Blessed by a Well Known Brother

Because I don’t want to steal anybody’s reward, I’m not going to name the brother who blessed me. But I am going to tell this story and show you what he gave me, so his identity might not be hard to figure out. Actually, it’ll probably be obvious. 

I got to sit down with Justin Taylor at ETS, and as we were making our way to a table to visit, we happened upon a well known pastor who has joined Together for the Gospel with some other well known people. As Justin introduced us, he mentioned that I had played baseball in college, which met with an enthusiastic reception. Many, many people, including myself, have been blessed by this brother’s ministry, but he went out of his way to thank me for the things I’ve written. 

Then I received a note in the mail today, accompanied by these two CD’s:

 

 

and these three books:

 

 

I hear that this brother is well known for this kind of generosity—what a reputation! And I want to publicly praise God for him and his remarkable humility and concern for those under him in the Lord. May his tribe increase, may we all be so generous and humble, and may all the glory go to God. 

These CD’s are spectacular, and I heartily commend them to you. The Cross Centered Life is one we should all pursue. Who doesn’t need Humility? And God will be honored as we strive to make our marriages a picture of the Gospel, a gladsome part of which is Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God. You will not regret buying and reading these books.

God’s Sovereign Providence

The Sunday before last Travis Cardwell preached a robust sermon on providence at Redeemer. You can download it here.

If you’re interested in knowing God and understanding the way that he preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions, this sermon will repay being listened to over and over.

New Website for Redeemer!

Thanks to the efforts of my friend Chris Caldwell, Baptist Church of the Redeemer now has a new website. Check it out.

The Reverend Doctor Denny Burk would say something really cool here, like, “Shout out to my homie, Chris!” but I’ll just say “Well done, brother, and hearty thanks!”

The Church Militant and Her Warfare

ETS last week was a great experience. It was good to fellowship with old friends, spend more time with some new ones, and enjoy some stimulating presentations.

I presented a paper called “The Church Militant and Her Warfare: We Are Not Another Interest Group.” The gist is that the church is God’s tool for transforming culture, but in order to be used of God to “rule over the earth and subdue it,” i.e., carry out the great commission by proclaiming the Lordship of Christ to all nations, we must understand the nature of the new birth and we must practice church discipline.

I am more and more convinced that the folks at 9Marks are correct that the church is God’s program for evangelism and discipleship, and I agree with Russ Moore that the church is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God in our day.  Here’s the paper if you’re interested: The Church Militant and Her Warfare: We Are Not Another Interest Group.

Five Marks of a Healthy Church

As I traveled last week I listened to a sermon preached by my friend and fellow elder, Travis Cardwell, called “Five Marks of a Healthy Church.” I was heartily encouraged by it and commend it to you. Enjoy!

God’s Presence Produces Humble Obedience

The week after I preached on 1 Samuel 17, it was my joy to preach 1 Samuel 18. You can listen here.

David Killed Goliath

A few weeks ago I had the great privilege of preaching 1 Samuel 17. You can listen here.

9News on Biblical Theology

The latest edition of 9News is out, also available in PDF here.

Here is the table of contents:

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

Where Is Your Story Written?
Conventional wisdom decries all grand stories of life and history. But Scripture presents the ultimate story of God’s work in creation and new creation. Michael Lawrence introduces his series in biblical theology with five short articles on this grand story which encompasses everything, even you.
-Everyone Loves a Story (Part 1)
-The Story of Creation (Part 2)
-The Themes of Creation (Part 3)
-The Problem of Creation (Part 4)
-The Destiny of Creation (Part 5)
By Michael Lawrence

Preaching and Biblical Theology 101 (PBT-101)
Feeling uncertain on why and how biblical theology should inform your preaching? Take Professor Schreiner’s 3-part class on the topic. If you’re just looking for tools for your toolbox, jump straight to part 3. Quizzes held every Sunday.

-Diagnosis—The Problem with Much Preaching Today (Part 1)
-Discovery—What is Biblical Theology (Part 2)
-Direction—How To Do Biblical Theology When Preaching (Part 3)
By Thomas Schreiner

The Glory of God in Salvation Through Judgment
At the heart of biblical theology is the glory of God in salvation through judgment, says Hamilton. Okay, we said to him, that sounds good. But what does that mean for the pastor when he goes to work on Monday?
By James M. Hamilton Jr.

A 9News Forum
We asked a roundtable of pastors and theologians one question:

“In what ways will a congregation’s understanding of salvation and the gospel be limited if their pastors do not have a good grasp of biblical theology?”

Answers by Andrew Davis, Graeme Goldsworthy, Phil Johnson, Aaron Menikoff, Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., and Stephen Wellum. A special, extended response from Bruce Waltke

Biblical and Systematic Confusion Yields Gospel Delusions
Does the gospel = “the proclamation of God’s kingdom” or “penal substitution”? Distinguishing our biblical from our systematic theology helps us answer that question.
By Jonathan Leeman

Recommend Books on Biblical Theology for Church Members
9News has compiled a list of books Capitol Hill Baptist Church recommends to its members and visitors on the topic of biblical theology.

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CONVERSION

One of the Dirtiest Words Today: C——–n
Say the word “conversion” in public today and call condemnation upon your head. But is it biblical? Is it helpful for believers and unbelievers?
By Brad Wheeler

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WHERE THE MEN ARE MEN

Book Review:
Why Men Hate Going to Church
by David Murrow
Reviewed by Jamie Dunlop

Book Review:
Why Do Men Not Go to Church?
by Cortland Myers
Reviewed by Ken Barbic

Book Review:
Manly Dominion: In a Passive-Purple-Four-Ball World
by Mark Chanski
Reviewed by Owen Strachan

Now Thank We All Our God

Once upon a time there was a gifted young scholar whose star was rising in the academic world. The young man had gone to premier schools, and he had even traveled to Germany to pursue a doctorate in the fatherland. He studied with the finest scholars, and his work was of the finest quality. His dissertation was published in a prestigious academic series. He landed a teaching job. He began to churn out scholarly books and articles.

And then something happened. That young scholar became more and more convinced that teaching the truths he was trading in was not enough. Such things had to be proclaimed, heralded, exposited. He had to preach.

So the rising young evangelical scholar who had written his dissertation in the field of New Testament, specializing in Jesus studies, left the lectern for the pulpit. He took his precise, academic training and sought to apply it to non-academic Christians.

For nearly thirty years his soul was refined by the Bible, the afflictions of life, the pains of the pastorate. For nearly thirty years he labored for language that would convince the mind and compel the heart. For nearly thirty years he preached and prayed, read and wrote, wept and rejoiced as a shepherd of the flock of God, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed him an overseer.

For nearly thirty years academic scholarship on Jesus continued to be produced. Learned and precise it was, but not always connected to the reality about Jesus. Quagmired in discussions of which Gospel was written first, which saying of Jesus was authentic, how and whether the Gospels can be shown to be historically reliable, and how Jesus really subverts or supports some modern political agenda, academic scholarship on Jesus often seems to miss the Messiah altogether. For nearly thirty years non-academic writing about Jesus continued as well, and in most cases it wasn’t any better. These non-academic books were intended to be devotional, but often they were painfully ignorant of historical realities, resulting in a distorted, modern, sentimental, not very Jewish and not very helpful portrait of Jesus.

The brilliant young scholar is now an aged pastor, and in him are conjoined the sensibilities of the historian and the wisdom of one who has been with the sheep. John Piper has given us a book on Jesus.

I urge you to buy and read What Jesus Demands from the World.

Prayer of the Month: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

ESV 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.