Reformation Day
There’s more to today than Halloween. Exactly 489 years ago today, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses in Germany–effectively launching the Great Reformation. Praise God for the gospel recovering, church reforming wild fire that was kindled through Luther’s 95 theses. If you’ve never read the 95 theses, today would be a great day to do so. Check out all 95 points of contention right here.
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Here’s my sermon from Sunday on Philippians 1:18b-26, Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Halloween 2006
Tomorrow is Halloween. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to Halloween because I think Halloween is one of the best nights of the year for loving your neighbors and finding creative ways to share the gospel. Just think, is there any other night of the year where your neighborhood comes alive with everyone walking the streets, saying “h”i to each other, and knocking on each other’s doors?
Halloween is a great holiday to redeem for the cause of Christ. This Tuesday night I’d encourage you to enter into conversation with and love your neighbors as you walk the neighborhood with your kids or as you receive the people that come to your door (I hope your house isn’t “the” dark house where it’s obvious that people are home, but that trick or treaters aren’t wanted. As a little boy I grew scared of those dark homes and those neighbors. Those people made it clear that they didn’t want to get to know and love the neighborhood).
P.G.T.Y.
Last night at 20s a good buddy of mine, Todd Lubiens, taught us. Todd taught about the gospel and the security we have in Christ from the accusations of Satan. My favorite part of Todd’s talk was where he mocked W.W.J.D. bracelets and urged us to instead make our own P.G.T.Y. bracelets:
P-reach (the)
G-ospel
T-o
Y-ourself
Amen! Before we try and live like Jesus (WWJD), let’s first be about the business of reminding ourselves of the life Jesus lived for us and the death he died for us. Before we talk about being like Christ, let’s first talk about the provision of Christ. Before we ask questions like, “What would Jesus do?”, let’s first be sure to PGTY.
It’s Friday. Quit reading this blog and take a minute to Preach the Gospel To Yourself. Remind yourself of the best news in the world, the news that you need to hear every single day of your Christian life: You’re a far worse sinner than you ever imagined, yet Jesus is a far greater Savior than you could ever conceive.
Good Writing Equals Re-writing
Somebody smart once said, “good writing equals re-writing.” When it comes to writing sermons I’m finding that I must do some bad writing very early in the week so that I have some good writing to bring into the pulpit on Sunday.
Right now I’m trying to learn to write in two stages, trying to learn to not be such a paralyzed perfectionist who only precedes to sentence number two once sentence number one is perfectly polished. That’s an inefficient way to write. I guess the Junior High English teacher was right when she required a rough draft and a final draft. Good writing equals re-writing.
Cru Buzzard?
My wife and I are strongly considering naming our son “Crusoe” (we’d have him go by “Cru”). Cru Buzzard, what a name!
I’d love to name my son after the fictional character, Robinson Crusoe–a man who embarked upon great adventures, came to love Jesus through experiencing physical and spiritual shipwreck, evangelized cannibals as well as put them in a head lock when he needed to, and who told all about it in a great story. What are your thoughts? Do you like the name? If you like the name I’ll be encouraged. If you don’t like the name I’ll probably just decide that I don’t like your name.
This is also a great time for me to recomment that you read Robinson Crusoe. The true adventure of this adventure tale is how, over time, Crusoe comes to see his sin and his need for a Savior through reflection on his circumstances and the reading of his Bible. This is my favorite story. Get it and read it. Make sure you buy the full, unabridged version of the book (this will be about 500ish pages).
Telling Your Story
What do Robinson Crusoe, the apostle Paul, and your life story have to do with each other? Find out in my sermon from yesterday on Philippians 1:12-18, Telling Your Story.
What Does Prayer Do?
What does prayer do? If you’re curious about this question, listen to the apostle Paul’s answer in my sermon from last Sunday.
The Big Picture Story Bible
Yesterday morning I read through The Big Picture Story Bible in its entirety in place of my normal morning Bible reading. Reading the whole book through (which can be done, quickly, in about 35-40 minutes) yielded the same results as my previous skim reading of the book: this is an excellent book. Again, I say, this is the ideal book for youngsters (and some adults too!) to read for gaining the big idea/story line of the entire Bible. The wording is excellent. The illustrations are excellent. The way the author summarizes the broad sweep of the Bible into 450 pages was also, excellent. There were, however, a couple of things I would’ve liked to have seen done differently in the book. Here they are:
- -There ought to have been a page or two devoted to Abraham’s almost sacrifice of Isaac. This event would’ve certainly helped fill out the motif of sacrificed & substitution that runs through the book.
- -It would’ve also been helpful had the book included mention of the Tabernacle.
- -Though it is implicitly mentioned, the book ought to have made explicit mention and explanation of Jesus’ virgin birth.
- -I think the crucifixion of Jesus was dealt with too quickly. Since at the crucifixion we are reaching the climax of God’s story, the book ought to have slowed down at the cross, made mention of how Jesus was beaten before he hung on the cross, and then given a full view, not a half view, illustration of our Messiah on the cross.
There. Those are all my complaints. All of these can be adequately filled in when I read this book to my son. I’ll take time to fill in gaps and to really slow down and speak with him about the cross.
I especially liked the last 40 or so pages of the book. The end of the book does a great job reflecting back on the beginning and middle of God’s Big Story and showing how Jesus is King, having taken on the long foretold roles of serpent crusher, sacrificial substitute, King, etc.
So, I would encourage you to start making babies (get married first) and to start reading this book to your babies.
Best Books
In response to CT’s top 50 books of the last 50 years, Justin T. has collected some reflections by other pastors and scholars as to what evangelical books they think have been most influential and what books ought to have been most influential over the last 50 years. I found Sam Storms’ two-part list to be the most interesting. Had he put Stott’s The Cross of Christ on the list, I’d be in close to full agreement with him. Here’s Storms’ list:
The Top Fifteen Most Influential Books of the Last 50 Years
(although most of them shouldn’t have been)
(1) The Late, Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey. The influence of
Lindsey’s book on mainstream evangelicals and charismatics is
incalculable. Sadly, many who read it simply assumed there is no other
credible way of understanding biblical eschatology.
(2) Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. This is a no-brainer. Lewis
has been read widely both within and outside of evangelical circles.
(3) The Left Behind series, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. We must
include all the books in this unfortunate series of novels. Would that
people might read them as fiction rather than non-fiction!
(4) Dare to Discipline (perhaps all books) by James Dobson. The
pervasive influence of Dobson on the family, parenting, and the
engagement of Christians in the social and moral debates of the last
thirty years would be hard to exaggerate.
(5) The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I still haven’t read it
(and don’t plan to; although I probably should). It has to be included,
though, as it is the best-selling hardback of all time!
(6) Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. Foster’s
restoration of the disciplines to their rightful place as normal
Christian living has shaped how many pursue their life in God.
(7) God of the Possible by Gregory Boyd. How tragic that a book that
denigrates the greatness and sovereignty of our majestic God could
exert such widespread influence on how countless laypeople now think of
him.
(8) Inside Out by Larry Crabb. Like Dobson, Crabb’s many books
should probably be included under this one heading. Larry brought
biblical and theological integrity to the insights of psychology in a
way that changed many (myself included). I could have easily listed
Larry’s book(s) below in the list of those that should have been
influential. It’s important to know, of course, that Larry’s thinking
about the role of psychology has changed in the past decade as he now
recognizes the primacy of the church (and less so the professional
counselor) in the healing and restoration of the human heart.
(9) Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge. I’m thankful for what is good
and profitable in this book and for the beneficial effects it has
wrought in the lives of countless men. But I’m not convinced that
Eldredge’s view of masculinity is sufficiently biblical or that it
fairly encompasses those who differ with him on critical points (see my
review of his book at www.SamStorms.com).
(10) This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti. Although intentionally
fictional in nature, this page-turner shaped how many evangelicals and
even more charismatics think about spiritual warfare.
(11) A New Kind of Christian (Jossey-Bass) by Brian McLaren. It’s
hard to deny the influence of this book (as regrettable as that
influence may be). If I were to make a list ten years from now I wonder
if McLaren would appear on it. It all depends on whether the
“conversation” is a permanent star in the universe of faith or merely a
passing meteorite.
(12) They Speak with Other Tongues by John Sherrill. This was
perhaps the most widely read and influential book in the early years of
the charismatic renewal.
(13) The Ryrie Study Bible by Charles Ryrie. This study bible
probably did as much to promote dispensationalism as did its more
famous predecessor (The Scofield Reference Bible).
(14) The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. Few non-charismatics will have
read this book (and that’s o.k.), but its impact on the Pentecostal,
charismatic, and third-wave world has been incalculable.
(15) The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. I listed Wilkinson’s
book last, given that its influence was due less to its content and
more to the way that its commercial success revolutionized the
Christian publishing industry.
[Close, but no cigar, would be Disappointment with God by Philip
Yancey and Power Evangelism by John Wimber and Kevin Springer.]
The Top Fifteen Books of the Last 50 Years
(that should have been most influential but sadly, in many cases, were not)
(1) Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Multnomah
Press), by John Piper. This is the most important and life-changing
book I’ve read in the past thirty-five years. The gospel of Christian
Hedonism warrants a global hearing.
(2) Knowing God (IVP) by J. I. Packer. I’ve heard Packer say no one
is more surprised by the influence of this book than Packer himself.
Virtually everyone I know has read it and testifies to its glorious
portrait of the grandeur of God.
(3) Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem (Zondervan). Grudem’s
theology is must reading. Not just for scholars, this wonderful book is
being used in Sunday School classes, small groups, and bible studies of
every sort.
(4) The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God
(Multnomah Press), by John Piper. Runs a close second to Desiring God
in the Piper corpus of writings.
(5) The Presence of the Future (Zondervan), by George Ladd. This
excellent treatment of the kingdom of God marked the end of
dispensationalism in my theology.
(6) Jesus and the Victory of God, by N. T. Wright (Fortress Press).
I don’t agree with everything Wright writes, especially his doctrine of
justification. But this is a marvelous and ground-breaking achievement
in dealing with the ministry of Jesus, the kingdom of God, and the
proper understanding of the relationship between Israel and the Church.
(7) The Holiness of God (Tyndale), by R. C. Sproul. This excellent
book restored in many of us a reverence for the transcendent otherness
of God and how it impacts our daily relationship with him.
(8) God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism (Crossway)
by Bruce Ware. Would that all might read this superb refutation of Open
Theism. Bruce has done a marvelous job of demonstrating both biblically
and theologically the exhaustive divine foreknowledge of God.
(9) The Doctrine of God: A Theology of Lordship, by John Frame
(Presbyterian & Reformed Publishers). Although this should exert
mind-shaping influence on the Christian world, few are inclined to
apply the necessary mental energy required to profit from this
wonderful book.
(10) Surprised by the Power of the Spirit (Zondervan), by Jack
Deere. Although not all will agree with this selection, I remain
convinced that Deere’s careful and biblical refutation of cessationism
is the best available on the subject. Highly recommended.
(11) Let the Nations be Glad! by John Piper (Baker Books). The best book on missions I’ve ever read.
(12) Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, edited by John Piper
and Wayne Grudem (Crossway). This was one of the first, and certainly
the most influential, of books explaining and defending biblical
complementarianism.
(13) The Gospel According to Jesus (Zondervan), by John MacArthur. A
ground-breaking defense of the Lordship of Christ and a thorough-going
refutation of antinomianism.
(14) Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy
(Basic Books), and Integrity (Basic Books) by Stephen Carter. These are
great books, especially Civility. In a day of selfish disregard for the
rights and dignity of others, Carter brings both a rebuke and a
refreshing word of instruction.
(15) Jonathan Edwards: A Life, by George Marsden (Yale University Press). I had to include something about Edwards!
