Gospel Centered Thinking - Pastor Dan Cravillion

Gospel Centered Thinking

2014-11-16

Romans 12:1-2, 21

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Explained what Gospel is & that the person & work of Jesus Christ is the “good news”

·      The Gospel converts & transforms (sanctifies) individuals.

·      The Gospel is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, instrument of God's power in our lives.

We must daily preach the Gospel to ourselves because we have spiritually unhealthy thoughts, emotional turmoil & eventually sin.  Mt 15:18-19, Jam 1:14-15, Gal 6:7-9

·      Sinful thoughts: if acted upon would clearly be sinful.

·      un-Biblical thoughts… things Bible says NOT true about us/others:

o   Thinking thoughts like- I’m hated by God, I’m a loser, worthless, God must have made a mistake, I’ll never be happy/victory, God isn’t worth it, nobody loves, etc. are unbiblical.

These spiritually unhealthy thoughts just come, but what we do with them is choice.

·      We either recognize danger & turn away OR allow & dwell on it:

o   We reap what we sow in our thought life.

§  Non-Theological way to put it would be: Garbage In/out, Gospel in/good Out

The Gospel is the foundation for “renewing mind” & taking thoughts captive. 2 Cor 10:4-5, Rom 12:1-2, 21, Prov 6:27

·      Thus is not ‘name it claim it’ or the power of positive thinking, but a process (sanctification) that is both proactive & reactive, both offensive & defensive.

We are to run away, and flee spiritually unhealthy thinking. 

·      “starve” or cut off sources that feed sinful, unbiblical thinking.

o   TV shows, websites (Pinterest), books,

o   Can’t flee from something that you still hold ‘precious” in your mind.

·      reflect on your sin, situations & evaluate thru gospel lens.

o   Biblical truth never requires you to deny reality.

§  But let the Gospel be the filter about what is true about yourself, the world, people, situations, and how problems solved.

• Change the channel of your mind & get interested in something else.

o   We move toward whatever we focus our attention on. 

• Like when we watch a food ad we may feel hungry, or a yawn causes others to yawn.

Run away from focusing on harmful, sinful, unbiblical thoughts & run toward (pursue) thinking about what is good/true/right.  2 Tim 2:22-23, Phil 4:8, Col 3:2-3, Rom 8:5-6

·      Feed your souls BEFORE spiritually unhealthy thoughts overwhelm you & produce bad fruit.

• One of the main reasons we should read and memorize scripture. 

§  Can’t get out what I don’t put in!!!

·      “What you feed in your life grows.”  John Wesley

·      When we forget Gospel- fear, frustration, and sin can overwhelm us. Fitzpatrick quote

No one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do.  Paul Tripp

·      So daily preach the Gospel to yourself so it will bear good fruit. Psa. 42:5, Lam. 3:21-24, Jn 15:4-5

·      Not a message or even a theology, but a person…Jesus.

o   Remind yourself of the person, presence, & provisions of Christ.

§  Think 1^st “What has Christ has done” not “What would JC do?”

·      Think less of yourself & your performance & more about Jesus & His performance for you.

“One reason we don’t grow in ordinary, grateful obedience as we should is that we’ve got amnesia; we’ve forgotten that we are cleansed from our sins. In other words, ongoing failure in sanctification (the slow process of change into Christlikeness) is the direct result of failing to remember God’s love for us in the gospel. If we lack the comfort and assurance that his love and cleansing are meant to supply, our failures will handcuff us to yesterday’s sins, and we won’t have faith or courage to fight against them, or the love for God that’s meant to empower this war. If we fail to remember our justification, redemption, and reconciliation, we’ll struggle in our sanctification. Christian growth, in other words, does not happen first by behaving better, but believing better–believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what JC has already secured for sinners.” Elyse Fitzpatrick

But all my deeds and my good name
Are just dirty rags that tear and strain
To cover all my guilty stains
I was fighting battles when You conquered hell
Living free but from a prison cell
Lord, I lay it down today

So I’ll stop living off of how I feel
And start standing on Your truth revealed
Jesus is my strength, my shield
And He will never fail me

No more chains, I’ve been set free
No more fighting battles You’ve won for me
Now in Christ, I stand complete

From Casting Crowns song All You’ve Ever Wanted

The Gospel’s Daily Provision - Pastor Dan Cravillion

The Gospel’s Daily Provision

Romans 6:5-14

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

‘Gospel’ is phrase Christians often use without fully understanding it’s significance.

• In the Greek, “gospel” (ev-angelion), was associated with the news of a great historical event that changed a listeners’ condition & required a response.
• Gospel is literally “good news”: God is holy, mankind are hopeless sinners; Jesus, the eternal Son of God, became man, lived a sinless life under Law, He then died and was resurrected for sinners. Salvation comes only thru faith in Jesus the Christ.
• The “good news” is that the righteousness God demands from us, He gives to us in the person & work of Christ.
• Called “Gospel of Jesus Christ” in the Word: Rom 15:19; 1 Cor 9:12; 2 Cor 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Gal 1:7

Many Christians only see the Gospel as a door INTO God’s kingdom. 

• But the Gospel converts & transforms (sanctifies) individuals. Rom 1:16-17, 6:6-8, 14, 22-23, 7:22-23
• It Provides freedom from sin’s penalty & release from sin’s power.

Christians still experience sinful desires but because of the Gospel (inc. indwelling Holy Spirit) we no longer have to give into it. 

• The flesh with its desires is dead in the sense that we no longer live under sin's power or control.  Rom 6:11, 8:2, Gal 5:16-18, 2 Pet 1:3-4
• Like deer shot thru the heart & lungs continue to run until the last nerve is stilled, flesh also is dealt with a death blow but it continues to fight. 

Our fleshly desire to sin lessens as we increasingly see God as He actually is & how we actually are. diagram

• God is not becoming MORE holy nor are you becoming MORE sinful, but your AWARENESS of both is growing. 
• honestly acknowledging sinfulness is a sign of spiritual maturity.

We are more sinful than we ever dared believe, yet more loved & accepted than we ever dared to hope at the same time.

• This truth causes joy, amazement, tears, and obedience.
• Obedience not our of duty, but out of an overflow from thanksgiving for what Jesus has done, is doing, & will do for me in spite of who I am.
• Charles Spurgeon & Timothy Keller quotes
• “The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.” — Timothy Keller

• “When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I beat my breast to think I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so and sought my good.” Charles Spurgeon
•  

When we minimize the Gospel or shrink the cross when we think of God as less holy than He is, or think of ourselves better than we really are. diagram

• The Bible is a story of God meeting us in our rebellion with His rescue; our failure with His victory; our guilt with His grace; our badness with His goodness.
• Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we need not fear seeing God as He really is or admitting how broken & sinful we really are.
• Our hope is not in our own goodness….”Law abiding”
• We rest in Christ as our perfect Redeemer…the One who is our righteousness & holiness. 1 Cor 1:27-30, Rom 8:1-4

The Gospel or the “good news” is the dynamic for all heart-change & life-change.

• Jesus purchased our right standing (justification/salvation) before God & He is our foundation for right living (sanctification) before God.  

• We need the Gospel day-by-day, hour-by-hour, as the instrument of God's power in our lives.
• Be relieved, encouraged, & empowered by Gospel daily.

The Future Is Now - Pastor Dan Cravillion

The Future Is Now

2014-11-02

Acts 25:1-12 

1Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul1 that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Acts 25:1-12…Yes, some of you may remember I preached on this passage 2014-08-24 (Paul’s Secret to Submission), but it is different this time. :)

Chap 25 is preparatory to Paul’s preaching of the gospel in chapter 26-28 & beyond.

·      Paul used his Roman legal rights/existing laws to open the door for future ministry. 

o   This has some application to USA elections. Act 23:12-15, 25:1-4, 8-9

After 2 years the Jews asked Festus to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. (planned to kill him again.)

·      Festus knew the right thing to do (release innocent Paul) but he did not do this because he wanted to please the Jews & not offend the “important” people.

Paul was facing equally bad choices:

·       If he was tried by Jews, found guilty though innocent, he would then be put to death;

·      If he was tried by the Roman, Festus, most likely he would be found guilty and simply that would simply get rid of a problem.

·      If he were to appeal to Caesar, this would prolong his imprisonment and could possible lead to death.

o   In life….our options are generally not black/white.

§  Like deciding between imperfect candidates.

Paul used divine revelation (vision) & human reasoning aided by the Holy Spirit to make his decision.  Act 25:10-12, Ps 119:105

·      We also need to use reasoning aided by Holy Spirit & base our decisions on the Word/Biblical truths to determine who to vote for…..not allegiances to a certain political party/others.

·      Be an informed voter…use voter guides to compare positions with the Word on clear moral areas: Abortion, same-sex marriage, how help poor.

o   Then vote for the people who HOPEFULLY uphold godly values in their public service.

Paul’s decision was not based on temporary personal gain (he wasn’t afraid to die) but rather on a lasting gain for Gospel/others…protect Christians with the same rights as Judaism.

·      Houston, TX subpoenaed certain pastors’ sermons contain homosexual and gender identity comments.

o   Houston city attorney: “If someone is speaking from the pulpit & it’s political speech, then it’s not going to be protected.”

§  The 1^st Amendment protects Political/social commentary by all.

·      In Coeur d’Alene (Cor-da-lean), Idaho, a nondiscrimination ordinance was required by a privately owned chapel. On Oct 17, 2014 they were asked to perform a same-sex wedding or face up to 180 days in jail & $1,000 in fines for each day they would not do the ceremony.

·      “Many have denied the idea that pastors would ever be forced to perform ceremonies that are completely at odds with their faith, but that’s what is happening here – and it’s happened this quickly,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco.

·      This is how religious liberty dies. Liberties die by a thousand cuts.  An intimidating letter here, a subpoena there, a warning in yet another place. The message is simple and easily understood. Be quiet or risk trouble.  The subpoenas in Houston now alert us all to the fact that trouble is now inescapable.  Albert Mohler

In a fallen, chaotic world, that seems unguided & uncontrolled, God uses man’s efforts to achieve His purposes.

·      Paul used all his God-given rights as a Roman citizen.

o   We must use all our available legal avenues to see God honored in our civil government.

§  This means: Be faithful voters who vote based on your faith.

There is said to be 90 Million Christians nationwide, 39 Million of these don’t vote. 

Because God Almighty, whom we serve above all men, made human governments His way of running the world, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For

there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by

God” (Romans 13:1). In a democratic republic like ours that means at least: VOTE. John Piper

o   Imagine if all 90 Million Christians exercised their right to vote.

God instituted government over us & we’re called to be light in darkness.

·      Vote Tuesday for people who will hopefully uphold godly values in their public service. We can be confident that we can’t thwart God’s purposes or predict His means, but that He will use us as He wills, to further the gospel.

 1 Pet 2:13-18, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Ps 145:13, Act 7:56, Rom 8:38

o   God is sovereign over the US elections & the uncertain future.

§  Our hope is not in any candidate but in Jesus Christ who is seated on throne!