Driscoll on the Cost of Discipleship

Last Sunday, Mark Driscoll preached on Luke 14:25-35. The Sermon is called “The Cost of Discipleship.” For where I’m at, it is one of the best sermons I’ve heard in a while. Here’s the summary from the website:

Salvation costs you nothing, but discipleship will cost you everything. Salvation occurs in a moment, but discipleship takes a lifetime. Jesus asks whether or not you truly want to live a life of discipleship. If you are a disciple, do not quit. Everything that matters is hard. Everything that matters is costly. Do not quit. Don’t waste your life. Make your death count. Do not raise your hand unless you’re ready to see it through to the end.

And here’s the sermon from Jesus Himself (Luke 14:25-35):

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

When Humility is Pride

Some of us can tend to fall into the trap of overwhelming inward shame. For those who struggle with this, the remedy is not to hear the words of friends who would say, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” The remedy is to look to Jesus and stop neglecting such a great salvation (Hebrews 2:3). The following is taken from Tony Reinke’s post, “When Humility is Pride” on CJ Mahaney’s blog:

Rev. Joshua Symonds (1739–1788) was the pastor of a church in Bedford, England who suffered from frequent afflictions, temptations, and what we might call depression—“family cares and severe bodily affliction sometimes cast a gloom over his spirit and led him to take desponding views of himself” [1]. Symonds’s despondency and sense of personal worthlessness engrossed his life, which is made clear in the letters he exchanged with his friend John Newton.

Symonds was aware of his own depravity and spiritual barrenness. But the bigger problem in Symonds’s life was not in thinking too lowly of himself, but in thinking too lowly of the Savior. He was sliding into legalism. He was aware of his own sinfulness, but unable to appreciate the all-sufficiency of the Savior.

Writes Newton,

You say, you find it hard to believe it compatible with the divine purity to embrace or employ such a monster as yourself. You express not only a low opinion of yourself, which is right, but too low an opinion of the person, work, and promises of the Redeemer; which is certainly wrong.

And therein is the danger of understanding total depravity without understanding the sufficiency of the Savior.

Satan’s School of Humility
So what went wrong in his friend’s thinking?

According to Newton, Symonds had been duped in Satan’s “school of humility,” where humility is twisted and distorted into prideful self-loathing that pushes the Savior away.

Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. He sometimes offers to teach us humility; but though I wish to be humble, I desire not to learn in this school. His premises perhaps are true, that we are vile, wretched creatures—but he then draws abominable conclusions from them; and would teach us, that, therefore, we ought to question either the power, or the willingness, or the faithfulness of Christ.

Indeed, though our complaints are good, so far as they spring from a dislike of sin; yet, when we come to examine them closely, there is often so much self-will, self-righteousness, unbelief, pride, and impatience mingled with them, that they are little better than the worst evils we can complain of.

Tim Keller quotes and explains the significance of Newton’s words in his forthcoming book King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus. Keller writes,

There are two ways to fail to let Jesus be your Savior. One is by being too proud, having a superiority complex—not to accept his challenge. But the other is through an inferiority complex—being so self-absorbed that you say, “I’m just so awful that God can’t love me.” That is, not to accept his offer.

And that is how Satan turns humility into false humility, false humility into despondency, and despondency into an inferiority complex that pushes away the gospel.

Looking Directly to Jesus
Newton was keenly aware that at the root of Symonds’s problems were his small thoughts about the Savior. Symonds was tempted to see himself as unworthy of the gospel, the very gospel that invites the most unworthy sinners.

Newton writes,

You have not, you cannot have, anything in the sight of God, but what you derive from the righteousness and atonement of Jesus. If you could keep him more constantly in view, you would be more comfortable. He would be more honored.…Let us pray that we may be enabled to follow the apostle’s, or rather the Lord’s command by him, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice [Philippians 4:4]. We have little to rejoice in ourselves, but we have right and reason to rejoice in him.

And in a later letter Newton writes,

The best evidence of faith is shutting our eyes equally upon our defects and our graces, and looking directly to Jesus as clothed with authority and power to save to the uttermost….Plead the Apostle’s argument (Romans 8:31–39) before the Lord and against Satan. [2]

We find no eternal hope within ourselves. Revisiting personal depravity is not the solution. Revisiting past periods of spiritual strength is not the solution. Prolonged introspection is not the solution. The solution is to look outside of ourselves, and to gaze again and again at the all-sufficient Savior who welcomes sinners, forgives sinners, and saves sinners to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25).

In other words, Christ is powerful to save, he is faithful to save, and he is willing to save even the most “monstrous” of sinners.

Primary source letter: John Newton, Works of John Newton (London: 1820), 6:185–187. Secondary sources: [1] Letters of John Newton (Edinburgh; Banner of Truth: 1869/2007), 167. [2] Letters, 173. [3] Letters, 168.

True Freedom

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”(Galatians 5:1 ESV)

From Tullian Tchividjian’s Blog:

In my book Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels, I make the point that “those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (Jonah 2:8). In other words, when we depend on anything smaller than Jesus for justification, love, mercy, cleansing, a new beginning, approval, acceptance, righteousness, and rescue we consign ourselves to “the restless futility of bewilderment” because nothing and no one but Jesus can provide those things we long for most.

I close the book with a story from Civil War days before America’s slaves were freed, about a northerner who went to a slave auction and purchased a young slave girl. As they walked away from the auction, the man turned to the girl and told her, “You’re free.”

With amazement she responded, “You mean, I’m free to do whatever I want?”

“Yes,” he said.

“And to say whatever I want to say?”

“Yes, anything.”

“And to be whatever I want to be?”

“Yep.”

“And even go wherever I want to go?”

“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “You’re free to go wherever you’d like.”

She looked at him intently and replied, “Then I will go with you.”

Jesus has come to the slave market. He came to us there because we could not go to him. He came and purchased us with his blood so we would no longer be a slave to sin but a slave to Christ—which is the essence of freedom. And now there’s no freer place to be in life than going with him—with the one who is himself our true liberty.

Remember: In the person of Jesus Christ, God came into this world, not to strip away our freedom, but to strip away our slavery to self so that we could be truly free.

Gospel Centered Marriage

We have talked a lot about what it means to live a Gospel centered life, but sometimes it’s difficult to understand what that looks like in day to day life. That’s why I treasure resources that help us work through the practical outworkings of the Gospel in our daily lives. The following is taken from a book that works out this “Gospel-centeredness” in the context of marriage. The book is gold.

Gary and Betsy Ricucci, Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace (Crossway, 2006), pp. 22-23:

• Because of the gospel, Christians have become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, in our marriage, our past does not define us, confine us, or determine our future.
• Because of the gospel, we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7). Therefore we can live free of all guilt and condemnation for every sin, and we can trust that God, in his mercy, will be gracious to us.
• Because of the gospel, we can forgive, just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). Nothing done against us compares to our sin against God. Therefore all offenses, hostility, and bitterness between Christians can be completely forgiven and removed.
• Because of the gospel, we are accepted by God (Romans 15:7). Therefore we are not dependent on a spouse for who we are or what we need.
• Because of the gospel, sin’s ruling power over us is broken (Romans 6:6, 14). Therefore we can truly obey all that God calls us to do in our marriage, regardless of any circumstance or situation.
• Because of the gospel, we have access to God through Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16). Therefore we can at any time take any need in our marriage to the One who can do all things.
• Because of the gospel, we have hope (Romans 5:1-4). Therefore we can endure any marital difficulty, hardship, or suffering, with the assurance that God is working all to our greatest good (Romans 8:28).
• Because of the gospel, Christ dwells in us by his Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14). Therefore we are confident that God is always with us and is always at work in our marriage, even when progress is imperceptible (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
• Because of the gospel, we have power to fight and overcome remaining sin, which continues to dwell and war within us (Romans 7:19-21, 24-25; Galatians 5:16-17). This indwelling enemy represents the essence of what is called the doctrine of sin.

HT: JT

The State of the Crossing - Reflections

Reflection #1 – The LORD is building His Church through The Crossing, you!

Psalm 127:1 – Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain…

The meaning of Psalm 127 is that men and women by FAITH still draw up the plans, buy the resources, swing the hammer and paint the house. And as we build by faith, the Master Builder, the LORD, is using our faith and efforts to accomplish His plan in His way. He builds the house through His people so that He gets the glory of the finished product and the process while we receive the joys and benefits of the finished product and process.

If there is one thing you can take to the bank in a church plant, it is that things usually don’t go the way you plan them. When I was first planning the Crossing in my mind a couple years ago, I had the prefect plan mapped out (in my head anyway). Who was going to be coming, who the leaders were going to be, who was going to be supporting our work, where we were going to be meeting and on and on. And from the first day that I opened my mouth, He began to change the plans, literally.

Out of the first core of 25+ people, 3 are still with us today. I didn’t even know 5 of the 6 leaders of the Crossing 2 years ago. We have had Sunday Gatherings at 5 different locations in the past 8 months. These are just a few changes in “my plan” that the LORD has made since we began the Crossing.

We are working, but it is God who is working in us to will and work for His good pleasure!

The LORD gets the Glory and we get the Joy, here we come 2011.

State of The Crossing - Slide Show

Here is the slide show for anyone who missed our State of The Crossing service this last Sunday, or anyone who just wants to watch it again. Thank you all for being a part of this ministry and serving diligently. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we are very thankful for what God is doing, and excited to see what He is going to do in 2011.

For the Ladies

In a world that is inundated with “worldly wisdom” for women, Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters provide “wisdom from above” in their blog “girltalk.” You can find the link at www.girltalkhome.com. Girltalk is a site devoted to “Conversations on biblical womanhood and other fun stuff.” Ladies, if you want to be encouraged and challenged as women of God, wives, mothers and friends this blog is for you. There are numerous resources that are there for your edification, enjoy.
Here is a taste of a daily devotional from girltalk.

Today was “one of those days.” I woke up late and could barely keep my eyes open as I began my morning routine. I was behind schedule. All of my well thought out plans for my morning seemed lost. On days like this, the temptation to live by my emotions looms large. Complaining and grumbling were on my tongue. And then I read this, “We are TODAY accepted in the Beloved, TODAY absolved from sin, TODAY acquitted at the bar of God. Oh! Soul-transporting thought.” Mr. Spurgeon strikes again. My grumbling heart stood rebuked. Today is one of those days—one of those amazing days, which find me standing before the bar of God acquitted from all of my sin because of the death of Jesus Christ on my behalf. Yes, Mr. Spurgeon, this is a “soul transporting” thought.

Regardless of what this day holds for you, may the truth of your acceptance in the Beloved reign first in your heart.

“One of Those Days”
by Janelle Bradshaw

Heidelberg Cat

I was telling a few friends about a book that I received as a Christmas (or birthday?) gift last week (that’s a subtle plug for my recent birthday in case you missed it… haha, but seriously).  Anyway… I mentioned my excitement for this book about the Heidelberg Catechism.  Yes, “my excitement.“ Without much goodwill, my friends (ehem Joey and Max) began to mock me and the book. I told them that they couldn’t hate on a book they had never read. So here is my attempt to defend the enjoyability, and devotional value of a book that I am VERY excited about (and so is my wife, who doesn’t put up with “boring” books).
The book is The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism, by Kevin DeYoung. Here is a plug from Kevin’s blog:

I’ve written before about how awkward it can feel to plug your own books. But I press on nonetheless, because you all are kind and I believe this book is important. My newest book, The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism will be available at the end of March. If the topic itself doesn’t thrill you, just look at the sweet picture of Ursinus. He’s part professor, part Santa Claus, part back-from-Davy-Jones’-Locker Pirate of the Caribbean.

Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of the Reformed confessional tradition in general and of the Heidelberg Catechism in particular. But even if you are not Reformed or have a “no creed but the Bible” aversion to catechisms and confessions I encourage you give the Heidelberg a try. It is better than you think.

And here’s a snippet from the intro:

If you’ve ever found understanding the Bible a bit like exploring America on foot, interesting but overwhelming and slow-going, why not use the Heidelberg Catechism as a map? The Catechism can help show you the main attractions others have discovered in the Bible and lead you to the best, most important truths of our faith. As the saying goes (to change our metaphors once again), you can see farther when standing on the shoulders of giants. And the Heidelberg Catechism is a giant of mind-sharpening, Christ-worshiping, soul-inspiring devotion. Stand on its shoulders and see more of Christ who saves us from our guilt by His grace and makes us, through His Spirit, wholeheartedly willing and ready to live for Him.

And last—for those of you who persevered through this post—here is a link to a rap song by Curtis Allen (aka Voice) about Kevin’s book: The First Ever Rap Song About the Heidelberg Catechism. Voice wrote the rap in response to a challenge by C.J. Mahaney at the 2010 NEXT Conference. Enjoy.

Bible Reading Plans

Ready or not, here it comes: 2011. Of all the things that you could commit to in 2011, spending time with God in His Word should be at the top of the list. Psalm 1:3 describes one who delights in and meditates on God’s Word day and night:

“He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”

Maybe you have failed in past commitments to read the Bible daily… join the club. Don’t give up. Nothing worth doing comes easy, and spending time in God’s word is no different. There are tons of different plans and structures for daily time with God in His Word. Justin Taylor has compiled many of them in a recent post, and he provides links to access the Word in several different formats (online, text, audio, podcast, mobile, etc). If you don’t have a plan for reading the Word, I would suggest that you browse his post, and find a plan that will help you enjoy God and His Word in the year(s) to come.

The Incarnation

God, the Messiah, became a baby for the sake of mankind. It was written by Mark Lowry 22 years ago.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water? Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man? Mary did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand? Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know—-

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again. The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb—-.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations? Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM

HT: Stand to Reason

What is the Meaning of Christmas?

An evangelistic short film (10 minutes) from St. Helen’s Bishopgate in London on whether or not the Christmas story happened and what it means—featuring New Testament scholar Paul Barnett:

HT: Justin Taylor

Behold The Lamb of God

Without a doubt, my favorite “Christmas CD” is a non-traditional album from Andrew Peterson. Andrew’s genre is probably best described as folk. He is a great storyteller, and his Christmas album, “Behold the Lamb of God,” is sort of his magnum opus. Andrew describes the CD as “the true tall tale of the coming of Christ,” and this musical and worshipful presentation of the biblical story line—climaxing at the incarnation—was one of the first things God used to open my eyes to the reality that the Bible is one grand story, an epic with a massive plot about a glorious God and His mission to redeem the world. The song below, “So Long Moses,” (track 3) is my favorite song on the CD. It will take you on a journey with Israel from Moses to David and into the prophets, all the while building anticipation for the coming King. Listen to the whole album online and then buy the CD.

From Andrew’s website:

Named one of the 10 best albums of the decade, Behold the Lamb of God is a collection of songs about Jesus. Since 2000, Andrew Peterson and his friends have performed Behold the Lamb around the country, telling again and again this “true myth”, as C.S. Lewis called it, this tale that’s bigger than life, but is—astonishingly—true. The tour has become a yearly tradition not just for Andrew and the other artists on the tour, but for families and churches who attend the concert each season. The live concert, like the album, is a community effort, featuring singer/songwriters Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Ben Shive, Andrew Osenga and more, and over the years has featured artists such as Alison Krauss, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Buddy Miller, Phil Keaggy, Sixpence None the Richer, David Wilcox, Pierce Pettis, Mindy Smith, Ron Block, Brandon Heath, Bebo Norman, Stuart Duncan, Eric Peters, and Randall Goodgame—all in the name of proclaiming the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.

HT: JT

Getting Intentional with Advent

In a culture where commercialism and materialism have nearly taken over “the holiday season,” those of us who are Christians are left with a choice: do we allow ourselves to get caught in the rushing stream of commercialized nonsense, or will we fight against the current and swim upstream? At our Life Group last night we decided that we wanted to swim upstream. We want to be a people who are caught up in worship this season as we consider the majesty and the glory of the reality that the Almighty Creator God became a man. The King of Glory saw the brokenness of our world and our desperate need, and He entered into our broken world so that He could bring redemption. As we began to grow excited about a month of celebrating the glories and the implications of the Incarnation, we also realized that a Christ-centered Christmas season will not happen without intentionality.
Throughout church history, the Advent season was a season (beginning four Sundays before Christmas) when the Church would focus intentionally on the coming of Christ (the Advent). They would look back at His first coming (Christmas) and look forward with great anticipation to His second coming when He will bring His redemptive work to its consummation.

At our Life Group we were sharing ideas about how we can be intentionally focused on Christ this season. One person mentioned the use of Advent Candles. This is a fantastic tradition with a long history and several variations. Check out this post by Noel Piper to understand its purpose. Last year, Jamie and I read through Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie. It is “an anthology of Advent readings collected from the writings and sermons of 22 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers” like Augustine, Martin Luther, Tim Keller, Joni Eareckson Tada, Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, Randy Alcorn, and more. I highly reccomend the book. This year, we have compiled a list of biblical Christmas songs, and we are taking time to work through the lyrics to understand and meditate on the truths in the songs. These are songs that we have heard or sung hundreds of times, but often we have been oblivious to the powerful and glorious truths that we are singing about. For example, consider the words of this classic line, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn’.”

There is not one right way to celebrate the Advent of Christ, but we must get intentional. Please take a couple of minutes to share some ideas of practices that you have done or heard about so that we can all benefit. We need the Spirit to help us swim upstream this season, and we need community. May we approach Christmas this season with more anticipation, more worship, and more love for God than ever before.

Don't Waste Your Life - Free Audiobook

Every month christianaudio.com gives away a free audiobook. This month the free giveaway is Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. This a book that God used to transform my life, and I highly recommend it. Put it on your iPod or mp3 player (or burn it to a CD if anybody still does that) and redeem the time you spend doing more mindless activities.
Here is a link to a sermon by Pastor John that can give you a taste of what the book is about.

Free PDF Downloads:
Don’t Waste Your Life (PDF)
Don’t Waste Your Life Study Guide (PDF)

God's Chisel

Psalm 139:14 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and Genesis1:27 tells us that we are made in God’s own image. However, we know that we are not perfect, and that God continues to sanctify us. Malachi chapter 3 says “...for He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver…”, and Psalm 66:10 says “...For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.”
Hopefully this video will help us remember that (A) we are sinners, and (B) because of the cross, God continues to love and redeem us.

Lead Me

Here is a challenging and encouraging song/prayer for us husbands and fathers.
‘Lead Me’ by Sanctus Real:

Visit the website of Sanctus Real to see the music video and the story behind the song.

Theology Matters

This short video promotes not only the study of Theology for the glory of God, but also a new book by Joshua Harris called Dug Down Deep. Here is a short comment from Josh’s blog about why he wrote the book:

Dug Down Deep is a simple introduction to basic Christian belief. One person described it as systematic theology disguised as something readable. I wrote it so that people who might not normally read theology would be able to digest it and understand how life-giving and important it is for living the Christian life.

One of my hopes for the book is that it would be a tool to help small groups take a first step in studying theology together. I have a particular burden to see high school and college-age students discover that sound doctrine isn’t just for old people, it’s for all of us. I also wrote it in the hope that Christians would give it to unbelieving friends as a way of starting a conversation about God, the gospel and the person of Jesus Christ.

A Part of This Great Story

On Sunday we talked about Our Role in God’s Story, the Story about the redemption of God’s Kingdom. The following quote about God’s Kingdom Story was posted this morning on a blog called Of First Importance: Living Each Day in the Good of the Gospel.

“The kingdom of God is the new and final age that began with the coming of Jesus. His kingdom is not part of the present age — an age where the flesh reigns; where people are divided, relationships are broken, and suspicion and competition dominate; where money, sex, and power are abused; where leaders are first and servants are last; where behavior is controlled by laws, and identity is defined by race, gender, or social standing; and where gifts and resources are used for the advancement of oneself.

Rather, the kingdom of God is the new age. It is the age of the Spirit (Matt 12:28). It is the age of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). The kingdom of God is about the renewal, restoration, and reconciliation of all things, and God has made us a part of this great story of salvation.”

– Neil H. Williams, Gospel Transformation (Jenkintown, Pa.; World Harvest Mission, 2006), iii.

Every day Of First Importance posts a thoughtful quote intended to help its readers set their minds on what is of first importance: the Gospel. It’s a good place to visit regularly.

Listen Up!

“Why on earth does anyone need a guide on how to listen to sermons? Don’t we simply need to ‘be there’ and stay awake? Yet Jesus said: ‘Consider carefully how you listen.’ The fact is, much more is involved in truly listening to Bible teaching than just sitting and staring at the preacher. Christopher Ash outlines seven ingredients for healthy listening. He then deals with how to respond to bad sermons – ones that are dull, or inadequate, or heretical. And finally, he challenges us with ideas for helping and encouraging our Bible teachers to give sermons that will really help us to grow as Christians.”

• Where does the authority of a Bible teacher come from?
• Why is Bible teaching offensive?
• Why is it important to hear Bible teaching in church?
• How can we actually enjoy Bible teaching more?

These (and more) are the questions answered by this practical guide, which includes effective, hands-on suggestions for implementing each idea. All with the aim of helping us learn how to listen properly, so that through His word, God will make us more and more like Christ.

We will be going through this book together within the McQuinn/Jackl Life Group. However, even if you are not attending this Life Group, I would encourage anyone to read this book.