaching. The fruit of evangelical publishing and scholarship over the last two decades demonstrates that as evangelicals we are far more able to tell what the Spirit does not do in preaching as opposed to what the Spirit must do if powerful proclamation is to take place. My conviction is that we have failed to connect the discipline of homiletics with the doctrine of pneumatology, and as a result we find ourselves “surprised by the Spirit” when he does move. Spirit-Led Preaching seeks to establish a positive theology of the Spirit’s role in preaching by building upon the theological fusion of Word and Spirit. Written by Dr. Patrick Vossen, Founding Pastor of CGMF Message From Sunday March 19th by Reverend Vossen
Wisdom from a Cactus Reflections on Titus When my husband and I were newly married, we were given a cactus, which we named Maurice. I had never owned a plant, but the cactus-giver assured me that it would be easy. I carefully avoided novice mistakes, like forgetting to water it, not giving it enough sunlight or allowing the neighborhood strays to claim it as their territory. I still killed Maurice. When I lamented that I was somehow less nurturing than a desert, my husband gently voiced a problem I had overlooked. While I had avoided doing the wrong things, I had failed to do some of the right things—researching how much water the cactus needed, bringing it inside during heavy rains, fertilizing the soil and repotting it periodically. As Christians, we often measure spiritual growth by how successful we are at avoiding sin. Our testimonies proclaim how life with Christ has helped us eliminate sin—from drug use and immorality to cursing and anger issues. Our tales often end there. However, my failure with Maurice serves as an example that it takes more than avoiding sin to grow and thrive in faith. In his letter to Titus, Paul writes: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11–14). Twice in this passage we find negative and positive actions paired: God’s grace trains us in both renouncing ungodliness and worldly passions (negative) and in living self-controlled, upright and godly lives (positive); Jesus redeems us from lawlessness (negative) and into purity and good works (positive). Jesus saves us from sin, into godliness. Often, we diligently avoid outward sins—and rightfully so. Sin leads to death and estranges us from God. But how often do we actively seek godly lives and good works? While we avoid sin with our mouths through gossip, lying or unkind words, we are slow to speak encouragement or to voice gratitude. Such failures are subtle. As “good Christians,” we understand and abide by clear rules like “don’t steal” or “don’t commit adultery.” But commands for goodness, generosity and service seem subjective. Satisfied that we have shunned the evil deeds, we might even give ourselves more leeway when it comes to doing good works—quietly setting them aside as we fill ourselves with the pride of being saint-like. In Titus 2:1, Paul commands Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine,” listing examples like self-controlled speech and temperance to or reverence and kindness. Before instructing Titus on positive or negative actions, he gives the purpose of the good works: “so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (2:10). Our godliness gives credence and attractiveness to doctrine. Conversely, a life of sin skews doctrine and maligns God’s nature. Paul’s words offer hope. God’s grace trains—a word that brings marathon runners and body builders to mind (Titus 2:12). While training is slow, hard work that requires practice and perseverance, it makes a weak body strong. And just as an athlete would not prepare for an event without a trainer, we are not expected to live upright lives on our own. Paul declares that Jesus Christ is the one who purifies us for these good works. The grace that gave us new life also trains and sustains us through the hard work of godliness. Aubry Smith Originally published in Bible Study Magazine Sept–Oct ‘12 Exodus 17:1-7 17 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Notes:
Jesus was struck with the rod of Moses—the curse of the law—and from Him flowed water to satisfy our spiritual thirst. As the old hymn says: Let the water and the blood From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Save me from its wrath and power. John 4:5-42 5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,e can he?” 30 They left the city and were on their way to him. 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receivingf wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” 39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” Jesus Returns to Galilee 43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee 44 (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country). 45 When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival. Notes: • This is where Abram first came when he arrived into Canaan from Babylonia. (Genesis 12:6) • This is where God first appeared to Abram in Canaan, and renewed the promise of giving the land to him and his descendants. (Genesis 12:7) • This is where Abram built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8) • This is where Jacob came safely when he returned with his wives and children from his sojourn with Laban. (Genesis 33:18) • This is where Jacob bought a piece of land from a Canaanite named Hamor, for 100 pieces of silver (Genesis 33:19) • This is where Jacob built an altar to the Lord, and called it El Elohe Israel (Genesis 33:20) This established the connection between Jacob and what became known as Jacob’s well there in Sychar. • Sychar (Shechem) was also the place where Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, was raped—and the sons of Jacob massacred the men of the city in retaliation. (Genesis 34) • This is where the bones of Joseph were eventually buried when they were carried up from Egypt (Joshua 24:32) • This is where Joshua made a covenant with Israel, renewing their commitment to the God of Israel and proclaiming, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24) If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink”: Jesus drew the woman into conversation, making her curious about several things: • He made her curious about the things of God (If you knew the gift of God) • He made her curious about who Jesus is (who it is who says to you) • He made her curious about what He could give her (He would have given you living water). Although the Samaritan woman appears only once, her importance is evident in her continuity with other characters. Some examples are: She led the townspeople to Jesus like the Baptist led two of his disciples to follow him (1:35–38). Her identification of Jesus as “prophet” is repeated by a Galilean and Judean crowd who were fed on the hillside (6:1–14). Unlike the disciples, she was not afraid to ask Jesus questions (4:4–42). However, the woman symbolizes more. Her marginal status compared with Judeans, Galileans, and even her own townspeople is transformed because of her deep commitment as a disciple to Jesus. She represents the invitation of Jesus to each person regardless of status. Nicodemus, her foil, had a secure status yet lacked the imagination and daring to reconsider traditional viewpoints. Breaking through the barrier of silence (forbidden by tradition in Jewish and Samaritan as well as male/female relationships outside the home) was the woman’s first step toward liberation. Keeping silence, not expected by tradition, was the rabbi’s first step toward stagnation. Inviting persons to freedom by contrasting relationships with Jesus in the Gospel is one challenge for preachers. Written by Reverend Vossen
Romans 4: 1-5 was my devotional passage today. Quick Notes: God's righteousness granted to us and is contrasted to an employee at work in this passage, who because of his labor is credited him monies. The apostle Paul tells us that the righteousness God has for us, is not something we merit or earn. However, is necessary if we are to have a chance to live out this life in a way pleasing to God, and experience His truly Holiness. I also am reminded when considering His righteousness, that we are to put on the armor of God, and that one of those pieces is the breastplate of righteousness. The armor of God is a gift from God for both defense and offense. Giving us protection and the ability to proceed in life with confidence that " God's Got My Back, And We Are Moving Forward ". 2 Timothy 1:7 says it real well, " God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled. " Common English Bible. (2011). (2 Ti 1:7). Nashville, TN: Common English Bible. Abraham’s faith was credited as righteousness 4 So what are we going to say? Are we going to find that Abraham is our ancestor on the basis of genealogy? 2 Because if Abraham was made righteous because of his actions, he would have had a reason to brag, but not in front of God. 3 What does the scripture say? Abraham had faith in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 4 Workers’ salaries aren’t credited to them on the basis of an employer’s grace but rather on the basis of what they deserve. 5 But faith is credited as righteousness to those who don’t work, because they have faith in God who makes the ungodly righteous. Common English Bible. (2011). (Ro 4:1–5). Nashville, TN: Common English Bible. Had a nice time in services today. With an excellent bible discussion on The Ten Commandments, and what it means to love your neighbors.
Our study and early morning sermon focused on three passages, Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23, Matthew 5:38-48. First we considered the Commandments and their intent. Then we tried to peer into what God was trying to accomplish through these basic precepts. Then we discussed application in light of the commandment of Loving God and our Neighbor with our whole heart, soul and being, as we reflected upon Matthew's passage. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ( Mt. 5:38-48 ) From the Bedouin attitude of caring for your neighbor, to the sacrificial nature of love being exemplified in both of these passages. We considered the " how we " live out our lives and how that " how to " being so important considering the Epistles reading and the statement made "Each builder must choose with care " how to " build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. " Utilizing the " How To " in reflection of the OT and NT scriptures I believe made all the difference in the world. It was a profoundly engaging and revealing study of the Word. Lots of fun. We are beginning again another review of one of the books we have recently finished in some of our Neighborhood Bible Study Groups. It is the book of Song of Songs, or Songs of Solomon. I trust it will be a nice refresher to what you have already studied from the Song of Songs. The book will be thoroughly examined, and I believe encourage us all in our relationships, and our Love for our Lord.
Just finished posting the audio lesson for Moses: A Walk Through the Wilderness And More. It is on Hospitality: Learning To Give. I truly sensed a special anointing on the message. If you really want to know about living out the gospel, and what is hospitality biblically. Listen to this thirty minute lesson.
All the Short Courses can be studied for free, or for credit at FBC. The Short Courses can all be found at the FBC Website at http://www.focusbiblecollege.org/fbc-short-courses.html. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2YZmZJCrq83T3pmN3gxS1lPNms/view?usp=sharing I notice we have been neglectful in updating the website except for media. With that in mind I am going to step in and try to fill that void and put pen to paper if you will. I know we have been communicating amongst Shepherd leaders and various groups, but our updating the website has not been very good. I will try to step in and assist Skip, Mary and others in this endeavor today. Since Thanksgiving it has been quite busy, but there has been some awesome things that have gone on within the fellowship, which I think we need to rejoice in. Also, our endeavors at present and our upcoming yearly Shepherds and Saints meeting to discuss as well. In December we had two awesome gathering meetings. One in North Platte and the other in Omaha. Reverend James Harris from Kansas City preached in our North Platte meeting on " Faith and Fiction ", it was extremely effective. We had a variety of folks give their life to Christ and seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was a blessed time in the Lord. In Omaha I preached on " Believing When Everything Says Otherwise ". God touched His Word and the worship in such a pronounced way in that meeting. We saw various folks respond to God, and ask for prayer in their current struggles and we baptized 4 individuals as they surrendered their live's to God. It was a profoundly awesome time in the presence of God. Our study groups for adults have been studying from the book of Genesis in many groups, and continue in our Authentic Christian Men and Woman series in others. Our foundational classes continue as well, as the Foundations for Life, Shepherd Series ( study on our relationship with God ) and Covenant Worldview From the Scriptures are always quarterly revolving. We will have our Shepherd and Saints meeting in February. We will post that date and where it will be held. You can connect via video or the Prayerline conference number if you can't attend. We are so spread out that I realize 75% can't been in the meeting. That is okay, and we are working to as usual make the logistics work so you can participate or listen in. Amen. Please keep the ministry in prayer, as we face the new year with questions and will have changes forthcoming. God bless everyone. I will work with the Sherpherd leaders to try to be more interactive with the website. Sorry for its neglect. In His Grace, Founding Pastor Patrick Vossen I was studying recently and was just kind of checking out ideas on Renewal. As I went through a variety of articles and books through my Logos 7 Bible software program. I began to see a theme develop, and not surprisingly it depended on prayer, fervency and our willingness to totally yield to the will of God.
Not to my surprise, the individuals who were catalysts for renewal were not passive, but instead folks who took a decisive action in their lives. Actions that sometimes took them out of their comfort zones, then sending them into uncharted waters of faith. Does that sound familiar to you? Does it feel like the direction God is challenging you to consider in your life as well? It could be, and how you respond to it will not just bring about positive changes in your life, but those in your home, church, community, etc... There were a lot of fitly spoken words I have read upon the subject of renewal, but here in this blog post I will will share a few with you. All of which I think are relevant and to the subject of renewal. Here are some selections for your consideration: From the " The Christian Educator's Handbook On Spiritual Formation " History teaches us that renewal usually comes through “saints”—women and men whose lives are radically dedicated to the Lord in prayer, humility, and obedience. “Men and women saints have always been fonts and origins of renewal in the most difficult circumstances throughout the Church’s history. Today we have tremendous need of saints, for whom we must assiduously implore God” (Extraordinary Synod of Catholic Bishops, 1985, p. 47). This does not mean that those who respond to God’s call are godly from the beginning. But through seeking to respond to God’s grace, they are progressively purified and transformed into the image of Christ and are used by God to strengthen His body, the church. All Christian traditions can point to certain individuals who have been instruments powerfully used by God for the renewal of the church. And part of the Good News of Jesus is that each Christian, including you and me, is called to be a saint, and to be used by God for the renewal of His church. The crucial question for each of us is: “Will we, and how fully will we, respond to God’s grace and His call to be saints, to ‘be holy as He is holy’ (cf. Lev. 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15–16), so that we may be used by God to renew His church?” How does renewal come about? Prayer must be at the heart of any authentic renewal movement. Only through prayer, humility, and obedience can the church hear God’s call to renewal and respond to it. Besides being a precondition for renewal, prayer and holiness are also the most evident fruits of renewal. Authentic renewal may take many forms, but it always results in Christians following the Lord and His ways more faithfully and fervently. " Sustaining Preachers And Preaching. " There is a theological conundrum to be faced here. No-one—no Church or Church authority—can make it happen. Such renewal is simply not within our control or remit: the Spirit blows where the Spirit wills, (Jn 3:9). But if we reject a Pelagian approach to preaching which places too much emphasis on human effort, we should also reject its opposite: a quietism which says, in effect, ‘There is nothing we can do but wait for the Spirit’. The Bible itself, and Christian tradition down the centuries, point to a middle way. We cannot engineer renewal, but we can want it, prepare for it, pray for it, and work for those conditions which make the Church more open to the possibility of renewal. The Acts of the Apostles provides the classic instance: the first disciples had been together in the upper room praying (Acts 1:14) and preparing for the future (1:18–26). " The Inner Chamber And The Inner Life. " The daily renewal—its cost “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.”--2 Cor. 4:16. “Be not fashioned according to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”--Rom. 12:2. It is not a little or an easy thing to be a full-grown, strong Christian. On God’s side, it means that it cost the Son of God His life, that it needs the mighty power of God to new create a man, and that nothing less than the unceasing daily care of the Holy Spirit can maintain that life. From man’s side it demands that when the new man is put on, the old man be put off. All the dispositions, habits, pleasures, of our own nature, that make up the life in which we have lived, are to be put away. All we have by our birth from Adam, is to be sold, if we are to possess the pearl of great price. If a man is to come after Christ, he is to deny himself, and take up his cross, to forsake all and follow Christ in the path in which He walked. He is to cast away not only all sin, but everything, however needful and legitimate and precious, that may become the occasion of sin; to pluck out the eye, or cut off the hand. He is to hate his own life, to lose it, if he is to live in “the power of an endless life.” It is a solemn thing, far more solemn than most people think, to be a true Christian. This is specially true of the daily renewing of the inward man. Paul speaks of it as being accompanied and conditioned by the decaying of the outward man. The whole epistle (2 Cor.) shows us how the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, even to conformity to His death, was the secret of his life in power and blessing to the Churches. “Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” The full experience of the life in Christ in our person, our body, our work for others, depends upon our fellowship in His suffering and death. There can be no large measure of the renewal of the inward man, without the sacrifice, the decaying of the outward. To be filled with heaven, the life must be emptied of earth. We have the same truth in our second text, “Be ye transformed in the renewing of your mind.” An old house may be renewed, and yet keep very much of its old appearance; or the renewal may be so entire that men exclaim what a transformation! The renewing of the mind by the Holy Spirit means an entire transformation, an entirely different way of thinking, judging, deciding. The fleshly mind gives place to a “spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9; 1 John 5:20). This transformation is not obtained but at the cost of giving up all that is of nature. “Be not fashioned according to this world, but be ye transformed.” By nature we are of this world. When renewed by grace we are still in the world, subject to the subtle all-pervading influence from which we cannot withdraw ourselves. And what is more, the world is still in us, as the leaven of the nature which nothing can purge out but the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, filling us with the life of heaven. Let us allow these truths to take deep hold and master us. The Divine transformation, by the daily renewing of our mind into the image of Him who is far above, can proceed in us no faster and no farther than our seeking to be freed from every vestige of conformity to this world. The negative, “Be not fashioned according to this world,” needs to be emphasised as strongly as the positive, “be ye transformed.” The spirit of this world and the Spirit of God contend for the possession of our being. Only as the former is known and renounced and cast out, can the heavenly Spirit enter in, and do His blessed work of renewing and transforming. The whole world and whatever is of the wordly spirit, must be given up. The whole life and whatever is of self must be lost. This daily renewal of the inward man costs much, that is, as long as we are hesitating, or trying to do it in our own strength. When once we really learn that the Holy Spirit does all, and in the faith of the strength of the Lord Jesus have given up all, the renewing becomes the simple, natural, healthy, joyous growth of the heavenly life in us. The inner chamber then becomes the place for which we long daily, to praise God for what He has done, and is doing, and what we know He will do. Day by day, we yield ourselves afresh to the blessed Lord who has said, “He that believeth on Me out of him shall flow rivers of living water.” “The renewing of the Holy Ghost” becomes one of the most blessed verities of our daily Christian life. In Conclusion: I hope these passages and thoughts conveyed on the subject of renewal that we have considered in this post. Have been of benefit to you at this time in your Christian journey. I challenge you to consider, pray for and hunger for renewal. Its refreshing, purging and creative force I believe will bring growth and change in your Christian walk. A message preached last weekend by Kim Roberts is what I present today. I asked her especially for this and her previous week's messages. They were both outstanding.
Sermon November 20, 2016 Luke 23:33-43 Jesus is mocked. He is on the cross, suffering the fate of a criminal. “Some King you are! Save yourself,” they all taunt. Jesus could have saved himself, only hours before, through Pontius Pilate;--- but he chose not to. Pilate would rather have been anyplace but there at the governor’s palace, deciding legal matters. But that was his job. And on this unfortunate morning, the Jewish leaders appeared and thrust Jesus at him. “This man claims to be a king,” they said, implying that Jesus claimed to rival Caesar. They brought this charge to Pilate because they knew he would have to respond. A charge of sedition is serious. Pilate asked them, “What has he done?” The men had no real proof, so they became indignant. “If he weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have brought him to you.” So it seems Jesus is guilty by arrest, not necessarily by crime. Jesus is guilty just because he is in custody. Sound familiar? They wanted Jesus crucified, to be treated like a common criminal. Pilate took Jesus aside and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” This is where Jesus could have saved himself. He could have said no, and that would have been that. But he said, “My kingdom cannot be seen.” “What have you done?” Pilate now demanded, echoing the Jewish leaders, presuming Jesus had done something wrong, otherwise they wouldn’t have arrested him. And that is how this innocent man, Jesus, did not save himself. That is how he died at the hands of a Roman governor. One more innocent man killed. Completely innocent, yet adjudged completely guilty. We’ve probably all heard the words, “innocent until proven guilty.” But that only applies to the law. If you actually commit a crime, you are actually guilty. The criminal is not innocent until proven guilty any more than the innocent man wrongly convicted, like Jesus, is actually guilty just because he is convicted. Someone convicted of a crime years ago and now freed because of exonerating DNA evidence ----was always innocent. Jesus, though innocent, chose instead to endure death alongside all of the innocents throughout the ages. The death of these innocents tarnishes society with a deep sense of injustice. Justice has not been served. Injustice is a darkness, a shroud over us. It exists because the human race somehow dances with darkness, is complicit with evil,--- and from that, we need a savior. We need someone who can take away the sin – the darkness – of the world. Now, many people throughout the years have thought a King was needed to save them from that darkness. Monarchy is appealing. It’s nice to have someone in charge, someone making the tough decisions, someone taking care of you, and guiding you when life is especially complex. You may think to yourself, we Americans don’t want kings. After all, our constitutional democracy rejects monarchy. But maybe our society still longs for a king. We are drawn to strong leaders. We want someone who will protect us from the pall of darkness, the Sin of the world. We want justice. Of course, there is no such thing,--- no hero,--- no infallible king – not in this world shrouded by darkness. And yet ……. Today is Christ the King Sunday. The day that reminds us that there is a monarch who is just. Pope Pius XI introduced Christ the King Sunday in 1925, a time when despotic rulers and systems began to take hold in Europe: Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin. The Pope wanted to advance a message of security through the rule of Christ over the chaos of tyranny. And this is what Christ’s rule means: no earthly system is infallible. The shroud of darkness covers them all, covers us all. Injustice will continue in this world. And yet, there is a kingdom that transcends this darkness. Jesus himself said it: “My kingdom is not of this world.” This kingdom of God stands in stark contrast to the systems of this world. The kingdom of God is real. It exists in the here and now. It is the kingdom that exists in the heart of men and women who give themselves over to the King of Kings. It exists in the hearts of men and women who give themselves over to peace. It is because of the peace of that kingdom that we can promote justice here. It is because of that peace that we stand against bullying, bigotry and hatred. It is because of that peace that we feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Justice, like a river, flows from that kingdom into this world, through you. That is what the Kingdom of Christ means. It is otherworldly, and yet it is of this world. It is here and now, light against darkness. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. O Lord, please take away the darkness—the Sin of the world. Through us. Amen |
Reverend Patrick Vossen,
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