HELP FROM JONATHAN EDWARDS FOR MAKING NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS THAT MATTER

At this time of year it is customary for individuals to make resolutions concerning their lives and behavior in the coming months. These commitments are often trivial in nature, lightly regarded, usually broken, and easily forgotten; but there is some merit to the practice. We should not have to wait until some arbitrary change of the calendar before we adopt a worthwhile habit, but the concept of seeking improvement and resolving to do better is sound and scriptural.

I can't think of anyone who has inspired and helped me more in regards to making resolutions than Jonathan Edwards. When Jonathan Edwards was about 20 years old (1722-23), he wrote a series of Resolutions that guided the rest of his amazing life. I consider Edwards to be the foremost theologian and one of the greatest preachers America has ever produced. The Resolutions begin with the following statement:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

There are 70 resolutions in all. It would be well worth your time to read all 70 resolutions. They testify to a young man who took his faith seriously, who wanted to please God in all that he did, who understood the impact his life made on others, and who truly and fervently believed in heaven and hell and therefore lived with eternity always in view. No wonder Jonathan Edwards changed the world. No wonder we still read his books 300 years after his birth. Since many of us will be thinking about New Year's resolutions this week, we could hardly do better than to start with these. Consider reading over these Resolutions once a week.

Here they are:

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many so ever, and how great so ever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects.
34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s Day.
39. Resolved, never to do anything of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.
41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.
43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.
44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have done so.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, resolved to endeavor to imitate it.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. 60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man: “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time.
64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the longing it hath”, of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. August 11, 1723.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.

RESOLVED TO BE RESOLVED!
Pastor Bill

CHRISTMAS GLORY!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" John 1:14 ESV

GOD CAME IN ORDER TO BE SEEN! God came to live so that we could see Him and know Him. John says we saw Him. John wants to record the life of Jesus so that what happened to him will happen again to all who read his gospel 2000 years later. John says we saw God incarnate living with us, teaching us, healing, delivering, restoring. But we more than saw Him, when John says, "we have seen," he uses a word that means to gaze intently upon, to study as in a laboratory. It's the word from which we get the English word "theater." When we saw Him, we saw His glory! His supreme worth! His value! His beauty!

He puts it another way of his excitement about seeing Jesus in 1 John 1:1-4, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.".

Who is this Jesus that John saw? Hebrews 1:3 says that , “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” Just as the tabernacle in the wilderness contained and displayed God’s glory (Exodus 40:34–35), so even more do we behold “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The same point is made in verse 18. "No one has ever seen God; the only Son [other older manuscripts say "the only God"], who is in the bosom [in the lap or the embrace] of the Father, he has made him known."

Here the point is that even though God is a Spirit and is therefore invisible (John 4:24), he has now revealed Himself in an utterly unique way—by the incarnation of himself in his Son Jesus. And that is what Seeing the glory of Jesus means seeing the very glory of God. To see the glory of God is to see Him for who He really is in all of His supreme greatness, beauty, excellence, worth, and uniqueness. When you look at Jesus, you see the face of God. When you watch Jesus in action, you watch God in action. When you hear Jesus teach, you hear God teach. When you come to know what Jesus is like, you know what God is like. When you look at Jesus, you see the face of God. Jesus is the exact image of his Father. If you have seen him, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).

GOD CAME IN ORDER FOR US TO SEE, SAVOR, AND EXPERIENCE HIS GRACE AND TRUTH- “…we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth

What is this glory that we see when we see Jesus? We see the glory, the beauty of God's grace and truth. John repeats this in verse 17, "The law was through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

God is truth. God is reality who holds all reality together. And that is what we see in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And second, God is grace. When the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of your heart in reading the gospel or hearing the preaching about Jesus the Holy Spirit is like a laser along which grace and truth streams into your life. The grace of peace, joy, life everlasting streamed into John’s life and all who behold His glory. If you don’t see Christ as glorious grace doesn’t come into your life. Grace comes into the spiritual sightline of glory. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

The face of Jesus shines with glory and John is very clear about glory is that the glory he sees is the glory of his grace in what he wants to stress about grace.The disposition of Jesus is one of grace. And this gracious disposition is very, very great. That’s why he uses the word full—the word full modifies glory. The glory of the Son of God is full of graciousness toward us sinners.Grace is a power that lifts you out of the domain of darkness and transfers you to the domain of light. Grace is God’s magnificent power erupting in your heart and soul by his own intervention so that you move from death to life, from darkness to light, from hell to heaven. Grace is power that is embodied in a person.

That's his grace. And that's the capstone of his glory. "We saw his glory . . . full of grace and truth." This seeing has huge effects. Verse 16 sums them up: “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” When God gives us eyes to see the glory of Jesus—his beauty and greatness and worth—that seeing is the laser beam, as it were, along which great grace streams into our lives. Grace to love. Grace to rejoice. Grace to live forevermore.

This Christmas he wants to treat you with grace—to forgive all your sins—all of them!—to take away all your guilt, to make your conscience clean, to change your life, to help you with your problems, to give you strength for each day, and to fill you with hope and joy and peace. But more than that, He wants to give you grace to see His glory and to savor His glory and to enjoy His glory forever! 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” When Jesus turned the water into wine at Cana of Galilee, John tells us that "he thus revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him" (John 2:11). There is the dynamic, glory is revealed, faith is born.

Jesus has a glory-an excellence, a supreme beauty, that spoke to the disciples and speaks to our souls that says, “Yes this is truth!” It is like seeing the sun and knowing that it is light or tasting honey and knowing that it is sweet. This is glorious what John shows us of Christ here. We were graced to see Him for who He really is, the Word, the Son of God, and we saw Him for His supreme worth, beauty, and majesty.

Oh God wants to be seen and known and believed in his Son by each and every one of you. Jesus even prayed for this for you 2000 years ago the night before He was crucified in John 17:24, "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory." There was nothing more important in Jesus heart than for you to see Him for who He really is and savor Him, love Him, delight in Him, and be satisfied with Him for all of His worth.

John wrote his gospel so that so that we today could be included in that amazing privilege “We have seen his glory.” The glory of the incarnate Son of God. “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). And when you meet him, through these inspired stories of his words and deeds, through the preaching of His word, His glory shines through—the self-authenticating beauty of that matchless mixture of grace and truth the experience of the early dis­ciples is duplicated in all who believe in the Lord of glory today.

Paul writes of the experience of all Christians when he says that "we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Have you seen His glory? Do you see Jesus for who He really is? Do you believe in Him? Do you love Him and treasure Him? Would you look at Him with new eyes this Christmas? As you look, I am praying that God would grant that you would see the glory of God in His lovely face. So I lift up before you the incarnate Son of God. He is the reason for the season. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth …from his fullness we have received grace upon grace."

Receive His grace. Let His grace open your eyes and your hearts to see his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. See him, for the glory that He is, believe in Him and live. Let the sight of Him fill your heart with everlasting joy!

Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King!

Pastor Bill

BEHOLDING THE GLORY OF CHRIST!

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1;14 ESV


The apostle John makes one of the most profound statements in all of scripture. "We beheld His glory". We saw Him as He really is! Christmas teaches us that those who saw Jesus were never the same Look at some of the responses to “beholding His glory” in the birth of Jesus Christ.

1. The shepherds- Luke 2:17-20, so they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them... The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

2. The Magi-Matthew 2:11, On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. The Magi brought him gifts and worshipped him.

3. Mary- Luke 2:19, But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Mary responded with worship and quiet reflection.

4. The Apostle Paul- 2 Corinthians 9:15, Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! Romans 11:33-36, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Jonathan Edwards stirs my heart when I read of his experience of seeing Jesus. He speaks of...
the excellent fullness of Christ, and His greatness and suitableness as a Savior; whereby He has appeared to me, far above all, the chief of ten thousands. And His blood and atonement has appeared sweet, and His righteousness sweet; which is always accompanied with an ardency of spirit, and inward strugglings and breathings and groan­ings, that cannot be uttered, to be emptied of myself, and swallowed up in Christ

He goes on to speak of...

the glory of the Son of God as mediator between God and man, and His wonderful, great, full, pure and sweet grace and love, and meek and gentle condescension. This grace that appeared to me so calm and sweet appeared great above the heavens. The person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent, with an excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception, . . . which kept me, the bigger part of the time, in a flood of tears and weeping aloud. I felt an ardency of soul to be . . . emp­tied and annihilated, to lie in the dust and to be full of Christ alone; to love Him with a holy and pure love; to trust in Him; to live upon Him; to serve and follow Him, and to be totally wrapped up in the fullness of Christ, and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure, with a divine and heavenly purity.

When we are delighted with flowery meadows and gentle breezes of wind, we may consider that we see only the emanations of the sweet benevolence of Jesus Christ. When we behold the fragrant rose and lily, we see His love and purity. So the green trees and fields and singing of birds are the emanations of His infinite joy and benignity [that is, kindness]. The easiness and naturalness of trees and vines are shadows of His beauty and loveliness. The crystal rivers and murmuring streams are the footsteps of His favor, grace, and beauty. When we behold the light and brightness of the sun, the golden edges of an evening cloud, or the beauteous rainbow, we behold the adum­brations of His glory and goodness; and in the blue sky of His mildness and gentleness. There are also many things wherein we may behold His awful majesty, in the sun in His strength, in comets, in thunder, in the hovering thun­derclouds, in ragged rocks, and the brows of mountains. That beauteous light with which the world is filled in a clear day, is a lively shadow of His spotless holiness, and happiness and delight in communicating Himself."

But will Jesus be enough? The world seems to offer so much more, so much easier, so much faster. Is there in the beauty of all that Jesus is and offers sufficient joy to keep my soul satisfied and to stem its search for other delights? Jesus, and only Jesus, says Edwards,

has true excellency, and so great excellency, that when [weary souls] come to see it they look no further, but the mind rests there. It sees a transcendent glory and an inef­fable sweetness in Him; it sees that till now it has been pursuing shadows, but that now it has found the substance; that before it had been seeking happiness in the stream, but that now it has found the ocean. The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill the capacity. It is an infinite excellency, such a one as the mind desires, in which it can find no bounds. . . . Every new discovery makes this beauty appear more ravishing, and the mind sees no end; here is room enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper, and never come to the bottom The soul is exceedingly ravished when it first looks on this beauty, and it is never weary of it. The mind never has any satiety, but Christ's excellency is always fresh and new, and tends as much to delight, after it has seen a thousand or ten thousand years, as when it was seen the first moment."

What has the power to transform our desires and reconfigure our long­ings and stir our emotional chemistry that we might love what God loves and hate what He hates? Only one thing. Jesus, in all His beauty. Jesus, in all that He is for us now and will be tomorrow. Edwards is certain that only Jesus can satisfy our soul's desire. He says:

[In Jesus] the longing soul may be satisfied and the hungry soul may be filled with goodness. The delight and content­ment that is to be found here, passeth understanding, and is unspeakable and full of glory. It is impossible for those who ever tasted of this fountain, and know the sweetness of it, ever to forsake it. The soul has found the river of water of life, and it desires no other drink; it has found the tree of life, and it desires no other fruit.

I too, have seen Jesus and this is God's mission in my life: to see Him for who He truly is, to savor Him for all that He is worth; to maximize my "delight and contentment" in Him. Then my mission in ministry: to show, speak, live, exalt, and por­tray Jesus in such a light that, turning to Him, others will find complete satisfaction and lose their taste for sin. Edwards says:

There is every kind of thing dispensed in Christ that tends to make us excellent and amiable, and every kind of thing that tends to make us happy. There is that which shall fill every faculty of the soul and in a great variety. What a glorious variety is there for the entertainment of the under­standing! How many glorious objects set forth, most worthy to be meditated upon and understood! There are all the glorious attributes of God and the beauties of Jesus Christ, and manifold wonders to be seen in the way of sal­vation, the glories of heaven and the excellency of Christian graces. . . . The blessings are innumerable.

“Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!”
Pastor Bill

JESUS KNOWS YOU INSIDE AND OUTSIDE

"Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see” [there’s the same pair from verse 39]. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” John 1: 45-48 ESV

I recently heard a sermon where John Piper spoke of how Jesus knows us inside and out. It really encouraged me and got me deeply thinking. One of the most empowering, comforting, and encouraging truths is the reality of God's knowledge of us. David greatly received comfort from that truth..

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." Psalm 139:1-4

We see that Psalm fleshed out in the incarnate Son of God's encounter with Nathaniel in John 1:45-48. There are two key things we see about Christ's knowledge of us in this section. Jesus knows two kinds of things about Nathaniel. He knows what’s going on inside, and he knows what’s going on outside. The first thing Jesus says is, “You are a man without deceit.” That’s the truth about the inside. And the second thing he said was, “While you were out of my sight I saw you. You were under a fig tree when Philip found you.” That’s the truth about the outside. Nathaniel is astonished and says in verse 49, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus Knows Our Circumstances
It is a great grace and comfort to us that Jesus today, as the Son of God and the King of Israel, knows our condition inside and out. If you are alone and problems come your way and no one knows or understands or cares what is happening to you, Jesus knows. You will never be in a situation where Jesus is not fully aware of what’s going on in your life. There is no circumstance, trial, problem, or relationship that Jesus is unaware of. And if you believe that he loves you and that he is stronger than any force in the world—then the fact that he knows your circumstances is a great grace.

Jesus Knows Our Heart
It is even more precious to me that he knows what is going on inside of me. When Philip said to Nathaniel in verse 45 that Jesus was from Nazareth, Nathaniel answered bluntly from his heart without any posturing (in verse 46), “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” What will Jesus think of that? Jesus says in verse 47, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” I don’t think that is a statement out of the blue with no connection to the context. I don't think Jesus was prophesying about Nathanial's future nor of his present sinlessness. I think Jesus means: Now here is someone who tells it like it is. What you see is what you get. He’s not two-faced. He’s not deceitful. Jesus knew this about Nathaniel’s heart—his particular inner life—before he ever met him.

Because Jesus Knows Our Heart Jesus Understands Us
Oh how good it is that Jesus knows my inner condition. He knows it better than any of you know it. He knows and understands it even better than I know it. Nobody has ever been me or inside of me with my personality, my temperament, my weaknesses, perspectives, fragility, background, experiences, fears, anxieties, brokenness, in living and facing this moment in my life.

These are the times when a deep and profound loneliness can enter these moments. no one, no matter how hard they may grace me to care or try, can ever get into my skin. No one can truly understand the complexities of my being in facing these moments. Nobody has ever brought my weaknesses and my sins and my experience to this moment of sorrow or anger or desire. And not only nobody has been me in this experience, but nobody can be me—nobody can know this. And when I think of that, it frightens me how alone I am in this particular sorrow or anger or desire. The circumstances may be common to all of us. But my experience of them is utterly unique.

And then I think, No, I am not alone in this experience. Yes, no one except Jesus! Jesus knows my heart and my mind and my body and everything about me. And there comes a sense of relief that this utterly unique sorrow, pain, worry, fear, anxiety, brokenness, that nobody else can share, Jesus totally, fully, completely understands me and in His understanding can say, "Son, I love you". "I care for you". I will never leave you". I will help you". "I will stand with you". "I will protect you". "I will work for you". "I will never ever leave you". "I will help you". "I will make you a fisher of men". "Follow Me!"

And I am happy and free and secure and know that all is well in me and around me.

Pastor Bill

STAND FIRM BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

“…stand firm thus in the Lord”

What do you do when your marriage struggles? If your boss annoys you? If people oppose you? If life in your present circumstances is tough? If everything around you seems to be falling apart? If your church is floundering? If your ministry seems unfruitful or unsuccessful? If every part of you feels like throwing in the towel and giving up? If you feel all alone? If there seems to be no relief, no help, no direction, and things just seem to keep getting worse?

The Apostle Paul gives us six words for times like these in Philippians 4:1,"Stand firm thus in the Lord!” Stand firm. Notice that it is a particular kind of standing firm. Not stand firm in yourselves. Not stand firm in your experiences. Not stand firm in all your own strength. No, stand firm in the Lord like he says in Ephesians 6:10, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Be strong in the Lord! Stand firm in the Lord! It is not by will power and grim determination you hang on. No, it is standing firm in the Lord; that is joined to Him, united with Him, receiving strength and grace from Him moment by moment, day by day. “I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me” (Jeremiah 32:40). You can do all things through Christ who is your source of strength, life, love, confidence, and joy.

It is a remarkable fact that at several crucial junctures in Paul's letters the practical outcome of the Christian's warfare against the world , the flesh, and the devil is defined as a matter of "standing": 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Colossians 4:12, "Stand firm in all the will of God."1 Thessalonians 3:8, “for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” Ephesians 6:10-14, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might… Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore…”
Why is this repeated emphasis on standing firm in the scriptures? Paul urged them to stand fast because, even in his own case, spiritual life was a struggle. Even Paul said, “Not as though I had already attained.” He was pressing forward; he was straining his whole energy by the power of the Holy Ghost. He did not expect to be carried to heaven on a feather bed; he was warring and agonizing. So he repeats it again and again: Stand firm!

Now the Greek verb used over and over again and here is stekete. It is a military word which means to stand your ground, stand your post in the midst of battle. It means what Paul said in Ephesians 6, in the middle of battle you've got your armor on and having done all to stand. Stand against the wiles of the devil. Stand firmly no matter what comes. You don't crumble under persecution and compromise. You don't crumble under testing and complain. You don't crumble under temptation and sin, you stand firm, spiritually stable. You must not be half-hearted and uncertain in the fight. Stand firm in the truth and what you believe. Stand firm in the gospel of Christ. Stand firm in the sovereignty of God. Stand firm in the authority and sufficiency of the Scripture. Stand firm in what God says about marriage, about family, about purity, about your purpose, about your goal in life. Stand firm; be committed to Christ and His cause, never give up, never give in, and never give even a thought to possible retreat. Let there be no turning back, no back doors, no escape clauses. Stand firm; realize that you are a child of God, and that the world and the flesh and the devil are set against you. Get it clear in your mind and then you will brace yourself to the task and to the duty. Stand firm when everything is going well, and stand firm when everything is falling apart.

Stand firm!' Do not be half-hearted, do not be half in and half out. Be `all out', be thorough! It is a command from the commander of the army of God Jesus Christ, to you and me! So let us give a total full response to it. The cause of God is something worth standing for. The Apostle Paul himself calls it "the good fight' of faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). He urges us to “fight the good fight of faith!”(1 Timothy 6:12). Oh how good and great is this fight! And if that does not make us `stand', what will? Think of the kingdom to which you belong, think of your whole position, think of your King, think of your true allegiance and the greatness and surpassing value of His Kingdom. If we but realized this we would never be half-hearted, we would never slouch. We should be so filled with pride, and a sense of glory at the great privilege that is given to us, that there would be no need to exhort us to stand; we would be standing already. Remember what you are fighting for, remember the Cause.

The fact is it is God's battle. We are not fighting a personal fight; this is not some personal skirmish. We are fighting the battle of the Lord. `The battle is not yours, but God's.' (1 Samuel 17:47). Christianity is not our affair, it is God's; and the Christian Church as an army, is the army of the living God. It is God's battle; and what we are fighting for is the name and fame and the glory of God.

Oh how I cherish the word from the Lord in Exodus 14 as Israel was being pursued by the vast Egyptian army. “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13-14). O brethren, we may well stand firm since we have infinite power at our backs. The Lord is with us with all his energy, even with his all-conquering strength, which shall subdue all his foes. Do not let us imagine that any enemy can be too strong for Christ’s arm.

Or 2 Chronicles 20. The armies of Moab, Ammon, and Edom were on the move against the Israelites. Jehoshaphat caught wind of the impending attack.The Jews were in serious trouble! They would be wiped out unless they received massive help. Jehoshaphat had no alternative but to call Israel to a fast and to pray. There were no other alternatives.

Have you ever been in that position in life. I feel it more times than I can share. Helpless, hopeless, and paralyzed by fear. In another part of the scripture, it is called being at “wits end” (Psalm 107:27). So they stood before the temple, and Jehoshaphat pleaded their case before the Lord and then said this:
“We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’ (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Do you hear that confession? We are powerless and don’t know what to do. This confession is the very launchpad of God’s mercy and grace for us: Our need, brokenness, desperateness, helplessness, inadequacy, weakness, insufficiency, poverty AND God’s power, grace, help, and provision.

Listen to the familiar response of tjhe Lord in verses 14-15,17: “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's…You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Do you hear again the battle cry of God? Israel was to stand firm, hold their position, and see the salvation of the Lord as He fights their battle! God’s word to us through this story in all the crises we face is this: “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

God answered Jehoshaphat’s faith-filled prayer in a spectacular way. He threw the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites into confusion and they slaughtered one another. Jehoshaphat and his choir-led army never had to lift a sword. And it took them three days to carry the plunder back home.

Oh how we need to be standing firm! I treasure the phrase Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Be steadfast as you move forward. Be “Immovable. Be “always abounding in the work of the Lord”.

Stand firm! Our call to stand firm is a radically God centered, Christ exalting, Spirit dependent, promised supported standing firm! There is no higher calling, no bigger privilege, no greater battle, no more worthy cause, and no greater joy. Stand firm! Christians stand firm! Leaders stand firm! Pastors stand firm! Servants of the Lord stand firm! Husbands and wives stand firm! Wives, stand firm! Parents, stand firm! Children, stand firm! Students, stand firm! Singles stand firm! Whoever you are and wherever you are and whatever you are doing, if you don't do anything else, do this: Stand firm! And watch the Lord fight your battles for you to his glory and your supreme joy!

Standing firm solely in the power and strength and faithfulness of Jesus,
Pastor Bill

HOW TO NOT LOSE HEART

I can hardly read Paul without a sense of wonder and awe at this man’s devotion. How did Paul manage to come to the end of his life and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:8)?

I love 2 Corinthians 4:1, where Paul said, “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” The phrase that I have really anchored myself on is, “We do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1,16). The Greek term is ekkakeo, which contains the root kak, always a reference to evil, sin, and fallenness. This is more than just not getting discouraged or burned out; it is a commitment not to defect spiritually, whether through cowardice, laziness, immorality, indifference, or abandonment of calling and duty. But how do we do it?

First, we do not lose heart because of the preciousness and worth of the ministry that God had given us: “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1). The ministry he was referring to is described in the previous chapter as “the ministry of the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:8) and “the ministry of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 3:9), in contrast to the “ministry of condemnation.” It is the ministry of the new covenant, which the Old Testament predicted: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31–33).

To know the gospel, to believe it with all your heart, and to be called to proclaim it is the most noble and exalted privilege any person could ever have! That led Paul to write: Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:14–16). Who is sufficient for these things? Amazing! Paul was stunned by the divine privilege of ministry and never lost sight of it. I must always remind myself that ministry is a privilege not a perk. It is a wonderful sacred trust given to me by God of the most incredible gospel treasure.

Secondly, we do not lose heart because of the reality that all ministry is a mercy, which is grace bestowed upon the undeserving. “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1)

The fact is that all ministry is nothing but a privilege that comes to us solely by grace, kindness, mercy, and goodness. All ministry is undeserved! The godly response is deep gratitude, as we see from Paul’s words to Timothy: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:12-15).

I don’t know how many times I have felt lofty expectations of return for what I do for Jesus. I have often complained and whined to God, “My church isn’t treating me well. I deserve to be treated better!” I will say “my church should be much bigger. More people should be hearing my teaching. I deserve more success for my efforts.” Paul says that my salvation is a mercy. The fact that I’m not in hell is a mercy. My ministry itself is a mercy. C.J. Mahaney says that the fact is, once you understand who you are and who God is, you are always doing better than you deserve!

Much discouragement in my life is connected to unrealistic expectations based upon a sense of entitlement. If you realize, however, that you deserve nothing and that everything good in your life is a mercy from God, you will be free to accept whatever God chooses to grace you with in your ministry whether little or large.

John MacArthur says, As a pastor sometimes I wallow in self-pity and say, “Those people don’t appreciate me. I’m not going to take this!” and then go home to complain to my wife. The right response is, “I don’t deserve to stand up and teach any of these people. If they all walked out next Sunday, I’d be getting what I deserve.” It is a mercy I have not so affected my wife that she walked out. It is a mercy I have not somehow disappointed my children and made them turn away from Christ. It is a mercy I haven’t stood in the pulpit and said such stupid things that my congregation ran me out of town!’

Thirdly, we do not lose heart because of the reality of our own insignificance.
A few verses later we see the proper view of ourselves that helps us to not lose heart. “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” ( 2 Corinthians 4:7). Oh how amazing is the mercy and grace of God! You cannot explain the impact of the gospel message by looking at those whom God has called as preachers. What a contrast Paul makes: There is a treasure (the massive, blazing, shining, glorious gospel) in earthen vessels or clay pots (things that are cheap, common, breakable, and replaceable)! The power of the glorious gospel is not the product of human talent, ability, genius, or technique. We are weak and common, plain and fragile, breakable and disposable, but that does not prove fatal to the work of God. On the contrary, in our weaknesses we demonstrate that God must be at work, for that is the only logical explanation!

I pray all of the time that God would do a work in me utterly disproportionate to who I am! I pray that God would take my little life and little ministry and little abilities and utter weakness and do something so great in this clay pot that all would say, "The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!" When Paul looked at his own life, he thought of himself not only as a mere clay pot but also as a battered one: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). These four contrasts all say the same thing, which is that Paul experienced severe trials in his ministry, but none of them prevailed.

One of the greatest trials Paul experienced was his thorn in the flesh. Do you remember what Paul learned from God’s own lips about that trial? The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul got the message, for he responded, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

Finally, we do not lose heart because we live with eternity in view, not earthly comfort, popularity, or success in this life.
Paul concludes: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

Those are staggering thoughts that put all our struggles into perspective. We don’t lose heart in the end because we have an eternal perspective. In view of Christ and eternity his motto was, “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). His focus was always on heaven, preferring the spiritual over the physical (2 Corinthians 4:16), the future over the present (verse 17), and the invisible over the visible (verse 18). He kept his eye on the prize, which is an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (verse 17). Nothing that can come our way in this world can compare with the magnificence of the glory that will be granted to us in the presence of our Lord someday.

STRIVING TO FIGHT THE FIGHT, FINISH THE RACE, KEEP THE FAITH, AND TO NOT LOSE HEART,
Pastor Bill

A BRIEF STUDY OF PAUL'S LIFE FOR INSPIRATION IN ORDER TO PERSEVERE IN HARD TIMES

I have had many trials this year of my life. I lost my assistant pastor at the beginning of the year. I have battled severe back pain for eighteen months, my wife was gone for 6 months, we sent out two of our best church members out on the mission field (this one is kind of bitter sweet I guess!), I have seen several people leave my church, my personal finances have been tight, my daughter got in a severe auto accident, and our church finances have been really down by about $6,000 the past two months.

While all the circumstances of my life ebb and flow and the sands shift, the foundation I want to be building on is the bedrock of God’s Word. I have sought to be like the man in Luke’s Gospel whom Jesus said built his house by digging deep and laying a foundation on solid rock (Luke 6:48).

The teachings and life of Paul have been a firm foundation for me to build my life upon during these tough times. I just love this man! I have endured this year largely because of the apostle Paul. I don’t come close to having gone through all that Paul did, but I’ve been a Christian for 34 years and a pastor for 31 years and 21 years here in San Juan Capistrano at the same church. It has been long enough to see just about every kind of attack on my character, life, and ministry; so I’ve made a study of Paul’s life to learn how to persevere.

When Paul was at the end of his life he wrote that he “had fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Even to the end of his days, he was at the Mount Everest peak of his life, breathing the rarefied air understood only by those who not only climb to the very pinnacle but also make that climb with nobility and integrity. Paul managed to do that, even though all in Asia had forsaken him. We read in 2 Timothy 4:10,14-16, “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia… Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.”

Paul’s life even at the end was filled with disappointments. There was no great crowd cheering Paul on when he reached his epic moment and finally approached the finish line. In fact, the church had largely turned their affections away from him, and the world was about to chop his head off.

2 Corinthians is an amazing autobiographical account of Paul’s adversities. I refer to it over and over when I am discouraged, tired, depressed, weak, feeling like quitting, having a pity party, and lonely. I wanted to encourage all of you to read the statements that Paul makes about his sufferings here on earth.

Let’s go back to Paul’s life at the beginning of 2 Corinthians:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:3–9)

The comfort came because Paul’s life was saturated with suffering and affliction. Everything that could come at that man came at him: physical persecution, deprivation, and illness, alongside spiritual battles and disappointments.

The thematic backbone of 2 Corinthians, in fact, is a chronicle of Paul’s highs and lows:

• “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–11)

• “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger . . . dishonor . . . slander. . . . We are treated as impostors . . . having nothing.” (2 Corinthians 6:4–10)

• “When we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us.” (2 Corinthians 7:5–6)

• “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. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Corinthians 11:23–29)

• “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

I can hardly read these each time without a sense of wonder and awe at this man’s devotion. I just want you to see all those passages because that’s the man who came to the end of his life and said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” How did Paul manage to do that? We will discuss this next time.

Following Paul's example,
Pastor Bill

NOT LOVING YET LOVING THE WORLD Part 3-EVANGELIZE THE WORLD!

Several weeks ago I mentioned about a wonderful little book entitled Worldliness edited by C.J. Mahaney. There is a chapter written by Jeff Purswell on How to love the World that really excited me. Even as we are called to "stop loving the world, and the things of this world" in 1 John 2:15; there is also a sense in which we are to love the world. The apostle John reminds us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world" and in John 17:8 that it was Christ's intention that the church would be in the world. So the question is how are we to live in this world that God loved and not love it, yet at the same time how can we love this world that God so loved? Jeff Purswell proposes three God given task that give substance to our loving the world in which we live. We looked first at the first task which is that we are called by God to Enjoy the World. Last week we looked at the second task which is that we are to Engage the World. The third task Purswell writes is:

Task 3: Evangelize the World

This final point may strike you as a bit predictable (like the first two tasks, it even begins with an E). It's also likely to elicit the inevitable guilt most of us experience when the subject is broached. Raise the topic of evangelism, and most sincere Christians will nod their heads, even as their eyes look down and their feet shuffle in embarrassment. It need not be this way, however. Once again, a biblical worldview can transform evangelism from a neglected Christian duty or a mark of elite spirituality to an exhilarating privilege for every believer.

Recall the Bible's storyline: creation, fall, redemption, consummation. As Christians, it's critical that we locate ourselves within this story, for this will inform and guide the nature of our involvement with the world. We live in that period of salvation history between the redeeming work of Christ on the cross—where sin was atoned for and Satan's stranglehold on humanity was broken—and the consummation of God's saving plan, when Christ will return to earth, Satan and all his works will be vanquished, and God will dwell with his people in a transformed creation. Until that glorious day, Christians have the consummate privilege of being God's ambassadors in a fallen world, proclaiming to sinful men and women the stupendous news about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation through him.

This cosmic vantage point should bring fresh perspective and motivation to a task we often shy away from. Far from being an optional extra of the Christian life, evangelism lies at the core of God's campaign to restore his entire creation—the reconciliation of his rebellious image bearers to himself. The unfolding of salvation history has therefore expanded the job description of God's people. In addition to filling and subduing the earth (Genesis 1:28), God now calls us to "Go . . . and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) through the proclamation and teaching of the gospel. These two facets of the Christian life are in fact inextricably related: the redemptive mandate of the Great Commission makes the fulfillment of the creation mandate possible. Only through Christ's redeeming work can God's redemptive purposes for this world be realized. To be sure, through common grace God restrains much evil and bestows many blessings to humanity. However, apart from the power of the gospel to transform human hearts and redirect human lives to live for God's glory, man would never comprehend or realize the purpose for which he was created: "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

The privilege of evangelism has both an individual and a corporate dimension. The last recorded words of Christ endow every Christian with a noble identity and high calling: "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Of course, Jesus' apostles were uniquely witnesses of his life and resurrection, and their proclamation launched the church's mission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. But this term wasn't limited to the apostles, nor were they the only ones who proclaimed the gospel in the book of Acts. Stephen before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6-7), Philip in Samaria (Acts 8), nameless Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:20), countless believers throughout the centuries, you and I—we all bear the privilege and responsibility of communicating the message of the gospel to those around us.

The word witness doesn't originate in religious contexts or in evangelism materials. As in its common legal usage today, the word simply speaks of one who provides testimony of something they've seen or experienced. In a law court, a witness doesn't need a law degree or technical training in jurisprudence. He simply takes the stand and tells the truth as he has known and experienced it. That's all that's required of us as Christ's witnesses. In our relational networks and in the opportunities God provides, we simply "take the stand," as it were, and bear testimony to the gospel as we've known and experienced it. We don't need to be brilliant, dynamic, or persuasive—we simply need to testify faithfully of what Jesus Christ has done to save sinners like us. Theological understanding and apologetic training, while helpful, are not prerequisites for this task, nor does their absence exempt us from responsibility. The only requirements are a saving knowledge of Christ and a willingness to obey our Lord by sharing his gospel.

Now, let me be the first to admit something: it's far easier to compose the paragraph I just typed than to apply it. No doubt most who read this paragraph agree with it. The question is, are we obeying? Am I alert to the opportunities afforded to me daily to speak for Christ—wisely, humbly, winsomely, yes; but to speak nonetheless? Am I ready to give an account for the hope I have in the gospel (1 Peter 3:15)? Am I convinced that the gospel message itself—not my intellect or articulateness or wit—is "the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16)? The response of others to the gospel lies outside our control. We have one responsibility: faithfulness to the privilege of bearing the gospel to people who desperately need it.

Thankfully, we don't bear this responsibility alone. The story of the Bible reminds us that God is not simply saving individuals but gaining a people for himself. And through the witness of this people, God's saving actions are put on display: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

God holds up his church as Exhibit A for the reality of the gospel. As people called out of a fallen world, living transformed lives with transcendent values, the church displays the character of God, illustrates the power of God, and exemplifies the saving purposes of God. In fact, the church at this stage in salvation history has the privilege of signaling the next stage. Our life together gives the world a preview of life in the coming kingdom. George Ladd puts it this way:
Who dreamed that their church participation was so significant? Giving the world a glimpse of the consummated kingdom of God! Does such a grand vision govern our attitude toward our local churches? If it does, our participation will no doubt reflect it. We will love, serve, sacrifice, forgive, forbear, employ our gifts, mortify our pride—all that we might together "display in this present evil age the life and fellowship of the Age to come." Churches that display such a life, however imperfectly, are God's most potent instruments in his cosmic program to reclaim and restore his creation.

Strictly speaking, evangelism is sharing the message of the gospel, and the predicament of sinful people before a holy God invests this task with supreme urgency. However, the urgency of evangelism doesn't drain all other activity in this world of eternal significance. Once again, the Bible's story gives us perspective here: God remains committed to his creation, and he's actively working to restore it. As his redeemed image bearers, we have the privilege of laboring to see his dominion manifested throughout his creation. Swept into the kingdom of God, we now become agents of that kingdom in a fallen world.

Therefore, our daily lives in all their variety—vocation, relationships, study, community involvement, artistic endeavors, leisure—have the potential, when pursued for God's glory, to demonstrate something of the gospel and its effects. Every aspect of our involvement in this world is to have a redemptive component, illuminating the character of the Creator, imitating his activity, and embodying his intentions to save, renew, and restore. If we're appropriately "heavenly minded," we'll be alert to endless earthly oppor¬tunities to glorify God.

Take your job, for example. We should pursue our vocations in such a way that we model God's redemptive intentions. Different vocations will accomplish this differently, but all vocations can contribute to God's creation-restoring work. How can I serve others in my work? How can I display excellence? Model integrity? Alleviate suffering? More efficiently utilize God-given resources? Produce beauty? Seek justice? Our vocations are about far more than simply productivity and profit (although these should in no way be demeaned, reflecting as they do God's own fruitful activity). They provide untold opportunities to work for the extension of God's rule. Such activities follow naturally from the cosmic dimensions of Christ's rule, as John Murray reminds us: "There rests upon us . . . the obligation to bring to bear upon the whole compass of life the supernatural and redemptive forces that are inherent in the Christian redemption and revelation."

Consider other spheres of your life. In my neighborhood or community, what avenues of involvement would enable me to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33)? How might I serve the poor and underprivileged? How could I help to reverse inequities and establish justice? What gifts do I have that could be deployed for the good of my neighbors, the betterment of my community, the "welfare of [my] city" (Jeremiah 29:7)? Even though such activities may not directly communicate the gospel, they may well embody God's redemptive purposes by bringing peace and blessing to others.

Of course, such endeavors are not a substitute for the evangelistic task, although the distinction between these responsibilities is increasingly blurred in the evangelical world. Calls for mercy ministry, community transformation, and environmental concern, while legitimate and important, ring out with an urgency that often exceeds that attached to the evangelistic mandate. Unquestionably, Christians are to be salt and light in their communities (Matthew 5:13-14), working to see God's purposes extended in every possible way.

However, we must never forget what is at the core of God's redemptive activity: the salvation of people who bear his image and were created to know and glorify him. No other endeavor transcends this evangelistic priority. Our deeds may adorn the gospel message, but they must not be confused with the gospel message. Moreover, we should remain clear where our hope lies: only Christ's return will finally "redeem the culture," and our efforts to transform society, however legitimate, will always be partial. Like Abraham, we await a heavenly city (Heb. 11:8-16), which Christ will usher in at his return.

Enjoying the world, engaging the world, evangelizing the world—all are ways by which God calls us to be in the world and love the world. We receive God's earthly gifts, pursue God's purposes in earthly life, and work for the salvation of people made in God's image. All of life lived for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

NOT LOVING YET LOVING THE WORLD Part 2-ENGAGE THE WORLD!

Last week I mentioned about a wonderful little book entitled Worldliness edited by C.J. Mahaney. There is a chapter written by Jeff Purswell on How to love the World that really excited me. Even as we are called to "stop loving the world, and the things of this world" in 1 John 2:15; there is also a sense in which we are to love the world. The apostle John reminds us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world" and in John 17:8 that it was Christ's intention that the church would be in the world. So the question is how are we to live in this world that God loved and not love it, yet at the same time how can we love this world that God so loved? Jeff Purswell proposes three God given task that give substance to our loving the world in which we live. We looked last week at the first task which is that we are called by God to Enjoy the World. Here is what Purswell writes:

Task 2: Engage the World
This second God-given task relates to our call to involvement with the world. After Scripture records the creation of man and woman in the image of God in Genesis 1, God immediately issues to them his first command:

And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)

As those uniquely created in the image of God, mankind has received the astonishing privilege of filling and governing the natural world on God's behalf. In Eden, we see some of the dimensions of God's original command spelled out: "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). Humanity's responsibility is twofold. First, we're to "work" the earth, tilling its soil, developing its potential, marshaling its resources for mankind's good. Second, we're to "keep" it, responsibly stewarding the earth, protecting it from evil and abuse. Although all that God made was "very good" (Genesis 1:31), it wasn't complete; God delegated the development of his good creation to his image bearers. This development includes not simply the earth itself, but also the vast array of cultural possibilities that God built into the natural order, including family, science, commerce, technology, government, and the arts.

Theologians refer to this original command as the "creation mandate" or "cultural mandate," and this noble calling remains in force today. Although sin's entrance into the world has rendered this task far more difficult, it did not revoke the mandate (see Genesis 9:1). Caring for and developing the world isn't simply a necessary chore, a sub-spiritual add-on to our otherwise meaningful lives—far from it. "Subduing the earth" is intrinsic to our very humanity as God's image bearers and an essential way that we serve and glorify God.

Recognizing this should demolish any distinction in our thinking between sacred and secular spheres of our lives. We're all plagued by the tendency to compartmentalize some aspects of our lives as spiritual, good, and holy and others as unspiritual, unimportant, and amoral. Perhaps you're familiar with this impulse: "God really cares about my devotions, my church involvement, my tithe, and my sharing the gospel. Those are important. But my work? Just a necessary evil. Home responsibilities? They've got to get done. My free time? That's my time (as long as I don't sin)." Such thinking demeans Christ's lordship and impoverishes our spiritual life, rendering our faith irrelevant to 98 percent of our daily existence. No wonder so many lack passion in their Christian lives.

A biblical worldview sees every moment of life lived under the sovereign grace of God and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture's story is emphatic: God's rule extends to all of creation and therefore to all of our lives. As Abraham Kuyper famously put it, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: Mine!"'

Therefore, every second of life is significant. All the diverse activities implied by the cultural mandate are good and worth-while and pleasing to God. A biblical worldview gives us new eyes to see all of life: every sphere is charged with potential, every activity providing an opportunity to serve God, encounter God, obey God, enjoy God, testify to God, and bring glory to God. Because God is sovereign over all things, and Christ is redeeming all things, all things matter to God. Let's briefly consider how this perspective should impact our involvement with the world.

Work
The rat race. The daily grind. I'm off to the salt mines. Thank God it's Friday. Cliches like these capture our culture's bleak view of work. We endure labor as a necessary evil that yields the reward of leisure. Perhaps we worship work as an avenue of self-exaltation or an escape from the tedium of an otherwise empty life. Some Christians are more "spiritual" about it: for them, the workplace provides opportunities to witness and money to pay tithes. But beyond that we're pretty much just biding our time. After all, secular work is a second-class calling that enables ordinary Christians to support those doing the really important work of full-time Christian ministry.

The biblical worldview delivers us from the dreary existence that such thinking produces. Far from being a necessary evil, work—which preceded the fall (Genesis 2:15)—is part of God's good creation, a noble calling that reflects the dignity of bearing the image of the Creator. As a result, our jobs aren't something to be endured until we can really serve God (at church, on a missions trip, or until we can get a job at a Christian organization)—they are serving God! They're a channel by which we help to fulfill the cultural mandate, contributing our gifts and labors to those of others to develop and protect God's creation.

The significance of our work is multifaceted. For example, work is a primary way we imitate God. God is a worker. In fact, Scripture patterns our work as well as our rest on the rhythm of God's own work and rest in creation (Exodus 20:8-11). When we cultivate and demonstrate skill through a complex computer program, an innovative architectural design, or a business plan that comes in under budget, we're reflecting the skill of God who does all things well.

In addition, work is a primary way we serve others. Do you labor with this awareness? A builder's house provides shelter. A farmer's produce provides sustenance. An assembly worker's car provides transportation. A journalist's article provides awareness of important developments in a community. A sanitation worker provides a clean environment. Manufacturing, accounting, engineering, transportation, entertainment—all the facets of a society's network of relationships work together, under the common grace of God, to supply society's needs. Diligent labor is a tangible way we obey our Lord's command: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).

Related to this is the fact that work is a primary way we're used by God. You might nod in agreement: "Yes, I should glorify God in my work." But do you realize God is using you in your work? Indeed, he is present in your work. Martin Luther observed that a person's vocation is a "mask of God"—God cares for his creation and provides for his creatures' needs through the hands and labors and efforts of people.' So the farmer doesn't just sow and reap; God provides food through him. The lawyer doesn't just try a case; God executes justice through him. The trucker doesn't just drive a route—God distributes products through him. However oblivious people may be to this reality, God's kindness pulses through their daily activities, investing them with nobility and working through them to shower innumerable blessings upon undeserving sinners like you and me.

So don't just "go to work" and "do your job"—see your job as a way to imitate God, serve God, and love others. This doesn't mean work will never be difficult or frustrating or tedious; the curse ensures that it will be at times. But God's creational purposes and Christ's redeeming work infuse our work with meaning, and promise God-glorifying fruit as a result.

Home
The biblical idea of vocation or calling doesn't end with our jobs. A Christian has many callings in various dimensions of life, and none is more important than the home. In a family, fatherhood isn't a mere biological function or a task; it's a calling from God. The same is true for motherhood. Likewise, being a son or daughter is a calling from God. Why is this important? Because even the most ordinary, mundane details of our home life are sacred callings from God, to be pursued with faith and dependence upon God's enabling power. From family meals to household chores, from home improvements to game nights—no dimension of home life is exempt from Christ's loving lordship.

As a husband who daily observes the unflagging labor and selfless sacrifice of his wife, amid the unremitting responsibilities and countless chores of parenting, remember this message. Despite our culture's pervasive hostility to the idea, motherhood is a calling from God, and no calling is higher. Although Scripture calls husbands to provide loving leadership to their homes, it's the incessant labors of mothers that, day by day, year after year, instill biblical values and inculcate a Christian culture in the home. Who can measure the long-term effects of nurturing help-less infants, supervising wandering toddlers, disciplining self-willed children, and counseling self-absorbed adolescents? Of family outings planned, traditions built, memories made, books read, songs sung, Scripture taught? That's why motherhood belongs under the heading, "Engage the World"; no one shapes generations or fashions cultures more than mothers.

All of Life
The above paragraphs are merely suggestive examples of how the storyline of Scripture calls us to engage the world in every area of life. Other areas could be considered. Think about the years spent in education. Far from being a holding pattern until we get into the "real world," education is a means to glorify God. Of course, it can—and, in perhaps most cases, it will—prepare me for vocation, but more fundamentally it's a way to love God with all my mind. It alerts me to observe the works of God in creation and history. It equips me to enter into the conversation going on in culture, bringing to that conversation biblical discernment and wisdom. It prepares me to serve others by developing my mind and my gifts and my interests, using all these in the responsibilities God assigns to me and the opportunities he affords me.

What about leisure? For many in our culture, leisure and entertainment are mere distractions, often idolatrous ones. But for the Christian, leisure is a sign—a foretaste of the fullness of joy and richness and rest that awaits us in the new heavens and new earth. We're not robots designed for maxi-mum operating efficiency in strictly utilitarian endeavors. God made us to know him and glorify him forever. Leisure reminds us of this and offers us a taste of this eternal calling in the here and now of this world.

What about the third of our lives spent in sleep? This, too, is a gift from God designed to inform and temper our active involvement in the world. Sleep is not mere inactivity, a brief respite from the important work we have to do in life. Sleep reminds us that God is God and we are not; only he "will neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4). As we lay down our weary heads, we're forced to relinquish the illusion of control over our lives and to entrust ourselves to the Lord, who keeps us in all our ways. Ultimately, sleep and rest point us to the rest that finds its fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the great rest-giver (Matthew 11:28-30) whose sacrifice on the cross frees us from the futile efforts to atone for our sin, to overcome our depravity, and to commend ourselves to God.

The story of the Bible insists that God's reign extends to every part of creation—indeed, to every facet of our lives. Do you live with such an awareness? This is the point of the apostle Paul's startling metaphor for the Christian life: "a living sacrifice" (Roman 12:1). Every breath offered to God. Every moment lived for God. Sobering? Yes. But also breathtaking. Think about it. All of life affords one long opportunity to experience God, to serve God, to be used by God, as we receive from him our gifts, callings, and opportunities and the power to utilize them for his glory.

To be continued …