True or False?

"Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine...But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King." -Jeremiah 10:7,8,10a


Did you ever consider that the Lord is the only true God? Or did you ever consider that He is the only living God and everlasting King? Did you ever consider that despite all that is seemingly out of control in our world, He is still the King of the nations?

I know that we all mentally affirm these facts about God, but often we don't live like it is true. We often worship our 'wooden idols' as we go throughout the day. We look to Facebook for advice before we stop and pray to the living God. We act as if we are supreme rulers of our own lives.

I encourage you this morning to bow to the King of the nations. Submit yourself to the only true God. Give the living God and everlasting King complete rule of your life. Seek his counsel, fear Him, for this is His rightful due.

One Thing the Lord Delights In

“Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.” -Jeremiah 9:23-24

Scripture teaches that there is no one who seeks after God and that there is no one that even measures up to His holy standard (Romans 3). Since this is true, no man has anything to boast about. No one has done anything of merit. No one is born with any inherent value. No one knows or understands any wisdom of real value. No one has any reason to boast or glory in himself.

The Lord says something significant here in Jeremiah 9. The Lord delights in those that know and understand who He is. The Lord delights in those that know and understand His mercy, His judgment, and His righteousness. Think about it—the Lord delights in this sort of people. Sinful people.

Jesus shared a similar thought in John 17:3 – “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Eternal life is in knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul demonstrates this for us in Philippians 3:10 – “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…”

There is one thing of value to pursue. There is one thing that the Lord delights in—knowing Him. Reader, pursue this one thing with all that you are. Put all your effort into it. Know Him. Seek to understand the character of God. Seek to know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. See how it transforms your life completely.

Titus 3: Effective Church Evangelism

Effective Evangelism Requires:

1.       A Grace-filled Testimony – v. 1-3

In context, Paul is instructing Titus in what to say to those who despise Titus when he speaks, exhorts, and rebukes with all authority. The content of what Paul instructs Titus is exactly what is needed in effective evangelism. These despisers ought to have been subject to rulers and authorities, to obey. They ought to have been ready for every good work. They ought to speak evil to no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. In essence, Paul says that they ought to be displaying the fruit of the Spirit not the works of the flesh.

Paul doesn’t stop there. He reminds Titus that we, ourselves, were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. Paul reminds Titus that he and Titus both used to be exactly what these despisers are. Paul subtly reminds Titus that it is only by grace that he is what he is.

A believer with a grace-filled testimony will be able to demonstrate from his life the radical change that takes place when he trusted Christ. He will be able to show that God’s grace has completely transformed his thoughts, words, and actions. He will be able to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh.

Grace-filled testimonies are needed in the church today. I believe that a works-based salvation has crept into the church unawares. You know when we see it the most? We see it when something bad happens to someone in the church. Let’s say that it was you. Let’s say that you lost someone you love. Your response to God will show what you really believe about Him. A works-based salvation responds like this: “I was good (I went to church, sang songs, tithed, helped at VBS)…and this is how You repay me?!” A grace-based salvation will display itself through realizing that God is still in control. Yes, both will still wrestle with emotions, but a grace-based salvation will still acknowledge God as being in control.

The world needs to hear grace-filled testimonies. They need to hear the radical change that God has brought to your life. They need to hear that you didn’t deserve God’s salvation. They need to see that they don’t deserve it either.

2.       A Grace-filled Gospel – v. 4-8

Grace-filled testimonies are not enough. The lost need to hear a grace-filled Gospel. Look at the text: Kindness, the love of God our Savior, not by works of righteousness, His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration, through renewing of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit was poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, justified by His grace, we become heirs, hope, eternal life, this is a faithful saying, affirm constantly, those who believed…maintain good works, good, profitable. What an amazing string of verses! You could preach for years on those four verses! There is enough doctrine in those short sentences to fill volumes!

A grace-filled gospel reaches the lost. “For by grace are you saved through faith.” This is the heart of effective evangelism. If there was one aspect that could stand alone, this would be it. Think about it, you can’t merely have a good testimony and a nice church to reach people. That pretty much sums up all the Christians in American churches. Nice church and a good testimony. How much effective evangelism is really taking place as a result of those two things?

3.       A Grace-filled Church – v. 9-15

A grace-filled church is effective in evangelism. They have a good testimony with the outside because they avoid foolish contentions and divisive people. They realize that such things are unprofitable. In fact, a grace-filled church rejects the men that are divisive. A grace-filled church rejects sin. A grace-filled church maintains good works and meets urgent needs. A grace-filled church is filled with love for those in the faith.

In order for church evangelism to be effective, a church must have grace. Grace between believers and grace towards unbelievers. This is the bare minimum requirement of effective church evangelism. We can at least show that we can treat one another with God’s love. We can at least set aside our difference between each other for the sake of God’s grace. We can at least work together for the sake of the gospel.

Effective church evangelism needs grace-filled testimonies, a grace-filled gospel, and grace-filled churches. 

Book Review: Erasing Hell

What God said about eternity, and the things we've made up
by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

Rather than refer to 'Chan and Sprinkle' in this book review (though it would sound pretty funny and probably remind you of some crunchy breakfast cereal from your childhood), I'll assume what the book assumes in the introduction and review from the perspective that Francis Chan wrote the book.

This is a remarkably easy book to read. At 163 pages of text (including the appendix), it only took me 4 hours to read it. And that was with a 40 minute meeting thrown in there. It is a book that I was excited to read, though quickly rebuked by the introduction. The introduction states, "If you are excited to read this book, you have issues." That didn't make me feel too good, but served as a needed rebuke and attitude check on this whole conversation about hell.

Erasing Hell is an attempt to add another voice to the current, on-going conversation about the doctrine of Hell, instigated by Rob Bell's Love Wins. Chan adds a needed perspective to this discussion: pastoral. Chan constantly urges the reader to evaluate thoughts and what they mean practically to daily life. In fact, I found myself rebuked on a number of occasions while I read this book. Nothing said in the book is mean-spirited or unkind. And each chapter ends with the focus turned back upon the reader and what it means for daily life.

Chan says surprisingly little about Rob Bell and Love Wins. He quotes Love Wins a few times to contrast with the teaching of Scripture, but from the way that Erasing Hell is written, you wouldn't think that this book is in response to Love Wins. Again, I think that Chan has done an excellent job in simply adding another voice to a conversation and has helped avoid turning it into an argument.

I felt that the most compelling chapter was the fifth chapter entitled, What does all this have to do with me? In it, Chan takes some time to share some devotional thoughts about some various passages from Scripture and what that means for the reader. Chan compels the reader to evaluate whether or not these things that Jesus says deserve hell are a part of your life. It is quite gripping and convicting.

Erasing Hell is a refreshing pastoral voice in this heated (pun intended) discussion about hell. Rather than focus on the discussion at hand, Chan chooses to focus on what really matters, namely, your life.

Set Apart, Called, Strengthened

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” -Jeremiah 1:4-9

The Lord had set Jeremiah apart before his birth. The name Jeremiah even means ‘chosen by God.’ See, Jeremiah was a young man when God called him to be a prophet. In fact, Jeremiah may have been younger than you think. The word he uses to describe himself is the same as our word for child. Young, inexperienced, fearful, intimidated by the people God called him to preach to, this is the Jeremiah we are introduced to in the beginning of his book.

Humanly speaking, Jeremiah was too young, too weak, and too afraid to be a prophet for God. But God had a specific purpose in mind for Jeremiah. He had ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. This was a privileged position. Most prophets in the Old Testament had a specific word to say to a specific people. Jeremiah was to be a prophet to the nations. I would be intimidated by such a calling!

Jeremiah couldn’t do this by his own strength. However, Jeremiah had the reassurance of the Lord. The Lord promised Jeremiah, “I am with you to deliver you”. The Lord, himself, was with Jeremiah, empowering him, putting His own words in Jeremiah’s mouth. Only through this promise would Jeremiah be able to successfully minister the word of the Lord to the people.

Has God called you to a ministry? Has He set you apart for a specific purpose? Remember your calling. Your calling will give you confidence in the ministry, reassurance when times are tough, and a boldness to speak the words that God wants you to speak. You may seem too young, too weak, and too afraid to minister successfully for the Lord, but if God has called you to speak, then speak! May you never speak any words but His.