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Month: September 2014

Experts In The Gospel?

Published by Jeff Kennon on September 15, 2014

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Are you an expert in the gospel? That which Paul claimed to be of “first importance,” which is that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4), is this what you are well trained in?

“All Christians,” writes Milton Vincent, “should become experts in their knowledge and use of the gospel, not simple so they can share it faithfully with non-Christians, but also so they can speak it to themselves everyday and experience its benefits.”

We must understand that the gospel is for Christians. True, it’s through the hearing of the gospel by which we are saved, but we never move beyond it. Nor does there come a time we do not need it.

It’s by the gospel that we are transformed as we understand it more completely.  As we hear, read, mediate, and memorize the glorious truth of God’s grace found in the person and work of Christ, our hearts are compelled to follow the one who gave himself up for us.

Therefore, we must work at becoming experts in the gospel. We must not become weary  from “preaching the gospel to ourselves” each day. We must seek to memorize and meditate upon gospel passages such as Ephesians 1-3, Colossians 1-2, and Romans 1-11.

“If Christians would do more preaching of the gospel to themselves,” writes Vincent, “non-Christians might have less trouble comprehending its message, for they would see its truth and power exuding from believers in indisputable ways.”

So will you work at becoming an expert in the gospel? Will you daily place in front of your eyes, ears, mind, and heart the wonderful grace of Jesus?

Everything in our world speaks against the truths found in the gospel. Our world is not full of grace and mercy, but rather unforgiveness and disdain. Therefore, we must daily seek to know the reality that we are “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (Col 3:12). And we must become experts in such truths!!

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on September 11, 2014

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Three Questions To Help Diagnose Possible Football Idolatry Wherever there is a consuming passion for anything that is not God there is the danger of idolatry. And football is certainly a consuming passion for many in this country. So what are some of the signs that football has grown to idolatrous proportions in the heart of the Christian?

Can Everyone Be A Leader? Simply put, not everyone is a leader nor should everyone be a leader. But everyone is an influencer.

7 Signs Your Spending Too Much Time Looking At Your Phone Recent research has confirmed that cell phone “addiction” is actually a real thing. Professionals have even devised methods of determining if you suffer from a psychological condition that warrants actual medical intervention.

God Loves My Boring, Unimportant Neighborhood – I’ve not seen too many books on missions, church planting, and ministry strategy that addresses a city like mine.

What People Who Are New To Your Church Want You To Know Until you are new, until you’re a visitor, it’s difficult to understand what it’s like and to put yourself in a visitor’s shoes at your church, but it’s so important to try. A warm, welcome, and helpful environment is one of the most essential ingredients for a person to become a follower of Christ and grow and connect within the church.

I Want A “Do-Over” – The gospel is God’s announcement to failing people like you and me that we are now free from the slavery of “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

Man of Sorrows – Some great theology in this song.

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Our Old Life Is Finished!

Published by Jeff Kennon on September 10, 2014

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I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  -Galatians 2:20

Concerning this verse, John Stott writes:

In Christ “old things are passed away” and “all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, AV). This is because the death and resurrection of Christ are not only historical events (He “gave himself” and now “lives”), but events in which through faith-union with Him His people have come to share (“I have been crucified with Christ” and now “I live”).

Once we have been united to Christ in His death, our old life is finished; it is ridiculous to suggest that we could ever go back to it. Besides, we have risen to a new life. 

In one sense, we live this new life through faith in Christ. In another sense, it is not we who live it at all, but Christ who lives it in us. And, living in us, He gives us new desires for holiness, for God, for heaven. It is not that we cannot sin again; we can. But we do not want to.

The whole tenor of our life has changed. Everything is different now, because we ourselves are different. See how daringly personal Paul makes it: Christ “gave himself for me.” “Christ…lives in me.” 

No Christian who has grasped these truths could ever seriously contemplate reverting to the old life. 

–The Message of Galatians

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Resolved…

Published by Jeff Kennon on September 8, 2014

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Jonathan Edwards, during the years 1722 to 1723, while a young man, composed a set of resolutions for himself. For Edwards, these resolutions were a way for him to gauge his relationship to Christ as well as to provide a set of goals for his life.

Throughout his life, these resolutions were his constant companion as he resolved “to read over these resolutions once a week.” Stephen  Nichols thinks we might benefit from doing the same. He writes that the Resolutions are as relevant today as they were when [Edwards] first penned them so long ago. Reading though them on a regular basis may very well help us also to live with all of our might to the glory and praise of God.

While each of Edwards’ seventy resolutions are valid and worthy of reciting, there are a few that personally seemed to rise above the rest.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

7. Resolved, never to do anything that I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully an constantly what that one thing in me is that causes me in the least to doubt the love of God; and so direct all my forces against it.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of them.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do if I had already seen the happiness of heaven and the torments of hell.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fifth with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life ling, that is, with the greatest openness I am capably of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my should to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and everything, and every circumstance.

70. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.

As you can see, though written almost 300 years ago, these resolutions continue to challenge and speak to the heart. Though Edwards did not write these resolutions to be published, we benefit greatly because they were.

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on September 4, 2014

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Why Does God Let Me Stay So Weak? – Why does God let us stay so weak at times? Why is it so hard to put sin to death? Why do we struggle and fail so much? Why are we so often weak in our faith?

Creating A Culture of Evangelism – If we want to create a culture of evangelism in our churches, I believe there are at least 5 things that we must do.

Never Resist The Urge To Pray – The urge to pray does not come from your flesh or the devil, but from God. It is God who is urging and drawing his children to pray.

The Danger of Measurable Outcomes – It is all too easy to get caught up in the sensational and forget the significant.

What Victoria Osteen Got Right – Check out what David Murray has to say about all the hoopla concerning Victoria Osteen’s recent comments regarding God wanting us to be happy. Was she entirely wrong?

Christ Did Not Die For You To Do Keg Stands – Here are a few suggestions on how to begin formulating a Christian response to drinking on our college campuses.

Kid President’s Talk to Teachers and Students

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The Need To Continually Hear The Gospel

Published by Jeff Kennon on September 3, 2014

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In Phillip Cary’s book Good News For Anxious Christians: 10 Practical Things You Don’t Have To Do, he writes some challenging words when it comes to the church’s role in repeating the gospel. He writes…

The church is in the business of cultivating ordinary Christians, people who are united to Christ by faith and are in it for the long haul, like people in a good marriage.

It transforms people, not by giving them life-changing experiences but by repetition, continually telling the story of Christ so that people may hear and take hold of him by faith.

For we do not just receive Christ by faith once at the beginning of our Christian lives and then go on to do the real work of transformation by our good works. We keep needing Christ the way hungry people need bread, and we keep receiving him whenever we hear the gospel preached and believe it.

So what transforms us over the long haul is not one or two great life-changing sermons (although these can be helpful from time to time) but the repeated teaching of Christ, Sunday after Sunday, so that we never cease receiving him into our hearts.

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