Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Whatever you do? What a great challenge, especially in the midst of final exams. I’ll admit, it’s not always easy to praise God and live for his glory at this point in a semester. In fact, it’s much easier to say, “After this week, God, I’ll get back to the normal routine of things and…” Well, you know the rest.
The reality, however, is that life never really seems to slow down. Of course there are some ups and downs, but until you (and I) realize how to worship—how to live for his glory in ‘whatever we do’—throughout all of life’s circumstances and trials (regardless of how insignificant they may be…like a final exam), then we won’t be able to fully grasp the Christian walk. For the race we run is not only during the days of sunshine. It’s through the fog—when we can’t see what’s coming around the next corner. It’s through the rain—when we’re getting pelted. It’s through the snow—when we’re absolutely stuck. And it is through the sunshine—when we joyfully rejoice in the warmth provided.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanksto God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:15-17.
Two of my very best friends, Daniel and Renee Miles, once again nearly brought me to tears as they led Oak Grove in worship this morning. Singing “Labor of Love”, we reflected on the birth of Jesus our Savior, the night the young Mary delivered the Son of God.
Luke 2:5-19 says:
Joseph went to Bethlehem to be registered with Mary, who had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby, and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was not any room for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Then the angel said to them, “Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in the city of David. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!” When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about.” So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary continued to treasure in her heart all these things and to ponder them.
Here are my favorite lyrics from “Labor of Love”:
So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move.
It was a labor of love. It was not a silent night.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my sermon delivery class this semester. Actually, it has probably been the most helpful and practical class I’ve had this year–teaching me to think more about my walk with the Lord and how I proclaim the truth of the Scriptures than any other course. Hats off to the men I’ve learned with and grown beside this semester.
At the same time, however, I continue to leave every Friday morning with the same thought: “We’ve missed the application.” From my perspective (based merely upon 1. the churches I’ve attended over the last several years, and 2. my own relationship with the Lord and reading of His word), we rarely read the Scriptures in such a way that we’re actively seeking out how to conform our lives to the mission of God and his desires for his people.
So while I have enjoyed listening to each student improve as a preacher (myself included–by no means have I arrived!), here’s my conclusion in reference to sermon application:
You can have the textual structure down. You can have the sermon structure down. You can have your three points alliterated. You can have a central truth and a handful of attention-grabbing illustrations. You can have a catchy intro and a touching conclusion. You can have smooth transitions, purposeful movement, intentional eye communication, vocal variation, and helpful hand gestures. You can even have the word studies, the proper exegesis, and a gospel-centeredness. But if you aren’t teaching your fellow brothers and sisters how to apply the Word to their lives in real, life-altering ways, then you’ve stopped short of proclaiming the Word–because the Word demands a response. If the Sunday sermon does not demand, scream, and plead for you and your people to think and live differently on Monday morning, we’ve missed the point.
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Christ demands that we put people over prestige or pulpits or publications. Do others really know that we love them? By our deeds and not just by our words? I suppose this is why Jesus never walked up to anyone and said, “I love you.” You see, if you have to tell people that you love them, they tend to suspect your genuineness. Evangelicals, let’s stop just saying that we love the nations. They can judge whether we love them or not.
Last year’s 20/20 Conference was hugely influential in the lives of many Southeastern students and visitors, and it’s coming again next February. Here’s what SEBTS has to say about it:
God’s church always finds herself in the midst of a broader human culture. Though the church is a part of that culture, she also bears witness to a Reality greater than the culture. For this reason, we as believers have the great privilege and responsibility of finding ways—in our colleges, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities—to display the truth, goodness, and beauty of God and his gospel. Come and join us as we explore ways of bearing witness to God and his gospel in the midst of a skeptical, morally confused culture.
The 2010 20/20 Collegiate Conference, A City Within a City, will be held February 5-6 on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The cost of the conference is $35. Southeastern students may attend for a discounted price of $30.
Speakers will include: Danny Akin, Matt Chandler, JD Greear, Clayton King, David Platt, Dave Owen and more
I just finished up Graeme Goldsworthy’s Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture. I highly recommend it–great book! It really focuses on interpreting the Scriptures through biblical theology rather than systematic theology and highlights the importance of salvation history throughout.
Here are a few notable quotes:
“We must proclaim the message of what God has done for them in Christ. We follow the New Testament in calling on people to live out the implications of the gospel, but we cannot urge people to actually live the gospel, for that was the unique work of Christ. This distinction between the gospel and its fruit in our lives is crucial…the ethical example of Christ is secondary to and dependent upon the primary and unique work of Christ for us” (4).
“The soundest methodological starting point is the gospel since the person of Jesus is proclaimed as the final and fullest expression of God’s revelation of his kingdom. Jesus is the goal and fulfillment of the whole Old Testament and, as the embodiment of the truth of God, he is the interpretative key to the Bible” (25).
“Show me a church without a good appreciation of the Old Testament and biblical theology and I’ll show you a church with a weak understanding of the gospel” (52).
“If eternal life is not the reward for meritorious living but the gift of grace, then all ethical imperatives are given as implications of the gospel and should be clearly seen as such. The alternative is to preach law and to leave the impression that the essence of Christianity is what we do rather than what God has done. Legalism easily creeps in even when we think we have avoided it. The preacher may well understand the relationship of law and grace, but the structure of the sermon program may undermine it in the thinking of many in the congregation” (59).
While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyelids close in death, when I sour through tracts unknown, see thee on thy judgement throne, Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Saviour, or I die.
