By Jared Mellinger

A couple weeks ago I introduced an 18th century author and pastor by the name of Thomas Adam. The book Private Thoughts on Religion is a collection of Adam’s journal entries that were published after his death.

Here are some entries on the theme of sin and grace that are worthy of careful reflection and meditation:

“The more I am terrified with a sight and sense of sin, the more precious Christ is, and the faster I lay hold on him.” (p. 92)
 

“To comprehend the breadth and length, and depth and height of the love of Christ, we must first take the dimensions of our own sin.” (p. 167)
 

“Faith does not consist in thinking that my sins are comparatively little, and therefore may be forgiven; but in knowing that they are very great, and believing that, though they are never so many and great, past or present, Christ’s blood is above them all.” (p. 172)
 

“When sin, past and present, appears in its true shape, with all its horrid malignity, and desert of damnation, then is the time for a full sight of Christ. And O how gloriously does ‘the Sun of Righteousness arise,’ to the benighted, sin-burdened soul, ‘with healing in his wings!’ How sweet is mercy! How precious the name Jesus! And how dear his blood to the awakened guilty conscience!” (p. 183)
 

“Remembrance of sin, and sense of redeeming mercy will be the ground of praise and thanksgiving to God and the Lamb for ever in heaven.” (p. 184)
 

“The moment we think that we have no sin, we shall desert Christ.” (p. 212)

By Jared Mellinger

This week’s blogs will run with themes from Youth Camp 2010 which just concluded this past Saturday. Over 150 teens plus their parents and some of our very best single men and women (serving magnificently as team leaders) met God together at Camp Ladore in northeastern PA. Yesterday we dedicated our Sunday morning service to celebrating God’s work among the youth in our church.

For our Youth Camp blogs I’ve chosen to start the week with a poem written by Na’Chelle Morris, which she read to everyone right before I spoke on Friday night. The creative and theologically rich words below stir my heart to worship and to gratefulness to God for bringing the life transforming power of the Gospel into the lives of the young men and women of our church. Thank you Na’Chelle for blessing us with your gift Friday night, and again through this blog!

Here I stand, Blind with pride
Trying to be the Judge, When I (myself) deserve to be judged
I spat at people - Scoffed and mocked
Thought I was the best - The cleanest - The greatest
Then I encountered a Man
So white and pure - Perfect and holy
Flawless

The Man looked at me sympathetically and said, “Surely you are blind and in need!
Let me help you, - Show you how you truly are!”

He gave me this mirror in the shape of a book
The Holy Bible was its title
I looked in the mirror and saw - myself
I saw that I was lost - Lost and blind in pride
For it was covering my eyes - Holding me back
Keeping me from the truth
I saw that I had shackles - I was bound to big weights
sinking in my sin - Sin from past to present day
I starting drowning – I tried to swim
But all the weight kept me from going up
Even if I did go up a little, Something else would pull me back down
I saw that it was - want 

I put down the book and contemplated what I had seen
Then I realized - I saw myself the way I truly am
Dirty – Lazy – Imperfect - Sinful
Then I knew
I had no other choice - The only way to get out
Was to admit my pride - Admit I needed help
Admit everything
Then I cried out to God

“Oh Lord! - Undo the grips of my pride!
Save me Lord!
For pride is killing me
Flesh is holding me - Covering me
Keeping me from You!”

Then I saw the Man - Clothed in white
Holy and pure - Perfect and humble
To take my place
Gripped - By my pride
Drowned - In my sin
Torn - By my wants
Soiled - By my flesh
Now He’s crying, “Save me Lord!”

Then His blood was shed
Covering
Crushing
Destroying
All that held me and Him

And He said to me,
“I have cleansed you, - none can bind you,
No one can put shackles on you,
You are forever free!

In awe I hugged Him
Thanked Him - Kissed Him
But something still bugged me - Bothered me
In the back of my mind
“Why for me?”
He said, “Because I love you.”
I asked the Man the same question
But again I heard, “Because I love you!”

I see now - It’s a mystery how much You love me
My God! - My God! - Thank You for loving me!
Now I stand - Saved - Saved by grace - Love
And mercy!

By Jared Mellinger

I have a friend I’m eager to introduce.  A man by the name of Thomas Adam.    

 Thomas Adam was a pastor in northern England in the 18^th Century.  He was born in 1701, lived to be 84 years old, and was a man whose life was marked by a deep awareness of his own sin and a deep love for Jesus Christ.  He was a godly man who spent his life walking in close fellowship with his Savior.

 Several years after Adam died; a volume called Posthumous Works was published.  Included in these works were entries from his private journal.  He had no idea these entries would one day be seen by others, and his journal entries frequently include confession and grieving over his sin. 

 But as the publisher points out, Adam would have had no objections to a broader audience benefiting from these thoughts and confessions.  The publisher believed he had the freedom to circulate these private thoughts based on one of the entries in the journal.  Adam wrote:

 "If proclaiming my life before men and angels will be proclaiming the glory of saving grace, let it be done.  I do not desire to have one sinful act, word, or thought concealed.  Forgiveness through the blood of Christ will be to myself an endless spring of admiration, love, and thanksgiving; and the blessed company of heaven will join with me in praising God and the Lamb for it, to all eternity.”  (Private Thoughts on Religion, p. 99)       

 The journal entries were later published on their own with the title Private Thoughts on Religion.  The book is a treasure chest of insights and reflections.  I read through it in my morning devotions sometime in 2008. 

 Over the next couple of Mondays, I want to share some of my favorite quotes from the private journal of Thomas Adam.  

 I will give you one quote to hold you over:

 “He who, with a consciousness and acknowledgment of great imperfection, trusts in the righteousness of Christ, is a better Christian than a more perfect man who trusts his own.”  (p. 181)

 That, my friends, is brilliant and worth rereading!  And there is more to come.

By Jared Mellinger

On the Acts Blog, I have been posting lyrics to various hymns on themes related to the book of Acts. If you are interested in checking them out, you can go here.
 
Here is a hymn written in 1914 by Bessie Porter Head, called “O Breath of Life.” I encourage you to make this song your prayer as we continue walking through the book of Acts together.
 
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
Revive Thy church with life and power;
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
And fit Thy church to meet this hour.

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
Revive, restore, for this we plead.

O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
Renewing thought and will and heart;
Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,
Revive Thy church in every part.

O Heart of Christ, once broken for us,
'Tis there we find our strength and rest;
Our broken, contrite hearts now solace,
And let Thy waiting church be blest.

Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating,
While harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive, us Lord, the world is waiting,
Equip Thy church to spread the light.

by Jared Mellinger

Are you up to anything this coming Sunday evening?  On June 27 at 6:00 pm, there will be two 30-minute sermons from two of the men who have been participating in the Preaching Lab.  We call this Preach the Word.  It will be a low-key event, but it is open to the entire church.

The guys who are preaching are Christopher Campbell and Jacob Young.  Both of them are going to be preaching on the resurrection, which is a Gospel truth of first importance to Christians.  Jacob will be preaching from Matthew 27:57-28:15, and Christopher will preach from 1 Corinthians 15:12-28.  These guys have been working hard in preparation, and I have seen the sermons and I can’t wait to hear them Sunday evening.  It’s going to be good.   

We want to do all we can as pastors to identify and train future preachers.  This event gives us an opportunity to do that, while benefiting from the teaching we will receive.  It also gives us an opportunity to encourage these young men and celebrate the grace that is on their lives.   

I can still remember the first sermon I ever preached.  It was the summer of 1999, in Wildwood, New Jersey.  I was 18 years old.  I was living with two friends, and the three of us all had jobs working at a pizza place close to the boardwalk.  We worked through the night and enjoyed going to the beach to watch the sunrise before going home and going to bed.

We all had ambitions for pastoral ministry.  We all wanted to preach, but there weren’t exactly any opportunities to do so.  So we decided that we would preach sermons to each other, and invite anyone else who wanted to come.  The makeshift pulpit was a big living room chair, with a trashcan turned upside-down and stacked on top of the chair.  No kidding!  My handwritten sermon notes were on top of a trashcan, and 6 or 7 people were seated all over the small living room.  

I’m pretty sure there wasn’t anything spectacular about the sermon.  None of us knew enough about preaching to determine whether or not the sermon was any good (which in hindsight, really worked to my advantage!).  The sermon was probably quite forgettable.  But one of the young women there had parents who ran a ministry for youth, and she told her parents they should have me speak to the youth, which led to other opportunities to preach. 

The encouragement I received from people early on went a long ways in building my faith for how God might use me in preaching.  I can look back and see the kindness of God in the opportunities he provided.  I don’t know what God will do with the men who have been participating in the Preaching Lab.  But I can guarantee you that the sermons that will be preached on Sunday evening will be better than my first sermon!  And, they will be preaching from a pulpit rather than a trashcan.   

Consider coming out and supporting these guys, and sitting under God’s word with me.  And, mark your calendars for July 25 and August 29 as well, because Preach the Word will continue those nights, with other young men.   

By Jared Mellinger

I was able to attend Next 2010 Memorial Day weekend in Baltimore, and I loved every minute of it.  I’ve been there other years as well.  One of my favorite parts of Next has always been the music and the singing.  It is seriously loud, usually quite fast, and always Christ-exalting (however you feel about the first two qualities, the third quality assures me that all of you would enjoy the singing there as much as I do).  My tradition is to come home from the conference, download the songs from i-tunes, and go around singing them for a while.  

We sang “How Great is Your Faithfulness”, which is a song off the new Matt Redman CD (“We Shall Not Be Shaken”).  With music, I usually listen to one CD every day for a few months, and then jump to another CD after that one has been completely killed.  Matt Redman’s new CD is the one I have been listening to a lot lately.  I like it so much that I got a copy for all the other pastors, so hopefully they are enjoying it as much as I am.  “How Great is Your Faithfulness” is a great song.  

We also sang a handful of Getty songs at the conference.  I thank God for Keith and Kristen Getty, and the ability they have to create contemporary hymns that are rich in content, but are easy to understand and have memorable melodies.  We sang “In Christ Alone”, “Speak O Lord”, and “O Church Arise”.  One of the things I appreciate about the Getty’s is that their songs cover a broad range of theological themes, but remain tied to the work of Christ.  “Speak O Lord”, for example, is a song about the preaching of God’s word, and “O Church Arise” focuses on the church.

One more highlight related to the singing was the choir.  The human voice is a great and powerful instrument, and hearing the voices of dozens of young men and women who know how to sing (unlike me!) is something that always draws my heart to worship God.  It made me grateful for the choir of gifted singers that we have joyfully serving at Covenant Fellowship.  

I’ve been asking people who were at the conference what a highlight was for them, and how God met them at the conference.  Whether or not you were at NEXT, I’d encourage you to do the same, and take in some of the stories of how people encountered God.  You will get to hear not only about the singing, but about the preaching of guys like D.A. Carson, Kevin DeYoung, and C.J. Mahaney.   
 
And if you were at the conference, share with others how you benefited from the conference!  And, fill your iPod (or CD player or computer) with the songs you enjoyed from our time together.  The conference may be over, but worshipping God through singing and with our lives continues today, this week, and forever

By Jared Mellinger

On Mothers Day, Rob Flood preached an encouraging message from Psalm 121.  What you probably don’t know is that as he was preparing that sermon, he was inspired to write a poem to mothers from Psalm 121.  Rob presented the poem to his wife, Gina, on Mothers Day.  I wanted to share it with you as a reminder of the truth of Psalm 121 and as an encouragement to the mothers of Covenant Fellowship.

Moms, we couldn’t respect you more.  Remember the One who will keep you and help you this week.  He made heaven and earth, and he will not let your foot be moved.  You are held firm by his grace, now and forevermore.       

Look to the Hills
Inspired by Psalm 121 for Mothers Day
May 9, 2010

With no prodding or beckoning voice
Your heart swells with love from God
For lives placed under your watchful care
A joyful burden for you to bear

The laughs of children fill the house
Blended with cries and screams and yells
Your swelling heart is pricked with thoughts
Of sadness, thoughts of lessons taught

The sin and struggle still abounds
In children as the day goes on
But now, with insult and injury too
Sin and struggle abound in you

What will you do?  Where will you go?
You’ve done all you know to do
The white flag flies within your soul
There is no help, you’ve lost control

But help, my love, was never yours
To generate or to provide
Looking deep within for might
Will only cloud, obstruct your sight

There is a prodding, beckoning voice
Casting vision to hills above
It meets you in your weakest cries
And vows that help comes from the skies

“You are my daughter, I see you there
Overwhelmed and self-condemned.
Your heart is heavy, your sadness deep
But I’ve made heaven, I will keep

“Your goings out and comings in.
Your countenance filled up with joy.
I know the trials at home are rife.
But I, the Lord, watch o’er your life.

“And those for whom your heart swells up…
Those little ones that I’ve placed there…
I am your Lord, and I’m theirs too
I am the keeper of them and you.

“So fill your thoughts with faith instead
I keep the promises I make
I’ve given power for your day
I’ve given help along your way

“Be faithful, then, and do your part
But trust in me…and not in you.
For, though your love swells in your chest
You are but creature and must rest

“Through the night, and through the day
Look to the hills for help to come
And in your heart, let fresh faith leap
For I, the Lord of all, won’t sleep

“My eyes are ever watching you
To keep all evil from your life
You are my daughter, I see you there
You will receive my watchful care”

Here is a print-friendly version of the poem in case you are interested in printing it out: A Poem for Mothers

By Jared Mellinger

As a reminder, next Sunday we begin a mini series on the wisdom literature in Scripture.  The series is called Wise Words and there will be four sermons, each one on a different book of the Bible: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.

These books are treasures for us today!  We can’t get through life without knowing the message of these books.  I have a concern that too many Christians are unfamiliar with too many parts of the Old Testament.  So one of the goals of this series is to familiarize us with these 4 books of the Bible. 

What are these books about?  The wisdom literature of Scripture reflects “a keen interest in the way the world works, humanity’s place within it, and how all this operates under God’s creative, sovereign care” (ESV Study Bible, p 866).  We as Christians want to grow in wisdom.  James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

But what are we asking for when we ask for wisdom?  We tend to think of old men with beards and pensive expressions.  Rather, Biblical wisdom is “skill in the art of godly living, or more fully, that orientation which allows one to live in harmonious accord with God’s ordering of the world” (ESV Study Bible, p 866).          

We are hoping this series makes a big difference in our outlook on life – on work, friendship, suffering, money, sex, decision making, and more.  True wisdom comes from God and lays claim to the practical details of ordinary situations, difficulties, and relationships. 

Lets be praying for this sermon series, and lets prepare our hearts to seek wisdom together.  “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.  Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.  She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown" (Proverbs 4:7-9

By Jared Mellinger

 

A couple Sundays ago, Joseph Stigora and Leo Parris led us in singing praises to God inspired by the Lord’s self-revelation in the created world.  I enjoyed every second of it.

 

The works of creation reveal so much of the glory of God’s goodness, the glory of his wisdom, and the glory of his power, that when Christians observe the world around us, we cannot help but to break into song.  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2).  Creation reveals the Creator, and God expects us to observe creation as a means of deepening our worship and knowledge of him.

    

Here, we need to learn from poets and musicians, who teach us to slow down and observe the work of God in all he has made.  The Psalmists did this well, frequently studying and delighting in the works of God: “Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2).    

 

Psalm 104 is exemplary.  It is worth reading the entire Psalm, but here is a sample: “Bless the LORD, O my soul!  O LORD my God, you are very great!  …You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.  Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.  From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.  …O LORD, how manifold are your works!  In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”  (Psalm 104:1, 10-13, 24)

 

We learn from the Psalmists that creation reveals the glory of God and should call forth the praise of God in our hearts.  An awareness of the glory of God in creation must led us to joy and thanksgiving.  And, it is not enough to merely acknowledge that creation reveals the greatness of God; we must pay attention to the details of God’s glory being revealed in rivers and hills, in beasts and birds, in mountains and in all the earth.  It is good to join the Psalmist in singing about these things.  The Psalmists are creational theologians, who have learned to mine and explore and celebrate the revelation of God in the world around them.    

 

This spring provides an opportunity to expand our knowledge of God and deepen our delight in God by studying the beauty of God in creation.  Let’s open our eyes.  Let’s go for a walk.  Let’s leave time to observe and experience.  Let’s not miss the countless manifestations of the presence of God that surround us in cool breezes and massive clouds and glowing stars and green grass and towering trees and falling rain.  All of it is speaking.  All of it declares the glory of God.  All of it provides opportunities to sing to the Lord a new song, and worship him with joyful and grateful hearts.

 

Creation is God on display.  Behold the God who has made us and saved us, study the works of the Lord, and bless his name for all he has done.  O Lord my God, you are very great!

By Jared Mellinger

A young man in the church emailed me last week and asked what books I would put at the top of the list that every Christian should read.  Beyond the Bible (and I recommend the ESV Study Bible), what books are at the top of my recommended reading list?

I didn’t have a list like that in writing, but here’s what I sent back to him.  The list is admittedly narrow (focusing mostly on ‘Christian Living’), and most of them are living authors because this is my ‘every Christian should read these’ list and I wanted to remain realistic and accessible here (it didn’t seem fair to put Calvin’s Institutes or Augustine’s The City of God on this particular list).

This is the library that I would put in the home of every member of the church, if I could.

I might be missing some, and I reserve the right to adjust the list at any point!  All of these are in the book shoppe, and I list them here in no particular order.

                Knowing God, J.I. Packer

The Cross of Christ, John Stott

Holiness, J.C. Ryle

Redemption Accomplished and Applied, John Murray

The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul

Saved From What?  R.C. Sproul

When I Don’t Desire God, John Piper

How Long O Lord, D.A. Carson

The Cross and Christian Ministry, D.A. Carson

Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, Donald Whitney

Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever

Why Small Groups, ed. C.J. Mahaney

Humility, C.J. Mahaney

Living the Cross Centered Life, C.J. Mahaney

Instruments in the Redeemers Hands, Paul Tripp

The Discipline of Grace, Jerry Bridges

Charity and Its Fruits, Jonathan Edwards

Overcoming Sin and Temptation, John Owen (ed. Kapic and Taylor)

 

And, 2 biggies that serve more for reference:

Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem

The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. Alexander and Rosner

 

So, how many of my top 20 do you own?  And more importantly, how many have you read?  These are books that are well worth reading and re-reading, and I promise they will feed your soul, stir your heart, and expand your mind.   

By Jared Mellinger

 

Last week I had a meeting at my house with all the pastors and their wives.  One of the things I did during this time was read a section of D.A. Carson’s new book, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus.

 

Carson is a great scholar and teacher, but what I didn’t know before is that he has also written some poetry and hymns.  There are a few of these in his new book.  Here is one on the death of Christ that reflects on the scandal of God’s grace revealed at the cross.  Read and marvel at the mercy we have received in Christ. 

 

On that wretched day the soldiers mocked him,

Raucous laughter in a barracks room,

“Hail the king!” they sneered, while spitting on him,

Brutal beatings on this day of gloom.

Though his crown was thorn, he was born a king—

Holy brilliance bathed in bleeding loss—

All the soldiers blind to this stunning theme:

Jesus reigning from a cursed cross.

 

Awful weakness mars the battered God-man,

Far too broken now to hoist the beam.

Soldiers strip him bare and pound the nails in,

Watch him hanging on the cruel tree.

God’s own temple’s down! He has been destroyed!

Death’s remains are laid in rock and sod.

But the temple rises in God’s wise ploy:

Our great temple is the Son of God.

 

“Here’s the One who says he cares for others,

One who says he came to save the lost.

How can we believe that he save others

When he can’t get off that bloody cross?

Let him save himself! Let him come down now!”—

Savage jeering at the King’s disgrace.

But by hanging there is precisely how

Christ saves others as the King of grace.

 

Draped in darkness, utterly rejected,

Crying, “Why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus bears God’s wrath alone, dejected—

Weeps the bitt’rest tears instead of me.

All the mockers cry, “He has lost his trust!

He’s defeated by hypocrisy!”

But with faith’s resolve, Jesus knows he must

Do God’s will and swallow death for me.

 

(Scandalous, p 36)

By Jared Mellinger

 

On Friday I spoke to the wives of the pastors of Covenant Fellowship on the ‘excellent wife’ of Proverbs 31.  In addition to commending their example and thanking God for Meghan in particular, I read to them my version of “the Anti-Proverbs 31 Woman”. 

 

A substandard wife, who can find?

Her husband must micro-manage her,

And he hesitates to delegate anything to her.

She does him harm, not good,

All the days of her life.

She takes no delight in working,

And she labors with unwilling hands.

She finds a large number of tasks objectionable,

And carries them out with a languid footstep.

She looks first to her own interests in everything,

And avoids being inconvenienced at all costs.

Her household receives no attention,

And her children are neglected.

Her life orbits around herself,

She is lost in her own world.

She often sleeps in,

Her mouth feasts on the bread of idleness.   

She is indecisive in decision making,

And her husband is a crutch in all things.

She rarely plans ahead,

And it brings chaos to her home.

She lives in the grip of fear,

Her closest companion is anxiety for the future. 

Her husband is floundering in the gates,

Where he sits among the elders of the land.

She occasionally fears the Lord,

But cares far more about physical beauty. 

She receives the fruit of her hands

When no one praises her in the gates.

 

Aren’t we glad that God’s grace and mercy overcomes our Anti-Proverbs 31, or Anti-Sermon on the Mount, or Anti-First Corinthians 13 tendencies so that we increasingly live conforming to God’s will and obedient to His word. 

By Jared Mellinger

I recently had a couple from the church over to my house and one of the main topics they wanted to talk with Meghan and me about was the topic of schooling options.  Specifically, how does the church view different schooling options?   

This decision is an important one and a sobering one for parents, because we know that we are responsible for the development and training of our children.  Often thinking about education leads us right toward the option of homeschooling.  But that doesn’t mean we must homeschool, or even that homeschooling is always the best option.  It does mean we need to oversee their development and education, whatever option we choose.   

The couple at our house that night was sharing some of the ways they have been able to get involved with the school and with unbelievers in their area by having a child in public school.  I got excited as this couple shared about the decision they made.  One of the great things about public school is the opportunities it gives to connect with the lost and reach out with the gospel.  In fact, I thank God that we have a growing number of people joining Covenant Fellowship who are strategically and wisely involving their kids in public schools.  Of course, I also thank God for the families who homeschool and send their kids to Christian schools, but you probably already knew that.

If you send your kids to public school, the main thing I want you to hear from me and the pastors is that we support you in your decision, and that we’ve got your back regardless of what you decide as you seek to please God in the education you chose for your children. 

We are not a homeschooling church.  If anyone tells you otherwise, you can send them this blog post!  We are not united around educational choices; we are united around the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

When it comes to educational choices, what is best will differ from family to family, and from situation to situation.  There is no one option that is ideal, or best for everyone, or most biblical.  Sometimes what is best will even differ from child to child.  Meghan and I like to say that we are taking it one year at a time.   

This approach to educational choices is one of the many things I really enjoyed about a parenting book I read recently, called Gospel Powered Parenting, by William Farley.  For several decades, Farley observed Christian families choosing different educational options for their children, all with different results.  This is what Farley says:

“The results [in our children] appear to have nothing to do with where the child was educated.  In my experience, there have been no qualitative differences in the spiritual output from home schools, Christian schools, or public schools.

The common denominator between success and failure seems to be the spiritual depth and sincerity of the parents, especially the spiritual depth and sincerity of the father.  There seems to be a strong correlation between the faith, commitment, and sincerity of the family’s head and the spiritual vitality of his adult children.”  (Gospel Powered Parenting, 15)

So, while we are not passionate about a particular educational option, we are passionate about a father’s leadership and intentional discipleship in the home, and we are passionate about the spiritual depth and sincerity of parents in every family at Covenant Fellowship Church. 

The best thing you can offer your children is not a rigid, one-size-fits-all conviction about educational options.  Rather, the best thing you can offer your children is your own personal example of deep commitment to Christ, love for God, and a passion for the church.  From there, pray for wisdom and seek counsel to honor Christ in all your decisions as parents. 

May God give us all the grace to please him in our decisions, to please him in our parenting, to please him in how we interact with others who have chosen different educational options, and to please him through our gospel-driven example in the home!        

By Jared Mellinger

For all who might be interested, I have started a blog around the Acts series where I will be regularly posting things related to the current preaching series: short reflections on verses in the book of Acts, thoughts that didn’t make it into the sermon, book recommendations, stories of how God is meeting people through Acts, quotes from guys who are smarter and more articulate than I am, and more.

I also have a Q&A category, for anyone who has theological or practical questions about Acts or about the sermon. I obviously won’t be able to answer every question (and I can’t promise I will have a good answer to every question!), but I should be able to get to many of them, and periodically post an answer to your questions.  You can send me your questions about Acts to jmellinger@covfel.org.

You can access the Acts Blog here.  I will still be posting here on Mondays.  And, thanks to those of you who are praying and fasting regarding the Acts series.  I remain excited to see how God will meet us over this next year!  

By Jared Mellinger

This Sunday we began a preaching series that will take us through the entire book in segments over the course of the year.  Here is a prayer I am praying as we look ahead.  I invite you to make it your prayer as well.  

Father,

What great things you did when you first established the church and gave us the amazing story in the book of Acts! 

We read this book and behold you there as the almighty, promise-keeping, sovereign God.  You have given your only Son for us.  And, you have raised your Son from the dead!  You have exalted him to your right hand, and have given him the Holy Spirit, whom he has been pouring out ever since Pentecost. 

Not one of your promises has failed!

We, Father, are a needy people.  There is no book of the Bible that makes us more aware of our need for the Spirit’s fullness and empowering in our lives.  Forgive me, and forgive us, for so often being content with less than the Spirit’s fullness in our lives. 

At the outset of studying this book as a church, we want you to know that we are longing for more of your Spirit and your power and your presence.  Make us rich in our fellowship, united in our prayers, bold in our witness, joyful in our worship, faithful in our suffering, and confident in the power of your word. 

We are trusting you for great things.  With expectant hearts, we “ponder anew, what the Almighty can do.”  And we ask that over this next year, you would do far more than we can ask or imagine. 

In the name of Jesus, Head of the Church, our crucified and risen Lord, 

Amen      

By Jared Mellinger

Benedictions are the words pastors say at the end of a service to speak grace and hope over the congregation.  Last week, I gave two reasons we do benedictions: 1. They are biblical, and 2. They tie us to church history. 

Here are 3 more reasons we use benedictions:

3. Benedictions summarize the service.  We often use benedictions as a way to summarize what we hope people take away from the service.  There was one year when we preached on the faithfulness of God the first Sunday of the year.  We closed the service with a reminder of God’s faithfulness:

Now, may our faithful God, whose grace has brought us safe this far,
Continue to lead us together through the coming year,
And may we rest in the great confidence of knowing that
He who calls us is faithful; and He will surely do it.

Another time, there was a sermon on evangelism, and we ended with this benediction:

May the glorious cause of God engage your heart and may Jesus Christ be known wherever you are, as you experience the joy that comes to those who proclaim the excellencies of the Savior

The benediction provides a way to have the main thing God was just doing among us in the service is what we leave with in our minds.

4. Benedictions prepare us for normal life.  We go from the meeting to serve God and worship him with our lives.  Benedictions remind us that worship is not confined to the Sunday meeting, but includes all of life. 

So the benediction not only summarizes the service, it transitions us into life in the real world.  It reminds us that as we step back into the difficulties (and the joys!) of living for Christ on Monday and Tuesday and beyond, we go with the great and precious promises of God.  Through these closing words, we are dismissed from the service with an eagerness to go treasure Christ, to grow in grace, and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who do not know him. 

The people of God are launched into the world as witnesses to the grace they have received and celebrated in their gathering.   

5. Benedictions leave us with a sense of God.  At the end of a service, we want to leave people primarily aware of who God is and all of the promises we have in Christ.  Our goal is to never leave people at the end of a service more aware of what they must do than they are aware of what God has done for them in Christ, and what God promises he will do in the future.

Ordinarily, we shouldn’t leave services focused primarily on ourselves, our sin, or our responsibilities.  We leave focused on Christ.  We leave aware of what God can do in each area of our lives.  This is where benedictions serve us well: they transfer hope for what God wants to do in us.  They leave us with a sense of God.  They leave us trusting Christ, resting on Christ, hoping fully in the promises Christ.

So, don’t miss out on the benediction!  This is not a time to check out or begin gathering our belongings, but a time for us all to listen, receive, and benefit, as the gathered people of God.  It is a vital part of the meeting and by the grace of God, the words of the benediction could make all the difference as we go into the world as witnesses and ambassadors of Christ. 

By Jared Mellinger

 

Benedictions are the words a pastor often speaks at the end of a church service to give people hope, encouragement, and comfort as they leave.  The word “Benediction” comes from a Latin phrase meaning ‘to speak well of’.  Benedictions speak a blessing over the people of God in the form of an intercessory prayer for the congregation.  They communicate a desire and hope that God will do something on behalf of his people. 

 

The benedictions we do are short, but important.  Here are some of the reasons we use them:    

 

1.  Benedictions are biblical

The benediction was a part of Israel’s worship.  Perhaps the most popular benediction is the blessing God wanted Aaron to speak over the Israelites, to call attention to God’s protection, grace, and peace: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

 

In the New Testament, Paul often ends his letters with a benediction, emphasizing the grace and peace of God that belongs to all who are in Christ.  The Trinitarian benediction at the end of 2 Corinthians is elegant and powerful: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).  And, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 says, ^“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

 

One of my personal favorites comes at the end of Jude: “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”  (Jude 24-25)

 

2.  Benedictions tie us to the great historic march of God’s church

The reformers of the sixteenth century used benedictions to end their services.  Martin Luther ended services with “God’s Spirit and grace be with us all.”  Ulrich Zwingli’s recommended benediction was “Almighty, eternal God!  Forgive us our sin and lead us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  The Book of Common Prayer encourages pastors to speak this blessing: “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and remain with you always.” 

 

Richard Baxter, in the 17^th Century, used the following: “Now the God of peace, which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.”    

 

When we listen to a benediction, we connect ourselves not only with God’s truth, but also with followers of Christ over the centuries.  

 

Next time, I’ll give 3 more reasons we use benedictions as a church.

By Jared Mellinger 

A couple weeks ago I was able to speak to a small group of around 30 people in the church on the theme of preaching.  It was to kick off the Preaching Lab, which is a new course we are doing at the church to help identify and train the next generation of preachers.  (We capped off the number at 30, but we will be offering the course again in the future.)

I am always very reluctant to speak on the subject of preaching.  One reason for this is because I am aware that I have so much room to grow in it, and relatively little experience in it.  I am not exactly drawing from a deep reservoir.  Another reason I am always reluctant to talk about preaching has to do with the greatness and the weight of the preaching task.  This is the reason that even a man like the Apostle Paul, even with his great gifting, unique calling, and remarkable knowledge of Scripture, says he preached with fear and trembling (1 Cor 2:1-5).    

When I spoke at the Preaching Lab, I made 5 claims about the priority of preaching, and drew from various Scriptures to support each claim:

1.  Preaching is the most influential thing in the world.

2.  Preaching is the centerpiece of Christian worship.

3.  Preaching is bridge-building between Scripture and people.

4.  Preaching is fundamental to the call to pastoral ministry. 

5.  Preaching is the greatest need in our day. 

These claims are an echo of what John Stott has said: “Nothing, it seems to me, is more important for the life and growth, health and depth of the contemporary church than a recovery of serious biblical preaching.”  And J.I. Packer says, “I continue to believe in preaching and maintain that there is no substitute for it, and no power or sustained vision or close fellowship with God in the church without it.  Also I constantly maintain that if today’s quest for renewal is not along with other concerns a quest for true preaching, it will prove shallow and barren.  Preaching mediates not only God’s authority, but also his presence and his power.  Preaching effects an encounter not simply with truth, but with God himself.” 

Before we transitioned to a Q&A on preaching, I shared an additional quote by Packer, commenting on the experience of the prophet Jeremiah:

“Jeremiah told God that “the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer. 20:8-9). Does anything correspond to this in the experience of Christian preachers? The answer is yes. There is a God-given vision that produces preachers, and any man who has that vision cannot sleep easy without making preaching his life’s work.”

Perhaps there are some young men in Covenant Fellowship – even young men who are currently in the Preaching Lab – who will receive this vision and this passion, and discover that they cannot sleep easy without making preaching their life’s work.  May God make it so.

 

By Jared Mellinger

 

Our current preaching series on Isaiah 40 is highlighting God’s desire to comfort, strengthen, and encourage weary saints. 

 

One of the masters of speaking words of comfort is the puritan Richard Sibbes.  His book, The Bruised Reed, is one that God has used to sustain thousands of weak, tired, and troubled souls.  It is a book I personally have greatly benefited from.  They called him “The Heavenly Doctor Sibbes”, because of his skill in speaking words of comfort and hope.   

 

Here are some quotes that have helped me when I am weary, anxious, grieving, or burdened by my sin.  

 

“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.”  (The Bruised Reed, 13) 

 

“Let all know that none are fitter for comfort than those that think themselves furthest off.”  (The Bruised Reed, 14)

 

“Christ ‘binds up the broken-hearted’ (Isa. 61:1).  As a mother is tenderest to the most diseased and weakest child, so does Christ most mercifully incline to the weakest.  Likewise he puts an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support.  The vine stays itself upon the elm, and the weakest creatures often have the strongest shelters.  The consciousness of the church’s weakness makes her willing to lean on her beloved, and to hide herself under his wing.”  (The Bruised Reed, 10)

 

“The church of Christ is a common hospital, wherein all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other.”  (The Bruised Reed, 34) 

 

“Whatsoever may be wished for in an all-sufficient comforter, is all to be found in Christ.”  (The Bruised Reed, 66) 

 

“The first and chief ground of our comfort is that Christ as a priest offered himself as a sacrifice to his Father for us.  The guilty soul flies first to Christ crucified, made a curse for us.  …And when we feel ourselves cold in affection and duty, the best way is to warm ourselves at this fire of his love and mercy in giving himself for us.  ” (The Bruised Reed , 81) 

 

“What a comfort this is in our conflicts with our unruly hearts, that it will not always be thus!  Let us strive a little while, and then we shall be happy for ever.  Let us think when we are troubled with our sins that Christ has this in charge from his Father, that he shall not ‘quench the smoking flax’ until he has subdued all.  This puts a shield into our hands to beat back ‘all the fiery darts of the wicked’ (Eph. 6:16).  Satan will object, ‘You are a great sinner.’  We may answer ‘Christ is a strong Savior’.”  (The Bruised Reed, 123) 

By Jared Mellinger

 

Marty is currently in Uganda serving our sister church in Nagongera.  He sent this report from the field that I thought folks would appreciate.  Somehow you get the sense that there are parts of Marty’s diverse gifting and skills that come out in his trips to Africa that don’t get displayed the same way here. 

 

Here’s his report.

 

Things are going well here in Nagongera.  I am feeling well and have adjusted to the time change.  They have me scheduled for a lot of speaking this time.  Things are going well and I am enjoying my time here.  I did three messages to the pastors of the six churches they have now.  I spoke on biblical roles in ministry that stirred up a lot of discussion.  They used to have women pastors but they have changed that.  I used material I developed after our time with CJ at the pastor’s conference for the other two messages.  We are exposed to so much great teaching they just would not get here in Africa.

 

Today I finished speaking the first day of our leader’s conference, which will last three days.  Each day I will get to speak three times with a session in between for questions and answers.  Today I spoke on pleasing man, tomorrow I speak on pleasing God and then Wednesday I am going to speak on finding our pleasure in God.  I didn’t know I was going to do three days so I am working on those messages here.  I finished my first one last night on psalm 73.

 

Things are going well.  I ate guinea fowl for the first time for lunch today.  The church I am speaking at is a half hour drive from Nagongera into the bush of Africa.  They have no electricity, no running water, and the church building was constructed by members who carried water for two miles to mix the cement.  They recently planted a church in a nearby town.  They held a fast with no food or water that lasted for 100 hours.  At the conclusion of that fast they went into the town to preach the gospel and start the church.  A man who was mad (out of his mind for some time) came in and they prayed for him.  He was healed and went back to his family.  He, his wife and his daughter all were converted and joined the church.  So now, a few weeks later they have 20 or so members and sent 4 leaders to the conference. 

 

Before I began speaking the group gathered was praying.  It was loud.  Everyone was praying individual prayers but it was as though each person wanted to be heard publicly.  The resulting volume was intense. 

 

I am blessed to be here but will be glad to get back home.

 

Marty

 

I thank God for Marty’s ministry serving churches in Africa, and for reports like this that remind us that God is at work in powerful ways throughout the world.

By Jared Mellinger

This is part two of a list of some of the books we recently added to the Book Shoppe.  (For part 1, go here.)

Related to Families and Children

• Pilgrims Progress, by John Bunyan (from Crossway).  This is now my favorite version of this classic.  Beautiful illustrations and updated language.  This book is one that should be in every home!     
• Gospel-Powered Parenting, by William Farley.  There are many parenting books out there, but this is probably the best one I’ve ever read.  The author leads the Sovereign Grace church in Spokane, WA.   
• Adopted for Life, by Russell Moore.  A book on adoption.  Moore has a passion to see Christian families adopting children, and this is a subject we have always cared about as a church. 
• Instructing your Childs Heart, by Tedd Tripp.  Chapter 3 on “formal instruction” is the one to read.  It’s worth getting the book to read that chapter alone! 
• Start Your Family, by Steve and Candice Watters.  This book aims to encourage young couples to be strategic and intentional about the early years of marriage, by making babies sooner rather than later.   
• Big Truths for Young Hearts, by Bruce Ware.  A good book to assist parents in the theological instruction of their children.  This is essentially a Systematic Theology for families and children.

Theology

• Finally Alive, by John Piper.  Piper writes about what it means to be born again.  The last 2 chapters on “How can we help others become born again?” give helpful suggestions for reaching out to the lost.    
• Christian Beliefs, by Wayne Grudem.  A good book for beginning readers.  Grudem’s massive Systematic Theology has been edited even further.  20 short sections that answer questions like “What is the Bible?” and “What is God like?”  
• Consider the Lilies, by T.M. Moore.  This is a book on creational theology, great for poets and artists and all who love the gift of life.     
• Heidelberg Catechism.  Also known as “The Book of Comfort” because of its heart-warming and pastoral tone.   
• The All-Sufficient God, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  Sermons from Isaiah 40 by one of my historical heroes.  Lloyd-Jones says Isaiah 40 is one of the greatest chapters in all of Scripture.     

By Jared Mellinger

 

We recently added quite a few books to our Book Shoppe.  As you know, we don’t make any money off of the sale of books – this is just part of our effort to get the best resources we can recommend into your hands. 

 

I’ve put the new additions under different headings below.  I’ve also made a brief comment on each book, and I apologize in advance for all the superlatives.  These are some really good books! 

 

If it’s been a while since your been to the Book Shoppe, make your way there and pick up a few books to feed your soul.  Consider making it a goal as a Christian to read at least one soul-edifying book a month.     

 

Christian Living

• The Praying Life, by Paul Miller.  A really good, grace-motivated book on prayer.  The first section on praying like children is outstanding.
• Bookends for the Christian Life, by Jerry Bridges.  This is a great introduction to the Christian life, very easy to read.  Probably my favorite book by Bridges.
• Children of the Living God, Sinclair Ferguson.  A great little book on what it means to have God as our Father.
• Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes.  A bit more challenging because it is written by a 17^th century Puritan, but full of rich and comforting reflections on the compassion of Christ.
• Why We Love the Church, by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Cluck.  An engaging and enjoyable defense of the church, from the same guys who wrote “Why We’re Not Emergent”.     
• Counterfeit Gods, by Tim Keller.  An insightful book on idolatry and, as always, Keller is excellent at speaking to both believers and unbelievers in a winsome and helpful way.   

Devotional

• In Christ Alone, by Sinclair Ferguson.  Short readings on a broad range of subjects.  If you enjoy Ferguson, you will like this book.  
• The Loveliness of Christ, by Samuel Rutherford.  A collection of brief quotes drawn from Rutherford’s letters.   

Biography

• CH Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership, by Steve Miller.  A great introduction to Spurgeon that examines various aspects of his leadership: includes chapters on prayer, faith, Scripture, suffering, evangelism, and more.   
• The Suffering Letters of CH Spurgeon, by CH Spurgeon.  Spurgeon was a man who suffered much, and these letters written primarily to his congregation will encourage us in our suffering.     
• Robert Murray M’Cheyne, by Andrew Bonar.  One of my all-time favorite books.  An excellent biography that touches on themes of studying God’s word, the call to pastoral ministry, and revival. 

This is about half of the list of books we recently added, so I better save the rest for another post.  Part 2 will include books for families and children, and theology books. 

By Jared Mellinger

I recently read and enjoyed Paul Miller’s book on prayer, called A Praying Life.  Books on prayer can easily leave the reader feeling discouraged, but not this one. 

Miller talks about how strong Christians pray more and then uncovers this paradox of prayer: Strong Christians pray more because they see more clearly how weak and sinful and helpless they are.  This should come as a great encouragement to those of us who feel weak in our practice of prayer and our pursuit of God.  The pathway to a stronger prayer life is to become more aware of our weakness, and better acquainted with the enemy within.    

The author explains:    

“We tell ourselves, ‘Strong Christians pray a lot. If I were a stronger Christian, I’d pray more.’ Strong Christians do pray more, but they pray more because they realize how weak they are. They don’t try to hide it from themselves. Weakness is the channel that allows them to access grace.

I’m not referring to well-known Christians. An interviewer once asked Edith Schaeffer, author and wife of evangelist and philosopher Francis Schaeffer, ‘Who is the greatest Christian woman alive today?’ She replied, ‘We don’t know her name. She is dying of cancer somewhere in a hospital in India.’ I’m talking about that woman. Underneath her obedient life is a sense of helplessness. It has become part of her very nature…almost like breathing. Why? Because she is weak. She can feel her restless heart, her tendency to compare herself with others. She is shocked at how jealousy can well up in her. She notices how easily the world gets its hooks into her. In short, she distrusts herself. When she looks at other people, she sees the same struggles. The world, the flesh, and the Devil are too much for her. The result? Her heart cries out to God in prayer. She needs Jesus.

As we mature as Christians, we see more and more of our sinful natures, but at the same time we see more and more of Jesus. As we see our weaknesses more clearly, we begin to grasp our need for more grace.”  (A Praying Life, 56)

The greatest prayer warriors will always be those who are most aware of their weakness in battle.  Take heart as you seek to grow in grace and in prayer this year: the weakness you are now discouraged by is in fact the channel that allows you to receive the fullness of God’s mighty grace.   

By Jared Mellinger

Of the making of devotionals there is no end.  This is true.  Christian publishers realized at some point that virtually any book can be turned into a devotional.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that Christian readers now have many options to choose from when it comes to resources to use for our devotions. 

I’m also aware there are now a number of devotional readings you can have e-mailed to your inbox each day.  I’ve never subscribed to any of these, but from the ones I’ve read, some seem helpful, and others seem less helpful.  The abundance of options and the range of helpfulness among the options make it important to choose wisely. 

I’ve found there are 2 devotionals that I continue to return to each year, and highly recommend to others.  I’m sure there are other devotionals that could be added, but these are the ones I have benefited from the most.

1.  Beside Still Waters: Words of Comfort for the Soul, by C.H. Spurgeon

This book was edited by a man named Roy Clarke, but all of the content belongs to Charles Spurgeon.  Here’s what Clarke says in the preface:

“Charles Haddon Spurgeon is my avocation.  I have read over two thousand of his sermons, outlining and analyzing more than a thousand.  In them I found a field of precious gems: more than three hundred vignettes promising hope, comfort, and encouragement.  Spurgeon pointed out that people often come into the house of God heavily loaded with the thoughts of their daily vocations, the pressures of business, and the burdens of family life.  As Spurgeon looked into the eyes of hurting and bewildered parishioners, he often responded with words of comfort.” 

Each “vignette” of comfort is one small page.  It is not just a book for those who are suffering; this is often the first thing I read in the morning.  In the weeks after Meghan delivered Isaac, our youngest child, and her devotional pattern was thrown a curve ball, she was never too busy to take 2 minutes to read a page of this book.   

This devotional has a heart-warming quality that will strengthen your soul in the grace of God.   

2.  For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word, Vol 1 and 2, by D.A. Carson

As the preface says, these 2 volumes are “for Christians who want to read the Bible, who want to read all the Bible.”  Here is a devotional that helps readers understand our Bibles better, and encourages “a systematic and repeated reading of the whole Bible.”  It has really helped me understand the Bible better. 

It is based off of the Bible reading plan by Robert Murray M’Cheyne, which gets you through the New Testament and the Psalms twice a year, and the rest of the Bible once a year, by reading 4 chapters a day.  But you can adjust the plan so that instead of reading 4 chapters you are reading 2 chapters a day, and you can still use Carson’s devotional.  In fact, I find this book really helpful beyond devotions.  If there is a text I am studying, I will almost always look up that passage in the Scripture Index in the back of Volume 2, and read Carson’s comments on that chapter. 

Carson’s devotionals are a gift to the church and will help readers grow in our knowledge of God’s word. 

Last year in December I read I narrative poem to the church.  I wrote the poem as something to help me reflect on the story of the birth of Christ.  It’s called The Letters of Joseph and Mary, and you can watch it here.

Or, if you prefer to read an excerpt, here’s one drawn from the end of Matthew 1 (the sermon text from a week ago):

Then one day Joseph wrote again
And this is what young Mary read:

Dear Mary; my dear, dear Mary!
An incredible thing occurred last night.
Though I’d resolved with all my might
That married we would never be
An angel of God appeared to me

Saying, “Son of David, don’t be scared
To marry her.  For God prepared
This woman to become your wife
And the Holy Spirit conceived the life
In her and she will bear a son
And he will save his people from
Their sins.  You’ll call him Jesus, so his name
Will tell the world why he came.”

And not just angels, but prophets of old
Spoke by the Spirit when they foretold
These things.  Mary, I’ve come to see and to believe
That when the prophet said, “the virgin will conceive
And be a sign and bear a son”
He spoke of you, my love, the one
Appointed to give birth to he
Who saves the world from misery!

If possible, return here soon.
So I can give my life to you
And we will raise this baby boy
Who brings this world peace and joy.

All my love,
Joseph

By Jared Mellinger

 

If you are looking for some good reading related to Christmas, I recommend the book Nancy Guthrie has edited: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas.”

 

Here’s what I like about it:

 

1)     It is devotional and reflective in tone and approach.  It will have the effect of warming your heart to Jesus and deepening your joy in the meaning of Christmas.

 

2)     The chapters are short, making it easy to read even if life is already busy and full.  The chapters are around 4-6 pages long.  It is a relatively short book with 22 readings.

 

3)     It deals with a range of themes related to the incarnation, and therefore avoids being redundant.  There is a chapter on the gifts of Christmas, a chapter on Joseph, a chapter on the shepherds, a chapter on the wise men, and many more.

        

4)     The authors are some of my favorites: John Piper, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Charles Spurgeon, J.I. Packer, John Calvin, Saint Augustine, J.C. Ryle, R.C. Sproul, Joni Eareckson Tada, and more.  As you can see, the authors are also pulled from various centuries, and not confined to living authors.  I like this.   

 

One of the chapters that I enjoyed the most was by Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.  He outlines five reasons we have for being joyful, all related to the angels’ pronouncement in Luke 2: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

 

J.I. Packer’s chapter was also a favorite.  He writes on 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”  This is typical Packer brilliance in bite sized chunks.     

 

And, one more chapter I really enjoyed (after this I need to stop, otherwise it will become meaningless to say a chapter was one of my favorites) is the one by Jonathan Edwards.  “To Be More Blessed than Mary,” from Luke 11:27-28.  After describing the blessedness of Mary, he states his thesis: “It is more blessed to be spiritually related to Jesus Christ – to be his disciples, his brethren and the members – than to stand in the nearest temporal relation, than to be his brother or his mother.”   

 

This book will help you reflect on the joy of Christmas.  I have enjoyed reading and re-reading it.  If you are looking for a book to help you reflect on the incarnation and celebrate Christmas, this compilation is for you.   

By Jared Mellinger

 

There was a real point in time when the eternal God became a man.  God himself was conceived in a real woman and entered a real world as a real baby, and it all happened so that the blessings of God might flow “far as the curse is found” through this baby boy. 

 

This is astonishing. 

 

And, what happened long ago is not the end of the Christmas story, because this God-man who was once born as a baby is now reigning in heaven as the Lord and King to whom every knee will one day bow. 

 

Now He's standing in the place of honor,
Crowned with glory on the highest throne,
Interceding for His own beloved
Till His Father calls us to bring them home!
Then the skies will part, as the trumpet sounds
Hope of heaven or the fear of hell;
But the Bride will run, to her Bridegroom's arms,
Giving glory to Immanuel!

 

(From Stuart Townsend’s “From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable”)

 

The month of December gives us an opportunity to give glory to Immanuel by reflecting on who Jesus is and what he came to earth to accomplish.  The incarnation is a part of the gospel, the good news of God’s salvation for sinners.  If we do not understand what is happening in Bethlehem, we will misunderstand what happens at Calvary.  If we do not understand the identity of Christ, we will not be able to appreciate the work of Christ as we ought.

 

Next Sunday we begin a 3-week preaching series on Matthew 1-2.  “God With Us” will help us celebrate the glory of the incarnation.

 

1.      On Dec 6, God With Us: The Genealogy (Matt 1:1-17)
2.      On Dec 13, God With Us: The Birth (Matt 1:18-25)
3.      On Dec 20, God With Us: The Star (Matt 2:1-12)

 

 

And of course, there is the special Christmas Eve service. 

 

All of these Christmas services throughout the month of December will be great Sundays to bring guests to Covenant Fellowship, and you might find people are more open to coming to church this time of the year.  If you haven’t had the chance to hear Jim’s message from yesterday, it will stir you to faith for how our Sunday gathering is not for Christians only.  You’ll find Jim’s list of how each part of the Sunday gathering can make the Gospel relevant in this week’s Take It Home summary of the message.

 

Our prayer as pastors is that this month would be full of moments like that moment the wise men shared as they were seeking the Savior: “They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy…and they fell down and worshipped him’ (Matt 2:10-11).  I can’t imagine a more appropriate response to seeing Jesus Christ for who he really is.

 

 

 

By Jared Mellinger

In our house we just recently pulled out our Andrew Peterson Christmas CD.  (A great CD poetically, conceptually, and musically brilliant!)  This means Christmas is coming. 

As head of the home, I have the joy of leading the family through celebrating the birth of Christ and seizing this opportunity to help my family treasure Christ.  A few years back Meghan and I made an Advent wreath that sits on the table, with 4 candle holders around the outside and one in the middle.  Its homemade, but we like it and it gets the job done.  We set aside time once a week on the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas to remind ourselves of what we are celebrating on this Holiday.  Sunday evening works well for us.

You will notice that this family Christmas liturgy includes not only the usual Bible reading, singing, and prayer (the 3 staples of family worship), but also an opening Christmas question and cookies.  No family Christmas liturgy is complete without cookies. 

Hopefully this helps you think through what you want to do in your family, or with your friends.       

Week 1
Question for the kids: What is the meaning of Christmas?
    2) A prophecy fulfilled: Around 4000 BC, Adam and Eve receive the prophecy  that the Messiah would be born of a  woman.  Promise: Gen 3:15.  Fulfillment: Gal 4:4.
    3) A song from Luke: Read Mary’s Song (Luke 1:39-55)
    4) Singing: Joy to the World
    5) Prayer.
    6) Cookies: Sugar cookies with icing on top.

Week 2
    1) Question for the kids: What is one memory you have from Christmas?
    2) A prophecy fulfilled: Around 700 BC, Isaiah prophesies that the Savior’s mother would be a virgin and that this baby would be God himself.  Promise: Isaiah 7:14.  Fulfillment: Matthew 1:18-23.
    3) A song from Luke: Read Zechariah’s Song (Luke 1:57-80)
    4) Singing: O Come, O Come Immanuel
    5) Prayer.
    6) Cookies:  Sand tarts with sprinkles.  

Week 3
    1) Question for the kids: Tell us the story of how Jesus was born.
    2) A prophecy fulfilled:  Around 700 BC, Micah prophesies that an eternal Savior would be born in the town of Bethlehem.  Promise: Micah 5:2.  Fulfillment: Luke 2:1-7. 
    3) A song from Luke: Read the Angel’s Song (Luke 2:8-20)
    4) Singing: Hark the Herald Angels Sing
    5) Prayer.
    6) Cookies: The ones with the Hershey kiss on top.

Week 4
    1) Question for the kids: What would happen if Jesus never came?
    2) A prophecy fulfilled: Around 400 BC, Malachi prophesies that Jesus would enter the temple (which was destroyed in 70 AD).  Promise: Malachi 3:1.  Fulfillment:  Luke 2:25-27.
    3) A song from Luke: Read Simeon’s Song (Luke 2:21-38)
    4) Singing: The Gospel Song; Joy to The Word
    5) Prayer. 
    6) Cookies: Stuff ourselves with whatever is left. 

By Jared Mellinger

 

We benefit from our partnership with Sovereign Grace Ministries in countless ways.  One of those ways is the simple fact that we have the ESV Study Bible.  Let me explain. 

 

Wayne Grudem recently spoke at Covenant Life Church and publicly expressed his gratitude for the strategic role Sovereign Grace churches played in the development of the Study Bible.  Sovereign Grace helped provide funding for Grudem to take time off from teaching to serve as general editor of the ESVSB. 

 

I wanted to pass this on to you as yet another example of what your giving to Sovereign Grace makes possible.  You may not have realized it, but your giving to Covenant Fellowship and Sovereign Grace means that you played a part in developing the Study Bible that sits on your shelf.  

Many of you know Justin Taylor from his blog.  Justin served on the Study Bible editorial team as the project director and managing editor, and he sent the following letter.  It is aimed at Sovereign Grace pastors, but we know that we can only give out of what you have given as a church.  So read and be encouraged by all that God is doing through our partnership with Sovereign Grace.  And know how grateful we are for you.

 

Dear Sovereign Grace Pastors,
 
Warm greetings in Christ. I hope this finds you enjoying God’s great grace.
 
It was just one year ago that the ESV Study Bible was published. God, in his kindness, has enabled us to put 400,000 copies of the ESVSB in print during that time. I wish you could see a sample of the encouraging feedback that has come in: prisoners using it as their only source to help them understand the Bible, schools making it mandatory reading for their middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, people using it to explain difficult passages to unbelievers, students in the third world having more between two covers than they do in their whole library. God is graciously using it as a tool to accomplish his purposes.
 
But, just for a moment, put yourself in Crossway’s shoes four years ago. Crossway wanted to put together a Study Bible in the ESV, but didn’t want it to take 7-8 years to produce, as is the typical length of time. But in order to do that, we’d have to find a scholar to serve as general editor. He had to be passionate about God’s glory, moved deeply by the gospel, and committed to an “essentially literal” translation philosophy. He had to be someone that people could trust to help them communicate the Bible at a level they could understand. He had to be faithful and prayerful; careful and joyful; respected in the academic world but committed to his local church.
 
Wayne Grudem was the obvious choice.
 
But from a practical, earthly perspective, how could we ask him to drop out of regular teaching and writing for a few years in order to take on a project that would deal with every book of the Bible and would wind up at over a million words?
 
That’s where you, the pastors of Sovereign Grace, enter in.
 
Without your kindness and generosity in supporting Dr. Grudem’s sabbatical time and reduced teaching load, we would not have the ESV Study Bible that we have today.
 
Thank you, brothers, for your example in the Lord. Thank you for giving not only your resources, but even yourselves, for the cause of the gospel. Thank you for loving Jesus and for laboring for the advancement of the Kingdom.
 
Words cannot adequately convey our gratitude to God for you. Few will know your act of sacrifice and love, but we know that our Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Justin Taylor
 

By Jared Mellinger

The reason we have a bookshoppe at the church is because we want to be a church of readers who are continually growing in our knowledge and love for God’s Word.  Every sermon series provides an opportunity for deeper study and reflection through the resources in the bookshoppe.

Here are some of the books we have that are related to the “When We Gather” series, along with the publisher’s description.  I’ve read these books, benefited from them, and highly recommend them.  

Why We Love the Church, Kevin DeYoung

Publisher's Description: Authors Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck present the case for loving the local church. Their newest book paints a picture of the local church in all its biblical and real life guts, gaffes, and glory in an effort to edify local congregations and entice the disaffected back to the fold. It provides a solid biblical mandate to love and be part of the body of Christ and counteract the “leave church” books that trumpet rebellion and individual felt needs.

Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin

Publisher's Description: Combining biblical foundations with real-world application, a pastor and professional songwriter guides worship leaders and pastors to root their corporate worship in unchanging scriptural principles rather than divisive trends.

What is a Healthy Church Member?, Thabiti Anyabwile

Publisher's Description: A "IX Marks" Book. For Christians, playing an active part in the local church is not optional. God intends for every believer to contribute to the mission of the local church and experience profound spiritual growth as a result. This book shows church members, pastors, and church leaders what a healthy church member looks like.

Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, Donald Whitney

Publisher’s Description: In Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, seminary professor, author, and former pastor Don Whitney shows us how to build a sense of community and be active participants instead of passive attendees. Whitney looks at such frequently asked questions as: Why can't I get by on my own? Why should I go to church? Why should I give of myself to the church? Why do I need to worship in church? Couldn't I just worship in nature? Why does it matter whether I become a member of the church? Committed love must mark the local expression of the body of Christ. By putting spiritual disciplines into practice in the church, congregations can return to the depth of community present in the New Testament church, where they 'devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.'

By Jared Mellinger

“Doxological Evangelism” is Edmund Clowney’s phrase for what you and I do every week when we gather for corporate worship and exalt the name of Christ through our singing.  One of the aspects of evangelism that we can sometimes forget is the gospel-telling we do every Sunday morning in our public worship.  As we “sing to the Lord” together (Psalm 96:1), we “tell of his salvation” (v. 2) “among the nations” and “among all the peoples” (v. 3) through our singing.  It is doxological evangelism.  

Psalm 96 (Joseph’s sermon text from yesterday) is not the only passage on this theme.  The psalms frequently command us to engage in evangelistic worship.  We are repeatedly commanded to sing and praise God in the presence of unbelievers.  “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!  Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!”  (Psalm 105:1-2)  Singing praises to God is an important means of making his gospel known to those in darkness. 

This certainly doesn’t mean that this is the only gospel-telling we do!  Nor is this a case for ‘seeker-driven’ worship.  The main thing we are doing when we gather is not evangelizing the lost, but praising God and edifying the saints.  Yet when we do this, in our normal Sunday gathering, God intends our public praise to have a powerful influence on those who do not know him. 

John Dickson is right when he says “The Bible accords a significant place to the normal gathering of God’s people as a means of declaring God’s truth to the world.” (Promoting the Gospel, 128)

Sometimes we can think that our exuberant and expressive praises will have a negative influence on those who don’t know Christ, or that our singing and hand-raising is guaranteed to weird people out.  But more often than not, the opposite is true.  And I think this is the way God intends it.  

J.I. Packer writes, “The robust and exuberant praises uttered by God’s people, as they celebrate their certainties in Christ, has great drawing power for individuals who are spiritually adrift.  …Wherever the word is preached in an enlivening way, and everyone sings the praises of God from the heart, individuals will come in from outside and be affected by God, thus fulfilling within a Christian frame the psalmist’s anticipation of Israel’s magnetic outreach.” (Prayer, 113)

Bryan Chapell, in his new book on congregational worship, says the same thing.  “God’s people must recognize that their evident joy and peace in a dark world are a light to the lost.  Worship designed to enable God’s people to rejoice in God’s goodness will also, of necessity, attract those who need to learn to rejoice and rest in him – and we cannot neglect them.  Healthy worship is one of the church’s most effective evangelism tools; thus, we cannot forget the unbeliever even as we focus on enabling believers rightly to honor their God.”  (Christ-Centered Worship, 132)

Healthy public worship is one of Covenant Fellowship’s most effective evangelism tools.  It is one of the essential ways we carry out our mission to “proclaim” the gospel of Jesus Christ.  So next week, and every Sunday, remember that your singing is a powerful articulation and presentation of the gospel to those who do not know it.  And then lift your voice in exuberant, heart-felt, joyful ‘doxological evangelism’, singing the praises of God for all to hear. 

By Jared Mellinger

In preparing to celebrate our 25th Anniversary as a church, I came across an article by Alex Chediak on the theme of passing the gospel from one generation to the next.  The title of Chediak’s short article is “Don’t Retire; We Need You.”  It is a plea to the generation that has gone before us to not “retire” from the next generation but instead take full advantage of “the unique opportunity to reap eternal dividends by investing in younger Christians.” 

As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think of those who have labored long and hard at Covenant Fellowship – the generation that has gone before me.  I often thank God for these people because their labors over the years have made Covenant Fellowship the church it is today. 

It could perhaps be tempting for those of you who have labored for two decades to think that now you get to relax on the sidelines while the next generation does all the heavy lifting.  But the reality is that you are more needed now than ever. 

Listen to Chediak’s plea:
 
“Perhaps your children are out of the home or you’re at a place financially where you can afford to work less. As one a generation behind you, looking to your example and guidance, I entreat you: Give yourself structure so that hours aren’t frittered away in passive consumption of television. Fight the cynicism that often accompanies the loss of physical or mental acuity. Make war with the temptation to spend time entirely in a familiar, comfortable circle of same-aged peers.”
 
Why?  Because the next generation needs you.  We are looking to you for your example and guidance.  There is a unique opportunity for you to pursue and invest in those who are younger.
   
Chediak continues:

“Maybe you’re thinking this makes sense for pastors — after all, this stuff is in their job description. But you don’t have to be a gifted communicator to care deeply for those around you. Pray by name for the younger generations of Christians in your church, and let them know you are doing so. Authentic love is hard to hide, no matter how poorly you think you communicate.”

In other words, everyone has a part to play in transferring the gospel and preserving the gospel in the next generation.  “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4).

I couldn’t agree more with Alex Chediak: Don’t retire from the next generation.  We need you. 

By Jared Mellinger

Some of my favorite memories over the past few years are the times I have been able to spend together with the men on the Pastoral Team and their wives.  And all of the men on the team agree that it is far more enjoyable for us to be together in the company of all of our wives than it is to be left to ourselves! 

This last Thursday all of the men on the pastoral team, along with our wives, enjoyed a one-day retreat.  These are my closest friends in the world, and I still can’t believe that I get to work with them and serve the church alongside them. 

We are a very happy group of pastors (and wives), and I want you to know that this is because of the people in Covenant Fellowship Church.  It is a pure joy to lead and to be a part of this church.  One constant refrain I hear from men on the team is “Can you believe we get to do this?  Can you believe we have these jobs?”  We feel like you have made us the most blessed men in the world.  Our joy is explained by the quality of the people we lead. 

At the retreat, I did a teaching from Isaiah 40 called “Words of Comfort: Experiencing the Consolation of the Gospel,” and a teaching on the importance and priority of our partnership with Sovereign Grace Ministries.  The teaching on Isaiah 40 will probably be a 4 part sermon series in early 2010.  

In addition to the teaching, here are a few of the enjoyable things we did on Thursday:
  
1.  Joseph leading us in worship.  It is always good for us to sing together, and to be able to have the best worship leader I know leading us in worship is a great blessing.  

2.  Reflecting together on the 25th Anniversary.  Andy took some time to tell us about the 25th Anniversary Museum, and Marty shared about a recent trip to the Gauntlet Center (our old meeting place).  Others pitched in with memories of their own.  What a rich history we share together. 

3.  Hearing an update from Dave.  Dave shared about some of the things going on in his world in Sovereign Grace.  We asked him to tell us about his time at the recent Peacemaker Conference, where he was a main speaker, and to give us an update on the book he has been writing on ambition.  He also had plenty of stories to tell us about other travels.  Which makes me think – just having Dave and Kimm there with us was a highlight of the day! 
 
4.  Rob Flood singing for us.  Rob has a great voice, and we have had him sing in the past for our entertainment and enjoyment.  This time, I requested something 1) romantic, that communicates our affection for our wives, and 2) something with a lot of “wow”, that really amazes us all with his talent.  So Rob stood up and sang a Josh Groban song for us, and did a great job.

5.  Giving a few gifts.  I gave each couple a few gifts, among which were two books that I have enjoyed and benefited from: “The All-Sufficient God” by Martyn Lloyd-Jones is drawn from his sermon series on Isaiah 40, and “Following the Shepherd” is a book by Peter Jeffery on Psalm 23.  Giving away books is always fun. 

6.  Meals together.  Great fellowship happens over meals, so we always try to do lots of eating on our retreats.  These times of casual fellowship and laughter together are some of my favorite moments with the team.   

Thank you once again for bringing us so much joy!  We are humbled and grateful to be serving the Savior with you. 

By Jared Mellinger

 

Every Christian should love preaching.  Not that we all love doing the preaching, because “Not many of you should become teachers” (James 3:1).  But we should all love preaching in the sense that we believe that nothing is more important to the health of our souls, and nothing is more central to Christian worship, than the preaching of God’s word.   

 

Healthy churches are full of people who have a high view of preaching.  One of the most reliable measures of the maturity of a church is the peoples’ understanding and appreciation of the preaching task.  This means preachers aren’t the only ones who need to have a theology of preaching, or a biblical understanding of the primacy of preaching.  It is a theme that matters for us all. 

 

If you haven’t given much thought to preaching, or if hearing the phrase “expositional pulpit monologue” doesn’t immediately begin to pump adrenaline through your veins, don’t worry.  A great starting point, if you missed it, is Mark’s sermon from Sunday, on the priority and purpose of preaching.  Then, consider reading Donald Whitney’s chapter on preaching in his book Spiritual Disciplines in the Church.  It’s called “Why Listen to Preaching in the Church?” 

 

In fact, in light of the value of Christians thinking clearly about the role of preaching, I’d encourage every believer to read a book on preaching at some point.  Here are a few suggestions of books on preaching that I’d recommend for those who don’t preach but want to reflect more on the subject. 

 

1.  What is Biblical Preaching?, by Eric Alexander

A short introduction to preaching that explains why preaching is important, written by an outstanding preacher.  I recommend this not only because the content is very helpful, but because it is a very readable length.

 

2.  The Supremacy of God in Preaching, by John Piper

Piper is aiming at preachers, but gives a wonderful vision of “the gravity and gladness of preaching” (to use Piper’s phrase), that will benefit all Christians.  The second part of the book describes the preaching of Jonathan Edwards.  If you have enjoyed other books by Piper, I’d encourage you to read his book on preaching. 

 

3.  Preachers Who Made a Difference, by Peter Jeffery

This book introduces readers to nine men from church history who have been powerfully used by God in their preaching.  The chapters are short and Jeffery’s writing is highly accessible.  There are chapters on John Knox, J.C. Ryle, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and more. 

 

4.  He is Not Silent, by Dr. Al Mohler    

Mohler believes that one of the hallmarks of our time is a crisis in preaching, and that the urgent need in our day is to recover a sense of the glory of preaching.  Here he explains why preaching is the heart of worship, gives a theology of preaching, and explains the importance of expository preaching.

 

I can speak for the other men who preach to you.  There is nothing that would give us greater joy than to know that the people to whom we preach not only hear the word with open hearts, but understand the high call of preaching and hold us accountable to that call. 

By Jared Mellinger

Donald Whitney is the author of several outstanding books.  One of my favorites, and a book that has influenced our current sermon series (When We Gather), is Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ.  If I could pick 10 books that every person in the church should read, this one would make the list.  I think it’s that important.   

 

I used to think of the spiritual disciplines as exclusively individual and private pursuits.  Donald Whitney taught me there is much more to the spiritual disciplines than personal spiritual disciplines – there are spiritual disciplines in the church as well.

 

In fact, I’ve come to believe that, from a biblical standpoint, the most important spiritual disciplines are not personal, but congregational.  There is an edification and strengthening that comes only when we gather together as the church.  There are blessings we receive from God only in the context of gathering for public worship, and cannot receive in private worship as isolated individuals.

 

The puritan David Clarkson once preached a sermon called “Public Worship to be Preferred Before Private.”  His point was that personal spiritual disciplines can never replace preaching, congregational worship, and practicing the sacraments together.  It is certainly important to read the Word privately and meditate on Scripture privately.  However, we must remember that the Word of God is most potent and powerful when it is preached.  

 

Here’s what Donald Whitney says: “Congregational worship is more edifying for the Christian than private worship, whether that worship takes place under the stars or on a couch with an open Bible, because we receive from spiritual resources that are unavailable when alone.  In the public worship of God we can experience the preaching of His Word, the spiritual gifts of Christians, the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ, congregational praise, fellowship, and many other things that we cannot receive in private worship.”  (p. 78)

 

This is not to minimize the importance and necessity of personal spiritual disciplines, but to help us see them in their proper place in the Christian life.  Ultimately, this will produce the most healthy approach to the disciplines. 

 

So when you think of your intake of the Word of God, or your prayer life, I’d encourage you to always think first of sitting under the preaching of the Word together, and praying together as a congregation and with other believers.  And, I encourage you to consider taking some time over the next couple months, while we are in this sermon series, to read (or re-read) Whitney’s book on the church.  There is a chapter that corresponds to each of the remaining sermons: preaching (ch 4), music (ch 5), baptism (ch 2), communion (ch 9), prayer (ch 11), giving (ch 8), and witness (ch 6).        

 

Most of all, let’s be praying that God uses this series to inform us and transform us as a church.  And let’s pray that we would encounter his empowering presence when we gather.      

By Jared Mellinger

Covenant Fellowship recently hosted a small conference for Sovereign Grace Senior Pastors who are serving in the Northeast region.  Over 20 men attended the retreat.  Aron Osborne, the Senior Pastor of the church in Souderton PA, provides leadership for the region and did a great job leading us in our time together.

It is because of your generous giving and support that we were able to host this retreat, and that I was able to attend, along with Mark Prater (who is not a Senior Pastor but helps out with the leadership and care of churches in the region).  Thank you for enabling us to partner with other pastors throughout the region for this time of encouragement and training.

In no particular order, here are some of the personal highlights from the week:

 

1. The teaching.  Both Dave Harvey and Mark Prater were among the men who taught us during the week.  Dave gave a teaching on parenting, and Mark taught us “10 ½ Things to Consider in Being a Spirit-Filled Senior Pastor”.  I continue to learn a lot from these men!

    

2. Baseball.  We played several games of wiffle ball on the front lawn.  As you might expect, we all talked a big game and then no one was especially good.  Afterwards, we went into the city to see a Phillies game together, to observe how it’s really done.  

    

3. Honoring my dad. Aron asked me to honor my Dad, Ken Mellinger, who is the Senior Pastor of the Sovereign Grace church in Harrisburg PA.  I was able to share with all the guys the things I appreciate about my dad as a father, a mentor, and a friend, and talk about the influence he has had on me personally over the years.   

    

4. Seeing Kenny there.  What a great joy to see, along with many of the other church planters we have sent out over the years, my friend Kenny Lynch.  He is now a fellow Senior Pastor!  Wow.  Seeing him at the retreat and enjoying fellowship with him was certainly a highlight. 

Thanks again, Covenant Fellowship, for making this time possible.  It is one of the many things that makes it a pure joy for me to lead the church. 

By Jared Mellinger

 

One of the best books I am aware of on the subject of Heaven is a book by Randy Alcorn, simply called Heaven.  We recommended the book a few weeks ago, and I’ve heard back from several people who have said they have really been enjoying it (one of them was my wife Meghan, who is currently working her way through it).

 

One of the helpful features of the book is the clear distinction between the temporary lodging that currently exists for those who die in Christ (“the intermediate Heaven”), and our true eternal home that we will enter when Christ returns (“the New Earth”).  This distinction is essential to understanding our ultimate hope as believers and keeps our hope centered on Christ and his return.  The full application of the salvation Christ has won for us is not completed when we die, but when Jesus Christ comes again.

 

Here are a two choice quotes from Alcorn on our Intermediate Home.  I highly recommend his book, and encourage you to think often about our final destination.        

 

“The intermediate Heaven is not our final destination.  Though it will be a wonderful place, the intermediate Heaven is not the place we were made for – the place God promises to refashion for us to live in forever.  God’s children are destined for life as resurrected beings on a resurrected Earth.  …It bears repeating because it is so commonly misunderstood: When we die, believers in Christ will not go to the Heaven where we’ll live forever.  Instead, we’ll go to an intermediate Heaven.  In the intermediate Heaven, we’ll await the time of Christ’s return to the earth, our bodily resurrection, the final judgment, and the creation of the new heavens and the New Earth.  If we fail to grasp this truth, we will fail to understand the biblical doctrine of Heaven.”  (p 42)

 

“Books on Heaven often fail to distinguish between the intermediate and eternal states, using the one word – Heaven – as all-inclusive.  But this has dulled our thinking and keeps us from understanding important biblical distinctions.  In this book, when referring to the place believers go after death, I use terms such as the present Heaven or the intermediate Heaven.  I’ll refer to the eternal state as the eternal Heaven or the New Earth.  I hope you can see why this is such an important distinction.  The present heaven is a temporary lodging, a waiting place until the return of Christ and our bodily resurrection.  The eternal Heaven, the New Earth, is our true home, the place where we will live forever with our Lord and with each other.  The great redemptive promises of God will find their ultimate fulfillment on the New Earth, not the intermediate Heaven.”  (p 44)

By Jared Mellinger

From his first year in Dundee, one of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s greatest desires was for revival.  By revival, he meant a heightening of normal Christianity, in which theology would catch fire and the Spirit of God would fall upon his people in a unique season of refreshing, empowering, and fruitfulness.  In revival, Christ was preached and the reality of the gospel was pressed upon the hearts of men and women in a unique way.  I would love to see a revival in our day, in Covenant Fellowship, and I believe it is something we should all be desiring and praying for.     

 

M’Cheyne started a weekly prayer meeting shortly after becoming a pastor.  He would first teach on something related to the outpouring of the Spirit, and then lead the congregation in a time of prayer, and then close the meetings by reading about the history of revivals. 

 

Three years into his pastorate, he went on a seven month trip.  While he was gone, God answered his prayers and revival broke out in Dundee and throughout Scotland.  There was one day where M’Cheyne’s friend, W.C. Burns, who was filling the pulpit at St. Peters, was preaching and, “the whole of the vast assembly were overpowered.  The Holy Spirit seemed to come down as a rushing mighty wind, and to fill the place.  Very many were that day struck to the heart…  The power of God seemed to descend, and all were bathed in tears…It was like a pent-up flood breaking forth; tears were streaming from the eyes of many, and some fell on the ground groaning, and weeping, and crying for mercy. Onward from that evening, meetings were help every day for many weeks; and the extraordinary nature of the work justified and called for extraordinary services.  The whole town was moved.”

 

Those were the reports that were reaching M’Cheyne while he was traveling.  How did he respond to these reports?  With bitterness and jealousy that he wasn’t at the center of this revival?  No: “They were such as made his heart rejoice.  He had no envy at another instrument having been so honored in the place where he himself had labored with many tears and temptations.  In true Christian magnanimity, he rejoiced that the work of the Lord was done, by whatever hand.”

 

As he returned, the revival continued for years to come. 

 

So much more could be said about M’Cheyne’s life and ministry.  God continued to use this single man who gave his life to holiness: a man who redeemed the time, pursued humility, treasured the Word, and longed for revival.  May his life spur us on to the same. 

By Jared Mellinger

Robert Murray M'Cheyne is a Scottish pastor from the 1800's.  I have been writing about his life and example the past few weeks.  These are the lessons I personally have learned from his life, and hope we can all learn from him.  What explains the humility and the eternal perspective that characterized this man's life?  At the heart of it all was M’Cheyne’s insatiable appetite for the Word of God.  In one letter, he described the Bible by saying, “One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.”  

His friend and biographer, Andrew Bonar, was aware of M’Cheyne’s love for Scripture.  Bonar writes, “His desire to grow in acquaintance with Scripture was very intense; and both Old and New Testament were his regular study…Three chapters from the Word was his usual morning portion.  This he thought little enough, for he delighted exceedingly in the Scriptures: they were better to him than thousands of gold or silver.”  As a 20 year old, M'Cheyne wrote the following journal entry: “Rose early to seek God, and found him who my soul loveth.  Who would not rise early to meet such company?”  This was typical of his morning entries. 

A lesson to learn from this: If your time in the word is never anything but discipline and drudgery and inconsistency and joylessness, something is wrong.  Christians are those who treasure the Word.  Reading God’s word is not always the first thing we may feel like doing, but we want to have a growing appetite for God's truth that will make us hunger and thirst for it in greater and greater ways as we go through life.  Over time there should be nights that you go to bed anticipating encountering God in His word the next morning.  Sometimes, this anticipation will even keep Christians awake at night. 

Do you treasure the Word?        

Here is an insightful lesson from M'Cheyne that has the potential to transform your relationship with God and your time in God’s Word: Turn the Bible into prayer.  He writes: “You do read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try and understand it, and still more, to feel it.  ...Turn the Bible into prayer.  Thus, if you were reading the first Psalm, spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel and pray, ‘O Lord, give me the blessedness of the man,’ ‘Let me not stand in the counsel of the ungodly,’ etc.  This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible, and of learning to pray.”  

His love for the Word led to one of his greatest contributions and accomplishments, which came just three months before his death.  On Dec 30, 1842, M’Cheyne published a calendar for daily Bible readings throughout the year.  The Bible reading plan was called “Daily Bread.”  It led the reader through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and the Psalms twice during the course of a year.  Since then, it has been promoted and used by many great men: Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott, and D.A. Carson.  D.A. Carson has written a 2-volume devotional entitled “For the Love of God” that accompanies M’Cheyne’s Bible reading plan.  It is the best devotional I am aware of, because it will deepen your understanding of the Scriptures through short, yet rich meditations.     

Let us together strive to treasure this holy Word.  “He would be a sorry student of the Bible," M'Cheyne writes, "who would not know all that God inspired: who would not examine into the most barren chapters to collect the good for which they were intended.”  God, spare us the rebuke of being "sorry students" of the Bible!  And help us to daily examine the Scriptures and mine them for all they are worth.

By Jared Mellinger

One of the great lessons we learn from the life of Robert Murray M’Cheyne is the importance of redeeming the time.  He is a man who truly desired to spend every day “Making the best use of the time” (Eph 5:16).

M’Cheyne lived with an awareness that life would not last forever.  On his 21st birthday, he mentioned in his journal that a friend had died at the age of 31, and then M’Cheyne reflected on the question of how long he himself would live.  In his culture, he had the experience of being surrounded with people who frequently became ill and passed away.  This served as a reminder of the brevity of life and the importance of eternal things.  When others died, he seized it as an opportunity to cultivate an eternal perspective on life. 

We never know how long we are going to live.  M’Cheyne didn’t know he was only going to live to the age of 29.  But had he known this, I don’t think he would have lived any differently.  He knew that a long life is not guaranteed, and it changed the way he lived.  It is doubtful that he would have accomplished as much good as he did during his short life apart from this wise perspective on life and death.      

One of the practices that helped M’Cheyne redeem the time was keeping a journal.  His journal reflected short but faithful entries.  He believed this played an important role in his spiritual health because “it ensures sober reflection on the events of the day as seen in God’s eye”.  It was a means of accountability, and it served him well. 

His biographer, Andrew Bonar, tells us that “after spending an evening too lightly,” M’Cheyne wrote the following in his journal: “My heart must break off from all these things.  What right have I to steal and abuse my Master’s time?  ‘Redeem it,’ he is crying to me”.  And on a different occasion he wrote: “Little done, and as little suffered.  Awfully important question—Am I redeeming the time?”  He believed that time itself was something entrusted to him by God.  We are stewards of time, and time is a precious gift from God that must not be squandered.  This doesn’t mean we don’t know how to relax, have fun, and enjoy vacations.  It simply means we live with an awareness that we will answer to God for our use of our time, and desire to please our Heavenly Father in all we do.   

He also redeemed the time by using all the resources available to him to grow in godliness: not only journaling, but also confessing sin, seeking out the counsel of his friends, living his life in community, studying passages of Scripture that were relevant to his particular struggles, and reading the biographies of men whose lives challenged him to grow.

M’Cheyne’s redeeming of the time resulted in much study of God’s word, much reading of good books, much evangelism, much care for the poor, much fellowship, and much prayer.  His life teaches us to make the best use of the time we have: to view time itself as a valuable gift from a generous Father, and to live with an awareness that our lives in this world will not last forever.  As those redeemed by Christ to receive adoption as children of God, we make it our aim to please him every moment of every day. 

Redeem the time!

By Jared Mellinger

Humility is the area where I have most greatly benefited from the example of Robert Murray M’Cheyne.  M’Cheyne valued humility above all else, because he believed nothing brings more honor to Christ.  Again and again, at each point in M’Cheyne’s life, he walked the humble path. 

While he was in Divinity School praying through his desire for pastoral ministry, and weighing whether or not he was called, he wrote in his diary, “What should I fear?  If God [sees fit] to put me into the ministry, who shall keep me back?  If [I’m not fit], why should I be thrust forward?”  And once in ministry, his pursuit of humility showed itself in that he did not seek to gain a name for himself.  His close friend and biographer, Andrew Bonar, wrote the following of M’Cheyne: “Although naturally ambitious, grace so wrought in him, that he never sought to bring himself into view; and most cheerfully would he observe and take notice of the graces and gifts of others.” I need to remember that humility cheerfully takes notice of the gifts and graces of others. 

According to M’Cheyne, “the lust of praise” was his life-long besetting sin.  As a pastor and as a preacher, he faced a very real temptation to win the approval of others, to try to present himself in such a way that he attracted people to himself.  He said, “A man cannot be a faithful minister, until he preaches Christ for Christ’s sake—until he gives up striving to attract people to himself, and seeks only to attract them to Christ.  Lord, give me this!”

He considered himself a proud man, who, by the grace of God, was pursuing humility.  At the age of 19, he wrote a typical journal entry expressing his longing for humility: “Sept 9, 1832 – Oh for true, unfeigned humility!  I know I have cause to be humble; and yet I do not know one half of that cause.  I know I am proud; and yet I do not know the half of that pride.”  That is a sentence worth meditating on!  It should be that we are pursuing humility in a similar fashion. 

M’Cheyne lived with an ongoing, ever-increasing awareness of his own sinfulness.  Confession of sin was a regular practice for him.  Here is a journal entry as a 20 year old: “August 13, 1833 – Clear conviction of sin is the only true origin of dependence on another’s righteousness, and, therefore, (strange to say!)  of the Christian’s peace of mind and cheerfulness.”  There was a direct correspondence between his awareness of sin and his awareness of grace.  The more you are convicted of sin, the more you will marvel at the Savior!  

Let’s be like M’Cheyne and devote ourselves to the pursuit of humility.  Let’s celebrate the gifts of those around us, seek to attract people to Christ, and prayerfully cultivate an ongoing and ever-increasing awareness of our sin.  Let us be quick to confess our sin and receive the grace of God.  Our peace of mind and cheerfulness depend upon it!    

By Jared Mellinger

 

Last week, I wrote about the singular focus of Paul.  This week, I want to reflect on the life of another man who had one great passion in his life.  His life has had a great affect on me personally, and on many Christians over the past 150 years.  My hope is that introducing you to this man will help spur you on to pursue a life of passion for God.  Never underestimate the power of biography.

 

Robert Murray M’Cheyne was a young Scottish Presbyterian pastor who lived in the 1800’s and died in 1843 at the age of 29.  He pastored a church named St. Peter’s Church of Scotland, in the town of Dundee, from 1836 until his death, in 1843.    

 

Born in Edinburgh on May 21, 1813, he was the youngest of four children, and had two brothers and one sister.  He was tall and energetic, eloquent, intelligent, and academically gifted.  He enjoyed drawing, singing and writing poems.  He loved the outdoors, walked often, and took in the “blue water, brown fields, and green firs” of the Scottish countryside.

 

When Robert was 18 his older brother, David, passed away.  Robert would always look back on that day, July 8, 1831, as the day he came to know Christ.  One year after David died, M’Cheyne wrote in his journal, “On this morning last year came the first overwhelming blow to my worldliness.”  Death has a remarkable way of opening blind eyes to the weight of eternity.

 

Four months after his conversion M’Cheyne enrolled as a divinity student at Edinburgh University.  During his time at the university, M’Cheyne read a lot about the life of Jonathan Edwards and was stirred by his biography.  “How feeble does my spark of Christianity appear beside such a sun?  But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me.”

 

At the age of 23, this gifted preacher was ordained at St. Peters, a church of 1,100 people.  This was his conviction: “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.  A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”  M’Cheyne stepped into ministry as a man who was passionate about living a life that demonstrated “great likeness to Jesus”. 

 

M’Cheyne frequently struggled with illness due to a heart condition.  After three years in pastoral ministry at St. Peters he went on a missionary trip for seven months, with the hope that a warmer climate would improve his health.  Toward the end of his trip, he received word of a revival that was breaking out in Dundee, at St. Peter’s.  The revival came under the preaching of W.C. Burns, the man covering M’Cheyne’s pulpit while he traveled. 

 

M’Cheyne returned to St. Peters, where he ministered for four more years before passing away at the age of 29.  He died, having never married, on March 25, 1843, after only seven years of pastoral ministry.

 

Reading about the life of Jonathan Edward’s led M’Cheyne to pursue the source of Edwards’ passionate Christianity.  Over the next four weeks, I want to examine M’Cheyne’s eternal perspective, humility, hunger for the Word, and desire for revival.  Our spark of Christianity may appear small, but the same Source is still open to enlighten us.

By Jared Mellinger

Those who follow Christ should be people with a single focus in life.  We can say, with Paul in Philippians 3:13, “One thing I do.”  That is the motto of those who live for the glory of God.  Paul understood that he was created to have one great passion in life.  He sits in prison and calmly writes “To live is Christ. (Phil 1:21)  This is the Christian’s resolve.  One version translates it, “If I live, it will be for Christ.” 

Clearly, Paul is a man of one thing.  He essentially says, “OK, if I have been given the gift of life, I am going to spend my every breath for Christ.  I refuse to abandon the reason for which I was made; I refuse to waste my life.  I refuse to commit cosmic treason and turn my back on the Creator and Ruler of the universe, the Christ who made me, the Christ who died for me, the Christ before whom I will one day stand and give an account of my life.  If I live, it will be for Christ.”

Is that your perspective?  In difficult trials and in easy circumstances, in suffering and in joy, at work and at home, in youth and in old age, in singleness and in marriage?  

It reminds me of what J.C. Ryle says on the subject of zeal:

“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way….
A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing.  It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit.  He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God.  Whether he lives or whether he dies, whether he has health or whether he has sickness, whether he is rich or whether he is poor, whether he pleases man or whether he gives offence, whether he is though wise or whether he is thought foolish, whether he gets blame or whether he gets praise, whether he gets honor or whether he gets shame—for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all.  He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory.”    

Can you relate to that?  Only seeing one thing, caring for one thing, living for one thing, swallowed up in one thing, burning for one thing, and that one thing is to live for Christ.  Do you have passion to see God glorified in your life?  Is there anything you find yourself caring about more than the honor of Christ in your life?  Is there anything you need to part ways with in order to honor Christ more?

Let’s be Christians who look at our lives and resolve with a single minded focus, “By the grace of God, in life and in death and in all that I do, Christ will be honored in me.”

By Jared Mellinger

If you came to the blog today hoping to receive a helpful insight or theological reflection, I’ll have to ask for your patience with a very proud father of a growing family!

We recently welcomed Isaac William, our fourth child, into the Mellinger family.  Our first day home from the hospital after Isaac was born, we took some time to create a chalk drawing on the driveway.  It is a masterpiece we have entitled “Growing Family with Ga-boo and Creek”.  (Ga-boo is Lily’s name for her little pink handkerchief thingy that she walks around with all the time, and we have a creek right next to our house.  And we are a growing family.)  We were going to auction off “Growing Family with Ga-boo and Creek” to the highest bidder, to start a wedding fund for Isaac, but our masterpiece didn’t survive a recent rainstorm.  Oh well.

The boys did almost all the coloring, and played no small role in the development of the concept.  Lily helped with some of the coloring, but her main job was to see how much chalk she could get on herself (especially her mouth and face) and on Ga-boo.  She did a great job “working” while Daddy wasn’t looking.

Perhaps next week I will have something more edifying to share with you.  In the meantime, enjoy “Growing Family with Ga-boo and Creek”.  



Lily pondering her masterpiece



The whole gang.  And, to clarify: I’m supposed to be resting my hand on Lily’s head, not giving her the death-grip.


 Mama and Isaac



Sun “with a sunset behind it” (In Ryle’s words)


 Two Fish in the creek.  Orange and bluish-green. 



Lily and Ga-boo

By Jared Mellinger

One of the things I really enjoy about being on the pastoral team here at Covenant Fellowship is being able to see God using men on the team beyond the walls of our church.  I can barely keep track of all the ways they are serving: trips to Africa, teaching at the Pastors College, speaking at conferences and seminars, developing church planting in Sovereign Grace, and assisting other churches in whatever ways they can. 

And it is important for you to know that these men serve beyond our church without compromising their primary responsibility and call to serve the people of their home church.  In our approach to team ministry, none of the guys, including myself, is free to accept responsibilities outside of our local church without the input and oversight of the team.  I want you to know this so that you never have concern that the pastors who serve you would view this church as a platform for any sense of personal ministry vision. 

At the end of August, Mark (Prater) and Andy (Farmer) will be serving at a conference on biblical counseling at Sojourn, a church in Louisville Kentucky.  The conference is entitled “The Gospel: Counseling and the Church”, and you can learn more about it here.  Paul Tripp will be there as well.  Mark and Andy are going to be speaking on applying the gospel to parenting and children’s ministry in the church.  If you’d like to check out Mark’s first (known) YouTube video, here’s his conference promotion.

This particular opportunity reminds me once again of the privilege we have of being able to partner with those outside of Sovereign Grace – in this case, a handful of men from a church planting group called Acts 29.  It also reminds me of how grateful I am to be a part of a church that has built a model over the past 25 years.  Mark and Andy are able to speak at a conference like this, not just because they are gifted speakers with a few theoretical ideas, but because all of you at Covenant Fellowship provide a concrete model and a platform from which they speak. 

 

Whenever I see men on the team serving outside the church, I realize that they only have something to say because of the example of the church.  So, thanks for providing a model, thanks for giving us something to say, and thanks for praying for us as we share with others some of what we have learned (and continue to learn!) as we seek to apply the gospel in the church.

By Jared Mellinger

 

My 2 oldest children are Ryle and Ben, and they bring a ton of joy into my world.  Ryle is 5 years old, Ben is 3.  I am increasingly discovering that these boys really are at the age where I am able to have meaningful and substantial conversations with them.  Intentional conversations in our family often take place at 1) the dinner table, or 2) when I am on a Monday Dunkin Donuts outing with the kids, or 3) at bedtime.  Those are the locations and times that remind me I should be intentional and look to engage them in meaningful, strategic conversation.

 

I have a simple mind, and at times I have found myself wanting to talk with the boys, but not knowing exactly what to talk about (I’m pretty sure this is a male thing).  So in addition to having set times and locations that I look to take advantage of, I also created a simple list of questions that I use to ask the boys about their day. 

 

Different things work for different kids.  And different things work for different parents, so don’t feel like you’re obligated to implement our practice.  But for some reason, my boys absolutely love the “Bedtime Questions for Ryle and Ben” we’ve been doing over the past 6 months or so.  It usually takes around 5 minutes (10 at the most), and it’s the last thing we do before they go to bed.  But they have been known to spend all day thinking of their answers to the questions Daddy is going to ask them that night.  Ryle, who excels at following rules and helping others follow rules, has been known to panic if we neglect to do the Bedtime Questions and therefore helps hold me accountable to do them.   

     

On the dresser in their bedroom is a printed piece of paper with the questions I often ask them.  They now have these questions engraved on their little minds, simply through the repetition of me asking them each question so many times, but we still set the printed page of questions on Daddy’s lap, because that’s the way we’ve always done it and Ryle likes to do things the way we’ve always done it.  (That kid sure does make me smile!) 

 

With each one of these questions, I have something specific that I am looking to accomplish and instill in the boys.  Then, after the questions and before I turn out the lights, I give them hugs and kisses and I pray that they would be God-knowing, Bible-loving, grateful, humble, obedient boys who see their need for a Savior.

 

Bedtime Questions for Ryle and Ben:

 

1. What is one question you have for me about God or the Bible?

 

2. What is one thing you are grateful to God for from today? 

 

3. What is one way you saw someone in our family choosing to please God today?

 

4. What is one thing you did (or didn’t do) today that reminded you of your need for a Savior?

 

5. What is one way you hope to obey God’s authority tomorrow? 

By Jared Mellinger

The first through fourth graders in Promise Kingdom (our Sunday children’s ministry) recently made a large “thank you” display for the pastors.  It included note cards expressing their gratitude for us.  One even told us we were “cool as a cucumber”, which I’m not sure truly applies to every guy on the team – but I digress.   

I loved reading these, and I am once again convinced that I have the best job in the world.  And this team serves the best folks in the world.  Thanks to the children (and teachers!) in Promise Kingdom, for making us the happiest pastors in the world.  

Here are a few of my favorite note cards from the kids:

By Jared Mellinger

 

In last week’s blog post, I shared with you the gift that my wife gave to me when I was ordained as senior pastor.  This week, I want to reflect on another significant gift that I received during that time.  On the morning of October 12, 2008—the Sunday that I was ordained—Dave Harvey and I met in his office.  After encouraging me and communicating his heart for me, Dave presented me with a leather-bound copy of my favorite book: Christian Ministry, by a man named Charles Bridges.

 

At the front of the book, Dave included six additional pages, each containing one of my all-time favorite quotes (Yes, Dave had asked me for my top 5 quotes outside of Scripture.  This is not an easy question!  I sent 6 as a way to protest the difficulty of the question!). 

 

A favorite quote is something that strikes you and stays with you.  You can return to it time and again for inspiration and conviction.  A favorite quote also says something about us – who we are, but also how God is at work in our lives.  These six quotes have had a significant impact on my life.  I hope they affect you just as much as they have affected me.

 

C.H. Spurgeon: “You cannot sin so much as God can forgive.  If it comes to a pitched battle between sin and grace, you shall not be so bad as God is good.  I will prove it to you.  You can only sin as a man, but God can forgive as God.  You sin as a finite creature, but the Lord forgives as the infinite Creator.” 

 

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “I can forgive the preacher of almost anything if he gives me a sense of God, if he gives me something for my soul, if he gives me the sense that, though he is inadequate himself, he is handling something which is very great and very glorious, if he gives me some dim glimpse of the majesty and the glory of God, the love of Christ my Saviour, and the magnificence of the gospel.” 

 

Richard Sibbes: “How are we changed to the image of Christ?  It is by beholding the glory of Christ in the gospel.  There is a transforming power in beholding the glory of God’s mercy in Christ.  It is not a delighting object only, to see the mercy of God in Christ, but it is a powerful object that has an influence upon the soul.”

 

R.M. M’Cheyne: “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.  A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”

 

John Owen: “Fill your affections with the cross of Christ, that there may be no room for sin.”

 

J.I. Packer: “Where grace exists, it reigns; it is the dominant factor in the situation”

 

What would you say are your favorite quotes?

By Jared Mellinger

 

One of my favorite memories from around the time of being ordained and installed as a Sr. Pastor last October is a gift my wife presented to me.  She started by saying she had a gift for me, but first, I needed to listen to part of a sermon by John Piper.  So she played a section of an old Piper sermon for me – a five-minute parable he gives as an introduction to the sermon – and I had no idea where this was going. 

 

In the parable, told as only John Piper could, there is a boy who lives on a farm several hundred years ago.  The boy had never gone into town before, but one day he goes with his dad.  They come upon a blacksmith’s shop, and the boy is mesmerized by the sound of the hammer banging repeatedly against the anvil by a strong and muscular man.  After watching in amazement for a while, the boy points to the anvil and says to the blacksmith “Aren’t you afraid you’re going to break that thing?”  The blacksmith smiles in response and informs the boy, “This anvil is a hundred years old, and has worn out many hammers.”

 

Then Piper says, “Here's the point of the parable.  The Bible is an anvil that has worn out a thousand hammers.  In every generation, new, huge, heavy hammers are forged against the truth of the Bible.  And strong men lift the hammers and pound on the Scriptures.  People with no historical perspective - like little boys who've never been to town - see it and say, "Surely the Bible will be destroyed.”  But others who know their history a little better say, "This Bible was forged in the furnace of divine truth and has worn out many hammers."  (For those interested, it is the opening illustration in this sermon:  http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1999/1099_Thanksgiving_Toward_the_Past_Faith_Toward_the_Future/)

 

I had no idea what Meghan had for me as a gift.  Was she going to pull out an anvil?  A new, huge, heavy hammer?  Was John Piper himself hiding in the closet? 

 

Meghan then brought out a large, flat, wrapped present and excitedly asked me to open it.  I unwrapped it, and I absolutely love this gift.  It was a large black and white print of a rugged, sturdy anvil sitting in an old blacksmith’s shop.  Beneath the image, there is a metal plaque with words engraved in it.  First, the Piper quote: “The Bible is an anvil that has worn out a thousand hammers.”  Then, a brief message from Meghan: “May your life be spent mining and proclaiming the treasures of God’s word.”  Beneath that is the date: “October 12, 2008.” 

 

What could possibly be better than a gift that brings together good art, John Piper, the word of God, and my wife’s desire to see me give my life to “mining and proclaiming” God’s word?  This print hangs in my office, beside my desk.  At times I am preparing a sermon and I will sit back and look at it.  God always uses it to strengthen me by reminding me of the power and the efficacy of Scripture. 

 

There is nothing more enduring and more powerful than the word of God.  It shatters the pretentions of man like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces (Jer 23:29).  In discerns all the intentions and thoughts of our hearts with all the sharpness and penetration of a two-edged sword (Heb 4:12).  God watches over his word to perform it (Jer 1:12).  This means that his word will always triumph and will always succeed in accomplishing God’s purpose (Is 55:10-11).  It plays a unique role in our spiritual growth by building us up (Acts 20:32), working in us (1 Thess 2:13), reviving the soul (Ps 19:7), sanctifying us (John 17:17), and cleansing us like the washing of water (Eph 5:26). 

                                                                                                   

When I remember this, I now have what I need to step into the pulpit again.  I know I cannot in my flesh bear the weight of God’s word to others.  But that very word contains the promises, and reveals the gracious God behind those promises, that make God’s word life to my soul.  And to your soul as well.

By Jared Mellinger

 

The corporate witness of the church is a biblically rich theme that I have enjoyed studying and exploring in recent months, and recently preached on from 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10, you can listen here.  What do we mean by ‘the corporate witness of the church?’  The idea is that our witness, which includes both our words and our conduct, not only has an individual dimension but a corporate or congregational dimension as well. 

 

For a long time, I had thought only of the individual dimension, and neglected the corporate one.  Without creating an adversarial relationship between the two, I think we need to give more thought to the importance of the corporate witness of the church in our approach to evangelism.    

 

Here are a few quotes that have helped me reflect on this prominent biblical theme:

 

~    Andreas Kostenberger and P.T. O’Brien: “The church’s mission is not to be carried out as an individualistic enterprise.  The mission should rather be undergirded by the corporate life of the community, as believers reflect God’s love and unity.”  (Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, 226) 

 

~    Donald Whitney: “The reality of Christ’s power and love can be visible in a group of Christians in ways that cannot be seen in a solitary believer.” (Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 98) 

 

~    Iain Duguid: “In addition to saying, ‘I am the light of the world,’ Jesus also said, ‘You are the light of the world’.  To whom was he talking when he said that in the Sermon on the Mount?  We tend to read his words individualistically, as if I personally am to be the light of the world.  So the old children’s song runs: ‘Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light / like a little candle burning in the night. / In this world of darkness, Jesus bids us shine / you in your small corner and I in mine.’  That is not what Jesus is saying though.  What he actually said was ‘You [plural] are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.’  I can no more individually be the light of the world than I can individually be a city on a hill.  Both images are corporate: it is as the church that we are the light of the world, shining out God’s glory together.  As Jesus comes into our midst as his people and inhabits our church, his glory shines out from us to those around us.”  (Numbers, Preaching the Word Commentary, 111)

 

~    Ryan Fullerton: “As pastors, we must help our congregations see that the state of our churches is primarily responsible for our culture’s perception of Christ.  Our churches can give the gospel a black eye, or they can be used by the Holy Spirit with magnetic effect to draw people to Jesus.  The believers we serve must understand that our churches were meant to powerfully reinforce and to attractively adorn our evangelistic message.  …When our lives together are divisive, unloving, selfish, and fearful, Christ and Christians look about as believable as the tooth fairy.  Yet when our lives are united, loving, sacrificial, and fearless, our verbal witness to the cross of Christ becomes weighty.  For many, our witness will become believable.  As pastors, we need to help our congregations make this link.” (from the 9Marks forum on Corporate Witness)

 

I am grateful beyond words that what rings out from Covenant Fellowship is a weighty message, and that God is using our corporate witness with a magnetic effect to draw people to Christ.  Let’s continue cultivating our witness together as a church, with our words and with our lives, that the transforming power of the glory of Christ might shine out from us all the more

By Jared Mellinger

Last week I attended Next (the conference formerly known as New Attitude) and had the opportunity to be introduced to a young man named Kevin DeYoung.  Kevin is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, MI.  He spoke at one of the main sessions at Next, on the life of Christ, as well as a breakout session for the men.  (By the way, all of the sessions were outstanding and I recommend giving them a listen.)     

One of the reasons I want to introduce you to Kevin is because he is a gifted writer and communicator.  He is also has a great sense of humor.  He has written some books that are helpful for my generation in particular, but I recommend them for everyone. 

Here are 3 of his books: 

1.  Why We’re Not Emergent

I was first introduced to Kevin through this book.  If you have heard about the emerging church, if you have ever read anything by Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, or Donald Miller and you’re open to a different perspective, I recommend this book.  Even if you haven’t heard of the emerging church, I think you’d enjoy this book as a good introduction and evaluation of the movement.

2.  Just Do Something

A very short and accessible book on God’s will.  I think this should be mandatory reading for every teenager, college student, and everyone else.  You will like this book a lot, and it will likely change your approach to making decisions.  Kevin did a breakout session at Next that was essentially a summary of the book.  The subtitle gives you a feel for the theme and flavor of the book: “A liberating approach to finding God’s will, or, How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc.”   

3.  Why We Love the Church

This one is not yet published, but I believe will be out sometime in the next month or so.  I haven’t read it, but I’m looking forward to it.  The full title is “Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion”.

I’m grateful for Kevin and the work he is doing for the next generation.  If you haven’t read anything by this gifted young communicator, do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books for some good summer reading.      

 

By Jared Mellinger

How are we as believers changed from one degree of glory to another?  Take any area you desire to grow in becoming more like Christ: contentment, patience, love, joy, humility, purity, or anything else.  The question is, “How do we change?” 

There are many ways Scripture answers that question.  One essential answer comes at the end of 2 Corinthians 3.  The veil that once covered our eyes, blinding us to the beauty of Christ, has been removed by the power of God, and we now see Christ for who He is.  Because of this, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”  

The way the Spirit is changing us to become more like Christ, increasingly transformed into the image of Christ, is by enabling us to behold the glory of Christ in the Gospel.  As a result of seeing Him for who He is, we are being changed. 

I’ve realized that the way I approach change too often looks identical to how the world around us seeks to change.  But our approach should be entirely different, because we have come to understand this revolutionary truth: we are transformed into the image of Christ as we behold the glory of Christ.       

Richard Sibbes, a great Puritan pastor, penned one of my favorite quotes in the 17^th century.  Reflecting on 2 Corinthians 3:18, he asks “How are we changed to the image of Christ?”  The answer:

“It is by beholding the glory of Christ in the Gospel. There is a transforming power in beholding the glory of God’s mercy in Christ. It is not a delighting object only, to see the mercy of God in Christ, but it is a powerful object that has an influence upon the soul .” (Works, Volume IV, p.256)

In other words, the Gospel is not just something that makes us happy; it is something that changes us and makes a difference in the details of our lives.  It is “a powerful object that has an influence upon the soul,” making us more like Christ as we behold His glory.

This truth has informed and transformed the way I seek to grow as a Christian.  If we want to be changed, we must spend time beholding the manifold glories of Christ in the Gospel: the glory of His love, the glory of His power, the glory of His wisdom, the glory of His humility, the glory of His patience.  And as we do this, with unveiled face, we will discover that we truly are becoming more and more like the one whose glory has captivated the eyes of our heart.

By Jared Mellinger

Father,

What an incredible gift we have in 1 Thessalonians.  Thank you for writing this book, and thank you for preserving your word for me and for Covenant Fellowship.  As I sit and read these pages, my heart is riveted by the example of Paul and the church in Thessalonica.  I continue to ask, as I have asked these past few months, that you would use this book and this sermon series first and foremost to do a work in my own heart.  I want my relationships to be increasingly transformed by the gospel.  I want to live a life of thankfulness.  I want to be faithful to the gospel.  I want to lead your people with humility, gentleness, and love.

You know how I always thank you for Covenant Fellowship.  I’ll never stop thanking you for bringing me to this church.  Thank you for all the men and women who have labored tirelessly over the years to make the church what it is today.  What a humbling experience to serve along side them.  Thank you for saving hundreds of lost sinners through Christ, and bringing us together to live for you.  Thank you for continuing to save people through the witness of the church.  Thank you for the fellowship and community we enjoy with one another.  Thank you for placing in our hearts a love for Christ and a love for one another.  Thank you for all the Community Group Leaders, ministry team workers, and children’s ministry helpers who joyfully pour their lives into the church year after year.  You have given me so much to be grateful for!       

Now, I ask that the message of 1 Thessalonians would leave its mark on our lives throughout this sermon series.  I ask that this short, powerful letter would capture our hearts and motivate us to be a church full of people who live to please you more and more.  You have given us 1 Thessalonians, a part of your sacred word, that we might be taught, reproved, corrected, and trained in righteousness, that we may be equipped for good works through the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 

Father, please do this in our lives.  We dread the thought of being the same people on the other side of this series.  Take the things you are already doing in the church and increase them even more.  Give us real love in how we relate to one another.  Produce in us real thanksgiving for your grace at work in those around us.  Help us to carry out real ministry as we care for one another, and as the pastors lead the church.  Empower us to carry out a real witness in the world, that others might come to know you.  Anchor our souls in the real hope we have in Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. 

We lean on the promise of 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

Amen.

by Jared Mellinger

This coming Sunday we begin our next preaching series, called Real Church.  We’ll be spending 15 weeks walking through the book of 1 Thessalonians.  There are many books of the Bible that have been shouting at me to preach them, but none has been shouting more loudly and seems timelier than 1 Thessalonians. 

In the sermon next week, I’ll be explaining our goals for the series and why we are preaching through this book.  The pastoral team is convinced that this book contains a timely message from God for Covenant Fellowship in this season.

One of the things we are excited about (and I hope you are excited about!) is the Study Guide for 1 Thessalonians we created for this series.  If you were here on Sunday we handed them out.  If you didn’t get one we will have copies available at our info center.  We also will be making it available on line in PDF format on the “Resources” page of our web site (www.covfel.org).  We are hoping that this guide will help us get the most out of the preaching series.

Our goal is to provide a tool that would promote the serious study of the Scriptures in our devotions at home and among friends.  So there are 15 studies in the booklet, one for each sermon in the series.  You can use each section to help you prepare for the sermon (jump into the first study this week!) or as a helpful follow-up after hearing the message.  You’ll also find an outline of 1 Thessalonians, goals for the series (derived from the major themes of the letter), articles by men like Paul Tripp and Jerry Bridges, and recommended resources for further study.

Let’s get ready to immerse ourselves in 1 Thessalonians.  Let’s read and re-read this book.  Let’s be praying that God meets us in this sermon series.  Let’s enjoy much fellowship with one another around this book.  Let’s anticipate how God is going to meet us, remembering this is “the word of God, which is at work in your believers” (1 Thess. 2:13).         

By Jared Mellinger

It is the heart of the pastors that though we have closed out this series In My Place, we never truly leave it as a church.  A quote from J. C. Ryle stirs me to see that every time I open my Bible I should remember Jesus In My Place.

Depend upon it, the cross of Christ,—the death of Christ on the cross to make atonement for sinners,—is the centre truth in the whole Bible.  This is the truth we begin with when we open Genesis.  The seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head is nothing else but a prophecy of Christ crucified.  This is the truth that shines out, though veiled, all through the Law of Moses, and the history of the Jews.  The daily sacrifice, the Passover lamb, the continual shedding of blood in the tabernacle and temple,—all these were emblems of Christ crucified.  This is the truth that we see honoured in the vision of heaven before we close the book of Revelation.  "In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts," we are told, "and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.”  (Rev. v. 6.)  Even in the midst of heavenly glory we get a view of Christ crucified.  Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book.

One of the ways we’ve tried to make sure we as a church continue to experience the light of the cross in our Bibles and lives is by recommending some great study resources.  If you haven’t seen this list on the web site I’m including it below.  All of these are available through our Book Shoppe.  Why not choose one and make it your devotional reading for this summer. 

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross (ed. Guthrie)
An outstanding compilation of meditations on the cross.  The line-up includes Luther, Piper, Mahaney, Spurgeon, Ryle, Owen, Lloyd-Jones, Sproul, Calvin, Packer, Edwards, Augustine, Keller, and more.  Each chapter is very short and accessible, but deep and powerful as well.  Great for devotions.

Pierced for Our Transgressions (Jeffery, Ovey, and Sach)
A wonderful treatise on the penal substitution of Christ.  Be sure to read chapter 2.  It provides a sound biblical overview of this important doctrine and examines each of the texts preached in this sermon series.  The second half deals with common objections to penal substitution. 

In My Place Condemned He Stood (Packer and Dever)
A compilation of theological essays that celebrate the glory of the atonement which all aim at one glorious purpose in our lives.  That purpose is captured in the conclusion of the book, “True Christ-centeredness is, and ever must be, cross-centeredness.”  To help us cultivate a “cross-centeredness” the book also contains an outstanding annotated bibliography and reading list written by Ligon Duncan.

The Great Exchange (Bridges and Bevington)
Drawn from George Smeaton’s work, “The Doctrine of the Atonement According To The Apostles,” this book is written in a way “to help believers think afresh and more deeply of the gospel.”  Surveys the key New Testament texts on the death of Christ.

The Cross of Christ (Stott)
A classic work on the cross that every believer should read.  Make sure you don’t bog down in the first few chapters, because chapters 5 and 6 are outstanding.  Stott shows that the heart of Christ’s work on the cross is the satisfaction for sin through the self-substitution of God.

Living The Cross Centered Life (Mahaney)
Written with pastoral skill, the short chapters in this book not only capture C.J.’s passion for the cross, but give practical ideas that help you to keep the gospel the “main thing” in your life.  This book is highly accessible – a great place to start – and is guaranteed to stir fresh love for the Savior. 

By Jared Mellinger

 

I recently read a thought-provoking book by Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin).  The title alone is worth reflecting on for a few hours: Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different. 

 

Who is Tullian?  He is Billy Graham’s grandson, who spent a number of his early hears in rebellion from God before responding to the Gospel call, later to the call to ministry.  He has been pastoring a church in Florida, which just recently merged with Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.  Coral Ridge’s long time pastor, D. James Kennedy, went to be with the Lord in 2007, so Tullian is now an early thirties man who is carrying on in the wake of two of the greatest evangelistic ministers of the Twentieth Century.

 

So what is he doing writing a fashion book?  Actually Tullian is seeking to challenge my generation of Christians.  One of the most troubling trends Tullian says he sees among today’s young Christians is our fascination with fitting in.  We are quick to run after what is fashionable, stylish, and cool.  

 

Tullian shares his story of visiting a church when he was an unbeliever.  He says “What stood out most was just how refreshingly different it was, compared to everything I’d come to believe was cool and in style.”  That morning made a serious difference in his life, and convinced him unbelievers today “aren’t looking for something appealing and trendy.”  People are starving for depth and truthfulness, not cleverness or trendiness.

 

The way to make a difference in the world is by being different from the world, not by mimicking what the world seems to value.  The way to be relevant to the world around us is, ironically, to resist the urge to run after relevance.  The way to be faithful in the long run is to resist the seduction of pursuing coolness.  The way to get the world to sit up and listen is to say things that are unfashionably eternal. 

 

Like Tullian, “I want to be part of a generation that understands this and is radically committed to being different, unfashionable, uncool.”  It is when we choose to follow the unfashionable claims of an unfashionable Christ that we begin to make a real difference in the world. 

 

Are you committed to making a difference in the world by being different from the world?  Are you in faith to be unfashionable?   

By Jared Mellinger

Last week the Pastoral Team, along with our wives, attended the Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference in Gaithersburg Maryland.  This conference has been a highlight over the years as all the folks serving in pastoral ministry have come together to be instructed in the care of God’s people and our shared mission together.  It is also a time of reconnecting with friends who are participating together with us in the advance of the Gospel through church planting in our still-small movement of churches. 

Historically we have been served by friends from outside Sovereign Grace – men like John Piper, R. C. Sproul, Wayne Grudem, David Powlison, and others - who speak into our experience from theirs.  But this year was special – it truly was a family affair.  All of the main sessions featured Sovereign Grace leaders speaking on the theme of Pastoral ministry.  Both Dave and I had the privilege of doing main sessions – Dave on ‘The Pastor and the Mission’ and yours truly on ‘The Pastor and the Future’.  In my session I had the privilege of communicating our recent experience in the Senior Pastor transition.  One further evidence of how your pastoral team is having influence were the opportunities Jim Donohue and Andy Farmer had to lead seminars, as well as Marty Machowski, who participated in a children’s ministry panel. 

One of the highlights for me was hearing C.J. Mahaney speak from 1 Peter 5:1-4 on the task of pastoral ministry and shepherding God’s people.

C.J. reminded us that the call to pastoral ministry is “the most elevated task God could assign to a man.”  This is because it is pastors who have been entrusted with those for whom Christ died.  The flock we care for is “the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).  It should be astonishing to all of us that God would call anyone to this remarkable task. 

One of the applications of this truth is that when people ask me what I do, I should be amazed, humbled, and joyful.  My service must be “not under compulsion, but willingly” (1 Pet 5:2).  C.J. reminded us that God wants happy pastors who in turn create a culture of joy in the church, as we together “Serve the Lord with gladness!”  (Ps 100:2).

As I sat there listening to C.J. preach, I was reminded once again of what a joy is it to lead Covenant Fellowship.  I can’t believe I get to be your pastor!  This will never cease to be a source of astonishment to me.  Thank you, once again, for making it such an overwhelming joy to serve you, and for making it so easy for every one of the pastors to be “happy pastors.”  We thank God for you often, and we return from the conference happier than ever to be called shepherds of the flock of God at Covenant Fellowship Church.      

Posted by Jared Mellinger

This year our Good Friday service and our Easter service will flow out of the theme of our current sermon series, “In My Place”. 

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter and is the day Christians historically commemorate the suffering and death of Christ.  This year, rather than preaching a sermon on Good Friday, there will be several short reflections from Isaiah 53 – ‘the song of the Suffering Servant’ - during our time together.  Also, in addition to singing and prayer, we will be participating together in the Lord’s Supper. 

The Lord’s Supper, or communion, is one of the ways Jesus teaches us the centrality of his death.  John Stott writes,

“What did the bread and wine signify?  The words he had spoken explained.  Of the bread he had said ‘This is my body given for you’, and of the wine ‘This is my blood shed for you’.  So his death spoke to them from both the elements.  The bread did not stand for his living body, as he reclined with them at table, but his body as it was shortly to be ‘given’ for them in death.  Similarly, the wine did not stand for his blood as it flowed in his veins while he spoke to them, but his blood which was shortly to be ‘poured out’ for them in death.  The evidence is plain and irrefutable.  The Lord’s Supper, which was instituted by Jesus, and which is the only regular commemorative act authorized by him, dramatizes neither his birth nor his life, neither his words nor his works, but only his death.  Nothing could indicate more clearly the central significance which Jesus attached to his death.  It was by his death that he wished above all else to be remembered.”  (The Cross of Christ, p. 68)    

That is what we will be remembering together at our Good Friday service. 

Then, on Easter Sunday, there will be a sermon on the resurrection, also from Isaiah 53.  Yes, Isaiah 53.  A resurrection sermon, full of joy and hope, drawn from a chapter on the death of the suffering servant!  The sermon text will be Isaiah 53:10-12.  These verses are what enable John Stott to say, “It is from Isaiah 53 that Jesus seems to have derived the clearest forecast not only of his sufferings, but also of his subsequent glory.”  (The Cross of Christ, 31)

I’m eager to reflect on the sufferings of Christ and celebrate the subsequent glory of Christ together.  Let’s also remember that we go through Easter week in a world full of lost people blind and desperate for the message of the death and resurrection of Christ for them.  Pray that during this week God will stir cold hearts to seek him afresh, and that some of those he is drawing will join with us in our celebration.

Posted by Jared Mellinger

A question I’ve gotten from several folks as we’ve been in our series, “In My Place”, goes something like this:  “If we speak of the cross as the center of the Gospel, doesn’t that relegate the resurrection of Christ to secondary importance?”  This is an excellent question, one that I hope we address well in our series.  But I’d also like to recommend John Stott's book, The Cross of Christ, a masterpiece that should be read by every Christian.  In chapter 9, Stott has some great insights on this very question that have been helpful to me. 

First, "It is true beyond doubt that the death and resurrection of Jesus
belong together in the New Testament.  ...It would be seriously
unbalanced to proclaim either the cross without the resurrection or the
resurrection without the cross" (237).  Amen.  Jesus is a crucified and
risen Lord.  Let's proclaim both his death and resurrection. 

Second, "We are not to regard the cross as defeat and the resurrection
as victory.  Rather, the cross was the victory won, and the resurrection
the victory endorsed, proclaimed, and demonstrated" (235).  This reminds
me another quote I recently came across in Hugh Martin's book on the
atonement: "The cross itself is glorious; not from the subsequent
resurrection and enthronement, but glorious from itself.  It is itself a
chariot of triumph.  There is more agency and power in Christ's cross
than in all his work as Creator of the universe.  There is as much
spiritual glory in the cross of Calvary as in the throne of the Lamb in
heaven.  Christ crucified is - not after, but in being crucified - the
power of God" (The Atonement, 74-75).  We must know the victory, glory,
and triumph in the death of Christ. 

Third, "We need to be clear about the nature of the relation between the
death and resurrection of Jesus, and be careful not to ascribe saving
efficacy to both equally.  ...For it was by his death, and not by his
resurrection, that our sins were dealt with" (237-238).  Stott presents
the exegetical support for this by interacting with and citing some of
the key verses on the resurrection (1 Cor 15:12-14, Rom 4:25, etc) on
page 238.

Fourth, "The resurrection was essential to confirm the efficacy of his
death, as his incarnation had been to prepare for its possibility.  But
we must insist that Christ's work of sin-bearing was finished on the
cross, that the victory over the devil, sin and death was won there"
(238).  Understanding the truth about the death and resurrection of
Christ will not minimize the importance of either, but only clarify our
thinking and deepen our appreciation for every aspect of the
Christ-event: his birth, life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. 

Finally, "To sum up, the gospel includes both the death and resurrection
of Jesus, since nothing would have been accomplished by his death if he
had not been raised from it.  Yet the gospel emphasizes the cross, since
it was there that the victory was accomplished.  The resurrection did
not achieve our deliverance from sin and death, but has brought us an
assurance of both" (239).

This is why we emphasize the cross of Christ in our singing and our
preaching, and why our approach to the Christian life is
"cross-centered".  Let's strive to live with a cross-based awareness of
our victory over sin and death, and a resurrection-based assurance of
the salvation we have in Christ.   

Posted by Jared Mellinger

Art has to have a place for the observer to explore and wrestle with the message.  If the meaning of a work is apparent, allowing the audience with little effort to say, “of course, that is what it means” and if the message can be simply stated in one sentence, the work is not art.  (Tim Keller)

As I wrote about in last Monday’s blog, Alison Stigora has created a burnt wood sculpture on our stage which will be exhibited throughout our current preaching series “In My Place” on the substitutionary atonement of Christ.  For many of us, the question, ‘what does it mean?’ comes to mind when we look at what Alison has created.  As Tim Keller indicates in the quote above, ‘what does it mean?’ is a rich question of observation and perspective in appreciating the arts. 

Over the past week we’ve had several folks – some artists, others with no artistic background, send us their ‘what does it mean?’ thoughts.  In and of themselves they are wonderful insights into the work of the Savior – inspired by a stack of burnt wood arranged as art.  Here are a few excerpts.

Lori Boatright:  The image of the burnt offering, the seemingly eternal sacrifice (the height of it), the thought of Christ's blood being on that altar - all these have been stirred from the "eternal pyre" as I like to call it.  Christ has stirred my heart to be weighted by the magnitude of my sin and humanity's sin which he took upon Him at Calvary - the Atonement.  The Price he paid keeps going and going, just like the pyre.

Ron Knox:  The more I gazed at the sculpture the more I felt that it represented a direct connection to the crown of thorns Jesus suffered.  The sight of the many branches piled so carefully to prevent collapse brought to mind the forgiveness of all the sins of all the people for all eternity by the shedding of His blood - literally from head to toe.  I found it truly awe-inspiring.  I thought you might appreciate a view from on old-timer but a child in Christ. 

David Sacks:  I imagined the burnt wood to be a symbol of my sin.  Enormous and overwhelming.  Sooty and dirty, soiling all that it touches.  Dark and daunting...immovable.  I saw myself underneath it, unable to free myself, let alone able to bear the burden.  Each of my limbs pinned down by hundreds of pounds.  Darkness all around me, obstructing my sight.  The smell of burning all around me.  The weight of my sin killing me.

They I pictured Jesus bearing the full weight of my sin, and remembered the cost of His sacrifice on my behalf.  He removed the weight completely and took my blackened clothes.  He put His spotless robe of righteousness on me and put my dirty clothes on his body.  He suffered under the crushing weight of my sin.  He took my place.  I remembered that everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed, and that Jesus gladly bore the curse of His Father's rejection for me.

The many branches reminded me of the elemental nature of trees and wood, and I remembered that though Jesus was present at the beginning of creation, and that all trees were made by Him and for Him.  What a strange irony that He would die on trees that He created.  I also saw the burnt wood as an altar stretching up towards heaven...a towering burnt offering, and remembered all the Old Testament sacrifices that were made in order to remind us of our great need for a savior.

What does it mean to you?

Posted by Jared Mellinger

Alison Stigora has created a remarkable sculpture for the In My Place sermon series, entitled Burden/Offering.  I absolutely love it.  Words like “stunning” and “breathtaking” come to mind.  I trust you like it as much as I do.

The creation of this sculpture was an act of worship for Alison.  The concept was born out of her own meditation on the sin offering of our Savior.  Let me let her own words introduce you to this work. 

I am drawn to materials that bear evidence of survival.  Survival implies a crucible, and passing through it.  Destruction and creation often live side by side.  There are all these elements that gather up together: things done and left undone, experiences, actions, thoughts.  The accumulation of a life demands atonement. 

In many ways, the sculpture was a community project (just ask her community group!).  This artwork brings much glory to God because it is a reflection of his glory and beauty, built for the edification of the church, by the church.  

As a church we want to celebrate the artistic work of God’s people in its many forms, created by brothers and sisters who love the Savior and want to use their gifts for his glory.  If you are interested in more of our thinking on the arts, and the role of the arts in the church, I recommend stopping by the Book Shoppe and picking up a copy of Dr. Philip Ryken’s little book Art for God’s Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts.  Here’s a quote. 

“There is an inescapably artistic aspect to our daily existence.  The question becomes, therefore, whether as Christians we will aspire to high aesthetic standards.  All too often we settle for something that is functional, but not beautiful.  We gravitate toward what is familiar, popular, or commercial, with little regard for the enduring values of artistic excellence.…  Art has tremendous power to shape culture and touch the human heart.  Its artifacts embody the ideas and desires of the coming generation.  This means that what is happening in the arts today is prophetic of what will happen in our culture tomorrow.  It also means that when Christians abandon the artistic community, we lose a significant opportunity to communicate Christ to our culture.”  (Art for God’s Sake, p 14)

Alison (and all who helped!), thanks for creating a beautiful, imagination engaging, truth-reflecting, Christ-exalting, sculpture!  And, thanks for helping us as a church take a big step toward recovering the arts.

By Jared Mellinger

Our 2 boys are Ryle and Ben. We like to draw together. I use only the black crayon; they use the colors. As a father-and-sons team of artists, we find there is nothing that inspires our artistic sensibilities more than Meghan/Mama:















Of course, Meghan/Mama is not the only one to provide such inspiration.