Displaying posts from 02/2012

In the most recent Men’s Leadership Class we had, we read John MacArthur’s book, Why One Way?  Overall, I think everyone in the class received this little book with warmth.  In 74 pages he shows the differences between the inclusive view of postmodernism and the exclusive view of the Bible.  Namely, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (see John 14:6). 

Weaving history and culture together, MacArthur shows the spirituality of evangelicalism from the 20 century into the dawn of our century.  The present problem in our culture begins with the ignorance of an absolute reality.  This gives birth to skepticism.  Skepticism amounts to tolerance.  Tolerance erupts into self-autonomy.  Self-autonomy breeds narcissism.  Narcissism turns into anarchy.  Anarchy leads to destruction. 

He makes a plea to all ambassadors of Christ to beware of becoming like the world.  The gospel is at stake and so are our lives.  Although MacArthur has produced a biblical, passionate, and instructive case for guarding the gospel and presenting the current spiritual climate of the culture, I wish he would have written more on how we can engage the culture without becoming like the culture and without compromising the gospel. 

You can read this book in one sitting if you have an hour to spare.  Or, with seven chapters, you can read this in a whole week.  Overall, this book is worth your time and worth musing over for the glory of God and the spread of the gospel in the world.     

Even though life is full of uncertainty and risk, we are being called to bold action, not dormancy. We must trust the Creator and live according to His mandate.

3 Bits of Advice to Live our Life with Boldness

1. Pursue this risky life by doing good. (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6)
   • Take risks by doing good, even if you don't know what will happen (Ecclesiastes 11:1). The good may come back to you!
   • Be bold in giving, invest in other people. (Ecclesiastes 11:2)
   • Don't spend time thinking about things you cannot change (Ecclesiastes 11:3) A full cloud is going to rain, regardless of what you do.
   • Don't spend time thinking about things that don't matter. (Ecclesiastes 11:3) It really doesn't matter which way a tree falls in the forest.
   • Stop waiting for the ideal situation to do something, which may never happen. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
   • Don't spend your time figuring out every detail, things only known to God; spend time trusting in God. (Ecclesiastes 11:5)
   • Be bold in diligence and responsibility in the midst of risk. (Ecclesiastes 11:6) Morning and evening here probably refer to the youth and old age of your life. When you get older, don't stop living boldly and say "let the young people do it." Make a mark in the world for Christ before death takes you.
2. Pursue this risky life with joy. Enjoy your life! (Ecclesiastes 11:7-10)
   • Rejoice in all your years. (Ecclesiastes 11:8) The term "let him" is very telling. Its a word that is used when you give permission for someone to do something. We are being invited to rejoice here, regardless of circumstances. Stop waiting for external things to happen that you think will bring your happiness. Be joyful now! This is not a naive joy, nor a disillusioned joy, but one that remembers the "days of darkness," but doesn't let them rob joy.
   • Real joy has boundaries and accountability. (Ecclesiastes 11:9) You can follow your desires and impulses, BUT remember that God will bring to judgement what you do. This puts boundaries on what you do. True joy can only be obtained within Godly boundaries.
   • Real joy is obtained within an honest and responsible life. (Ecclesiastes 11:10) Put away from you a rebellious spirit, a spirit of frustration or complaining or bitterness, evil that could affect the body (e.g. drugs, working too hard, too idle, dangerous thrill-seeking, sexual immorality).
3. Pursue this risky life mindful of your Creator. (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8)
   • Remember your Creator while you're young, before you lose your delight of life in old age (Ecclesiates 12:1). There will come a time where one will not be able to banish misery and unhappiness from one's body. Don't wait until then to serve God. First, you might not get old. Second, you're deceived if you think you can truly enjoy life without God, anyways!

For those interested in what we believe about eschatology (end times), this is long-awaited news!

Thanks to Mike and Leslie, who did the hard and time-consuming work of transferring old sermon tapes to mp3, many past sermons from Daniel (and some related scriptures in Revelation, Ezekiel, and Malachi) that Pastor Babij once preached can now be found online in our Sermon Archive!

Here is a full list of sermons we've just added to the archive. Enjoy!

1. 2002-11-03 - Daniel, Selected - Introduction to Daniel Part 1 - What is a Prophet.mp3
2. 2002-11-10-  Daniel, Selected - Intorduction to Daniel Part 2 - Historical Framework in Which Prophets Speak.mp3
3. 2002-11-17 - Daniel 1:1-4 - Historical Background of Daniel.mp3
4. 2002-12-01 - Ezekiel, Selected - A Contemporary of Daniel, Ezekiel, A Message for People in the Pits.mp3
5. 2002-12-08 - Malachi, Selected - The Prophet Malachi, The Crisis or Regularity Without Examination.mp3
6. 2002-12-15 - Daniel, Selected - Daniel' A Bird's Eye View.mp3
7. 2002-12-22 - Daniel 1:1-21 - Daniel A Man Made by God Part 1.mp3
8. 2003-01-05 - Daniel 2:1-23 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream The God of Dreams and Destinies Part 1.mp3
9. 2003-01-12 - Daniel 2:1-23 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream The God of Dreams and Destinies Part 2.mp3
10. 2003-01-19 - Daniel 3:1-30 - True Faith and the Miricle of Rescue.mp3
11. 2003-01-26 - Daniel 4:1-37 -  Who's in Charge, Learning the Hard Way.mp3
12. 2003-02-02 - Daniel 5:1-31 - Numbered, Weighed, and Rejected.mp3
13. 2003-02-09 - Daniel 6:1-20 - The Lion's Den.mp3
14. 2003-02-23 - Daniel 2,7 - An Orthopedic Podiatric Problem.mp3
15. 2003-03-02 - Daniel 7 - The Beasts and The Son of Man Part 1.mp3
16. 2003-03-16 - Daniel 7 - The Beasts and The Son of Man Part 2.mp3
17. 2003-03-23 - Daniel 8:1-27 - The Vision of the Ram, the Goat, and the Small Horn.mp3
18. 2003-03-30 - Daniel 9:1-19 - Daniel's Prayer and God's Divine Program Part 1.mp3
19. 2003-04-06 - Daniel 9:4b-14 - Daniel's Prayer and God's Divine Program Part 2.mp3
20. 2003-04-13 - Daniel 9:15-19 - Daniel's Prayer and God's Divine Program Part 3.mp3
21. 2003-04-27 - Daniel 9:20-27 - Daniel's Prayer and God's Divine Program Part 4.mp3
22. 2003-05-04 - Daniel 9:24-27 - Daniel's Prayer and God's Divine Program Part 5.mp3
23. 2003-05-18 - Daniel 9:24-27 - Daniel's Prayer and God's Divine Program Part 6.mp3
24. 2003-05-25 - Daniel 10:1-21 - Daniel's Final Encounter.mp3
25. 2003-06-03 - Daniel 11:1-20 - Daniel's Final Vision Key Historical Events Leading Up to the End Part 1.mp3
26. 2003-06-29 - Daniel 11:21-35 - Daniel's Final Vision Key Historical Events Leading Up to the End Part 2.mp3
27. 2003-09-07 - Daniel 11:1-20 - Daniel's Final Vision Key Historical Events Leading Up to the End Part 3.mp3
28. 2003-09-14 - Daniel 11:38-45 - Daniel's Final Vision - The Last Future Evil Dictator.mp3
29. 2003-11-02 - Daniel 12:1-3 - Daniel's Final Vision - Final Victory and Reward.mp3
30. 2003-11-09 - Daniel 12:4 - Daniel's Final Instructions Part 1.mp3
31. 2003-11-16 - Daniel 12:5-7 - Daniel's Final Instructions Part 2 - Concerning the Times.mp3
32. 2003-11-30 - Daniel 12:8-13 - Instructions Concerning the End.mp3
33. 2003-12-07 - Revelation 1 - Introduction.mp3
34. 2004-03-14 - Revelation 14:1-20 - The Glory of the Saints and The Judgement of Sinners Part 1.mp3

You will be miserable if you don’t resolve to enjoy your life.  This is not just another flashing statement you will see on a billboard on the highway, selling you another getaway to the Caribbean.  Enjoying your life is the very prescription of the Bible.  Ecclesiastes 9:7-8a says, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do […] Enjoy life […].” 

All of life is vanity and a striving after the wind without God.  Since the fate of everyone—whether righteous or wicked, is to die, enjoy your life with every pulse and every breath.  Be grateful.  You have been given a role to play for a short time under the sun.  Your life narrative is part of God’s grand story of redemption.  We, of all people have been given hope: “He who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4). 

We have hope because a Lamb has been slain in our place.  Jesus was cursed so that we might enjoy our life in Him.  In Adam, we pass from life into death; in Christ we pass from death into life (see John 5:24).  As the dead have no hope, Jesus breathed His last for us as a slaughtered lamb.  But, in three days time, Jesus roared victoriously over death for us as the Lion of Judah (see Revelation 5:5).  The Lion is not dead and all who hope in Him will never die.  Death is not the end of the story.  In Christ, there is life after death.  For this, be grateful.  Now, enjoy your ice cream.

Nate Wilson says,

“Paper and ink are not important.  Wealth is unimportant next to souls.  So are legs and fingers, all five senses.  So is life.  But gratitude is all-important.  Everything is a gift.  Every smell, every second, every ice cream dollar.  Gratitude for the whole story, from beginning to end, gratitude for the valleys and the shadows that lead us to the novel's final page.  Take a step and thank God, for He holds you in His hand.  Never ask to be put down.  Never struggle for separation or for worth apart from His gifts.  Breathe, taste His world, His words, and marvel that you are here to feel the blowing swirl of life.  To be blown by it.  Enjoy your ice cream […]

“We can hold out our fingers and watch how the sun glows on our decay.  We can feel the wind coming, our stems shivering and then severing.  We can clutch, or we can float and tumble and wait to be raked and gathered.  Let the children play on us, let them roll and jump, and we can cling to their hair, old and dying.  They will put us in the ground” (181, 182).

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

4 Things that Give Structure to the Meaning of Life:

1. Everyone is under the supervision of God (Ecclesiastes 9:1)
   • From a human perspective, it seems as if the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. But in reality, there is only one fate for both, and both are under God's sovereignty.
   • God is sovereign and man cannot figure out God's sovereign will (Job 12:10)
   • The treatment that the righteous will receive in this life is unknown. Mankind can only deal with circumstances, the lot he has been given (Ecclesiastes 9:1)
   • There is no built in guarantee of worldly success/blessing for the righteous person (Ecclesiastes 9:1).
   • This is okay. We don't have to have all our questions answered, because we know and trust that God is good.
2. Everyone will meet the same end (Ecclesiastes 9:2)
   • Everyone, whether good or evil, will die.
   • This is evil! (Ecclesiastes 9:3). The fact that all will meet the same end, regardless of whether they are righteous or wicked, is an evil, and not the end of the story.
   • Why do people die? Because of sin. Death is a judgement for sin.
   • The gospel of Jesus Christ, who has the authority to give eternal life, rescues us from this evil conclusion.
3. Everyone is thorougly sinful and off their rocker! (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
   • Everyone's heart is full of evil and insanity. Somehow, evil, sin, and insanity are all related.
   • People fill their lives with insignificant passions instead of doing their hardest to deal with their real problem, sin and death. This is insane!
   • Our world is filled with political, judicial, moral, relational, intellectual, fiscal insanity. This insanity comes from the sin in our hearts, and we deal with it every day of our lives.
   • Our insanity starts with our rebellion against God.
   • Mankind has a moral wildness about him that reveals the sting of death.
   • Only in Christ, we regain our sanity, and we can see things as they really are (the reality of death, sin, eternal life, etc.
4. Everyone who knows Christ can and should enjoy life while there are here.
   • But, when there is life, there is still hope. Life is still worth living (Ecclesiastes 9:4). Why? Because the living know they are alive, but the dead don't know anything (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Also, the living still have a share of the good things that are under the sun.
   • Because the living have hope, they can extrapolate to enjoy your life. Live your life with contentment (Ecclesiastes 9:7). Enjoy the gifts that God has bestowed upon you! If you are blind to not see the gifts, then open your eyes!
   • Indeed, God has already approved our works, because of Christ (Ecclesiastes 9:7). This gives us the wherewithall to enjoy life without worry.
   • Live a pure and a Godly life, a loyal life to God (Ecclesiastes 9:8). White symbolizes purity, oil symbolizes blessing.
   • Enjoy your life with your spouse! (Ecclesiastes 9:9) Do you do this? Or do you let all kinds of sin, family, outside relationships chip away at your relationship with your spouse? You only have a short period of time here. Don't let anyone rob your joy.
   • Live your life with Gusto! (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Live life in light of the end.

One of the ways in which we know we are insecure in our standing with God is in the way we evaluate ourselves.  Image is everything in our culture.  From time to time, we stress over what others may think of us in what we wear, how we look, how we talk, what we have achieved, or who we appear to be before others.  Interestingly, image even has its own flavor in the local church.  We like for others to see us as good Christian parents, faithful evangelists, biblically knowledgeable, prayerful people, or even as good worship leaders, pastors, or Sunday school teachers. 

We need another criteria to evaluate ourselves; we need a gospel criteria.  What God thinks of us is far more significant than what we or others think of ourselves.  The truth is, regardless of how sinfully bad your week might have been, God’s love for you hasn’t changed.  The same would be true even if you had a good week without habitual sin; God’s love for you has not diminished. 

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, a profound declaration was pronounced over Him by His Father, confirming His Person and Work.  In Matthew 3:17, the Father declared: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”  Now, if you are in Christ, regardless of how good or how bad your week was, you are His beloved son/daughter; with you He is well-pleased.

That is the gospel criteria.  Soak yourself up in this declaration.  Cherish your irreversible acceptance from your heavenly Father.  Don’t let Satan, your flesh, anyone, or even the outcome of your week to rob you of the joy and peace that comes to you in believing the gospel. 

A while ago, during our worship gathering, I shared most of these similar points through the following words by J.D. Greear:           

“Right now, if you are in Christ, when God looks at you—regardless of your situation—He sees the righteousness of Christ.  If we really believed that—not only with our heads but also with our hearts—it would change everything in our lives […] Christ’s obedience is so spectacular there is nothing we could do to add to it; His death so final that nothing could take away from it […]

“Satan’s primary temptation strategy is to try and make us forget what God has said about us and to evaluate our standing before God by some other criteria […] When Satan take sour eyes off of the declaration spoken over us in the gospel, we lose the security and satisfaction we have in the loving approval of our heavenly Father […]

“Satan beats us down with our failures.  Jesus calls us up into our identity.  Jesus starts with the perfect state He has purchased for us by His death and uses the power of His resurrection to bring us into conformity with it […] We must tell ourselves, daily, that there is nothing we could do that would make God love us more and nothing we have done makes Him love us less, and His love is perfectly in control of our lives” (47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 56).

—J.D. Greear, Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary

(Hover over the link to read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

Trying to find the answers for the meaning of life without God is a most difficult task. The work is hard and lead to frustrations instead of solutions. It's like chasing after the wind - you will not win, but be exhausted quickly. There is nothing to show for all your chasing and grasping after the wind.

And as soon as you think you're making any headway at all, you run into the great leveler: death.

Last week, we saw that even if you have the "simple pleasures of life" such as food, possessions, etc., you cannot even enjoy it unless God gives you the ability to do so!

Therefore, people must accept that God is God and people are people, and people must accept that they are dealing with a sovereign and inscrutable God.

Only when Solomon looks upwards to the Lord does cynicism and empty striving melt away. When we step into the presence of an awesome God and give Him our full attention, is where we find our full satisfaction.

Wealth, material pleasures, etc. can never bring people real satisfaction and fulfillment. Only when people are bound back to God can they find full satisfaction.

Can God be approached? Yes, but there are dangers when you approach God. God cannot be approached lightly. For instance, Exodus 30:17-21 lays out strict requirements for priests to be able to approach God (under the Old Covenant).

People often approach God in worship with 1. insincerity and 2. thoughtlessness.

Here, Solomon gives us a series of warnings on how to a properly approach God.

1. Guard your steps (Ecclesiastes 5:1). You must understand the holy character of God. Are you preparing to come before God? Feet are often used in Scripture as a figure of human conduct; they can either lead you down the wrong path or the right path. You can approach worship in a right manner, or in a wrong manner. The Bible allows us to have sufficient knowledge in order to know whether we are walking right or wrong. You can't just do anything you want during the week and then come to church expecting to worship the right way!
2. Listen carefully (Ecclesiastes 5:1). Truth is going to be deposited in your head and heart, and truth is always designed to change/transform you, to make you other than you were, to make you like Christ, to make you holy, Godly, sober, and listen to what He is saying. There is some danger in coming to God carelessly, offering up "the sacrifice of fools" ... the inappropriate, careless, stumbling into the worship of God without any thought or preparation. The fool rushes into worship without careful preparation and thought about the character of God. And the fool doesn't know that "they are doing evil!" Practically, we should anticipate the hour of worship, make sure our minds are ready to worship, be on time, prepare on Saturday to remove obstacles. Don't stay up late on Saturday. Guard against distraction, mental preoccupation, and pray for the worship hour. Pray that the Lord would speak to the congregation. That they would listen, then receive, then do.

Here are 3 admonitions of what to do to worship:

1. Ponder your own walk (Ecclesiastes 5:1) on the character of God who you are worshipping. It is God's time to communicate. It is not time to drift off, think about something else, text, twitter, surf the web.
2. Take a deep breath. (Ecclesiastes 5:2) Don't be impatient of spirit, let your heart race in thought or be hasty in words! "Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)" Stop being distracted! Have a careful and thoughtful approach to worshipping God. Don't be flippant in worship. In Ecclesiastes 5:2, God dwells in heaven, infinite and awesome, and we are merely on the earth. Restrain your tongue. Also, keep your mind free. (Ecclesiastes 5:3) Dreams here probably refer to daydreams. This is like letting daydreams take over during worship. Learn to discipline your mind to pay attention during worship. Dreams here can refer to anything that's not reality, anything that's transient. This can also refer to the preoccupation of hard work, which cause one to be unable to pay attention.
3. Be sober and serious (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6). When you finally do speak, watch what you say. Don't make frivolous deals with God. This can be extrapolated to commitments you make before God. Commitment to prayer, bible reading, church attendance. Commitment to faithfulness to your spouse (this is a direct vow to God). Keep your word, because God heard you. We don't have the power to relieve ourselves from our own vows and promises. A good example is Jonah, who didn't keep his vow to the Lord until he was in the belly of the whale, and God forced him to honor his vow to go where the Lord told him to. (Jonah 2:9). The main sin of Jonah was not keeping his vow to God as a prophet. So, don't be hasty to make a commitment, and once you do, don't say that it was "just a mistake" when it becomes hard to keep the vow. God will not let you get away with this. (Ecclesiastes 5:6; Deuteronomy 23:21-22).

The summary is in Ecclesiastes 5:7. Fear God! Don't play games with worship, but treat your relationship with God with a soberness, respect, reverence, and awe as you approach the house of God in worship.

When you come to worship, come attentive, come mindful of who you are approaching, be mindful of your daily walk. Don't let the anxieties of your life to squeeze you so hard that you don't have any real joy in your worship! Let's think hard about our attitude during worship in the house of God.