From One Degree to Another

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Weekend Recap – Church & Leaders

November 6, 2012 by Phil Auxier

My 11/4/12AM sermon, Church and Leaders, from Hebrews 13:17 is online.  In this sermon, I sought to explore how the church at large is to relate to the leaders that God has given her.  Considering their teaching, lives and care for the souls of others should provoke people to put their trust and confidence in leaders for their own advantage.  It was a hard message to give — hoping that I was able to humbly unpack God’s Word and give some contours of thought that might help the people of Crestview glorify God more effectively.

Hope you had a productive Sunday as well.

Filed Under: Church, Hebrews, Weekend Recap

Weekend Prep (2) – Godly Leaders

November 2, 2012 by Phil Auxier

Following up on yesterday’s post, having seen what kind of godly men leaders are to be, we see that there is, indeed, an appropriate response to godly leaders.  Hebrews 13:17 gives us this:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give  an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning,for that would be of no advantage to you.

Now, we may not like what the Bible has to say to us about our response to godly leadership, but we are called to such a thing nonetheless.  We aren’t to follow our leaders into sin or encourage them in paths that are dishonoring to God; however, following them is all about God being in charge and having authority over our lives.  If we esteem Him, then we will respond to the leaders He’s given the local church appropriately.  This weekend, we’ll be exploring this text.  I hope you come with a humble, teachable heart to love God supremely, especially in your local church.  

Filed Under: Hebrews, leadership, Weekend Preview

Weekend Prep (1) – Godly Leaders…

November 1, 2012 by Phil Auxier

This coming Lord’s Day, we will be looking at Hebrews 13:17 and its call for people in the church to relate to their leaders.  Too many pastors in evangelicalism use this verse to beat up people.  I heard one pastor say that this verse means that the church is to obey her leaders “no ifs, ands or buts.”  The only problem is that this verse comes with a context and language.  For instance, in highlighting the work of these leaders as “oversight of souls”, the readers of Hebrews are mindful that this is an entire congregation job, as well (Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 12:15)  So, leaders aren’t to be obeyed or given a free pass on sin, having a hard heart, being proud, arrogant, or teaching false doctrine.  But, they are to lead so persuasively with their lives and teaching that people would want to put their trust and confidence in them.

Along these lines, then, I am LOVING Tom Schreiner’s message at a recent SBTS chapel.  It’s entitled, Shepherding God’s Flock from Acts 20:17-38.  Around the 15:15 mark, here’s what he said:

“Pastors and teachers, I’m speaking to myself here too, we can become deeply unspiritual and selfish even while preaching on the importance of being godly.  We must remember that everything that happens in the church and in the ministry is for our sanctification as well, as pastors, it’s for our holiness.  I think there’s an amazing tool of the devil here:  We can teach people how God uses trials to sanctify them and to make them holy and we can forget, amazingly, that the trials we’re receiving in our own church are meant for our holiness and our sanctification.  Instead, we can begin to view the difficult people in our churches–and they’re there–we can begin to view them as opponents instead of loving them, instead of recognizing that God’s using them to make us more like Jesus…we may forget that we are sinners who need forgiveness everyday and we may inadvertently hold our people to a standard that we don’t match ourselves.  We can become bitter about our flock, instead of loving them.  We can get together and criticize our sheep, instead of caring for them.  So, we need the grace of God everyday, don’t we?  We need the Holy Spirit to love our flock the way God wants us to do so.  We need to be quick to confess our own sins and our own shortcomings as pastors.  We too stand in need of the wonderful grace of God.”

This is the kind of leader that is to be obeyed and submitted to in Hebrews 13:17.  More to come on that response tomorrow…

Filed Under: Hebrews, leadership, Weekend Preview

Weekend Review – Offered Sacrifices

October 29, 2012 by Phil Auxier

My 10/28/12AM sermon, Offered Sacrifices, from Hebrews 13:15-16 is online.  While Christ’s work for redeeming sinners is completed and there are no further sacrifices needed, the writer of Hebrews gives us two sacrifices of praise that should still come out of lives: a sacrifice of praise in gratitude to God and a sacrifice of loving acts toward others.

In this sermon, I tried to root out some remaining remnants of selfishness that might keep us from offering to God sacrifices of praise and really tried to emphasize that these sacrifices don’t happen by gutting it out effort, but they are offered THROUGH CHRIST.

It was a convicting word for me personally and one that I hope helped the people I love to serve.

Hope you had a great weekend, as well.

Filed Under: Gospel, Hebrews, Weekend Recap

Worship, Praise & Sacrifices

October 27, 2012 by Phil Auxier

These words evoke images that are striking for some and not so striking for others.  Worship and praise, those are good buzz words in church culture.  Sacrifice, well, as long as it’s convenient.  Tomorrow, as we gather for worship, we will be exploring Hebrews 13:15-16 and the sacrifices that God delights in.  Specifically, we will see that a sacrifice of praise is pleasing to God and comes out of lives changed by the Gospel of Christ.  Come and be challenged to live lives of worship that please this God.

Filed Under: Hebrews, Weekend Preview, worship

Identify with Christ

October 22, 2012 by Phil Auxier

My sermon from 10/21/12AM was Identify With Christ from Hebrews 13:13-14.  This sermon included a call to go to Christ enduring reproach because here we don’t have a lasting city, but we seek a city that is to come.  This passage really helped unpack the big charge we had in Hebrews 13:7-12 on holding tightly to the Gospel.  So, the application of that truth is to go to Christ, identify with Him.  As we do, we will have to endure hardship and persecution but we can do this with confidence because of the future that is surely ours in Him.

I hope you were encouraged.  Have a blessed week identifying with Christ and glorifying God through Him.

Filed Under: Gospel, Hebrews, Weekend Recap

Weekend Preview – Go, Outside, Future

October 19, 2012 by Phil Auxier

This coming Lord’s Day, we will be back in Hebrews with an especially excellent text.  Hear God’s Word:

Therefore, let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.  For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:13-14)

God’s Word is so helpful to fuel application out of deep theological truth.  Because of Hebrews 13:7-12 and in light of the eternal message they had been given specifically pointed to Jesus’ once-for-all work of atonement for us to make us holy, we are urged to live our lives very specifically in this world.  As we think about this on Sunday, ask God to open up our hearts to identify with Christ.

Have a blessed weekend and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Filed Under: Christian living, Hebrews, Weekend Preview

Weekend Recap – Eternally Saving Savior

October 8, 2012 by Phil Auxier

My 10/7/12AM sermon, Eternal Jesus, Eternally Saving from Hebrews 13:7-12 is online.  The big point of the sermon was how we need to keep committed to the truth of the Gospel.  The Gospel of grace is a message that doesn’t change.  We must continually hold before us what God has done for us in Christ and it is through that truth that our hearts are strengthened.  We have a singular access to God in Christ.  And, Jesus’ work to save has changed us.  These truths were what we reveled in yesterday.

In the evening, we gathered for a church picnic.  Always a fun time of fellowship.

Hope you had a great Lord’s Day.

Filed Under: Hebrews, Jesus, Weekend Recap

Weekend Preview – Committed To the Gospel

October 6, 2012 by Phil Auxier

This Sunday, Lord willing, I hope to dive into Hebrews 13:7-12.  We keep making our way closer and closer to the end of this great book.  And, this book is ending in an amazing way.

In Hebrews 13:1-3, we’ve seen that our love is to be towards other believers, towards strangers and towards the needy.

In Hebrews 13:4, we were reminded that God does care about what marriage is and desires to be honored in it.

In Hebrews 13:5-6, we saw that God is enough.  We should keep ourselves free from coveting and the allurements for “more” and find rest in God, who will never leave us or forsake us.  The content soul in God is able to confess from a heart of faith: The Lord is my Helper, I don’t have to be paralyzed by fear, and there’s nothing the world will throw at me that will change this.

In Hebrews 13:7-12, we are drawn back to the Gospel, that established these Hebrew Christians (13:7), is a message about an unchanging eternal Savior (13:8), is consistently challenged (13:9), is based on a singular access to God (13:10) and has the effect of changing all of those who believe its truth (13:11-12). This message calls for our commitment.  I hope you’ll be with us in worship to dive deep into these truths.

Filed Under: Gospel, Hebrews, Weekend Preview

Weekend Recap – Content in God

October 1, 2012 by Phil Auxier

My 9/30/12AM sermon, Contentment, from Hebrews 13:5-6 is now online.  The big idea of the sermon is that we should be content in God, our Helper, and flee the love of money, look to Him and be confident that He will provide for our needs.  The confession of a contented soul flows in v.6, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear, what can man do to me?”  As we rest in God’s promise to never leave or forsake us, we find our souls revived to rest in Him alone.  This is contentment.  The music for our morning pointed to this and to Christ’s finished work on the cross.  Is there a better way to boost contentment than to gather at the Lord’s table together and reflect on what God’s done for us in Christ?  This was our morning yesterday.  It was such a blessing to be a part of it.

In the evening, equally blessed were those who attended a time of corporate prayer for needs that are all around us.  Casting our cares on the Lord freed us from the burdens we came with.  It was truly a marvelous Lord’s Day.  I hope yours was filled with grace as well.

Filed Under: contentment, Hebrews, Weekend Recap

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From One Degree To Another?

Yeah, that's right. My one, consuming passion is Jesus Christ, my Lord. I'm totally gripped by one message: the Gospel - the good news that God came after me when I was far from Him. So, the life I live, I live by faith in Him: He loved me and gave Himself for me.

From One Degree To Another is the change that He's accomplishing in me by grace. Growing downward in humility, upward into Him, outward toward others, and inward with renewal characterize my existence.

This site is where I flesh all of these types of things out, including my life as a slave to Jesus, husband, father, coffee-enjoyer, and pastor. I hope it encourages you.

RSS My latest sermons at Crestview

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