The latest from Boundless:

Day 4.

Missed my Bible study again. Yelled at the guy who cut me off on the road. Then whined and complained to God about my work situation. Still struggling with pride and tongue. The weight of all my responsibilities is piling up, developing into an out of control mass of tasks.

Man, I am the prime example of the ultimate Christian loser!

Some days, it seems that one moment I’m on top of the world. I’m leading worship. I’m writing articles. I’m studying my Bible (and haven’t missed a day in weeks).

Then it hits: Sin.

Before I know it, I’m four days in, losing the battle against the flesh.

This sermon was preached by my great-grandfather, the Rev. Richard J. Sweetman, on the radio show “The Hour of Power” on WMAL AM-FM on Sunday, June 10, 1962. It was sponsored by Central Union Mission. Though my Great-Granfather has passed away before I was born, I have his sermons, which have greatly helped me. I pray that God will use these sermons even today, 40 years later, for His glory. I’ll meet my grandfather in heaven, and I pray you will too.

By Rev. Richard J. S.

“The Apostle Paul in writing to the young minister, Timothy, gave an exhortation that is just as much needed by all of us, ministers and laymen. It is found in 2 Timothy 2:1:

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

As then, so today, one of the greatest needs the believer has is strength to be all his position in Christ implies in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we shine as lights in the world.

A Mr. T. Horton has put this need in poetic language–

“I need a strength to keep me true and straight in everything I do;
I need a power to keep me strong when I am tempted to do wrong;
I need a grace to keep me pure when passion tries its deadly lure;
I need a love to keep me sweet when hardness and mistrust I meet;
And naught on earth can these afford, but all is found in Christ, my Lord.”

Several years ago at a Bible Conference, I heard Dr. William Allen Dean speak on Paul’s second letter to Timothy. He suggested that the theme of chapter 2 is: “Be strong,” and that the balance of the chapter gives “five rules for the Christian if he would be strong.” (I hope you have your Bible open so you can see these precious lessons.)

In these days of stress and strain, the faith of many is being taxed almost to the breaking point. In talking with fellow-believers in Christ, I have found many who are discouraged, defeated, and depressed. They don’t want to be, but they are nevertheless. They want to be strong. They want to live a victorious life. They want to be able to live above the disturbing circumstances about them, but they haven’t found the secret. Paul’s word to young Timothy can be of great help if you are one of these; and I pray that it will as we look at it together this morning.

Now the first rule in obtaining strength as a Christian:

Suffer the Hardships

This is found in verses 3-7; and if you have your Bible open, you will be able to glance at these verses and see how he develops this theme. He uses three examples–that of the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer. One of the first things a soldier learns is that he has no rights of his own. He has to endure many things that are contrary to his will. He must endure hardness, self denial, disciplines. That is especially true when war is going on. The athlete must run if he is going to win the race, and there are training rules that cannot be broken. This, too, requires self-discipline. The farmer must spend months at hard toil before he reaps a harvest. Ground that is to produce must be broken up, plowed with deep furrows; it must be cultivated, turned, planted. Stumps, roots, and rocks often have to be removed. All of this before harvest. So it is with the Christian life. If we are to be strong, we must suffer the hardships. All too many Christians have forgotten that the Christian way costs something.

We have often sung: “It Pays to Serve Jesus“; but we have forgotten that is costs something to serves God.

It cost Abraham the yielding up of his only son.
It cost Esther the risking of her life.
It cost Daniel being cast into the den of lions.
It cost Stephen death by stoning.
It cost Jesus his life.
What has it cost you?

The cross worn is no substitute for the cross borne. Many today want the Christ of the cross, but they will not accept the cross of Christ. Like some who stood before the cross, they say: “Come down from the cross and we will believe you.” Strength in the Christian life comes from accepting the hardships, disciplines, trials, sacrifices as the will of God for our lives as He seeks to bring us to full maturity as His children.

Now the second rule for acquiring strength is:

Stand on the Promises

This is found in verses 8-13. Here Paul brings the resurrection of Jesus Christ into focus, and then assures all who are willing to walk the way of the cross with Christ will also share in His glory. The cross will be followed by a crown, but there is no crown without a cross. In verses 9-10, he tells us that he is willing to suffer trouble, even imprisonment, even death, just so others might be saved. Think of what’s invloved if your friend is lost, not only now but through eternity! Think also what Christ can do, and will do, for him. Upon the basis of these promises, Paul says: “I am willing to suffer anything just to get people linked up with God.”

THIS IS STRENGTH! STAND ON THE PROMISES!

The third rule for Christian strength is:

Shun the Side Issues

This is seen in verses 14, then 16-18, and 23-35. Here young Timothy got some good advice; he was told to “strive not about words to no profit,” “shun profane and vain babbling,” and avoid “foolish and unlearned questions.” The reasons he was to avoid these are that they will “subvert the hearers…Increase unto more ungodliness…Overthrow the faith of some…Gender strifes” and such like. Some people are more concerned about where Cain got his wife and whether God is able to make a stone too big for Him to move than they are about the lost neighbor who will end up in hell without Christ.

The little boy went to the circus; but because he was so busy looking at the side-shows, he arrived at the “big-top”, the main event, just as the concluding act was finished. An Australian woman specialist, whose medical advice has helped in curing thousands of cases of infantile paralysis, was told: “You can make one million dollars in six months if you charge the fees you deserve.”

“One million dollars!” she replied, “Why, I made more than that this morning. I made a little girl able to walk again.”

I’m sure this point needs no more emphasis.

The fourth means of strength Paul urges on Timothy is:

Study the Word

In verse 15 we read: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly divivding the word of truth.” The value of the Word of God in building Christian strength and character is inestimable. The neglect of this Book, which is food for the soul, probably explains why some Christians are weak, worn, and weary. One has written about what his Bible has done for him in this beautiful language:

“Though the cover is worn, and though pages are torn,
And though places bear the traces of tears,
Yet more precious than gold is this Book worn and old,
That can shatter and scatter my fears.
This old Book is my guide, ’tis a friend by my side,
It will lighten and brighten my way;
And each promise I find soothes and gladdens my mind,
I read it and heed it each day.
To this Book I will cling, of its worth I will sing;
Though great losses and crosses be mine.
For I cannot despair though surrounded by care,
While possessing this blessing divine.”

We don’t even have time to enlarge on the fifth means of strength:

Separate Yourself From All Uncleanness

Suffice it to say, God cannot use a dirty instrument. If you would me strong, present a clean life to God for him to use.”

I was on break, sitting in the corner of the restaurant I work at eating my dinner. The dining room was pretty empty – quiet, calm. I looked up to see a family walking in. Dad, Mom, and three boys. I chuckled to myself because they reminded me of ducks, all in height order. Dad, the tallest. Mom next, then the three others. All in a straight line.

They ordered their food, and sat down a few booths away from me, across the aisle. Two boys on one side, mom and another son on the other. Dad at the head of the table.

I saw another family glance at them, chuckling among themselves. I wasn’t. I was carefully watching what they did next. All of them reverently took off their hats, closed their eyes, and thanked God for their food. The other family starting whispering again. I was simply convicted.

I totally forgot to thank God for my food! I thought to myself. Okay, well…I guess I just flat out didn’t do it because I just didn’t feel like it.

The family concluded their prayer, returned their hats to their heads, and began eating. I really wanted to walk over and thank them right then and there for their example to me and to others in the restaurant. People may think it’s old and cliche to talk about being a witness by praying in public. I don’t think it is at all. Something was working in my heart right there. The Holy Spirit was working through this family.

Fast forward to the night after. I’m driving home. The sun is setting, a faint moon can be made out in the blue sky. Music plays quietly the background with the faint sound of tires on the road. I was thinking about that family again. What exactly was God trying to tell me? It couldn’t simply be “Tim, you didn’t ask a blessing over your food.” I knew it was much, much deeper than that.

It became pretty obvious to me as I saw that sunset in front of me and I drove towards home — there was a heart issue. I was ungrateful for what God had given me – I wasn’t thankful to God that I was driving a car I own, I wasn’t thankful for my job, my family, a home to return to, a church family, life, salvation, or the cross. I had been moping around worrying about finishing school, whining about having to work, and complaining about the situations I found myself in. The praying family stopped me dead in my tracks.

Thank goodness God is “kind to ungrateful and evil men.” I was acting just like those evil men described in 2 Timothy 3:2, the men who are “lovers of self…arrogant…ungrateful, unholy…[and] holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” Paul tells us to “avoid such men as these.”

I should not act like these sinful men, but instead should give thanks to God for his infinite mercy to me first of all through the gospel. The truth of the cross does not allow for ungratefulness. I must also thank God for his grace through the Holy Spirit, which is shown to me daily. In addition, I must thank God for common grace – life, sun, rain, oxygen, etc. With these things in mind I should never stop giving thanks to God.

So, it’s not that I broke some rule about praying before my meal. The issue is much deeper than that – things like that can quickly show us a much deeper problem in our lives. My prayer is that none of us will allow ourselves to overlook that truth. Let’s check our hearts.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Kevin DeYoung has posted a most helpful and insightful article regarding an issue I see many Christians, both young and old, wrestling with.

I understand there are lazy people out there (and believe me I can be lazy too sometimes). I understand there are lots of Christians in our churches sitting around doing nothing and they need to be challenged not to waste their life (seriously, I love that book and think Piper motivates for radical Christianity in the right way). I understand that many people in the evangelical world are far from generous with their resources and fritter their time away on inane television shows. But even with these important caveats, we really must be much more careful with out urgent and incessant pleas to “do more” for God. It’s the lazy and/or immature preacher who ends every sermon with a call to do more–more evangelism, more discipleship, more prayer, more giving, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. It’s the Seinfeld approach to application: “More anything? More everything!”

I’ve written just a few things relating to this topic, such as “Do Small Things”, “How To Change the World” and “No Little People”. The point is not to do more things for God. Preach and teach the gospel where you are. We are called to be ambassadors, so be ambassadors. I’m praying that these resources and a grounding in God’s word can allow us to overcome the struggle and lie that we have to become Jesus, that we have to “change the world,” when the reality is that we can do absolutely nothing.

A few weeks ago I woke up early and went with some friends to a rougher side of my city, picking up trash and chatting with anyone who wanted to talk.

It seems insignificant to be the nameless group of random college students picking up smashed water bottles, cigarette packages, empty vodka bottles and wet cardboard. But as I walked 29th street and the surrounding area, I thought about what I was saying through my actions on that chilly, overcast day.

If I had driven through the neighborhood the day before and looked out my window, I would have been a little disgusted, afraid and unmoved. But as I leaned over to pick up a piece of wet cardboard and put it in my trash bag, I knew for certain that my outlook and my heart were changing from disdain to love.

What I didn’t realize was that what I learned on the streets that day was a lesson that would start changing my life. A lesson that taught me that biblical communication is more than just spoken words — and it all starts in my heart.

David Platt: SBC Pastors Conference 2009 from Todd Thomas on Vimeo.

I just came back from a foreign country where I had the amazing opportunity to share the gospel with an unreached people group. I watched this video the other evening, and although it has been talked about quite a bit around the internet, I wanted to make sure that you had the opportunity to watch this incredible message from David Platt. It will convict, challenge, and change you.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence — that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, or any annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus endured it — that is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any attitude, any interruption by the will of God — that is dying to self. When you never care to refuse yourself in conversation, or record your own good works, or itch after any commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown — that is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances — that is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart — that is dying to self.” — Author Unknown (Taken from Different By Design by John MacArthur).

Oh, that each of us could be one who dies to themselves — oh, that I could be one that is dying to self!

Download The PDF Version!

Like so many others, I have something within me that screams against the rules.

Like when I was much younger I was the proud owner of a pair of Washington Redskins shoes. Instead of using the normal shoelaces, I decided to spice up the shoes with some bright orange shoelaces that I owned.

Not exactly the prettiest sight in the world.

At the time, I didn’t realize that those colors didn’t match, and to be honest, it didn’t bother me in the least. I thought they were cool. But as I grew older and matured, I realized (after another pair of shoes with orange shoelaces) that orange didn’t really match. Other things began to change as well – my clothes started to match, my shirts were no longer on backwards, and I finally came to understand that you don’t wear pants with huge holes in the knees to special events. I was finally growing up.

Orange Shoelaces Don’t Go

In many ways, our Christian lives tend to be very similar to this. As we become teenagers, some of us have the urge to live our lives with our orange shoelaces still on. We remain children, fighting the so-called “rules” that our parents and authorities place over us and allow apathy to seep into our spiritual and physical lives.

The problem is this. Many of us have learned what is right, but we have never put that which we have learned into action. We’ve heard a thousand times that orange shoelaces don’t go with burgundy and gold shoes, and we might even know it to be true, but we’ve told ourselves a thousand times that where we are is so much sweeter.

Ignorance is bliss, right?

If we are ignorant of our need to mature as Christians, we will continue to live in that so called “bliss.” Sadly, many of us have remained infants in our Christian walk. But it’s time to grow up.

As believers in Christ, we are new people. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” says Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:17; “the old has gone, the new has come.” If this is the case, then we are to live as if we are new people – radically changed by God. We once lived in darkness and in sin, yet now all has gone away. Once, we did not struggle against sin, but continued in a steady pattern of ungodliness. Now, we are set free from our sin (Romans 8:2, 4-6, 9, 14), and have begun to live a new life. We have been“regenerated.”

In The Midst of a Battle

As regenerated men and women, we find ourselves in the midst of a battle. Like I said before, we once lived in a steady pattern of sin, but now things are different. One would think that because we are now regenerated – or made new – we would never sin again, but we all know this is not the case. Each and every believer continues to sin.

But the difference is clear: the true believer does not continue in a pattern of sin. If he does continue, he has not been regenerated and is instead living with the sinful nature from which believers are freed because of repentance and faith in Christ. He has not been truly changed.

So, my brothers you also died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. (Romans 7: 4)

This is so important to understand! Knowing this helps us recognize what happens after “conversion.” James helps us understand the correct definition of faith and understanding of what salvation is in the highly misunderstood James 2:14-26. “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,” says James. “is dead.” My works of holiness certainly do not save me, yet they are clear signs that proclaim “I am saved.” That is something we must grasp as we begin the journey in serving a new Master.

Our old master once ruled over us with an iron fist. We had no control over him as we lived in a pattern of sin and rebellion against God. For many of us, we did not realize our enslavement to this master of darkness because we had always, since birth, been a slave. It was life. We were born of the flesh, and therefore we lived and acted like the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-20 describe to us the acts of this sinful nature as being “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchary; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkeness, orgies, and the like.” Paul warns us that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

We all were once liars, theives, adulterers, haters, idolaters, lusting, jealous, and selfish. We all deserved God’s wrath, and for those who continue in the pattern of the old man will not inherit eternal life, but will rather inherit eternal punishment in hell. But those who repent and place their faith in Christ will be regenerated – made brand new. This regeneration is not of ourselves, but is a gift of God.

1 John 3:4 talks about this very thing when it says, “everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”

That is the first part that we must understand – that we have fallen short of the glory of God and therefore are lawless. As lawless enemies of God, we need to be saved from eternal punishment. We are saved by grace through faith, by nothing of ourselves through Christ’s work on the cross as a propitiation and atonement for our sin. Through His resurrection we gain eternal life.

The second part we must understand is that no one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:7-10 clearly outlines for us what that means.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Now, this passage is not saying that if we sin after regeneration we are no longer under grace. We cannot lose our salvation, as pointed out by Paul in Romans 8:37-39, where he explains that for those who are in Christ Jesus, nothing can separate them from the love of God. Yet at the same time we must not keep on in a pattern of sin as slaves to righteousness. When we offer ourselves to someone as a slave, we obey that person. We are now under the control of righteousness. We now offer our bodies in slavery to righteousness “leading to holiness” (Romans 6:19).

This is the fruit that is spoken of in Galatians 5. By our fruit we are known to be either slaves to sin, or slaves to righteousness (Mt. 7:16-20). It is a test for us to understand whether or not we have been truly saved, as we now live in the light.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by light becomes visible. this is why it is said: Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be careful, then, how you live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days of evil.

We are to understand what the Lord’s will is, not to get drunk on wine but to be filled with the Spirit, and are to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as we sing to the Lord in reverence and thanks as we clothe ourselves in righteousness (Col. 3:13-15, Malachi 2:5-7).

As We Preach the Gospel to Ourselves

As new believers, we must daily crucify our sinful desires, understanding that what we plant is what we sow. In other words, if we feed our flesh, it will grow and overpower us even as believers. If we starve it, feeding our righteous nature, we will allow holiness to grow in our lives instead of that terrible sinful nature. This is an ongoing battle. It’s tough for all of us, as we wake up daily to avoid feeding the flesh through each day. Whether it be anger, lust, pride, or envy, we all struggle against it. At some times, it seems impossible to overcome the old nature that once ruled in our lives.

We think that we can’t take off those shoes with orange shoelaces. But we have been set free and must crucify our desires! We cannot bend to the temptation to take no action and to sink into immaturity.

Finally, as young men and women who understand the importance of striving after holiness, we must be careful not to become conceited. Directly after stating the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Paul exhorts us to “not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” In chapter 6 he tells us that “if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

As we preach the gospel to ourselves – as we understand daily the significance of our need for our Savior – we will not be conceited, but will daily return to the cross, bowing in humility, laying our sins before Christ who is the only one who can make us new again.

As a younger Christian I had the idea that all I had to do to live a holy life was to find out from the Bible what God wanted me to do and go do it. Christians with maturity will smile at this naive assumption, but I see younger Christians starting off with the same air of self-confidence. we have to learn that we are dependent upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to attain any degree of holiness. Then, as we look to Him, we will see Him working in us — revealing our sin, creating a desire for holiness, and giving us the strength to respond to Him in obedience. (Jerry Bridges The Pursuit of Holiness, Page 67)

I pray that all of us will understand the importance of living as a regenerated generation. It is more than a prayer – it is a life lived in humility like Christ. May our fruit shine as we go into the world and proclaim the glorious gospel.

My latest article on Boundless is up:

I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking as he pulled out his iPhone and took advantage of a new Facebook application — right in the middle of the sermon.

It was then that I realized the narcissistic machine that is Facebook.

Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I found myself desiring to do the same. I shuddered. Have I really come to this place where I’m more concerned about what’s taking place on Facebook than what’s going on in this church service? More concerned about a self-serving social networking site than this Bible on my lap?

Twice in one weekend.

Not exactly sure how that’s possible, but it happened. I honestly have no idea how it could suddenly happen twice when it has only happened once in the past two years.

What happened was simply this: I was 0.42 seconds late on seeing that the light had turned green, and was alerted 0.52 seconds after by a loud honk from the obviously enraged or slightly annoyed driver behind me. The first time I responded with like rage and dirty looks into my rear view mirror, hoping that my death-like stare might do some damage to their front fender, but to no avail.

The second time I held my tongue, although I was slightly annoyed that someone would be such a hurry as to honk their horn at an innocent kid trying to drive his car at a safe speed. To make matters worse, when I pulled through the intersection, the car that had decided to honk their horn was left in the dust of my car going 35 mph, the speed limit, and their car puttering along far behind me.

What has this world come to?

I felt sorry for the drivers of those vehicles in such a hurry to get nowhere. Maybe I deserved to be honked at, but for some reason, I felt as if it was me versus the world. I hate to blow something up that really is small, but think about it for just a moment.

Our world is flying at an incredible rate, an out-of-control rate. Everyone and anyone is in a hurry to get to somewhere, someplace, somehow, no-matter-how.

I’m not the first one to call for our world to slow down, stop honking their horns, and see the glory around them. But I’m saying it now. I want to slow down and get out of the speeding car that our world seems to mimic.

Stop And See the Glory

Just the other day I was driving towards the city as the sun was setting. The river to my right was glistening, and the sun was setting right behind the skyscrapers in front of me. I’ve seen it a hundred times, in real life, in movies, and on corny postcards and calendars. But my view of God is so small I don’t take any time to stop.

Wait.

Listen.

And worship.

Check out the words of J.I. Packer in Knowing God:

Look at Psalm 139, where the Psalmist meditates on the infinite and unlimited nature of God’s presence, and knowledge, and power, in relation to people…there are no limits to his knowledge of me. Just as I am never left alone, so I never go unnoticed. “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. you know when I sit and when I rise [all my actions and movements]; you perceive my thoughts [all that goes on in my mind] from afar… You are familiar with all my ways [all my habits, plans, aims, desires, as well as all my life to date]. Before a word is on my tongue [spoken, meditated] you know it completely, O Lord” (Ps. 139:1-4).

I love what Packer says after this: “I can hide my heart, and my past, and my future plans, from those around me, but I cannot hide anything from God.” My view of God is so small, so constricting.

My spiritual life often looks like those drivers behind me. Always in a hurry to get somewhere, somehow, someway. But do I realize the great benefits and necessity of meditation? Life may feel like a roller coaster at some points, but I must slow down. I must dig deeper.

How To Dig Deeper

Donald Whitney offers some very helpful insights into meditating on God’s Word that you can download here. Here’s just a few ways to start: