Now blogging over on the church website: http://tcchinckley.org/blog

Now blogging over on the church website: http://tcchinckley.org/blog

Mostly videos, but some written stuff. Will still post stuff here from time to time. Share

Gospel in a sentence, or two

The gospel can be briefly defined as something like this:


"Jesus, God’s promised Rescuer & Ruler, lived our life, died our death & rose again in triumph as the promise of the New Creation. He calls us together as forgiven sinners to live under his gracious rule by the Holy Spirit, who causes us to wait for & point towards his New Creation"


Steve Timmis Share

Core commitment

"Our core commitment must be making disciples through gospel teaching, in the context of a community on mission together. This is church. Whatever structures we adopt must serve discipleship, mission and community, to the Glory of God, for the formation of Christ in peoples’ hearts. That is authentic gospel Christianity"


Jonny Woodrow, Acts 29 blog Share

Contentment

“Christian contentment…is the direct fruit of having no higher ambition than to belong to the Lord and to be totally at his disposal in the place He appoints, at the time He chooses, with the provision He is pleased to make.”

Sinclair Ferguson, In Christ Alone, (Orlando, FL: Ligioner Ministries, 2007), 190 Share

Acts 29 Western Europe

Acts 29 Western Europe now have our own corner of the Acts 29 website. Yours truly is interviewed there this week: http://www.acts29network.org/w-europe/ Share

Big church & missional commmunities

Justin Anderson & Matt Carter talk Large Churches and Mission. from Redemption Church on Vimeo. Share

Packer on Evangelism

'Such was evangelism according to Paul: going out in love, as Christ's agent in the world, to teach sinners the truth of the gospel with a view to converting and saving them. If,therefore, we are engaging In this activity, In this spirit, and with this aim,we are evangelizing, irrespective of the particular means by which we are doing it.' J I Packer

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Enjoying God

“Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory he has displayed? An understanding of the perfections of God, merely, cannot be the end of the creation; for he had as good not understand it, as see it and not be at all moved with joy at the sight. Neither can the highest end of creation be the declaring God’s glory to others; for the declaring God’s glory is good for nothing otherwise than to raise joy in ourselves and others at what is declared” Jonathan Edwards

Here it is again, in other words:

“God is glorified not only by his glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. God made the world that he might communicate, and the creature receive, his glory . . . both [with] the mind and the heart. He that testifies his having an idea of God’s glory [doesn’t] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation [i.e., his heartfelt commendation or praise] of it and his delight in it” Jonathan Edwards

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We Are Waiting

At this time of year we always say to the kids that we're looking back to Jesus first coming at Christmas and looking forward to his second coming to renew all things. That's the theme of this new advent song from the guys at Austin City Life here. Nice. Share

Touched to the heart by a little sacred excess

And shout for joy, all you that are upright in heart. (Psalm 32)

"Our happiness should be demonstrative; ... men whisper their praises decorously where a hearty outburst of song would be far more natural. It is to be feared that the church of the present day, through a craving for excessive propriety, is growing too artificial; so that enquirers' cries and believers' shouts would be silenced if they were heard in our assemblies. This may be better than boisterous fanaticism, but there is as much danger in the one direction as the other. For our part, we are touched to the heart by a little sacred excess, and when godly men in their joy over leap the narrow bounds of decorum, we do not, like Michal, Saul's daughter, eye them with a sneering heart." Spurgeon Share

Take note, unaffected Brits.

"And the duty of singing praises to God seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music but only, that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections.

The same thing appears in the nature and design of the sacraments, which God hath appointed. God, considering our frame, hath not only appointed that we should be told of the great things of the gospel, and of the redemption of Christ, and instructed in them by his word; but also that they should be, as it were, exhibited to our view, in sensible representations, in the sacraments, the more to affect us with them.

And the impressing divine things on the hearts and affections of men, is evidently one great and main end for which God has ordained that his word delivered in the holy Scriptures, should be opened, applied, and set home upon men, in preaching." Jonathan Edwards

Building on this Edwards passage Sam Storms writes:

"Some actually orchestrate worship in such a way that the affections of the heart are reined in and, in some cases, even suppressed. People often fear the external manifestation of internal zeal and love and desire and joy. Though they sing, they do so in a way that the end in view is the mere articulation of words and declaration of truths. But if that were what God intended, why did he not ordain that we recite, in prose, biblical truths about him? Why sing? It can’t be simply for the aesthetic value of music or because of the pleasure it brings, for that would be to turn worship manward, as if we are now the focus rather than God.

We sing because God has created not only our minds but also our hearts and souls, indeed our bodies as well, in such a way that music elicits and intensifies holy affections for God and facilitates their lively and vigorous expression.

The same may be said of how God operates on our souls in the preaching of his Word. Books and commentaries and the like provide us with “good doctrinal or speculative understanding of the things of the Word of God, yet they have not an equal tendency to impress them on men’s hearts and affections" (115). So, with a view to affecting sinners and not merelyinforming them, God has appointed that his Word be applied in a particularly lively way through preaching.

Therefore, concludes Edwards, when we think of how public worship should be constructed and what methods should be employed in the praise of God and the edification of his people, “such means are to be desired, as have much of a tendency to move the affections. Such books, and such a way of preaching the Word, and administration of ordinances, and such a way of worshiping God in prayer, and singing praises, is much to be desired, as has a tendency deeply to affect the hearts of those who attend these means" (121).

When people object that certain styles of public worship seem especially chosen for their capacity to awaken and intensify and express the affections of the heart, they should be told that such is precisely the God-ordained purpose of worship. What they fear, namely, the heightening and deepening of the heart’s desire and love for God, and the expansion and increase of the soul’s delight and joy in God, what they typically call “emotionalism” or even “manipulation”, is the very goal of worship itself. For God is most glorified in his people when their hearts are most satisfied (i.e., when they are most “affected” with joy) in him (John Piper)....

Hear me well. Just as certain as that rose will turn brown and brittle and lose its allure, so too will our souls if they are not deeply and securely rooted in the soil of Holy Scripture. We may flourish for a season, perhaps even impress people with the color of our spirituality or the fragrance of our good deeds and the tenderness of our love for others. But in the absence of a continual supply of truth and knowledge and devotion to cultivating a mind aflame with the revelation of who God is in Christ, we will become like a wilted rose. Affections such as joy and love and hope and peace are essential to true Christian living, the sort of living that honors and glorifies and exalts Jesus. But they cannot long survive if severed from the rich soil of truth and doctrine and ever-expanding understanding in the mind of the splendor and majesty of God." Share

Storms & Edwards On Getting Excited for Jesus

I'm reading Sam Storms 'Convergence: The Spiritual Journey of a Charismatic Calvinist' at the moment. I'm especially appreciating his thoughtful evaluation of much of the cultural conservativism which I have been raised in. Ironically among Christians who put so much value on scripture, too much of what we have believed and done has been governed by the abuses we've seen rather than the scriptures we've read. Storm's chapters on affections really speak to the frustrations I have been experiencing in this regard. He draws heavily on Jonathan Edwards, with quotes like this gem:

"In matters which concern men’s worldly interest, their outward delights, their honour and reputation, and their natural relations, they have their desires eager, their appetites vehement, their love warm and affectionate, their zeal ardent; in these things their hearts are tender and sensible, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, very sensibly affected, and greatly engaged; much depressed with grief at worldly losses, and highly raised with joy at worldly successes and prosperity. But how insensible and unmoved are most men, about the great things of another world! how dull are their affections! how heavy and hard their hearts in these matters! here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How they can sit and hear of the infinite height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus; of his giving his infinitely dear Son to be offered up a sacrifice for the sins of men, and of the unparalleled love of the innocent, holy Lamb of God manifested in his dying agonies, his bloody sweat, his loud and bitter cries and bleeding heart; and all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved, eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory; and yet be cold, heavy, insensible, and regardless! Where are the exercises of our affections proper, if not here? what is it that more requires them? and what can be a fit occasion of their lively and vigorous exercise, if not such as this? Can any thing be set in our view, greater and more important? any thing more wonderful and surprising? or that more nearly concerns our interest? Can we suppose that the wise Creator implanted such principles in our nature as the affections, to lie still on such an occasion as this? Can any Christian, who believes the truth of these things, entertain such thoughts?" Share

Mission is like radioactive fallout

LOVED reading some Lesslie Newbigin on holiday, notably The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (SPCK, 1989). I think I'll blog some 'best bits' over the next while. Here's some nice stuff to kick off:

"Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the church in the pages of the new testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving. One searches in vain through the letters of St Paul to find any suggestion that anywhere he lays it on the conscience of his readers that they should be active in mission. For himself it is inconceivable that he should keep silent... It is a striking fact that almost all the proclamations of the gospel which are described in Acts are in response to the questions asked by those outside the church... In every case there is something present, a new reality, which calls for explanation and so prompts the question to which the preaching of the gospel is the answer" p116

"The real government of the universe, the final reality which in the end confronts every human being, is the crucified and risen Jesus." p117

"To be baptized is to be incorporated into the dying of Jesus so as to become a participant in his risen life, and so to share his ongoing mission to the world. It is to be baptized into his mission." p117 Share

The beginning of wisdom

Got kids? You probably need to read this.

"So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." Share

Some missional church videos

Missional Community = a small community of people mobilised around a common mission (neighbourhood, campus, etc...) pursuing gospel transformation. Share

Imago Dei and finding your joy

I love the applications Driscoll makes with this doctrine. What I need for my joy is exactly what Christ is doing in me, and the universe - redeeming & restoring the created order. What a God! I love too the way Driscoll so clearly exposes the vacuum of the evolutionist worldview while establishing the Truth in its place. For me, gospel application is where Driscoll's genius lies. Grab a cuppa and watch this for 15 minutes.

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Not just difficult, impossible

Feeling Schaeffer's motto today: 'What we are doing is not just difficult, it's impossible.' Little wonder when we consider Baxter's description of the ministry: 'We are seeking to uphold the world, to save it from the curse of God, to perfect the creation, to attain the ends of Christ's death, to save ourselves and others from damnation, to overcome the devil, and demolish his kingdom, to set up the kingdom of Christ, and to attain and help others to the kingdom of glory.' No wonder Paul compares this vastly important work to going to warfare (1 Cor 9:7; 1 Tim 1:18). Share

How To Ensure Your Kids Leave The Church

From DiscipleLikeJesus.com (USA):

Between 75% and 94% of children from Christian homes are leaving the church shortly after they graduate from high school. 99.5% of young adults between the age of 18 and 23 do not have a biblical worldview. What are the top ways that parents can keep this trend going?

We admit this is a rather negative and cynical list, and in some cases extreme. But believe it or not, this is the way that some children from church-going families are being raised.

The good news is that Jesus showed us how to do the very opposite of this top ten list!

10.  Don’t develop a relationship with your children. Spend very little time with them. Take jobs that require travel and start hobbies and activities that allow you to take a break from your family. When you are with your children, stay busy with watching television, social networking… anything that keeps you from interacting with them. Don’t listen to your children or talk with them. Let your children solve their bothersome issues with their peers. Or half-listen to your children while you are doing other things. Whatever you do, don’t make eye contact.
9.   Send your children to be taught and trained by unbelievers. Don’t bother to correct errors that are being taught to your children. Assume that the trained professionals will teach safe, non-threatening curriculum that is required by the school system.
8.   Make sure your child is taught relativism, macro evolution and unbiblical lifestyles as normal. After all, children need to make their own choices. It is normal to believe that we are all here by random chance. What did God have to do with that? Don’t be concerned with any promotion of promiscuous (safe) sex between members of the same sex or opposite sex.
7.   Don’t teach your children scripture and biblical principles. Don’t worry about obeying scripture to teach to your children the Bible. Allow clergy to do the job once or twice per week.  After all, you are not a trained expert. Let the experts do their job! Just be sure your children make a profession of faith.
6.  Immerse your children in popular television, movies, social networking and music. Don’t limit or monitor what your children engage in. Make sure they have their own television, cell phone, computer and boom box. Occult? No problem. Alternative lifestyles? Whatever. Take your children to see all the popular movies and make sure you listen to all the popular music. Get all the cable channels and let them watch it as much as possible!
5.   Normalize promiscuous sex and violence with your children. Buy your son popular video games that include sex and violence. Allow your son to kill as many bad guys as he wants to, and what’s the harm with a little fantasy sex?  Encourage your daughter to watch television and movies with lots of teen romance and sex. Buy her romance novels. Children need to have fun and take out their frustrations with media; after all it’s only “pretend.”
4.  Allow your children to go alone wherever they want and with whomever they want. Don’t keep your children under your protection and don’t monitor what they are doing. Make sure your children are with unbelievers all day long so they can be “salt and light.”  Forget about the fact that Jesus was always with His adult disciples when they were “salt and light.” The fact that He sent them out in twos with other Christian adults for protection is irrelevant. Your children should be able to choose their own friends; they will be a positive influence.
3.  Make sure your children go off to the best secular college and sow their wild oats. You want to make sure your children can make lots of money so don’t worry about what your teens are being taught. Co-ed dorms are acceptable; your teens need to sow their wild oats. Just make sure no one gets pregnant, and make sure they keep their grades up.
2.  Rather than involving your family in a ministry, be a spectator at church. Drop your children off at all the entertaining programs. Don’t worry about ministering to others in need; that’s the job of the pastors and ministers.
1.  Don’t enthusiastically discuss the Lord with your family. Also don’t pray with and for your children. When you talk with your children, teach them about things that almost everyone is really interested in; sports, television, movie stars, athletes, movies, secular music, buying new things, and having fun. Help your children to see that thinking about God is for Sunday mornings; the rest of the week is for doing what really matters.

In doing the above, you will have ensured that your children have been fully discipled by the world (80 to 100 hours per week), and the minimal time that they have spent at church (1 to 5 hours per week) will make little difference. As statistics show, they will likely join the crowd of those permanently departing the church.

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Forgotten Ways?

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TCC: IN the community, FOR the community

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