Sam Storms On True Revival

What is a genuine revival? Well... the answer sometimes depends upon who is giving it! A Pentecostal believer might use the word "revival" in a way that is very different from how a Presbyterian or Baptist would use it. And to further complicate things, sometimes believers in the same traditions don't even agree about what constitutes a genuine revival. This is the case with the event at Lakeland's Ignited Church. As word about this event continues to buzz around the Internet, how should we attempt to understand these things? Let me suggest one resource.

Dr. Sam Storms gave an excellent message on this topic at Grace Church in Chapel Hill last week. Using Psalm 85:6 as a starting point he described a biblical definition for genuine revival. Here's the verse: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you ?"

It was perhaps one of the best messages I've heard about the topic of revival (especially in evaluating contemporary events) and I highly recommend his sermon. You can find it at http://www.gracelife.com/ by clicking on the "sermons" button and selecting Sam Storms.

What Was He Thinking?

Have you ever seen someone do something totally crazy or out of character and thought to yourself, "What in the world were they thinking?" That might be your first reaction when you read about David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. We've been looking at David's life for 5 weeks now and there seemed to be no indication that there was this lustful and murderous sin lurking right beneath the surface of this humble worshiper just waiting to explode. Right? But there it is - recorded for all to see in the pages of the Scriptures: lust... abuse of power... adultery... deceit... intentionally getting one of his faithful soldiers drunk... and to top it all off, murder.

Wait a minute, you might be thinking, isn't this David the man after God's own heart? David the giant slayer? David the guy who wrote so many worshipful Psalms? David the one you keep telling us each week that we have "so much to learn" from?

Yeah, that's the guy. How can this be? Go ahead and read 2 Samuel 11 (Psalm 51 might help as well) and join us this Sunday as we answer this question and examine the heart of David when he is at his worst.

Maybe we will discover together that you and I are not all that different from David after all...

A "Must Read" Book!

As part of my preparation to preach this Sunday on 2 Samuel 6, I re-read a portion of R.C. Sproul's book, The Holiness of God. I want to go on record as saying I believe that this book is one of the most important books for Christians to read, and that chapter 6 of this book is exceptionally helpful in teaching us about divine mercy and divine justice. Here is a small taste:

Sproul says, "We often blame God for the injustices done to us and harbor in our souls the bitter feeling that God has not been fair toward us. Even if we recognize that He is gracious, we think that He has not been gracious enough. We think we deserve more grace. Please read that last sentence again: We think we deserve more grace. What is wrong with that sentence? Grammatically it is fine. But there is something seriously wrong with the content, with the meaning of the sentence. It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to deserve grace. As soon as we start talking about deserving something, we are no longer talking about grace; we are talking about justice."

Hopefully that will whet your appetite enough so that you run out and buy this book. R.C. Sproul's writings have had a profound influence upon my understanding of mercy and justice. You will benefit (I hope) from this influence this Sunday as we take a much closer look at divine mercy and divine justice in the life of David.

Why The English Standard Version?

Near the end of last year I began using the English Standard Version more frequently as my preaching Bible. While this move may have seemed sudden to some, it actually has been a long time coming. I've been using this translation privately in my studies for several years. In fact, I came very close to switching to the ESV as my primary preaching Bible in 2002. I even wrote a review six years ago about this translation online at Christian Book Distributors. This is what I wrote (and it is still there at http://www.christianbook.com/):

Reviewed by Rev. Dan Rolfe (Rocky Mount, NC), April 01, 2002
Finally! The translation I have been waiting for has arrived. With accuracy to match the NAS and readability equal to the NIV, the ESV is exactly what I've been looking for. As a minister, the "thought-for-thought" rendering of the NIV has never been a personal favorite of mine, but I have used it for years because it reads with much more ease from the pulpit than the NKJV or the NAS. Now I won't have to sacrifice literal accuracy anymore. I truly hope the ESV becomes the standard for this generation of Christians. I highly recommend the ESV to all who are serious about the Word.


So what took so long for me to begin using it from the pulpit? Did I change my mind? No, but even though I loved the translation, I was curious to see if the ESV would become widely accepted by other evangelicals. It did. You can check out http://www.esv.org/ and see for yourself who endorses it. I also hesitated back in 2002 because I have this (perhaps sinful) resistance to jumping on bandwagons. For example, Prayer of Jabez mania (remember the mugs, t-shirts, bracelets, paperweights?) was long over before I even read the book. I didn't think the ESV was going to be like this, but my natural inclination caused me to be overly cautious. It turns out my hesitancy was totally unnecessary. The ESV is widely accepted and is quickly becoming the standard for many Christians. Including me. I still highly recommend it - and I am eagerly awaiting the ESV Study Bible (available later this year) because several theologians I greatly respect, such as J.I. Packer and Wayne Grudem, were involved in this project.

So there you have it (for any who have been curious), the reason why I have "gone public" with my use of the ESV!

Current Preaching Series: Cultivating A Heart Like David

I am currently preaching about the life of David, a favorite Old Testament hero for so many people. We are studying David because at SHF we so strongly desire to have a passion for God like David did. This man clearly loved to worship God and we have much to learn from his example.

Join us this Sunday (10 am @ Northern Nash Senior High School, Rocky Mount, NC) as we examine David's response when the Lord establishes His covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:18-29.

Welcome To Our Church Blog!

Congratulations, you found us! I am Pastor Dan Rolfe, and this is the online resource center for Servant's Heart Fellowship of Rocky Mount, NC. We are a cross-centered church, building our fellowship with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. For more information about us visit our website www.shfchurch.com

Over the course of the next few weeks we will be adding to our blog, offering articles on a variety of church related topics - from my own favorite Bible translation to answering theological questions people may have about us.

Thanks for stopping by!