The Process Is the Point – Run to Obtain the Prize

Nov13

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (ESV)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

 

1. Run to obtain the prize

1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

What is the prize?

  • An Imperishable and unfading wreath

1 Corinthians 9:25 (ESV) Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Peter 5:4 (ESV) And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

  • The wreath is the crown of life, righteousness, glory (James 1:12; Rev 2:10; 2 Tim 4:8;)

James 1:12 (ESV) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

  • Upward or Heavenly Call of God

Philippians 3:14 (ESV) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Those are all future prizes for those who run the race.  But there are also present day prizes.

Luke 18:29-30 (ESV)

29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Notice how that passage says “in this time and in the age to come”?

There are present time rewards for those who are running the race not “just” a future hope.

Not that the future hope is not enough but because the Lord knows we would struggle with a seemingly distant hope and no rewards along the way.  He is a gracious and generous God to those He loves.

 

See the The Process Is The Point Series

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The Process is the Point; How You Run the Race Matters

Nov12

Previously we looked at The Process is the Point.  (Shockingly this was started in June and now we are mid November!  Too many processes going on here! ) How just as important as achieving our goals is the process in which we strive for them. Based off of 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Hebrews 12:1-3, I listed 10 key points to running our race.  But didn’t really spend much time with them.

1. Run to obtain the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24)

2. Exercise Self-Control (1 Corinthians 9:25)

3. Do not run Aimlessly (1 Corinthians 9:26)

4. Discipline my body (1 Corinthians 9:27)

5. Keep my body under Control (1 Corinthians 9:27)

6. Lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1)

7. Lay aside sin which clings (Hebrews 12:1)

8. Run with endurance (Hebrews 12:1)

9. Look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)

10. Do not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:3)

All of these come from just those two passages!!!  That is alot of guidance for running the race.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (ESV)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

 

Hebrews 12:1–3 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Let’s look closer at each of these and pull in other verses from the Bible that apply.

See the The Process Is The Point Series

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The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon

Nov6

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon (Long Line of Godly Men Profiles) – Free Kindle Book

by Dr. Steven J. Lawson

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon is a passionate call for all Christians to follow Spurgeon in maintaining the proper balance between divine sovereignty in salvation and fiery passion in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Free for a limited time.

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Obedient Children – John Piper

Oct30

Parents, Require Obedience of Your Children

…

A Tragedy in the Making

I witnessed such a scenario in the making on a plane last week. I watched a mother preparing her son to be shot.

I was sitting behind her and her son, who may have been seven years old. He was playing on his digital tablet. The flight attendant announced that all electronic devices should be turned off for take off. He didn’t turn it off. The mother didn’t require it. As the flight attendant walked by, she said he needed to turn it off and kept moving. He didn’t do it. The mother didn’t require it.

One last time, the flight attendant stood over them and said that the boy would need to give the device to his mother. He turned it off. When the flight attendant took her seat, the boy turned his device back on, and kept it on through the take off. The mother did nothing. I thought to myself, she is training him to be shot by police.

… Continue reading Here.

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Help for Women Under Stress

Oct16

Help for Women Under Stress [Kindle Edition] by Randy and Nanci Alcorn

Stress. It’s part of our everyday lives, sometimes as the spark that keeps us moving forward and sometimes as the avalanche that threatens to bury us. Chances are, since this book’s title has caught your eye, you are looking for some relief from stress, or at least hope that relief is possible.

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of Help for Women Under Stress, originally published in 1986, Randy and Nanci offer you both the hope and the help you are looking for. They not only help you understand what stress is and how it operates, but give plenty of useful tips and strategies for bringing peace to the chaos of your daily life.

Your energy is perishable, but can be daily replenished. Don’t waste your life in unnecessary and unwise responses to stress. Let this book help you live in a way that honors God and your loved ones, while understanding and respecting your limits. And let it remind you that one day God will wipe away all the downsides of stress in an eternal world of rest, refreshment, thriving relationships and unending adventure.

Free Kindle book for a limited time.

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John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology [Kindle Edition]

Oct9

John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology [Kindle Edition] – free for a limited time

Meet the Man Behind the Myths

John Calvin s name evokes powerful images, most of them negative. In the minds of many, he is perceived as an ivory-tower theologian who was harsh and unreasonable, the driving force behind a dangerous theological system. In this volume, Burk Parsons and eighteen other leading Reformed pastors and scholars authoritatively reveal the truth about Calvin and his teaching that he was humble, caring, pious, Scripture-saturated, and, above all, passionate about upholding the glory of God. Published in conjunction with the five-hundredth anniversary of Calvin’s birth (2009), John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology offers a highly readable portrait of a man whose example and teaching remain vitally relevant even in the twenty-first century.

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Session 8 – The Power of Jesus’ Preaching – His Proclamation of the Word

Oct3

Expositor’s Conference 2013

Session 8 – The Power of Jesus’ Preaching – His Proclamation of the Word (Steve Lawson)

This is Part 2 of the sermon begun in Session 1.

Text: Luke 4:14–21 (NASB95)

14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.

15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,

19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Without the power of the Holy Spirit in our preaching, our preaching is dead. The power of the Spirit is not incidental, it is fundamental.

1.  The Spirit-filled preacher is rooted and grounded in the text of the scripture.

A.  Jesus was a Spirit-anointed preacher.

i.      In verses 18-19, we see God the Father anointing God the Son with God the Spirit.

B.  Jesus was anointed as a preacher to:

  i.      Preach the gospel to the poor, that is, the ones absolutely destitute spiritually

ii.      Proclaim release to the captives, that is, those in spiritual bondage to their sins

1.  This is the antitype of the year of Jubilee in the Old Testament

2.  This (today) is the favorable year of the Lord

3. “Release” is also translated “forgiveness”

iii.      Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind, that is, those who are blinded by Satan

iv.      To set free them that are oppressed

v.      To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. Verse 21 tells us that this was fulfilled in their hearing on this day.

1.  Application: there is a sense of urgency in this verse.

2.  The pronouncement of the Lord

A.  Jesus stops reading half-way through the verse.

B.  Jesus sits down to teach, to expound upon, what he has just read.

i.      Read the text

ii.      Explain the text

iii.      Exhort with the text

C.  The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Jesus. What will he say? What will this hometown boy say about this text? Does he address the text in the past? No. Jesus addresses the here and now. Jesus proclaims that this scripture has been fulfilled in their hearing. HAS BEEN. When? Just now.

i.      The free offer of the gospel has just been extended to the hearers.

a.  They were poor, blind, captives, oppressed. The gospel has just been proclaimed to them.

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Session 7 – The Effects of Pentecost Preaching – The Salvation of Sinners

Sep30

Expositor’s Conference 2013

Session 7 – The Effects of Pentecost Preaching – The Salvation of Sinners (Sinclair Ferguson)

Text: Galatians 4:1–6 (NASB95)

1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,

2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

 

Text: Romans 8:9–32 (NASB95)

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—

13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope

21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 

Romans chapter 8 is the great chapter in the Bible concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The language here is rich with the imagery of family – brothers, sons, adoption, children, heirs. Comparing Galatians 4 and Romans 8 we see a subtle difference in the cry “Abba, Father”. In Galatians, it is the Spirit who cries “Abba, Father”. In Romans 8 it is the spirit of adoption as sons in us which cries “Abba, Father.”

Adoption is the highest of our present privileges. The apex of the ministry of the Spirit in the believer is this gift of the spirit of adoption as sons.

1.  When the Spirit comes, He produces in us family likeness to the Son of God (v.13)

A.  Ongoing destruction of sin

B.  Ongoing construction of holiness

2.  When the Spirit comes, He brings assurance of our adoption of sons.

A.  This is the common experience of all believers.

B.  The Old Testament scriptures do not speak of God as Father of the believer.

C.  The New Testament scripture reveals God as the personal Father of the believer.

D.  This is done practically by the Spirit witnessing with our spirit.

i.      The evidence is our crying out “Abba, Father.”

a.  The cry here is the shriek of a child for help.

b.  This is not the evidence of a super-mature Christian, it is the nature of every Christian, newborn and mature. It is instinct. It is because of the Spirit in us.

3.  When the Spirit comes, he teaches us that there is significance and meaning in our suffering.

A.  We who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan inwardly waiting for our adoption as sons. We long for that day when this adoption is fully realized.

B.  The Spirit does not release us from the sufferings and groanings. We groan because we already have the Spirit. We groan because we are not completely there yet.

i.      We groan because of suffering.

ii.      We groan because of our sins.

iii.      We groan because we have not yet been resurrected. We are not yet whole. There is a home-sickness in every believer.

C.  We endure the suffering in order to share in the glory. It is the suffering that results in the glory. It is not a now-then construction. It is a now-now construction – suffering now, glory now.

4.  When the Spirit comes, He gives us supernatural help in our weakness (v.26).

A.  “helps” contains two prepositions – “sun” and “anti”. “Sun” indicates someone who is with us. “Anti” indicates someone who stands alongside us.

B.  The Spirit knows how to pray for us in our weakness. The groanings of the Spirit are the deep-seated cries of our soul. God is able to interpret the groanings of the Spirit.

5.  When the Spirit comes, He comes as the agent which transforms us into the likeness of the Son.

A.  The Father promised the Son that He could send the Spirit into those who would be adopted as sons.

B.  One day through the ministry of the Spirit we will be just like our elder Brother.

C.  The deepest desire of the Trinity is that we will all be family.

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Session 6 – Question and Answer

Sep27

Expositor’s Conference 2013

Session 6 – Question and Answer (Sinclair Ferguson and Steve Lawson)

Q.           How much does preaching in the power of Holy Spirit have to do with the amount of time the preacher spends in prayer?

A.            Preparation and prayer are interrelated. But power in preaching is absent apart from the Spirit. Disciplined study includes prayer as part of the preparation. We must be careful not to allow our preparation fill just the remaining time. We are told that there was prayer in the upper room before the day of Pentecost came.

 

Q.           What was the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Jesus as Jesus hung on the cross and said “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

A.            Jesus was highly exalted by his death on the cross, and in that the Father was pleased in the obedience of Jesus Christ. On the cross Jesus was sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit in the sense that the abandonment of God did not overwhelm him, but he was sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. The garden of Gethsemane shows us that Jesus did not desire to experience this divine desertion. But he remains faithful in choosing the cross so that he might gain the bride.

 

Q.           What advice would you give to young pastors training up young men? How can churches better train up men for ministry?

A.            Here is the question – What minister has invested themselves in your life? Ministers today are preparing themselves to be ministers but not servants, because they have never been served. Ministers today are preparing themselves to lead without ever having themselves been lead. The minister must allow the younger men to get near enough to them “smell” what ministry is all about. Younger men need to see and feel, not just hear, what ministry is all about. Preparation for the ministry is becoming very expensive. The people of God need to be encouraged to provide for those who are preparing for ministry. Young men are drawn to the strong preaching of the word of God. Intentional discipleship in theology, history, and the doctrines of grace is also important.

 

Q.           Opinion of covenantal baptism as compared to other forms of baptism in the Presbyterian Church.

A.            The mode and time of baptism is generally not part of the confession of faith for members. But this is different for officers. The theology will affect the atmosphere of the church. There are people who are drawn by the particular idiosyncrasies of a church. We must not be driven to be different from everyone else as the only goal for ministry. Being argumentative is a biblical disqualification from leadership.

 

Q.           Why did God create Lucifer knowing he would become Satan?

A.            There is a big answer – God does everything for his own glory. Another answer is that there is a display of God’s character in the judgment of evil. However, the ends do not provide a full explanation. We must appeal to Deuteronomy 29:29 in this matter. We would have to understand God as God understands himself to answer questions such as this. We must not feel any personal constraint to know every answer to every question. There is an answer to every question, but we will not know the answer to every question, or we would be God. The wisdom and knowledge of God is beyond our ability to comprehend. The sin of Adam and Eve was this desire to have the knowledge and wisdom of God.

 

Q.           The work of the Spirit in regeneration – what is the difference before and after Pentecost?

A.            The same methods were at work for Old Testament believers as for New Testament believers. Both are regenerated in the same way. This continuity is undergirding. The same fruits of the Spirit are seen in the lives of Old Testament believers as in the New Testament. Old Testament saints are regenerated in light of what Christ will do. New Testament saints are regenerated in light of what Christ did. The Old Testament is a progressive revelation of Jesus Christ – the seed of the woman, the offspring of Abraham, the son of David, the suffering servant, the lamb of God. We now live in an epoch of which John the Baptist could only dream of. We have a much greater revelation of the trinity now than the Old Testament believer had. We have this same experience now in the increasing maturity of the believer. The Spirit never gets ahead of Jesus in this progressive revelation. Consideration the narrative in Galatians 3 about the law being the pedagogue to bring us to Christ. Looking back from the position of being in Christ, Paul says that being under the pedagogue was like being a slave. However, before Christ, those who were under the pedagogue delighted in being under the law. It is a matter of perspective from your point of revelation.

 

Q.           How do I know if I have studied and prayed enough for this Sunday’s sermon?

A.            There is no set answer to this question to be found in the Bible. It differs from person to person and occasion to occasion. It does require a life dedication to both study and prayer. We probably have never studied enough or prayed enough. You know it is time to stop studying and praying when someone knocks on the study door and tells you it’s time to preach.  There is a maddening disconnect between our preparation and prayer and the power of our preaching at times.

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Session 5 – The Trumpet Blast of Scotland – The Preaching of John Knox

Sep27

Expositor’s Conference 2013

Session 5 – The Trumpet Blast of Scotland – The Preaching of John Knox (Steve Lawson)

John Knox was first and foremost a preacher. Even though he was a writer, a theologian, a reformer, he was first and foremost a preacher. He was a preacher throughout the entirety of his converted life.

Born in 1514. Went to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Entered the ministry as a personal bodyguard of a preacher who was eventually martyred. Began teaching in St. Andrews Castle. Was taken captive by the French in 1547. Is eventually exchanged and began to preach in England. Made one of the king’s chaplains and sent throughout England to spread the reformed faith. Forced into hiding in 1553 and then flees to France and then to Geneva. Then goes to Frankfurt to pastor a church and returns to Geneva. Works on the Geneva Bible. In 1559 Knox returns to Scotland and helps establish the Church of Scotland. Has a confrontation with Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. John Knox preaches against the idolatry of the mass. Is put on trial for treason against the Queen. He continues to preach against the Queen. Mary abdicates the throne. Civil war between the Protestants and the Catholics breaks out. Knox moves back to St. Andrews and preaches the rest of his life there and in Edinburgh. Dies in 1572.

Knox led the charge to turn the nation of Scotland around for the gospel. What was it about Knox’s preaching that made this happen? We only have 2 or 3 of Knox’s sermons. What can we know about Knox and his preaching?

1.  God-called. He knew he was called of God to preach. He could not have lived through the crises he faced unless he had been called by God.

a.  This call was made manifest in public when he first began to teach.

b.  He turned down higher positions which would have taken him away from preaching.

2.  God-fearing. Knox feared no man because he feared God.

a.  Knox’s fear of God lead him to respect the stewardship of the word of God that was entrusted to him.

b.  In an interview with Mary, Queen of Scots, Knox said “Madam, in God’s presence I speak.”

c.  No scripture was withheld from John Knox’s preaching.

3.  Text-Driven. Knox had a high view of preaching because he had a high view of scripture.

4.  Sequential Expositor. Knox preached consecutively through complete books of the Bible.

a.  Scripture was to be read in order.

b.  Preaching was to be from one place in scripture – no skipping and no deviating.

5.  Well-Studied Student. His knowledge came out in the pulpit. And he was always learning and reading.

6.  Plain Interpretation of Scripture. Preaching was to be according to the plain and natural reading and interpretation of the scripture.

a.  The Holy Spirit never contradicts himself.

b.  The scriptures are clear and lucid.

7.  Christ-Centered. The person, offices and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

a.  He directed the Church of Scotland back to its proper head – not a bishop, but Jesus Christ.

b.  No emphasis on sacraments, all emphasis on Christ.

8.  Justification by Faith Alone in Christ Alone by Grace Alone. He was committed to the reformation.

a.  Knox preached against the Catholic Church at its very root.

9.  Sovereign Grace. The absolute supreme authority of God over all things.

a.  Sovereign election – God is the initiator.

b.  Knox’s first work on returning to Scotland is 1559 was publishing a work on the doctrine of predestination.

10.  Polemic Defender of the Faith. He refuted those who contradicted sound doctrine.

a.  The word of God damns Catholic ceremonies and traditions.

11.  Extemporaneous Preacher. Knox preached without a manuscript, just a few notes in the margin of his Bible.

a.  However, there was great preparation in his preaching.

12.  Passionate Delivery. The pulpit was the magnifying glass for Knox.

a.  Knox’s preaching resulted in either antagonism or agreement.

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