Sermon Download: Motivating Grace

  Anybody see their boss in a different light over the past two days? =)

Paul has successfully laid out his instructions to Titus concerning the different groups within the churches of Crete. So far he’s talked about the foundation of sound doctrine, the role of both older & younger saints, the need for inter-generational ministry in the body, and the call upon slaves (employees) to “adorn” the Gospel with a beautiful, obedient life.

But he’s not done.

In the final five verses of chapter 2, Paul is about to describe the proper motivation for what he’s described up to this point … it’s God’s grace. How does grace work? We’re about to find out!

For this week, read Titus 2:11-15, and consider the following:

• When did the grace of God appear? (v. 11)
• In what way did salvation come to “all men?” (v. 11)
• How might the local church help people live out v. 12?
• As God takes us through a purifying process, what attitude does He want from us? (v. 14)
• According to v. 15, how did Paul expect the Cretans to respond to Titus?

May the Holy Spirit illuminate your heart and mind as you study this week! ~ JN

 

Food-For-Thought: Plastic Fruit

  This is a great warning for those of us who are active on social media. Does our online persona match up with the real thing … or are we engaged in a public relations effort to create the perception of a certain image? Why can’t online relationships replace the real flesh-and-blood, life-on-life relationships we find in the church? Read on! From Lindsey Carlson at The Gospel Coalition …

The Plastic Fruit of Online Living

Online, Jill is a joyful and encouraging believer. She advocates for the oppressed and raises money for the poor. Every Saturday she tweets about her service at the local homeless shelter. She posts Bible verses several times a day. Based on her social media interactions, her friends seem to love and enjoy her.

Offline, she’s a different Jill.

Offline Jill seems standoffish and unengaged with her church community. Her online activism feels more like judgmentalism and, while happy to volunteer at a shelter, she can’t be bothered to serve her local church. Hurt by her apparent disinterest, Jill’s peers feel ignored and pushed away. She seems more content to live online than face-to-face.

How can Jill’s online life look so different from her real life? I can’t judge her; I’ve been her and seen the fallout.

I Trick You

What I allow you to see online shapes your perception of me.

I put forth the cleanest version of myself not to intentionally fool you, but because I want to glorify God in all I say and do (and for more selfish reasons). I avoid broadcasting my negativity to keep you from stumbling (again, and for more selfish reasons). I carefully steward my statuses, affirm others, and avoid grumbling and complaining. I mind my moral and social p’s and q’s.

It’s an admittedly misleading version of myself. I’m not posting, “Wow. I’m totally out of control. #ShamingMySon,” or “I haven’t done laundry in a month. #RatherBeTweeting.” It’s not that I’m unaware of my sin; I’ve just methodically eliminated the evidence. You assume I sin sometimes, but not because I’ve confessed.

In short, basing your impression of me on my social media profile would result in an embarrassingly inaccurate rendering of reality.

I Trick Me

What I present online unintentionally shapes my self-awareness, too.

Looking at the neatest, tidiest version of myself is sneakily alluring. I like the feeling of appearing perfect. The onlooking masses (or handful of friends) needn’t know I sin, well, regularly.

To be honest, my own sin surprises me. I’m shocked when pride surfaces, self-control slips, or I fall prey to the same idolatrous patterns I’ve been battling for years. My gut reaction isn’t, “Woe is me, I am a woman of unclean lips,” but embarrassment about the evidence of indwelling sin I thought I could hide.

If Real Me is radically different than Online Me, which me is real, and which is the impostor? If I’m failing to demonstrate the same fruit of the Spirit in “real life” as I do online, it’s probably plastic fruit—and I need to be aware of the discrepancy.

Getting Comfortable

It’s fun to fill your life with Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and blog readers who seem to care every time you nail a Pinterest project or your kid does something cool. Who wouldn’t love an audience to “like” all their pictures and “ooh and aah” over their craftiness?

But brothers and sisters, we must recognize this self-obsession and pride for what it is.

When I’m being encouraged primarily by online relationships, and large portions of my time are spent reading my own good press, it can get pretty comfortable on the sofa of social media. I like living in an online world where there’s no need for my community to truly bear with me. I’d rather bask in the love of my digital perfection than stumble and fall before real people who will call me out and hold me accountable.

If I’m not careful, hanging out where no one knows my dirt can easily lull me away from reality into a life of insincerity and isolation.

Being Present 

Avoiding real-life connections—the ones you see every Sunday morning—to unpack your heart in the digital community doesn’t only set you up for a delusional view of self, disappointment with your physical community, and social isolation; it also breeds spiritual stagnancy.

No matter how great your internet friends are, they aren’t standing beside you, sensing your suffocating self-absorption. They don’t see you at your worst or notice when you’re avoiding fellowship or suffering from spiritual depression. They won’t pick up on your dissatisfaction with your spouse, your constant bitterness or negativity, or your refusal to forgive the friend who hurt you. But real-life friends, the ones who can drive to your doorstep when you call, will.

I need friends who will get in my grill, iron sharpening iron, and help me to conquer sin head-on. I may turn a blind eye to my own social media slickness, but true friends won’t. I need to be confronted by my sinfulness in real life, where there’sno filter and no delete button.

Our Real and Present Need

My greatest need isn’t a public relations manager; it’s a Redeemer. And real-life, everyday friends—the ones aware of both my sin and the gospel’s power—will regularly remind me of this need.

Long-distance and digital friendships, no matter how wonderful they are, cannot gain full access into our souls. Seeing a friend’s compassionate eyes, holding her hand, and kneeling together in prayer are evidences of God’s tangible nearness in the war against sin.

Don’t settle for keeping your life primarily or exclusively online. Social media is a poor substitute for physical presence. Strive, fight for, and pour into those friends with whose voices, body language, and quirky personalities you’re well familiar. These are the hearts that know your heart—and are praying and engaging for your sanctification.

 

Worship Preview: May 19

Two beautiful songs we’ll be singing this Sunday … We Crown You and Our Song from Age to Age. Enjoy!

 

Sermon Download: An Adorning Testimony

  Thanks to Pastor Adam for walking us through Titus 2:4-8 last week!

We’ve now learned of Paul’s instructions to TItus for exhorting four groups of people within the churches of Crete: older men, older women, younger women, and younger men. This Sunday we’ll wrap up this important section of Scripture as we examine Paul’s instructions for the fifth and final group, slaves. While it’s not a perfect cultural bridge, the closest thing to being a first century slave in our day is being an employee under the authority of a boss or supervisor. Using that scenario as our application point, there’s much for us to learn about honoring God through our attitudes and actions in the workplace.

For this week, read Titus 2:9-10 … and then take a look at the following New Testament passages as well: Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-4:1, and 1 Timothy 6:1-2. Then consider the following:

• Is Paul giving approval to the institution of slavery in these passages? Why or why not?
• Do you think Paul viewed slaves as second-class citizens in the church? Why or why not?
• Is there any circumstance under which a slave (or employee) can disobey the master (or boss)?
• Is it OK for a Christian to obey his/her boss on the outside, but grumble behind the scenes?
• Who are you really serving as you earn your wages at work?
• What is the practical result when Christians show the unbelieving world what it means to be a faithful employee at work?

This is very practical stuff … enjoy your time in God’s word this week! ~ JN

 

Food-For-Thought: Pastor Saeed

  This breaks my heart. Please keep this courageous brother and his family in your prayers! ”Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.” – Hebrews 13:3

From The Christian Post this morning …

Pastor Saeed Abedini Spends ‘Worst Birthday Imaginable’ in Solitary Confinement

Saeed Abedini, the U.S. pastor imprisoned in Tehran, turned 33 years old on Tuesday, but there was little to celebrate as he found himself still in solitary confinement in one of Iran’s most brutal prisons.

“With tightness in my throat, pain in my heart, and tears streaming down my face … so very weak, I promise to stand strong in the strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fighting with every strength of my being until you are united to our family again,” the pastor’s wife, Naghmeh, wrote in a statement posted by The American Center for Law and Justice.

“I will be a voice, where you are being silenced. I will be hands and feet where you are being bound and in chains. That the whole world would know, that the whole world would hear that Jesus is Lord. We are so proud of you. Hang in there. Hold on tight to Jesus. You have many brothers and sisters praying for you and standing with you.”

Abedini, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in January supposedly for “engendering national security,” has been suffering from internal bleeding and kidney problems while in jail. The ACLJ, which is representing his wife and two children in the U.S., says that he is being denied the medical care that he needs.

The pastor, who was building an orphanage for children in Iran when he was arrested in September 2012, was sent to solitary confinement along with other prisoners at the end of April for expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of medical care they received.

In a statement, the ACLJ noted that Abedini was spending “the worst birthday imaginable” in solitary confinement, and reminded readers of the many beatings, as well as physical and mental torture the pastor has been put through because of his Christian faith and refusal to deny Christ.

The U.S. State Department and hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have called for his release in a petition, but so far their pleas have gone unanswered by Iranian authorities.

“This is a critical time for Pastor Saeed, whose health continues to worsen at the hands of his captors,” said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the ACLJ.

“Pastor Saeed’s strength and resolve is remarkable. Through all of the abuse and torment he has endured at the hands of his Iranian captors, he remains resilient in his faith. He concluded, his last letter – his last communication with the outside world: ‘Pastor Saeed Abedini, the servant and slave of Jesus Christ in chains, with a lot of joy to see you soon.’ His faith is keeping him alive.”

Abedini has been receiving support from the ACLJ’s letter writing campaign which has gathered over 52,000 letters from people all around the world giving him courage.

One such letter reads: “Your Message of forgiveness is an amazing Testimony and actually helped us realize there was someone in our life we needed to forgive, thank you.”

The letters can be found at SaveSaeed.org.

 

Sermon Download: Binding Generations

  Good evening, church family! Pastor Adam here, hoping you’ve all enjoyed the wonderful rain and cool weather the past few days. This weekend we’re continuing our series in Titus, and as we focus on the intergenerational aspect of the church described by Paul in Titus 2:4-8, we’ll also take some time to honor the wonderful office of “motherhood” this Sunday.

An encouragement to you in reading the Scripture for this week:

Remember that God has sovereignly designed the church to be a body made up of many parts; “men & women” are the two most general subcategories, but even within those there’s also “older & younger”, and then within the “older & younger” categories there’s unique aspects that every member brings to the body of Christ.  The body is beautiful because Christ is the head, and the uniqueness of each member becomes wonderfully utilized as we follow Him in unity.

To prepare for our passage, study Titus 2:4-8, and consider the following:

• Who is supposed to “train (encourage) the young women to love their husbands and children”? (v. 4)
• How can the word of God be dishonored according to v. 5?
• What does it mean for a young man to be sensible? (v. 6)
• Is Titus a young or old man? (v. 7)
• Take a moment and think about your speech, the way you talk and what you talk about… is your speech beyond reproach? In what ways can your speech be more “sound”?

Praying for the Spirit to provide you with grace and wisdom in your studying! ~ AS

 

Food-for-Thought: Of Heroes and Judgment

  Those of you who pay attention to the parallel worlds of sports and social culture saw the two come together this past week in a very interesting way.

NBA basketball player Jason Collins “came out of the closet” as the first openly-gay active player in a major men’s sport in America. In an explosion of progressive glee, news outlets went crazy. His announcement was the lead story on most cable news shows. Twitter accounts everywhere lauded Collins as a “hero” as if he had run into a burning orphanage and saved the lives of countless children. Even President Obama took the time to call Collins to declare his support for him.

All that aside, what interested me the most was seeing how any dissenting voices would be treated. Would anyone stand up and dare to apply a moral judgment to our new hero’s pronouncement? As expected, a few did, and they were instantly castigated and shouted down. That brings me to the point of this blog post: How do you respond when someone says, “You have no right to pass judgment?”

The following article from Sam Storms of The Gospel Coalition might help. Enjoy …

HOMOSEXUALITY, THE NBA, AND THE MORALITY OF MAKING MORAL JUDGMENTS

The news has been filled all this week with the announcement by professional basketball player Jason Collins that he is gay. Here in Oklahoma City, the local paper quoted several athletes who expressed their opinion. One came from the Kevin Durant, a professing Christian. I like Kevin Durant. By all accounts he’s not only a superb basketball player but a fine human being. But I wish he had given more thought to his response to Collins’ declaration. He said: “If the guy’s happy, whatever he does, that’s cool with me. Nobody has any right to judge.”

Actually, not only does everyone have a right to judge, everyone has a responsibility to judge! In fact, everyone does judge, even if they think they don’t. Making moral judgments is simply inevitable.

No one has made this clearer than have Francis Beckwith and Gregory Koukl in their excellent book, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (Baker, 1998). They provide us with a number of ways to respond to those who think our moral judgments about someone like Jason Collins are bigoted, hate-filled, and an expression of unwarranted intolerance and arrogant judgmentalism.

For example, how often have you had it said to you, or heard it said to someone else: “You shouldn’t force your morality on me.” The proper response is: “Why not?” After all, he is forcing his morality on you by insisting that you have no right to force your morality on him! He has a strong moral conviction, namely, that no one should force their morality on anyone else. But “he’s going to have a hard time explaining why you shouldn’t impose your views without imposing his morality on you. This forces him to state a moral rule while simultaneously denying that moral rules exist” (Beckwith/Koukl, 145).

If I had heard Mr. Durant say what he did, my immediate response would have been something like this:

“Kevin, you say that ‘no one has any right to judge.’”

“That’s correct.”

“So you believe it is morally wrong for one person to judge the morality of another person?”

“Well, yeah, I suppose so.”

“So why aren’t you morally wrong for judging others for their moral judgments? Surely you wouldn’t want to argue that ‘no one has any right to judge’ except for you.”

This same principle can be applied to a number of scenarios:

“You shouldn’t force your morality on me.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t believe in forcing morality.”

“If you don’t believe in it, then by all means, don’t do it. Especially don’t force that moral view of yours on me.”

Or again,

“You shouldn’t push your morality on me.”

“I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that statement. Do you mean I have no right to an opinion?”

“You have a right to your opinion, but you have no right to force it on anyone.”

“Is that your opinion?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is.”

“Then why are you forcing it on me?”

“Because you’re saying that only your view is right.”

“Am I wrong in saying that?”

“Yes.”

“Is that your view?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re saying that only your view is right, which is the very thing you objected to me saying.”

Or again,

“Don’t push your morality on me.”

“Why not? Don’t you believe in morality?”

“Sure, but I believe in my morality, not yours.”

“Well, then, how do you know what’s moral?”

“I think people should decide individually.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing. And I’m deciding that you are immoral. Why do you have a problem with that? After all, live and let live is your value, not mine.”

Or again,

“You shouldn’t push your morality on me.”

“Correct me if I’m misunderstanding you here, but it sounds to me like you’re telling me I’m wrong.”

“You are.”

“Well, you seem to be saying that my personal moral view shouldn’t apply to other people. But that sounds suspiciously like you are applying your moral view to me.”

Or again,

“Who are you to say that abortion is wrong?”

“Who are you to say, ‘Who are you to say’?”

The point here is that “she’s challenging your right to correct another, yet she’s correcting you. Your response to her amounts to ‘Who are you to correct my correction, if correcting in itself is wrong?’ or ‘If I don’t have the right to challenge your view, then why do you have the right to challenge mine?’ Her objection is self-refuting; you’re just pointing it out” (Beckwith/Koukl, 146). 

My aim here certainly hasn’t been to question Kevin Durant’s moral value system. In fact, I wish more men in the NBA were like him. I simply wanted to point out that many people make what amount to moral judgments about the morality of others making moral judgments, and never realize in doing so that they are indicting themselves. Their position is self-refuting.

The fact is, everyone should exercise his/her responsibility to make moral judgments about such matters as homosexual behavior. Only in this way can we dialogue meaningfully about the issues facing our country today. Only in this way can we analyze, compare, and contrast differing moral systems to determine which is more moral. Well, that’s my judgment anyway!