I've had the opportunity lately to listen to some fine preaching on the Internet. That's not something I normally do, but I realized after last Sunday that I am hungering and thirsting to hear the Gospel message (rather than fervent pep-talks about being a person of character, or something).
It is, after all, by means of Gospel preaching that the Kingdom of God is advanced. It is my means of Gospel preaching that men and women are effectively "revived," and it is in Gospel preaching that the Christian church fulfills its essential calling. And by "Gospel preaching" I do not simply mean the repetition of the Easter story, but I do mean the careful and disciplined application of the Calvary truths to our lives today. Or, in other words, the provision of New Testament answers to this simple question: What is the significance to me here and now that Jesus was nailed to a cross 2000 years ago? Preacher, that is not a subject you are going to exhaust in a 4-week sermon series. That is, as a matter of fact, a river of living water!
Can you hear the frustration in my blogging tone? Desperation, even? So it came as a pleasant boon to stumble on Francis Chan's message, Lukewarm and Lovin' It. It's a really powerful message that calls us to recall the real meaning of the words, "I am crucified with Christ." [HT: Reformation Nation]
There is one point in Chan's message when he says something like, "People keep asking me what Jesus meant when he said it was hard for a rich man to get into heaven. Well, after 20 years of careful study I have come to the conclusion that Jesus meant, it's hard for a rich man to get into heaven."
Preach it, brother!
1 comment:
Thank you for commenting on this sermon by Francis Chan. I hope that my blog can help you with your frustration in the state of the American Church. There are many out there who feel the way you (and I) do. You are certainly not alone.
If you haven't seen (or heard) the following sermon yet, it is an absolute must! It's by Pastor Paul Washer and it's entitled a "Shocking Sermon."
http://reformationnation.wordpress.com/2007/08/30/paul-washers-shocking-sermon-shocking-only-because-its-so-rare-to-hear-in-america/
This is the video but I also have the audio version for you to download. Just go to my blog at www.ReformationNation.net and click on the Category entitled Paul Washer. There's plenty of gems there to wade through.
While visiting you may want to weigh in on this debate: http://reformationnation.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/pragmatism-taken-to-its-logical-conclusion/
It is an unbelievable example of apostasy within the Body.
Sincerely,
The Pilgrim
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