See this article for an interesting report of a little known study.
by on 4.25.10
toward an understanding of worldliness – pt. 1
What is worldliness?
On that question hangs a good deal of the debate in Christian circles about which practices are acceptable and appropriate for Christians and which are not. We are surrounded by a mass of Christian relativism that creates great confusion. For some Christians, it seems to have come down to Scriptural prohibitions as the only definition of right and wrong. Almost anything goes. Who is to say what is right and wrong about any lifestyle or practice if it is not specifically prohibited in Scripture?
For example, many Christians today are quite comfortable justifying social drinking. It used to be a major taboo in Bible-believing Christian circles, but is becoming acceptable as long as you don’t get drunk. You see, drunkenness is seen as clearly prohibited by the Bible, so we can’t go that far! But something less than drunkenness is acceptable and shouldn’t be considered worldly.
Well, what is worldliness? I wrote about godliness in an earlier post. Is worldliness an opposite of godliness? What about the Biblical term, ‘ungodliness’? How are ungodliness and worldliness related and what should the Christian do about it?
by on 4.25.10
4.25.10 gbcvic sermons
Last Wednesday’s psalm:
Bless the Lord, O my Soul (2) (Ps 104:1-35)
This psalm, a companion and meditation on Ps 103, speaks to us of our ordered world, set in place by our majestic and glorious God to sustain us and keep us alive so that we might praise him. What folly it is for a sinner to ignore God’s daily doings on his behalf! May we join with the psalmist in his commitment to sing to the Lord.
~~~
Today’s messages:
Abundant Grace, Abundant Righteousness, Abundant LIFE (Rm 5:17)
As we see the unfolding contrasts between the act of Adam and the work of Christ, we come at last to the notion of ‘reigning in life’. The ones who have received the abundant grace of v. 15 and the abundant righteousness of v. 16 receive also the power of grace in life that means not only a future reign, but a present reign in this life through Jesus Christ – a reign over the presence and power of sin as we yield ourselves to the Spirit and grow in grace.
Towards an Understanding of Worldliness (3)
In this lesson we are data gathering in order to get an understanding of Titus 2.12 and the meaning of ‘worldly desires’ in that verse. We are considerning the synonyms and antonyms as they are used in the Scripture to help clarify our understanding about what makes a desire ‘worldly’.
Women, Keep Silent (1 Tim 2:11-14)
In this message, we address a subject that is controversial in our culture, but not controversial in the Bible. The issue is the place of women in the church. The Bible clearly teaches that women are not to teach or take any leadership position over men in the church. The reasons for this order are rooted in the Creation and in the Fall. The spiritually minded gladly receive this word from the Lord and follows it faithfully.
by on 4.21.10
on getting old
Today I was listening to a message from 1985 by Dr. Marvin Lewis. He started off with this:
“Somebody told me one time that you know you are getting old when you know all the answers but nobody asks you the questions.”
by on 4.19.10
4.18.10 gbcvic sermons
Last Wednesday’s Psalm:
Bless the Lord, O my Soul (1) (Ps 103:1-22)
This is the second and last of the psalms named "A Psalm of David" in Book 4 of the psalms. It reflects the thoughts of a mature David, admonishing his own soul in a time of discipline with his knowledge of the Lord’s past benefits and the Lord’s everlasting goodness. David’s thoughts become a hymn for our admonition as well.
Today’s Sermons:
Grace Magnified (Rm 5:16)
Today the contrast between Adam and Christ highlights the incredible magnitude of Christ’s gracious gift. The act of Adam plunged all men into sin – we all sinned in Adam. But we didn’t stop sinning with that one sin. Our lives are filled with sin. The gift of God in Jesus Christ answers every one of those human sins – working out of the many sins it pronounces the sentence: "Just before God". Hallelujah!
Towards an Understanding of Worldliness (2)
Today we make an attempt at defining the term ‘worldly’ and begin to look at a key passage for understanding worldliness, Titus 2.11-12.
Women’s Adorning (1 Tim 2:9-10)
Our message today looks at the topic of women’s dress, especially in the context of public worship. The way a woman dresses should flow from a godly inner testimony, but it does reflect itself in an appropriate, sober, modest style of dress.
by on 4.17.10
on the quality of expository preaching
Expository preaching is all the rage. I remember reading one blogger in ancient internet history proclaiming that his generation would be kept from the errors of the current and preceding generations of fundamentalists by expository preaching.
Well, that remains to be seen.
In the meantime, certain figures are seen by many to be the paragons of expository preaching. After them, as one commenter said, all you hear is “crickets”.
In other words, the world of preaching is dominated by these notable expositors and no one else rates.
Well… I recently had the opportunity of listening to a series by one of these princely preachers. The series was on the preaching of John the Baptist from Luke 3.1-17. The theme of the series was Repentance.
I was surprised at the repeated expositional errors this preacher made.
by on 4.16.10
another difference with DD
I’m not an International Baptist Friend. Dave is (you have to scroll through a lot of Iglesia’s and Independent’s to get to Inter-city). So is my brother!!! (albeit with an ancient address.) Dave points out this as a problem with the list. I suspect it comes from an old David Cloud listing. David C. has removed me from his listing for some reason (doesn’t like my e-mails??)
by on 4.11.10
4.11.10 gbcvic sermons
The 4.7.10 psalm:
Hear My Prayer, O Lord (Ps 102:1-28)
Our psalm looks at a comparison between a man’s days and the Lord’s days. The Psalm has a Messianic flavour that is made definite by Heb 1.10-12. This puts a whole new construction on the psalm, but is in keeping with prophetic themes often seen in the psalms.
~~~
The 4.11.10 messages:
The Abounding Plus (Rm 5:15)
Paul is working toward a comparison of the work of Adam and the work of Christ, but first he must point out ways in which the works contrast rather than compare. The first contrast is this: although Adam’s sin plunged humanity into futility and death, Christ’s work is not simply a reversal of Adam’s sin. Christ’s work is much much more, abundantly more, it is "The Abounding Plus"!
Towards an Understanding of Worldliness
We are working on definitions. Our last lessons brought us to a definition of godliness. Now we are attempting to define worldliness. The first step is to define the term ‘worldly’, since ‘worldliness’ itself is not a Bible term. If we understand ‘worldly’, we will gain some insight into what ‘worldliness’ is. This lesson works through various passages where we find the term ‘worldly’.
Holiness Applied Distinctly (1 Tim 2:8-10)
Today we see that public prayer is ordained by the apostle for the men. The woman’s role in public prayer is supportive. Both men and women are called to every day holiness as their place in the effectiveness of public prayers and worship.
by on 4.6.10
macarthur and separation
I guess this is old news by now, but I just got around to listening to John MacArthur’s opening message for the 2010 Shepherd’s Conference: “Separating from Unbelievers”
I’d encourage you to listen to this message. Other than a few quibbles, I think that pastor MacArthur gives us good reasons for separating from unbelievers when it comes to any kind of joint spiritual enterprise.
However, I do have one major question about this message: Was it Paul’s original intent to limit the application of this passage ONLY to joint spiritual enterprises with unbelievers? Was this kind of thing really a problem in Corinth in AD 56 or so?
by on 4.5.10
it’s not about separation
Tim Challies makes a concluding observation about the Piper-Warren kerfuffle that, I think, misses the point.
At yet let’s heed Piper’s warning not to fall into an error of secondary separation. There is no need for us to separate from Piper over such a decision. We have plenty of latitude to disagree with him; let’s do so with respect for him and for his long and faithful history of ministry to the church. The sky is not falling, the world will go on.
JayC over at Sharper Iron asks a question:
In a context like mine, I’m not really sure that I ~could~ “separate” from Piper. The extent of the relationship that Piper and I have is that I download his books and will occasionally download a sermon. So in what meaningful way could I “separate” from Piper?
Jay’s question is a good one. How would anyone actually do secondary separation from Piper (assuming it is warranted)? In fact, let’s go a step further: How would anyone actually do primary separation from Piper?
The only way I could do either is if I was in some kind of ministry partnership with Piper. That is, if I was also invited to speak at Desiring God, then I could refuse to attend because of the Warren invite. Or if I was on the staff of Bethlehem Baptist, or a member, I could confront Piper personally and if I failed to achieve reconciliation, I could leave. If I were part of the BGC, I could raise the issue in the AGM and, if not satisfied with the Conference response or Piper’s response, I could pull out of the BGC. If I were involved in some other joint ministry with Piper (T4G, etc.) I could tell Piper that either he dis-invites Warren or we are dis-inviting him. Or failing that, I could break my relationship with him in this ministry and simply refuse to participate any longer as long as Piper were to remain part of it.
Have I covered every possibility?
Now, I am in NONE of these relationships with Piper.
So why should I care about who he invites to Desiring God? What difference does it make to me? What, if anything, should I do about it? Should I comment to anyone, should I make any criticism to anyone, should I discuss it with anyone? Should I blog about it?
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