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Recap on God..HIs Heart and His People

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I mentioned in a previous post about where we were headed this weekend. Well, today is in the books and it’s time for the diligent work of application.

In the AM, we looked at God’s Heart for the Lost in Luke 15:4-7. I was struck with how I am so religious in my orientation and this keeps me from loving the lost with the same aggressiveness that God does. Lining up my heart with His is what I am called to.

In the PM, we looked at A Stiff Necked People from Hosea 6:7-7:16. God had contention with His people because they are going their own way and being led astray, while seeking to draw near to Him with a shallow repentance. This message struck me in that I am much too casual with sin. It’s an affront to God because of His holiness and justice. Turning to Him in heartfelt repentance is the only prudent action.

Anything stick out to you all?

Serious Discipleship…

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I’ve seen this resource (Fight Clubs: Gospel Centered Discipleship)numerous places on the internet, so when this afternoon presented an open season for fun reading, I took the free pdf download and gave it a read. Awesome stuff. What it really gets at is how accountability groups that make us feel bad aren’t what the Gospel is really all about in conforming us to the image of Christ. This is a better picture. It’s Scripturally-solid, full of practicality and bleeds Gospel. This is a great resource to consider. Download the free pdf or buy this book.

4 Sunday: God and, well, um God…

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Yes, that’s right, we will be very God-centered as we approach the Scriptures tomorrow.

In the AM, we will be looking at the Parable of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15:4-7. We will see God’s heart on display, as He shows compassion for the lost sheep and calls us to joy and many other truths. Does your heart reflect God’s heart for the lost?

In the PM, we will return to Hosea and look at a longer narrative (Hosea 6:7-7:16), addressing some contentions God has with His people in their disobedience. It should be an interesting day of listening to God as He speaks loud and clear through His Word.

Reading Update…

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I posted a reading update a while back and thought it was time for the latest…

As I mentioned in the previous post, I’m really being helped by Lou Priolo’s book Pleasing People: How not to be an “approval junkie”. I can always grow in my battle against pleasing men. And this book gives great help for the sanctification I need to be pursuing in this area.

Manly Dominion by Mark Chanski is a helpful book (so far) on what it means to exercise our role as men and, even more basic, to be the people God created us to be.

Sent by Ed Stetzer will be our small group curriculum this Fall. I’ve read it twice and am going through it one more time very meticulously to get a better feel for how I can use this material in my small group.

I am also going through Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson’s book Counsel From The Cross for the 3rd time. Why? I am so encouraged to read this. Counseling is an area that I need to be consistently growing it. I am swayed that keeping the Gospel central is key to healthy churches and numerous other reasons. This time I am slowly working my way through again.

I also keep reading some in The Mission of God, giving the foundational Biblical and theological underpinnings of missionally reading the Scriptures.

Anything big I’m missing out there?

Unforgiveness as an expression of pride…

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In his excellent book, Pleasing People, Lou Priolo encourages us to examine where pride exists in our lives and gives some Biblical manifestations. One that emerged to me was unforgiveness. He writes:

[Pride is seen, in that] when wronged, being unwilling to forgive an offender who has not demonstrated extreme submission or repentance. Proud people struggle to grant forgiveness to those who are not wallowing in sorrow over their offenses. They want not a simple “I repent,” as the Scriptures require (Luke 17:4), but the great proof of repentance. If you’re having a hard time connecting the dots between pride and lack of forgiveness, imagine asking forgiveness from someone who responds like this: “I’m not ready to extend my forgiveness to you. You haven’t offended just any old person; you’ve offended ME! And I don’t grant people forgiveness simply on the basis of their word without their somehow otherwise propitiating my anger.” (Of course, when it comes time for him to confess his own sin, the arrogant individual expects those he has offended to overlook his “little mistakes.”)

A humble believer recognizes the enormity of his own debt of sin that Christ has forgiven and considers any offenses that he himself must forgive as minutiae in comparison (cf. Matthew 18:21-35). He willingly grants forgiveness to those who sincerely ask for it. (In the absence of hard evidence to the contrary, he takes the repentant brother at his word.) (Luke 17:3-4)

I thought this was helpful in my own life. First of all, I have had to deal with people who are prideful like this. Secondly, however, and much more grievous, I’ve seen this attitude in my own life of making someone feel the sting of wronging ME. It’s time for us to humble ourselves in light of the cross and let repentance come.

1 Corinthians 13 Remix…

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Last night in small group, we read a section from an incredible book: Counsel From The Cross on God’s amazing love and how it is exemplified in Jesus Himself. We often read 1 Corinthians 13 as a list of things that we must do and fail at. This approach and paraphrase of how Christ is perfect love was a blessing to us as we considered how love binds us together to one another.

As the author of language and as God’s Living Word, Jesus can speak in the tongues of men and angels, and yet he condescends to speak simple words that nourish, soothe, and delight our souls. He knows the past and the future, understands all mysteries and knowledge; has all faith and reigns as Ruler over all; and yet, his love caused him to humble himself and remove our mountain of sin. Because of his love, we who are nothing have become “beloved.” He gave away what was rightfully his, humbled himself, and delivered up his body to be burned in the scorching furnace of the wrath of his Father.
Jesus is patient and kind; he doesn’t envy or boast. When faced with Satan’s temptation to prove his Godhood in the wilderness and on the cross, he never showed off his power. He was utterly humble. He wasn’t arrogant or rude, railing on the disciples, deserting them because of their selfish ambition. He isn’t arrogant or rude with us either. When standing before his accusers he didn’t insist that they treat him with respect, nor did he proudly demand their accolades. He was silent, like a lamb before her shearers. The humble King of heaven wore a crown of thorns and a purple cloak. He is never irritable or resentful, picking away at ever little foible he sees. In love, his blood covers our multitudinous sins.
He doesn’t gleefully rejoice when you sin, glad to finally have an opportunity to give you your comeuppance. He rejoices when you believe the truth, not simply the truth about you—that you are sinful and flawed—but also the truth about him—that he loves and welcomes you. Out of love for you, he bears all things. He has unflinching faith and hope in your transformation because he knows the power of his love. He knows that one day he will bring you to be with himself. He has endured and continues to endure all things out of love for you. His love never ends. Never.
Ten zillion years from now, when he has had time to really see what sort of person you are, his love won’t have worn out. In fact, he knows you through and through right now and loves you all the same. Your shameful secrets cannot shock or repel him. His love never ends. One day we will see him face-to-face and then we will fully understand, for the first time, what real love looks like.

(Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson, Counsel From The Cross, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2009) p.63)

May you rest today in the perfect love of Jesus Christ.

Lost Ones…

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Today’s sermon, God’s Heart for the Lost, from Luke 15 is now online. After being gone to camp all week, it was wonderful to be back among the local church.

I was really struck by a couple of things in the passage:

1) The grumbling of the religious people prompted this chapter of Scripture. God’s reaction to grumbling religious people is so patient and in giving these parables, He is helping us to find grace from Him.

2) The heart of God should influence the heart of His people. Ephesians 5:1 commands us to be imitators of God. Wouldn’t this apply to His heart for the lost?