Piper on Singleness

Piper preaches on Singleness.  You can hear it, watch it, or read it here.

Thoughts on God and the Laker Victory Last Night

I am a big Laker fan and praise God that they won. When they were down by 15 or something like that, I was frustrated and put my head on my wife’s shoulder and prayed that the Lakers would win. And God answered my prayer! Now God is not a Laker fan, as can be proved by looking at their record and their past few seasons. God taught me a few things last night through the Lakers “amazing” victory:

 

1. It is not as amazing as God and his redemptive works.
2. God answers prayers, sometimes yes, sometimes no, always for his glory and his people’s good – I’m sure someone prayed for the Suns to win last night too.
3. My calloused heart and joy in the trivial as opposed to the eternal and important. I was so happy and relieved last night and I had a sense of excitement and joy that was evident in the feeling in my body. I felt good. I couldn’t stop smiling. I would just think of the game and find pleasure in what occurred. Then I thought what God was teaching me. It’s not wrong to feel these things, it’s wrong to feel them more than feeling for God, his glory, his Son, his Church, his mission, his elect getting saved, and seeing his people growing. I thought to myself, the game and series and NBA is not as important as marriage, parenting, edifying saints, evangelizing the lost personal and corporate worship, ministry to the lost and hurting in the world, and a host of other things. And the NBA and the Lakers are INFINITELY less important than God. So while it may not be improper to feel gladness in the victory it is improper and convicting that I haven’t felt this way about God or the cross for some time! And my feelings for God should be far greater than this feeling! I praise God for showing me callousness, for causing me to repent, to trust in Christ’s final and sacrificial death, and calling me to grow in affection for him consistently and constantly.
4. I praise God for Bianca because she was a good sport about the Suns losing. It may be because her team is up 2-1, but until I know for sure, I’ll give credit to God’s sanctifying grace giving her humility and joy in him to be a good sport =)

Learning Christian responsibility and divine providence from the TV show “Heroes”

I don’t think the T.V. show “Heroes” has Christian writers. But I saw something this past Monday that reinforced a Christian principle worthy of application in our lives as followers of Christ. Many people who believe in the sovereignty of God and the truth that he ordains all things can be tempted to say, “Well if that’s God’s plan, then there’s nothing I could do about it.” Others tend to think in terms of our responsibility as if God’s plans are contingent and dependent on our work, so that if we do not do what we are supposed to do God’s plans will be thwarted. Neither of these should be the Christian’s perspective. So now on to Heroes.

In the TV show, Isaac, a man who is able to paint the future, painted his death. He was murdered in a peculiar way that is only done by the man named Sylar. When Sylar meets Isaac, Isaac knows it’s his time to die. So what does he do? Well, first he defies Sylar and tells Sylar that though he will die, he already knew that and made arrangements for Sylar to be defeated. Isaac looked into the future and gave the information needed to stop Sylar, even though Sylar would inevitably and necessarily kill Isaac. Now here’s the thing that struck me, Isaac embraced his death and his part in the story. He did not fight it. He was not crippled by the fear of it. He embraced it. He embraced his role, to see the future and to give the necessary information to the right people, and then die. And that’s exactly what happened.

This is what Christian living is like. God calls us and saves us in Christ. He ordained all of our days before we knew any of them (Psalm 139:16). But that doesn’t mean we sit and not fulfill our role and calling and responsibilities because God ordained all things. Instead, we embrace our role and calling, in following Christ, pouring out our lives doing what God has called us to do, realizing that it is all providentially ordained and planned by God. God’s plans do not eliminate the Christian’s responsibility. His plans empower our responsibility (Phil. 2:12-13). So we embrace our responsibility and fulfill it, knowing that it is only by God’s power and design that we accomplish anything. And we will accomplish things for God; it is our destiny. So don’t say, “Well it’s God’s plan, so I guess there’s nothing I could do about it.” Instead take the Bible’s perspective, “Well it’s God’s plan, so I must embrace it as I trust in Christ.”

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

New (old) D. A. Carson audio

Three lectures by D. A. Carson on the primacy of expository preaching given at the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors in 1995.

For all D. A. Carson audio that I can find on the web for free, go here.

 

Another resource in thinking about the Virginia Tech Shooting

Piper preaching on terror and tragedy and God and his sovereignty.  There is audio or reading of this resource.

Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller

INTRODUCTION

Answers to the Questions for discussion:

1.       After reading on an overview of poverty, the statistics most surprising were the stats on how many white are poor in comparison to black and Hispanic.  I was also surprised by the complexity of the reasons for poverty and how small the fraction was of those who are able to work yet lazy.  It was 1/6 of the poor that were able to work, and only a portion of them can really be called lazy.  My view of poverty has changed after reading the facts in understanding that the problem, and thus the role of the church in being part of the solution, is deeper and more strategic than simply feeding the poor or giving them some money or a place to stay, though it may often include that.  I saw that poverty was tied to morality, divorce, fornication and child birth, the advance of technology, the inadequacy of the wages for the poor, and the general direction of things looking to get worse, not better.

2.       Based on the example of Angela on page 15, some of the complexities in serving the poor are knowing where they are and their situation, and knowing how to help.  The big complexity is to understand them and communicate that you do understand them when most who are not poor in this culture do not understand them but let their preconceived notion of poor people dictate and determine their interaction with and service to the poor.

3.       A pocket of poverty in my community that our church may be able to help is the working poor, who have jobs and yet do not have enough to sustain life considering the cost of rent, the meager wages, and the cost of living.  I do not see many homeless singles or families in Walnut and West Covina, though I have seen a few near the West Covina Mall.  So the pocket of poverty that I identify according to the introduction is the “working poor” described on pp. 18-19.

General Reflection/Response to the section:

I realize that I have not understood what situation the poor was in.  What an eye-opener!  I praise God for showing me the situation and the need clearer.  I have a burden to be part of the solution and to lead the church in being faithful to God and meeting the needs of the poor in our community and in our country.  I still don’t know what or how to do it, and that’s why I’m glad Alex and I are reading this book.  I want my family and church family to glorify Christ in loving our neighbors in light of eternity and the gospel.  I pray that this book and discussion with Alex my brother may help.  I do see how I am one of those evangelicals who are clueless as to the situation and need of my poor neighbors in my community and in my country.

Father, thank you for loving the poor and meeting their needs through Christ and his church.  Thank you for letting me be part of the church.  I thank you for Tim Keller and his ministry to me through his writing. I pray that I and Alex would be doers of the Word and love the poor.  Help us to have mercy and compassion on them and live sacrificial lives.  Help us to be informed in our solutions and keep our zeal and desires tethered to the gospel and your priorities for us laid out in Scripture.  Help us to relieve the oppressed and suffering, especially eternal oppression and suffering from sin and its consequences.  Give Alex insight as well as he reads this section.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

How should we think about the tragedy at Virginia Tech?

My advice is to listen to these statements on the biblical and Christian worldview on this tragedy:

1. DesiringGod blog has a short article with verse references on the tragedy
2. Al Mohler did a 38 minute radio show on it yesterday that is insightful and has callers with good and bad insights.
3. Al Mohler wrote a short article on the reality of evil.

Let us be in prayer for the families and the churches who will communicate the love and message of God in Christ.

A great article on expository preaching

This was helpful and the last section is very practical for preachers.

How to Fight to be a worker for the joy of your people

How to fight to be a worker for their joy. (Hear the message here: play or download).

1. Fight with all your might for joy in Christ
a. This is the supreme battle in the ministry
b. Love Jesus more than success, family, and health – this is the supreme warfare
c. Cry out with the Psalmist the I.O.U.S.
d. It’s a fight from the moment you wake up until the moment you sleep

2. Ground everything you say on Christ crucified and risen because 2 Cor. 4:4 says that where the joy comes from is seeing the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ who is the image of God. You will take your people there again and again and again

3. You will sustain your people by teaching them the glory of God’s sovereignty to sustain them in suffering so they won’t think it foolish to rejoice in tribulation

4. You will support their joy in the midst of their terrible losses by being there for them the way that Christ is there for you.

I have a new page: “Currently Reading”

I have a new page you can click on on the right side under “Pages” called, “Currently Reading” which tells of the books I’m “currently reading.” =)