Saturday, January 09, 2016
Friday, January 08, 2016
The Gossip Guy and Sins of the Tongue - An Interview
Russell: Did you worry about becoming the “gossip” guy when you set out to write a book on gossip?
Matt: I did worry that I'd have to live with "gossip" jokes for the rest of my life. And I was right. My friends supply a seemingly endless stream of "behind the back" jokes at my expense.
But I'm okay with that because I was much more concerned that nobody was serving the Church at large as the "gossip guy," the expert on the topic of gossip. In my research, I discovered only five books in print on this problem that everybody deals with every day, and I could only recommend one of them as consistently helpful. And it didn't even provide a really good definition of gossip that was both biblical and practical. It has been a privilege to become the "gossip guy" if I can be used to help Christians around the world to resist this temptation.
Why are sins of the tongue such a big deal to you? In other words, what led you to focus on this particular part of the Christian life?
Honestly, I didn't originally set out to tame anybody's tongue but mine. I was searching for a focus point for my doctoral research in practical theology, and I hit upon gossip as problem that I both knew that I struggled with and also had many questions about. I knew that gossip was bad and that it hurt people, but even after a decade of pastoring I was still vague on exactly what qualified as gossip. What makes gossip "gossip?" Where do you draw the lines? Then I did some research and found out that a lot of other people were vague on these questions, too.
And when I learned how many other people struggled with this, I began to feel like it was a mission to which I was called. I was sure that the Bible had good gospel-centered answers. The treasure just needed to be dug up and presented to His people (Proverbs 2:1-5).
Do you feel like sins of the tongue are neglected in the Christian world today? If so, why?
Definitely. And not just gossip. I'm not sure I know all of the reasons, but I can guess at some of them:
For one, we're Americans, and we have freedom of speech in this country--the right to speak our minds. What we forget, however, is that just because we have a right doesn't mean we should exercise that right. We are Christians first and Americans second. And Christians answer to a high authority--our Lord. We should only be using our mouths to speak what He would have us speak (Ephesians 4:29).
Another reason is that we tend to think that words are cheap; it's actions that count. And there is definitely truth in that statement. If we say something but don't follow through, it invalidates our statements. But that doesn't mean that our words themselves are not powerful. They are! Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." That's serious stuff!
Yet another reason is that the effects of our words are not always visible or immediate. If all words were like spells in Harry Potter, then we'd see a poof of smoke and things instantly starting to change around us. But Christians know that our words have consequences even when we don't see the effects right away.
One last reason I can think of off the top of my head is that our world is full of words, words, words. We live in the information age and are drowning in a deluge of words, so it doesn't seem like our own words, no matter how many or how bad, can really be that important in the grand scheme of things. But our Lord calls us to another perspective. He says that He is listening to our words and will be holding us accountable for them. In fact, he says that we'll have to give an account for every "careless word" we have spoken. Not just every malicious word but every idle one, too. That's a sobering reality.
James 3:2 talks about us keeping our whole body in check if we are able to control our tongues. What do you think is the connection between our words and the rest of our spiritual lives? Why is there such a strong connection?
Great question. That's a pretty provocative thing James says, isn't it?
I'm not sure exactly what the connection is, but I have a few ideas. One is that words bring definition to things. When you find the right word to describe something, you capture it. So words can set things in a new direction, whether for good or ill just because they set the rules. That's influence! The Scriptures are full of words because we need them to illumine the world for us.
Another reason is that words are our best tools for accessing truth. Truth is powerful. Of course, falsehood is powerful, as well. And that comes through words, too. Jesus Himself is called "The Word," the One who makes the Father known. Words are portals into realities. If we have the right words, we're going to be headed in the right directions.
James goes on to say that words can steer us. He uses the illustrations of rudders on ships and bits in horse's mouths. So, at least part of the connection is that words, though apparently small, guide our courses in life. We've all seen this principle at work for both bad and good in marriage, parenting, the workplace, and the church. There is no denying that words are powerful.One last thought. Since our words are inextricably tied to our hearts, any real progress we would make in taming our tongues has to come through a grace-based change in our innermost parts. So, in some ways James is saying that to have our "whole body in check" by having our tongues tamed, he's also intimating that we'd also have to have grown in sanctification first and foremost. The unstated implication is that the line runs from heart to mouth to the rest of life (cf. vv. 11-12).
Russell, I'm glad you are taking some time to lead your people through the biblical teaching about words, and I'm absolutely certain that if they take this teaching to heart, it will make a big difference in the rest of their lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, January 07, 2016
My Friend Russell
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| Photo of Russell Muilenburg from the Spencer Daily Reporter 04/03/14 |
In just two short weeks I get to visit Hope Reformed Church in Spencer, Iowa to present the Resisting Gossip Seminar. I'm excited to meet the good folks of Hope Church and share with them some of what I've learned about winning the war of the wagging tongue, but I'm even more excited to get to once again see their pastor, Russell Muilenburg, a long time friend from back in my seminary days.
Mutual Admiration
Russell and I have had a "mutual admiration society" for almost two decades. In a recent letter to his congregation, Russell wrote about our friendship:
What Russell doesn't share there is that I have often used his sermons as one of my sources in research for sermons, too. One time, we "stole" from each other so many times back and forth on messages on Psalm 103 that we couldn't remember who said what the first time!For years I have referred to “my friend Matt” in sermons. I quote him so much, that some people have asked me if he really exists, or if he’s some sort of imagined alter ego. Yes, he does indeed exist. His name is Matthew C. Mitchell. He was in my seminary class and he pastors the Lanse Evangelical Free Church in Lanse, Pennsylvania. He also maintains a blog called “Hot Orthodoxy” at matt-mitchell.blogspot.com. He includes all his sermons on his blog, so whenever I preach on a passage, I always check to see if Matt has preached on it yet. He is an excellent Bible expositor. If he has preached on the passage, he immediately becomes one of my primary sources. Thus the quotes.
Ya Think The Lord Might Want This Seminar to Happen?
I love the story of how this particular seminar came about. This last Sunday, Russell told it to his church family this way:
Last November I was working ahead and planning my sermons for the first half of 2016. Inspired by Matt, I decided I would begin the year with a series called Taming the Tongue, focusing on some of the ways our speech can get us into trouble. I planned out messages on grumbling, swearing, dishonesty, and gossip.
The very next day, I got an email from Matt letting me know that he was thinking about coming to a conference in Des Moines in January. He was wondering, if it wasn’t too far from Des Moines to Spencer, if it would be worth it for him to stay an extra day or two and come do a seminar on his book, which is something we had talked about when it was first published. When I checked the date, I realized the weekend he was looking at was the very same weekend I had scheduled to preach about gossip!
I, of course, do not believe in luck. I believe in providence. And it seemed that God had providentially arranged for Matt’s visit.So Russell and I are very eager to get together again and to see what the Lord might do through this seminar.
A Small Spark
If you are interested in the rest of the story and hearing my friend Russell's first sermon in this new series called "Taming the Tongue," you can watch the video below. Russell is always engaging to listen to, funny, and insightful (even though you have to wonder about some of his sources!).
Tomorrow, I plan to post an interview Russell and I did together on gossip and other sins of the tongue.
Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Small Group Discussion Guide for "Thriving in Babylon" by Larry Osborne
Osborne, a fellow EFCA pastor, has a different take on these matters than what we typically hear from many Bible-believing preachers. He focuses on the life of Daniel and brings out parts of Daniel's story that emphasize hope, humility, and wisdom.
[Read 20 Truths from Thriving in Babylon to get a taste of his approach.]
I appreciated Osborne's fresh reading of Scripture and his call for believers to not live in fear or hate. Because he was trying to correct imbalance, he probably unbalanced a few things that I would have nuanced differently. For example, he went to great lengths to show that Daniel wasn't afraid to compromise because he had hope, humility, and wisdom. And that's true--amazingly Daniel didn't object to his training, his name change, or the ungodly behaviors of the people around him. On the other hand, Daniel did make unflinching choices at times, as well. He got thrown in to a lion's den for it! I would have loved some more teaching on when and how to be unbending, too.
But on the whole, it was a breath of fresh air in a time of great uncertainty about how Christians are supposed to live.
I googled for a small group discussion guide several times and couldn't find one, so I created my own for our group's use. Feel free to what follows as the basis for your own group's conversation around this helpful book.
Discussion Questions for Section One of Thriving in Babylon - Daniel's Story
Chapter One: A Man Named Daniel
1. Why does the author think it's important to not read the book of Daniel as an adventure story or a prophecy manual? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
2. What does Osborne think we will get out of following his reading of Daniel? Why is that important for us in 2015?
Chapter Two: Caught in the Backwash
3. What was the perspective Daniel had that allowed him to not complain, whine, or give in to despair? How can we gain that perspective today ourselves? Why is it hard to do?
Chapter Three: Surrounded by Evil
4. How bad did Daniel have it in Babylon? Does this relativize our sufferings in America today? How does comparing the two cultures help you to live a godly life in 2015?
Chapter Four: Tough Love Starts at Home
5. Why does the author build this chapter around the idea that "A father disciplines his own kids, not someone else's" ? How does he show that this idea is biblical? How and why does this often confuse us?
6. What are the "three classes that no one wants to take?" Do you still want to read the rest of this book?
7. What are your biggest "takeaways" from reading this section? What do you hope to learn going forward?
Discussion Questions for Section Two of Thriving in Babylon - Prepared for Battle
Chapter Five: Why Our Faith Needs To Be Tested
1. Why does our faith need to be tested? What does the Bible teach about this concept?
2. Discuss these quotes from chapter five:
- "When I say that suffering is necessary, I'm not minimizing the fact that i can be awful and devastating" (pg. 62).
- "But notice that the purpose of Job's trials was not to see how much it would take to break him. It was to confirm and display the depth of righteousness that God knew Job already had" (pg. 62).
- "By the way, it's not our job to determine if the faith of others is genuine or fake" (pg. 63).
- "Make no mistake. God's childern mess up big-time and often. But there is one thing they don't do. They don't quit. They can't. God lives in them. And God never quits" (pg. 65).
Chapter Six: Why Good Intentions, Morality, and Fast Starts Can't be Trusted
3. Why can't good intentions, morality, fast starts be trusted? What are the key points the author is making in this chapter?
4. How does the author qualify his arguments? What is good about good intentions, morality and fast starts?
Chapter Seven: Boot Camp
5. Larry Osborne says that he pities Christ-followers who have never really suffered. Do you agree or disagree with him? Why?
6. Discuss the importance of obedience, perspective, endurance, confidence, and courage. How can we develop these spiritual qualities in our own lives? Which of these qualities have you been challenged by and/or growing in recently?
7. What are your biggest takeaways from this section? Even though it was about suffering, did you find it encouraging? What about it was helpful to you going into this next week?
Discussion Questions for Section Three of Thriving in Babylon - Hope
Chapter Eight: Hope
1. What are the two definitions of "hope" that Osborne talks about? What are the differences between them?
2. How does Osborne say that we can build what he calls "biblical hope?" Have you seen the "dimmer-switch principle" at work in your life?
Chapter Nine: Why I Am an Optimist
3. Why is Osborne an optimist no matter what the scoreboard says? Do you share his optimism? Why or why not?
4. Osborne says that it often boils down to the question, "Who are we going to believe?" What are some of the common lies that our enemies--the world, the flesh, and the devil--want us to buy? How does the example of Abraham at the binding of Isaac, the "gates of Hades," of Matthew 16, and the cryptic book of Revelation help us counter those lies with faith?
Chapter Ten: GIGO
5. Have you ever done the "cold-turkey" experiment Osborne describes on pages 109-110? If not, why not? If so, what were the results?
6. Read Philippians 4:8-9. What kinds of things do you do to fill your mind with the right stuff?
Chapter Eleven: Hope Killers
7. What is the problem with Christians catastraphizing and buying into conspiracy theories? How do we avoid them, especially while we live in a dangerous world where conspiracies may be real and catastrophes will come?
Chapter Twelve: Two More Hope Killers
8. What does Osborne mean by "spiritual myopia" and "spiritual amnesia?" How have you seen them operating in your heart? Why don't we realize we have a problem?
Chapter Thirteen: False Hope
9. Why are we tempted to put our hope in politics and bandwagons?
10. What is your biggest take-away from this week's discussion? What are you planning to do differently because we've read the book and met tonight?
Discussion Questions for Section Four of Thriving in Babylon - Humility
Chapter Fourteen: Humility
1. Why is humility a forgotten (or even disdained) virtue?
2. What is (and isn't) biblical humility? How do we cultivate it?
3. Osborne writes, "When we take the path of serving others, we end at the place where God's favor and blessing reside" (pg. 150). Where have you seen this principle played out in real life? How did it play out in Daniel's life?
Chapter Fifteen: Respect
4. What lessons can we draw from Sarah's story (pgs. 153-155)? What's the difference between Sarah's approach to respect and Daniel's?
5. Re-read Jeremiah 27:9-11, 1 Peter 2:13-17, and Romans 13:1 (pgs 157-158 in Thriving) then respond to Osborne's observations about what he sees among many Christians today: "There's a marked absence of Daniel-like honor and respect toward godless leaders and a great deal of ridicule, contempt, bitterness, and even hatred. It's no wonder we keep losing influence. We're building up walls instead of tearing them down" (pg. 158). Do you think Osborne sees things correctly? What would you add to the discussion?
6. Is there ever a time for harsh words for godless leaders (think of John the Baptist's or Jesus' words to King Herod)? What principles would guide us if we are called to similar confrontations with leaders?
Chapter Sixteen: Persuasion
7. What is the problem Osborne identifies with seeing "everything through the lens of spiritual warfare?" How do we develop and maintain a "persuasion paradigm?" (re-read 2 Timothy 2:24-26).
8. Who wins? What are the benefits of a persuasion paradigm (re-read Jeremiah 29:4-7)?
9. What is your biggest take-away from this week's discussion? What are you planning to do differently because we've read the book and met tonight?
Discussion Questions for Section Five of Thriving in Babylon - Wisdom
Chapter Seventeen: Wisdom
1. What is the "power of perspective" (pg. 169-171)? Why is it so important?
2. Osborne points out that Daniel had the ability to recognize which "hills to die on" and where to "draw his lines in the sand." How did he exhibit discernment in these areas and how can we learn from his example?
- "Call Me What You Want" (pg 172).
- "Teach Me What You Want" (pg. 172-173).
- "Do What You Please" (pg. 173-174)
Chapter Eighteen: Scaredy-Cat Christianity
4. What does Osborne mean by a "scaredy-cat Christian?"
5. In what ways have you given in to legalism in the past? What helped you out of it?
6. In what ways have you been illegitimately afraid of spiritual contamination? How do you counter it in your life?
Chapter Nineteen: Compromise Isn't a Dirty Word
7. When is compromise bad, and when is it acceptable or good? Which Bible stories in this chapter where the most helpful to you in understanding a good kind of compromise?
Chapter Twenty: What God Wants
8. Why is it more important to be faithful than to be successful? Where does the Bible teach this? Why is that hard to accept, and why is it good news at the same time?
9. What is your biggest take-away from this whole book? What are you planning to do differently because we've read worked our way through it?
Sunday, January 03, 2016
[Matt's Messages] "Sent on a Mission in 2016"
“Sent on a Mission in 2016”
January 3, 2016
A number of you have asked if we are ever going to return to the Book of Romans, and the answer is, “Yes, starting next week!”
We took a detour last Summer due to my hospitalization and then our sermon series on working for the Lord and then for Advent and Christmas.
But, Lord-willing, we will return again to our study of the book of Romans starting next Sunday morning. So come ready next week to review what we have learned so far.
But today is the first Sunday of the year 2016, and I want to use our sermon time this morning to bring focus to what we’re going to be all about as a church this year. What our church is going to focus upon in 2016.
And here’s what we we’re going to focus on this year...
What are supposed to focus on every year:
The gospel of Jesus Christ and making disciples of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.
Our church’s purpose statement is very simple:
Lanse Evangelical Free Church exists to glorify God by bringing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ through worship, instruction, fellowship, evangelism, and service.
Our message is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.
And today, I just want to bring us back as a church to remind ourselves again what our mission truly is.
The last paragraph of Matthew 28 is often called “The Great Commission.”
It tells the story of that important moment in history when the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ told His apostles what their mission was to be.
And the mission that He gave them is the mission that He is giving us together, the mission that is the beating heart of the church in this age:
To make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let’s read it. I want to back up all the way to verse 1 to get a sense of the context.
In chapter 27, Jesus was crucified.
The baby born that first Christmas grew up, lived a perfect life, taught about the kingdom of God, gathered some followers around Him, and then was treacherously betrayed, barbarously treated, and then cruelly killed.
But He didn’t stay dead! He not only came back to life but after coming back from the dead, He had a mission to send His disciples on.
Here is one of (if not THE) most important facts in human history: Jesus Christ has come back from the dead.
And if you believe that and know that historical fact that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, then that should affect every area of your life.
For the last month, we have been talking about “taking heart” because Jesus has overcome the world.
Well, Jesus has overcome death! Death!
So, take heart!
And...be sent.
The title of our message for today is “Sent On a Mission in 2016.”
I like to get sent on a mission.
I love it when someone has a mission for me to fulfill.
Heather says, “Matthew, I need some groceries. Here’s the list. Head over to State College and bring back these items or die trying!” She never says that last part. But sometimes, it’s implied.
“I’ve got a mission for you.”
Now, not all missions are the same. When she says, “Would you take out this stinky compost bucket out to the compost pile?” I don’t get the same exciting feeling.
Do you like to be sent on a mission?
“I’ve got a job for you. Here’s what I want you to do...”
Well, the resurrected Jesus had a mission to give to His disciples, and we are to carry it on today. Look again at verse 16.
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.”
Verse 7 and verse 10 recount how Jesus had given instructions to His team, through the women who were the first witnesses to His resurrection, to meet Jesus at this particular mountain in the northern territory of Galilee.
He had promised to show up there, alive! V.17
“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”
I love that. How realistic is that?!
In my mind, they are approaching, and they see Him, and they are overjoyed and filled with worship, but some of them can’t help wondering if it’s true.
I mean, people don’t just come back from the dead, do they?
But there He is!
And then in verse 18, as I picture it, Jesus comes to them. Up to this point, they are approaching Him somewhat tentatively wondering whether it’s true. But now Jesus steps towards them, and it’s all true. He is alive! V.18
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Stop there for a second.
Wow. That’s a lot of authority.
That’s about all of the authority that there is, isn’t it?
All authority in heaven.
All authority on earth.
And it’s been given to Jesus.
Now, didn’t He already have that? Didn’t he already have all the authority?
As God the Son, yes.
But now as the resurrected Lord of all, He has that authority in a new way.
He is the King of King and the Lord of Lords, and He is undefeated forever.
Before, He could die. Now, He’s gone through death and won.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (1:18).
And that alone should cause us to worship Him!
It’s right what we’ve done this morning by worshiping Jesus.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to King Jesus, and here’s what King Jesus desires His authority to authorize... verse 19.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Here’s the mission that we are sent on in 2016:
Make Disciples of Jesus Christ.
The main command in verses 19 and 20 is to “make disciples of all nations.”
All of the other commands: going, baptizing, teaching are all participles that explain how to do that main imperative of making disciples.
The Greek word is “Mathayteo.”
To make a disciple.
To make someone into a follower.
We use the phrase, “bringing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Being a disciple is a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
And making disciples is our mission.
That’s the mission that the risen Lord Jesus gave to the apostles and to His church.
That’s what we’re all about.
That’s what we were all about in 2015, and it’s what we’re going to be all about in 2016.
It’s what Lanse Free Church has been all about since 1892. 124 years of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
And it’s what our family of churches is all about.
This Fall, we watched the videos from the national conference, and they were all about how the message of the church is the gospel and the mission of the church is making disciples of Jesus Christ.
In fact, the vision statement of our association of churches says, “We are praying that God will raise up 1 million disciplemakers impacting millions with the gospel and transforming entire cities and regions globally.”
Your church’s elder board spent time at every one of our meetings in 2015 talking about how we can keep our focus on disicplemaking as a church and also increase our effectiveness at making disciples as a church.
This is what we’re about.
We have a saying here at Lanse Free Church:
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Right?
And the main thing is the gospel.
Our message is the gospel, and our mission is to make gospel-centered disciples of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.
A “disciple” is a follower.
These days, with social media, we have lots of followers out there.
Do you follow this person on Facebook?
Do you follow that person on Twitter?
Do you follow him or her on Instagram?
In a sense, when we do, we are thier disciples. We’re “followers” on some level.
But this kind of disciple, a Matthew 28:19 kind of disciple, is following someone on a deeper level.
In fact, it’s following someone on EVERY LEVEL.
Jesus wants us to follow Him and help others to follow Him on every level.
That’s why Jesus says in verse 19 that we baptize new followers and in verse 20 that we teach these followers to obey EVERYTHING He has commanded us.
We are to baptize new followers of Jesus Christ.
First, we tell them the good news about Jesus. We introduce to them Christ.
There is no discipleship without the gospel. They have first have to hear the gospel.
And then when they believe, when they put their faith in the gospel, then the next big step is for them to go public with their faith and identify with Jesus in water baptism.
How many have seen someone get baptized? Most of you have.
What are they doing?
They are saying, “I’m with Him.”
Jesus died for me; I’m going down into the water to identify with Him.
And Jesus came back to life to give me eternal life; I’m going up out of the water to say that I believe that He given me a new life.
And I am claiming Jesus as my Lord.
And when we, as a church, baptize someone, we are also saying that we believe that this person is now a disciple. We believe that they have started the journey of faith, of following Jesus Christ with their life.
Some of you here have not yet taken this step.
Is 2016 the year that you finally go public with your faith?
Notice who is involved when you get baptized. What name do we baptize in? V.19 again.
“...baptizing them in THE name [one name] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...”
One name, one God. But three persons. The blessed Trinity.
That’s big stuff!
To be a disciple means to identify your life with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
That’s following on every level!
And not just at the beginning of your Christian life, but all of it. V.20
“...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Making disciples means teaching these followers to follow Jesus on every level.
Not just to KNOW everything that Jesus has commanded, but to OBEY everything that Jesus has commanded.
True disciples obey their masters.
They don’t pick and choose what they are going to do.
They do what their Lord says.
I think that one of the things that the church in America has neglected the most is teaching our people that they have an obligation as followers of Jesus to do everything that Jesus has asked us to do.
Like, sure you need to love your family, and love your neighbor, but you don’t need to love your enemy.
No, Jesus said we did.
Or, it’s good to pray and go to church, but you don’t have to practice sexual ethics like Jesus said to. You can have sex outside of the covenant of marriage. It’ll be okay.
No, Jesus said that sex is for marriage, and everything else is out of bounds.
Or we give people the impression that it’s good to save your money but optional to give it. No, like Donnie said last week, we are commanded to be grateful givers.
To be disciples is to follow Jesus on every level of our lives.
And it’s our mission as a church to help people to follow Jesus on every level of their lives. V.20
“...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Have you embraced this mission?
Do you see this as YOUR mission in life?
Not just to be a disciple but to make disciples? To be sent on this mission?
This Summer, our youth group is planning to attend the EFCA Challenge Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
And the theme of this year’s conference is “Live Sent.”
Our kids are going to learn about embracing this mission as their mission in life. And get equipped to live the mission out in every area of their life.
I think that’s awesome!
I think a lot of people aren’t sure what their mission in life is supposed to be.
But every follower of Christ has been sent to take part in this mission.
The apostles were told to “go.” To go to the nations.
Now, not all of us are supposed to be missionaries in the cross-cultural sense.
Not all of us are called to learn a new language and go to a people group (which is what a nation is, a people group) that doesn’t have the gospel yet.
We are not all called to be missionaries like the folks whose pictures are on the back wall of this room.
But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t sent on the same mission.
We are all supposed to go, even if it’s just across the room.
And as we’re going, we’re supposed to be making disciples.
We’re supposed to be living missionally.
And we’re supposed to do it together.
Some people think that discipling others is a solo-sport like golf.
But it’s really a team sport like basketball.
Or one of those sports that is both individual and corporate like wrestling.
Here’s my definition of what the church is:
The church is “Jesus’ worshiping community of gospel-centered disciplemakers.”
We do this together.
Nesta Kephart and I were interviewed a year ago for EFCA Today, and that’s what we talked about in our interview. That disciple-making is community-shaped.
Everything we do as a church should be focused on working together to help people follow Jesus on every level of their lives.
So, someone might say, “I’m not a teacher, Pastor Matt. I don’t know if I can teach someone to obey everything that Jesus has commanded.”
And I’d say two things to that. I’d say, first, that you probably teach more than you know. Keep at it. Especially teaching one-on-one with folks by example and explaining why you live the way you live.
But I’d also say, “Can you make a crockpot of food for the Wild Game Dinner in February?” Because we’re working together to reach our community for Jesus Christ and every little bit helps.
What are you good at? What can you do?
Cody needs folks to get involved in the youth ministry. He’s having a meeting right after the service today to find out how people can help to make disciples of our student population.
We have a mission to accomplish.
And we all need to be all in.
Have you embraced this mission as yours?
This is an election year. You probably knew that unless you’ve been a hermit for the last 6 months.
The election is important, and as Christians, we ought to be praying and researching the candidates and making informed choices about whom to vote for this Spring and then this Fall.
But, the election isn’t as important as our mission.
As Christians, we need to keep our eye on the ball.
We need to keep the main thing the main thing.
The main thing is making disciples of Jesus Christ through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That’s what we’re all about.
You won’t hear me talking a lot about the election up here. But you will hear me talking about following Jesus Christ by faith.
Two points of application before we go to the table.
#1. BE A DISCIPLE IN 2016.
Be a disciple of Jesus Christ in 2016.
If you have not yet put your faith and trust in Jesus, I invite you to do that right now.
You can’t make disciples unless you are one already.
Turn from your sin and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did ont the Cross for you.
Jesus Christ came back from the dead. You can trust Him!
Become a disciple. Take that step of baptism. See me about going public with your faith.
And then follow Him on every level of your life.
Are you following Jesus on every level of you life?
Or are there levels where He’s not welcome?
Are you learning to obey everything that Jesus has commanded?
The goal of being a disciple is becoming like the one you’re following.
Are you becoming like Jesus?
What needs to change?
Do you know what your Lord is like?
I encourage everyone here to read your Bible this year. We have those reading plans in the back.
Are you praying? Are you giving your heart over to the Lord every day?
I’m learning to pray the Lord’s Prayer in 2016. The Lord has impressed upon me to really learn the Lord’s Prayer as a model and guide for my prayers this year.
What about you? Are you growing as a disciple?
Are you following Jesus on every level of you life?
We don’t just want decisions for Christ; we want disciples of Christ.
What needs to change in your life?
A disciple is a someone who is changing.
Who is becoming like Jesus.
Be a disciple in 2016. Publicly and privately follow Jesus on every level.
#2. MAKE DISCIPLES IN 2016.
Get into the game.
Embrace this as your mission.
In whatever walk of life you are in!
If you are a mom, you are a discipler. Your job is to make disciples of your kids.
If you are worker, you are a discipler. Part of your job is being an ambassador for Jesus on the job and influence others to follow Him.
You don’t have to be a pastor or a missionary to take part in this mission.
We all have a part.
Every one reach one!
What can you do this year, this week, this afternoon to help fulfill the Great Commission?
Because that’s what we’re all about.
The years change but the mission stays the same until the end of the age.
And until the end of the age, our Lord Jesus goes with us.
Did you catch that? Jesus doesn’t just send us, He goes with us. V.20
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
By His Spirit, Jesus goes with us on this mission.
We are sent, but we are not alone.
Immanuel! God is with us in Jesus.
We are not alone. We are sent on a grand mission and the Sender will be alongside us every step of the way.
Saturday, January 02, 2016
Monday, December 28, 2015
Books I Read in 2015
Proof that I'm still a bibliophile (in case anyone was wondering).
Matt’s Books Completed* in 2015:
1. Funeral of Figaro by Ellis Peters
2. The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson [Review]
3. God King by Joanne Williamson
4. The Horn of Roland by Ellis Peters
5. Live Like a Narnian by Joe Rigney
6. The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr
7. Scorpion Mountain by John Flanagan
8. Most Loving Mere Folly by Edith Pargeter (Ellis Peters)
9. What Is Marriage by Sherif Gergis, Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert George [[Review, Top Books of 2015]
10. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
11. Four Blood Moons by John Hagee
12. A 30-Day Hunt for Faith by Steve Sorensen [Review]
13. The Trinity Cat and Other Mysteries by Ellis Peters
14. The 13 Culprits by Georges Simenon
15. Flame Over Tara by Madeleine Polland
16. Never Pick Up Hitchhikers by Ellis Peters
17. The Fatal Tree by Stephen Lawhead
18. Spurgeon’s Sorrows by Zack Eswine [Review, Top Books of 2015]
19. The Heist by Daniel Silva
20. North or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson [Review]
21. A Young Man After God’s Own Heart by Jim George
22. The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett
23. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande [Review]
24. #ReformingSocialMedia by Mandy Hoffman [Review]
25. The Eighth Champion of Christendom by Edith Pargeter
26. Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers
27. A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin
28. I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
29. A Colder War by Charles Cumming
30. The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson [Review]
31. Reluctant Odyssey by Edith Pargeter
32. Risen by Steven Mathewson [Third Year in a Row]
33. Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
34. Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian
35. Side by Side by Ed Welch [Review, #1 Top Book of 2015]
36. Aspergirls by Rudy Simone
37. Am I Called? by Dave Harvey
38. Who on Earth Is the Holy Spirit? by Tim Chester and Christopher de la Hoyde
39. Loving My Children by Katie Faris [Review, My Interview with the Author]
40. H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O’Brian
41. The Mauritius Campaign by Patrick O’Brian
42. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
43. Desolation Island by Patrick O’Brian
44. The Fortune of War by Patrick O’Brian
45. The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout
46. Might As Well Be Dead by Rex Stout
47. The Surgeon’s Mate by Patrick O’Brian
48. The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian
49. Treason’s Harbor by Patrick O’Brian
50. Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim
51. The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood
52. The Far Side of the World by Patrick O’Brian
53. The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O’Brian
54. The Letter of Marque by Patrick O’Brian
55. The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O’Brian
56. The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O’Brian
57. The Truelove by Patrick O’Brian
58. The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O’Brian
59. Becoming Worldly Saints by Michael Wittmer [Review, Top Books of 2015]
60. The Commodore by Patrick O’Brian
61. The Yellow Admiral by Patrick O’Brian
62. The Hundred Days by Patrick O’Brian
63. Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O’Brian
64. By Firelight by Edith Pargeter
65. What’s Your Worldview by James Anderson [Review, Top Books of 2015]
66. Church Elders by Jeramie Rinne [Review]
67. The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson [Review]
68. Hurricane Sa’ar by Daniel S. King
69. The Lily Hand by Edith Pargeter
70. A Means of Grace by Edith Pargeter
71. The Pastor’s Guide to Fruitful Work and Economic Wisdom edited by Drew Cleveland and Greg Forster
72. Gambit by Rex Stout
73. Dead Petals by Eric Ortlund [Review]
74. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
75. Saturate by Jeff Vanderstelt [EFCA Now Reviews]
76. Jungle Doctor Spots a Leopard by Paul White
77. Still Life by Louis Penny
78. Dead Line by Chris Ewan
79. Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller
80. God Gave Wine by Kenneth Gentry, Jr.
81. The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore Jewett
82. Thriving in Babylon by Larry Osborne
83. Truth Overruled by Ryan Anderson
84. After Acts by Bryan Litfin [Review]
85. Stop Your Complaining by Ronnie Martin [Review]
86. Seven Pressing Questions by Bill Kynes [Review]
87. Warfare Accomplished by Edith Pargeter
88. God at Work Gene Veith
89. A Family Affair by Rex Stout
90. If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout
91. 3 at Wolfe’s Door by Rex Stout
92. Please Pass the Guilt Rex Stout
93. Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee
94. God Made All of Me by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb [My Interview with the Authors]
95. The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung [Made it into this sermon!]
96. The NIV One Year Bible
* These are books I finished reading in 2015, not the ones I started or the ones I didn't get done. I read a bunch of them for escapist fun, some for/with my kids, and a lot of them just to learn and grow. This year because of my illness, I lost track a couple of times and had to reassemble them later, so the order is a little off.
As I say each and ever year--I'm not endorsing these books just because they are listed here. Some of them are really good and some are really bad. Most are somewhere in between. Read with discernment.
[Here's the article where I explain why I post these.]
Previous Years:
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
[Matt's Messages] "Take Heart!" - Christmas Eve 2015
“Take Heart!”
Christmas Eve Candlelighting Service
December 24, 2015 :: John 16:33
Advent means “coming.” Christmas is coming...tomorrow!
Jesus has come and is coming again...soon.
Each of our Advent Readings this year have been centered on John 16:33, the memory verse that our entire church has been learning together by heart.
John 16:33 are words of Jesus spoken the night just before His crucifixion. He was teaching His disciples in the upper room, and He said:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
On the First Sunday of Advent, Nancy Wertz and Lucinda Socoski lit our first candle, a candle of lament. Lament.
To lament is to express grief and sadness because things are not as they should be.
Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.”
Anybody feeling the weight of that this Christmas season?
Anybody here have “trouble?”
Our world is in trouble. Our world is deeply broken because of sin.
When our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, our world went from “very good” to “cursed,” and now things are not as they should be.
Terrorism, war, disasters, disease, pain, conflict, and persecution are now commonplace because our world is damaged and things are not as they should be.
And that’s true for us on a personal level, too.
Many of you have lost a loved one in the last twelve months, and Christmas while nice is also hard because someone special is missing around the table.
Our church family had to say goodbye to one of our dearest and best members, Blair Murray, this year. Christmas Eve tonight is not the same because he’s not here.
And you know what? It’s okay to feel sad about that.
It’s okay to lament, to grieve, to feel bad because things are not as they should be.
The Bible encourages us to weep with those who weep. Our Lord Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus.
Followers of Jesus are not stoics who feel nothing. We know that things in our world are not as they should be and that it is wrong to pretend that they are.
So if you are hurting this Christmas season, that’s okay. It’s okay to be sad, to be sorrowful. It’s right to lament.
“In this world you will have trouble.”
BUT! At the same time: “Take Heart!”
Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!”
There is hope.
On the second Sunday of Advent, Todd and Heather Dobo and their boys lit our second candle and said that it was a candle of hope.
Yes, the world was broken by sin, but God had a plan from the beginning to fix this problem.
For the last few Sundays we’ve been learning about the Big Story of the Bible. The Big Story that we are all living in.
In fact, on January 3rd, all of our Sunday School classes are going to embark on a journey all the way through the Bible from beginning to end including the parts that many have never read before and putting the pieces together.
We’d love to have you and your kids join us for those new classes called, “The Gospel Project.” It’s a study of the Big Story of the World that we are living in right now.
And for Christians, it’s a story of hope.
The Old Testament predicted a messiah, an anointed Savior who would solve all of the world’s problems and usher in an eternal peace.
The prophet Isaiah predicted, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Peace!
Oh! Doesn’t that sound good?
And that’s exactly what the angels said that first Christmas to the shepherds who were keeping watch of their flocks by night.
They said that the promise had been fulfilled.
That “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ [Messiah] the Lord.”
And they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE to men on whom his favor rests.”
The prince of peace has come.
And Jesus said that He has told us all of this so that “IN ME [in Jesus] you may have peace.”
If you know Jesus you will have peace.
Peace with God. Peace with others. And peace within.
If you don’t know Jesus you will not have peace.
You’ll have war with God, war with others, and war within.
But take heart!
Put your hope in Jesus and you will have peace.
His peace is unlike anything the world offers and will never end.
Take heart!
Those words have become very precious to me in the last few weeks.
“Take heart.”
To take heart means to take stock of your situation and to find your hope and peace in Jesus.
Internalize this truth.
Yes, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.
The Greek word translated here “take heart” is “tharseo.”
And some English translations render it, “Take courage.”
Be encouraged.
George and Betty Leathers lit our third candle on the third Sunday of Advent and told us that it was a candle of courage.
Because our hope is in Jesus, we can take heart and be courageous right now.
Even though our world is full of danger and trouble on every side, we do not have to live in fear.
In fact, we should not live in fear.
We can be bold for Jesus. We can take risks for Jesus. We can tell others about Jesus. We can obey Jesus and do the hard things that He wants us to do in our needy world.
The angel told the shepherds, “Do not be afraid.”
We also do not need to be afraid!
We know how this story ends.
My mom is kind of weird.
She’s wonderful and I love her, but she has a very strange practice of reading the end of any book she’s reading before she reads the beginning or the middle.
And that’s true even of mystery novels!
She reads the ending first to see what happens and then decides whether or not to read the rest.
That would kind of change how you feel as the story goes along, wouldn’t it?
Heather and I have been watching some films recently that have a twist at the end that changes the whole story.
But before we watched these films, we already knew about the twists that were coming so that changed how we experienced the films as opposed to those first audiences who didn’t know what was going to happen.
We still enjoyed them. Maybe enjoyed them more because we knew the ending.
Have you ever watched a ball game on tape know already who won?
It really takes the worry out of it, doesn’t it?
Friends, take heart.
We know how our story ends.
Jesus said, “But take heart. I have overcome the world.”
He has overcome the world.
He’s talking about the Cross. What He’s going to do the very next day.
He’s going to suffer and die, paying for our sins and giving us His righteousness.
Our sins on Him. His righteousness on us.
If we believe.
Justification by faith.
And then three days later, He would not only overcome sin but overcome death.
“Take heart. I have overcome the world.”
“I have won the whole shooting match!”
And one day, Jesus will return in His Second Advent. His Second Coming.
And He will make his blessings known as far as the curse is found.
We know how our story ends, and that should give us courage while we live in it.
Do you need some courage right now?
Are you doing the things you know that you should be doing? That God wants you to do?
Don’t chicken out. ... Take heart! Jesus has overcome the world.
And that makes all of the difference.
Take heart.
Be encouraged.
And be courageous.
This last Sunday, the Hayles’ girls lit our fourth candle, and called it a candle of joy.
The King James Version translates “tharseo” not “take heart” or “take courage,” but “be of good cheer!”
Cheer up! Be full of joy!
That’s what “take heart” means.
It means rejoice because Jesus has overcome the world.
We have every reason to be of good cheer.
Yes, we have every reason to be sad. To lament.
But at the same time we have every reason to rejoice.
Because we know the end of the story.
One day soon there will be no reason to lament, no reason to take courage, and even no reason to hope because our hope will have been fully realized!
When Jesus Christ returns, He will truly bring joy to the world.
And that day may be soon, and while we wait for it in faith, we rejoice at Christmastime because we know that Jesus has overcome the world.
Take heart!
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| Our readings this year correspond with the EFCA Advent Devotional by Greg Strand. |
