Sunday Quotes!

We finished our series on 1 Peter by focusing upon the last portion of 5:12 "...I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it."

These two quotes were helpful as we considered how to stand in the true grace of God.

“At the end of this letter, Peter is concerned that his readers hold fast to the truth. They have received the gospel of God’s grace. Let them stand fast in it. They cling, not to an impersonal moral code, nor to philosophical abstractions. They cling to the grace of God; not what they have done for God, but what God has done for them in Christ.” -Edmund Clowney

“Forgiven souls are humble. They cannot forget that they owe all they have and hope for to free grace, and this keeps them lowly. They are brands plucked from the fire – debtors who could not pay for themselves – captives who must have remained in prison for ever, but for underserved mercy – wandering sheep who were ready to perish when the Shepherd found them; and what right then have they to be proud? I do not deny that they are proud saints. But this I do say – they are of all God’s creatures the most inconsistent, and of all God’s children the most likely to stumble and pierce themselves with many sorrows.” –JC Ryle

Sunday Quotes!

“It matters nothing what a man is called. He may be a Preacher, Minister, or Deacon. He is still a fallible man! Neither the education, nor the anointing oil, nor the laying on of hands, can prevent a man from making mistakes.” -JC Ryle The Fallibility of Ministers

I quoted Ryle to reinforce the point that leaders should always be pursuing humility as they set an example for the church to follow. I actually could have quoted much more from him because JC Ryle has so much to say to leaders. His two little sermon booklets The Fallibility of Ministers and Simplicity in Preaching are "must reads" for anyone in pastoral ministry.

Things We Hold Dear: Humble Leadership

I sat at a recent conference and listened as CJ Mahaney preached about leadership. During the message he said, "We should be both amazed and humbled that God has called us to shepherd His flock." We should be amazed because, to be quite frank about it, we aren't much to look at. And we should be humbled for the exact same reason. It was very good for me to be reminded of this and it made me even more grateful for our church's leadership.

At SHF, we're not just looking to train and raise up leaders who are talented or gifted. These things are important, but they are not adequate in themselves. We also want leaders who are obviously and openly pursuing humility. Leaders who are growing in love for the Savior and for the local church. Leaders who are grateful for the gospel and eager to serve. Leaders who are still amazed by grace. As part of our 1 Peter series I'll be preaching this Sunday about humble leadership... something we hold dear.

Sunday Quotes!

I preached out of 1 Peter 4:7-11, which includes these verses: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." (verses 8-9). Here are two quotes:

“Where love abounds in a fellowship of Christians, many small offenses, and even some large ones, are readily overlooked and forgotten. But where love is lacking, every word is viewed with suspicion, every action is liable to misunderstanding, and conflicts abound – to Satan’s perverse delight.” -Wayne Grudem

“Christians are to provide hospitality without complaining or whining about the time and expense involved. This is an expression of agape love.” -David Walls

The second quote prompted people to go out to eat after the service for immediate application. As a side note - I promise to never use an illustration in a sermon that involves pregnant women and stretchy pants ever again. I'm an experienced enough preacher to know when an illustration bombs big time!

Without Grumbling!

I've heard Christians say that 1 Peter 4:9 is one of the hardest verses to put into practice. Here it is: "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." The hospitality part isn't so difficult, after all, many of us are willing to at least spend some time with other believers. It is the last two words of the verse that we struggle with - "without grumbling."

What's the problem here? I'll say it as clear as I can. Hospitality is often very inconvenient. To genuinely offer hospitality we must be willing to spend extended periods of time with other Christians. The problem is our sinful hearts. Sometimes we can be too selfish with our time, and when we do spend it with other believers... we end up grumbling about it.

Is there hope for us? Absolutely! We will be looking at this on Sunday as we once again gaze upon the Savior and apply His Holy Word. To get prepared go ahead and read 1 Peter 4:7-11.

Suffering, Who Needs It?

Let me be very honest. I don't like suffering. Not in any of its various forms - illness, persecution, or pain. I don't like sickness (I'm not a quiet patient - just ask my wife). Or suffering for making poor decisions. And I certainly don't like suffering of any kind that involves pain. Why is this, you ask? The answer is selfishly simple: I am a person who struggles with being in control. I know it's sinful, but it is true. I love "ordering my day" around those things that I want to accomplish, and when suffering (in any form) bumps into my neat schedule and disrupts it I can get _______________. (You fill in the blank)

Suffering reminds me that I am not in control. Suffering has a way of smashing my "I'm in control" illusion like nothing else can. How do we correctly respond to suffering - regardless of how it arrives? What is a biblical perspective for suffering? And how can we prepare ourselves in advance for suffering?

We'll answer these questions this Sunday as we continue our 1 Peter study. We're back in chapter 3, verses 13-22. See you Sunday!

Biblical Marriage On Display

I'm convinced that our culture doesn't have a clue when it comes to marriage. So many people today view it as a temporary arrangement, easily broken when it is no longer convenient. Additionally, people clearly do not understand the divine purpose of marriage, or the roles of husbands and wives in marriage. And yet, the Bible is pretty clear about this. It really is not as complicated as some would try to make it.

We will explore a variety of issues this Sunday - including hairstyles, clothes, attitudes of wives, priorities of husbands, and prayer - but with one goal in mind: At Servant's Heart Fellowship we want passionate and biblical marriages that glorify God! Join us in this pursuit as we examine 1 Peter 3:1-7.

"Take This Job And..."

Ever struggle with maintaining a godly attitude while at the workplace? You are not alone. Grumbling about work is probably on most people's "top ten" list of personal sins committed each week. In fact, it is probably so common for us that we no longer even recognize this as a sin, but simply as a part of accepted cultural expressions, like that Johnny Paycheck song. After all, aren't most bosses unfair? Is it really that big of a deal if I complain about my job? Interesting questions... let's find out together this Sunday as we look at 1 Peter 2:18-25.

I think the answers may include something you didn't quite expect!

Finally Back In 1 Peter!

After spending a few weeks reminding ourselves of the importance of both the Church of Christ and the Cross of Christ we are turning our attention back to our study of 1 Peter.

This Sunday we will zero in on this verse: "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (1 Pet. 2:17)

What does this verse mean? And how does this relate to our attitude and behavior towards our fellow citizens... our government... or our president? Come find out - join us this Sunday as we humbly ask God to adjust our lives as we look again intently into His holy Word!

Read ahead to get ready: 1 Peter 2:13-17

What Do You Think About At Christmas?

While preparing for this week's message (1 Peter 1:10-12) I asked myself this question: what do I think about most during Christmas time? The gifts I might get? Or give? Christmas cookies? Visiting relatives? The look on my oldest son's face when he opens his pink fluffy slippers on Christmas morning?

Gifts are cool - I've finally conquered the Grinch within - when they foster appreciation and genuine affection and not feed greed. But the Scriptures give me something much more important to think about during this and every season: the salvation purchased for me by the suffering Savior. This is what Peter writes about in verse 10 when he begins, "Concerning this salvation..."

Join us this Sunday as we gaze upon this great salvation. It is something that amazes the angels and the prophets of old longed to know more about. I hope we will all be freshly affected by the Savior's loving sacrifice and the gift of salvation! Merry Christmas!

Suffering And Worship?

Maybe the title confused you. When I say "suffering and worship" I'm not talking about any one's Sunday morning experience of suffering through the worship service! This is not about singing the same chorus 10 times in a row, or gritting your teeth while a musician keeps messing up your favorite hymn, or listening to a boring preacher's monotone voice for an hour. Not that these things ever happen at our church, well... at least not the singing or musical part! (By the way, that kind of "suffering" reveals more about our maturity as believers than we probably want it to... but that's another topic.)

No, when I say "suffering and worship" I mean that these two words actually go hand-in-hand. We can worship God in the midst of our suffering. How is this possible? Join us Sunday as we look to the apostle Peter for the answer!

Hint: read 1 Peter 1:3-9

Exploring First Peter

The well-known Reformation theologian John Calvin wrote this in his introduction to 1st Peter:

"The design of Peter in this Epistle is to exhort the faithful to a denial of the world and a contempt of it, so that being freed from carnal affections and all earthly hindrances, they might with their whole soul aspire after the celestial kingdom of Christ, that being elevated by hope, supported by patience, and fortified by courage and perseverance, they might overcome all kinds of temptations, and pursue this course and practice throughout life."

Alright, two things immediately occur to me when I read this. First, I can hear both my Elementary grammar teacher and my college English professor saying, "That is a run-on sentence..." Second, I'm reminded of why Calvin is still a resource that so many turn to when studying the Scriptures. His passion for understanding the Bible is still evident after all these years. Go ahead, read his run-on sentence one more time.

Calvin suggests that Peter's "design" is for believers: To deny the world... to be free from carnal affections... to aspire with their whole soul after Christ's kingdom... to overcome all kinds of temptation... and to do this throughout their whole life!

This design of Peter is also a personal desire for myself and my church family. This is why we at Servant's Heart Fellowship will now turn our attention to 1st Peter. Join us as we start chapter 1 this Sunday, and I pray that this portion of God's Word may cause our hearts to blaze with passion for our Savior!