Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 10

Title: Discern Your Culture
Speaker: Al Mohler
Session: Main Session #3, Na07
Date: May 27, 2007

Main Text
Matthew 22:23-33

Some Opening Thoughts
It’s obvious, at this point, that I will not be able to finish posts on all five remaining messages. I think I’ll probably be able to fit one more in before the conference, and simply listen to the rest in my car (which I am excited to do).

This message is typical Al Mohler content. Even typing at a keyboard, I usually found myself unable to keep up with him. There is one thing that I must comment on, though, since I strongly disagree him: cargo shorts are a good thing. (No, there’s no good reason for having iPods hanging out of them, but Dr. Mohler slammed cargos in general.) They’re great for carrying around wallets, keys, cell phones, notepads...

A Brief Outline
–> What is discernment? It is not only knowing what is right; it is knowing how important something is, what’s central versus what’s peripheral, what are truth issues versus what are taste issues.
–> What is culture? A system of language, symbols, laws, products, and institutions, along with presuppositions, that emerge from the human situation.
5 Wrong Mottoes for dealing with the culture
1. Let’s get completely wet
–> Just dive in and assume it’s all neutral.
2. Let’s stay completely dry
–> Have nothing to do with the culture.
–> This is not possible (at least, not Biblically possible). A big danger is thinking that we’re not in the culture when we really are.
3. Let’s take a dip
–> Dropping in the culture as it’s convenient; or dropping in thinking that we can then dry ourselves completely off.
–> The truth, however, is that there’s no basic way to enter the culture without being in contact with the entire system.
4. Let’s take a sip
–> “We’re going to understand another culture by doing an immersion experience for a little while, then we’ll understand them.”
–> This, however, is naive.
5. Let’s treat culture by watching it like it’s an aquarium
–> You can’t just look at a culture from a distance. This is a great challenge for missions and evangelism.
–> The most dangerous things about our culture are the things we don’t even notice anymore. For Christians, this is particularly dangerous, because often the last things we see with the eyes of Christ are those things that are closest to us.

Other Points
–> You can’t have maturity without discernment; one of the signs of maturity is discernment.
–> Matthew 22:23-33
–> The two main criteria we are to use in evaluating the culture are love of God and love of neighbor, in that order.
–> Nothing tells us so much about ourselves as our loves, and that which we love most is our God.
–> Why do we love our neighbor? Because we love God, and because God loves our neighbor.
–> Every one of those persons with whom we will share the Gospel is deeply entwined in the culture.
–> Augustine’s two cities: there is a heavenly city, and there is an earthly city. There are two loves corresponding to the two cities: love of God, and love of man.
–> If the heavenly city is marked by the love of God, then, for Christians, the earthly city is the place where God’s love is our responsibility.
–> One of the earliest Christians put it this way: “for us, no place is home, and every place is home.”
–> Our epistemology is rooted in the fact that we believe that God has spoken to us in the Scriptures. We have a means of epistemological rescue: our knowledge is not limited to what any culture can tell us. We do not judge the Scriptures by the culture, but the culture by the Scriptures.
–> Ethnicity, race, and cultural differences are not things we should see as evidence of a fallen humanity, but as evidences of a glorious God.
–> When Jesus humbled Himself to take on humanity, he also humbled Himself to take on certain forms of culture (language, dress, food). He entered the culture, but He was not bound by that system. He was, at one and the same time, Lord and Master of that system.
–> We are not saved from culture; we are saved from sin.
–> Wherever the church is, it is a counterculture in the midst of its culture.
–> Discernment means understanding that we are fish swimming in a giant, toxic sea. We aren’t supposed to jump out of the water; but, one day, we will be snatched out of the water.
–> The most important things about the will of God, we already know. Scripture has already revealed to us almost everything we will ever need to know about the will of God.

Some Application Questions
–> Do I tend to fall into any of the five errors in the way I treat the culture?
–> Do I evaluate the culture based on love of God and love of neighbor?
–> What are some aspects of culture that I don’t even notice anymore? What might some of the dangers be?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
I remembered him going over the five wrong mottoes toward culture. I’m not sure, however, if I could have named them all, so re-listening was definitely helpful.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
I want to make it a point to specifically ask myself, when evaluating culture, how my thoughts are based on a Biblically understanding of love of God and love of neighbor.

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 10 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Discern Your Culture” for free.

Next Week: Discern Your Heart (C.J. Mahaney)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 9

Title: Discern Your Doctrine
Speaker: Mark Dever
Session: Main Session #2, Na07
Date: May 27, 2007

Main Texts
John 17 & 2 John 10-11

Some Opening Thoughts
Not are doctrinal differences are equal. How do we tell the difference between what is compromise and what is cooperation? How do we discern between primary doctrines that we need to contend for, and secondary doctrines where we can work with each other, despite our differences? Read on. Listen in.

A Brief Outline
Six questions to ask ourselves:
1. Do we follow commands to purify or to unite?
–> We have a tendency to be either too inclusive or too exclusive, to become either a “unity person” or a “purity person.” But we don’t want to play off one aspect of God’s character (His love) with another (His holiness).
–> “Unity people” love John 17. Purity people love 2 John 10-11. How do we take the best of both of these—the unity and the purity that we are commanded in the Bible?
2. What are some common fights that Christians have?
–> Dever listed many. I’m sure you have thought of several already.
3. What are we together for?
–> Before we say, “who do we need to cooperate with?” we need to ask, “what does cooperation mean?”
–> A much higher level of agreement is needed to be members of the same church than to cooperate together in certain events.
4. What must we agree upon?
–> What are the basics, the essentials? (We don’t want to ask this in a “what’s the least I can believe?” manner.)
–> Christian fellowship can only be shared by those who share the Christian faith.
–> Examples of disagreements: disagreements about church membership is not as important as disagreements about who Jesus Christ is.
–> Certain doctrines can go awry, and a person can still bear fruit as a Christian.
5. What may we disagree about?
–> We are not getting permission on how little of God’s Word we can try to get away with obeying; rather we want to see how much we can cooperate.
–> We can work together with another Christian so long as those things that we disagree on won’t prove to be a distraction to our cooperation.
6. How can we disagree well?
–> In essentials unity. In nonessentials diversity. In all things charity.
–> What do I owe the person who differs from me? Love (Ephesians 4:15), respect (Matthew 7:12).
–> When you’re in disagreement, make it evident that you care about them more than you simply care about winning an argument.
–> Consider what goals you share. What is your aim in your conversation?
–> What can I learn from the person I’m differing with?
–> It is good to have Christians friends that disagree with us on some things. It gives us opportunity to display love and to center on the cross.
–> We want to be known more for what we are for rather than what we are against. We want to be known as being for the Gospel.

Other Points
Three ways to discern
1. Through the Bible
–> We learn the truth fundamentally, supremely, finally, and mostly through the Bible.
–> Get to know God’s word; grow in your understanding of it and your love for it.
2. Through our church
–> God does not intend us to be earthly orphans. He has called us to be in local churches that preach the truth well and faithfully, among a people who are growing in godliness.
3. Through our conscience
–> Each of us has a conscience, but because of the fall our consciences are also fallen.
–> We have an inherent sense of right and wrong, but the conscience is inherent, not inerrant.

A four-fold test of a doctrine:
1. How clear is it in Scripture?
2. How clear do others think that it is in Scripture?
3. How near is it (and its implications) to the Gospel?
4. What would the effects be of allowing disagreement in this area?

Doctrines: The essential of the essentials:
1. God
–> We have to believe in the One True God.
2. The Bible
–> If we tell an unbeliever something about God, who knows what they are thinking about. So how do we know the truth about God? He has revealed Himself in the Bible.
3. Gospel
–> Of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
–> Most fundamentally, a Christian is one who believes this Gospel.

Some Application Questions
–> Do I tend to be a “unity person” or a “purity person”? How can I grow in the other area?
–> Do you feel uncomfortable prioritizing some truths above other truths? (Paul didn’t, see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
–> Do I look for ways to learn from people that I differ with, or do I tend to discount everything they say?
–> Do I care more about the truth than I do about “winning the argument”?
–> Is it evident that I care more about the truth than I do about “winning the argument”?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
Probably the tension between unity and purity. We need both, but we tend to emphasize one and neglect the other.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
I didn’t do very well remembering his specific points. I’d especially like to be able to recall his four-fold test of doctrinal importance, and re-listening to this message has been helpful in that area.

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 9 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Discern Your Doctrine” for free.

Next Week: Discern Your Culture (Al Mohler)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 8

Title: Discernment
Speaker: Josh Harris
Session: Main Session #1, Na07
Date: May 26, 2007

Main Texts
Romans 12:1-2 (also 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)

Some Opening Thoughts
This is the first of eight messages on discernment. I have taken a lot of notes, so without further adieu. . .

A Brief Outline
–> What is discernment? The ability to judge well.
–> 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
–> Two reasons that we need to give special attention to discernment:
–> 1. Spiritual discernment is not as simple as separating the peanuts from the popcorn in a bowl of cracker jacks. We are not naturally discerning.
–> 2. Whether or not we have spiritual discernment is a matter of life and death.
–> “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
–> Ultimately, discernment matters because God’s glory is at stake. He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, and the right teaching and application of that Word brings Him glory and reveals His character.
–> The good news for us is that God has revealed in His Scriptures how we can grow in discernment.
–> “I am your servant, give me discernment, that I may understand your statutes.” (Psalm 119:125)
–> While we’re to ask for discernment, we’re also to work at it. We gain discernment through the study of God’s Word.
–> Romans 12:1-2
–> In light of what Jesus has done for you, here is the appropriate response: give Him everything you are.
1. Discernment requires resistance
–> “Do not be conformed to this world.”
–> One aspect of discernment is taking the time to understand this age and its values. Do you know how this world wants to shape you?
–> This kind of discernment is not attained easily; it takes a lifetime of hard work. It not only takes work to understand, but inevitably, following God’s way and choosing His good and acceptable and perfect way involves being rejected by this world.
–> Discernment dies when we allow our hearts and minds to be shaped by our age in order to be accepted and approved by our age.
2. Discernment requires renewal.
–> We must daily be renewed by God’s Word. We don’t just hear God’s Word and say, “Okay, I’ve got that down. . . ”
–> Discernment comes when we know and constantly review and constantly recommit ourselves to the truth of God revealed in Scripture.
3. Discernment requires action.
–> You can’t discern God’s good will by sitting back and watching from a distance. Discernment requires theologically informed action.
–> If the theology you hold doesn’t shape your life, then you’ve not understood it.
–> When we fail to act on truth, discernment dies.
–> If you’re wondering why God’s not revealing His will in a particular way, ask yourself, are you being obedient to what you know He has already revealed to you?
–> The most important way that we can grow in discernment is to obey God in what He has already revealed to us in His Word.
4. Discernment requires the Gospel
–> “In view of God’s mercy. . . ” In the flow of the text, this point would be the first point, but Josh said that He saved it for last because it was the most important point that He would be making.
–> We cannot rightly live the Christian life or be loving or holy or discerning unless we understand that the foundation of everything in our faith is not what we have done or what we do, but what Jesus Christ has done for us as our representative.
–> Discernment is only possible because of the Gospel. We can only be renewed in our minds because we have been reborn in Christ Jesus through His death and resurrection.
–> It’s not that we were inherently discerning and thus able to understand and accept the Gospel, and now we will go on being discerning in all of these other areas because of our own ability to discern right from wrong so clearly—God came looking for us, and He opened our eyes.
–> That is why we should always exercise discernment in humility. The only reason we discern anything is that God has poured out His grace on our lives.

Other Points
–> We share the truth, not merely as people who are right, but as people who have been rescued.
–> Why a whole conference on discernment? You can’t have humble orthodoxy without discernment. You can only love the truth if you can distinguish it from error.
–> Even as we focus on discernment, let’s not be preoccupied with discernment, but with the mercy of God—we have been rescued, and we see because Christ died.
–> Discernment is not an end in itself. In view of God’s mercy, we are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. God calls us to holiness, a life of worship before Him.
–> Discernment is simply the fruit of a life willingly offered to God.

Some Application Questions
–> Do I think about, in light of Scripture, the ways the world is trying to influence my thinking about church and relationships and money and eternity?
–> Am I as excited about applying the truth to my life as I am about understanding it in my head?
–> Any time I perceive truth versus error, do I see that that moment is a moment for me to turn and thank God for His mercy on me?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
We have no discernment apart from God’s self-revelation in Christ. It’s not as though, out of our own great wisdom, we were discerning enough to see the truth of the Gospel, and can now go on discerning apart from the Gospel.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
A common temptation for me is to put more of an emphasis on understanding than on applying. If we want to live according to the truth, we need to understand it. But head knowledge, without an emphasis on life application, brings conceit.

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 8 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Discernment” for free.

Next Week: Discern Your Doctrine (Mark Dever)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 7

Title: The Family: Taking It Home To Your Local Church
Speaker: Josh Harris
Session: Main Session #7, Na06
Date: May 30, 2006

Main Texts
2 Timothy 2:15, and general conference review

Some Opening Thoughts
Josh said at the beginning that he would not be teaching anything new, but only reviewing the teaching from the past three days. That doesn’t mean that this is a message to skip over, though, because throughout his review Josh covers a very important topic: application.

A Brief Outline
1. We need to rightly handle the word of truth
–> Hearing all of this great teaching is meaningless if you don’t take it home and apply it
–> Be willing to listen to stuff that you’ve already listened too; we need to re-listen to things.
–> Hearing good teaching can make you feel spiritual, but guess what – temptation will come. Will you have a tight grasp on the Gospel in that moment?
–> In all of these application points, acknowledge your dependence on God.
–> To apply, we need to give ourselves to the study of, meditation on, and memorization of God’s Word – not so that we can sound impressive or be puffed up, but because we are desperate for God.
2. Go home and live the truth personally
–> We need to be committed to growing in discernment.
–> We need others; we need our parents; we need the local church.
–> There is no Christian life presented in the New Testament apart from being connected to the people of God. Practice being committed to a local church.
3. Go home and represent the truth humbly
–> Don’t around looking to pick theological fights. Just because you heard Al Mohler and Jeff Purswell doesn't make you Al Mohler or Jeff Purswell. And if they walk humbly with all of the wisdom they have, how much more should we?
–> Talk about what you’ve learned, with humility.
–> Ask for prayer for application.

Other Points
–> Men, lead in initiating Biblical fellowship.
–> Ladies, encourage the guys even when they are doing a terrible job attempting this. Look at them not as what they are, but as what they can be by the grace of God.
–> A truly humble person wants to better understand the perspective of someone who disagrees with him.
–> If you know that that person loves and cares for you, don’t assume that you understand why they disagree or that you have the answers to all of their disagreements.
–> Specifically recommended breakout sessions: “Feeding on God: Cultivating a Fruitful Life in the Word” (Mike Bullmore), “Cultural Discernment from a Biblical Worldview” (Al Mohler), “A Look at the Emerging Church” (Justin Taylor)
–> Listen to Mike Bullmore’s message. Learn from the three circles, because it’s not just about three circles. It’s foundational. (Personal note: I said it earlier, and I’ll say it again. Download and listen to it. Please.)
–> We will pass on from this earth, but Truth is forever, because it’s not about us – it’s about God.

Some Application Questions
–> Do I consider re-listening to a teaching to be (at least) as important as listening the first time?
–> Do I actively seek to grow in discernment, or do I expect it to be able to drift into it?
–> Do I make my decisions driven by youthful passion, assuming that I know all sides of the issue, or do I go to someone who is wiser (and may very well disagree with me) and say, “help me to understand your perspective”?
–> Do I ask people to pray for me and to hold me accountable to apply what I’ve been taught?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
We need to re-listen to what we’ve heard!

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
A truly humble person wants to better understand the perspective of someone who disagrees with him. Did I know this already? Yeah. Do I remember it when it comes time to apply it? [. . . ] I need to keep hearing that, because I am not truly humble, and think that I know far more than I do. Thankfully, God has given much wisdom to many people around me.

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 7 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Taking It Home To Your Local Church” for free.

Next Week: Discernment (Josh Harris)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Be sure to check out the FREE download of all of the Na06 main sessions and breakout sessions

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 6

Title: The Mission: Reaching the World Next Door
Speaker: Eric Simmons
Session: Main Session #6, Na06
Date: May 29, 2006

Main Text
Colossians 4:2-9

Some Opening Thoughts
Going to New Attitude 2006 had a big impact on my perspective on personal evangelism. This message—along with a book called Questioning Evangelism, which I bought at the New Attitude bookstore—challenged my fears, built my faith, and reminded of the importance of the Great Commission. I realize it may be getting old for me to keep talking about how fantastic these teachings are. If you aren’t doing so yet, please, instead of just reading my notes, listen to them for yourself.

A Brief Outline
At the outset, Eric asked this question: how can we ensure that we take this humble orthodoxy to people who do not know Jesus? His answer was two-fold.
1. We must think globally
–> What does “think globally” mean? We need the big picture. We need a bigger vision of Christianity than our little, isolated world.
–> We can get so caught up in the day-to-day details that we lose our vision. Why? Because our gaze is centered on ourselves, and not on Jesus and His mission.
–> What is this mission? Jesus clarified it to the twelve with the Great Commission (see Matt. 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16).
–> The Gospel is bearing fruit and it is growing (Colossians 1:6)
–> What is this kingdom? He has delivered us from darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sin (Colossians 1:13).
–> Who is this king? He is the image of the invisible God, He is the firstborn over all creation. . . the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent (Colossians 1:15,18).
–> The kingdom is being further revealed day-by-day, and we get to be a part of it.
–> How do we participate? We take this global vision locally.
2. We must act locally
–> Have you ever considered that the most unreached people may be the ones next door?
–> To be effective missionaries. . .
–> (a) we pray
–> Our prayers should be steadfast, devoted, watchful, alert (Colossians 4:2).
–> The more alert and the more steadfast are our prayers, the more we start seeing and discerning God working.
–> How should we pray? Pray that the door would be open.
–> Pray for opportunities – every day.
–> Effective missionaries live a distinctly different life among a specific culture of people.
–> What kind of missionary would go to a foreign city, find a job and a place to live, and never hang out with the people he was sent to. We would call him a resident, not a missionary.
–> Sow the kingdom of God strategically: start by picking one friend to invest in.
–> Your conduct should match your message.
–> What about relevance? The truth is essential, relevance is just a nice package.
–> We need to relate to the culture, but we are not to be like the culture.
–> Godliness and the fruit of the Spirit are far more important than being relevant.
–> Packaging is important, but if people around us start opening the package, and they see nothing in there that is different, we’re compromising the mission.
–> (c) we talk
–> How can we be effective missionaries? Have conversations with unbelievers.
–> Boldness does not mean arrogance; be bold, humble, and gracious.
–> Grace should inform our apologetics, lest knowledge puff us up.
–> What does “seasoned with salt” mean? Witty and full of life.
–> We are primarily seed sowers more than reapers; let's do the next Christian a favor.

Some Application Questions
–> Do I just go to college, just go to work, just go a restaurant, just go to family get-togethers, or do I see that I am sent by God?
–> Do I pray that I will make the Gospel clear?
–> Do I pray daily for opportunities to share the Gospel?
–> Do I view myself as a resident or as a missionary? Do I live this way?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
Do the next Christian a favor. I had often struggled with the thought, “What’s the use if I’m not going to be able to invest in this person long-term?” Maybe I’ll never see some of these people again. Just do the next Christian a favor.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
I know I was challenged by this before; now I've been challenged by it again. Do I just go to college, just go to work, or do I remember that I am sent?

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 6 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Reaching the World Next Door” for free.

Next Week: The Family: Taking It Home To Your Local Church (Josh Harris)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 5

Title: The Power: Understanding And Experiencing the Holy Spirit
Speaker: Jeff Purswell
Session: Main Session #5, Na06
Date: May 29, 2006

Main Texts
Several, including John 14:16 and Ephesians 5:17-21

Some Opening Thoughts
When going to a conference and hearing sitting in on eight sessions in three days, it is easy to miss a lot of what is said. That is one of the reasons I am going back through and re-listening to these teachings. Quite honestly, I had forgotten how good this session was.

A Brief Outline
1. The Spirit’s empowering work reveals Christ’s presence and illuminates His work
–> We don’t just sing to a Savior who is seated at the right hand of God, we sing to a Savior who is with us through the person of the Holy Spirit.
–> The Holy Spirit was promised to the disciples to expand the disciples' capacity to know and understand Jesus.
–> Nothing is more central to the Holy Spirit’s work than to reveal the person and presence of Jesus.
2. The Spirit’s empowering work embraces all of life
–> Like breath and blood and brain waves to the physical life, so is the Spirit to our spiritual lives – there is no spiritual life apart from the Holy Spirit.
–> Survey your life for evidence of God’s grace. Where you spot it, there is evidence of the Spirit’s work.
–> Jesus’ work alone makes this possible; the Spirit’s work alone makes it actual.
–> Jesus died for us; but we’re not saved unless the Spirit gives us life.
3. The Spirit’s empowering work is ongoing and continuous
–> One of the most common misconceptions that people have about the work of the Holy Spirit is to define it merely in dramatic and experiential terms.
–> Another fallacy is to define the work of the Holy Spirit as a point-in-time event – “been there, done that,” “I got it.”
–> The unquestionable emphasis in the Scriptures is not isolated experiences of the Spirit but ongoing appropriations of the Spirit.
–> Ephesians 5:17-21
4. The Spirit’s empowering work aims at our personal sanctification, mutual edification, and evangelistic witness
–> Godliness, service, witness – if we are not pursuing these things, we are not going to experience the Spirit’s power.
–> (a) Walk [let your life be controlled by] the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galations 5:16)
–> (b) The focus of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor.12-14) is to build up and serve other people.
–> (c) “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8)
5. The Spirit’s empowering work should include a discernibly dynamic dimension
–> One thing is certainly clear: when believers encounter the Spirit, there will/can/should be a dynamic dimension to this.
–> When God’s Spirit is at work, He does powerful things.
–> We don’t want to have the WMD approach or the “crazy uncle” approach to the Spirit.
–> May we all have an increasing experience of the Spirit that demonstrates the reality of the Gospel in our lives.
6. The Spirit’s empowering work meets us as we passionately seek God and dependently serve God
–> The Bible doesn’t just tell us things to believe about the Spirit; the Bible also commands attitudes about the Spirit, enjoining us to postures of heart.
–> The Bible imposes upon us attitudes: desperate, grateful, hungry.
–> Desperate: aware of our absolute dependence upon God.
–> Grateful: grateful for the Spirit’s presence in all of life.
–> Hungry: ever asking for more, ever pursuing more of the Spirit’s work in our lives, ever trusting for more of God’s power in sanctification and service and worship.

Other Points
–> It is God’s desire for us to experience His Spirit in ever-increasing ways for His glory.
–> God didn’t just give us a new destiny, He chose to take up residence in our lives.
–> God doesn’t only save individuals, He is gathering for Himself a people among whom He can dwell.

Some Application Questions
–> Am I dependently seeking to serve God?
–> Does my soul thirst for God, and my very flesh faint for God? If not, what is satisfying me?
–> Am I hungry or am I reluctant?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
Jeff Purswell’s three words summing up our response: desperate, grateful, hungry.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
The fourth point, where Jeff Purswell describes the Spirit’s work as aiming toward our personal sanctification, mutual edification, and evangelistic witness. It’s not that I was unaware of any of these, but having heard him lay them out explicitly in those words will be helpful to remember.

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 5 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Understanding And Experiencing the Holy Spirit” for free.

Next Week: The Mission: Reaching the World Next Door (Eric Simmons)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 4

Title: The Cross: A Meditation on Jesus’ Atoning Death
Speaker: C.J. Mahaney
Session: Main Session #4, Na06
Date: May 28, 2006

Main Texts
Isaiah 53:1-6,10a

Some Opening Thoughts
This message by C.J. is one of the finest sermons on the atonement that you will ever hear, and I am reminded again of how little I can effectively represent in one of these posts. My hope is that this will encourage you to listen to the message yourself and, more importantly, to find fresh joy and wonder as you consider the love of God manifested in the atoning death of Jesus Christ.

C.J. opens by reading the passage from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe where Susan and Lucy Pevensie, having witnessed Aslan’s death, learn that he has risen. The excerpt ended with Susan’s question to Aslan, “But what does it all mean?”A more relevant question, C.J. says, could not be asked of Aslan – nor, more importantly, of the Savior he represents.

A Brief Outline
1. The Appearance (v.1-3)
–> One cannot discern the identity of the suffering servant without divine illumination (verse 3, “we esteemed him not”)
–>"Suffering observed and misunderstood" (Alex Montiere)
2. The Reality (v.4-6)
–> We transition from human expectations to divine revelation – we discover the purpose of His suffering.
–> We discover the divine reality: that He was crucified for our sins.
(A) Christ suffered for us and because of our sins
–> Our first reaction upon surveying this scene: “I didn't do it!”
–> Isaiah is aware that this tendency resides in each of us, but he portrays us as present. Why? Because we were morally present. Our sin necessitated this.
(B) He suffered and died as our substitute
–> Note the language of substitution: “borne,” “carried,” “wounded,” “crushed,” “chastisement,” “stripes,” “laid on him”
–> This is what it all means: He died in my place for my sin so that I might be saved from that punishment and spared the wrath of God.
3. The Significance (v.10)
–> The substitution of Jesus reveals the Father's love to guilty sinners like you and me.
–> “It was the will of the Lord to crush him”
–> Consider John 3:16 informed by Isaiah 53:10 – “God so loved the world that he crushed his only Son”

Other Points
–> “The Bible in miniature and the Gospel in essence” (Charles Spurgeon, speaking of Isaiah 53)
–> Human expectations of the Savior tend to be consistent through the ages – certainly not that of a suffering servant; as Paul said to the Corinthians, “the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
–> “We all walk around with His nails in our pocket.” (Martin Luther)
–> “When we behold the disfigurement of the Son of God – when we find ourselves appalled by His appearance, we need to reckon afresh that it is upon ourselves that we gaze, for He stood in our place.” (John Calvin)
–> This will be the mainspring of our joy in and throughout eternity
–> “Heaven is cross-centered, and quite blaring about it” (Jim Elliff, see Revelation 5)
–> If you are tempted to doubt God's love for you, consider the love of God for you as described in Isaiah 53:10: He crushed His Son for you.
–> “God does something to us as well as for us on the cross: He persuades us that He loves us.” (Sinclair Ferguson)
–> We should Take time each day to dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard.
(Note: I may not have the correct spelling of the names of some of the men C.J. quoted.)

Some Application Questions
–> Do I take time to dwell each day where the cries of Calvary can be heard?
–> If not, how long has it been since I have?
–> When I am tempted, in some way, to doubt God’s love for me, what are my thoughts centered on? How might remembering this passage in Isaiah reinform and reform my attitude?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
Thinking specifically of John 3:16 in light of Isaiah 53:10.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
If you’re a Christian, you will find nothing new or surprising in this message. It’s the Gospel, articulated clearly and powerfully. That I (and we) know this message, however, does not mean that we should move on from it. I would do well to be more intentional in purposefully meditating on the cross each day; I would also do well to re-listen to this message periodically, to be both exhorted to that end and reminded of the centrality of the cross.

Discussion
–> What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
–> If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
–> Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
–> Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 4 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “A Meditation on Jesus’ Atoning Death” for free.

Next Week: The Power: Understanding And Experiencing the Holy Spirit (Jeff Purswell)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 3

Title: The Life: Applying the Gospel to All of Life
Speaker: Mike Bullmore
Session: Main Session #3, Na06
Date: May 28, 2006

This is almost a whole week late, so I'll have to catch up in the next few weeks. Oh well, I was busy last weekend.

Main Text
1 Corinthians 15:1-3 (among others)

Some Opening Thoughts
Even if you are not listening through the New Attitude messages, let me strongly encourage you to listen to this one. There is so much that is communicated that I haven’t been able to include – and even for what I have included, bullet points cannot suffice. Download it. Listen to it. You won’t regret it.

A Brief Outline
1. A Biblical Paradigm: God’s Word speaks about the Gospel not just as an abstract truth – it speaks of it in terms of its functioning in our lives
A. The functional centrality of the Gospel (see 1 Cor.15:1-3, Rom.1:16)
B. The Implications of the Gospel (see Rom.5:1, Rom.8:32)
C. The Behavioral implications of the Gospel (see 1 Cor.6:18, Eph.4:32)
2. Practical Suggestions for Application
A. Start with your own life first
B. Let Gospel connections inhabit your conversation with others (see Is.50:4)
C. Remember, the greatest good of the Gospel is that God gives Himself to us

One aspect of this message that has continued to impact my thinking is the imagery of three concentric circles that Mike Bullmore spoke of. While we know that the Gospel is central, we can tend to operate with a disconnect between “other” Biblical truths and Biblical conduct. All truth, however, flows out of the Gospel, as do all areas of Gospel conduct.

Other Points
-->What will make the difference in each one of these areas where we spend the energy of our lives? Answer: Whether or not the truth and reality of the Gospel is actually functioning in our lives – in every area.
-->The Gospel speaks to everything – every dimension of our lives.
-->One of the marks of growing maturity is the ability to see these connections.
-->All of our problems come from a failure to apply the Gospel.
-->We need to be reading our Bibles with a special eye to detecting the connections it makes between the Gospel and specific behavior.
-->Making these connections is not just leveraging the logic of the Gospel, but harnessing the power of the Gospel.
-->Ultimately, all Christian behavior should flow from the Gospel.
-->A big part of a God-honoring interaction is helping others to believe Gospel truths and to make Gospel connections so that they can see how the Gospel functions in their lives.
-->Don’t just pick up the Gospel vocabulary! “There is nothing so deadly to the divine as an habitual dealing with the outsides of holy things.” (George MacDonald)
-->Let the ultimate truth of the Gospel be what ultimately defines us .

Some Application Questions
-->Am I cultivating a deep personal understanding of and appreciation for the Gospel?
-->Am I faithfully reading God’s Word with that purpose in mind?
-->Am I becoming increasingly familiar with the richness of the language of the Gospel?
-->Am I rehearsing the truths of the Gospel?
-->Am I reading and thinking about things that help me meditate on the Gospel?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
Looking for Gospel implications as I read the Bible. This message has had a huge impact on the way I read the Bible. Mike Bullmore gave a few Scriptures to illustrate different Gospel implications; but, as he said, there are countless others.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
I’ve re-listened to this message multiple times since I first heard it, so I don’t know that there was anything that I had totally forgotten. I find this statement challenging, however: “ultimately, all Christian behavior should flow from the Gospel.” Why is that challenging? Because I know that there are areas of my life where fuzziness does persist in my understanding of how to apply the Gospel.

Discussion
-->What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
-->If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
-->Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
-->Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 3 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Applying the Gospel to All of Life” for free.

Next Week: The Cross: A Meditation on Jesus’ Atoning Death (C.J. Mahaney)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 2

Title: The Story: Understand the Storyline of the Bible
Speaker: Mark Dever
Session: Main Session #2, Na06
Date: May 28, 2006

I’ll be honest and say that out of all of the New Attitude messages from 2006, I’ve always found this one to be the most difficult to draw particular application points from. There a couple of reasons for this. As can be seen by the fact that Mark Dever provided an overview of the whole Bible instead of preaching from one particular passage, this session served chiefly as a foundation for the rest of the conference. By showing the importance and relevance of all of Scripture, he ensured that no one would walk away from the conference thinking that the following sessions (on the cross, on evangelism, or on the Holy Spirit, for instance) were disjointed. By establishing that all of the Bible comprises one storyline, he paved the way for understanding the unity of the particulars presented in the following sessions. Also, since there were some attendees at the conference who were not very familiar with the Bible, and who perhaps had believed the Old Testament to be unrelated to the New Testament, this teaching would have been instrumental in their furthering their understanding of the purpose and the unity of God’s Word.

Main Text
The Whole Bible

A Brief Outline
The Old Testament:
1. A Particular History
2. A Passion for Holiness
3. A Promise of Hope
The New Testament:
1. Christ
2. God’s Covenant People
3. The Renewal of all Creation

Other Points

• Sincerity is no guarantee of wisdom.
• The Old Testament is the context for understanding the revelation of Christ in the New Testament.
• To understand the Old Testament, we must understand not only the particular history of Israel, but also God’s passion for His holiness.
• We understand the stories about God better if we better understand God’s character.
• The seriousness of the sacrificial system showed the seriousness of sin, and that forgiveness could only come through an atoning death.
• The riddle of the Old Testament: Exodus 34:6-7.
• We shouldn’t love the Bible apart from the Person it reveals.
• The Bible is here to show us Christ so that in Him we will see the focus of our hopes and the center of our satisfaction.
• Many people limit their hopes to only things which they think they can promise to themselves, but we Christians have always had a hope in something that we could never bring about by ourselves.
• Jesus’ resurrection was the firstfruits, the first of many to come.
• The ruins of our own cherished plans are often the first steps toward the true good that God has for us.

Some Application Questions

• In my daily reading of the Bible, and particularly of the Old Testament, am I seeking to better understand the passage's context in the whole Bible, or only viewing the stories as interesting bits of history?
• When I read verses such as Exodus 34:6-7 in light of what Christ has done, am I amazed anew at the mercy of God?
• Is my love for God’s Word based on its being God's self-revelation?

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
The idea of seeing the Old Testament as “promises made” and the New Testament as “promises kept.”

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
The statement that stories are made up of propositions, which is especially important for us as Christians to remember as we try to reach a post-modern culture.

Discussion

• What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
• If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
• Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
• Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 2 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Understanding the Storyline of the Bible” for free.

Next Week: The Life: Applying the Gospel to All of Life (Mike Bullmore)

Background on this series: Humble Orthodoxy

Reviewing Humble Orthodoxy, Week 1

Title: The Truth: Rediscovering Humble Orthodoxy
Speaker: Josh Harris
Session: Main Session #1 (Na06)
Na06Date: May 27, 2006

There are so many ways I could go about blogging through these teachings. I won’t, however, be attempting to provide a full transcript—not only because it would be a lot of work, but also because that simply isn’t my aim in doing these posts. I’m hoping that you will be able to listen for yourselves—and if not, that the pieces I do post will pique your interest, and encourage you to take the time to listen. Mainly, I want to facilitate discussion.

I may change the format if another one seems that it would be better, but my plan right now is to provide an outline of the main points and write out other key thoughts and application questions. One unique aspect of blogging now—one or two years after initially hearing the teachings—is that it affords the opportunity to look back at how these teachings have (or haven’t, but should have) had a lasting impact upon the way I think and live.

Main Text
2 Timothy 2:14-26

Some Opening Thoughts
Josh identified three common errors that we, as Christians, tend to make in our attitude toward God’s word.

• Mistake #1: We react, in our decisions, to something besides God’s Word (specifically, what the past generation didn’t do right).
• Mistake #2: We easily cross the line from trying to reach our culture to trying to impress our culture.
• Mistake #3: We totally ignore our culture.
  

A Brief Outline
What does it for us to be a generation approved by God?
1. We must handle the truth faithfully (v. 15)
2. We must live the truth personally (vv. 20-21)
3. We must represent the truth humbly (vv. 24-26)

Other Points

• The greatest temptation of every generation of Christians is to, often in subtle ways, move away from the central message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• We must not only defend the truth from outward attack, but from inward apathy.
• We need to hold to the truth, not because of how it makes us feel, but because it is God’s truth.
• We too often treat truth more as a personal accessory, instead of as a life-defining reality.
• Truth that is divorced from personal practice is hypocrisy.
• If we want to be useful vessels, we must make sure that our lives are defined by truth from God’s Word.
• Truth must always be lived.
• If we represent the truth in pride, people will react to our attitude rather than to the truth itself.
• “It is not humble to be hesitant where God has been clear and plain.” (Mark Dever)
• We need a humble orthodoxy.

Some Application Questions

• Is my love of the truth because it’s God’s truth, and I want to see His truth transform people, or is it about me being right and proving myself right on any given issue?
• Do I treat the Gospel more as play-doh (something to be to be shaped in a cool new way), or a precious diamond (something to protect so that it’s truth can shine out for all to see)?
• Have I grown comfortable with my current level of godliness?
• Who’s approval am I living for?
  

One Thing That Has Stuck With Me
The emphasis on the truth being God’s truth. I like to study theology, and I know that truth is from God. Too often, however, I can be guilty of desiring to learn primarily for the furtherance of my own knowledge.

One Thing I Re-learned By Re-listening
The three mistakes that Josh outlined near the beginning of His message. As he said, it’s so easy to swing toward each of them.

Discussion

• What are one or two things that you learned in listening to this teaching?
• If you were re-listening to it, what are some ways that God has used this teaching in your life over the last two years?
• Also, feel free to give suggestions on the focus and format of these posts.
• Finally, as great as it is to be able to talk about this online, talk about it personally with people you know. Use it as an opportunity to share with each other what God is teaching you, and how He has given (and is giving) you the grace to apply it.

This was Week 1 in the fifteen weeks of reviewing humble orthodoxy, leading up to New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky on May 24-27. Listen to “Rediscovering Humble Orthodoxy” for free.

Next Week: The Story: Understanding the Storyline of the Bible (Mark Dever)

Humble Orthodoxy

New Attitude 2008 is still almost four months away, but I have an idea that will make that time seem much shorter. More importantly, it is also a great way for those of us who will be attending to prepare our hearts for what we will hear. (Not that you have to be attending to benefit. If you won't be there, keep reading, and join in anyway.)

New Attitude is an annual singles conference put on by Sovereign Grace Ministries since 1999. After taking 2005 off, New Attitude (Na) came back in 2006 with the theme of Humble Orthodoxy, "a commitment to believe, live, and represent biblical truth with humility." In 2007, the Humble Orthodoxy emphasis continued, with a focus on discernment. Those two conferences contained 15 main session sermons (from Josh Harris, C.J. Mahaney, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, John Piper, Mark Bullmore, Jeff Purswell, and Eric Simmons) all of which have since been made available for free download. The emphasis on Humble Orthodoxy is back again this year. The focus? The Word of God.

Maybe you've never listended to the Humble Orthodoxy messages. Maybe you heard them at the conference and haven't relistened to them. Maybe, like me, you downloaded them and relistened to them--last summer. Here's my plan.

This week (February 10-16), download and listen to "Rediscovering Humble Orthodoxy," Josh Harris' opening message from Na06. Pull out the old notes. Make new ones. Ask God how you can apply the teaching. Thank Him for ways that He has already enabled you to do so. Listen to the next message in the series each week over the following 14 weeks, and you can finish the week before Na08, ready to head off to Louisville to hear more.

I'm hoping to blog briefly on what I've listened to each week. Feel free to join in the discussion. But even better than joining an online discussion, enjoy Biblical fellowship by talking with people you know about what you're learning.

FREE download of the Na06 main sessions

FREE download of the Na07 main sessions