I don’t know whether to find this humorous or slightly blasphemous. It catches some of the more obscure facts of the crucifixion, like the wife of Pilate’s dream. Here is Passion week according to facebook.
click >> here <<
HT: Winfred Luong
Okay, honestly I thought this was a bit of a joke because Winfred opened up our conversation like this (Winfred, I apologize for publishing this without your permission),
aznwinterfresh05:http://www.sbts.edu/resources/chapel/chapel-fall-2009/hebrews-11/aznwinterfresh05: 1:45-1:54aznwinterfresh05: if you want to see greg ginn againaznwinterfresh05: xD
For those who don’t know me on a very intimate basis, Greg Ginn was a tremendous encouragement, role model, and mentor to myself and my friend Josh. He’s a student at SBTS and is the Asian guy praying when the video pans. The rest of the conversation went something, well exactly, like this.
aunttonyx3: wow.aunttonyx3: -_- you wouldaznwinterfresh05: haha it was on accidentaznwinterfresh05: it came through a blogaznwinterfresh05: and thenaznwinterfresh05: what do you knowaznwinterfresh05: >.<aznwinterfresh05: ANDaznwinterfresh05: it’s a good sermonaunttonyx3: haha greg’s blog?aznwinterfresh05: haha google readeraznwinterfresh05: i emailed gregaznwinterfresh05: to let him know he was in thereaznwinterfresh05: xDaznwinterfresh05: (i would >.<)aznwinterfresh05: because there’s no reason for him to watch it if he was presentaunttonyx3: hahaaunttonyx3: that’s so random.aznwinterfresh05: haha why do i even IM you and joshaznwinterfresh05: if i’m going to get laughed at xDaznwinterfresh05: (i’m not really offended xD)aunttonyx3: i’m kiddingaunttonyx3: do you listen to all the chapel messages?aznwinterfresh05: that’s the first one i’ve ever listened to hahaaunttonyx3: ohhaznwinterfresh05: yeah hahaaznwinterfresh05: but it’s good so i encourage you to listen to it (not only because i spotted greg ginn >.<)
It’s encouraging in itself to know that while I was most likely playing Maplestory on Saturday night before church my senior year of high school, some of my peers at that age spend it in earnest pursuit of the knowledge of God. I’m glad that he informed me because I forgot to re-subscribe to Justin Taylor’s blog when it moved to the Gospel Coalition where this message was reposted. Here it is.
more about “SBTS – Resources – Hebrews 11“, posted with vodpod
He says a lot of good things that young men and women, not only seminary students, need to hear. He brings up great points. One of the things that struck me most was when he said,
There are things in your life that are morally neutral that will absolutely destroy you if you are not careful.
How true is that! One rarely looks and carefully examines issues that are “morally neutral”, yet they can be the things that in the end bring us down. These morally neutral issues (whatever you discern them to be in your own life) can become morally jeopardizing if not dealt with properly.
What a challenging way to end an otherwise eventful day filled with climbing fences and provoking fellowship.
This Sunday our head pastor at Berean revealed that we would be going through Philippians for the next few months. It’s pretty exciting to get a taste of the book, a message of building a biblical unity through the power and joy found in Christ.
So why is this post called “Philippians Galore”? Recently Soldiers, the male fellowship for high schoolers back in Sacramento, went through the book. I think I still have my notes from when I gave the study in a really old notebook somewhere. More recently, Pastor Joe at my church back home (Chinese Grace Bible Church), is going through Philippians right now. After 9 months with a couple of breaks, he’s midway through chapter 2. Though I wasn’t there to hear all of them, his messages on being of one mind and the church unity were very encouraging to me. I just listened to his four-part series on Philippians 2:5-11 titled “The Supreme Servant” which was incredible to say the least. Anyone with a bit of time and a computer that works Real Player should listen. To hear about the miracle of the incarnation and the power behind the Ascension helped me understand the absurdity and humility of Christ to become a servant. Based on this premise, Pastor Joe declared, “We cannot repeat His death but we can imitate His life.” Christ’s service to others reached it’s apex on the cross; “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Romans 5:7 says that one would hardly die for a righteous or good man and yet Christ died for those who are the polar opposite of His nature. No wonder Christ is the supreme servant to whose image we must conform!
When I think of biblical unity as Pastor Peter described this past Sunday, I can’t help but remember this conversation. Pastor Peter made it a point to say that the unity of the church extends beyond the buildings of UT but to the scope of the universal church. This is a conversation between Charles Simeon and John Wesley, though I’m not entirely sure whether this is fact or fictitious in nature.
Charles Simeon: Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
John Wesley: Yes, I do indeed.
Charles Simeon: And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
John Wesley: Yes, solely through Christ.
Charles Simeon: But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
John Wesley: No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
Charles Simeon: Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
John Wesley: No.
Charles Simeon: What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother’s arms?
John Wesley: Yes, altogether.
Charles Simeon: And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
John Wesley: Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
Charles Simeon: Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree.
Unfortunately for me, the preaching on a book that calls us to be unified might end up challenging my somewhat analytical character. I will admittedly confess that it will be difficult to not compare messages from Pastor Peter and Pastor Joe. The preaching style is similar by declared method but carried out very differently while assuming the pulpit. I need to assume a posture that recognizes that both men are servants in the house of the Son and are divinely supplementing my understanding of His Word. I am looking forward to how God will use the preaching at Berean to move us to greater unity while I always love hearing how people are responding to it back home.
Oh yeah.
Yesterday at bible study, Pastor Aaron went over Hebrews 3:1-6, which makes a bold declaration that Jesus Christ is better than Moses. The theme of Hebrews is the preeminence of Christ, and we’ve addressed a number of topics: the attributes of the Son, Christ as superior to angels, Christ as the man who perfectly reigns, and Christ as the perfect high priest.
The best part of this study if finding your own application of the preeminence of Christ because my struggles are seemingly much different from the Hebrew people. I do not struggle with loyalty to a tradition of priests and shedding of blood, but rather an unfortunate complacency and ignorance to the law of God. I’m almost the opposite of the intended audience, the Jew. I do not lay claim to my self-righteousness nearly as much as I try to justify sin (well, in my opinion anyway).
The first question posed for discussion yesterday asked how we have considered Christ (to think deeply upon) in light of what we have learned up to now. This was uncomfortably shameful because I realized how little I’ve been meditating and applying the messages. Messages about how Christ reigns supreme over angels and how Christ has restored our privilege to subdue the Earth have been encouraging but not life altering. I need to be less selective on what I choose to apply; it seems to be a pride issue. Regardless in light of the supremacy of Christ over Moses, one point of application became clear.
The problem the Jews had been that they held Moses, both a faithful servant and a competent mediator, in too high a regard when compared to Christ. Moses has great value to the Jew: he brought forth the ten commandments and introduced a set of laws that would represent the standard of righteousness (through faith) until Christ ascended. At first glance the parallels and application to the 21st century seem obsolete but upon closer examination, I can see many potential idols developing in my own life.
Here’s what I mean: the Jews had great respect for Moses because he was an appointed lawgiver, a mediator between the will of God and the passion of the people. While it is true that we no longer need sinful men to intercede on our behalf and petition God because of Christ’s work (Hebrews 2:17-18), in a sense there still is a need for a mediator between God’s specific revelation and His people. There is a dire need for shepherds and mentors to feed, protect, and provide for their congregation and for individuals. This is where it becomes a little dangerous.
When I look at the Jews in this light, I see my stumble as well. It’s much easier for people to look to men (whether past or present), because they are tangible and visible evidences of the glory of God. The common Jew has never heard the voice or seen the light of the Almighty. While they have faith in the law and what it prescribes, surely their respect for their teacher sometimes was dangerously high. The mediator can steal the honor and praise that deservedly belongs to the Lord.
I undoubtedly struggle with the same things. I have a great appreciation for good preaching, and even more respect for those who are sound and have time to meet up and talk to me. While they may not have been foundational for any biblical covenants, certain men and women have profoundly encouraged me and have been instrumental in my growth. Sometimes these men loom as large as Moses to the Jew in terms of their importance. In a sense, the pastor and mentors can steal reverence from God for merely being faithful to the One they serve. I’m sure Moses never considered that centuries later, people would be idolizing Him more than the eventual Savior and the same goes to faithful teachers today.
There is no doubt that Moses and godly men are important, but they are merely servants within God’s house, stones laid unto the foundation of Christ. In light of “considering Christ”, I need to be more conscious of my tendency to be in awe of preaching style and message delivery and more focused on the Son who reigns over the house the preachers I hear seek to build. I often remind myself when leading worship, “I am a sinful man leading sinful men to a perfect God”, yet I fail to ascribe the same mindset beyond the scope of myself. Moses was called “faithful”, but he was not perfect like Christ. Men are the materials on which God builds His abode. Man does not deserve nor should they claim credit for the growth of His people (I Corinthians 3:7).
Moses was faithful to his calling. Godly men and women around me are striving to persevere. The problem is that their faithfulness is imperfect and thus, they are reduced to servant rather than ruler, stones rather than the foundation. At the same time, we must realize that God is committed to building His house and that each stone is a product of a miraculous regeneration that can only happen through His grace and power. Each piece of the house is a daughter or son of the King that was bought by the blood of the Lamb. This clearly does not render the stone obsolete, but rather calls His children to look to the builder, to the one who uses these stones to fulfill His purpose. This builder is God and Christ is God (Hebrews 3:4, 1:3). I must learn how to behold the builder. I must consider Christ.
This quote resounded strongly with Pastor Peter’s message this past Sunday.
“There are no great men or women of God. There are only tiny, broken, weak, feebled men of a great and a merciful God.”
Paul Washer
Quoted @ Youtube clip
