Dan Petersen formerly led a home fellowship here at Horizon Central and is now one of our Servant Senders missionaries. He serves in the UK doing college campus outreach with UCCF in Glasgow, Scotland.
In today’s message Dan very articulately explains some of the essentials of the gospel and our faith. He then ties these elements to the church’s call to evangelism. Here is the audio file:
Even the most enthusiastic reader of the Bible would probably agree that the genealogies are not very exciting. Lists of names, mostly difficult, are hard to get through and even harder to learn anything from. Still, here and there, we can find a little lesson. This passage, from the early chapters of 1 Chronicles, that longest stretch of geneaological data, contains a simple, timeless truth.
The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.
– 1 Chronicles 5:18-20 (NKJV)
Daily we face the onslaughts of the world, the flesh and the devil. We’re stupid to try to fight these battles on our own. We’re way too weak and we ought to know it. So what hope do we have for victory? The same hope these ancient tribes of Israel possessed. We can cry out to God in the battle and put our trust in Him.
This week we’ll finish the Gospel of John by looking at John 21. It starts with Peter taking some other disciples fishing. That leads to another appearance of the risen Christ, who questions Peter about his love and recommissions him into His service. It ends with a question by Peter comparing his own promised martyrdom with the life of John.
Here are the notes and audio:
This is the last of five faithful sayings, which all appear in the pastoral epistles. This is the only one not given to Timothy, but rather to Titus.
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.These things are good and profitable to men.” – Titus 3:8 (NKJV)
The people of God are to be known for doing good. A righteous life, a life of charity and blessing to others, is the essential outcome of a life-changing faith. Somewhere I’ve heard it said that “Faith that does not change your lifestyle cannot change your destiny.”
O how true that is. Consider the woman I spoke with at an Indianapolis bus stop the other day while handing out gospel tracts. In an apparent effort to positively identify with my faith in Christ, she smilingly told me, “My baby’s daddy is a preacher. And he’s trying to get a divorce right now so that we can get married.” I’m ashamed to say I was so astonished that I was nearly struck dumb at that point. In disbelief I think I blurted out a “What!?” only to have her repeat herself and cheerfully reinforce the gloomy truth. No coherent response even entered my befuddled mind. Where’s Paul the apostle when you need him? Suffice it to say his counsel is still needed:
“These things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.”
Central Reflections 