Back in 2008 I preached a multi-part series called “Where Your Treasure Is”, about God and Money. Now this week I am preaching one sermon about Wisdom and Money from the book of Proverbs. I can’t possibly cover all the ground that was covered in the multi-part series, so here are the mp3 audio and pdf notes from 2008, for all who are interested.  As always, your comments are welcome!

To listen or view, click “mp3 audio” or “pdf notes” after each message.

#1 “Where Your Treasure Is” mp3 audio     pdf notes

#2 “Treasure is from the Lord” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#3 “True Treasures” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#4 “Righteousness and Treasure” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#5 “Integrity and Treasure” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#6 “Giving to God” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#7 “To Tithe or not to Tithe, that is the Question” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#8 “Giving to the Poor” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#9 “Generosity” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#10 “The Sluggard and the Diligent” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#11 “Debt” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#12 “How Much is Enough?” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#13 “Engage in Business Until I Come” mp3 audio    pdf notes

#14 “Do Not be Anxious About Your Life” mp3 audio    pdf notes

In a 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs said:

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life”

“Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

(Source: National Post/Financial Post)

Steve Jobs’ business accomplishments show that he meant it. Think of all he achieved as CEO of Apple during the past six  years while he fought cancer, changing the way we live and communicate with an amazing drive and creative flair! I’m no Mac/Apple fan, but I admire what Steve Jobs did, and feel his impact in the technology I use everyday (which are not Apple products, but are highly influenced by Apple).  I also appreciate, as a preacher, that Steve Jobs released his new products by delivering a sermon at events that can only be described as having religious fervor.

What strikes me about Jobs’ quote is that few people live like they believe they are going to die.  How often do we meander through day after day, with no thought of the future!? Yet the Bible is constantly pointing us towards the future, reminding us that we should make the most of our lives in the name of Jesus, reminding us that billions will face a fearful judgment and eternity apart from God.

I have an old plaque that was in our house when I was growing up, which read, “Just one life t’will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last” (John Piper writes about the same plaque in his book “Don’t Waste Your Life”). Thinking about the future should motivate us in the present. I think that is why God talks so much about it in the Bible.

Steve Jobs lived with the future in mind – the thought of his imminent death motivated his life. I don’t know what he believed about God and life after death, and I don’t know if he believed in Jesus, though I have never heard that he did.  His time on earth is done and he now faces eternity. Like every other human being, famous and obscure alike, the nature of his eternity is dependent on whether he placed his trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his sins.

Are you living in light of eternity? What you believe about the future impacts how you live here and now. Trust in Jesus today. Live for Jesus all your days. Don’t waste your life. Watch for His return. Make your life count for eternity.

I picked up a copy of To Be Perfectly Honest at Three Hills Books as one of three books for my summer reading (the other two were The Destruction of the Bismarck and Gallipoli, but that’s for another post). Phil lives in Three Hills so I see him around, most often at Subway, and sometimes when he is doing some stand-up comedy/MCing at Prairie events, but I’ve never read one of his books until now. He is one of the funniest people I know, and when I saw this book and the idea behind it, I had to pick it up.

The idea that hooked me is that Phil commits to not lying for a whole  year and then writing about it. The results are hilarious! What made it even more enjoyable for me is that I know many of the people he talks about and local places he describes so I can often vividly imagine what is happening. And as a bonus it helped me to verify that Phil was indeed telling the truth. In fact the very same day I read a part about one local person who will remain nameless who was telling Phil cat jokes, I happened to be out for a bike ride with Carol and we found this person contributing to making a cat’s life a little more challenging out on the street by Phil’s house! It was a little bit too honest! And early on in the book he mentions that the church he attended growing up had some peculiarities that did not always encourage honesty ( producing conversations such as how you doing Phil? Well I’m really struggling with memorizing the gospel of John…). I’ve been trying to figure out what church he might have attended growing up – maybe someone around here will know…

But let me be clear, you don’t have to live in Three Hills to enjoy this book. Phil writes in a daily diary format and there is a great rhythm to it as he goes to church each Sunday and always has funny thoughts during the service and amusing conversations with people. There is one man in his church who always tells him a joke every time he sees him (I often have the unfortunate urge to do that when I see Phil, so I could relate), and another person who always finds a way to throw a spiritual guilt trip on him. And he doesn’t seem to hear much of Pastor Rod’s sermons as his mind wanders to other funny thoughts. I loved it because it so real!  Phil and his wife Ramona have some great honest interactions as well and there is a serious part as Phil deals with his elderly mother’s decaying health and mind through the course of the year.

While the book is officially about honesty, it’s also a book about God’s grace, as Phil is brutally honest about his efforts to be holy, to witness, to be nice, and also to get rich, to get even, and to win at golf.  I appreciated how Phil kept pointing to God’s grace in his life and found it moving and uplifting.

As I was reading it I was constantly turning to Carol and reading parts to her that made me laugh out loud. It got to the point where I would be laughing and she would say stop it and I would try to tell her and she would say that’s enough and I’d say just one more…and I would tell her yet another laugh in Phil’s honesty adventure.

This is a great book to read for yourself, and a great book to give to a friend who needs a laugh as they learn more about honesty and God’s grace. There probably isn’t near enough laughter in church, but I think there is going to be a lot of laughter in heaven, and a lot of praise and joy for God’s grace in saving sinners like me, and Phil points our hearts in the right direction.

You can find To Be Perfectly Honest on Amazon, or at Three Hills Books like I did (where the price is better too)!

Last weekend the NotInVain blog passed 30,000 views, and today I want to review the top five postings during its three years online. These five posts drew over 7800 views, or 26% of all blog views. And I have published 106 posts during that time, meaning that about 5% of the posts have drawn 26% of the views. Interesting (if you’re a stats geek like me)! Anyways, here are the top five posts:

#5 – 758 views -  More Together for the Gospel Pictures – This post is a collection of pictures from the 2008 Together for the Gospel conference that I attended in Louisville, Kentucky. I would guess that at least half the views of this post came through one picture at the bottom of the post – the Louisville Slugger Museum with the giant baseball bat out front. I think this because so many of the google searches on my stats page show people looking for “Louisville slugger”!

#4 – 1169 views – Book Review: The Shack by William P. Young – I didn’t want to read The Shack, and plenty of other people wrote reviews of it before I did, but it just kept coming up and I felt that our church needed their pastor to read it and give a first hand review, so I did. 5000 words later, this post appeared!

#3 – 1235 views – Journey Through Judges Sermon Series – In 2007 I preached through the Biblical book of Judges in 20 sermons. Then a little over a year ago I posted the sermon notes and mp3 audio files on my blog. The response on the blog has been strong ever since.

#2 – 1661 views – Bible Software Part 2: Logos vs Bibleworks  – The two most popular, and most serious PC Bible packages are Bibleworks and Logos. This post comparing the two has had a steady stream of views. For the record, I use Bibleworks, because it is lightning fast and excellent for gleaning from multiple translations, including the Greek and Hebrew!

#1  – 3018 views -  Book Review – Epicenter by Joel C. Rosenberg : This book review was one of the first posts I wrote, and I had no idea how popular it would be, receiving almost double the 2nd most popular post, and 10% of all views on my blog. Rosenberg’s book is an intriguing look at the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 regarding the future war of Gog and Magog. He readily concedes that at many points he is writing predictions about what could happen based on conjecture from the Bible, not what absolutely will happen. One of the interesting predictions is that significant oil deposits will be found in Israel, based on a verse in Deuteronomy, I think (sorry too lazy to look it up right now!). Just recently I was reading an article in Canada’s National Post that referred to the huge oil shale deposits in Israel. The technology is not yet there to obtain them, but if anyone can develop it, Israel can, and they will become an oil rich nation overnight. The number of views on my blog indicates that a lot of people are interested in Rosenberg and his writings. I read his Flashtraffic blog from time to time and heard him speak last summer in Denver in a jam packed event. I appreciate his love and support for Israel along with his insights on the Middle East.

So there you have it! If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is this: it is not easy to predict which blog post will be the most popular, which is an encouragement to write about whatever I think will honour God and be a blessing to people, and see what happens.

I find these stats really interesting – maybe you do too, or maybe not! As always, your comments are welcome.

Over the weekend, www.wordpress.notinvain.com registered its 30,000th view since I started blogging about three years ago. I’m a bit of a junkie for numbers and stats, so 30,000 is an interesting milestone for me.

In the big scheme of things 30,000 views on my blog is barely a drop in the bucket, as other blogs see hundreds or even thousands of hits in a day. But I have enjoyed blogging and occasionally have written some posts that have actually driven a fair amount of traffic. I set out to write things that would be God honouring, useful to people, and to simply improve my writing skills in a public setting. I hope that those things have been and continue to be accomplished.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read NotInVain, whether I know you well or you have simply found the blog through a google search. I am thinking about buying the wordpress upgrade so I can post more media (ie audio and video) files directly to the blog. Stay tuned!

Tim

PS: My next post will highlight the top few posts in the past three years.

Today is Pentecost Sunday. I’m not much for the church calendar (except for the pancake day – wish I could remember what day that one is!), but I’ve been thinking for a while that we (we=many of us evangelicals) need to do a better job celebrating Pentecost. We do well at Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ birth, and we never forget Easter, remembering Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and the many witnesses who saw Him. But at Pentecost, we are lucky if we remember and if we do, we don’t do much.

But Pentecost is the day the Holy Spirit was given to believers, and the day the church was born as described in Acts 2. Those are big events, and we should celebrate them!

This morning at church we tried to make it a special day. We had a baptism, a sermon about Pentecost, songs about the Holy Spirit, and a barbecue/pot luck – Pentecost was a feast after all.  It was a great morning!

What are some other ideas for celebrating Pentecost? I would appreciate your comments below. Thanks!

Drive, by Daniel Pink, is a book about personal motivation.

Pink takes aim at a belief that is often assumed to be true, that people are motivated primarily by external rewards. Most workplaces are built around this belief, and employees receive rewards (and punishments) for their accomplishments at work. The assumption is that these rewards will motivate employees in their work. Describing the results of psychological experiments for the past few decades, Pink makes a strong case that external rewards (such as a financial bonus) are not the best way to motivate people and can even be detrimental to future motivation.

He makes a few qualifications to this claim. First, it applies to non-routine workers (ie knowledge workers not assembly line workers, who can be motivated by reward to get more done faster). Second, it assumes that an employee is receiving a basic base reward that is appropriate for the market, since a person who is not fairly and/or adequately compensated is not likely to be well motivated.

According to Pink, for knowledge workers, external rewards beyond a fair base pay do not motivate, and actually demotivate as the rewards come to be expected and turn off other, more powerful internal motivators.

Pink identifies three major internal motivators: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.

Autonomy refers to the ability to choose one’s own Tasks, manage one’s own Time, select one’s own Team, and choose one’s own Technique (how you get your work done). The higher the autonomy, the more motivated a person is likely to be.

Mastery refers to doing work that is hard to master, and thus challenges and motivates a person to try to achieve it. Pink describes a person being in ‘flow’, when they are doing a task that they love to do and time goes by quickly when they are doing it. They are internally motivated by the challenge of mastering the task. A significant reason why external rewards are ineffective is because it shuts down the mastery motivator. When a person is trying to master something, the work becomes almost like play because of the challenge, but when an external reward is introduced, it makes the task feel less like play and more like work.

Purpose refers to the reason why a person does their work. A person who works for a higher cause is motivated to work because they are driven to further that cause.

That’s basically it. Pink even wrote the Twitter version of the book at the back (less than 140 characters): “Carrots & sticks are so last century. Drive says for 21st century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery, and purpose.” (p203)

Drive is simple, but powerful.

I have been thinking about the implications of Drive for Christian ministry. That internal motivations are more powerful than external motivations seems pretty obvious to me. Few people go into ministry for the money, except for maybe the odd crook. But there are internal rewards in ministry that far outweigh external rewards.

Let’s apply Pink’s three internal motivators,  purpose, mastery and autonomy, to Christian ministry.

Purpose: A pastor is motivated by a higher cause, the cause of Jesus Christ in His church. This is normally why a person becomes a pastor, to serve the Lord and to serve people. For example, check out name and the subtitle of my blog – “Not in Vain – knowing that in the Lord, your labour is not in vain.” (from 1 Cor 15:58) It’s all about being motivated by a higher cause.

Mastery: You have never arrived in ministry and there is always a new challenge – preaching a better sermon, doing a better job of managing conflict, training people better, having better small groups and leaders, etc… There is always something to try to master that you never will fully master!

Autonomy: The level of a pastor’s autonomy in task, time, team, and technique varies from church to church, depending on both the governance structure and the personalities of individuals, boards, and committees. Some are wired towards controlling the pastor while others are geared towards granting autonomy to the pastor. Some are somewhere in between. An important implication of Drive is that pastors and ministry workers should be granted significant autonomy, to maximize their motivation and thus increase their productivity. To some it may seem counter-intuitive that less control will result in more productivity, and they are also worried about what disaster the pastor might unleash without stronger controls. But responding to these types of concerns is at the core of Drive. Old and current rewards models assumed that people don’t want to work and thus need to be controlled (carrot and stick) in order to be motivated. These models assumed that people did not care that much about their work and thus needed significant controls to keep them from messing things up. But Drive assumes that people do want work hard and do a good job, and thus seeks to maximize their productivity by granting freedom to get the job done in the best way they see fit. I’ve seen this play out over and over again in ministry. Some of the best things happen when I get out of the way and unleash people to creatively accomplish a ministry project.  It is amazing what people will come up with if you give them freedom to operate. There is the occasional disaster (someone comes up with a creative but unsuccessful idea, someone overspends, etc…), but the benefits far outweigh the risks. Conversely, a lot less happens when I try to control a ministry worker or team. Fewer disasters (maybe!), but fewer success stories (for sure!).

I recommend Drive to pastors, boards and ministry leaders, as well as to the business audience for whom I assume it was primarily written. A lot of it is intuitive to ministry people, as it describes the reality in which they work and live.

Click here to buy Drive (No, I don’t get a cut for linking you to Amazon. Knowing I’ve helped you buy a worthwhile book is reward enough for me!)

This past Sunday I preached a message giving 10 reasons why the Cross of Christ is the center of Christianity.  My voice was hurting, and it was by God’s grace that I made it through both services.

Here is the text of the sermon below. Click here for the mp3 sermon audio and here for the PDF sermon notes. As always, your feedback is welcome!

Introduction:   The Cross of Christ is the center of your faith

This week, we celebrate the week that changed the world. Starting with Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem, with the crowds praising His name, this week would be momentous in many ways.

It would contain some of Jesus’ greatest acts, including the washing of the disciple’s feet the cleansing of the temple, and the Last Supper.

It would contain some of Jesus’ greatest teachings, including that there is no way to God except through Him, that we are the branches that rely on Him as the vine for our provision, and His great High priestly prayer for His disciples. All of these took place in this great week that we are remembering, this Holy Week, leading up to Easter.

And while all of these events and teachings are great, and have had a lasting impact on human history, the greatest event of that week focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Today we are looking at the cross of Jesus, and next week we will look at the resurrection of Jesus.

The Cross is very familiar to Christians, so well known, in fact, that it can be sometimes treated casually, as if it is something that we only remember once each year. Yet the cross is central to our faith. Without the cross, there is no Christianity. Jesus death for our sins is central to Christianity, central to all that the Bible teaches.

In fact, the cross is so central to our faith, that the Apostle Paul was able to say,

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:10 (see also 1 Cor 1:23)

and,

 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.       Galatians 6:14

He said that he knew nothing when He preached in Corinth, “except Jesus Christ and him crucified”, and his only boast was “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Today we want to investigate why Paul said it was the heart of the Christian message, and why it was his only boast. We are going to look at ten reasons the Cross is the center of Christianity.

I want to start with the crucifixion account from Matthew’s gospel.

Matthew 27:33-54 (ESV) ³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. ³⁷ And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” ³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ⁴⁷ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” ⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. ⁵¹ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Let’s pray.

1. The Cross is the place where God shows His love for you

            Key Word: Love

The first reason that the cross is the center of the Christian faith is that the cross is the place where God shows His love for you. The key word here is love. Though you do not deserve God’s love, He gives it to you.

Romans 5:8 says,

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

By nature you are a sinner, someone who has rebelled against God. You are not deserving of God’s love; you are deserving of God’s wrath.

And yet instead of wrath, God shows love by sending His own Son to die for our sins.

But God does not show His love to you by cancelling His wrath, for sin still must be punished. God is loving, so He makes a way to save you, but He is also just, and He must punish sin.

2.The Cross is the place where God punishes Christ for your sins

Key Word: Substitionary Atonement – God sheds Jesus’ blood instead of yours

Key Word: Propitiation – God’s wrath is satisfied through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross

That reality leads us to the next reason why the cross is at the center of Christianity.

The Cross is the place where God punishes Christ for your sins. Let me say that again: God punishes Christ for your sins.

The key phrase here is substitutionary atonement. It means that God sheds Jesus blood instead of yours. Jesus is your substitute who pays the penalty for your sins.

Galatians 3:13 puts it this way:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”                Galatians 3:13

As a sinner you stand accursed under the law of God, for you are a law breaker, as is every person who has ever lived. But on the cross, Jesus Christ becomes accursed for you – He becomes ‘a curse for us’, the Scripture says.

Think of how terrible and awesome this is. The perfect Son of God, who had committed no sin, received the full force of the curse of God, because of your sin, because of my sin.

It is radically unfair, yet it shows the lengths that Jesus went to save us from our sins.

Another key word here is propitiation. Propitiation is theological term. It means that God’s wrath is satisfied through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. So God loves you enough to send Jesus, and He is just enough to fully satisfy His wrath for your sins. It is amazing grace that God would bring His love and wrath together like this at the cross. The prophet Isaiah spoke of Jesus and He spoke of you in Isaiah 53:5 when He said,

…he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;    Isaiah 53:5

Jesus was crushed for our iniquities. Now listen to Romans 3:23-25

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:23-25a

3. The Cross is the place where you are Identified with Christ

            Key Word: Identification

These verses bring us to the third reason why the cross is the center of Christianity.

The Cross is the place where you are identified with Christ. Not only is Christ a substitute for you, but you are actually identified with Him in His death, so that His death becomes your death, and His life becomes your life.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.    Galatians 2:20

 When a person becomes a Christian, there is a transformation of identity that takes place.  You are crucified with Christ. His death becomes your death. His life becomes your life.

 This identification with Christ is powerfully symbolized in the waters of baptism. When you go under the waters you die with Christ, you are buried with Christ, and then you are raised to new life with Christ.

 4. The Cross is the place where you are Redeemed

            Key Word: Redemption

The fourth reason that the cross is the center of Christianity is that it is the place where you are redeemed.  The key word here is redemption.

We have already talked about Christ’s death as our substitute, but now we focus on His death as a payment for your sins. He pays the price to buy you back for Himself, and the price is steep, it is His own blood.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us,                                                                                                                                  Ephesians 1:7-8a

Some of the great songs of the faith are about being redeemed. One such song is Fanny J. Crosby’s hymn, “Redeemed”

Redeemed how I love to proclaim it

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb

Redeemed through His infinite mercy

His child and forever I am

Do you sing enough about your redemption? It should produce a joy in your heart that makes you want to sing.

5. The Cross is the place where you are Reconciled to God and to one another

          Key Word: Reconciliation

The fifth reason the cross is the center of Christianity is because it is the place where you are reconciled to God and to one another. The key word here is reconciliation.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.                                                   Colossians 1:19-20

Your sin destroys your relationship with God, but Christ’s work on the cross restores that relationship, and so you can say that you are reconciled to God through Jesus’ blood. This reconciliation with God allows us to have reconciliation with one another as well.

So many people today are seeking peace on earth without seeking peace with God. And it doesn’t work. The only way to peace on earth is to have peace with God, which is made available through Jesus’ work on the cross.

6. The Cross is the Place where you are Justified

            Key Word: Justification

The sixth reason the cross is the center of Christianity is because the cross is the place where you are justified. The key word is justification.

Because Jesus has paid the penalty for your sins, because God has fully poured His wrath on Jesus, because you are identified with Christ on the cross, God can now justify you. That means that He declares you to be righteous in His sight. That is why you can be reconciled to Him, because He has declared you to be righteous. You can now have fellowship with Him, because of the righteousness of Jesus being identified with you.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.    Romans 5:9

We are justified by faith, by the blood of Jesus, and we are able to have peace with God.

So many people are running around today trying to justify themselves, instead of running to Jesus, who can justify a person by faith, as they trust in Him to save them from their sins. Maybe that describes you, seeking to justify yourself by your own good works, rather than trusting in Jesus to justify you by His perfect life and sacrificial death on your behalf. You can stop the running by trusting in Jesus and His work on the cross to justify you, by His shed blood.

7. The Cross is the place of your weakness and humility, but it points to your place of power and glory in Christ

            Key Words: Humility and Exaltation

The next reason why the cross is the center of Christianity presents a paradox.

The cross is the place of your weakness and humility, but it points to your place of power and glory in Christ.

The cross is a picture of weakness and humility, or as a famous old hymn said, the cross is “the emblem of suffering and shame” (The Old Rugged Cross). 

In a world filled with pride and self-promotion, the cross is a radical symbol, that speaks of being laid as low as low can be. Yet that is what Christ did, though He was the highest of all, He made Himself the lowest of all, that God might exalt Him again to His rightful place. Paul describes Jesus this way in Philippians 2:8-9

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,     Philippians 2:8-9

It was bad enough that the Son of God would be humiliated in death, but how much more so that He would be humiliated by death on a cross, a cruel form of capital punishment used on common criminals, and a form of punishment described in the Old Testament as a curse, with Jesus being hung on that tree.

And yet it was through that humiliation that God exalted Jesus, to sit at His right hand, to be the name exalted above every other name, the name at which every knee will bow and every tongue confess. That is why the key words are humility and exaltation.

There is a lesson here for you.

The reason many people do not come to the cross is because they would have to humble themselves, admit they are a sinner, and trust in Jesus instead of in themselves. That act of humility stands in opposition to their pride. That show of weakness stands in opposition to their personal need to show strength.

A number of years ago I heard Stuart Briscoe speak in Toronto at The Peoples Church. My memory is fading of the event, but I seem to remember Briscoe quoting the dramatic words of Donald Grey Barnhouse, which I think he said were spoken at a Keswick Conference decades ago. Whether the details are all still correct in my memory I can’t be certain, but I do remember the essence of the quote: “The way to UP…is DOWN!” The cross is the picture of this truth, that the way to up is indeed down.

It is true for Jesus and it is true for you:

For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.   2 Corinthians 13:4

Your strength is most seen in your weakness. Your glory is most seen in your shame. The way to up is down.

8. The Cross is the Place of your Triumph in Christ

            Key Word: Victory

This leads us to the eighth reason why the cross is the center of Christianity. The cross is the place of your triumph in Christ. The key work here is victory.

One of the best things about being a Christian is that you win. I don’t know many people who like being on the losing team (OK except for Oilers and Leaf fans), but with Christ, you win. The cross is the place of triumph.

 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.            Colossians 2:13-14

That is why we sing the old hymn, Victory in Jesus (E.M. Bartlett)

Victory in Jesus

My Saviour Forever

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood

He loved me ‘ere I knew Him

            And all my love is due Him

            He plunged me to victory

Beneath the cleansing flood.

The cross is the place of victory and it should make you want to sing!

9. The Cross is the Place of your Salvation

            Key Word: Salvation

The ninth reason why the cross is the center of Christianity is because the cross is the place of your salvation. The key word here is salvation.

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.   Romans 5:9-11

Your salvation is in Jesus Christ – all the things we have talked about today, love, substitutionary atonement, propitiation, identification, redemption, reconciliation, justification, humility and exaltation, victory – all of these things point to your salvation.

Jesus’ death on the cross makes a way for you to be saved and live forever with Jesus in Heaven. It makes a way for you to have spiritual life here and now.

And if you are trusting in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, that is cause for great rejoicing. But if you have never trusted in Jesus, then today is your day to come to the cross, ‘the emblem of suffering and shame,’ the place where God’s love is shown for sinners, the place where Jesus can save you.

You come to the cross in humility, asking God to forgive your sins and save you. When you come to Him in faith like that, He will save you, and you will be identified with Him. He will forgive your sins and declare you righteous in His sight.

You can trust in Jesus today by praying and asking Him to save you. I am inviting you to do that today.  [Note: If you are reading this on my blog, you can email me to talk more about trusting Christ, through the email tims (@) look (.) ca – (remove the brackets from my email address, I included them to avoiding the spam-bots) ]

10. The Cross is the Place of your Obedience by Faith

            Key Phrase: The Cross-Centered Life

There is one more reason why the cross is the center of Christianity. The cross is the place of your obedience by faith.  Perhaps some of you today are thinking that this message has been a ‘nice reminder’ about the cross.

It is far more than a nice reminder. It is your call to walk in light of the cross.

Jesus said,

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  Luke 9:23

And,

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.    Luke 14:27

Sometimes I think that Christians see the cross only as a starting point for the Christian life. But it is more than a starting point, for you must continue to live in light of the cross, in light of God’s great mercy in saving you, and giving you new life in Him. God is continuing to work in us and grow us to more like Jesus, and we are able to obey through faith in Jesus who gives us the strength to live the Christian life.

Pastor C.J. Manahey has written a book called The Cross-Centered Life, and in it he challenges Christians to live with the cross in mind every day.

Let me ask you, do you think about the cross everyday?

Mahaney suggests five practical steps to help you (they are written on the back page of your sermon notes, question #3)

1. Memorize the gospel – recite some of the great verses about the cross each day (you can start with verses in today’s sermon notes!)

2. Pray the gospel – Talk to God about the gospel and thank Him for His amazing grace in saving you from your sins through Christ’s death on the cross.

3. Sing the gospel – Have music in your life that centers on the gospel and praise God through it – whether it is your own music or a great worship CD (some are better than others!)

4. Review how the gospel has changed you – Recall regularly how you once were in your sin, (like Paul does in Scripture – ‘chief of sinners’) and rejoice in what you now are, in Christ through the cross

5. Study the gospel – Read and re-read Galatians and Romans. Read good books about the gospel (such as C.J. Mahaney’s The Cross Centered Life, L.E. Maxwell’s Born Crucified (aka Embraced by the Cross) )

(Source: Mahaney, C.J., The Cross Centered Life, Multnomah, Colorado Springs, 2002, pp56-69.)

I doubt you can think about the cross enough, for the Cross of Christ is indeed the center of Christianity. This Easter, make sure you are living the cross-centered life.

© Tim Strickland, 2011 – All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

To learn more about the ESV, please visit www.esv.org

During the past few months I have been preaching an End Times Series called “Future Things”. I put together a list of book titles that I have found helpful in my studies. Here are some recommended books with some brief comments.

Rapture:

The Dictionary of Pre-Millennial Theology by Mal Couch – This is a dispensational/pre-trib book that gives a good understanding of the rapture from this perspective.

A Case for Historic Pre-Millennialism by Craig Blomberg and Sung Wook Chan – This book was produced out of a conference at Denver Seminary and has contributions from faculty. It contains some good essays providing a counterbalance to the dispensational pre-mill perspective.

The Blessed Hope by George Eldon Ladd – Ladd’s book is a classic defense of the post-tribulation rapture and points out flaws in the pre-tribulation position.

Three Views of the Rapture by Archer, Feinberg and Moo – The scholars in this book are top drawer and provide excellent essays and counterpoints in the standard format of this genre of books. The introductory historical essay is especially helpful. As I recall, all three scholars are from the Evangelical Free Church whose statement of faith includes (or at least it used to include) the word ‘imminent’ to describe Jesus’ return – makes for an interesting discussion. The picture of the empty shoes on the front cover is also a nice touch!

The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church by Marvin Rosenthal – Rosenthal opens the book by telling the story of how he lost his position as head of Friends of Israel over his rapture position change – a very interesting story! – and then makes a compelling, almost-convincing case for the pre-wrath rapture position. Through informal conversation I have found that there are people out there who quietly find this position worth a look.

 

The Millennium

A Case for Amillennialism by Kim Riddlebarger - This book is a solid presentation of the Amillennial position. You can read my full review here.

Systematic Theology chapter 55, by Wayne Grudem – Grudem provides a helpful overview of the millennial positions and argues for historic pre-millennialism. Grudem is also helpful on the Rapture, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.

“Wonders of the Millennium” by Oswald J. Smith. This is an old sermon preached by this great missionary statesman around 1973. It has an interesting prophetic note in predicting the return of Russian Jews to Israel, many years before it happened.

Heaven and Hell

Heaven by Randy Alcorn - A lot of people have been blessed by this book, and I would add myself to that list!

Hell Under Fire by Christopher Morgan -  This book contains a collection of essays dealing with the Biblical doctrine of Hell. It addresses universalism and annihilationism. Contributors include J.I. Packer and Al Mohler. I read portions of it, including an excellent essay by the editor, Christopher Morgan

Four Views on Hell by Walvoord, Hayes and Pinnock – This book follows the format of this genre of books – essay and brief responses from other essay writers. I only scanned and read a bit of it, but it was helpful to understand the different viewpoints.

Commentaries

Revelation

Grant Osborne’s commentary in the Baker Exegetical Series

Robert Thomas’ Two Volume commentary

Steve Gregg’s four parallel views commentary -  It provides an interesting read as it shows futurist, historic, spiritual and preterist views in parallel columns. Gregg was a charismatic dispensationalist who seems to have changed his mind!

Bill Mounce’s commentary in the NICNT seriesMatthew

D.A. Carson’s commentary in the Expositor’s Commentary Series is helpful, like everything else he writes!

The BIBLE!

Finally, while all these resources help, they won’t get you far unless you become familiar with the important prophetic texts of the Bible:

Revelation

1-2 Thessalonians (esp 1 Thess 4-5, 2 Thess 1-2)

Matthew 24-25

Daniel (esp 7-12)

2 Peter 3

Zechariah 14

Various passages in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel

1 Corinthians 3 on Judgment

1 Corinthians 15 on rapture and resurrection

Many individual passages throughout the Bible (I know that isn’t too helpful but I’m out of time for now and if you follow the cross references on the passages listed above you’ll find some more!)

Blessings!

Tim

Click here for an excellent article by Matt Perman on alleged contradictions in the Bible.

(h/t Tim Challies)

I wrote an article about the same subject about a year ago. I’ve pasted an excerpt below, and you can read the whole thing by clicking here.

Exerpt:

In my own reading and study of the Bible, I have had questions and come across things that initially appeared to be contradictions. Sometimes I have been able to find a solution through further Bible study, prayer, and common sense. At other times I have used the work of scholars who have researched the question or alleged contradiction in detail.  Time after time, my confidence in the Bible has been justified as I have found good answers that give reasonable explanations.

Maybe you have questions about the Bible, or concerns about alleged contradictions. I encourage you to investigate your concerns, and if you would like some help finding answers, I welcome your questions. I think you will find that there are good answers, and that the Bible is indeed reliable. You may also discover the transforming power of God’s Word, and your life may never be the same.