Monday, December 7, 2009

Something You Should Hear From Matt Chandler Pastor of Village Church

Posted by The Ballengers

comments (0)

TOP

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Amazing Song Called Joyful Noise by Flame, Lecrae, and John Reilly...for your enjoyment

Posted by The Ballengers

comments (0)

TOP

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

D.A. Carson on The Drifting of Evangelicalism

Posted by The Ballengers

comments (0)

TOP

Monday, November 30, 2009

Sermon Update

Posted by The Ballengers

For those of you Summit scholars who follow along, you'll be pleased to know that what follows is from this past Sunday, and that there will be the previous two Sundays listed on here shortly as well.  Sorry for the delay, but with people traveling and the sound system issues we've had the last two weeks, it has been difficult to stay updated.  Thanks!


SERMON FROM 11/29/2009



Advent #1: Hope


“The candles are traditionally lit in the following order: purple, purple, pink, purple, and white. The first is called the "Candle of Hope.


It symbolizes faith in God keeping his promises to humanity


The second is called the "Candle of Preparation," reminding Christians to "get ready" to receive God


The third candle is the "Candle of Joy.  “It recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ.


The fourth candle, the "Candle of Love," reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send his only son to Earth. The "Christ Candle," the white candle in the center, stands for Jesus Christ himself.” (Kim Kenney, “The Meaning of Advent Candles,” < accessed November 2009 > http://www.ehow.com/about_5385336_meaning-advent-candles.html)

John Piper:


1, “[P]urpose...GOD be prized above all things..... You can’t praise what you don’t prize.... (“Prizing is the authenticating essence of praising” Piper)
Ex. All the South Carolina fans!


2. Problem: “Sin is what [I] do when [my] heart is not satisfied with GOD. No one sins out of duty. We sin because it holds us until we believe that GOD is more to be desired than life itself.”


3. Solution:


Psalm 63:3


 “Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You.”


4. What does a life captivated in GOD’s “love” look like?


a. “...the power of sin’s promise is broken by the power of GOD’s [promises]. All that GOD promises to be for us in JESUS stands over against what sin promises to be for us without HIM.” (Piper)


b. “Being satisfied with “the glory of GOD is what I call future grace.” (Ibid.)


5. Another question: What makes the satisfaction stick?
Alister McGrath: The church is “…failing to provide believers with approaches to living that keep them going and growing in spiritual relationship with HIM. ...enthusiasm fades.”


a. Not “gratitude!” It is an “indispensable CHRISTian affection. No one is saved who doesn’t have it.” (Piper)


b. But does “gratitude” inspire “obedience?” No!


c. “...gratitude for bygone grace has been pressed to serve as the power of holiness, which only faith in [the glory of GOD] was designed to perform…”


6. How do we live “…radical lives of CHRISTian love?” (Phrase borrowed from Piper)


a. Faith produces “…radical lives of CHRISTian love.”


> Faith in what? “…conditional grace…” (Piper)


James 4:6


But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."


Matthew 8:5—13


When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, "while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.


>> “[C]onditional grace” reminds us GOD will “help.”


7. “faith” in GOD’s promises (i.e., “conditional” and “unconditional grace”) “sustains the heart.” (Piper) “The promise of GOD overpowered the promise of sin, and produced a lifetime of sacrificial love.” (John Piper)


a. JESUS was “astonished” because of four things: What counted to JESUS was not his name, but his “faith!”


1. First, the “centurion” had a proper understanding of love. (vv. 5--7)


a. I mean, he could get a new “servant.” Why ask? Because he cared!


2. Second, the “centurion” knew his SPIRITual condition. (v. 8; James 4:6)


3. Third, the “centurion” trusted JESUS’ “word.” (v. 8)
highest form of flattery.


4. Fourth, the “centurion” believed JESUS had “authority!” (vv. 8--9)


a. The “centurion” knew power when he saw it.

Application: Where do I need GOD to “help” me? Do I need “help” in having sacrificial love?




- So what do you think about "conditional" and "unconditional" grace?


comments (0)

TOP

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Knowing and Doing the Will of God Part 8: Suffering

Posted by The Ballengers

Knowing and Doing the Will of God means suffering. (Part 8)

Colossians 1:24-27


“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

“When you choose the walk of a disciple (telmede in Hebrew) it is a walk that goes to the end”. (Ray Vander Laan…all quotes from him unless otherwise noted).

“We come to a place where people had to make a decision…to be like the Rabbi [see “valley of decision”]…very, very difficult and meant facing their own death.” (ibid)

It is a “…difficult path of taking up our cross like the MESSIAH.” (ibid)

Why does a disciple have to suffer?

Matthew 26:36-39

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray."  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."  And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."


“’Gethsemane’ [‘oil press’ The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon]…the Rabbi suffered (far beyond what we can imagine).  If being a disciple is to be like the Rabbi, we ought to expect Gethsemane moments too.”


1 John 2:6


"...whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

Luke 9:23


"And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."


“We want Jesus to carry His cross so we don’t have to.” (Ray Vander Laan)


Why?  “In part because the Rabbi did.” (ibid)



Matthew 5:11-12


"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

John 15:18, 20


"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you..."Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."


Philippians 1:29


"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..."


2 Timothy 3:12


"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..."



“We continue to suffer for others so they will know Jesus as Lord.”



Colossians 1:24


"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church..."






“What is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions?”


Not Jesus’ atoning work on the cross (John Piper).


“What is still lacking”…people do not know Jesus as Lord!


What will get me through the suffering?



1 Corinthians 15:30-32


"Why am I in danger every hour?  I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!  What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."


2 Corinthians 11:23-28

"Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.  Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches."

“joy”…a daily choice (see 1 Corinthians 15:30-31)


"Why am I in danger every hour?  I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!"
Hebrews 12:2


"...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."


Application:

"What stories will others tell of us?  Are we "blessing [others] with [our] courage and fight?"

Where does the path lead?  The disciple doesn't ask.  All he or she knows is that more than anything else in the world, the disciple (the telmede) wants to be like the Rabbi right to the end." (Ray Vander Laan)

"If you're not WILLING TO SUFFER, you're not willing to be a follower". - Jon Davis


Here is a link to Foxe's Book of Martyrs for more information on the suffering of the saints for the sake of Christ.  http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/martyrs/index.htm







comments (0)

TOP

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Knowing and Doing the Will of God Part 7: The Unlikely Disciple

Posted by The Ballengers

Acts 13:36

"For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers..."

Acts 14:8-22

"Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked.  He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he sprang up and began walking.  And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"  Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.  And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.  "In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.  "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."  Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.  But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.  But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.  When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

Main Point of Sermon:  "We can trust God in knowing and doing His will because He has a purpose for us."

Things that cause people to believe that God does NOT have a purpose for them:
1.     1. Lack of ability.
2.      2. God does not exist.


How can I discover my purpose?
-          - It’s housed in our passion for Christ.


We are disciples who are fully committed to being like Jesus.


What derails purpose?
1.     1.  Lack of passion.
2.      2. Thinking I cannot accomplish this task.


We see Paul preaching and speaking in Lystra, and we read about how the people in Lystra wanted to deify Paul and Barnabas.  Paul was beaten within an inch of his life, and then went back into the land to find God’s people.


Lystra was a Roman city on top of a hill, and the mythological story of Zeus and Hermes visiting Lytonia had already been established, so the transition from seeing a lame man walk to the mythological deifying of Paul and Barnabas would have been an easy one to make. http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/L/LYSTRA/


We heard the story of Timothy and how God had used the “unlikely disciple” to do great things for His people and for the church.  What the world said was unacceptable and an outsider was given the same grace and gift of Christ that you and I have received.


How many times do we feel like the “unlikely” person just living a day-to-day life and job; and yet, God has something so much BIGGER for us.  It comes with the understanding that we are not our own, but were bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20).


We must understand that even in a middle of nothing, nowhere job or city that God can and will do great things through His people because He chooses to do so.  No matter how “unlikely” you and I may seem, the Lord knows who are His and He purposes everything according to His good pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).

comments (2)

TOP

Friday, October 30, 2009

Knowing and Doing the Will of God Part 6

Posted by The Ballengers

“Communicating Jesus to a world of “leisure and pleasure” (Ray Vander Laan). 


Galatians 5:1-8


“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion {did} not {come} from Him who calls you.” (NASB)


The main point of Sunday’s teaching was:  The way we run will show people that Jesus is King.

The main verse for the message is Galatians 5:7


“You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (NASB)
        
            The question is not necessarily what keeps us from God, but who keeps us from Him.  There are so many other things that get in our way, for example:   our time, our money, our family, our religion…these things keep us from running hard after Christ effectively.  But are the things in our lives really the inhibitors?  Are we being kept from Christ because of our time?  Or is it that we ourselves are keeping our relationship with Christ on hold?  We looked this past Sunday at the idea that Paul was speaking from, and with regard to the imagery he was using at that time:  the Olympian Games.

The Olympic Games declared that Caesar was in fact god, and that he was the son of god when he took his seat in the seat of the lord…in the royal box (Ray Vander Laan; all other quotes will be from him unless noted).  “Decrees would be made…his herald would stand and read from a copy and say ‘These are the words of the great, divine, supreme, etc…’.  And he would tell them what they’ve done right or wrong…what they can expect by way of reward and punishment…because after all he is god…The choir stands around him…the priest from all the local cults surround and chant his praises…he would stand and open the scroll declaring the games could begin…and only he had the authority…then the athletes in white robes would proceed in procession…communities of crowds would chant for their favorite…assembling before the throne with palm branches in their hands…they would give their lives to the god of the games…declare that their running would show the world who is god…”.
     
              There were 40,000 people cheering in the stadium all agreeing that Caesar was god, and the athletes would sacrifice themselves to run the race without giving up no matter the consequences to show their honor to the god.  Paul’s imagery in Galatians is effective for so many reasons, but namely it brings us to this concept:  the runners would give everything to run for the Caesar’s approval and glory.



      Are we giving everything for God?  Are we running to the best of our ability, or are we holding something back?  What if we gave our all?  What if we chased and surrendered to God as if He was and is the best thing in our lives, that He had and is doing the best thing for us, and that He is all-satisfying and worthy to be desired relentlessly?  We should.

      We should worship our God through running, through our running towards Him and showing others how we run for Him and to Him.  We should run so that in the end there is NOTHING left to give!

      Christ gave everything and all, He emptied Himself and drew close to death so that we might live; how much more should we draw closer to Him so that He be lifted up and we decrease to His glory.

      What is valuable?  What is valuable is whatever the "authority" places value on.  In our world the multitude determines how valuable something is by how much they desire it.  The multitude does not desire Christ, they desire (like the Greeks) "leisure and pleasure", but to we Christians, the ultimate Authority, the One who places value on everything because He created it is the Lord, and He says that Christ is supremely valuable to everything that is constantly being chosen over Him.  God knows what is valuable, and it is Christ.  So if we are to put our lives behind what we believe to be most valuable and most satisfying and most worthy of our lives... this must be Christ.

      Run to grace, run for Christ, and for His glory alone.  It's not like we are sponsored by Nike or anything, but we are lifted up and pressed on by a greater Presence, and He is saying compete.

COMPETE AGAINST THE WORLD.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."   <---- 1 Corinthians 9:24

comments (0)

TOP

Monday, October 19, 2009

Continuing the Series: Knowing and Doing the Will of God

Posted by The Ballengers

This past Sunday Pastor Jon brought a follow-up message to the sermon series “Knowing and Doing the Will of God”.  This series has been insightful for many people, because the “Will of God” is often a mystery.

                Jon began this message by stating his main premise before beginning his talk was:  “To know the will of God, you need to get as close as you possibly can to Him”.

                So how do people draw near to God?  Many people draw near to Him through prayer and fasting, others draw near through the reading and meditation of His Word, still others seek wise counsel and try to think with the mind of Christ.  All of these methods are good and necessary but we must see how Christ drew near to God.

                Most people who have been to church will have read the gospel before, but there are many times that we do not dwell on regarding Christ’s time with the Father.  Christ got alone with God, whether He was in a garden, on a mountain, or in a boat.  He sought after the Father’s will intently and it proved so definite in His life, that He said He could only do what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19).

                We should be with other Christians for it is truly good to worship with those who love God, and we should desire the fellowship of a local church because it is expressed that we need to take of communion, have baptism, and be a part of (if necessary) church discipline; it’s expected of us.  But we should not negate the times also necessary for us to be alone with our Father.  Christians must be filled with the Holy Spirit if they are going to try and give of themselves.  I have always heard the saying “Give out of your saucer, not your cup”, and that means that God should fill us up so much that we give out of an overflow of His love, but how many pass up that time to meet with Him and be filled.  If we are to know and do the will of God we must spend time with Him and learn to know His thoughts for our purpose, and to know His love for our joy.

---------------

                Jon spoke from Matthew 22:15-22, reading how Christ taught on “rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21).  Jon explained how Caesar in the days of Rome would have been viewed as a god, and that the tribute the people paid to Rome would have been viewed as an offering, and also a confirmation of Caesar’s godhood.

                Christ taught to “render to Caesar what is Caesar, and to render to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21).  The Pharisees had sent their disciples to question and trap Christ (Matthew 22:15-17), and they accepted paying tribute to Caesar because they had misconstrued Jeremiah 27:6-7; they were applying a prophetical text about the Persians to Caesar’s position as a servant of God.

                The best point that Jon made Sunday was stating what Christ had said “render to Caesar what is Caesar, and to God what is God’s”; Christ separated the two:  saying that Caesar is one entity, and God is another, thus showing that Caesar was in fact not God.  This is an amazing point and one that is easily overlooked while reading through the conversation of Christ and the Pharisee’s disciples.


                Another amazing point was that Caesar’s image was on the coin; therefore it was Caesar’s and should be given to him.  Christ said that whatever was God’s should be given to Him as well (Matthew 22:21), and being that man is made in the imago Dei (image of God), man is the Lord’s.  We must, as Christians, render ourselves
(Romans 12:1-2) unto the Lord so that we may know and do His will, His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

                Jon said “We must be driven to understand this...whatever we give our lives to is god”.

                So what does God want?  Jon answers with the first and greatest commandment:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

-------------

For more study on this I would recommend Bill Hybels Holy Discontent, and to hear Jon’s sermon series on Knowing and Doing the Will of God, visit http://www.summitcharleston.com, and click on “Summitcasts” under the “Resources” section.

- Ballenger -

comments (1)

TOP

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Monday After

Posted by The Ballengers

Greetings Summit Nation!

      The Monday After is Summit's new blog to assist in developing further study on the previous Sunday's message.  For example, this past week was Mustache Sunday at Summit Church, so there would be some content and discussion regarding that as well as Jon's teaching on the concept of a Jewish disciple.

     This blog will also be a place for posting any questions regarding Scripture, the Christian walk, or the past sermons at Summit.  We hope that you will grow in Christ, and the knowledge of God through this blog, while understanding that reading Scripture and prayer are both very effective and essential ways as well.

     Look for future updates every Monday on here for discussion on this weekend's sermon from Summit!

comments (0)

TOP

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)