Thanks to our small but vocal group today! With a John Mark McMillan song and a Tullian Tchividjian clip, this post is bound to have a bit of a deja vu feel. Rest assured, both clips are new!
One of the standout points of the lesson today is that, for the disciples, the resurrection is a call to action. The same is true for us. We talked about Luke 24:47--Jesus reminds the disciples that the Messiah would suffer, the Messiah would rise, and repentance and forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed to all nations. The first two events had happened by the time Jesus spoke the words. The third is in progress. As we set out to make disciples, consider this point from Tullian Tchividjian about the the risk of grace.
Hope everyone had a good Easter and made it back safely. I'm eager to see everyone next Sunday.
I was so glad to see everyone today. Excellent discussion once again. The Gospel Project is great at hitting us with a shotgun blast of exposure to God's Word. However, some topics invite more discussion and depth, and the cross is certainly one of those topics. The cross is overwhelming. The event itself is heartbreaking. As Jacob said in class today: "He was whooped!" We spent a good chunk of discussion today talking about the application of the cross. What does "It is finished" mean?
Tullian Tchividjian, Billy Graham's grandson and pastor of Coral Ridge Church in Florida, is one of my favorite contemporary authors. His book Jesus + Nothing = Everything is about the gospel and it has helped me to clarify my understanding of grace. This short video is a great explanation of the finished work of Christ on the cross (Blogger wouldn't let me embed the video for some reason, so I'm just pasting the link HERE).
I understand that many of you will be traveling for Easter next weekend. I pray for safe travels and good fellowship.
Excellent class discussion today! More people talked today than any day since Breanna and I have been attending Crossroads. Outstanding! Best Shirt Award goes to Paul. As usual.
I stumbled across this fantastic advice from John Piper regarding the miracles of Jesus. I'd attempt to summarize his point, but I fear I wouldn't do it justice. Instead, take 5 minutes and listen to this segment of Ask Pastor John:
This afternoon I skipped around the Synoptic Gospels, comparing the
presentation of the parable of the sower among them. Of course, the
parable is essentially the same in each Gospel. One of the first things I
noticed was the difference in the yield mentioned by Jesus. In Matthew
and Mark, Jesus says that the seeds that fell on good soil yielded
thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. It is interesting that Luke
only mentions the yield of a hundredfold. I read this and wondered in
which tier of yield I would place myself. Have I yielded thirtyfold or
the abundance of a hundredfold? I admit I got hung up on this point.
Then I wondered whether the amount of yield was critical to applying the
parable. Perhaps that's why Luke dispensed with the tiered yield system
in his account. What is the point of the parable? Seed planted on good
soil produces yield. I guess the crucial question is whether I'm good
soil, rocks, or thorns.
As I read Luke's account of
Jesus' explanation of the parable, something jumped off the page. Luke
8:13-- "And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word,
receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe it for a
while, and in time of testing fall away." Have you known people like
that? Were you ever that person yourself? Matthew's version adds some
interesting details (13:21): "... and when tribulation or persecution
arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away." Luke's
account is a bit vague. These people receive with joy, believe for a
brief time, but "in time of testing fall away." Two things stand out in
Matthew's account. The first is the word "immediately." The second thing
I noticed was that the trial mentioned occurs "on account of the word."
This changes the nature of the parable for me. Jesus was talking about
people who face trials because of Him and immediately abandon Him.
Of course, this reminds us of the truth that following Jesus sometimes
means enduring suffering, pain, and sacrifice.
Mark's
account of the parable of the sower closes with the following (4:20):
"Those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word
and accept it and bear fruit..." John MacArthur's comment on this
passage is: "Three Greek present participles mark continuing action.
Believers, in contrast to unbelievers, hear God's word because God
allows them to hear it. They 'accept' it--they understand and obey it
because God opens their mind and heart and transforms their lives." What
an extraordinary blessing it is that God has allowed us to hear it! I
pray that we'll go forth this week with transformed minds and lives.
We've spent the past few weeks discussing the work of OT prophets, so John the Baptist (or "The Baptizer" as our lesson called him) is an absolutely appropriate transitional figure. I find the descriptions of the Baptizer absolutely riveting. Later in the passage we discussed this morning, when giving his testimony, John the Baptist says (John 1: 23): "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." A few verses later he says (verse 34): "And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
The Gospel of Luke reports that as crowds approached him to be baptized, John said (Luke 3:7-9):
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
Might I remind you that people were FLOCKING to this man! How would we respond to someone who spoke to us like that? When was the last time you took one step closer to someone who called you a brood of vipers? Not only were people attracted to this camel's hair and leather belt wearing, locust and wild honey eating, wilderness wandering Baptizer, they sought his counsel. They asked: "What shall we do?" He answered with TRUTH. Luke later notes (verse 18): "So with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people." And what was the Baptizer's reward for his witness? Herod locked him up.
So what about us? Should you point your finger at the brood of vipers in the office down the hall from yours? Probably not. But who needs to hear your testimony? More important, who needs to hear the Good News? Scroll over to Matthew 5:13-16:
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feed. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Let's be salt and light this week.
Why am I always so glad to have to cut my notes short? Because it
means our class was filled with discussion. Thanks again for a great
class.
