Between a Man and a Woman

This week, we will take a step away from Acts as I begin a series on Men and Women. Originally, I thought I would begin with men and continue on with the women. However, as I have been studying God's Word I have decided that we need to start with a strong foundation. To this end, we will go all the way back to Adam and Eve and start where it all began. For at least the first week we will take a look at God's created order. In the following weeks we will take a closer look at what God requires of men and women.

This series is for all ages from younger adults to mature adults. It doesn't matter if you are single or married. This series is for each of us. I am very conscious of the fact that not everyone in our congregation is either married or happily married. If you are single you will be able to apply God's truth to your life. If you are unhappily married than I pray God's Word would do wonders and miracles in your relationship.

I have chosen to tackle this subject matter while our younger covenant children are participating in S4. S4 is designed for your children to worship and grow in the faith. Although I believe it is important for your children to worship with you on the Lord's Day, I also believe there are times when it is appropriate to offer them different subject matter. Your worship on the Lord's Day should not be limited to an hour or two on Sunday morning. I am encouraging you to allow your children to participate in S4 as we deal with some mature matters over the next 6 weeks. I would also encourage you to stick around for Dr. Betters' sermon series on things your children should know from the Proverbs.

It is my prayer that families and marriages, relationships and hearts would be transformed by God's Word over the next several weeks. Pray that God would bring revival to his people here at GRPC and around the world through the preaching of his Word.

When God Moves Part III: He Stirs the Melting Pot

Pastor Dan's sermon from 6/29/2008
Scripture Reference: Acts 19:23-34
Click here to listen.

In this sermon we examine how God stirs the pot when he moves. We also focused on how Satan and the evil forces of the spiritual world will always counter against the work of God. But we can be assured that Satan will never win the war as we are clothed in the full armor of God.

I am encouraging the congregation to ask what God has called each of them to do. Has he called you to something great? Something that is illogical? Something that will stretch you and sanctify you? Sometimes we have to throw caution and logic out the window so that we can answer the call of God. When this happens, we can be sure that our flesh and the powers of this world will counter our calling.

I hope that you will be moved to action and transformation by this third part of the series "When God Moves". The series deals with the issues of nominal Christianity, Reformation and Revival and Spiritual Warfare. Will you allow God to move in and through you?

Is Revival Impossible?

Once a man who wondered how God could possibly bring revival to such a dry and thirsty land asked a great evangelical preacher how revival was possible. The preacher asked him, "Do you know how to pray?" The man responded, "Of course,". The preacher said, "That's great. Now do you have a spot in which you can pray?" "Yeah, I can think of one," said the man with a little impatience. Seeing the impatience in the man's eyes the preacher said, "Then I want you to go to that spot to pray, but take a piece of chalk with you. After you kneel down to pray draw a circle around yourself and ask the Lord to bring revival to everything and everyone in that circle."

If you are honest with yourself you know that you have asked this same question. You desire revival and renewal and reformation yet you see Mount Everest in front of you and you have no idea how to climb. Reformation and Revival in the American church is a growing mountain of despair and yet by the grace of God it is not by human effort that revival comes. We all need to go to a place to pray, draw a circle and ask God to bring revival to the person in that circle. Let God work on flattening the mountains of despair.

I am convinced that Satan is using despair and self loathing Christians to hold back revival and reformation for God's church in America. This doesn't mean that God will not have victory where he moves. The Church in America has thrived since America began over 200 years ago. Now Satan is on the move and seems to be gaining ground? Why? Because Christians see Mount Everest and they believe they have come to climb with a pair of tennis shoes rather than mountain climbing gear. And yet we are not even the climbers. However, Satan has opposed any kind of revival and reformation by persecuting the church, perverting the doctrines of the church, and preventing revival.

I do not believe that the American church has experienced persecution. However, I do believe that as a whole true church doctrines have been perverted and that Satan has prevented revival on the basis of false doctrine. There can be no revival where there is no reformation. To be sure, revival is birthed from reformation. How can we be renewed when we are not reformed? How can we experience grace when we have no understanding of grace?

When God's people have rejected and forgotten His Word they are not able to identify true revival. Instead we accept false revival (e.g. signs and wonders movements) as true revival as one extreme or on the other side of the coin we do not desire revival at all and are content to continue with our programs and ingrown toenail churches.

Will we allow Satan to prevent revival by perverting the doctrines of the church? This is the time for us to go to our places of prayer with a piece of chalk. This is the time for us to go to the Lord in prayer and ask that he might revive our hearts and bring reformation to our homes. Until this happens, revival is impossible. God does not bring about revival in passive waiting. So what are we waiting for?

When God Moves Part II: Revival Happens

Pastor Dan's sermon from 6/22/2008
Scripture Reference: Acts 19:11-20
Click here to listen.

When God Moves Part I: in Mighty & Mysterious Ways

Pastor Dan's sermon from 6/8/2008
Scripture Reference: Acts 19
Click here to listen.

Does God Still Move?

I am wrestling with this question as I preach from the miraculous passages of Acts 19. You must admit that you too have wrestled with this question when you read about the miraculous nature of the early church's ministry. The pattern goes something like this: Paul travels, preaches, the Holy Spirit "lands", miracles take place. Does God still move in mysterious and miraculous ways? Does He still authenticate the message of the preacher in a supernatural way? I am not sure I have a complete answer as I write this.

However, as I read Acts 19 and I study the account given to us by Luke I am certain of a few things. I can sum it up in this way: when nominal Christians become actual Christians God moves in mysterious and miraculous ways. When the church is built upon a solid foundation of sound doctrine God moves his people to do miraculous and wondrous things. For this to happen we must have a Christ-filled Christianity.

Isn't a Christ-filled Christianity redundant? Sadly, there are many forms of Christless religions that are labeled as Christianity. I believe that Apollos in Acts 18 and the "disciples" in Acts 19 where a perfect example of a Christianity without Christ. We call these kinds of people "nominal" Christians. Nominal means to be supposed as something that you aren't.

We wonder today why God doesn't seem to move in and through us. Maybe it is because we are supposedly something that in actuality we are not. In fact I would suggest that if God is not moving in and through you it is impossible to call yourself a Christian. Isn't it in Him that we live and move and breath? More on this on Sunday...