Restitutio

Covetousness, self-reliance, and envy can rob us of gratitude and contentedness.  So much of our world programs us to feel restless, entitled, and discontent regarding our possessions, how we look, our work, and our relationships.  Have you ever asked yourself, “How much is enough?”  Taking his cue from the Apostle Paul, John Cortright shares the secret of being content: recognizing that what God has done through Christ is already enough.  In the end, Cortright concludes based on Psalm 73, that God is his chief good, his portion, his refuge, therefore, come what may, God is enough!

Psalm 73.25-28

My flesh and my heart may fail,

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;

But for me it is good to be near God;

Notes:

The 19th century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, believed that our desire for success, money, or love really went back to our “will to power.”  Whereas other philosophies focused on calibrating our internal state to accept reality, Nietzsche focused more on conforming reality to our desires.  Although it’s terribly out of fashion to admit one desires and pursues power, this counterfeit god is alive and well.  We can get so involved with a political party, a social justice issue, or advocating some cause that we begin to live for it rather than God.  We seek to make the world better and this often takes heroic sacrifice and commitment, which, in turn, can easily lead to removing God from the throne of our hearts and even defying how he says to live in the process.  The solution is not to divest ourselves of power, but to submit our wills to God.  Humility is the way God can redeem our influence for his purposes.  In his earthly ministry, Jesus was powerful, but he did not let it go to his head; instead, he constantly recognized that God was the source of his words and works.  In the end, God exalted Jesus, bestowing on him a name that is above everyone else.  This is our example.

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Saint Patrick is one of the most courageous missionaries of Christian history. Although revelers mark his day with debauchery and drunkenness, he pursued holiness and risked his life to preach to the Irish barbarians. He held out to the ancient Irish tribes a promise of protection from their gods and demons, if only they would come to Christ. Not only is he an example of virtue and courage, he also shows how far forgiving and loving our enemies can go. After patiently waiting for years for his non-missionary-minded church to send him, he got to preach to the very people who had kidnapped and enslaved him as a teenager.  Learn who the real St. Patrick was and how his life can inspire you to live for Christ in our post-Christian society today.

Notes:

Everyone enjoys accomplishment and achievement, but what happens when we take success and make it our ultimate goal in life?  When you reach the pinnacle of success in any field, it’s easy to get depressed, asking yourself, “Is this all there is?”  Furthermore, you may begin to fear that you won’t be able to maintain your position as other star-eyed would-be achievers are climbing to the top in an effort to push you off.  How can we guard against worshiping the counterfeit god of success without settling into complacency or laziness?  In this episode we answer this question by embracing the goodness and joy of achievement while recognizing that our ultimate worth comes from God’s gracious offer of love, demonstrated on the cross of his dear Son.

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The history of Christianity can sometimes be really depressing, especially when we look at the “heresy hunters.” From Justin Martyr and Irenaues in the second century to Athanasius and Epiphanius of the fourth century, as Christians we progressively came to define ourselves on the basis of what we don’t believe.  As a result, so much energy focused on precisely defining and policing the boundaries of orthodox doctrine.  This tendency continued to develop throughout the middle ages, culminating with the Catholic Inquisition in Spain where the church interrogated, tortured, and executed “heretics” (typically Jews who had been forcibly converted to Catholicism).

In the sixteenth century, even Protestants executed heretics like the founders of the Anabaptists and Michael Servetus.  Thankfully, the world has changed so much from the days when one could be executed for thought crimes.  However, especially with the advent of the internet, the heresy-hunting impulse is alive and well within Christianity.  Across countless blogs, chatrooms, and youtube channels, self-appointed orthodox defenders continue to bully and blackball other honest-hearted Christians for their unwillingness to accept their list of essential doctrines.

In this eye-opening talk, Dr. Dale Tuggy discusses four approaches to heresy, including (1) Catholic, (2) Protestant, (3) “free” Protestant, and (4) apostolic.  He argues that there is such a thing as heresy, and we should take it seriously, but it has a lot more to do with divisiveness than doctrinal errors.  Ironically, the heresy-hunters are the ones guilty of causing αἵρεσεις (factions) in the body of Christ.

Notes:

I bet you don’t think you struggle with greed. In fact, I’ve never met anyone who told me this was a problem for him or her. But greed is subtle. It sneaks up on you when you think you’re just working towards financial security or building your confidence or taking control of your life. In this episode we discuss how greed lurks in the shadows as well as how to slay the beast through gratitude and generosity.

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We all have competing impulses within us vying for our attention and expression. How do you know which ones to amplify and which to repress? How should we think of ourselves? Are we powerful and valuable creatures made in God’s image or accidental byproducts of time plus chance plus matter? In order to live out authentic humanity we need to grasp who we are and how God calls us to live. Only when we live in conformity with our designer and creator can we flourish and bring him glory.

Notes:

Today we are starting a series based on Tim Keller’s book, Counterfeit Gods, wherein we’ll consider a number of idols that vie for worship in our society.  In this episode we consider Aphrodite, the ancient goddess of love, and her modern counterparts.  We begin by examining the somewhat dysfunctional love story of Jacob and Rachel in the book of Genesis.  We conclude that love and romance are goods God has given people, but they should not be our ultimate pursuit or what we look to for salvation.  In addition, Rose rebukes the tendency among Christians to hold out romance and marriage to singles as an ultimate goal to find completion.  Dan also shares some great advice about attracting a godly spouse.  Whether you are married or single, this Off Script episode will help you think through the proper place you should have for romantic love in your life.

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How should Christians relate to the government?  In this sermon, Vince Finnegan works through Romans 13 to show how we should relate to the powers that be.  Ultimately God is in charge of raising up and tearing down regimes and nations over the course of human history.  Our goal is to love one another as examples of genuine faith rather than get overwhelmed with political concerns.

Notes:

Romans 13:1 – In order to stay constantly living for God, we must have the right mindset and proper behavior in relationship to the kingdoms of this world.

Subjection is very common. Wives to husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24), children to parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), servants to masters [employees to employers] (Ephesians 6:5-8), younger to elders (1 Peter 5:5), and believers to church elders (Hebrews 13:17).

Husbands tell wives to worship. Parents tell children to steal. Employer tells employees to lie. Church leadership tells people to have sex. Government tells clerk about marriage licenses to homosexuals.

Daniel 3:18; Daniel 6:10; Acts 4:18-20; 5:29

Deuteronomy 13:4 Submission in human relationships is commanded, but never when it breaks God’s commandments. We must obey God rather than man.

Romans 13:2 If we do not submit to the laws of the government, we will be judged by those laws. By no means is God saying to us that worldly governments are holy or that their reign is equitable, fair, and right. Governments are a temporary necessity in this present evil age to maintain a semblance of order until God’s perfect Kingdom comes.

The main danger was that the early Christians would err in refusing submission, even when it was proper, rather than in undue conformity to idolatrous rites and ceremonies.

Daniel 2:21; 4:17, 26, 34, 35 By God’s permission or appointment, those in office obtain their power. God often claims and asserts that He sets up one and puts down another.

Romans 13:5 – The word “minister” could also be translated “servant” as it often is in other translations. Kings, presidents, governors are God’s servants just as Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus were. They were not serving us because they understood God’s Word and believed it, but because God is almighty and the supreme ruler of the earth.

7 – Mark 12:15-17; Matthew 17:24-27

8 – God does not want us to owe anyone because indebtedness may place us in a compromising position to be controlled or influenced by someone other than Him.

Genesis 14:21-24 Abraham refused to be indebted to the king of Sodom when he was offered great wealth. Nor would he accept the land to bury Sarah without paying, so he remained free from obligation to anyone other than God

1 John 3:16; 4:11 – We all love because God loved us, and He commands us to love others.

Romans 13:12 – We are to maintain an awareness of the urgency of our times. Each day, we are one day closer to his return or our death, whichever comes first.

Ephesians 5:14-16 – We cannot afford to fall into a lackadaisical slumber and squander the time we could have with God.

Romans 13:14

Claudia Scott is one of the pillars of our church, a woman of faith who carries herself with dignity and poise. Growing up, she’s been an example to me of faithfulness and passion for God. Having only known her over the last twenty or so years, I was clueless about how much she had been through in her past. She suffered repeated sexual abuse for years as a child. Once she left the house, her life didn’t fair much better. When she met God and discovered his power to heal her, she began a journey that eventually led her to mental relief and peace of mind. This is her story.

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