Category Archives: Evangelism

Mike’s Mix For January 23, 2015

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Here are some of the many sites I visited this week and the articles I read.  What have you been reading lately?  Share that in the “Leave a Comment” section above.

Dan Doriani serves Covenant Seminary as Professor of Theology. He writes “How Preachers Read the Bible For Themselves” posted on The Gospel Coalition.

Mike Leake posts something similar to my “Mike’s Mix” on his blog Borrowed Light entitled Today in Blogworld.

Facts & Trends addresses some strategies to minister to college age adults in “8 Ways to Keep College Students in Your Church.”

Chad Hall posts “4 Kinds of Fake Faith” on the Transformed blog. A good reminder to evaluate ourselves constantly in light of the Scriptures.

I recently completed a five-part series about the necessity of men praying for their wives as a part of my Transforming Moments spots for radio, so this article by Logan Merrick caught my eye – “Men Do We Really Love Our Wives?”

Enjoy your weekend friends!

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 NASB

*As always, references in my blog do not constitute full and unqualified endorsement of everything you might find on another blog site. Be Bereans folks. Acts 17:11

 

Throw A Matthew Party

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“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.”

Matthew 9:9-10

Most of us enjoy parties. We love the friends, food, and interaction between people who are gathered together at the invitation of their host. Parties are a great American tradition where the stressors of life are momentarily set aside and a healthy dose of laughter, conversation, and encouragement is bountifully supplied.

Did you know Jesus enjoyed parties too? Our focus passage highlights one such event held at Matthew’s house. Apparently after Matthew was called by Jesus to follow Him, the first thing he did as a new disciple of Christ was to throw a party. But this wasn’t just a party with no purpose. Matthew’s party had a clear intention.

Note the invitation list for Matthew’s party consisted entirely of Matthew’s former co-workers and peers who are described simply as “tax collectors and sinners,” as well as Jesus and the few disciples who were following Him at that time.

What we see in this narrative is a heart overflowing with love for Jesus. Matthew’s life had been fundamentally changed by Christ’s love for him and so one of Matthew’s first actions was to extend an invitation to his former colleagues and acquaintances to come and experience the same life change in Christ.

How do I know this was a purposeful strategy of Matthew? By the words Jesus spoke at the party to some who criticized His presence there with sinners. Here is what Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:12-13). Jesus understood clearly what Matthew wanted for his friends.

Friends, the next time you throw a party be sure to invite some of your unbelieving friends along with some friends who are able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a conversational fashion. Be intentional with your guest list. That is how you throw a “Matthew Party.”

Mike’s Mix For Your Weekend Reading

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Studying to grow in your knowledge of the Lord is important.  In the age we live in it is easy to find many more resources than you will have time to read. I want to encourage you to read intentionally in 2015 and to give time to meditate upon what you are reading so that Christ might be magnified in your life and in the lives of all those you have contact with.

This list is a small sampling of what I found interesting and/or thought-provoking this week.

Mike Leake is inviting folks to read through a book about John Newton written by John Piper throughout 2015. Sign up at Borrowed Light.

Steve Brown’s Key Life ministry blog features an article by Justin Holcomb entitled Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work.

Tim Burns continues to provide great biblical content on his blog Preach The Word.

Greg West manages one of the best apologetics blogs aptly called The Poached Egg, a play on CS Lewis’ famous quip concerning the moral character of Jesus Christ in light of His claims to be God. You will be hearing much more about The Poached Egg from me this year as we coordinate our efforts to reach more people and provide them with the tools to make Jesus known in every place God grants us favor.

I pray that your 2015 will be blessed of the Lord friends.  Let’s strive together for the King this year.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
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Christmas – What Are We Celebrating?

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My preparation for this year’s Christmas Eve service took me to the normal places – Luke 1, Luke 2, and Matthew 1. But then I went to some unusual places in relation to our celebration of Christmas – Matthew 20 and 26, and Revelation 19.

We are all familiar with the Gospel accounts written by Matthew and Luke; the birth announcement, the responses of Mary and Joseph, the angelic worship and pronouncement of joy and peace to a needy world.  The Christmas story of the Christ child is a much-needed reminder of God’s love for His creation day by day.

But this is only part of the Gospel story. Yes God sent His Son to bring joy and peace to mankind. But how was that accomplished in the birth of Christ?  The birth of Christ was the announcement of the coming of the King.  But it also announced the commencement of God’s Genesis 3 plan – Jesus was born to be the Redeemer of a fallen mankind. This is where the Church must remember to place the emphasis.

This reminder however, creates a bit of uneasiness in much of the Church today. That uneasiness is the sad fruit of the Church having forgotten its mission.  The Church should not be focused on making sure people can feel the emotional warmth of a good nativity story and nothing more.  As Erwin Lutzer said recently, “Are we really at a place where we think we have won something because Target employees say ‘Merry Christmas’”?

The Gospel story includes Jesus’ testimony that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).  That is the point Jesus made clear in the Upper Room on the night of His betrayal at the hands of Judas.  Read these words again only now through the lens of the Christmas story.  “Drink from it all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you in My Father’s Kingdom” (Matt. 26:27-29).

When we consider Jesus’ view on the purpose of His life we see clearly it always pointed to Calvary and beyond. The beyond He describes as God’s eternal Kingdom. Please note in the Mathew 26 passage above that Christ’s followers will celebrate with Him at another supper.  This brings us to Revelation 19.

What we find in Revelation 19:1-9 is a picture of a celebration in heaven. This is the same celebration Jesus spoke of during the Last Supper.  Note what exactly is being celebrated: (1) Verse 1 – God Himself – “Hallelujah” means praise be to Jehovah. (2) Verse 1 – Salvation – the fact that God has provided and those in attendance have received. (3) Verses 1-3 – God’s glory in His works. Then, (4) Verse 6 – God Himself again as well as God’s reign/rule over His creation. (5) Verse 7 – God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promises. This is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb where all those who place their faith in Christ will be in attendance. Finally, (6) Verses 8-9 – God’s grace and mercy in offering forgiveness of sins through faith in the finished work of Christ.

This passage chronicles the futures of both those who place their faith in Christ and those who do not. In light of this, what should be our response as believers in Christ?  Should we be satisfied with a culture that allows us to place nativity scenes in public places or that permits our children to sing Christmas Carols during school plays? What exactly have we won in those things?

I want to suggest that we focus our attention on other things.  I believe God’s people must get the message right for ourselves first and then we must speak and live this message to our culture.  This will require honesty followed by repentance and confession for having fallen short. Our lives will be fundamentally changed.  For example, since God is worthy of being worshipped and will be for all eternity as Revelation shows us, are you doing that day by day?  Are you striving for godliness in all that you do?  In every relationship, at your place of employment, in your every word and deed are you making God glorious?

Secondly, the saints in Revelation 19 were worshipping God because of His reign and rule in power and might. Is God reigning and ruling in your life with power today?  Is God your sovereign Lord?  Here’s one very simple way to know – do you have peace and are you at peace?  Do you live day by day under the authority of God’s peace and are you actively pursuing peace with His people? Remember the angelic announcement in Luke 2? Note specifically verse 14 – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”  Friends, if you are resting in the sovereignty of God you will be at peace even in the most trying struggles.

Third, note that the saints are offering God praise and are worshipping Him as a means of glorifying Him. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him.” Are you living day by day for the glory of God?  I did not ask if you are doing stuff for God. God is not interested in your stuff nor your activities offered to Him as a cheap substitute for yourself.  King David realized this misguided attempt to please God by confessing, “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17). God has called each of His children to set aside their own kingdom building activities and join in His Kingdom building.  Every choice we make every day is focused either on our own little “k” kingdom or God’s big “K” Kingdom.

Revelation 19:7 gives us a fourth point to consider this Christmas season. As God’s people our rejoicing and gladness is a result of the relationship by faith we have with Christ our Lord.  This relationship requires that we make ourselves ready for this great celebration to come.  Is that our focus? This relationship with Christ should fundamentally change how we view life.  Are we focused on making ourselves and others ready for the day described here? Shouldn’t all our relationships be cultivated with the love of Christ in mind?

Finally, this passage offers us a beautiful picture of God’s grace and mercy. Note verse 8 – “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean.”  The “her” friends is the Church, you and I, the saints of Christ. God extends His grace to us and having received His forgiveness we are transformed from the inside out by receiving a new heart capable of loving God and people.  This transformation occurs in several contexts.  Positionally we are transformed from enemies of God to children of God and joint heirs with Christ.  In life through our experiences we grow in holiness.  This is the process often called experiential sanctification. This means day by day we are being made ready or being prepared for the events we read about in Revelation 19.

This is a picture of the meaning and purpose of Christmas. Christ born to be the Redeemer of fallen mankind.  His work of redemption in this world is not limited to a manger in Bethlehem but instead comes through Calvary’s cross and an empty tomb.

The Christmas season is a critical time to understand afresh your calling as God’s children as well as the mission He has called you to.  Will you shoulder the mantle of Christlikeness to a world desperately needing to see Him?  Will you humbly submit yourself to the One who redeemed you with His very life? Will you lay hold of the things that have eternal importance today?

We sang this third stanza of Robert Robinson’s classic hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing yesterday.  I offer it here as a fitting benediction and for your meditation as a reminder of the things we celebrate every day not just during the Christmas season.  God bless you today as you seek Him.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

 

Be Careful How You Walk

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Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise. Ephesians 5:15

It seems that many within the Christian community today have thrown away any pretense of caution, opting to rush headlong into cultural engagement through “coolness.”  Those that have taken this approach are known as “hipster” Christians, as well as by a few other names.  Regardless of what name they go by, these believers have jettisoned the old forms of Christian engagement and Gospel proclamation for a completely different, sometimes hard to identify cultural engagement.

By it’s very nature hipster Christianity is more about the individual than the body of Christ corporately; more about paying close attention to social trends and fashion than it is about emerging debates about morality and challenges to orthodoxy; more about pushing whatever envelope is perceived as a restraint to personal expression, instead of understanding why the forms Christianity takes today are there.  In short, hipster Christianity is about creating an individual faith free from the constraints of corporate identity.

On the surface it seems that the old Christian adage “in the world but not of the world” has been permanently shelved in favor of a “in the world and enjoying everything it has to offer” mentality. Hipsters have decided that being immersed in the culture is the only way to be relevant. I don’t think this is a wise approach and it cannot be argued as a valid approach biblically in my opinion.

Christians who are tattooed, sport Duck Dynasty beards, wear earrings, have their bodies pierced or sculpted, and sport the latest clothing fashions and electronic technology might appear relevant to their peers but what follows from that? How does that provide an inroad to sharing the Gospel?

The bottom line friends, is that the culture needs redeemed not emulated.  Dipping your toe into the cesspool of culture attempting to smell like them in order to fit in is a misguided strategy. The Apostle Paul was invited to speak to the Athenians and heard on subsequent occasions not because he tried to be relevant to them but because he rocked their world with talk of a dead man being resurrected.

One thing is sure, hanging out at the local pub and knocking down a few beers with unbelievers may give you a sense of belonging but don’t kid yourself. You are not called to be cool or relevant to the lost. You are called to live Christ in front of them and to tell them of the only way to salvation – faith in the One who died to forgive their sins. So be careful to walk in a manner worthy of your high calling in Christ.

Grasping that is a transforming truth.