“We will gain a clearer grasp of the gospel if we hold a clear grasp of the desperate situation the gospel addresses.”            -D.A. Carson

I received this quote through my Twitter account of all places. Don Carson is one of the great theologians of our day. Reading almost any of his books will positively influence your view of God and the gospel. Put simply: I’m a fan. Not because he’s a dynamic speaker (although he is an excellent preacher), nor because he’s particularly funny (but he can be); I appreciate Dr. Carson’s books and sermons because of his commitment to the word of God. He understands his authority is found in the word of God and he understands and communicates the seriousness of man’s sinful condition and the remedy God supplies in Christ. That’s what makes this short tweet so profound. We grasp the gospel more clearly when we see the seriousness of sin, our inability to save ourselves, and the wrath each one of us deserves for the sin that saturates our lives. When we understand that this is the reality we face apart from Christ, the gospel becomes so much clearer and sweeter to those who have received His grace through faith in Christ.

Jesus lived the life that we cannot live (perfect obedience and total righteousness) and bore the punishment we deserved in order to restore us to God. When we come to faith in Christ his righteousness is credited to us. He bore our sin and now we bear his righteousness (what an incredible trade). This incredible gift we have received will not be valued as it should as long as we have a low view of the seriousness of the situation we have been rescued from. We won’t love the Savior as we should if we think that somehow we were worthy of the price that was paid. We deserve hell, we received grace! Those outside the faith need to understand that this grace is available to them but they also need to understand the seriousness of their current situation: objects of God’s wrath. We are called to proclaim this reality with love and clarity. It’s a part of who we are called to be as followers of Christ.

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.”  -Psalm 34:4-6

Thanks to Mary for shaming me into updating my blog!  I was going to do something lighthearted but I think it a better use of the blog space to direct you to something of substance (blame it on my cold). Psalm 34 is one of the first Psalms I ever memorized and it has stuck with me for about 15 years (sadly I can’t quote it word for word anymore). When I need comfort or am seeking to comfort or encourage someone else often times verses from this Psalm come to mind. In verses 4-6 we see a cause and effect aspect to our relationship with God.  ”I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4). “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (v. 5). God is the one who makes us radiant and removes our shame. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (v. 6). In each of these verses the “heavy lifting” is being taken care of by God. Think about how much more significant these verses are through the lens of the gospel! Jesus is our deliverer, we reflect his glory and he bears our shame, he is our Savior. The call on our lives as followers of Christ is to look to him, treasure him, and follow him. This fits well with last Sunday’s message that focused on our identity in Christ. Allow your identity in him to transform you this week. Reflect his glory, live as one who has been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of his beloved Son!

-Pastor Sam

Ok so I’m batting .500 in the recommended reading category so a big “thanks” to whoever is reading Marks of the Messenger! .500 in baseball lands you on the All Star team so I think I’ll recommend a couple of more books for your edification (speaking of recommended reading, check out Farid’s latest blog post… excellent). Ok on to the recommended reading.

For those who have questions about their involvment in the church or are simply interested in learning more about the importance of being committed to one local body I highly recommend Joshua Harris’ Stop Dating the Church. Joshua Harris is a gifted communicator and approaches this important issue with a combination of humor, insight, and biblical exhortation, that is sure to captivate and challenge you to increase your love for the church!

My second recommendation is The Unquenchable Flame, by Michael Reeves. This book is a must (and easy) read in gaining a greater understanding of and appreciation for church history. So much of what we currently enjoy (and take for granted) as Christians, like access to the Bible, was delivered at a high cost those who have gone before. The Unquenchable Flame focuses specifically on the Reformation and is a compelling read. Check it out!

For those who have taken time to look at the church library, you’ve probably noticed that I have extra copies of certain books. I can think of no good reason as to why I should keep all these good resources to myself so in the spirit of unity, love, christian charity, (and a desire to make more space) LET’S GIVE AWAY SOME BOOKS!

The first book to be given away is for our Jr. High and Highschool students. I will be giving a copy of Alex and Brett Harris’ Do Hard Things to the first student who can tell me (at church on Sunday) why we rely on the Bible as our authority and why it is trustworthy.

The second book to be given away is open to anyone college aged and above. I will give a copy of John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life to the first person who can tell me (at church on Sunday) the chapter and verse in the Bible where believers are first referred to as Christians.

Ok New Hope family, I will be inconsolable if I can’t give at least one of these books away so encourage your pastor!

Praising God for the privilege of serving with you all,

Pastor Sam

Ok everyone the books are in the library and there are many to choose from! I think it would be a wise use of my blog space to recommend books for New Hope(rs) to read! Today’s offerings relate to evangelism, a topic that causes many to cringe for fear that they won’t know what to say or that they will be rejected by their hearers.

The first book I’m pleased to recommend is Marks of the Messenger, written by J. Mack Stiles. This is NOT a “how to” book on evangelism. Stiles takes a biblical approach in setting forth how the message of the gospel flows from our lives, rather than simply being a presentation we make to someone else. Anyone can repeat a “presentation” (using a method is not necessarily a bad thing) but evangelism is so much more than repeating the right words. Stiles shows convincingly that the gospel does more than give us the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done. Effectively presenting the gospel engages hearers (in their context) and points them to the Savior. In this book you will see how easy it is to lose sight of the gospel in our evangelistic efforts and how to make sure you are focusing on the essentials!

The second book for recommendation is The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, written by Mark Dever. Much like Marks of the Messenger, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism is not a “how to” book. Dever, who interestingly enough wrote the forward for Marks of the Messenger, does a masterful job in pointing us to the essentials of the gospel, how to evangelize, why we should do it, and who should do it. Mark Dever writes in a clear, easy to follow, way which both emphasizes the responsibility and privilege of sharing the life giving message of the gospel!

As the strongest faith may be shaken, so the weakest, where truth is, is so far rooted that it will prevail. Weakness with watchfulness will stand, when strength with too much confidence fails. Weakness, with acknowledgement of it, is the fittest seat and subject for God to perfect His strength in; for consciousness of our infirmities drives us out of ourselves to Him in whom our strength lies. -Richard Sibbes

Here’s something to think about: it’s not the strength of your faith that is central but the object of your faith (Jesus) and the quality (grounded in truth) of it that makes the difference. This faith, that is set on Jesus and informed by truth, leads us to the Source of true strength, Jesus Himself! Cling to Him today, Christian, and find the true source of strength!

*Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) was a Puritan pastor.

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ² but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. ³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴ The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. ⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ⁶ for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. -Psalm 1

Words cannot adequately express the sense of honor and responsibility I feel in being called to pastor New Hope Christian Fellowship. It certainly is a privilege to shepherd, serve with, and proclaim the truth of God’s word to the Body of Christ! Our website has been up and running for about a week now and I am feeling the pressure to actually have something on my blog page so here we go!

I would like to focus on verses two and three of Psalm 1. In doing so I am compelled to point you to verse one (context is key). The psalmist is describing the man (this truth applies to the ladies too) who is “blessed.” A basic definition for blessed is happy. “Happy” falls short of giving the biblical implications of what it means to be blessed. Typically in the Bible when someone is described as “blessed” ultimately it means being “accepted by God,” which is the ultimate “happiness.” As Christians we should understand that ultimately our acceptance by God is based on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for us. In light of this glorious reality, we have much to gain from Psalm 1!

In verse three we see a picture of someone who is grounded and spiritually mature. This person bears fruit (shows evidence of a true love for and knowledge of God through good works). This person can withstand the storms of life and is prosperous in the midst of them. Every Christian in their right mind would want this to be true of them. We find the prescription for such a life in verse two: “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” It is in the word of God that God clearly reveals himself to us. It is through meditating on (thinking deeply about) God’s word that we grow spiritually. It is not enough to show up for the weekly worship service for the sermon. We will be transformed into the people Christ died for us to be as we feed ourselves daily on his word!

As I look back on my own spiritual life I can see that the times I’ve struggled the most spiritually have NOT necessarily been the times when my circumstances were tough but when I have neglected the practice of daily worship and study. We have been designed by God to be satisfied by God alone. Dear Christian, I urge you to consider your own spiritual walk today. Seek out God, not from a sense of duty but from a sense of desperation, he is truly what you need!