The Gospel and The Kingdom

I am headed to the conference today…. Look for summary posts towards the end of the week!

My father-in-law’s pastor, Gene Mims, has begun preaching through the book of Ephesians. He asked me for some resources for studying Ephesians, so I thought I would post some easy to use tools that you may use as well. These tools are designed for the lay person in mind, so do not feel that you must possess a theological education to use them. Some of these I use, others I do not, simply because there are other study tools that I use, such as the Greek New Testament. So here we go…

• Inroduction to Ephesians by Mark A. Copeland.
• Louis Berkhof’s Introduction to the New Testament. This is an excellent introduction, or survey, of the New Testament in general.
• Word Picture’s in the New Testament. Excellent for those who do and do not know New Testament Greek.
• Calvin’s Commentary on Ephesians
• Charles Hodge’s Commentary on Ephesians

All of the above material is hosted at CCEL.org, an excellent resource for Bible Study.

Below is a short list (it will grow as more avail themselves) of some audio centered around the book of Ephesians…

• Dr. Tom Schreiner on Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 2 - The Sovereignty of God in Salvation.
• Dr.Tom Nettles deals with Ephesians1 in a series entitled, The Finality of Christ. This is the second of the series.

As far as books or commentaries that would lend themselves to good study, but not necessarily on the extreme scholastic level, I would suggest the following:

• The Tyndale New Testament Series: Ephesians by Francis Foulkes
• The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians by Klyne Snodgrass
• Preaching the Word Series: Ephesians: The Mystery of the Body of Christ by R. Kent Hughes
• The Bible Speaks Today: The Message of Ephesians by John R. W. Stott

In anticipation of the Together for the Gospel Conference coming up next week, I thought I would post a summary of the posts from 2006, as well as my thoughts concerning the events next week. From 2006, here are my posts:

• The Band of Bloggers Fellowship meeting from 2006. I am not able to attend this year’s meeting due to scheduling conflicts.
• T4G 2006 Session 1 - Mark Dever
• T4G 2006 Session 2 - Ligon Duncan
• T4G 2006 Session 3 - Albert Mohler
• T4G 2006 Session 4 - R.C. Sproul
• T4G 2006 Session 5 - John Piper. This was my favorite session for a number of reasons.
• T4G 2006 Session 6 - C.J. Mahaney
• Final Reflections from T4G 2006

I am looking forward to this conference on so many levels. I pray that God’s Spirit prevails over this conference in much the same way, if not more, than in 2006. Singing some of the most Christ-exalting hymns with fellow soldiers in Christ is one of the grandest experiences of my life. I am not joking. The corporate worship at T4G 2006 was absolutely unbelievable. I will certainly miss attending T4G 2008 with my father and uncle. My uncle is a CPA and will be finishing up tax season at his firm. My father, just this afternoon, returned to his post of service in the Kingdom. I am going alone, but know that I will find common fellowship once I am there. I am also looking forward to the books both given to attendees and the bookstore there. If you want to know what was given at T4G 2006, go here. These books, I have now read all but two, have fed my soul much. I am looking forward to being conformed to the image of God’s Son through the preaching at this conference. Even now, I am praying that God would soften my heart so that He may mold it through the words of the speakers there.

Others have already posted their anticipations, here is a short list:

• Thabiti Anyabwile
• C.J. Mahaney

• Piper posted on the DesiringGod blog about five good writing principles given by C.S. Lewis. Worth, not only the read, but also the implementation.
• While on the subject of good writing, and thus writing projects, here is an excellent post regarding project management with Gantt Charts. If you are a student of Dr. Draper’s then you have heard me discuss how Gantt Charts can keep you on track throughout the semester. If you are interested in putting this to use in theological education, email me.
• Dr. Haykin has an excellent post regarding the reasons for seeking out the early Church Fathers.
• The DesiringGod blog has a wonderful recommendation on how to help your kids love missions.
• The Sovereign Grace blog has posted a helpful .mp3 on the use of Patristics in pastoral ministry.

Question: What is God?

Answer: God is Spirit (John 4:24), infinite (Job 11:7, 8, 9), eternal (Ps. 110:2), and unchangeable (Jas. 1:17) in his being (Ex. 3:14), wisdom (Ps. 147:5), power (Rev. 4:8), holiness (Rev. 15:4), justice, goodness, and truth (Ex. 34:6).

I will never forgot teaching my oldest son this question. If it had not been for Dr. Orrick’s CD, it may have not happened. My son was about four years old at the time, so there is a lot in this question for him! There is a lot in this question for you and I as well. If you were asked the question by your neighbor, “What is God?”, what would you answer be? What passages of Scripture would you turn to? Would you be able to form a biblical answer? I would venture to say that most people sitting in a pew, and ashamedly some in pulpits, could not answer that question.

To understand this question let us break this down in small chunks, and even out of the order that it is listed. I think that switching the order is necessary for understanding’s sake, but should be retained when reciting. I may explain this more at the end.

First, the answer to this catachetical question asserts that God is Spirit. The primary Scripture text used to support such an answer as given here is John 4:24. However, one should also note that there are two other places where Scripture presents God as Spirit; namely Hebrews 12:9 and Acts 17:24-25.

This is where I will explain this “out of order.” God is a Spirit who possesses being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. All of these characteristics are attributed to Him - thus they are called attributes. He possess these attributes, infinitely, eternally, and He never changes in his attributes. There was not a time when He was not (I realize that sounds like a double negative, but do we really have language that properly describes God?). Which, I must admit, that I like the term eternal, it is biblical language. However, I think we must define it carefully in this culture. Eternal implies a beginning. Infinite, or infinity, does not. Some may argue based upon Miriam-Webster’s Dictionary, but I think those definitions for eternity and infinite do not do the conversation justice. For now, it may be best to use these words interchangeably, perhaps in a way such as this:

God is a Spirit who is infinite in his wisdom, eternal in his being, infinite in his power and holiness, eternal in his justice and goodness and truth. God is a God who never changes in this attributes.

• Want a small kitchen garden but you do not have enough space to actually have a garden? Consider this. I think this might also be a way to do some community developments when ministering in multi-housing complexes. I have people in and around the community of my church who can barely feed their families. Teaching and helping them to grow their own food might be one way that we can minister to them physically and spiritually.
• My wife has been reading a blog about a man and his wife, who has CF and just had a lung transplant. Anyway, in some way, this blog is connected (via a family member). This pastor wrote a three part series on the Pastor and his family, which I found quite true and quite encouraging. Thought I would pass along the three parts about your pastor, your pastor’s wife, and your pastor’s kids.

Tomorrow morning, I will be using a few quotes from David Brainerd in my sermon. The title of the sermon is “A Biblical Approach to Life” from James 4:13-17. If ever there was a man completely resigned to God’s will for his life, it was the short-lived yet incredibly powerful life of David Brainerd. I have read The Life and Diary of David Brainerd edited by Jonathan Edwards three times. While some find this work boring and an all-around drudge to read, I find in this a man completely honest with himself and his thoughts towards God.

As I spent time in reading about this man’s life, I put together my own time line of the events in his life. I will post it below, in hopes of two things, really. (1) That you would become more knowledgeable of whom I speak in the sermon and (2) that you would be encouraged to spend some time in reading about the life of David Brainerd yourself, if you have not already. I highly commend to you the book mentioned above, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, which may be easily acquired here.

Timeline of the
Life of David Brainerd

· Born April 20, 1718.

· Father dies May 24, 1727, age 9, which has great impact on his melancholy disposition in life.

· Converted on July 12, 1739 at age 21.

· January 1740, he first becomes ill with measles while studying at Yale. This is the first of many illnesses to come.

· March 1741 he becomes drawn into Great Awakening under the preaching of one, Gilbert Tennent when he was preaching at Yale.

· Spring 1742 he was expelled from Yale just one year prior to his completion of his degree for attending a New Light “separate” meeting and allegedly making negative comments about then rector Thomas Clap.

· July 1742 he was licensed by the Eastern District of Fairfield County to preach in their congregations.

· August 1742 he preaches to the Indians for the first time from the text Job 14:14, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” He preached at a village along the Houstatonic River called Scaticook in Connecticut.

· Mid-November 1742 he is examined by the Society in Scotland for the Propagating of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) and later commissioned as their missionary.

· March 14, 1743, he leaves for Stockbridge, Massachusetts to study the Indian tongue under veteran missionary John Sergeant.

· July 1743 he completes the building of his 1^st cottage to dwell among the Indians at Kaunaumeek.

· Mid-September he meets Jonathan Edwards at Yale’s fall commencement.

· May 1744 he leaves his current work among the Kaunaumeek without much success to go and serve along the Forks of the Delaware (his original intended destination among appointment with the SSPCK) and the Indians that lived there.

· June 12, 1744 he was ordained by the Presbytery of New York. Jonathan Dickinson and Aaron Burr examined him and Ebenezer Pemberton preached his ordination charge.

· December 1744 he moves into his 2^nd cottage to live and serve among the Indians along the Forks of the Delaware.

· June 19, 1745, he arrives at Crossweeksung to minister to the Indians there. This is the location where he would be allowed to see the fruits of his ministry.

· July 1745 1^st baptism of Indians. This baptism occurring at the Forks of the Delaware.

· August 25, 1745 2^nd baptism of Indians. This baptism occurring at Crossweeksung.

· December 1745 he began holding a weekly Saturday evening catechetical lecture to provide the natives with systematic doctrinal training based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

· June 1746 3^rd baptism of Indians. This one also occurring at Crossweeksung.

· November 2, 1746 he is taken seriously ill – at which he would never recover.

· November 5, 1746 he arrives at the home of Jonathan Dickinson to recuperate.

· March 20, 1747, he makes final visit to Indians.

· April 14, 1747, David’s brother John is commissioned to take over his brother’s ministry among the Indians.

· May 1747 he arrives at the home of Jonathan Edwards where he will spend the final days of his life this side of glory.

· September 1747 he attends his last church service.

· October 9, 1747 David Brainerd passed away sometime in the first hours of dawn.

· October 12, 1747, Jonathan Edwards preaches David Brainerd’s funeral. His text was taken from 2 Cor. 5:8 and the title of his sermon was, “True Saints, when absent with the body are present with the Lord.” David Brainerd is buried at the Northampton Cemetery in Northampton, Connecticut.

Sources used:

Edwards, Jonathan, ed. The Life and Diary of David Brainerd.

Christie, Vance. Heroes of the Faith – Into All the World: Four Stories of Pioneer Missionaries. Pages 9-54.

• Have you ever needed some notes off of a whiteboard? Have you ever wanted to grab someone’s notes quickly without writing or typing them? Enter - Qipit. Check it out. Looks pretty useful!
• Like in 2006, I am headed to the Together for the Gospel Conference in a couple of weeks. Unlike 2006, I am attending alone. If anyone out there knows me and is going, I sure would enjoy the fellowship while attending the conference.
• As of today, I am officially on Spring Break.  This doesn’t mean too terribly much, other than the fact that I know have no excuse to catch up on all the work that has piled up!

I have decided, almost two years later now, to go back to blogging through the Baptist Catechism on Mondays.  I am placing a collection of the Baptist Catechism entries, thus far, below.  Again, it has been almost two years since I first begun and probably 16-18 months since I stopped.  It doesn’t seem lie that long ago!

• Blogging Through the Baptist Catechism
• Baptist Catechism: Question 1
• Edwards, the chiefest, and why this is a supremely better word…
• Baptist Catechism: Question 2
• Baptist Catechism: Question 3
• Baptist Catechism: Question 4
• Baptist Catechism: Question 5
• Baptist Catechism: Question 6

This coming Monday, I will pick up where I left off with Question 7.  Also, you can find the text of the Baptist Catechism that I am using here.

In Proverbs 2:21-22, we find something known in Wisdom Literature as the Doctrine of the Two Ways. That is (1) the way of the righteous contrasted with (2) the way of the wicked, or evil. These two are constantly placed against each other all throughout Proverbs ~ all throughout Wisdom Literature, really. An overarching theme of Proverbs is the wisdom that is passed down, intentionally, from generation to generation so that children may learn to walk in the way of the righteous and avoid the way of the wicked.

In Proverbs, the wisdom of the world is described as a harlot, a prostitute, that stands in the streets and calls unto those passers-by who might be led astray (See Proverbs 7:10ff).  In contrast, the wisdom that comes from God is depicted as giving long life, the bringing of blessing, and as having infinite value.   Numerous examples could be made of each of these three previous depictions, I have chosen just one of each that explicitly makes the point.

I have to wonder how this affects our ministry as Pastors, Teachers, and especially fathers?  Often in our preaching and teaching, we are often concerned with dealing with either how to live the Christian life that God demands, or how not to live that life.  Very rarely do we cross the two together in the same sermon, even less when we  consider doing this in the same point of a sermon.  As fathers, do we teach our children how not to walk the way of the wicked, but leave them guessing concerning the way of the righteous?

May this exhortation from the book of Proverbs make us wise in our preaching.  May this encourage our hearts as fathers to lead our children in the way of the righteousness and in avoidance of the way of the wicked.  This Sunday, don’t just tell your people what sin looks like, show them what a redeemed life living “in a manner worthy of the calling” looks like.

Attempting to walk the way of the righteous with each of you…