The World-Tilting Gospel

Specifically, I bought it because of the first six words of his review: “There’s nothing new in this book.”

Yes. I did say that it was a positive review. As a matter of fact, the author of The World Tilting Gospel (TWTG), Dan Phillips, commented on it, “…they’re sweet, sweet words to me.”

The words of TWTG were sweet to me as I took it up and read. “The greatest need of the church today is a strategic, full-orbed, robust, biblical grasp of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its  transformative implications. We don’t need more glitz or glamour, better marketing or programs, snazzier décor or entertainment. We do need a whole-Bible grasp of the Gospel.” (Introduction, Pg. 19)

TWTG doesn’t disappoint; spelling out the Gospel clearly, and framing it biblically to show how it relates to and tilts the world.

“We’re a mess. What we need to do is rub the sleep-dust out of our eyes, pull the plugs out of our ears, get out of our recliners, and hit the Book. We need to expose our hearts to the true, howling darkness of our sin, and the blinding blaze of God’s holiness. We need to rivet our attention on the overflowing majesty of the person of Jesus Christ…” (Chapter 14, Pg. 300)

Yeah. That’s straightforward talk. You’ll read a lot of that in this book.

The World-Tilting Gospel will appeal to agnostics and theological novices for its readability and clarity, and to lay scholars and seminary students for its depth and breadth. I can think of a few mainline ministers who could use a refresher course in the summation of salvation it offers as well.  It presents the ‘old, old story’ in a fresh, appealing way. Don’t take that to mean the truth is sugar-coated; the expression ‘gilding the lily’ doesn’t apply here. TWTG is rough and rigid where the gospel is rough and rigid; and it is soft and sweet where the gospel is soft and sweet.

TWTG may be an answer to the problem identified in Michael Horton’s Christless Christianity. The churches that Horton challenges in his book would do well to study TWTG which presents the good news captivatingly, but without so-called ‘relevant’ fanfare, shock-value or worldly means. What Horton says is missing from the center of many churches is the focus of Phillips’ book – the good news of Jesus Christ.

What I like most about TWTG is that it is structured like a pyramid, with one course built solidly upon another, tapering upward toward the peak. But the book doesn’t end with just a single point. When it reaches that expected dénouement; it’s fireworks time! Instead of a single point of light, there is an explosion of truth and beauty and love and mercy and praise and glory and joy all directed at the person and work of Christ Jesus.

Before I even finished reading the book, I purchased additional copies and gave them to a few cherished friends. Buy yourself a copy and do the same.

Dan Phillips is the pastor of Copperfield Bible Church in Houston, Texas. His blog is Biblical Christianity and he is a member of TeamPyro, the Pyromaniacs blog; both of which you’ll find linked in the sidebar to the right up toward the top. Dan is also the author of God’s Wisdom in Proverbs, a copy of which is sitting on my bookshelf awaiting my eager eyes.

]]> http://tando.org/archives/1887/feed 1 http://tando.org/archives/1870 http://tando.org/archives/1870#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:00:30 +0000 Dave Miller http://tando.org/?p=1870

More Linkin!

Linking to noteworthy articles from other blogs and websites.

My ministerial friends… have now dubbed me simply ‘the Anti-Celebrity Celebrity.’ Some are born hypocrites; I have found hypocrisy thrust upon me.

What are your clothes saying about you, sister? What are they supposed to say to your brothers? “Hey, look at this?” … While it may be true that I’m the one holding the matches, you won’t help me if you pile twigs all around my feet and douse them with lighter fluid.

…too often these hard core Biblicists simply assume the gospel. Jesus is not emphasized as the means and motivation for righteousness. Instead Christianity becomes a laboratory to apply biblical principles. Sanctification is rooted in a striving to do and be better. Slowly but surely Jesus, his dying and doing for sinners, gets benched for my living and doing for God..

“Neither do I condemn you” creates an unconditional context within which “go and sin no more” is not an “if.” The only “if” the gospel knows is this: “if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous” (1 John 2.1).

1. Remorse misdiagnosed as repentance
2. Selfish ambition misdiagnosed as God’s direction
3. Rebellion misdiagnosed as Spiritual drought
4. Attendance misdiagnosed as Holiness
5. Discipline misdiagnosed as Persecution

The first verse of John, which in the NIV reads “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” becomes “Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God.”

Clearly, these people are not nearly as smart as they want you to believe they are; and they are neither as progressive nor as intelligent as they say they are. This is obvious by their constant bragging about their way of life. They say they believe in freedom, but they work to reduce it. They declare themselves progressive, but their policies are regressive.  They claim to be tolerant, but their intolerance belies the truth.

In the old days, Jews called Gentiles “dogs,” and Muslims called everyone else, “infidels,” but nobody has expressed as much contempt for his fellow man than the so-called ‘intellectuals’ who hate orthodox Christianity with a passion. If someone dares to even hint that they firmly believe in an objective truth, these ‘culturally enlightened’ people let loose with the most intolerant vitriol imaginable against the ‘closed-minded bigot.’

These liberal extremists bathe in an intolerance of the most vicious and cruel kind imaginable. They sneer at the idiots who dare to express their belief in Biblical Christianity with an elitist air that only pseudo-intellectuals can muster. When feeling particularly charitable, they express their hope that these ‘hateful bigots’ might come to accept their loving view of ‘affirmation and acceptance’ (of evil).

The greatest offense against these people is to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints by God (Jude 3). Such a claim is foolishness in this new century. The practice of resurrecting old heresies and passing them off as tolerance and acceptance is sure to elevate one to a high position in the ranks of these “enlightened” few who have freed themselves from the shroud of orthodox Christian beliefs.

These cultural elitists have some odd tactics. In the past, such unbelievers would just leave bible-believing churches and ignore Christians altogether. At least this was an honest response. But today, these types stay in churches they think are too “doctrinally focused” while their anger grows against the teachings that show their beliefs to be questionable. “Churches shouldn’t force their beliefs on people; tolerance is the only virtue of a denomination; dogma is a sin, and doctrine is a myth:” this is the notion of the “elite.” In their eyes, bible-believing Christians who band together to spread the truth of God are nothing more than extremists trying to restrict the flow of modern thought. For Christians to financially support a church in which only the clearly imparted truths of the bible are taught is treason to tolerance; and guarding the pulpit from heresy is hurtful bullying worthy of hatred by any “thinking” person.

According to their “tolerant views,” the right thing to do is to leave doctrine to the idiots who care about it. There is no such thing as truth, only opinions; and ministers should be allowed to crush faith and insult convictions no matter how biblical they are. They can teach anything, everything or nothing at all; whatever their tolerant culture and enlightened minds desire. If the closed-minded old farts who built the church have a problem with that, they can either shut up or leave.

“Do Christians have a right to be certain of anything? The right to doubt is absolute, but not the right to believe.” This is the modern gospel. “Believe nothing; doubt everything and ye shall be saved.” Every form of skepticism is acceptable, but faith in a babe in a manger is insupportably vast.

The ‘honest skeptic’ is the greatest of all among the cultural elite, but one who holds to the faith of their fathers is a fool. The delightful duty of all enlightened minds is to scorn believers; to walk boldly into their churches and attack their silly superstitions, their ignorant love for backward dogma, and to generally agitate them and upset their established order. So what if they have a statement of faith? They have no right to believe it! Rather, it should be ridiculed.

Many professing Christians have begun by discarding Christian doctrine, then practice, and finally morality. It’s not always this bad outwardly, but inwardly it may be worse. Look at how many preachers have “advanced” beyond their honest skepticism and into total blasphemy.

Theological liberality is celebrated today, but it is wise to consider what it is we are dealing with. If something man-made, then by all means, let tolerance and doctrinal diversity be the rule. If we created it, then let’s approve all ‘big tent’ proposals. But no, it is God’s own truth that we are dealing with, the Lord’s Gospel that we are entrusted with, and we will be held accountable for our stewardship of this grace. It is not required that stewards be liberal, but that they be found faithful.

These words are a good reminder for all believers that even though our works contribute nothing to our salvation, good works are the proof of true faith. (Romans 3:28, James 2:26)

If you are Christ’s, let me advise you to do four things.

• You belong to Jesus; then obey Him; let His word be your law; let His wish be your will.
• You belong to the Beloved; then love Him; let your heart embrace Him; let your whole soul be filled with Him.
• You belong to the Son of God; then trust him; rest on nothing or no one but on Him.
• You belong to the King of kings; then be decided for Him. Thus even without being marked with a sign everyone will know to whom you belong.

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission.

To further synopsize: Trust and Obey Jesus by Loving Him and Dedicating yourself to Him.

Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little ambition and nothing particular to interest me around the house, I thought I would surf about a little upon the Internet.

Through the providence of God, I found a YouTube video of Paul Washer entitled, “Shocking Youth Message.” As I was engaged as a youth Sunday school teacher from time to time, I invested an hour and watched it. I suggest you do the same now if you haven’t seen it already. http://youtu.be/cncEhCvrVgQ.

If you don’t have the time, or if you’ve seen it before, just watch the first minute of this excerpt up until the point that Brother Paul silences the crowd.

Though just into my 40s and a generation removed from Washer’s audience, the Holy Spirit of God convicted me through his words, “I don’t know why you’re clapping. I’m talking about you.” The kids in the audience were in an emotional frenzy, going with their worldly feelings and not letting Washer’s biblical message penetrate their stony hearts. At least that’s what I think was going on inside them, because that was what was going on inside me. I was no different in my life. It took the startling words of a preacher clearly calling me a phony to shock me out of my complacency.

You see, I was a great Pharisee. I went to church every Sunday, I sang in the choir, I read scripture, I taught Sunday school, I attended Bible study, I donated time and money, I maintained the church website, I edited the church newsletter, I was an elder and I was certain that Christianity was something I did very well.

Please don’t miss that last statement: Christianity – was something – I did.

Could this be true of you as well? Is your Christian faith primarily something you do?

Like Nicodemus, I had heard about the things of God and I knew a lot about God, but I didn’t know God at all. Nicodemus was a bible teacher; he sang and read scripture in the temple; his faith was something that he did very well. But he couldn’t see or comprehend the kingdom of God. Nicodemus visited Jesus at night, ashamed to be seen with him in the daylight. In John 3:3, Jesus says to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus doesn’t get it in John 3:4, so Jesus spells it out for him in more detail in John 3:5-8, to which Nicodemus replies in verse 9, “How can these things be?”

It’s almost like Nicodemus is proving Jesus’ point for him. He obviously hasn’t been born again, therefore he doesn’t understand. It’s not that Nicodemus doesn’t want to understand, rather, he is incapable of understanding. His understanding is so tightly wrapped up in his religiosity that the truth cannot penetrate it.

I, too, was insulated from the truth. For me, the first crack in my stony heart (that I was aware of) was made through the words of Brother Paul Washer when I first seriously entertained the possibility that I wasn’t a ‘good Christian’ like I thought I was. Perhaps Jesus’ unexpected response to Nicodemus’ question was a shock to him too. In John 3:10, Jesus says, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” Calling a high priest of the Jews a phony tends to have a shocking effect.

Could this be true of you as well? Are you a phony, masquerading as a Christian, wrapped up in religiosity?

I must confess that I still have a tendency to revert back to what comes most naturally to me. My default setting is a desire to earn my way to heaven by doing good works.

By relying on myself and what I do, I diminish Christ and what He did.

Reliance upon the person and work of Jesus through faith alone guarantees me reconciliation with God; reliance upon myself and my tainted works guarantees me a nice hot corner of hell all to myself.

And yet even this exposes yet another form of Pharisee-ism.

Because I know I shouldn’t rely on myself or my works, I sometimes think I’m smarter or more clever than others. Putting my old works into the dustbin (where they belong) are my “new good works.” But these new good works are just as filthy as my old ones, and I am still a Pharisee because I want them to count for something!

Counting nothing to my account should count for something, right?!?

Do you see how insane that is? I can’t get out from underneath it.

But King Jesus can get me out.

Ray Ortlund addresses this paradox better than I could:

With Jesus, we are saved.  Everything is going to be okay.  Without Jesus, we are damned.  Nothing will go right.

Forsake all fraudulent success.  Make Jesus your goal, your arrival, your identity, your comfort, your okayness, and he’ll gladly give himself to you — and on terms of grace.  But reach for anything else, and it will turn into its opposite and betray you.

John doesn’t give us a nicely wrapped-up ending to the encounter with Nicodemus. It just abruptly ends and we don’t hear of old Nic again until after Jesus is killed. In John 3:1-21 he visits Jesus at night so he cannot be seen by anyone. But in John 19:39, Nicodemus buys a load of burial spices and he, along with Joseph of Arimathea, prepares Jesus’ body for burial in the light of day. It seems that he was no longer ashamed to be counted as a servant of Christ.

In the end, I hope this means that Nicodemus was saved; because I need the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ as much as he did.

Could this be true of you as well?

Christianity isn’t about what you do. It’s about what Jesus has already done. Don’t ever lose that focus.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – Phil. 3:8-9

I hear of others just outside of my circle who are afflicted as well. Loss of work and home, debilitating disease, dementia, depression, cancer and suicide are among the sufferings of the people who know people I know.

What makes these problems more heartbreaking is that many of those suffering these things don’t know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They don’t know that God’s grace is sufficient to get them through their struggles (2 Cor. 12:9).

Poetry rarely appeals to me, but this poem by John Piper touches something in me that prose just doesn’t reach. Read it three times and then meditate on the words of Jesus, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

What is God’s sovereign grace?

Not grace to bar what is not bliss
Nor flight from all distress but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.

– John Piper

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/not-grace-to-bar-what-is-not-bliss

Even More Linkin!

Linking to noteworthy articles from other blogs and websites.

As everything, He became nothing so that you, as nothing, could have everything. You bring nothing to the table except the unrighteousness that makes Christ’s righteousness necessary.

If Jesus is to remain “the reason for the season,” then churches must be the place continually pointing to Him, especially in our preaching. We must take caution that our Christmas programs, which many times are designed to draw unbelievers, are not so secularized that we obscure the message we are trying to convey.

1. Define yourself by Jesus
2. Speak of the Catholic Church with courtesy
3. Explain biblical concepts and terminology
- – And More – -

Then she said, “Jesus died for me. I love my Jesus.” Sometimes I don’t know what “joy inexpressible and filled with glory” means, but at that moment I did. I had no words. So I just squeezed her hand gently and smiled at her through tears and sat there. That’s what you do in the presence of greatness.

Don’t be surprised if people look at you and say hurtful things like “she is really great with child.” Even more irritating will be the future idea that little Baby “no crying did make” when you know that he is fully human.

Most of the sites are blogs and most are active. As far as I can tell, all these sites are written or maintained by theologically solid Orthodox Christians; no guarantees though.

May your faith be enriched and strengthened by reading them.

9Marks: http://www.9marks.org/blog

Alpha and Omega Ministries – http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/

Biblical Christianity: http://bibchr.blogspot.com/

Challies: http://www.challies.com/

Desiring God: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog

Eddie Eddings (Calvinistic Cartoons): http://calvinisticcartoons.blogspot.com/

Fighting for the Faith: http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/

Gospel Coalition: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/

Heartcry Missionary Society: http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/

Inverted Planet: http://www.invertedplanet.blogspot.com/

John MacArthur: http://www.gty.org/blog

Killer Robot Ninja: http://www.killerrobotninja.com/

Ligonier Ministries: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/

Mohler: http://www.albertmohler.com/category/blog/

New Demonstration: http://newdemonstration.com/

Ordinary Pastor: http://www.ordinarypastor.com/

Pyromanicacs: http://teampyro.blogspot.com/

Questions? http://www.gotquestions.org/

Red Meat for the Soul: http://www.solidfoodmedia.com/blog

Sovereign Grace: http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/default.aspx

Truth for Life: http://www.truthforlife.org/

Underdog Theology: http://underdogtheology.blogspot.com/

Village Church: http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/

White Horse Inn: http://www.whitehorseinn.org/blog/

X (Nathan W. Bingham): http://nwbingham.com/

Young, Todd : http://experiencingreformation.blogspot.com/

Take Your Vitamin Z: http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/

Forget about them. Jesus wants you.

Do you think you’re too bad for God to love? Do you think you need to clean up your act before you can get right with God?

Forget about that. Jesus wants you.

He wants you just as you are. He wants you to come to him in honesty and brokenness and tell him you know what you are, a sinner. You’re a mess; God already knows that, and He’s forgiven worse than you. The Bible says He will not break a bruised reed or quench a barely glowing wick. (Matthew 12:20 ESV) Come to him in humility and apologize for the mess you’ve made. Jesus did not condemn a woman caught in adultery; He forgave her and told her to go and sin no more. He promises to do the same for you when you repent and believe.

Christians may look down on you or ignore you, Christ doesn’t.

Churches might make you feel unwelcome, Jesus won’t.

I hope you won’t judge Christ by a church that happens to use His name, or by those who call themselves Christians. The church can’t save your soul and Christians can’t forgive your sins. Jesus can do all that and heal you of whatever sins and griefs you bear.

Jesus wants you. Please, give Him a chance.

About four years ago, I was shopping at a local bookstore and picked up a book by John MacArthur entitled Twelve Ordinary Men. I had never heard of the author before but it looked like an interesting tome, so I bought it. I wasn’t disappointed. It is a fantastic examination of the men Jesus chose to send out into the world and turn it on its head; and they were extraordinarily ordinary men. If you haven’t read the book, I recommend it highly. http://www.gty.org/Shop/Books/451144S_Twelve-Ordinary-Men-Softcover

[Since then, I’ve read The Gospel According to Jesus, The Truth War and am currently in the middle of The Jesus you Can’t Ignore.]

After I read Twelve Ordinary Men, I wanted to learn more about this MacArthur fella, so I went online and found Grace To You. There I found a link to download GTY podcasts and I have been a listener ever since. I particularly like the Tale of Two Sons series which gives insights into Christ’s Prodigal Son parable that I had never heard or considered before. I still like to browse GTY.org and always find something new.

Eventually, I found that the director of GTY was a guy named Phil Johnson who had a website with lots of Christian links on it. It is just what the hungry young believer needs to find everything from milk to meat. I still visit his site regularly.

Not long afterward, I discovered Phil’s blog called Pyromaniacs which included his articles and those of three other people, some obnoxious guy named Frank Turk, a ghost with the nom de guerre Peccadillo and an ordinary man named Dan Phillips. The story is the same here but amplified; I visit Pyromaniacs daily. Recently, I’ve concluded that Frank isn’t obnoxious, Peccadillo really is a ghost and Dan Phillips is anything but ordinary.

Dan’s website is Biblical Christianity and he describes himself as a CalviDispieBaptoGelical; a label that would doubtless confuse the world’s smartest man. In the past year or so, Dan has become my favorite blogger on the Pyromaniacs team and I often find myself digging back through the archives of both sites to read his take on various issues.

Believe it or not, all I really wanted to say when I sat down at the keyboard an hour ago was; you should really read Dan Phillips’ article today on Pyromaniacs: http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/01/compassion-parable.html

All the rest is just a strange tale of how God can use things that seem like coincidences to lead a hungry believer to teachers with abundant food for the mind and soul. I give thanks to God for the work these men do in service to their Lord.