Grace available for making Hard Decisions - Pt 1

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Fatherly wisdom for those needing guidance
The Book of Proverbs was written by a father to leave Godly wisdom for his son.  Now this was no ordiinary father, and neither was the son a common boy.  Solomon, the King of Israel, was the primary author of this book (some of the chapters were written by other men writing under inspiration of the Holy Spirit), with his son, Rehoboam, being the primary recipient.  Sadly Rehoboam did not take heed to its words, and for that matter, Solomon by and large did not either. (1 Kings 11-12)

God's Grace is already available to every Christian to live out the Christian life, they just need to "step into it" and live it out
Nevertheless, from Proverbs we gain Divine Wisdom needed to live effective Godly lives as believers.  So often Christians pray and ask God for Grace and strength to make major and minor decisions in their lives.  In fact, I remember one time going to a pastor and asking him to pray that God would give me the grace too make what was then a major decision in my life.  That pastor wisely informed me that the grace was already there, and that all I needed to do was to "step into it". 

Today I want us to consider how such grace is available to us through this set of verses here in Proverbs 2.   

1. The Grace available to make Hard decisions - the Word of God. Proverbs 2:1-6
As Solomon wrote this book in the middle of his life, he knew as a King over God's people that God and God alone could provide what was needed to live effectively.  In Proverbs 2:1 he tells his son: "My son, if you will receive my words, and treasure my commands within you".  The grace available to every Christian is none other than God's Word.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that it is the word of God that "discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart". 

2. The One who grants such grace also indwells every Christian - the Holy Spirit
As Christians, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is ever ready to lead, to instruct and bear witness to us about our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, and our redemptive identity. (Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13-16; 1 John 3:23-24)  Unlike King Solomon and the Old Testament saints, whose experience of the Holy Spirit was one of where He would come upon them or enter their lives on occassion, New Testament Christians enjoy the continual indwelling of the One who authored the scriptures - the Holy Spirit. (John 14:17)It is by the scriptures we hear God speak to us.  In fact, Solomon writes that very thought in Proverbs 2:6.  So the One who authors the scriptures indwells every Christian, making the grace for making hard decisions readily avaliable. 

3.  When you step into His available grace, you are functioning as an effective listener.  Proverbs 2:7-8
To "step into the grace" as we've spoken about simply means to act on what you have read or heard from the scriptures.  This grace speaks to the God-given ability to live the Christian life.  There is certainly grace necessary for salvation through faith in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  However the grace we're speaking of here is the power granted to live the post-conversion Christian life, since it is the power and person of Christ working forth in a progressive way by the power and indwelling person of the Holy Spirit - i.e sanctification. (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2;:2-13)

Solomon describes an Old Testament picture of this in Proverbs 2:1-5 and Proverbs 2:7-8.  Proverbs 2:1-5 speaks about me "treasuring up the wisdom of God", followed by identifying the source of such wisdom in Proverbs 2:6, with the pledge from God to protect and guide in 2:7-8.  Note what we read in Proverbs 2:7-8 "He (God) stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, (8) Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones."

4. God wants you to know as a Christian that it is His pleasure to grant the grace needed to make hard decisions
See, the grace is there, all you and I have to to is step into it.  Why?  Because it is the Father's pleasure to grant grace to his children, for he lavishly loves them. (1 John 3:1).  Asking for the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and understanding is quite appropriate, and should be done so in connection with study of God's Word. (Luke 11:13; Ephesians 1:16-18; 1 John 2:20,27)  To take God at His word and step into His readily available grace is another way of saying that I am an effective listener, willing to obey His will.  (James 1:23-25)

Thank the Lord for all He provides for us.  The Graceful foundation for making hard decisions has been explored.   Tomorrow we'll look more specifically at examples of how God's grace supplies believers with the decision making ability to make hard choices.

The Marks of Solid Preaching Ministry

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 

These past several days we have looked at the call and priority of biblical preaching. Preaching matters because of the character of scripture, it is commanded by God and it is constantly needed.  Today we want to consider a fourth and final reason from 2 Timothy 3:16-4:5 as to why preaching matters: It completes God's Will .  We will be considering this particular thought from the standpoint of noting the particular marks of a solid preaching ministry that aims to complete God's will. 
The marks of a solid preaching ministry 
The verse above gives us four marks of a solid, preaching ministry.  For those who are reading this blog today, I would urge you to mark these down and then pray your pastor.  Your pastor needs your prayers, since by them and through them is he able to continue to fulfill God’s will for both His calling and the flock to which he is called to preach Word. 

Note what kind of preaching fulfills God’s will:

a. Solid Preaching is balanced or “sober”.  That is, preaching balances well between engaging the mind, moving the heart and compelling the conscience. 

b. Solid Preaching knows how to endure.  It is no secret that hard seasons may be experienced in the course of the church’s life as she endeavors to carry forth and live out the Gospel in an increasingly godless age.  The command to endure hardship includes with it the grace of God to endure.  Paul states in Colossians 1:29 that he was able to continue in ministry because of Christ's power working in him.

c. Solid Preaching has heart.  When the preacher is commanded to do the work of an evangelist, that means his preaching must be done so with the heart, as well as the mind and the conscience.  Preaching that only aims to inform the mind will produce cold Christians.  Likewise, preaching that only aims at the conscience will produce contentious Christians.  As we noted earlier, Solid preaching is balanced or sober, since it takes into consideration the mind, the conscience and the heart.  It is the heart that connects the mind and the conscience.  You and I need doctrine in the mind and conviction of the conscience to move to passion in the heart.  Godly living and evangelism requires these elements.

d. Solid Preaching aims to please God.  This is important, since God, not man, is the aim of the pleasing end of preaching. When Paul writes to "fulfill your ministry", he is speaking of the ministry to which every pastor is called by God to do.  The will of God is what God ordains and desires.  As much as I preach to the people, I am preaching before and through the Lord.  Every pastor will someday stand before Christ to give an account for every word stated or not stated. (James 3:1)  If a preacher will but aim to please God in every message, God will be pleased to take that sermon and apply it as needed to the people.  (Acts 20:24; Colossians 1:28-29)

The Solid preacher who aims to please God will do three things

I would pray that in the preaching of His Word, that every word would never fall to the ground. (1 Samuel 3:19)  Would it be that God’s will be fulfilled.  Every pastor's aim, above all else, should be to fulfill what God has called them to do: To labor in the word and prayer; to love the people of God and to lead the flock, presenting every person complete in Christ. (Colossians 1:28). 

May we make preaching a priority, since God’s Word, God Himself, the needs of our time and the will of God compels us to do so. 

Why Preaching is Constantly Needed

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Yesterday we considered that preaching matters because it is commanded by God.  We have also understood that preaching matters due to the character of scripture leading to it.  Today we want to consider the third reason why preaching matters: It is Constantly Needed

Why Preaching is Constantly needed
Sadly, that time is not future – it is now.  Earlier in 2 Timothy 3:13 we read – “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them”. 

What makes this prediction of our age so sad is that those who increasingly reject sound preaching and doctrine are not only the hardened unbelievers in the world, but moreso the professing Christians connected to the church.  Not all of those professing Jesus with their lips necessarily possess Him by faith in their hearts.  (Matthew 13:26-29; Mark 7:6)  In these last days we are finding more and more professing Christians exchanging the truth of God for lies woven on the looms of men. 

Preaching is constantly needed because error constantly abounds

Many are increasingly denying the existence of hell and promoting the idea that one can be saved apart from hearing the name of Jesus.1  Our Christian book stores are becoming more characterized by self-help resource centers rather than dying to self at the cross.  Man, not Christ, is how churches at large builds their programs and their progress. 

Preaching is constantly needed because God is constantly raising up men to equip God's people

Every age of the church has called for God called men and God led churches to raise the standard and clarion call of God to a darkening age.2  As the preacher Martin Lloyd Jones once exclaimed: “a lecture or a lesson can be given next week, next month or next time.  But a true sermon must be delivered now!” 

We are living in a day and age that Amos describes as being a “famine in the land”. (Amos 8:12)  Thankfully God appoints and calls forth Godly men and women to proclaim, live out and carry forth the true Gospel in every generation.  The church today needs God-called men who as pastors will feed and equip the God called men and women of God to carry forth a God-centered, Christ exalting, Spirit empowered and Biblically sound Christianity. 

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1 The recent book by popular pastor Rob Bell entitled: "Love Wins" proposes that God will in the end "win over" every creature, demon and even satan himself with His love.  It may take a while, but love will win in the end. To establish his point, Bell denies the reality of hell and exclusivity of the Gospel.

2 In the past 21 centuries of church history, we see examples of Godly men raised up to preach against the darkness of their generation.  Some examples would be: The Apostles in the first century; Athanasius in the 4th century; Augustine in the 5th century; Gottshalk in the 9th century; Anslem of Canterbury in the 13th century; John Wycliffe & John Huss in the 14th century; Martin Luther in the 16th century; Jonathan Edwards in the 17th century; John and Charles Wesley in the 18th century; Charles Spurgeon in the 19th Century; Martin Lloyd Jones; Adrian Rogers & D. James Kennedy; John MacArthur & Charles Stanley in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

God's Command to Preach the Word

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Yesterday we dealt with the first reason why preaching matters: because of the character of scripture itself.  Today we want to explore the second reason for preaching, namely because it is.....

COMMANDED BY GOD 2 Timothy 4:1-2

We read in this text of Paul “solemnly charging Timothy”.  I’ll never forget over 20 years ago experiencing a dramatic move of God in my own life.  In my room in rural Pennsylvania God had been dealing with my heart.  As I searched the scriptures, I came across this text.  When I read verses 1 and 2, especially where we read “preach the word”, my heart was arrested.  I knew then that the Sovereign Lord was addressing me. 

If for no other reason, preaching is necessary because God has commanded it.  Acts 10:42 describes the conviction of the Apostles - “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.”  When I as a preacher stand up to proclaim God’s Word, and when His church gathers to hear the proclamation of God's Word, we are as it were gathered in the presence and the court of heaven itself.  1 Timothy 5:21  tells us plainly - "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”  It is in these same words that Paul communicates his words in 2 Timothy 4:1-2. 

What the church over history has believed about preaching

Preachers of the past have recognized this particular point as the chief motivation in preaching.  Richard Baxter, a 17^th century Puritan pastor, once stated – “I preach as never sure to preach again and as a dying man to dying men.”  Steven J. Lawson, a Southern Baptist Pastor, has said in a recent book “Famine in the Land”- page 62, : “One God called man armed with one God sent message committed to one God sent method – preaching – is always sufficient for any situation.”

 
So preaching matters because of the character of scripture and the command of God.  More tomorrow!

Why Preaching Matters

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Today we want to answer this one simple question: Why Preaching?  Many churches today have come to devalue the place of preaching in the life of the church.  God has ordained one main method in the Bible by which God's people are equipped and fed to evangelize unbelievers for the glory and exaltation of Christ – namely preaching.  As we consider today the cause and reason for preaching, I will submit to you four reasons why preaching matters:

1. Character of Scripture (leads to it)   2 Tim 3:16-17

2. Commanded by God   2 Tim 4:1-2
3. Constantly Needed   2 Tim 4:3-4
4. Completes God’s Will  2 Tim 4:5

In today's blog we will consider the first of these.  So why preaching?  First of all, preaching matters because of the….

CHARACTER OF SCRIPTURE (leads to it) 2 Tim 3:16-17

Perhaps the clearest statement pertaining to the inspiration and character of the Bible is 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  God revealed the scriptures, breathed them out and gave them through and to men.  The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message begins with these words about the character of scripture: "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction." Truly the character of scripture as God’s Word requires it to be unpacked and unfolded to hearers. 

The Bible was inspired by God to be explained and preached

In verse 16 we read that it is profitable for teaching – that is, it tells me what is right.  Secondly, it is for reproof – that is, telling me when I’m not right.  Thirdly, it is for correction – or telling me how to get right.  Then fourthly, it is for training in righteousness – or instructing me on how to stay right. 

The Bible was inspired by God for equipping and practice exhorted by preaching

Now in verse 17 we read that by the scriptures, the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  How is this to be done?  Certainly the scripture itself has this quality of being able to equip.  However the primary means of equipping is none other than the preaching of the Word.  From the moment of saving faith, through the process of the Christian’s life, exposure to the preaching of the Word is a must. 

The Bible's power to convert the human heart is connected to preaching

Romans 10:8 tells us – “what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.”  Romans 10:14-15 later on reveals – “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 1:21 states: “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”  

The Bible's quality of changing believers into further Christlikeness is directly connected to preaching 
As preaching is ordained of God in the beginning of salvation, it is fundamental to the Christian’s growth in sanctification. Ephesians 4:11-12 bears this out – “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ”.  The Bible as the Word of God, as God’s revelation, has included with it the need for preaching.   
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For those interested, follow further comments on what defines preaching @ twitter.com/mahlonsmith

Beginning, Middle and End

Colossians 1:18 "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."

The Beginning, Middle and End of all things in one verse

What is amazing about these verses is how much the Holy Spirit has placed in such a short space.  Here in verse 18 we cannot help but see the connection made between creation – the beginning; the middle, which would be this current church age (Israel having been in the Old Testament) and then the end - which speaks to the wrapping up of all things.  The beginning (Genesis 1-2), middle (Genesis 3-Revelation 19/20) and the end (Revelation 20/21-22),  three main phases in the Bible’s unfolding of God’s Divine saga in the written Word. 

In Colossians 1:16-18 the original language gives us a continuous unfolding of how everything in history and eternity is centered around the Living Word, and how enjoyment of Him is the only way we can rightly understand God’s purposes for creation.  Verse 18 reveals how Christ is “the head of His church”, and that this group of redeemed humanity represents a foretaste of things to come. 

God views all that He does from end back to the beginning

The enjoyment of the Word is vital to our understanding of God’s purposes for creation.  We cannot separate what God began through Christ from what He intends to conclude through Christ.  The Bible’s vision of creation, now and the end is radically Living Word Centered, since only the written Word of God – the Bible, reveals such a vision. 

Christ, the Living Word, is central to God's purpose's for beginning, middle and end 

But now what is the purpose of God’s vision for creation and history?  We are told this in Colossians 1:18b – "So that He will come to have first place in everything".  Perhaps a clearer way of rendering that phrase “first place” would be “having dominance, supremacy”.  It’s not that the goal of creation, redemption and last things is to have Christ number one on a list of God’s purposes, rather Christ is the dominating purpose period. 

All creation will conclude because of the Living Word.  This should cause us immense joy as Christians.  Romans 11:36 states: "That from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things.”  To know that my life has a purpose in the Living Word is a joyful thought indeed, for I am but a pixel in the wide screen purpose of God revealed in the Bible: His glory revealed through the enjoyment and exaltation of His Son – the Living Word – Jesus Christ. 

As He is exalted and enjoyed by His people, he will then at the end of all the ages deliver all things up to His Father, and for the ages to come Christ will be enjoyed.  Truly then, joyful word-centered Christianity views creation rightly because:

1. Creation commenced by the Living Word

2. Creation consists by the Living Word
3. Creation will conclude because of the Living Word. 

The joy of knowing who made Creation

Colossians 1:16 states: by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.


All of creation, from the beginning, found joy in God and His Word

This verse stands as one of the finest statements of Christ’s supremacy anywhere in the written Word.  Without the Living Word Jesus Christ, the universe would not exist.  We know for a fact that at the opening of creation was as event full of joy.  The Lord addresses Job with the following question in Job 38:7 - Was he there “When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”   Why were they shouting for joy?  It was because of the Living Word through whom The Father spoke all things into being. 

Paul begins and ends with the refrain of “all things being created by Him”.  In between those refrains we see what “all things” are: "both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”.  Nothing lies outside of Christ’s authority. Since Christ is the source and the goal of joy, it only makes sense that the act of creation was a joyful event, since he was the one making it.   John 1:3 echoes this thought: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

The Oldest Question in human thought

The oldest question in human thought is: Why is there something, rather than nothing?  Modern Astronomy will use theories like the Big Bang to try to prove the universe arose out of nothingness by chance.  Other origin models of the universe suggest the universe is eternal, and that this current one is a stage in an infinitely long series of beginnings and endings. Still other theories suggest that the universe has been around for eternity. 

The problems with these three types of secular origins viewpoints are two-fold.(see note at the end of this blog)  First, no known physical law of science demonstrates the possibility of being coming from non-being, or existence coming from non-existence.  Thus the idea of the universe "popping into being" is technically non-scientific. 

Second, no known physical law supports the idea of a more highly organized system coming from a less organized one.  Ice cubes melt and broken glass shatters.  You never see icecubes form in a warm glass of water nor a broken pane of glass reverse itself back to an unbroken state.  Clearly the universe had to had formed from something or better yet, Someone who was of a highly organized intelligence.  The universe is in a state of "winding down", meaning that all of the available, useable energy is becoming less and less.  This points to a beginning, that was in a far more ordered state than it is now.  Thus the universe cannot be eternally old. Furthermore, to say that another universe formed this one begs the question: then where would that universe had originated from? One would have to go back through an infinite series of universes, which as we have already shown, cannot be sustained by current laws of science. 

Only a Christian view of origins can lead to genuine enjoyment of the creation due to knowing the One Who made it 

In contrast to those proposals, Christianity affirms the WORD, Jesus Christ, as being the One through whom the universe derived it’s existence.  1 Corinthians 8:6 notes – “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”  Now why is this cause for joy? Because only the Christian worldview can explain why human beings believe in such things as purpose and meaning.  That purpose and meaning are found in the One who is both Creator and Redeemer - the WORD, Jesus Christ. 

Why no other worldview on origins can lead to joy
Physicist Steven Weinberg, who is one of the architects of modern particle physics and an Atheist, noted one time that the more he studies the universe, the more absurd he finds it to be.  Why is that?  Is it the data he finds, or his worldview?  Atheism assumes there not to be an underlying meaning and purpose to life nor the universe, and yet in order to do science, one must believe there to be some measure of order.  Truly any view of origins that is not centered on the Word cannot elicit joy.  For the Christian, life is not random.  There is order, there is purpose – and thus joy.  That purpose is found in Jesus Christ, the Living WORD, through Whom creation commenced.
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1. This critique of secular models for the origin of the universe is based off a well established scientific law of physics called "The Second Law of Thermodynamics".