Monthly Archives: November 2012

Necessity v. Sufficiency

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Many will speak of the need for grace; the Bible teaches that we not only need grace, but that God’s grace is sufficient to save.
Many will speak of the need for faith; the Bible teaches that we are justified by faith alone.
Many will say that Christ saves; the Bible teaches that Christ is the only and all sufficient Savior.
Many will appeal to the Scripture; the Bible teaches that Scripture alone is God breathed – the sole infallible rule of faith for the people of God.
Many speak of God’s glory, but that glory is diminished unless God Himself does the saving, all by Himself.

The dividing line of the Gospel has always been NECESSITY v. SUFFICIENCY:

Grace v. Grace Alone
Faith v. Faith Alone
Christ v. Christ Alone
Scripture v. Scripture Alone
The Glory of God v. the Glory of God Alone

Christians

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From the unknown author of The Epistle to Diognetus, Chapter 5, written perhaps between 117 and 225 AD, capturing the paradoxical nature of Christian identity and practice:

For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or custom.

For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric way of life.

This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the thought and reflection of ingenious people, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do.

But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one’s lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship.

They live in their own countries, but only as nonresidents; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners.

Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign.

They marry like everyone else, and have children, but they do not expose their offspring [to kill them].

They share their food but not their wives.

They are in the flesh, but they do not live according to the flesh.

They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.

They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws.

They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted.

They are unknown, yet they are condemned; they are put to death, yet they are brought to life.

They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in need of everything, yet they abound in everything.

They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated.

They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer respect.

When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life.

By the Jews they are assaulted as foreigners, and by the Greeks they are persecuted, yet those who hate them are unable to give a reason for their hostility.

HT: JT

Practical Advice for Guest Preachers, and the Churches That Invite Them

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Dane Ortlund has outlined some very good, practical advice for both guest preachers and the Churches that invite them. He writes: Preached recently at a church that hosted me with remarkable thoughtfulness and it caused me to reflect on how inviting churches can host as well as my most recent experience, and also what should be the specific aims of a guest preacher. To be filtered through your own wisdom and good sense.

For the inviting church:

1. Give him guidance about what to preach on. Or not to preach on–it’s awkward to be told ‘Preach on whatever you want’ only to show up and discover you’re preaching the same text as the previous week.

2. If he wasn’t your first choice to pinch hit that day, don’t tell him.

3. Tell him what time to show up, and how long he should preach for.

4. Tell him who is going to greet him, and where. Be sure he has directions to the church. Tell him about any road-work to avoid.

5. Let him know what kind of mic he’ll be using, and if he has a choice, let him know that and ask his preference. Explain how the mic works when it is given to him. Tell him if powerpoint is an option. Tell him if there will be a podium, pulpit, or nothing. Give him guidance about dress code. In short, don’t assume anything; err on the side of giving him too much information rather than too little.

6. Don’t ask him to administer a sacrament. Do the sacrament another day, or ask an elder or pastor of the church to do it. He is in a strange place and doesn’t know the particulars of your church’s practices, which for you seem totally normal and obvious. Let him focus on the preaching event.
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