Posted by Barrett in : What is the Gospel?, Religion ,
Brian has started me listening to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaching through Romans, and it has caused me to think about why so many people-why I- find this book irresistable.
Brian was converted to Christ while studying the book of Romans under Robert Haldane’s commentary and Dr. Alan Cairns’ instruction. Robert Haldane’s Bible study through the book resulted in a massive commentary and a revival in Geneva. The Holy Spirit chose to convert me through a Bible study that Brian led through the book of Romans. My first great influence in the Doctrines of Grace was listening to Cairns’ preaching through Romans, a sermon series that spanned 4 years (2002-2006) and almost 100 messages. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached through the book of Romans on Friday nights, spanning 13 years (1955-1968) and over 300 sermons. John Piper has recently finished leading his Church through Romans, spanning 8 years (1998-2006) and over 200 Sunday morning sermons. St. Augustine credits Romans 13:13-14 with his conversion. Martin Luther hated Romans 1:17 with a passion, until God opened his eyes to see the Gospel. John Wesley was converted while listening to Luther’s Introduction (the introduction!) to his Commentary on Romans. Countless other people throughout history have found their conversion, establishment, and edification from the Book of Romans, earning it the apt title, from John Piper, of the Greatest Letter Ever Written.
My return to study the book of Romans has worried a few people. I have heard from many that it is never good to focus the majority of one’s attention to one single book of the Bible, but it is better to be well-rounded in all the books. I cannot agree more, and that is why I am studying Romans! No other book in the Bible pulls so fully from the rest of the Bible than the book of Romans. A thourough study through Romans cannot help but dive into every book in the Old Testament, the Four Gospels, and all of the rest of the letters in the New Testament. Reading Romans, where Paul pulls from Genesis, Isaiah, Malachi, Psalms, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and multiple other books, one is compelled to divert attention to the other 65 books of the Bible as they read. Perhaps it is those that merely “read” the book of Romans that find it so limited.
Why do you think a sermon series through this book takes so many years? It is not as though the preacher sits in the Pulpit and says, “The Just shall live by faith. Hmmm…what does that mean? ‘The’… well, ‘the’ is a word that signifies that a noun is about to follow in a sentence. This reminds me of a time when…” or “The Just shall live by faith. What does that mean? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? No one? Yes, John. ‘Well, I think it means that…’ Ok, good! Anyone else? Susie! ‘That’s not what I get from this text… I think it means this.’ ”
This is more along the lines of modern-day Bible studies. This is why I am opposed to Bible studies, over Sunday school. It is not that a Bible study is a bad thing, it is that we are lazy people. How many people show up to Bible studies without reading the text during the prior week? 99%, probably. So they’ll show up, and read the text, then go around the table talking about what this verse means to them. Then, after a significant period of time, they’ll go on to the next verse and talk about what this verse means to them, without any reference to the prior verse, the prior Chapter (which no one remembers by this week) or any of the other Books of the Bible. And if there is a brain-freeze, they will automatically jump to the commentary at the bottom of the page and read that! If a Bible study could include a group of people that were actually interested in studying the Bible, instead of reciting their own preconceived notions, then we might get somewhere! A Bible study with members that go home, read the next week’s text every morning in prayer, pull out commentaries and sermons, yearn for understanding, and rely fully on God, then we might be talking about growth. But instead, we come away from Bible study knowing nothing more about the Bible than what it says to other people.
Okay, enough about my rant on Bible studies… Back to Romans. It is my firm belief that the measure of a Christian’s progress in this life can be measured, at least partially, by their grip on the book of Romans. I do not say this to play favorites, and this idea may scare a lot of people. Why? Because you will not find any red letters in Romans… But wouldn’t an emphasis on Jesus’ life and teaching, i.e. the “red letters”, put the accent on the inspired writing of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, over the inspired writing of Paul? Jesus didn’t write the red letters, he spoke them. And the rest of the Bible is no less authoritative, is it? What about the million words of God’s direct speaking in the Old Testament that aren’t in red, such as His commands to the prophets and to Moses? The second fear is because a student of Romans WILL start to sound more and more like a “Calvinist”, or more accurately, an Augustinian, or more accurately, a Paulinian (or, more accurately, a Christian?). The only way around this is if you mutilate and divorce Paul’s meaning from Paul’s writing, in some sort of “new perspective”.
I ask now, how much time and effort have you put into the book of Romans? Is your reading through Romans leading you into the other 65 books of the Bible? Or are you merely reading through, chapter by chapter, assuming that the quotes that are pulled from the OT are accurate? Please give this book more consideration… First, it was Paul’s primary epistle. Second, greater men than us have been humbled by this book, so should we not do the same? Third, our eternal salvation- my eternal salvation- just may depend on whether I get this book right- not a mere Orthodoxy, but Spirit-filled, Gospel-saturating regenerated faith. That is, whether Justification precedes Sanctification- in MY life. Is Sanctification by the Spirit- in MY life. Do I see the Glory of God’s Righteousness- in MY life. Is my true worship in the practical outworking of Faith- in MY life. Do I rest on, or contend with, the eternal choice of God- in MY life. Is this Book, both Romans and the Bible, real- in MY life.
Posted by Barrett in : John Piper, Resources/Links, Required Reading ,
As most of you should know by now, Desiring God is in the final day of their $5 book sale. They were running two servers to capacity yesterday, and I still couldn’t get on to listen to sermons! But, for those that have learned, the early bird did catch the worm. One friend discovered that the booksale actually started late Tuesday night (or was it early Wednesday morning?). I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few books that you may want to pick up, for either late-comers or return-offenders!
A lot of talk has been had about the John Piper books that are available, but I would also like to point out a few other options you might not have noticed.
ESV Bibles
This is perhaps one of the greatest opportunities to purchase ESV Bibles for this rate. DG offers a hardbound and a softbound ESV, both for only $5. The hardbound retails for $25. Call your pastor. If your church has ever considered switching over to the ESV, as Bethlehem Baptist (Piper) and Mars Hill (Driscoll) have done (to name a few), then this is an opportune time to purchase these Bibles, for new-believers or pew Bibles or back-ups to carry in the trunk of your car!
Noël Piper
I have not read anything by Noel Piper yet, but I purchased these two books written by her, Treasuring God in our Traditions and Faithful Women & their Extraordinary God. Noel also has taught messages that you can listen to. I am looking forward to what kind of wife is produced by such a long struggle of being married to a man like John Piper. These resources look excellent and exciting. Also, you may consider Devotions for Ministry Wives and Most of All, Jesus Loves You.
John Piper (en Español)
Desiring God carries at least thirteen of John’s books translated into Spanish. If you have friends that speak Spanish as their primary language or if your church has an ESL ministry or you know a missionary that takes frequent trips into Spanish speaking countries, this may be your chance to load them up with Piper. John Piper is too good to be hogged by English speakers!
Other Authors
Often, in the Desiring God bookstore, it can be overwhelming being surrounded by so much of John’s materials. But I want to point out some of the other authors you can find at the store. Building Strong Families by Dennis Rainey and Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood by Wayne Grudem are two that you will find. Also, there are works that are composed by multiple authors to face some of today’s threats, such as Open Theism and Feminism here and, shorter, here.
John Piper’s Poetic Side
For those of you that are unfamiliar, John has written a lot of poetry. You can find many of the poems he has written on the website, but this may also be a time to pick up some of the books that he has written. These may be ideal for family worship, Christmas/Easter traditions, or anytime. Two of these also include CDs. The Innkeeper, the Prodigal’s Sister, and the Misery of Job and the Mercy of God.
I hope that you will take the opportunity to consider these additional resources. If you’ve already made your purchase, you may consider a return visit, at these prices. Shipping has been really cheap as well. For those on the West Coast, you may consider shopping tonight when us East-Coasters have gone to bed. For us on the East Coast, why weren’t you on at five this morning? It was empty! Most of all, I ask that you think not only of your own library, but also who you may be able to give these to. Five dollars for Don’t Waste Your Life is worth it to hand out as an outreach.
Remember the Underground Church.
Posted by Barrett in : Resources/Links, Required Reading, Persecution ,
Hebrews 13:3
“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
This verse has been the theme verse for Voice of the Martyrs for forty years. Voice of the Martyrs was formed in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand upon his release from Communist imprisonment and escape to the United States. I have just finished reading Tortured For Christ, and feel compelled to write to you about this book.
Some of the information that I will write about, and that is found in the book, is not for the faint of heart. But, then again, neither is Christianity…
First of all, the torture:
- Prisoners are forced to stand for hours in wooden boxes only slightly large than they were, with razor-sharp nails driven into the sides of the boxes. As hours went on, they would begin to sway and the nails would pierce their flesh.
- One pastor was tortured with red-hot pokers and knives, then locked in a prison cell. Starving rats were fed into the cell and the pastor was forced to remain awake to keep them from swarming him. After he refused to betray Christian brothers, they brought his 14-year old son and proceeded to whip him in front of his father. No longer able to stand, the father cried out “Alexander, I must say what they want! I cannot bear your beating anymore!” To which the son replied, “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words, ‘Jesus and my fatherland.’” The Communists beat the boy until his blood spattered on the walls. The father never recovered from watching his son beat to death before his eyes.
- Prisoners were chained in handcuffs with sharp nails on the insides next to their wrists. If the stood still, they were fine. When they shivered their flesh was torn from their wrists.
- Christians were hung upside down and beaten until their bodies swayed back and forth.
- Christians were thrown into freezers until the point of death, then removed and thawed, only to be put back in the freezer- over and over again. Wurmbrand talks about how “even today there are times when he cannot bear to open a refrigerator.”
- One priest was forced to consecrate feces and urine, and serve communion to his fellow prisoners.
- One young girl was being watched for passing out Gospels and teaching young children. The Communist police delayed arresting her until her wedding day. On that day, as she was dressed like a bride on her most glorious day, the police rushed in. She held out her hands to be cuffed, and after they slapped them on her wrists, “she looked towards her beloved, the kissed the chains and said, “I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank Him that I am worthy to suffer for Him.” She disappeared for five years.
But, oh the Joy and Conversions! If there is anything you see in this book, look for the joy!
- Guards converted to Christianity in the midst of beating prisoners, to go out the following day and profess Christianity, only to end up in prison!
- “I have seen Christians in Communist prisons with fifty pounds of chains on their feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonfuls of salt had been forced, being kept afterward from water, starving, whipped, suffering from cold– and praying with fervor for the Communists!”
- “But looking at men like this–not as they are, but as they will be–I could also see in our persecutors a Saul of Tarsus–a future Apostle Paul. And some have already become so. Many officers of the secret police to whom we witnessed became Christians and were happy to later suffer in prison for having found our Christ. Although we were whipped, as Paul was, in our jailers we saw the potential of the jailer in Philippi who became a convert. We dreamed that soon they would ask, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ In those who mocked the Christians who were tied to crosses and smeared with excrement, we saw the crowd of Golgotha who were soon to beat their breasts in fear of having sinned.”
So what can we do?
The final chapter answers this question. After all this background, what can Americans do? First and foremost, the message of the Underground Church is, “Don’t abandon us! Don’t forget us! Don’t write us off! Give us the tools we need! We will pay the price for using them!” Here are some suggestions, some are mine, others are from the book:
Mine:
- Pray for the Underground Church. The Iron Curtain has fallen, but Christians are still persecuted in many countries around the world, including Vietnam, Turkey, & Pakistan.
- Subscribe to the Voice of the Martyrs PersecutionBlog.
- Buy the book Tortured for Christ. At $6, buy many copies. Give copies to your Bible studies, your pastor, your mailman… Get this book out there. At VOTM, if you sign up, they will also let you send 3 free copies to friends.
- Blog about the Underground Church. Get your friends involved. Talk about it like a broken record. Surround yourself in stories of persecuted Christians so you cannot sleep at night. Write your congressmen. Get active in your church, Bible studies and Youth Groups. Show teenagers how they can get active, instead of relegate all abilities to “adults”.
The Book’s:
- Walk by faith, not by sight. Lead a life of fellowship with the living God. Atheists have no concept of this mystery.
- Lead a life of consistent Christian sacrifice. Speak out every time Christians are persecuted.
- Pray for the persecutors, that they might be saved.
- Love your neighbors. Wurmbrand would charge us with partial guilt for why Communism still exists, for “we are guilty at least by neglect of duty.”
- They need Bibles. People have been known to exchange cows and goats for portions of Bibles. In one village, a Bible was divided among thirty villagers, so they could each have a copy and exchange with each other!
- They need financial help. Evangelists are sometimes limited from going to neighboring towns because they cannot afford the travel tickets and food to travel 20 miles away from home. VOTM has purchased motorcycles for pastors in Vietnam and China.
- Support local broadcasting in these countries and those surrounding them. The book talks about how Communists use short-wave radio to broadcast propaganda, and how Christians in neighboring countries broadcast on the same airwaves! Let’s get Piper translated in the Asian languages!
Why should I help? What good is one person anyways?
- We should help because we have so much. We have salaries that rival the annual earnings of entire villages. Don’t say you are only one person, because you make more in a month than one person in these countries may make in a lifetime.
- We should help because it may not be long before America is the country in need and the church in Vietnam is the one being appealed to for assistance with our Underground Church.
- The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ compels us to act. Most of us here are Calvinists. We believe strongly in the Grace of Jesus Christ. So lets show it by our fight! God is on our side– He is Sovereign even in Communist/Atheist countries– so get started!
Richard Wurmbrand and his wife are dead now. They have fought for these forty years in the states. Wurmbrand spent 14 years in Communist prison, three of which were thirty feet underground in solitude. But if no one steps up- and there are those that are today!- a generation from now, no one will remember Richard Wurmbrand or these martyrs. We must continue forward, as the Body of Christ, to ease the suffering of our own flesh and blood.
I will close with Richard Wurmbrand closing appeal:
My Message to You From the Underground Church
As a member of the Underground Church who has survived and escaped, I have brought you a message, an appeal, a plea from my brethren whom I have left behind.
They have sent me to deliver this message to you. Miraculously I have survived to deliver it.
I have told you of the urgency of bringing Christ to the Communist world and other captive nations. I have told you of the urgency of helping the families of Christian martyrs. I have told you of practical ways you can help the Underground Church fulfill its mission of spreading the gospel.
When I was beaten on the bottom of my feet, my tongue cried. Why did my tongue cry? It was not beaten. It cried because the tongue and feet are both part of the same body. And you free Christians are part of the same Body of Christ that is now beaten in prisons in restricted nations, that even now gives martyrs for Christ. Can you not feel our pain?
The Early Church in all of its beauty, sacrifice, and dedication has come alive again in these countries.
While our Lord Jesus Christ agonized in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter, James, and John were a mere stone’s throw away from the greatest drama of history–but they were deep in sleep. How much of your own Christian concern and giving is directed toward the relief of the martyr church? Ask your pastors and church leaders what is being done in your name to help your brothers and sisters in restricted nations around the world.
In these countries, the drama, bravery, and martyrdom of the Early Church are happening all over again–now–and the free Church sleeps.
Our brethren there, alone and without help, are waging to greatest, most courageous battle of the twentieth century, equal to the heroism, courage, and dedication of the Early Church. And the free Church sleeps on, oblivious of their struggle and agony, just as Peter, James, and John slept in the moment of their Savior’s agony.
Will you also sleep while your brethren in Christ suffer and fight for the gospel?
Will you hear our message: “Remember us, help us”?
“Don’t abandon us!”
Now I have delivered the message from the faithful, martyred Church–from your brothers and sisters suffering in the bonds of atheistic communism, and under attack across the world from Indonesia to Africa. Don’t abandon them.
God, you have been so gracious to me. I may never know the kind of torture and pain that my brothers face in foreign countries, watching their wives and children stripped from their houses and killed for You. I do not deserve to sleep warmly in bed. I have done nothing to earn this! Lord, I pray that my heart would be broken for Your body. Do not let me sleep peacefully any longer. Let my heart be stirred early in the morning towards prayer, and may You never cease to torment me until late in the evenings. Give me a passion for Your witnesses, and allow me to ease their burden. Amen.
Posted by Eddie in : Uncategorized, John Piper, Blog, Required Reading ,
(The following is a quote by John Piper from his book “God Is The Gospel” which has helped me tremendously in my walk with Christ:)
“What I am trying to express here is that the glory of Christ, as he appeared among us, consisted not in one attribute or another, and not in one act or another, but in what Jonathan Edwards called “an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies.” In a sermon titled “The Excellency of Christ” Edwards took as his text Revelation 5:5-6 where Christ is compared both to a lion and a lamb. His point was that the unique glory of Christ was that such diverse excellencies (lion and lamb) unite in him. These excellencies are so diverse that they “would have seemed to us utterly incompatible in the same subject.”
In other words,
• we admire him for his glory, but even more because his glory is mingled with humility;
• we admire him for his transcendence, but even more because his transcendence is accompanied by condescension;
• we admire him for his uncompromising justice, but even more because it is tempered with mercy;
• we admire him for his majesty, but even more because it is a majesty in meekness;
• we admire him because of his equality with God, but even more because as God’s equal he nevertheless has a deep reverence for God;
• we admire him because of how worthy he was of all good, but even more because this was accompanied by an amazing patience to suffer evil;
• we admire him because of his sovereign dominion over the world, but even more because this dominion was clothed with a spirit of obedience and submission;
• we love the way he stumped the proud scribes with his wisdom, and we love it even more because he could be simple enough to like children and spend time with them;
• and we admire him because he could still the storm, but even more because he refused to use that power to strike the Samaritans with lightning (Luke 9:54-55) and he refused to use it to get himself down from the cross.
The list could go on and on. But this is enough to illustrate that beauty and excellency in Christ is not a simple thing. It is complex. It is a coming together in one person of the perfect balance and proportion of extremely diverse qualities. And that’s what makes Jesus Christ uniquely glorious, excellent, and admirable. The human heart was made to stand in awe of such ultimate excellence. We were made to admire Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
This excerpt was lavishly and graciously provided by Desiring God. The rest of this book can be read and purchased at:http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_bgg/books_bgg.pdf
Posted by Barrett in : C J Mahaney, Resources/Links ,
One of our brothers emailed Brian wanting links to some of CJ Mahaney’s sermons. Since Brian is in the middle of a study on American Culture and Depravity (i.e. family vacation to Disney Land), I thought I would hook him up with some of the links.
Our fellow contender, Paul Schafer, over at Reforming My Mind put alot of effort into compiling these MP3s from various sources. I would also recommend CJ’s church, Covenant Life, where their archive is full of CJ’s sermons, as well as Joshua Harris, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Bob Kaufman. They also podcast their sermons, as well. For more general stuff on CJ, I recommend the Together for the Gospel site. This looks like the 2008 conference will be one no one will want to miss.
Hope this helps.
Hold Fast,
Barrett
