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Called To Conviction – Revelation 2:18-29

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My 4/14/13AM sermon, Called To Conviction from Revelation 2:18-29 continues my series through the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  This book begins with Christ addressing His people and calling them to deeper expressions of faithfulness and perseverance.  This Sunday’s sermon had to do with a call to acts of conviction.  They were tolerating sin and its promotion in their midst and Jesus calls them to repent.  I tried to keep the focus of the sermon not on ways culture disappoints us, but how we need to engage our own hearts before the Risen Christ.  I hope it was encouraging.  Take a listen and enjoy.

Dangerous Calling Email – War

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Here’s an email I sent to ministry leaders at Crestview today, 4/10/13:

We continue to think all things Dangerous Calling weekly.  Why?  Because we recognize that we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood here.  There’s spiritual stuff happening all around us and taking leaders in the local church out of the game maximizes our enemy’s joy.  So, thanks for taking time to invest in this exercise.  We want hearts that are consumed with bringing joy to our Father in heaven. 
Having said that, today, a quick thought from Chapter 7 of Dangerous Calling entitled War Zones.  Here’s one concern Tripp alludes to:
“My experience with hundreds of pastors (read church leaders) is that many sadly function in a regular state of gospel amnesia.  They forget to preach privately to themselves the gospel that they declare publicly to others. 
“When you forget the gospel, you begin to seek from the situations, locations, and relationships of your ministry what you have already been given in Christ.  You begin to look to ministry for identity, security, hope, well-being, meaning and purpose.  These are things you will only ever find vertically.  They are already yours in Christ.  So you have to fight to give the Gospel presence in your heart.  Also, when you live out of the grace of the Gospel, you quit fearing failure, you quit avoiding being known, and you quit hiding your struggles and your sin.  The Gospel declares that there is nothing that could ever be uncovered about you and me that hasn’t already been covered by the grace of Jesus.  The gospel is the only thing that can free a pastor from the guilt, shame and drivenness of the hide (“never let your weakness show”) and seek (asking ministry to do what Christ has already done) lifestyle that makes ministry burdensome to so many pastors. 
“So, in the war of pastoral ministry, are you a good soldier?  Remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, and he battles on your behalf even when you don’t have the sense to.  Remember too that in Christ you have already been given everything you need to be what you’re supposed to be and to do what you’re supposed to do in the place where God has positioned you.  And remember that since Emmanuel is with you, it is impossible to ever be alone in that moment-by-moment war that is pastoral ministry. 

Great word there.  Hope you hear and are encouraged by the Gospel.  Ministry is war.  Thank God the victory is ours through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Weekend Recap – Called To Doctrinal Purity

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My sermon on 4/7/13AM out of Revelation 2:12-17 entitled Called To Doctrinal Purity is now online.  While many (especially in Bible church settings like the one I pastor) pride themselves on what they believe, the call out of this passage from the Risen Christ for His people has to do with what you believe transferring to how you act.  Specifically, they were leaving the truth to indulge in idolatry and immorality.  Jesus calls them to the better provision and intimacy He offers, though.  Churches of all ages are allured by the siren call of the world.  Jesus is better and can silence those allurements for much better pleasures.

This was the thrust of the morning message.  I hope it served the people of Crestview well and serves you well, should you give it a listen.

Weekend Recap – The Risen Christ

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My 2/24/13AM sermon, The Risen Christ, from Revelation 1:9-20 highlighted how the Risen Christ was active to instruct John to write for the good of the churches, to reveal Himself and to reassure His people.  We tend to make so many minor things the major issues of our day when the Bible holds out Jesus, the Risen Christ, as the compelling vision of our lives for eternity.  My sermon helped to give a picture of Christ that can give us grounding for the future, no matter what we face.

Weekend Recap – Rhythm?

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My 2/17/13AM sermon, Introductory Rhythms, from Revelation 1:1-8 is now online.  It was a relief to finally be in this book and lay aside the introductory themes we have hit for a couple of weeks.  This introduction to the book helped establish some rhythms for us to consider.  Specifically, we saw that this revelation was given to encourage us, there’s a blessing found in this book and that Jesus is returning.

Hope you had a great Lord’s Day, as well.

Our men met in the evening continuing our study of 33: Authentic Manhood.  There is some good fruit developing from that, as well.

Weekend Recap – Overview

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My 2/10/13AM sermon, Overview of Revelation, which surveyed some big themes in the book of Revelation is now online.  I enjoyed this sermon and the chance it gave me to pull back so that we don’t miss the forest for the trees when it comes to the amazingly encouraging book.  I hope you’ll listen and see this big picture.  God really wants to encourage His people through this book.

Hope you had a great Lord’s Day.

Weekend Recap – Introducing Revelation

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We kicked off our series on Revelation yesterday with a sermon entitled Introducing Revelation.  My simple aim in this sermon was to help orient everyone in the room to way I intend to handle the book and some guardrails we must have in place in studying it.

I’m really hoping that this book proves helpful for us as a people.

Here’s a pic of some was we tricked out our worship room to go along with the study:

Crestview Bible Church Worship Room

CrestviewKids Recap – January 2013

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As January comes to an end, at CrestviewKids, we have a Parent’s Night, which highlights the amazing truths we’ve seen in a given month.

Our Memory Verse for January was 1 Peter 5:5.

Our song was The Gospel Song.  Here’s a video of it:

For the teaching, our three lessons looked at the final days and hours of Jesus’ life.

When Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by His disciples in the Garden, we reminded children that He endured all of this for us.

When Peter denied Jesus, we helped children see that we are desperate sinners in need of grace from God.

When Jesus offered salvation to the thief on the cross, we helped children see that forgiveness is available to anywhere, anywhere at anytime.  It’s been a rich month.

Weekend Recap – On Spiritual Gifts

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My sermon from 1/27/13AM entitled On Spiritual Gifts from 1 Corinthians 12-14 is now online.  This was one of those synthesis sermons or, as I described it, one in which the broad brush strokes of Scripture need to be seen.  I tried to describe the heart behind spiritual gifts using this big chunk.  So, yes, we dealt with all 89 or so verses in these 3 chapters.  What is the message?  God has given spiritual gifts to the church.  They function much like the human body.  They’re to be practiced in love.  This is applied specifically to prophecy and tongues.  Their ultimate aim is edification in the body.

I hope my musings on this furthers God’s work among us as believers.  I trust you had a good Sunday, as well.

In Romans with Elyse Fitzpatrick

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I don’t know about you, but I don’t find a more practical writer when it comes to the Gospel and my life than Elyse Fitzpatrick.  So, I would highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity from Crossway about Elyse’s forthcoming book:

If you never got off the ground with a 2013 Bible reading plan or are so far behind you’ve already thrown in the towel, on every Monday in March at the Crossway blog they will be reading Romans 1-8 together. Elyse Fitzpatrick will share devotional thoughts from Romans, helping us delight in God’s word and rejoice in the gospel in 2013.

So join Crossway in March as Elyse encourages us again from Romans 1-8. We’re invited to bring questions, insights, and interact in the comments section. For more devotional material to accompany Reboot with Romans, check out Elyse’s newest book­—Comforts from Romans: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time.