God's Building Project

One of the books I worked on last year was Haggai. I got a chance to preach it at Stanhope Anglican's Weekend Away in October 2009.

The talks can be found here

Giving myself a wrap!

Izaac things that I'm onto something with T-shirts and theology.

Check out my t-shirt collection over at his blog.

Do yourself a favour!

I recently listened to a stimulating sermon on work by Tim Keller. In it he refers to an article by Dorothy Sayers called 'Why work?'

I have tracked down the article here

She has three propositions:

The first, stated quite briefly, is that work is not, primarily, a thing
one does to live, but the thing one lives to do. It is, or it should be, the
full expression of the workers faculties, the thing which he finds spiritual,
mental and bodily satisfaction, and the medium which he offers himself to
God.

My second proposition directly concerns Christian as such, and it is this.
It is the business of the church to recognise that the secular vocation, as
such, is sacred. Christian people, and particularly perhaps the Christian
clergy, must get it firmly into their heads that when a man or woman is called
to a particular job of secular work, that is as true a vocation as though he or
she were called to specifically religious work.

My third proposition; and this may sound to you the most revolutionary of
all. It is this: the workers first duty is to serve the work.

As I said, do yourself a favour, sit down and read the whole article and ask yourself like I am - is she right? Does she reflect Biblical teaching? Has she understood work from a Biblical Theological perspective?

Why application is more about Jesus than you!

Question: Is it wrong to want application in a talk?

Let's put the question in context. I was speaking from Luke 18:9-14 which is the story about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. They are two very different approaches to God - one comes on his own merits and the other throws himself at the mercy of God. As I have mentioned previously our hearts tend towards wanting to be seen good by God on our own merits not of those of Jesus Christ.

So, how does this get to application?
A common complaint, a criticism of Sydney Anglican preaching is that it lacks solid, practical application. (I personally having spent the last 18 years have never really found this to be true.) And when I surveyed the evening congregation at Norwest one of the responses was people wanted clearer and more specific application. My comment in my talk was that sometimes our strong desire for application or perhaps the bottom line, what it is that the Scriptures want people to do is driven out of legalism.

That is sometimes our desire for the good of application and the 'practical part' feeds into our faulty thinking that we are saved by what we do.

So, is wanting application wrong?
NO!
But it is when you walk away thinking you are saved by what you do.
But it is when you walk away thinking you are saved by your own efforts
But it is when you walk away thinking the Christian life is all about you
But it is when you walk away without the gospel of grace as the framework for ALL application

As I was preparing this talk I read a great article by Phillip Jensen, here is a snippet:

People do not need to hear the lie that they are fundamentally good (with a
little sin problem). Nor do we need more teaching that puts us, instead of
Jesus, at the centre of God's world and plans. 'God loves you and has a
wonderful plan for your life' maybe true but places us at the centre of God's
existence instead of God at the centre of ours. Christian preaching must be more
than spiritualised self help. Such sermons promise help but effectively lock us
into our failures and increase our guilt without relief.

What we must proclaim and hear is of our Creator and his wonderful grace
shown to us in his Son Jesus. What the church and world must hear is of the
victory of Christ in his death, resurrection and ascension and heavenly
rule. What we need to know is the love of God in the forgiveness of sins
and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit bringing new birth. We need
to know the grace of God that takes our sin seriously by paying for it while
extending the acceptance of forgiveness. The gospel truths relieve and revive
but more morality and legalism are but the burden of death to us.

I think I get the vibe - application is more about Jesus than it is about us. What do you think?