God's Leading

 Many have asked me this question, "Brady, what led you to become a pastor?" And many times I give them the shortened version; but there is a long version also.....

Therefore, I thought I'd share it with you!

But just a quick note about this.....I like sharing this story of how God has worked; but I don't do it out of arrogance. It is absolutely humbling to be able to study God's Word and proclaim God's Word. It is an honor and a privilege; so please don't think I am coming to you out of an arrogant attitude.

And oh yeah.....I don't have it all figured out either....


Well, to answer this question in short; it would be that God led me to be a pastor by working through many people and events in my life constantly confirming His call on my life.

So to start it off......

When I was super young--before my teens--I always wanted to be a Police Officer or a Firefighter because I wanted to save people. However, God had different plans of saving people....

In my 8th grade year at Byron Center Christian School there was an event in my family that lasted for a while. And during this traumatic and life-changing time; I saw how the people of Heritage CRC gathered around my family showing their love and support for us.

I also took great note of how my pastors at the time; Pastor Kevin Stieva and Youth Pastor Todd Kuperus took special care of me--especially for me it was Pastor Todd.

I also received great care from the principal Glenn Hendriks and the History teacher Tom DeBlecourt. I remember sitting in Tom's room as he went around the class checking our homework and he came to me and I didn't have it done. The night before was a rough one and I couldn't focus to get it done. Therefore I asked him, "Can I talk with you after class?"

I still don't know why I asked this, but I did. And we spent the next two hours talking about the situation and everything else. He was there for me; he cared for me and I appreciated that in such a marvelous and magnificent way!

Through all these situations I kept thinking, "I sure do want to help people someday like these people have helped me so much!"

The Lord was working already.

Fast-forward to my 16th birthday. An exciting time between my Freshmen and Sophomore year of high school at South Christian. After opening gifts, blowing out candles, I was sitting on the picnic table outside our camp trailer at Holland State Park (just like every other year). My family was there and then my Mom popped the question,

"So Brady, what do you want to be when you get older?"

I answered in the most sarcastic way ever, "I want to be a pastor!"

To this day, I still don't know what caused me to answer this way or to respond this way; only God knows.

My Mom kept asking me over the course of the next few months if I really wanted to be a pastor. And I kept responding, "yes".

Pastor Todd Kuperus got wind of this somehow (now I know parents are sneaky). He met with me once and then we continually met every single month until the day he departed Byron Center. He brought to my attention a program called "Facing Your Future" at Calvin Theological Seminary. It is a program for those interested in ministry which explores various ministries and listen to lectures on ministry for those who have completed their Junior or Senior year of high school. I signed up and was accepted into the program and attended this program after my Junior year of high school. It was life-changing.

God, through this program, opened up my eyes to what ministry is and where it can happen. It isn't just from the pulpit and doesn't just happen in the church.

It happens in El Paso, Texas where a man teaches Spanish speaking people how to read, write and speak English by using the Bible as the curriculum.

It occurs in hospitals as chaplains lead services and visit patients.

It is an everyday occurrence.

After these three weeks of intense ministry focused sessions; I felt God tugging on my heart to go into pastoral ministry somewhere. And I was open to HIS leading--anywhere.

Throughout high school, I earned the nickname 'Rev' by fellow classmates and athletes as I was the one who would pray before games and before meals. I also found that I had a deep love for the Scripture and love for studying it.

Rewind lots of years. I don't exactly remember how old I was; but my church goes on mission trips every year over the high school spring break to Kentucky. One year, my parents (whom I haven't thanked enough for this) decided we, as a family, should go. We have gone on them every single year except one. And I missed 4 years while I was in college due to different spring breaks. Through these trips, God also was focusing my mind and my heart on ministry--helping others. I have also been apart of the mission trips offered through the youth group I attended. These were extremely formidable times for my heart by God. And I have to thank God for working in my parent's lives and hearts to say 'yes' to this wonderful opportunity of service!

However, (back to Senior year of high school) I really wanted to play soccer in college and study ministry. So I checked out random colleges and my coaches were certain that I could make it at the college level playing soccer--the game I loved.

The first college that I learned of, was at Facing Your Future, and it was Kuyper College (formerly Reformed Bible College--RBC) which as a ministry focus college and had a great Pre-Seminary scholarship. But one problem existed in my mind--it had no sports. So it was out of the question.

I then checked out different colleges and visited a few of them. But I either didn't like the school or the soccer team/coach.

And one day on a game day for basketball, I ended up at Kuyper College (I still don't know why). And the moment I stepped into the door--I realized that God was going to have me here--this was HIS college that HE wanted me to go to. I felt peace. I felt peace probably because I realize I was running from what God wanted--like Jonah--except thank God I didn't get swallowed by a great fish! Now, I was at peach and felt the peace of God rush through me as I met with professors. And in my Sophomore year there, they got a soccer team; so I was able to play!

After visiting, I was aware of a full-ride scholarship to Kuyper College in their Pre-Seminary program; with the condition that I HAD to attend Calvin Theological Seminary to achieve some sort of degree. This sounded wonderful to me at the time; so I applied and received it! Praise the Lord!

During my time at Kuyper College(2007-2011), there were some major ups and downs that I had to deal with--they were all personal things that I needed to get through. I met my best friends there, including my roommate Harrison Burgett(Harry) who is so similar to me! And my other friend Michael Becze (BZ). And my friend Alistair Whytock(Al or Shamus) and my moped riding partner Jonathan Stockeland (Viking). And my other friend Jonathan Van Dyke(JVD). These men have all played a pivotal role in my formation as a godly man as well as a preacher.

God knew who I would meet and what I would go through. He went through each obstacle and trying situation AND all the good times right along with me. For which I am extremely grateful!

In my Sophomore year at Kuyper College a lady came to visit named Amy Bloomquist. She was representative from A Christian Ministries in the National Parks (ACMNP). I looked into it and it sounded thrilling! What they do is they place seminarians and college students in the National Park system to work there and lead worship services! I was placed in Grand Canyon National Park and what a blessing this time was to form me as a preacher! We led worship services for the guests and those who worked at the park each night. I would lead on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. I worked Monday through Friday in the warehouse counting souvenirs(not fun). And then on Friday evening, I would head into the canyon and get out on Sunday. I hiked a lot. I learned a lot about God, myself and ministry. I recommend this to any college or seminary student!

And then I received a phone call in the beginning of August while I was still in Grand Canyon National Park. I still remember I had just got done eating my dinner and was sitting on the edge of the canyon. It was from Pastor Todd. He had called before just to check in; so I figured it was the same conversation which was to take place. However, as the call continued on I knew there was some reason why he called. And then he said it.

He was taking a call to Bradenton CRC in Florida. I was devastated. This man had played such an influential role in forming me as a seeker of ministry and as a man of God. I tried to act excited for him, but I couldn't. My heart broke and I cried like a baby who just lost his favorite blanket (which happened to me--just ask my Mother). I was going to return home to Michigan and he wouldn't be there. I was not going to have a person to ask questions of or to get lunch or dinner or breakfast with every month....to say the least; I was devastated.

However, a week later I received an email from the president of council at Heritage CRC. I don't think I had ever talked to him before; so I wasn't sure what it was about. He explained how Pastor Todd took a call to Florida and how Pastor Todd recommended me and council approved me to fill his position as the "Part-Time Spiritual Leader of the Youth" at Heritage CRC for one year.

I was dumbfounded....me? Really? You have got to be kidding me. I bet he emailed the wrong person. However, after speaking to the president of council a few hours later on the phone; I realized he was serious and the email did go to the correct person.

Hmmmm......

I prayed about it many times and within a few days I gave him an answer. I told him that I would joyfully accept this position. I still don't remember what feelings were going through my mind or heart at the time; so I really can't say too much about it.

And the funny thing is that I always told myself that I could NEVER do youth ministry. God was clearly thinking differently.

During the my first year of ministry at Heritage CRC to the youth, I realized how much I absolutely loved ministering to the youth. Therefore, I expressed this to the president Tim Licatesi and his trusty elder, Larry Terborg and they brought this to council and my 'contract' was extended a year with more hours. And this is how it went year to year. I now have completed my fourth year and will start, Lord willing in my fifth year this fall! And I absolutely love it!

A quick note about this youth director position. Many people think that this is just a 'stepping stone' into full-time ministry. I don't see it that way. I think if I saw it that way, then I would have a different attitude of "Okay, I'm just gonna put my time in and get ready for the next bigger and greater thing." Well, I don't believe that being a youth pastor, doesn't put me on the 'low end of the totem pole'. There is no ladder to climb in ministry; no job promotion to a greater level. Ministry is ministry. And a Youth Minister is just as important as a Senior Pastor. (And this is not just because I am doing youth ministry--it is because I am showing that I don't view youth ministry as MY stepping stone). Therefore, this ministry that I am involved in and lead; is not a stepping stone for the pastorate (Lord willing). It surely is a time of growth and learning--yes. But I don't view it as a stepping stone to bigger and better things (hope that makes sense).

And another quick word about these two men--Tim and Larry. My first year was fun and good. However, this first year and the second they were amazing at checking in with me and forming me as a youth minister by getting me organized and helping me with different thigns as well as answering questions that I had. They were such a blessing and I cannot thank God enough for them in my life! I don't think I've ever told them that.....I will do that.

I then graduated from Kuyper College(2011) with a deep love for God's Word and theology. I was accepted to Calvin Theological Seminary in their Masters of Divinity program. And now I will start my final year this Fall and Lord willing graduate next May!

Over the course of these years, there wasn't really 'one' moment in time where I just knew God was calling me to be a pastor; it was many events and people which God placed in my life to confirm this calling. For an image, I would say that it has been like walking up stairs.

And over these years I have spoken at many different places and in front of many people for various reasons--chapels were the main thing; speaking in church; youth group; preaching a little and others. All these times have confirmed God's calling on my life.

And there have also been many people who have helped me in this journey as I stated above; however, the four most influential people in this process were my Dad, my Mother, my brother Brandon(and now Katie and Nolan) and my sister Brianna. They continually guided me; provided encouragement during the MANY tough and challenging circumstances; they gave me advice in certain situations; they have asked questions of me; they have challenged me; they have gave me hope; they have provided many laughs; and lastly, they have let God work through them to help mold me to man that I am today.

You know, there are many books out there about being a "pastor's wife"; however, I haven't found ANY about being a "Pastor's Family" or "How to Raise a Pastor". So maybe we can write it? What do you think family?

I only say this because it hasn't been a smooth and easy road down this journey. There have been bumps, hills and mountains that we have had to face TOGETHER. But the fact that we are still here together today to speak about God's grace which has held us together and His love which has been lavished upon us; is absolutely amazing. The devil has worked over-time on us; however, we(mainly my parents!) have relied heavily on the Holy Spirit's guidance and lead with the cross of Christ front and center knowing that the victory has already been won. And it is by God's grace that we are the family that we are today and I can only say....

Thank you Dad and Mom for everything.

Thank you Brandon and Katie and Nolan for everything.

Thank you Brianna for everything.

Thank you God for everything(especially my family!).

For to God, belongs all glory and all honor and all praise.

As I've been preaching much more often and in different churches; I have come to love it. I love studying God's Word and I love preaching God's Word. It is such a blessing!

And I must say that it is truly humbling and an honor and a privilege to be able to read God's Word; to study God's Word; to share God's Word and to proclaim God's Word.

And to think that when I was a little kid (ask my Dad or Mom for what grade/age) I used to stutter; like not just a little bit---A LOT! (Ask Brandon or Brianna or Dad and Mom for some stories--they've got a ton; and I must admit that they are pretty funny!)

And from a stutter that was healed (thank you speech pathologist and God!) to now standing in front of people and speaking?

How could I claim any success for myself--it is all God.

This story is all about God.

Let me say that again; this story is not about Brady; it is about God.

God working through people to mold me.

And God working through events to mold me.

GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD 

To God be ALL the glory.

As of Late

This week has been good.

I am not preaching in the AM or PM this weekend for various of reasons; one of which that the council was giving me the time off to 'rest'. I know what you're thinking; "Brady, didn't you just have the week off?" Why yes I did. But I've got the remainder of my time here--5 weeks and it is going to be busy, busy busy!

But this week was good to catch up and plan ahead.

I've started the Adult Education class I am leading on Sundays at 11 AM on 1 Corinthians. The first week was great and this week should be good also!

On Tuesday I went to the beach at night and had a camp fire on the beach which was awesome!

We were at Bolsa Chica beach which costs $15 to park....and the dutch part of me was saying, "Since I am going to be there from 5:30-8:30 I am not going to pay that. So I searched for FREE parking. And I found some! I was told they were in between lifeguard towers 22 and 23.

When I got out of my vehicle after finding a parking spot and making my way to the beach, I found the nearest lifeguard tower and read it and it said '28'. So I knew I was in for a long walk. Therefore, I left my sandals in the vehicle and started walking.....and I walked some more....and some more....and finally reached it. I realized my feet were hurting a bit because I was walking on the paved path by the beach....but I didn't know it was this bad.....check it out...

So those white oval like things on my heels are the result of my foolishness...blisters. Now I feel pain every time weight is put on them; I guess you can say that I learned my lesson.....

The rest of the week consisted of preparing for Adult Education this week which is 1 Corinthians 1:4-9. I was able to Skype with Brian Keuning, a young man of God that I've thoroughly enjoyed learning from and getting together multiple times.

We each reflected on how we got together 3-4 months ago and we had no idea what God had in store for us this summer and for him; next fall. And God has graciously provided for us and opened up doors greater than we could imagine! God's provision is such an important aspect of our lives that we NEED to reflect on. Thanks Brian for helping me do this! (and hope you don't mind the pictures!)

Which reminds me to say, that if you want to Skype or Facetime or call or whatever, please do!

Today (Friday), I went to the Artesian Christian Home with an elder, Jerry Westra. I went with him to visit Ida den Ouden who was placed on hospice before I left for MI and now I was going to meet all those who were members of BellOne (First CRC) in the Home. What a blessing this morning was to meet all of them and talk with them! Such wonderful saints of God! And Jerry sure does know how to love on those elderly members and make them feel important for the Kingdom of God and for the glory of God. We then enjoyed a nice meal at Don Jose's which was delightful.

I then looked for possible hikes I could go on for tomorrow(Saturday) and now I am enjoying some blogging time.

Blessings!

Book Reviews

As some of you know, one thing that I have a lot of is books......this is true. Therefore, I thought I'd give you a list of some that I have read with a little review of them:

1. The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. This book deals largely with putting off the old self--dealing with the sin in our lives. It has short chapters which are easily readable in 5-10 minutes. It is in the prequel to the book The Practice of Godliness by Bridges of which I am now reading. This book emphasizing the putting on the new self--growing in Christian character.

2. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. I was recommended this book by my Uncle before I left for California. I really wanted to get it before I went, so Denae purchased it for me and now I've finished reading it. Bridges deals with the sins that we sometimes don't think are as big of sins as other such as pride, anxiousness, worry, anger, worldliness, frustration, etc. Very fine book that is well written from the roots of Scripture Bridges shows how these sins are sins and offers helpful ways to overcome them.

3. Sex and the Supremacy of Christ by Justin Taylor and John Piper. I bought this book in 2009 because my friend recommended it to me, but I neglected to read it. However, I've now finished it and I highly recommend this to any high school student, college student or above. A phenomenal book on how to approach sexuality from the rule of Christ. The introduction is absolutely breath-taking.

4. God is the Gospel by John Piper. In this book Piper explains how "we have turned the love of God and the Gospel of Christ into a divine endorsement of our delight in many lesser things, especially the delight in our being made much of." A great help to me in my personal life as well as the sermon series on The Gospel that I've been doing.

5. The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler. I am not too far into this book, yet it has been a phenomenal read thus far and help for the series I am doing. Absolutely great read and a must read for those of you who are Christians.

I've enjoyed my nights out here getting reading done while I sit on my back porch. It truly has been a blessing to just sit, watch the sunset and read a good book.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

This past week was a busy one.

On Monday, I made it back out here to California safely. I pretty much just laid around all day and did some reading. And in the evening I went to Eric and Jenn's house for dinner; we had fajitas and they were delicious! We then planned out the next four Sunday's due to Eric taking a much needed vacation and time of rest.

On Tuesday, I began sermon preparation.

On Wednesday, I sermon prepped and then Matt and Chelsey and Keith and Carmen came over with their kids to have a BBQ. We cooked some type of meat (forgot what it was); then had a great time of fellowship!

On Thursday, I hosted some more people in the evening playing games and hanging out--another great night!

On Friday, the church was going to the Los Angeles Angel's baseball game verse the Oakland Athletics of which I attended as well. It was a great time and the Angels even won!

I was the only one in my section to celebrate Albert Pujols' homerun! Then the next homerun, more people cheered :)

Then on Saturday morning, I was invited to go golfing with some guys from church and that went well!

And this is when it begins to get interesting.

My responsibilities for Sunday were Preaching and leading both the AM/PM services as well as teaching adult education on 1 Corinthians. So I knew I was going to be busy, but I was confident I could handle it.

As I went to print out the final copy of my sermon after the corrections from the hard copy; somehow something went wrong with my technology and it was gone--completely gone. I still had the hard copy, but it was without the corrections; therefore I had to re-do the morning sermon by typing it over...grrr...

Then on Saturday evening I stayed up late finishing the teaching and handout for adult education. I decided that I would just print it on Sunday AM before the service. Well, when I got to the study to print it off, it was gone. So I quickly retyped everything at 6 AM. And then prepared for Sunday AM.

Both services as well as adult education went fantastic! It was amazing despite all my mistakes of not-saving and other things.

So that was the past week.

This week I am only responsible for teaching adult education--there is pulpit supply in the AM. I am going to enjoy this rest as well as work ahead for the weeks to come.

Blessings!

Roman 1:16-17 "Extra! Extra! Read All About it! The Gospel Power of God"

I. Introduction

People of God, in the world today there are many people who have power.

·         People such as Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, or Queens

·         Those who are in the military have a sense of power. At the Los Angeles Angel’s baseball game on Friday evening; there were military members who were shown on the big screen and people began standing and clapping—showing their appreciation for them—it was definitely a powerful moment.

·         Professional athletes also have a great amount of power

·         Famous people who are on TV, who are in movies or music stars all have power

However, not only do people have power in our world, but there are also many things and items which have power; things like:

·         Weapons due to the amount of damage they can do are named as ‘powerful’

·         The words which we say can be extremely powerful whether they are used in a good or bad manner

·         Often times, when people get done watching a movie, as you walk out of the movie theatre some will say, “Wow! That was a powerful movie!”

·         There are also powerful tools or heavy equipment which we can use to get a project done; in fact, some even are named ‘power tools’

·         There is power in advertisements—whether they are on billboards, in the newspaper or on TV or heard through the radio—you know; those catchy phrases which grab our attention and motivate us to purchase something or go and do something

·         And in the Sports world, the word ‘power’ is used in many places:

o   In Basketball, there is a special move that a player can do called the ‘power moved’ and even a position is called ‘the power forward’

o   In Baseball, when a player can hit the ball really hard and really far—such as the Detroit Tigers 3^rd baseman, Miguel Cabrera—they are known as a ‘power hitter’

o   In Gymnastics, when a performer has great routine, the announcers usually call this a ‘powerful performance’

I am sure many of you could name a few more things or people in the world who are powerful; this is just a sampling of the things which have power in our world.

            But now, let’s take a step back into time to the 1^st century, when this letter was written. Many things in the 1^st century that held power still hold power in the 21^st century such as: government officials, athletes, religious people, cities, etc. And one city that was considered to be a ‘powerhouse’ was the city of Rome. Rome was the most influential and the city which held the most power in its day.

            Although Paul had never visited Rome, he desired to do so, in order that he could preach the Gospel there to strengthen the Roman Christians. Because he couldn’t visit them, the next best and quickest thing to do, was to write a letter to them. Therefore this letter that we have today is Paul preaching to the Romans through written words rather than spoken words; therefore Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians is the purest Gospel and the most basic comprehensive statement of Christianity.

            Many Christians have memorized many verses from Romans and perhaps vs 16-17 which we have read; are some of the most well known. These two verses are the theme for the whole letter; the essence of Christianity and the heart of Biblical religion.

            These verses tell us three things which will be our outline this morning:

·         First, the Gospel power of God is not something to be ashamed of

·         Second, the Gospel power of God is a saving power

·         And third, the Gospel power of God stretches across and over any international boundary

II. The Gospel Power of God is Not Something to Be Ashamed Of

            Paul begins vs 16 by emphatically saying, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel…” And the word ‘ashamed’ here is an interesting one. In the Greek the word ‘ashamed’ can also mean ‘to be embarrassed or having fear of being ridiculed because of one’s beliefs or actions.’ This sense of embarrassment or ashamedness happens to us usually when we are associated with something unpopular or un-cool.

            Therefore, what Paul is telling us by using this word is that the Gospel is something that isn’t popular. The Gospel wasn’t popular in the 1^st century and in the 21^st century, not much as changed because the Gospel is still not popular. But even though it was unpopular; Paul clearly wasn’t ashamed the Gospel and would share this freely with anyone. But how could he do this? How could he not be ashamed of something unpopular? Well, he definitely had his reasons for not being ashamed of the Gospel and these reasons are the same for us today—there are a total of 8.

            The first reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because the word Gospel means ‘good news’. We have studied this before and will continue to study it—the Gospel means ‘good news’. And because it is good news, we shouldn’t be ashamed of it. Think about it a minute, are you ashamed to share good news? Good news such as a job promotion at work, the birth of a child or the surprise of an engagement. Do you usually share those with eagerness or are you ashamed to share good news? Most times, we are eager to share good news that we have.

            However, on the other hand, bad news is something that we can easily be ashamed of sharing.

·         Like when a doctor has to bring bad news because of bad test results to a family; he doesn’t rush to the room that they are in; rather there is some hesitancy as he walks down the hall and slowly opens the door.

·         Or like when a police officer knocks on your door in the middle of the night explaining that a loved one was in a serious car accident. There is hesitancy in how he drives to your house and slowly walks up your sidewalk to your front door. This is because bad news is something that we are ashamed of; but the Gospel isn’t bad news—it is good news!

And this good news is about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

            A second reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because the Gospel is about salvation. It isn’t about any salvation though; it is about the saving of ourselves.

            A third reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because the Gospel is God’s way of salvation; not man’s way. How could we be proud of salvation if it found its starting point in sinful men and women? Salvation that is from God, is the salvation which we needed. And this is what we have in Christianity;

·         Christianity is God’s reaching out to save perishing men and women; it is not sinners reaching out to seize God [Let me say that again]

A fourth reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because it is the power of God. The Gospel is not evidence of man’s power and it does not include man’s power; the Gospel is itself power.

      A fifth reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because the Gospel is for everyone. Once again, in this passage and in Luke 2 that we studied 2 weeks ago, we see clearly that the Gospel is for everyone.

      A sixth reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because the Gospel has been revealed to us. The Gospel would still be wonderful if it wasn’t revealed to us, but then we would not know of it. We would have the same dreary outlook on life just as an unsaved person does. But praise be to God for revealing this way of salvation for us!

      A seventh reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of this Gospel is because the Gospel concerns a righteousness from God. By ourselves, we cannot be righteous or gain righteousness. Therefore we needed a righteousness from God’s own nature in order to be saved. And this is what we have from Jesus Christ—His righteousness was imputed or given to us. He provided the righteousness that we needed.

      The eighth and final reason why we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel is because the Gospel is received by us only through faith. Faith is the channel by which we receive this glorious gift from God.          

So in light of these 8 reasons, we can clearly know that there is no reason for us to be ashamed of the Gospel no matter how unpopular or uncool it is. For the Gospel is the power of God providing the salvation of all who believe and receive by faith that the righteousness from Christ is enough to cover their sin.

III. The Gospel Power of God is a Saving Power

            The Gospel is clearly something that we shouldn’t be ashamed of, and secondly, the Gospel power of God is a saving power. The Gospel is powerful enough to accomplish God’s purpose which is to save us from sin’s pollution.

·         But Paul isn’t saying that the Gospel is about God’s power as if the Gospel were simply pointing us to a power beyond our own self

·         And Paul isn’t saying that the Gospel is the source of power that we can get from God when we want at our own convenience to save ourselves

·         And the Paul isn’t saying that the Gospel is a channel through which this power operates through

·         No, Paul is saying that the Gospel itself is that power; in other words, the Gospel has power and this power is the power of God

·         The Gospel is the way by which God accomplishes salvation in those who are being saved

John Calvin emphasizes this point in his commentary on this passage. He says that the Gospel which Paul is referring to in Romans 1:16-17 is not only referring to the work done by God through Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Rather, I would agree with Calvin in what he says that Paul is emphasizing the saving power of God through the actual preaching and reading of the Scripture. So what Calvin means is that through the preaching and reading of the Gospel, the power of God is powerful enough to save men and women.

In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul also emphasizes this point of how foolish it is to preach the Gospel it is only considered from a human perspective. And I’ve heard many times throughout my ministry that people in the church would rather have a sermon that lasted no longer than 20 minutes. They defend their point by saying, “I can’t sit that long in one spot” or “I just get bored and can’t concentrate for that long” or “You know, I don’t have time for this; I’ve got to be home preparing lunch and then I’ve got to get ready for next week!” And some even say, “I just can’t remember what he preaches anyways.”

So because of these reasons, many people want sermons that do not exceed 20 minutes; they want sermons that are funny and/or entertaining; they want sermons that are short and too the point. You see, these reasons given are all from a human perspective on preaching. And because they have a human perspective of preaching, they consider preaching to be foolish. And the apostle Paul, many pastors who I’ve talked with and I as well would wholeheartedly agree that preaching is foolishness when it is considered from a human perspective. 

However, when we consider preaching from the perspective of God and we realize the saving power that it has; then it certainly isn’t foolish by any standard! When God’s saving power is demonstrated through preaching; it clearly isn’t foolish. Think for a minute about the book of Acts; specifically chapter 2—the Day of Pentecost. There are many people gathered in the city of Jerusalem—the disciple Peter stands up and preached a Gospel centered sermon and God worked by cutting the people to the heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. There was saving power in that sermon because 3,000 were saved that day. And later on in chapter 2, we find that the “Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The Gospel power of God is a saving power when it is preached because of God working and without God working; then clearly preaching is foolish.

But God’s saving power is not only found in the preaching of the Gospel. It is also found in the public and personal reading of Scripture. Professor Michael Williams, who is the Old Testament and Hebrew professor at Calvin Theological Seminary where I attend, is a testament to the saving power of God in the reading of Scripture. He tells the story of how when he was in the Navy, he was aboard a submarine under the ocean somewhere. He was given a Bible before his deployment and he began with Genesis and read all the way through to Revelation—from cover to cover. In his personal reading time of God’s Word; the saving power of the Gospel penetrated his heart and he was converted through the saving power of the Gospel being read. He is not the only example of this though; there are many others who join him who have either heard God’s Word read publicly or in their personal time have been cut to the heart by the saving power of the Gospel.

This story and the knowledge of the saving power of God should clearly drive us to God’s Word each day in personal devotion time. And the knowledge of the saving power of God should also have us desiring to be here in this place each Sunday morning and evening to hear God’s Word proclaimed. And people of God, when we don’t do these things; we are clearly underestimating the saving power of God found in the Gospel. The Gospel has saving power—in the preaching and reading of it—may we never underestimate this saving power.

IV. The Gospel Power of God Is An International Power

            As we noted in the beginning, there are many people who have lots of power in the world today. In an article in Forbes magazine, they listed the top 71 people who had the most power in the world. Here is just a few of them:

·         President Obama was listed because he leads and guides one of the most influential countries in the world—the United States of America—therefore his power is limited to the land and people of America

·         Pope Bendict was listed because he is responsible for 1.1 billion souls which is equivalent to one-sixth of the worlds population; therefore his power is limited to those people who profess to be Catholic

·         Bill Gates was listed because he is the 2^nd richest man in the world. He donates a great amount of money to the research of infectious diseases and how they can be treated. Therefore, his power is limited to what is in his bank account or wallet

·         Michael Duke is listed because he is the CEO of a chain retail store named Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and is the biggest private employer. Therefore, his power is limited to Wal-Mart stores and those who work there.

And this list of four people clearly shows that these people have power, but you see; their power is limited. It is limited to a certain group of people, it is limited to a certain portion of land or their power is limited to a certain company or whatever else it might be and whoever has the power over it; no matter what it is—their power is limited.

·         Can you imagine President Obama going to Russian’s prime minister and start telling him orders on how to run his country? This simply wouldn’t work because his power is limited to the USA.

·         Or what if Michael Duke would walk into a Target store and start telling the cashiers to change prices; would they do it? No! Because Michael Duke’s power is limited to Wal-Mart.

No matter who it is or what they have power over; the key is that their power is limited.

            But, this limitedness is not the same with the Gospel Power of God. The Gospel power of God is an international power. It is not limited to a certain company; it isn’t limited to a certain region of land or body of water; and it certainly isn’t limited to a group of people. The Gospel power of God stretches across any international boundary and can penetrate any heart so that they may receive the Gospel message of salvation. People of God, the Gospel power of God is not limited by anything.

V. Conclusion

            In conclusion, we have no reason to be ashamed of the Gospel because the Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. And the Gospel power of God is a saving power that can stretch across any boundary and reach any nation; it is able to cross any border and enter into the hart of any person.

            The Gospel power of God is something that we shouldn’t be ashamed of for it is the saving power of God for all who believe.

Family and Friends=Rest and Relaxation

Sorry for the lack of posts this past week, but I was able to fly home for 6 days and have an enjoyable time of seeing friends and family which resulted in some good rest and relaxation! Here is what the week consisted of:

First off, I told you earlier that I was flying home on Wednesday, July 10; however, that was because I was going to surprise Denae with coming home a day early and this was her surprise when she found out:

 
To say the least, I believe that it was a successful surprise!

So I flew home and landed that night around 11:00 P.M. I told her I was coming home that night when she was at my Dad's softball game and I was in the Denver airport. So thank you Dad, Mom, Bri and everyone else who knew for keeping it a surprise! Y'all did fantastic!

Then on Thursday, Dad had off work, so I was able to go to Holland State Park for the day on the beach; it was so awesome to play in the waves and water with my Dad as it has been a really long time since I had done that! I also received some great sunburn due to lack of application of sun tan lotion......my fault; even after my Mother warned me....

That night, Denae took me out for my birthday. We went to 84 East in Holland and then went to the beach and then just chilled and talked. Such a wonderful time!

It was an absolutely amazing time spent with a wonderful godly woman!

Then on Friday, my nephew, Nolan came over as we babysit him, so that was awesome to spend some time with him also! And my brother and sister-in-law, my sister's boyfriend all came over at night to celebrate my birthday which was so much fun! They made the day so special when it came, yet they made it very special when I was home also! Such a blessing!

 

He is such a stud!

And we even played some bean bag toss (corn-hole) which Dad (Waldo) and I dominated at!

Where is Waldo?

 

Nolan wanted to go golfing because Dad, Brandon and I were going to do that on Saturday morning, so we let Nolan golf on Friday night. And Mom cooked a splendidly wonderful meal for my birthday, so thanks goes to her on that!

So Dad, Brandon and I went golfing, more like going to the driving range though due to all the golf balls we hit on each hole.....we are by no means 'experienced' golfers. But it was a great time indeed!

And then on Saturday afternoon/night Denae and I were invited to attend and participate in the wedding of Andrew Bultena and Amy McKenzie. Such a wonderful time, so glad that we could celebrate with them!

And Sunday was a great day to be in the Lord's house with fellow believers back home at Heritage. Then spending the afternoon at the beach and relaxing with Dad, Mom, Denae and Bri in the evening. Such a wonderful weekend!

It all helped me reflect on the rest that I needed as well as how valuable time spent with family and friends should be.

Rest is something that God instituted in creation and commanded in the Ten Commandments.

Family and friends are God's gracious gifts to us to keep us accountable and to be there for one another.

Both are necessary and both are awesome.

Now I am back in Bellflower after a long day of traveling with a beautiful sunrise! It was a long day, but it was good. Began in the Grand Rapids airport at 4:10 A.M. thanks to Dad starting a bit later in his work day to drop me off....all alone in the airport :) Then I flew to Chicago, then to Phoenix and finally to Los Angeles being picked up by the secretary at church--thanks Debbie!

And then I got some awesome groceries when I got here, thanks to Mom for helping me out with some good meal ideas!

And I enjoyed a nice evening with the worship director's family, Eric and Jenn Scholte and their three daughters. They invited me over for dinner which was awesome and some great quality time also!

To God be the glory.

"Extra! Extra! Read All About it: The Gospel of Great Joy" Luke 2:8-20 (1st of a 6 week series)

Read: Luke 2:8-20

I. Introduction

            Last week, I began by naming two things that I love to do—to collect rocks and to read. And this past week, I received three rocks from different members and I heard of a few kids who started collecting rocks and the parents may or may not have been happy about it. It was not my intention for you to bring me rocks or to start collecting rocks, but I am grateful for them, so thank you!

            And now I don’t want you to think that I am a hoarder of some sort—collecting everything I see or saving everything I have ever received; but I have to tell you one more thing that I love to collect and gather from different places around the country and world. I love to collect newspapers.

            But I collect these news papers for a purpose—to help me remember things, such as: the events of 9/11; the presidential election of President Obama who was the first black president of the USA, my favorite teams winning championships. These newspaper also help me remember my time in that city/town that I got them from—such as my time in Israel, or my time in Tennessee, or Florida, etc; wherever I might be—it helps remember those times in history. And sometimes these newspapers that I collect portray good news that has happened, but they are often plagued with bad news as well.

            There is a word that many of us are familiar with which means “good news”. This word is the word ‘Gospel’. The word Gospel in the Greek language literally means “good news”. And we are really familiar with this word because there are four books of the Bible which we know as the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and it is used frequently in conversations and sermons.

But even though we are familiar with it and we know that it means ‘good news’; we often find ourselves stuck on how to define it. For example: does the word ‘Gospel’ mean that the Gospel is the whole Bible? Does the word ‘gospel’ simply mean the story of Jesus’ life? Does Gospel only mean the salvation that we are given? Or does this word just mean ‘good news’? And if it does mean ‘good news’; then what is this ‘good news’ that people speak about? And is this ‘good news’ for?

            And since this word can be defined in so many ways and capacities; the aim of this series is to provide a better definition of what this word actually means for all of us.

Well, for starters the word “gospel” was not invented by the Gospel writers or Paul; it was a word in the Greek world that meant: “receiving news of glad tidings” such as receiving news of a birth; or receiving news of a new emperor or governor elected; and even receiving news of a victory in battle. This news was to be brought to all the people in the town and the surrounding area so that everyone would know about it. And then there would be a huge sacrificial feast to the gods because of this good news.

            And when this word ‘Gospel’ is mention; it actually incorporates many different things. You see the Gospel includes, but is much more than just the story of person who lived, had some great teachings and then died and rose again.

·         It is more than an event that happened in history.

·         The gospel is related to human reality and brings a message of judgment upon the sin of the world and it brings joy to those who believe.

·         You see, the Gospel is salvation history

·         The Gospel tells us how a gracious God saved soiled sinners.

·         The Gospel tells us that we are sinners.

·         Therefore, because we are sinners, the Gospel tells us that we need a Savior

·         And because we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior, the Gospel also tells us how God provided a Savior for us.

·         The Gospel is salvation history telling us how our gracious God saved soiled sinners like you and me.

·         This is the Gospel; this is the good news.

You see, this is what the shepherds heard from the angel; the angel announced that this Gospel was of great joy, this Gospel would be for all people and this Gospel is about a person.

II. The Gospel of Great Joy

            As the shepherds were doing their job out in the field watching their flock, all of a sudden; an angel appeared. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. And Luke tells us that they were terrified; and rightfully so! The angel’s first words comforted the shepherds by saying, “Do not be afraid.” This is a common phrase that angels used when encountering humans due to the person’s fear at that moment. But then the angel tells them something, the angel tells them about some news. The angel says, “I bring you good news of great joy…”

            The first thing that we find out about this ‘gospel’ from the angel is that this Gospel is ‘of great joy’. This is contrasted with the fear that the angel brings upon the shepherds. But even though they are scared and fear for their lives; they still can have joy. But how? Well joy is something that isn’t based on conditions—joy is eternal. On the other hand is happiness; which is based on conditions such as: opening a gift for your birthday or Christmas and if you love what you’ve received, then you are happy; but if you don’t like what you’ve opened, then you are sad. Happiness is like playing in a corn-hole tournament and getting first place—that is happiness because it is based on whether you win or not. And just like if the weather is good, then I’m happy; but if the weather is bad, then I am sad. But you see, this isn’t joy; because joy can still exist throughout all conditions of life—through death, through sickness, through a loss of a job, or through any other troubling circumstances. You see, joy and sorrow co-exist together; when there is sorrow, joy can still be found.

            And this is what the gospel is—the Gospel is of great joy. This good news fills us with joy as Paul tells the Romans in chapter 15. But why does it fill us with joy? Well before we were saved, we were destined for hell. And certainly that wouldn’t have been joyful to look forward to after we died. But now, since Jesus Christ has come to take our sin upon Himself as He died on the cross; His perfect righteousness was imputed to us so that we may be in right standing before God our heavenly Father. We are now seen as perfect if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our life. And because we belong to Christ and we are seen as righteous; we will experience eternal life in heaven, glorifying and praising God for eternity. This is what we look forward to with eager expectation; this is why this news is good news of great joy—because Jesus Christ has saved us from hell and has given us new life in heaven for eternity. And hopefully as we learn more about this Gospel; we will find out how great of joy this Gospel really is.

III. The Gospel is For All People

            Immediately after hearing about the good news of the Gospel being a joy filled Gospel; the angel announces that this Gospel of great joy “will be for all the people.” You see the good news that Christ achieved when He died and rose again embraces all the peoples of the earth. This is part of what makes the good news so good. The gospel of the Kingdom would not be good news if the King did not rule among all the peoples.

            Many of the Jews in the New Testament times believed that God was only going to save the Jewish people; but Paul addresses this misunderstanding in many of his writings, but in Galatians 3 it is pretty clear what he is talking about; Paul says: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The Gospel is for all people and is to be proclaimed to all people.

            It was first proclaimed to the outcasts of society—shepherds. And from Jesus’ ministry we can see all the various types of persons that He interacted with—the tax collectors, the rich, the Pharisees, the sick, the poor, and many other groups of people. This gospel is not just for one group of people or one type of people—it is for everyone who believes! And this is because of the power of God as Paul says in Roman 1. And this teaching that the Gospel is for all people isn’t limited to just Paul or even Jesus; rather it is in all of Scripture. Listen a moment to the following passages:

·         In Genesis 12 Abraham is told by God this: “I will make you into a great nation and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

·         If you read the Psalms, over and over again it speaks of “Letting all the nations praise God.” as well as calling all the nations to praise God such as Psalm 117 which says, “Praise the Lord all you nations; extol Him all you peoples.”

·         Acts 1:8 just as Jesus ascends into heaven He says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

·         Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

·         The words of the Great Commission from Jesus saying in Matthew 28: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…..”

·         And in John’s vision of heaven in Revelation 7:9 he says, “After this I (John) looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb”

·         And Jesus says that, “…the gospel must first be preached to all nations” before He comes back to the earth again.

You see, this gospel is a gospel that is for everyone; no one is left out. But this doesn’t mean that all who receive this message of the gospel will accept it. Not all will accept this Gospel message. All nations will hear it, but not all who hear this good news, will accept it. All will hear, but not all will believe.

IV. The Gospel is About A Person—Namely a Savior, who is Christ the Lord

The third thing that we can learn about the Gospel from the angel’s announcement to the shepherds is that this Gospel is about a person—namely a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. As the angel announced it, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ he Lord.” The Gospel is about the Savior of the world who was born to Mary and Joseph and known as Christ the Lord.

The Gospel is about a Savior as the Heidelberg Catechism states, “because He saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere.” The good news is that this Savior, has taken our sin to the cross and His righteousness has been imputed to us so that we are now seen in God’s eyes as holy. We are also seen just as if we had never sinned. Although we still have sin in our lives; we are no longer seen as sinful in God’s eyes.

The Gospel is about a Savior who is Christ because He has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our prophet and teacher, our only high priest and our eternal King as the Heidelberg Catechism states again. He is the Messiah that has come to deliver us from sin; not an earthly political power like so many people in Jesus’ day thought would happen—He has come to deliver us from the power of sin, from the power of the devil, and from eternity spent in hell.

The Gospel is about a Savior who is Christ the Lord because He has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil and has bought us, body and soul, to be His very own. We no longer are being ruled by sin; rather we are ruled by the perfect Kingship of Jesus Christ only when He becomes the Lord of our life.

This Gospel which is for all people and about Savior, who is Christ the Lord who delivered us from our sin and redeemed us; we should be joyful in all circumstances, no matter what happens to us in our daily life because this news is news that is of great joy!

V. Conclusion

But you see, the story doesn’t end there; a company of angels from the heavenly host come to the shepherds saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

And then we have the shepherds response to what just happened to them. You see, they could’ve done a number of things: they could’ve continually tended their flocks and acted like nothing happened, they could’ve went and checked it out later; or they could’ve went to see Mary and Joseph and the baby and then went back to the fields in silence—but they didn’t. Notice their response to this announcement from the angel:

First, they hurried to Bethlehem to see if what they had just been told was even true. We aren’t told if they had any doubts or if they were wondering if this was even true; but that didn’t matter. You see, they were expecting a Messiah, so they took the chance and found out for themselves that the news that the angel proclaimed to them was true!

Secondly, after they saw the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph, as verse 17 states they “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child”. They didn’t want to keep this message to themselves because after all, the angel did say that this news was for “all the people”. So they spread the news which they were told about this child. And the response of people according to Luke was that these people were “amazed” at what the shepherds told them. This is because the good news or the Gospel is in fact, absolutely amazing.

And the shepherds third response was that they “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Just as the angels of the heavenly host had glorified and praised God, so the shepherds followed them by doing the same thing—glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard. This was all that they could do—go and see if this announcement was true, then tell everyone about this news, and then glorify and praise God for this news.

And people of God, this response of the shepherds to the Gospel message, should be our response as well: we need to validate if what we have been told is true—read the Scriptures to find out the truth for your selves.

Then after finding out that this Gospel message is true; then we need to tell everyone. Imagine this for a moment; if each one of us here as individuals; as we were going through our week until next Sunday—imagine if everyone we come into contact with by being able to have a face to face conversation—what if we told them about this good news and invited them here next Sunday? It doesn’t matter their age, their race, their life history, or their language because this Gospel of great joy is to be for all people. Can you imagine that for a moment?

You see, this is what the shepherds did—they told everyone because they were told that this good news was to be for all people; and this good news is still for all the people.

And last but not least, we need to praise and glorify God for this good news, just as the shepherds did. Our lives should be a living doxology to our Father in heaven.