Free to Serve

What is the gospel?

My friend, Greg Gilbert, just came out with a new book entitled, What is the Gospel? How cool is that? He is seeking to clarify for the church exactly what the Good News is. What, exactly, is the message that we believe brings life? From the introduction:

How would you answer if someone asked you: What is this news that you Christians go on and on about? And what's so good about it?

My sense is that far too many Christians would answer with something far short of what the Bible holds out as 'the gospel of Jesus Christ.' Maybe they'd answer, 'The gospel is that God will forgive your sins if you believe in him.' Or they'd say something like, 'The good news is that God loves youand has a wonderful plan for your life.' Or, 'The gospel is that you are a child of God, and God wants his children to be abundantly successful in every way.' Some would know that it's important to say something about Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection, but then again, how does that all fit in? (15-16)

And here is a portion from the book's end:

You know, I think the gospel would have that same overwhelming effect on us if we took the time to stop and really think about it. How long has it been since you looked up from the earthly details of life and came face to face with the Grand Canyon of what God has done for us in the gospel--his unfathomable grace in forgiving people who have rebelled against him, his breathtaking plan to send his Son to suffer and die in their place, to establish the throne of the resurrected Jesus over a kingdom of perfect righteousness, and to bring those who are saved and redeemed by his blood into a new heavens and new earth where sin and evil will be forever conquered! (114-115)

Amen.

Responding to Health Care

By Faith the online magazine of the PCA recently published an article about health care, "Thinking Christianly About Health Care." It's a good article. As Christians we are to have a concern about others and that will often lead to a concern about their physical well-being. 

Our own Bill Warren, of the Good Samaritan Health Center here in Atlanta, was interviewed for the article that described the work of the Center which provides health care to the needy in the Atlanta community. It is a great ministry that provides opportunities for Christians to serve. If you are in the Atlanta area, volunteer!

Russ Moore, the vice-president of Southern Seminary, also wrote a brief article related the recently passed bill. His main point: as Christians, we don't need to be afraid, regardless of what our government does or does not do. Politics is serious and important--but it is not ultimate.

As Christians we have a responsibility of being the best citizens. That means participating in the political process, letting our opinions be known, and respecting and praying for those leaders who have been placed over us. 

We also have a responsibility to do good to all men and that means we should be thankful for ministries like the Good Samaritan Health Center which put Christians in the heart of the community, meeting needs for the glory of God. We should be thankful for ministries like Wears Valley Ranch, founded by MVBC's former pastor, Jim Wood, which serves kids in desperate need of care. These ministries refuse to separate spiritual from physical needs, and Christians would be wise to help ministries like this prosper.

As a church, we also have a responsibility to faithfully preach the gospel. It is the gospel that brings life and it is the gospel that fuels godly citizenship and philanthropy. History is full of examples of Christians who made a difference in the world because of their commitment to Christ, not in spite of it. Whether we are talking about the Christians who picked up abandoned infants in ancient Rome, the Christians in England who fought to end the slave trade, and the Christians who fought for abolition and civil rights. The Christian record on social issues is not a perfect one, but the fault does not lie at the feet of the Cross, but at the feet of Christians who have failed to live up to the faith they professed.

MacArthur on Preaching

I'm in the middle of a sermon series on preaching. In my study, I've been sitting at the feet of great preachers who have reflected on the purpose and priority of preaching. In one essay I read, John MacArthur, explained the power of preaching the Word:

Show me a church where there is strong Bible teaching over an enduring period of time, and I will show you a congregation that is studying the Word of God on their own, skilled in the science of interpretation that has been modeled for them by their pastor. But show me a church where the Word of God is not taught in the pulpit, and I'll show you a place where biblical illiteracy, doctrinal confusion, and spiritual apathy at the personal level is rampant. The people will not rise to a level that is higher than their teacher. They will follow the example of their leaders. So, if we love God's Word, our people will too. If we don't, they won't either.

I desperately want to model what MacArthur wrote about. I know that I love God's Word and I want that love to be visible and obvious. What a joy it is to preach in a congregation full of believers who do hunger for God's Word week in and week out. 

Sandy Springs and Wealth

Mount Vernon Baptist Church is located on Mount Vernon Highway just a couple miles from the heart of Sandy Springs. Sandy Springs is north of Atlanta and, up until 2005, Sandy Springs was Atlanta! 

A study that came out last month indicated that Sandy Springs is the ninth most affluent city in the country. I noticed there were some big houses around here. That explains it!

What is a pastor in Sandy Springs supposed to do with this kind of news? Here are my thoughts:

(1) Keep preaching the gospel. It is a sin to discriminate the rich as surely as it is a sin to discriminate against the poor. We all need the gospel. Sin is an equal opportunity employer. The primary mission of the church is to preach and pray. That is what we do and what, by God's grace, we will continue to do.

(2) Remember that the church is more than Sandy Springs. I certainly want us to target Sandy Springs with the gospel. I want us to be a source of light and hope to the community in which we live. Nonetheless, Mount Vernon is part of the greater Atlanta community. This means we draw people from beyond Sandy Springs. We need to remember that. Sandy Springs is our home and we are grateful for it, but not everyone who comes to church is from this affluent city.

(3) Know that not everyone in Sandy Springs is affluent. There is large immigrant community here. Most of the residents of Sandy Springs are simply middle-class Americans going about their daily business. We have many wealthy residents but we have many who are not. Most of our church is not wealthy. The average rarely the norm.

(4) Know what our idols are. Most everyone struggles with love of money. Simply driving past beautiful homes can stir ungodly thoughts up in our hearts. Out Mount Vernon, we should be aware of this and fight against it.

(5) Keep studying the Bible. A few weeks after this report came out, our Wednesday night Bible study group found itself in James 5:1-6 where James has some harsh words for those who are living in luxury and self-indulgence. God's timing is perfect. We are presently reflecting on our own hearts and how we can look for signs that we, too, love money in ways that don't please God.

Statistics or not, we live in a wealthy country and we will, one day, be held to account for how we used every cent the Lord has allowed us to possess. This is a sobering thought and a call for wisdom so that we can serve and give generously.

Before the Red Sea

Following along in the bible reading scheduled by Robert Murray M'Cheyne, I came today to Exodus 13 where I noticed something very interesting. The LORD told the people to commemorate the day he delivered them from Egypt but they had not yet crossed the Red Sea. 

When I think of the Exodus, my mind immediately goes to that great event of Exodus 14 when the Egyptian army meets its doom in waters that God had parted for Israel's safe passage. But the exodus began when Pharaoh's will was finally broken--at least for a time--and he cried out, "Up, Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me" (Exodus 12:31-32).

The people did, in fact, leave. They headed out of Egypt and in chapter 13 God commands them to remember the day. He wants every firstborn male consecrated to him. He wants the month of their departure commemorated with a festival (13:4-7). All of this was to be sign, a symbol, to remind them how the LORD brought them out of Egypt.

But it was before the trial of the Red Sea. 

At the Red Sea their salvation was tested. We read of this in Exodus 14:5, "When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, 'What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!' So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with them." God's people had been saved from Pharaoh and were to remember the Lord's mighty work but they had yet to be saved from Pharaoh and had to persevere in continued trust of God's promises.

Sound familiar? As Christians we have been saved from sin and yet that salvation is constantly tried and tested, isn't it? We are called to exercise faith in God's promises, to remember what he has done as we look forward to what he will do. Even before the test makes its way into our lives, we are to commemorate in our hearts what God has done. Remembering is how we are fortified to persevere. 

God has been at work in our lives and we are to have faith he will continue that work, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).