Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 20, 2011

Here are the sermon notes from Sunday's message "God is Not Finished with Israel" from Romans 11:1-10. Click here.

Four Reasons to Passionately Pursue God by John Piper

Pastor John Piper in 1984:

Why do I insist that you must go hard after God, or, which is the same thing, why must we go hard after Christ? Here are four reasons:

1. In Order to Know Him

First, we must go hard after Christ in order to know him. Philippians 3:7–8: "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Paul went hard after Christ, forsaking all the things people normally boast about; and he did it in order to know him.

Why? Because knowing Christ is a value that surpasses everything else. The evidence of conversion is whether you become a Christian Hedonist. Christian Hedonists always go hard after the highest value. They sell everything joyfully for the buried treasure and pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44–45). We must go hard after Christ, because not to means that we don't want to know him. And not to want to know Christ is an insult to his value and a sign of spiritual stupor or deadness in us. But when you go hard after Christ, to know him, the reward is your joy and his honor.

2. To Confirm Our Justification

Second, we must go hard after Christ to confirm our justification. Justification refers to the wonderful act of God in which he forgives all our sins and imputes to us his own righteousness through our faith in Christ. Philippians 3:8–9, "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith."

Philippians 3:9 is clear: the righteousness Paul pursues is based on faith. But he is pursuing it! As a Christian he counts all things as loss in order to have this righteousness. The faith which justifies is a faith which forsakes earthly values and pursues Christ. If justification depends on faith, and if forsaking the world as rubbish is necessary for having the benefits of justification, then it is plain: saving faith is not merely a one-time decision for Christ, but is an ongoing preference for Christ over all other values. The pursuit of Christ is the evidence of genuine faith in Christ as our treasure. Therefore, we must go hard after Christ in order to confirm our justification.

3. Because We Are So Imperfect

We must go hard after Christ because we are so imperfect. Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own." We must go hard after Christ because we are so deficient. A failing student should pursue a special tutor. Nearsighted people should pursue an optometrist. People with strep throat should take antibiotics. Alcoholics should pursue a support group. Young apprentices should follow their master at his work.

Not to go hard after Christ means that either you don't trust his power and willingness to change your imperfections, or that you want to cling to your imperfections. In either case, Christ is scorned and we are lost.

4. Because He Has Made Us His Own

The final reason why we must go hard after Christ is that he has gone hard after us and, indeed, has by faith made us his own. Philippians 3:12 again: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." This sentence explodes the false logic which says that if Christ has found us, we need no more seek him. If he has laid hold of us, we need not press on to lay hold of him.

Paul reasons exactly opposite to this: I press on in order to gain Christ, because Christ has already gained me. Paul's conversion was not a cage to hold him back but a catapult into the pursuit of holiness. The irresistible grace of Christ overcoming Paul's rebellion and saving him from sin did not make Paul passive, it made him powerful!

Adapted from Going Hard After the Holy God.

Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 13, 2011

I continue preaching through Romans 9-10-11 this past Sunday, November 13 dealing with the question of why "Israel was Rejected." The text is Romans 10:16-21. Click here to get the notes.

Wednesday Night Notes from Galatians

I continue the teaching through Galatians on Wednesday nights. Here are the notes from Wednesday, November 9 "Limit of Freedom - Love" from Galatians 5:13-16.

Reaching the unchurched requires relationships

by Jon Walker as published from Saddleback on 11-9-11 here. (When you see things in italics and bold below, that was added by me for emphasis - David).

“When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.’ Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.’” Matthew 9:12-13 (NLT)

A friend of mine once belonged to a cult, and he told me he never once felt fear when he told people about the things he believed. But, after becoming a Christian, he said he was filled with fear when he began sharing his faith.

It’s a powerful reminder that we do not struggle “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

The enemy doesn’t want us to share our faith, and so he fights us with fear. But God does not give us his spirit to make us slaves again to fear; he fills us with his spirit to show us we are his children and that he is “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16).

Some interesting research by Sam Rainer of Rainer Research suggests that only five percent of the unchurched in America are likely to be highly resistant to the Gospel, antagonistic toward Christians, or belligerent in their conversations with and about Christians. At five percent, Sam says these “hardcore unchurched” account for about 8 million people, but he estimates the other 152 million who are unchurched are far more open to hearing the Gospel.

That being the case, we’re more likely to find people open to the Gospel than not, and the things we often fear will happen will only happen — if they happen — with a very small minority of those outside the Church.

When it comes to reaching those most resistant to the Gospel, Sam says we need to be prepared to defend our faith and to deal directly with misperceptions about Christianity. We also need to be sensitive to their hurt and anger.

Most of all — and this is true with anyone we want to talk to about Jesus — we have to develop relationships with those outside the Church. When the religious leaders expressed a concern that Jesus was making friends with the unchurched, Jesus said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. . . . For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Matthew 9:12b, 13b NLT).

During your prayer time today:

• Ask God to reveal to you two people he wants you to talk to about Jesus.

• Ask him to prepare their hearts for hearing the Gospel.

• Also, ask him to prepare your heart for talking to them.

Then, in faith, step past your fears and believe Jesus is already at work creating a “divine appointment” for you to talk to them. Now, watch for the way he answers your prayer.

May God anoint you this week as you share your faith.

Jon Walker’s new book, In Visible Fellowship: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's Classic Work “Life Together,” is an explanation of why every believer needs to be involved in a small group and why small groups put flesh on the Body of Christ.

Jon Walker is managing editor of Rick Warren’s Daily Hope Devotionals. © 2011 Jon Walker. Used by permission.

Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 5, 2011

Here are the sermon notes from yesterday's message "The Call" from Romans 10:11-15. Click here.

Sermon Notes from Sunday, October 23 and 30, 2011

Here are the sermon notes from the past two Sundays:

October 23, 2011 "Paul's Desire Expressed and Explained" Romans 10:1-4

October 30, 2011 "Simply Faith" Romans 10:4-10