New Links - Stuart Latimer and Don Carson Sermons and Andrew Osenga Music and Blog

My friend Stuart Latimer recently left Nashville to become the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church of the Northshore in Chicago. Here is a link to his sermons. I will also be putting a new link to his sermons in the link portion of Abundant Redemption.

Don Carson is one of my favorite preachers and theologians. I was able to hear him speak at last year's Desiring God Conference. I was moved by his passion and humility. Here is a link to his sermons and lectures. Also, I am adding a link in the links section.

Lastly, I added a link to Andrew Osenga's website. He has become one of my favorite singer/songwriters. He updates his blog pretty regularly. Check out his music. It is really good.

Joshua and the dogs

Loving Jesus

Mark 6:17-20

For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

This was the passage I studied with my sixth grade students today in Bible class. It is a passage that makes you stop and think. King Herod obviously saw and recognized something powerful about John's message. He hated his message enough to lock him up, yet was compelled to listen to him. As we talked about the story, my students asked how they can know they are saved. They looked scared.

It is a challenging place as a Bible teacher. I want them to know and understand assurance, but I would never want to give any type of false assurance. The Bible, and especially the New Testament is full of scriptures telling people to examine themselves to make sure they are "in the faith."

We talked about the marks of a believer. Mostly we talked about affections. I just finished a paper on Jonathan Edwards. His theology was deep and profound, yet simple. He is known (somewhat unfortunately) for his famous sermon on hell, but the majority of his preaching centered on the pleasures of God. He was consistently emphatic about the truth that even unbelievers can mentally grasp and believe God's truth in the gospel. He maintained the difference between unbelievers and believers was believers not only understood, but also loved and delighted in Jesus' gospel.

In tears, one girl told me she wanted to love Jesus more, but admitted she sometimes feels like she only believes because she is scared of hell. We talked about how her desire to love Jesus more showed that she already did love him and recognized there was lovliness she hadn't fully grasped.

It is challenging to walk the line between examining ourselves and having assurance with sixth graders. It is challenging walking the line as a twenty-nine year old.

The class ended and the students left my room. They had been gone for about thirty seconds when the young lady who had cried and shared her struggle with the class poked her head in the door and said, "Thanks, Mr. Bryant." It has happened enough that it shouldn't surprise me, but it always does. Kids, and I think many adults, want to hear the truth. They don't want to be told everything is okay when it isn't. They don't want a message that turns free grace into a cheap gospel. One of the most assuring parts of the lesson with the sixth graders was the softness of their hearts. Instead of being offended that they might need to take a look at their hearts and examine their faith, they welcomed the invitation to run to Jesus for mercy. I asked the class what they need to do of they recognize they don't love and trust Jesus. One boy responded, "repent and believe." The gospel is true. It is so simple. So simple that children love it and the sophisticated hate it. Only by God's grace will any of us love that kind of wisdom.

I got online tonight and found this clip by John Piper. I wish I had watched it last night. It is late. I am tired and not sure I'm making much sense, so I am going to let him end this post.

The Boys

Too Far to Walk by Andrew Osenga

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
I did what I planned to do
And I feel like I knew I would feel
Now I want to come back to You

My mind is thick and it’s dirty
My heart, it ran to hide
My plans proved I don’t know what I’m doing
Cause I used to feel alive

[Chorus]

There’s an angel on my left shoulder
And ten devils on my right
Jesus, you’ll have to come get me
Cause it’s too far to walk tonight

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
How can I explain
These promises scattered
‘Round the floor by the bed
Like dinner clothes after a date?

I get scared that forgiveness
Is for better people
So I give up trying to fight
Jesus, you’ll have to come get me
Cause it’s too far to walk tonight

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
How precious is that name
And while you’re forgiving
I’m sorry I forgot
That you came for sinners to save

Deeply Convicting

$3 Worth of Gospel, Please

From D. A. Carson's Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians:

I would like to buy about three dollars worth of gospel, please.

Not too much – just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted.

I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust.

I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture.

I want ecstasy, not repentance;

I want transcendence, not transformation.

I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don’t want to love those from different races – especially if they smell.

I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged.

I would like about three dollars worth of the gospel, please. (pp. 12-13)

Quite a Contrast

Trouble - Derek Webb

you say i’ve got trouble
i’ve got trouble all over me
i’ve got trouble since the day i was born
and it’s not just a struggle
it’s the blood running through my veins
it’s all the clothes i’ve ever worn

and when i’m with you i feel so overdressed

the trouble is i’m not above or beyond anything
so i know you must be good for me
as far as you can and as bad as i am
i know you must be good for me

i’m a terrible lover
i never love you the way i should
and every single reason’s wrong
oh my sister, my brothers
we’ve got history on our heels
and we’re running like we broke the law

with friends like these tell me, who needs the police

we’re making noise in the temple
but we’re skimming off the top
and we don’t want you to suffer
but you don’t want to stop
because you know that it’s the only way

Amazed by the Gospel - Hymn of the Day - Alas and Did My Savior Bleed by Isaac Watts

1 Samuel 6:19-21

And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

This story of seventy men being struck to death by God comes on the heels of the ark of the covenant being returned to Israel after it had been captured by the Philistines. God had graciously given the Israelites the ark to remind them of his special presence. They exchanged its true meaning for "rabbit foot" theology and took the ark into battle to guarantee victory. God would not be trapped and allowed the ark to be captured by Israel's enemy.

The Philistines moved the ark between three cities. Each city was infected with some kind of disease which the bible is somewhat vague in describing (some scholars believe the plague was hemorrhoids). Whatever the plague, the Philistines wanted the ark out of their home and back in Israel. So, they put the ark on a cart, placed five golden mice and five golden tumors (possibly golden hemorrhoids) on the cart, connected the cart to some milk cows, and watched as God directed the cows back to Israel. This is the context of the scripture quoted above. (You can read the story in 1 Samuel 4-6)

When the ark reached Beth-shemesh, the citizens should have rejoiced. They should have celebrated. They should have worshiped in awe. They didn't, and God struck seventy of their men with immediate death.

This is the type of passage that causes modern people to want to reject the bible. The striking and smiting doesn't sit well with most "decent" people. However, if we are going to take the bible seriously, we have to try to understand what passages like these teach us about God.

I read a commentary about this passage this week. The author wrote about two theories describing the sin of the people in Beth-shemesh. One idea is that the men looked inside the ark which was strictly forbidden in God's law. The other idea is simply that they men looked upon the ark without reverence and awe. They thought ii commonplace to have the ark (the symbol of God's glory and presence) in their midst. Either way, the heart of the disobedience was failure to worship God in the manner he demanded and deserved.

The terrifying truth of this passage is that all of humanity is guilty of this same sin. We have all failed the demands of our holy and righteous God. He is the creator of heaven and earth. He is the sustainer of all life. There is not a person alive who has taken a breath that was not a gift from him. He is worthy of all adoration, praise, and glory. He alone is holy, awesome, and terrifying.

What response is appropriate to these truths? Nothing less than complete worship and amazement. But we don't give it to him. Like the men of Beth-shemesh, we find ourselves looking without awe and neglecting the due worship of God. Because of our neglect, we deserve the same judgment the seventy received.

The glory of the gospel is that God's judgment was handed down on his Son. Jesus, the only one to ever give God the full glory, adoration, and praise he deserved was struck to death. The only reason God can accept our inadequate worship is because Jesus was crushed.

Once again, I am humbled and amazed at my glorious Savior. Why he would willingly be judged because of our sin is beyond me. There is nothing good in us. The only explanation is his own goodness and mercy.

Alas and Did My Savior Bleed by Isaac Watts

Alas and did my savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

Was it for sins that I have done
He suffered on the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut His glory in
When Christ, the great Redeemer died
For man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
'Tis all that I can do.