A Musical Interlude

As I go through the Sermon on the Mount, this song keeps coming to mind. 

Before listening to this song, I want to put you in a frame of mind as to how I interpret it.

The title of the song is Religion, and I believe that is what he is singing about. He is not speaking of losing his faith, but of breaking the hold that religion has over him. So when he says, "but the truth I uncovered, the pressure I'm under to please you has gone away," he is not taking to God but to the pressure and rules of religion. I'll let you take it from here, enjoy.

Challies - 5 Worst Christian Best Sellers

Here is the video...



COMMENT
I plan to use a portion of this in a lesson I am preparing. I know that it might take some people by surprise, because I have heard the name Batterson in the class before. In fact, I believe that at one point when I was not there, they used some of his material for teaching.

One thought that has often struck me is this, if 20 to 40 years after Christ's resurrection, Paul had to spend time correcting doctrinal issues, how can we, 2,000 plus years later, think we have it right? But there is an inherent danger in being open minded. That danger is that maybe you were right in the first place, but now are wrong! But I think that is a risk that one must take, because being right by accident is more about being lucky than it is about being right, and if we are going to earnestly search the Scriptures to learn more, that is a risk we must take.

Or not, because I have met some who think they are right because that is the way their church believes, and they refuse to search any farther. Trust can be a dangerous thing.

Are You Sure? (Galatians 1:6-10)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 1:6-10
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

DEFINITION

Vs 7 Trouble - ταράσσω tarassō: to stir or agitate (roil water): — trouble.
to agitate, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro)to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, to disquiet, make restless, to stir up, to trouble, to strike one's spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious or distressed, to perplex the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts

Vs 9 Accursed - ἀνάθεμα anathema: a (religious) ban or (concretely) excommunicated (thing or person)
a thing set up or laid by in order to be kept specifically, an offering resulting from a vow, which after being consecrated to a god was hung upon the walls or columns of the temple, or put in some other conspicuous place, a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and if an animal, to be slain; therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction, a curse, a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes

COMMENT

One of the thoughts that has often occurred to me is this, If only 20 to 40 years after the death of Christ, there were already those who were needing to be corrected in their doctrine, why is it that so many people, with so many different thoughts, all think they are correct over 2,000 years later?

Paul starts this section by stating that those who have turned to this different gospel have deserted Christ. That is a powerful statement. As I understand what Paul is addressing here, it is the thought that in addition to the sacrifice that Jesus gave on our behalf, obedience to certain laws was also necessary. (1:15-21, so more on that later.) To hold to such a belief is to believe that the sacrifice of Christ alone was not sufficient for salvation. I believe that this, at least in part, preys upon the the feeling that there must be something we have to do in order to deserve salvation. It is hard to believe that God would freely give such a wonderful gift.  Paul says that those who think this way have deserted Christ. He goes on to give a reason why these men would teach such a thing: to trouble us and to distort the gospel. Let's take a look at the word trouble, because it carries a lot of meaning here. The word means "to stir or agitate. The picture given is calm water that is disturbed such as by throwing a rock in it. That rock removes the calmness of the entire body of water. It agitates it. Think about our spirit when it gets agitated. It fears, it gets short, it can cause doubt and a number of other issues. This goal is accomplished when we give in to the idea that in addition to what Jesus has done to save us, we also must do something to save our soul. That in addition to our faith, we must (fill in the blank with any number of things that could apply, not limited to drinking alcohol, Bible study, prayer, communion, baptism, cursing, etc. etc. etc.)

He then ups the consequence even more by saying that if anyone, including himself or even an angel, should preach a gospel contrary to the one they first received, they should be accursed. This word carries with it some dire meaning: Excommunication, no hope of redemption. So this is not just Paul acting like a witch, throwing out a spell on an individual, it is Paul saying that a person such as this stands condemned before God! Let me state that more clearly: If someone requires external obedience as a requirement for salvation other than faith, they stand condemned.

Paul knew that these words would be offensive, and he did not care! (Think Ricky Gervaise at the last Golden Globes.) He could not care, for if he did he would not be preaching the truth and would himself be in danger of damnation. Verse 10 shows that he is not saying this with the goal of seeking to please men, for if that were his goal, he would not be a servant of Christ.

Watch the video below. Then look at the questions and comments that follow.

• She "grew up in the church," and believes that the people in the audience are getting frustrated with the speaker. But shouldn't this be the case? Doesn't 1 Cor 1:23 tell us that Christ crucified is a stumbling block? Phil 3:18, that many walk as enemies of the cross? Should the level of audience frustration determine our message?
• She states that "You're not portraying the kind of God that people need." Which is to say, it is not about God, but it is about a god that will be acceptable to these people, a god whom they will embrace because it satisfies them, and not because He is the holy God of the universe. Is she asking the preacher to tell them what they want to hear to gain their acceptance? (see 1 Timothy 4:3)
• She states that she thinks the speaker and her believe the same thing, but I don't think so. Do you?
• She states that she evangelizes the way that Jesus did it. But I wonder if this is not a matter of her own perception or desire rather than a matter of truth. If all Jesus ever did was live a good life and try not to offend people, why did they crucify him? 
• In response to his comment that we are commanded to preach the gospel, she adds, "And live it." Is this true? And if so, what does it look like? In light of what is taught in Galatians, is this not an addition to the gospel? 
• She wants to make his his conversion rate an issue. Should it be? (See 1 Cor 3:7,8)
• She states that "This doesn't make people want to accept the gospel." If this is correct, and I would agree that it often is, can we change the message in order to get people to accept it? If we do, what are some of the consequences?

This woman is sincere. So are a lot of other people. I appreciate her sincerity and passion. But is she right, is she dealing in truth? Emotions do not determine right. If they did, we wouldn't need Scripture, would we?

Can you hear me now?

Sometimes, He is silent. But His silence must not be mistaken for absence.

Chandler, Matt; Geiger, Eric; Patterson, Josh (2013-11-26). Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church (p. 236). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

One of my favorite songs was by a group called Out of the Grey. The chorus goes like this...

But He is not silent
He is not whispering
We are not quiet
We are not listening
He sends a lifeline
We keep resisting Him
He is not silent
We are not listening

I doubt that God is ever truly silent, is He?

The song ends like this...

We take our daily bread
And after we've been fed
We take our hearts and turn away

Maybe He is silent sometimes.

Ultimate Goal

Serving for the sake of service is not the highest end. We must be careful not to teach people that the ultimate goal of Christianity is serving. Jesus is the ultimate goal, the highest end.

Chandler, Matt; Geiger, Eric; Patterson, Josh (2013-11-26). Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church (Kindle Locations 1146-1147). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Have not heard this song in years, but it is still beautiful.

Margaret Becker "Just Come In"

More Bono...I love this

Bono

Pentatonix

If you enjoy great voices in harmony, acapella, then you should enjoy this.

What if?

You have to look a little to the left...

Once we realize that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, our action becomes a "reasonable service." However, if our service is front and center, the church may easily (wittingly or unwittingly) proclaim itself as the Messiah. (Ch. 7)

Now on the surface, this sounds obvious. We have heard verses about this and probably even heard such language in sermons. But have we stopped to think about the implications?

I can only speak for myself, but I think that I have had a tendency to focus on the word "salvation" when I hear such statements. My salvation is in the gospel, and the gospel is the good news about Jesus, and I want salvation so I confess and say I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. From there, it becomes a matter of saying and doing more right things, like going to church, not cursing, grace before meals, and maybe even an appropriate "Amen!" now and then.

But what if instead of focusing on the word "salvation," I focus on the words "gospel" and "power." Now instead of wanting salvation for myself, I find myself just being in awe at what the gospel has done. I now see that I cannot just give some lip service to such a thing, thinking that by doing that I am saved. It is not my confession in the gospel that saves me, it is the gospel itself that is the power of salvation. So now I see that next to the gospel, my good actions are but filthy rags.

So here is the paradox. If I focus on my salvation, I do the good things because I want to be saved. But in doing so, I dishonor the gospel, become my own savior, and since I have not lived a perfect life, I end up damning myself to hell. Or, I can focus on the gospel, be in awe of the beauty of a Savior who would do such a thing for me, and my life is changed, maybe to look just like the life of the one who seeks to be their own savior. Only I am not doing it to achieve salvation, I am doing it because of my love for the one who offers salvation to me.

That is a Gospel Driven Life.

******************************************************************

For fun, but also application, have you taken the awareness test yet?


If you have taken the test for the first time, chances are, you did not see the bear at first. It is because your mind was focused elsewhere. Just like we sometimes focus so hard on salvation, that we miss the gospel. Salvation is a by-product of the Gospel Driven Life. But having the Gospel Driven Life is not always a by-product of chasing after salvation.

What faith does for us...

Faith does not create, it receives. (Chapter 6)

A very simple statement, yet one with powerful implications. Let's look at the first part, that faith does not create. It is not my faith that determines if God exists, just like it is not my lack of faith that could make Him not exist. Whether or not God exists (or the flying spaghetti monster for that matter) is not created by my faith. Neither does my faith create other things. My faith does not create my salvation. According to the Bible, salvation is a gift from God.

Faith receives. I do not create God through faith, I receive Him through faith. Faith is the act that allows me to know Him, to experience Him, to have a glimpse at understanding Him. It is through faith that one receives salvation. It is not our actions that create our salvation. Yet to receive faith and salvation alters our actions. I believe this is why Jesus said that many “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23)

There are those who believe that their actions will create a reality of salvation for them. There are those who believe that if they do something, God owes them something in return. I believe they will face a very sad reality some day.

The words of this song come to mind. Hope it hits home for you like it does for me.

Monday Music

What a song.

Monday Music

I have been a fan of Third Day for quite a while now. This song has always been a favorite. But I had not seen this video before. At first, I thought it was a bit strange. Then I thought about the concept, singing a praise song in the midst of what is probably an ordinary day, in the midst of people who have no clue. Its not about evangelism, it is just about worship. That's what I took from it.

Monday Music

Okay, this is a compilation. But there is some music in the background. Gospel.

Monday Music

I found this after writing the post on Galatians 2:15. I had not really listened to Tenth Avenue North before, but it really drives home the message of grace and our struggles to be free. Lyrics are on the video, hope you enjoy.

Monday Music

There is just something bizarre about posting a Michael Jackson cover that strikes me as I do this, but then I tend to like bizarre stuff...so here goes...


I enjoy the music of Sidewalk Prophets. And I understand their covering this song. Change does start with me, but my change starts at the cross. Somehow, I think Michael missed that part.

Christmas is about a baby born in a manger, and how one wrought a change that is still felt 2,000 years later. But I believe that is true because of the supernatural nature of that change. If my change is to be real, it is not about what people will say of me when my life is but a whisper, but it is who I am with that matters.

Now...how about a cover for Thriller, video and dance steps included?

Music Monday

I listen to a variety of music, some by Christian artists and some not.

One of the albums that I cannot seem to get enough of lately is by a group called "The City Harmonic." This is one of my favorites, "Holy(Wedding Day)"

The group has a sound that reminds me of U2. Very powerful. Hope you enjoy it.

Is that salvation?

Found here.




At about the 1:19 mark, he says, "I don't know any other salvation besides a radical salvation."

I love that statement, and what he says that follows. So many will come forward today, shake a pastor's hand, maybe be greeted by the entire congregation, or get baptized, or sign a card. But if there is no change, if we have merely made a choice to go to heaven and not go to hell, is that salvation?

I think many in the church would say so. After all, they have their eternity staked on it. Pastors would say so, they have their paycheck staked on it. But is this what Jesus taught? Even and especially those outside the church, who point a critical finger at the church, no better.

I love that this man stutters a bit. It is not his eloquence that grabs me. It is not his message of a better life now. It is just the powerful message of a life changed by the gospel of Christ.

More good videos

Another from Matt Chandler...

Can you relate? I can.

This one is from Taylor Mali. Not about religion, but can be applied.

The Gospel

This one is from Matt Chandler.


This is from Jefferson Bethke, and has created quite a stir.

This rings very true with me.