Wednesday, February 25, 2015

The Art of Preaching

THE ART OF PREACHING.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

To preach is to lift one’s voice and cry out with an urgent message. Preaching is not synonymous with teaching although true preaching must always include teaching truth. The act of preaching is when a man is called and commissioned by God to take God’s message and lift up the voice, cry out, and urge men and women to hear the meaning of God’s message and how it must affect their lives. Christ commissioned men to preach. The art of preaching should always include a number of key characteristics.

1. BIBLICAL.
To preach a biblical sermon, a man must have plunged into the Word of God and prayed over it during the week. Preaching must be biblical if it will have any effect whatsoever. To preach without a Bible is to eat without food. To preach a sermon void of biblical truth is to indulge in a meal without substantive food. Cotton candy will not sustain a person for long. He needs solid food, healthy food, good food, and a steady diet of it. The sermon that pleases God is one that points back to the biblical text constantly. As it were, one finger is always pointed down to his text before him and the other finger is pointing at the audience to heed God’s message!

2. EXEGETICAL.
Preaching must not only be biblical in the act of preaching but it must also be exegetical. To preach exegetically means that the preacher has done the work privately of poring over the Word of God so as to ascertain the meaning of the original author. This includes a careful study of the original languages, the grammatical structure and syntax of words and phrases, and the various background studies that enhance the understanding of the pericope. Not only must the preacher must preach from the Bible but it must be an accurate sermon from it.

3. PRACTICAL.
To teach truth without applying it to the lives of the hearers is in fact a lecture. To preach is not to lecture. To preach includes teaching and instructing. But it also conveys the idea of urgency, the tone of immediacy, the art of persuasion, and the goal of change. Heralding God’s Word must include the imparting of God’s truth accurately revealed from the study of the Word and it must also have the applying of the text to the heart and life of the hearers. Preaching is not only instructing the mind but it is persuading the will and wooing the affections. Every biblical preacher has preached his message to his own heart first and after it has affected and changed him, he longs for it to affect and change all of his hearers also. This must be included in preaching. Preaching changes lives. It tells people how God’s truth must change them and how they must now live in light of the doctrines they’ve heard.

4. CHRIST-CENTERED.
Every text leads to Christ. Every verse in the Word of God may not directly speak of Christ but every text in every book always points to and leads to God’s redemptive plan in Christ. Every sermon must be a Christ-centered sermon. A sermon without Christ is like the sun without heat. A sermon without Christ is like a family without people. To truly preach the Word of God, the man of God must show how every text in every sermon he preaches points to man’s need for a Savior and God’s provision in Christ and in His substitutionary work at Calvary. Preach with Christ in every sermon. Never apologize for preaching Christ. Men must hear of Christ! Believers must keep hearing of Christ. The lost must be exhorted to trust in Christ! Preach a glorious and irresistible Christ!

5. SPIRIT-EMPOWERED.
Preaching is not mere speaking. To preach the Word of God, the man of God is filled with the Spirit of God and powerfully heralds divine truth as it thunders forth to the hearers carried on the invisible and irresistible wings of the Spirit’s Almighty power. A sermon without unction is a mere pep-talk. A sermon without the Spirit’s empowering is like trying to drive a car without the engine. It will go nowhere and accomplishing nothing of any eternal profit without the divine quickening and enabling. To receive the unction of the Spirit, the man of God must earnestly beg God and regularly beseech the Spirit for help in the preaching act. The people of God must intercede regularly on behalf of their preachers so that God might infuse him with power from on high so that he would speak God’s Word with God’s power. True preaching always is Spirit-empowered. True preaching rejects entertainment and it refuses manipulative, emotional ploys. Rather, God’s men take the Word of God and preach in the thunderous, unstoppable, irresistible, and consuming power of the Spirit. Men, pray for such an anointing of the Spirit to fall upon you!

6. URGENT.
Preach for eternity! Souls live on forever. Nothing is as important in all the planet as a person who finds himself sitting under the proclamation of the Word of God. The preacher knows this and preaches urgently as if the hearers must all make decisions at the immediate moment. No preacher desires his hearers to procrastinate. Rather, he preaches God’s truth with heart-fueled urgency because he knows that souls hang in the balances. Eternity is at stake. Heaven and hell are future realities. Men of God take God’s message and preach with a sense and tone of urgency so that all men would see the man who has received a message from God and who preaches with fire! Men will come to watch the man burn! Preach for change! Preach as if men would die the very hour they depart from hearing the Word preached. Urge men to be converted!

The full article is here.

Paul’s Use of Psalm 112:9 in 2 Corinthians 9:9
— A Brief Exegetical and Theological Study
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

Context of Psalm 112:9
Psalm 112 provides a glorious portrait of the man of God. The man of God primarily is known because he fears His God (v.1). And this God-fearer lives his life with a consuming love for God’s Word (v.1b). Some of the blessings that God brings into this godly man’s life are spelled out in vv.2-9. He will have godly, mighty (גִּבּוֹר) descendants on the earth. This is the parabolic, general principle that godly parents who diligently live holy lives and train up their children will see them also fear God. They God-fearers also have a God-like character—righteous, gracious, compassionate (vv.3-5). God has saved them and so they endeavor to emulate their Savior (cf. Eph 5.1). Furthermore, they live with the spiritual eyes of faith and thus a light arises for them in the darkness as they live upright lives and follow Christ (v.4). Indeed, this godly man who fears His God will never be shaken since he has an unconquerable courage in God (v.6). Even when evil reports and bad news crosses his path, the man of God does not fear since his heart is steadfast, firm and fixed (נָכוֹן לִבּוֹ). His heart is upheld and supported by God Almighty so he does not fear anything that comes his way. God has so instilled a godly fear in the man of God that he gives freely to the poor and his righteous conduct endures forever. He has received so much from God (grace, salvation, love, even God Himself) that this godly man gives — indeed, he scatters (פִּזַּר נָתַן) — freely and generously to the poor and afflicted (לָאֶבְיוֹנִים) (v.9). The stark contrast is heightened by the description of the wicked man (v.10) who sees the godly and is angry, he gnashes his teeth and even melts away in his fury. He will be destroyed forevermore. Thus, the man of God who fears His God (v.1) is described by his righteous character in his heart, his godly conduct in his life, and his generous care towards others (vv.2-9).

Context of 2 Corinthians 9:9
In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his apostleship by affirming that he lived with integrity, a clear conscience, and faithfully preached the gospel to them. And in the middle of this letter to the Corinthian church, Paul reminds them of the great opportunity of giving sacrificially to the Lord (chapters 8-9). In fact, the churches of Macedonia even in their affliction gave liberally with abundance of joy (8:2) even far beyond their ability (8:3). Paul exhorts the Corinthian church to abound in this gracious work of financial giving also (8:7). The ultimate model, of course, is the Lord Jesus who though He was rich, yet for the sake of His people became poor, so that His people through His poverty might become rich (spiritually) (8:9). A bit later, Paul draws the connection between sowing and reaping and giving and sharing. He affirms that the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly (9:6). Give a little and you’ll reap a little. But if one gives bountifully he will reap bountifully so that he can give even more in the future (9:6-11). But, one must not be compelled to give; it must come from the heart, not grudgingly for God loves a cheerful giver (9:7). And Paul supports this argument by quoting (καθὼς γέγραπται; “as it is written”) Psalm 112:9: “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor; his righteousness (ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ) endures forever.” Paul incorporates Psalm 112 in his argumentation in 2 Corinthians 9. The godly man who fears his God is in fact the man of integrity, whose character is upright, who receives blessings from God, and who thus responds to God by giving sacrificially and generously to others (especially, the poor; τοῖς πένησιν).

How Paul Quotes Psalm 112 in 2 Corinthians 9: Some Theological & Practical Observations
In a brilliant way, Paul incorporates not only Psalm 112:9 in his argument in 2 Corinthians 9:9 but he draws in the entire context and theme of the psalm into 2 Corinthians. That is to say, Paul substantiates his argument with the Corinthians in desiring to see them give to the Lord and to others by affirming that those who fear God (Ps 112:1) are those who have such godly lives and God-like characteristics about them that they cannot help but to give to the poor (Ps 112:2-9). The believer has become spiritually rich through Christ’s spiritual poverty and they then who have received God’s grace turn and graciously sow bountifully so that God will increase the harvest of their righteousness which all results in further thanksgiving and blessing to God (2 Cor 9:10-11). Paul believes the inerrancy of the Scriptures. He does not quote a random Scripture and proof-text it for his ‘Apostolic hermeneutic.’ He knows His Bible and substantiates his point of pleading with the Corinthians to generously give of their resources to others since this is in fact what the godly man who fears God wants to do. Indeed, he must give! He has received so lavishly from His God. And in response to this gift of God, he fears his God and loves his God and so he turns and supplies the needs of others saints which altogether results in the abounding thanksgivings to God (2 Cor 9:12). As if that wasn’t enough, this generous financial giving proves their God-like and God-fearing ministry which glorifies God as it flows from their obedience (2 Cor 9:13-15). So then, let all of God’s people who fear God (Ps 112:1), imitate God’s character (Ps 112:2-8), and as they have received so much from the Lord, let them in turn scatter and give to others in need as their righteous, God-fearing character demonstrates itself through their sacrificial and financial giving to others in need. The Apostle John says: “but whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 Jn 3:17-18).

Download the full pdf article here.

Delight in & Feed upon the Word of God.

Great words by J.C. Ryle:

“Read [the Scriptures] reverently, as the Word of God, not of man, believing implicitly that what it approves is right, and what it condemns is wrong. Be very sure that every doctrine which will not stand the test of Scripture is false. This will keep you from being tossed to and fro, and carried about by the dangerous opinions of these latter days.

And read it regularly. This is the only way to become "mighty in the Scriptures." A quick glance at the Bible now and then does little good. At that rate you will never become familiar with its treasures, or feel the sword of the Spirit fitted to your hand in the hour of conflict. But store up your mind with Scripture, by diligent reading, and you will soon discover its value and power. Texts will rise up in your hearts in the moment of temptation. Commands will suggest themselves in times of doubt. Promises will come across your thoughts in the time of discouragement. And thus you will experience the truth of David's words, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11); and of Solomon's words, "When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you" (Proverbs 6:22).”

4 Priorities of Christ Fellowship Bible Church.

Four Priorities of Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

With the unending list of duties, counseling sessions, sermon preparation, meetings, and whatever else can crowd out a leader’s time in the ministry, I find it often both helpful and practical to remind myself of some of the main priorities that I as a shepherd-leader must have as I minister to my flock. This keeps me on track. It is a regular checklist. It guards my heart and my time so that I give the time I have to the right things.

1. Pray Fervently
I firmly believe that the most important work of a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to pray. A man who ministers the Gospel must be a man who is a prayerful man because of the Gospel’s impact on his heart and soul. A prayerless man should never lead Christ’s church. A man who cannot be alone with God cannot lead the people of God publicly. The minister’s most productive time each week are those moments when no one is with him; when no one sees what he is doing; when no one is looking over his shoulder; he is simply alone with his God. He must bear his flock up individually in prayer. He must pray for purity of doctrine and purity of life. He must pray for his own family — his wife and children. He must pray for his leadership team. He must be a red-hot man of fervent prayer so that the heat of his prayerfulness is felt at a distance.

2. Preach Boldly
The man of God must be a courageous preacher of the Word of God. The pulpit is no place for chameleons. The man of God cannot shift and change at every wind of teaching and every cultural preference that wafts by him. He must take the true Word of God and preach all the Word of God with the authority of God as a servant of God to the end of the glory of God. He must preach biblically, boldly, passionately, urgently, fiery, practically, and zealously. A minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is one who says: I would rather die than to be withheld from preaching. He is one who preaches regardless of how people respond and what people think. He is a messenger of God told by the Sovereign King to deliver the goods. He doesn’t change, alter, or fabricate the goods. He simply preaches the message with boldness as a man captive to the truth of Scripture.

3. Shepherd Personally
The man who is called by God’s grace to lead a group of saved sinners is repeatedly called a “shepherd” in the Scriptures. He is one who is to lead, guide, serve, support, feed, tend, rebuke, correct, carry, love, know, protect, and oversee. He is to know his flock. He is to care for them, feed them, protect them from enemies (from without and from within). The pastor is a shepherd.

4. Train Intentionally
God reveals in His Word that ministers of the gospel are to pass on truth to other faithful men who can then turn and entrust that truth to others. This is the pattern of discipleship, mentoring, investing, and intentional training. This does not simply happen. There is no magical formula. It takes time, intentionality, deliberateness, sacrifice, and at times, wounds received by those who received such intentional training who falter from the faith. Nevertheless, our privileged and merciful calling given by the great God of heaven and earth is to make disciples. Yes this involves missions. Yes this involves baptism. Yes this involves teaching. But it also involves a very intentional and ongoing discipling relationship where the believer learns to “obey all that Christ commanded” (cf. Matt 28:18-20). This sort of training is essential for godly leadership. Sadly, this element of pastoral leadership is neglected by many. But may shepherds rise up who disciple other disciples who will in turn disciple other disciples.

Why I believe part of fulfilling my role as a pastor is to do the work of an evangelist.

Why I believe part of fulfilling my role as a pastor is to do the work of an evangelist.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

God instructs all ministers of the gospel to preach the Word and part of fulfilling this calling is to ‘do the work of an evangelist’ [ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ] (2 Tim 4.5). Every shepherd preaches the gospel because apart from the gospel of God revealed in Christ and His substitutionary work through the enlightening work of the Spirit he has nothing whatsoever to say. He must proclaim Christ and Him crucified. Regardless of what people want and what the itching hears long for the faithful minister has but one glorious message of salvation that all men must hear if they are to be saved. He preaches both in season and out of season. So, part of the work of the shepherd-pastor is to do the work of an evangelist. Here are some reasons I’ve compiled as to why I commit to doing the work of an evangelist.

1. Because I believe the Bible.
The Bible clearly presents the work of the pastor-shepherd as that of a gospel-preacher. He proclaims Christ and Him crucified, resurrected, ascended, and Lord. The Bible is God’s instruction manual for God’s heralds. The message of the gospel must flow from his lips as he calls men and women to be reconciled to God, to be clinging to their Savior, and to be following Him through the power of the Spirit in holiness. The Bible commands shepherds to do the work of an evangelist. Faithful men fill the pages of Scripture who proclaimed the Word of God to the lost — from Noah, to Enoch, to Moses, to Joshua, to Samuel, to David, to Jeremiah, to Ezekiel, to Amos, to John the Baptist, to Paul, to Peter, and, of course, to Jesus. And because I believe the Bible, I must therefore be an evangelist.

2. Because I love God.
Out of love for God and out of a driving passion for His glory, I must do the work of an evangelist because I want God’s fame to be known. A passionate love for God’s glory must compel the Christian to proclaim the gospel. Anything less is insufficient. When persecution comes and when hardship slams, a love for the glory of God and for His magnificent beauties will propel the man of God to proclaim Him and His gospel of grace to the lost. Consequently, I go and herald!

3. Because I want Christ to receive the full reward of His sufferings.
The Lamb of God came into the world to die for sinners. He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. He was slain and He purchased for God with His blood men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Christ has died for His own. We want the Lamb to be glorified on that final day surrounded by all those whom He purchased, all those for whom He died, and all those for whom He bore their wrath. Thus, out of a zealous love for the glory of Christ and His sovereign reign in glory, we want the Lamb to receive the full reward for His sufferings. For this reason, the minister must go and preach the Word!

4. Because I believe in the Spirit's power to regenerate
The Bible speaks of the third member of the Trinity as the Spirit of Life. He produces life. He quickens dead souls and alone is able to impart life. No man can come to God unless he is sovereignly drawn by God Himself. No man can pick God, choose God. Indeed, no natural man would ever choose God; the unregenerate man hates God, despises God, and rages in his heart against God. But the Spirit of God, by sovereign grace, uses the gospel of Christ as servants of God present the gospel, to awaken dead souls to new spiritual life. For this reason, I evangelize.

5. Because I cling to the absolute sovereignty of God.
There is no other God besides the LORD. There is none other. No other god exists. There are not other gods of other religions or other manmade gods that individuals have fabricated that exist side by side the One, True and Living God. There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we all exist for Him and there is one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. God reigns supremely. He reigns exclusively. All events in all of time are under His sovereign control. He is never out of control and everything that takes place is the outworking of His preordained, sovereign plan. And as a royal King, he executes all of His decrees perfectly, wisely, sovereignly, and actively. God is actively involved in all the affairs of life — including salvation. So then, because I believe that God alone is the one who is worthy of praise and because God alone is the one who imparts eternal life to radically corrupt sinners, I preach the gospel with full confidence, great comfort, and heartfelt joy submitting to God’s sovereign will in and through the faithful presentation of the gospel of grace.

6. Because I believe in hell.
Hell is real. And countless millions now scream in the painful, eternal agonies of hellfire because they never trusted in Christ alone for salvation. Hell is the immediate home of all those who attempt to get to God by their works (=every religion in the world). The pains of hell begin at the moment of death. The torments of hell endure throughout endless eternities in the future. The ferocious wrath of God never lets up for all the everlasting ages to come. I believe in hell — a literal, real, hell where God actively, personally, violently, and fairly sentences all sinners who have broken His law forevermore. Because I know hell exists and countless thousands enter there daily around the world, I’m compelled to present the gospel of grace to lost souls so they may be spared from everlasting agonies under God’s just fury.

7. Because I care for people.
Souls are made in the image of God. Souls will thus live on forever. Since God is an eternal being and all men are made in the image of God, they are, then, eternal beings. People will live on forever. None who reject Christ now would ever embrace him in eternity. All who refuse Christ in this life will remain in unbelief for all of eternity. But those who see the weight of their sin, the wonder of God’s grace, and the sufficient, substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, and who have responded to this message by repenting, that is, turning, from sin and by trusting in Christ alone will pass to heaven and worship the Lamb forevermore! A shepherd cares for sheep. God made all people and, in a sense, loves all the creation that He made. And souls will live on forevermore. I care for people and long for them to think about eternity and consider their souls. Many do not ponder their souls and their eternal destiny. This is the reason why we must go to the lost — indeed, go to them! — and awaken their souls to the reality of eternity. If you care for people, proclaim the gospel to them!

8. Because I'm convinced of the Truth.
God is truth and His Word is truth. God’s Word is the sufficient, complete, perfect, inerrant truth. Never has a man found an error in the Bible. And because the Truth exists in the written Word and is most perfectly manifested in the Living Word who is full of “grace and truth,” we must do the work of an evangelist. Christ came and proclaimed that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Thus, the evangelist is not engaging with the lost to try and win arguments about the validity of the Bible or the existence of God. God calls us to proclaim the gospel to them so that the Spirit of God awakens their conscience to the Truth and the God that they already know exists. So then, for the sake of the truth, the minister ought to labor for souls and seek to win them to the Savior. The truth is found in Jesus Christ. Every other religion, every other god, every other worldview is a lie and leads to hell. Thus, for the sake of the truth, share this, impart this, declare this, and plead with sinners to hear the best news that can save their souls from hell and take them to glory. Doing this is the most loving thing to do. Knowing the truth and refusing to impart it to others is not love; it’s selfishness and hatred. So then, let us go and do the work of an evangelist! Let us keep on keeping on knowing that our labor is not in vain. Go and win souls!

Download the full PDF here.

Why We Preach the Gospel.

WHY WE PREACH AT CFBC
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

Christ Fellowship Bible Church is radically committed to the preaching of the Word of God. Here are four foundational reasons why CFBC preaches the Word.

1. Because GOD COMMANDS IT.
The Bible calls men of God to “preach the Word” (2 Tim 4.2) and to teach and instruct with all authority (Titus 2.15). Paul was appointed by God as a preacher and an apostle and a teacher (1 Tim 2.7) to proclaim that Christ gave Himself as a ransom. God appointed Paul as a preacher (2 Tim 1.11). Thus, in the Word, God demands that all ministers preach the Word.

2. Because CHRIST MODELED IT.
Jesus stated that his purpose in life was to “preach the Kingdom of God” (Luke 4.43). At the outset of his public ministry, Jesus began to “preach and to say repent” (Matt 4.17). Jesus traveled to nearby towns to preach (Mark 1.38). As Jesus taught the crowds, people were hearing him expound the Word of God (Luke 5.1). Christ modeled a man given to the relentless pursuit of preaching and teaching the Word of God.

3. Because the SPIRIT USES IT.
When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, thousands were saved (Acts 2.38-41). When Paul preached the Word, the Lord opens the heart of nonbelievers to hear and respond to the Word (Acts 16.14). When the Word of God is preached, sinners are pierced to the heart (Acts 2.38). The preaching of the Word must never be with merely persuasive words and manmade mechanisms to persuade but rather it must always be faithful to the text and come in demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor 2.4-5). The Spirit of God gives life to those who hear the Word and receive it (2 Cor 3:18-4:6).

4. Because IT ALLOWS GOD TO SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE.
The faithful expounding of the Word of God allows God to speak to His people. For believers, God uses the Word to sanctify and mature those who belong to Christ (1 Pet 2.1-2). It matures believers so they can be trained to know good from evil (Heb 5:13-14). For the unbelievers, the preaching of the Word presents the very word of God from the Word through the messenger/mouthpiece to the hearer so that God may save them. Indeed, all who are appointed to eternal life will believe when they hear the Word preached (Acts 13.48). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word about Christ (Rom 10.17). Thus, true preaching allows God to truly speak!

Download the pdf article here.

Essentials for the Building & Maintaining of a Healthy, Godly Marriage.

The divine rulebook for marriage is the Bible. The Bible perfectly and sufficiently contains everything that is needed to have a godly, harmonious and joyful marriage. God leaves nothing necessary out of Scripture. Even the various roles that husbands and wives have and how they must fulfill those roles are all contained in the Scriptures. All men are created in the image of God but God gives different roles to the men and the women. God decrees that the husband is the head — leader, authority — of his household. He is the leader. He must lead and serve and function like the leader that God has called him to be. If he doesn’t, he fails at being a Godly husband and he must repent and seek God’s commands in the Word. The wives, on the other hand, are determined by God to be the completer of the husband; she is his helpmate, his supporter, his companion, his helper. She is to submit to him and his headship — leadership. She is to honor, respect and come alongside of him as he leads. As both the husband and the wife read their duties that God has revealed in His Word, they must humbly, willingly, heartfully, and worshipfully obey what God commands of them in their respective roles...

Read the entire article here.

Soldier -- Take Up Your Sword!

"A pilot without his chart, a scholar without his book, and a soldier without his sword, are alike ridiculous. But, above all these, it is absurd for one to think of being a Christian, without knowledge of the word of God and some skill to use this weapon."

- William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

MARRIAGE & HEAVEN.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

“This mystery is great but I am speaking with reference to Christ & the Church.”
—Ephesians 5.32

The greatest earthly and visible picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial and loving death for His Church is in fact the covenant-bond of marriage. Properly lived out, the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman gloriously makes the gospel visible as a husband loves and leads and sacrifices for his Bride and as the wife submits to, honors, and respects her husband.

1. the church is BETROTHED to Christ.
Right now, every true believer is betrothed to Christ and has the Spirit of God as a pledge, the down-payment. The Spirit guarantees the believer’s future inheritance. Christians have not enjoyed the fullness of the marriage supper yet. No Christian on earth has experienced the home of Christ yet. Every saint travels now and journeys now to the eternal home to be with Christ. The Church, at the present, is betrothed to Christ. As in ancient Judaism, in betrothal, the husband and wife were legally married though they had not yet come together intimately yet. When the husband would come gather his bride, then they would have the wedding ceremony and then they would consummate their marriage and physically come together as a married couple. But even during the betrothal period, legally, the husband and wife were married. So it is with every Christian who is married to Christ legally by being justified by faith. The marriage has been made. God has entered His covenant with His Bride and shall never break it. They are married but Christ and true believers who now serve Christ on earth have not enjoyed the marriage supper nor have they enjoyed the physical, perfect, full union that awaits at the consummation. That is yet to happen.

2. the church is PROMISED to Christ.
God promises true Christians that to die results in their gain. For a Christian, to live is Christ; yet, to die is infinitely better. During the present period as believers on earth serve Christ and worship Him, there is a promise that every believer clings to and knows that one day when Christ returns, He will gather His elect unto Himself. But even at the present hour, as Christ is not yet with His people, the church is in fact promised to Christ. The Lord Jesus will receive His Bride and will receive the full reward of His sufferings.

3. the church is KEPT/PRESERVED for Christ.
He who began a good work in believers will perfect that work until the final day. The work of God shall never fall short; it shall never fail. True believers are kept for Christ not by their supreme love for Christ but because of His securing love for His elect. True Christians make it to heaven not because they primarily persevere but because Christ Himself preserves them and guards them in their faith so as to ensure that they persevere till the end. Just as a bride was preserved — even during the betrothal period — for the coming wedding feast when she would then be joined to her husband physically, so it is with the people of God who are preserved now till that day when she is joined with her great Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus, eternally in glory.

4. the church is PREPARING for Christ.
In Judaism, during the Betrothal period before the husband would gather his bride for the moment of physical consummation, the Bride would prepare herself and do all that was necessary in readying herself for the soon-coming union. She prepared herself. In the same way, at the present on earth, every true believer prepares himself to meet Christ! True believers are clothed in fine linen and made righteous because of the spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ credited to them. But the bride of Christ makes herself ready by righteous acts (Rev 19.7-8). Every believer longs to meet his Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus, and years for Him! She beautifies herself by becoming more like Christ, by pursuing Him, by earnestly seeking holiness and by abiding in the Vine. Each day that goes by, as the Bride readies herself to meet her promised Bridegroom, she longs with greater love and with fervent passion for His dawning. But till that moment comes, she prepares for this meeting — for then she will forever be with the Lord (1 Thess 4.17).

5. the church is LONGING for Christ.
Like the lovers in Song of Solomon, the woman longs for her lover by saying: ‘draw me after you and let us run together’ (Song 1.4). The bride says: ‘let his left hand be under my head and let his right hand embrace me’ (Song 2.6). Again, ‘O my dove … let me see your form, let me hear your voice’ (Song 2.14). These verses picture the longing that lovers have between each other. As a husband and a wife passionately long for each other, so the church longs for Christ; and, to be sure, Christ longs for this coming union with His Bride! The true church longs for Christ and has a desire to depart and be with Christ (Phil 1.23). Till the union is fully consummated, the Bride of Christ, the Church, longs for her Husband by thinking of Him, by delighting in Him, by communing with Him in intimate fellowship through prayer and the Word of God.

6. the church is LOVING her Christ.
Christ loves His bride and died for her. Because of the work of God in the heart, every true believer loves Christ and has an ever-growing affection for Christ. Of course, it is not what it should be, nor what a believer wants it to be, but believers love Christ and long for Him! Though believers have not seen Him, they love Him (1 Pet 1.8). A blessing of divine grace is promised to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love (Eph 6.24). As a bride of old thought about and considered her coming groom who would come and fetch her to live with and protect and lavish affection upon her, so the Bride of Christ loves her Savior with ever-increasing affection the more that she considers Him! Let the soon-coming Bridegroom ravish his own with His love and let believers love Him with diligence and with passion.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS:
Marriage, then, is an unbreakable union that reflects the union with Christ and His church. The intimacy of marriage between one man and one woman reflects the intimacy that the Church enjoys with Christ now and that will be fully enjoyed when Christ gathers His own unto Himself forever in His home in glory!

The wedding in marriage points to the ultimate wedding between Christ and His Church. Furthermore, the preparations for marriage mirror the lengthy preparations of the eternal union. Consider the two-fold elements of this preparation:
1. Christ's preparations = for us in heaven
2. Church's preparation = spotless and pure in holy deeds

The physical and sexual union between a man and a woman in marriage points to the coming eternal union between Christ and His Bride. As there is no act in the marriage relationship that expresses more intimate affection, exclusive love, and ravishing delights than sexual intimacy, so this God-blessed act points to the most superior intimacy and affection, the ever-flowing and exclusive love, and the unending delights of being ravished by Christ in heaven! The sex-act in marriage points to the glorious intimacy that the church will have with Jesus Christ forever and ever — without end!

The joy of a present, earthly wedding feast dimly points to the overflowing and ever-increasing delights of the heavenly marriage supper of the Lamb! And it comes quickly! As the Bridegroom, He promises His Bride repeatedly that He is near and that He comes quickly (Rev 22.7, 12, 20).

To refuse sexual intimacy to one’s spouse in marriage not only sins against the clear commands of the Lord in the Word of God, but it presents a terribly distorted picture of the gospel since it would present a coming marriage between Christ and His Bride without enjoying the ravishing spiritual intimacy together. What a horror! Godly husbands and wives must enjoy frequent sexual relations together not just for the protection of the spouse’s purity, for the satisfying of one’s spouse, for the enjoyment and obedience of being ‘one flesh’ in all areas, but also because it serves to remind Godly couples of the soon-coming full intimacy when Christ and His Church enjoy one another for all of eternity!

Summary: HUSBANDS should ponder the following key points:
1. marriage is UNBREAKABLE
2. marriage is JOYFUL
3. marriage is INTIMATE
4. marriage is EARTHLY
5. marriage is PREPARATORY
6. marriage is FUTURE-POINTING

Bear in mind, the preparation for a wedding serves to emphasize the all the preparations for the heavenly wedding! The love between a married couple serves to illustrate — albeit dimly — the perfect love between Christ & His Bride! The frequent and unashamed intimacy a man enjoys in his wife is but a dim shadow of the perfect, glorious, ravishing, and full intimacy the Church will enjoy with her Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, forevermore in glory! And, the tenderness between a husband & a wife demonstrates in an earthly sense the perfect tenderness that Christ has for His church & that she reciprocates toward Him.

Let husbands and wives delight in love toward one another. Let them intoxicate each other with love (Song 5.1). Let them hold to each other and not let each other go (Song 3.4). Let lovers indulge frequently and joyously in regular, selfless, others-centered sexual intimacy in obedience to the Lord (1 Cor 7.3-5). And let Godly couples remember, talk about, pray about and gladden their hearts that every time they enjoy sexual delights within the covenant-bond of their marriage, it points to unbounded, unending, unfathomable delights that the Bride of Christ will enjoy with Christ, her Bridegroom, for endless eternities to come. Truly your marriage is a picture of the heavenly realities to come. The question is, is your marriage currently picturing a poor or an accurate heavenly marriage to come? Enjoy your spouse! Live in harmony with one another and ravish each other with selfless pleasures and thank God for the gospel and for your marriage. After all, speaking about marriage, the Apostle Paul writes: ‘this mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the Church’ (Eph 5.32).

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A Primer on Corporate Worship — Its Purposes & Blessings!

A Primer on Corporate Worship —
Its Purposes and Blessings
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

God has designed corporate worship should be the high point of the Christian’s life. To gather with other blood-bought sinners and to pray, sing, read, fellowship & sit under the Word together, as the family of Christ, should permeate the believer’s heart throughout the week. With that in mind, corporate worship should bless God and it should encourage the believer. It should strengthen the flock and it should remind each individual of his need for Christ, his Head, & for the Body of Christ, his family members. In a day where everything from football games on TV, to grocery shopping on ‘the day off’, to the kids’ basketball practices often seems to keep people from one of God’s greatest blessings — and gifts! — to His church, this little essay is sorely needed.

1. A blessing.
God has designed corporate worship to be a blessing to the people of God! Worship should produce joy in the Christian’s heart and his heart should be encouraged, edified, and uplifted as he worships together with the family of God.

2. A remembering.
Gathering together as the family of God should always center on the person and work of Jesus Christ, His gospel, and His supreme and inerrant Word of God. To meet with the other members of the flock should serve as a reminder of who God is, what Christ has done, who man is, and what the gospel produces in the lives of true believers.

3. A meeting.
Corporate worship is an assembled gathering of like-minded, Spirit-indwelt, supernaturally-regenerated believers to worship God, exalt Christ, edify the saints, and live by the power of the Spirit. To ignore corporate worship and to downplay the corporate meetings of the church (or see it as a lesser priority in one’s life) is to sorely misunderstand and cheat oneself out of the blessings that God pours out upon the gathered meeting of His people.

4. A delight.
Corporate worship prepares for heaven. Heaven is infinitely sweet and delightful and so God’s gift to His people is a sampling of that heavenly delight but here on earth. Corporate worship consists of the most delightful aspects of a Christian’s life — hearing from God in Scripture, speaking to God in prayer, sitting under His preached Word, and giving and receiving encouragement through Christ-centered fellowship. A true believer loves these elements and cannot live without them. Corporate worship delights his soul since it provides an opportunity to indulge in what the believer loves most — Christ, His Word, prayer, and His people.

5. A haven.
The world harshly treats God’s people. The sinful world system hates God’s truth and God’s people and all that they stand for. And yet, when believers gather with other like-minded believers, there is a sort of haven that the Christian finds when God’s people come together. Just as a haven provides a stronghold from the storm, so the corporate gathering of believers provides a safe haven from the whirling storms of life and from the evil and raging waves of Satan’s temptations. To skip corporate worship is to refuse to rest in this haven. To downplay or miss worshiping with God’s people is to intentionally miss one of the great protections and strongholds that God gives to His people to provide strength, energy and vigor to live the Christian life.

6. A fellowship.
In the New Testament, to fellowship is to share a commonality, a like-mindedness. To fellowship with other believers does not connote ‘hanging out’ with others simply. It inherently requires a like-minded sharing in Christ. To fellowship is one of the greatest blessings that God gives to the Christian and yet, sadly, it is one of the most neglected areas of spiritual growth in the lives of many professing Christians. To follow Christ is to yearn to be with God’s people. To have no yearning for Christ’s people means that you are not a part of the body and it means that heaven would be miserable to you. Heaven is a world of divine, glorious, ongoing fellowship. God gives fellowship so that His people can be strengthened one with another, encourage each other in Christ and in His Word, talk about life, piety, domestic holiness, and serving Christ at work. To fellowship means to talk about Christ, to grow in one’s knowledge of Christ, to share what you have learned and to glean from what others have studied and learned.

7. A hospital.
Living in the world of darkness, run and governed by the god of this world, Christians often receive beatings for their faith. True Christians suffer for their faith. These come in different ways, in different forms, to different degrees, but the Scriptures declare that all genuine Christians will suffer persecution for Christ’s sake. Coming to corporate worship is like coming to the hospital. Just as one receives help, aid, care, comfort, and strength in a hospital, so a bruised and broken Christian finds help, aid, care, comfort, and strength from being with God’s people and hearing God’s Word taught in the gathered assembly. Corporate worship serves as a sort of hospital for Christ’s wounded suffering injuries from this world. The perfect care comes not from a bandage but from the glorious balm of Christ found in the Word of God which soothes any affliction that the believer may face. Triumph with strength even in the afflictions as you meet with other believers in the loving hospital of God’s people.

8. A foretaste.
Christians strangely live not for the here and now but with an eye fixed immovably and joyously on the soon-coming certainty of heaven. Every Christian fixes his hope on Christ, the author and perfecter of his faith. To live in fellowship with other believers serves, in reality, as the best foretaste of heaven. Nothing in heaven is individualistic. No Christians will live and serve and enjoy heaven isolated from Christ and from His Bride. But all of heaven is corporate. The masses and multitudes of blood-bought worshipers will gather round the throne and worship Christ together as they loudly lift their voices and passionately worship the Lamb who was slain and purchased men for God! Worship God now corporately to prepare for corporate worship in heaven. May the Body of Christ here serve as a foretaste — and a sweet one! — of the gathered throng in heaven who together look to the Lamb, love the Lamb, follow the Lamb & serve the Lamb!

Download the pdf here.

When the Sermon Preparation Is Finished, One Essential Still Remains
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

There comes a point in the sermon preparation when the exegesis and crafting of the sermon has been completed. After a week of study, the outline is done, the sermon is full of flesh, muscles and bones, and the content is well structured and well argued. The gospel is clear and application runs throughout. But there comes that point when the message is done and the preacher must quiet himself before the Lord and beg for God’s help, God’s strength, God’s enabling, God’s empowering, and God’s unction.

1. ILLUMINATION.
Pray for the illumination of the hearers as the Word of God is preached on Sunday from the pulpit. Pray for the Spirit of God to shed light upon His truth as the believers hear it heralded. Pray for the unfolding of God’s Word to give light to His people. Beg that the Spirit of God would do what only He can do — give much light to the pure Word as it goes forth.

2. TRANSFORMATION.
Earnestly ask God to transform the hearers as they come face to face with the Living God through the preached Word. Pray for the Lord to work through the proclamation of divine truth to change the heart, capture the mind, win the affections, and conform the life of each hearer to Christ and His image.

3. REVIVIFICATION.
Wrestle with God in fervent prayer that He might grant revival. Only God can give revival and bring newness of life to the lost. Only God can revive the heart, bring change, give life to those swallowed up in coldness. Pray and pray on and pray believingly that God would rend the heavens and descend to bring revival.

4. REGENERATION.
O that preachers would spend as much time crying out to God to save souls as he does exegeting the text. He should pray with passion and fervency for the Lord to awaken dead souls to new life. Unless sinners are born again, they cannot see the Kingdom of God.

5. UNCTION.
Unction describes that act of the Spirit where He powerfully comes upon the message so that it goes forth with life-giving power, soul-transforming grace, and heart-wooing beauty. Pray for the Spirit of God to grant unction as you preach God’s Word. What you’ve worked hard to prepare all week, entreat the Lord to take the Word like a sword and thrust it perfectly and precisely into the hearts of the hearers precisely where needed.

6. PROCLAMATION.
O that men would preach with urgent proclamation and passionate pathos! Pray that you would stand in the pulpit and proclaim with verbal strength. The minister should storm the throne of grace with confidence and ask the Lord to aid his proclamation. He must ask for clarity, passion, order, heavenly-mindedness and confidence in his preaching.

7. AFFECTION.
Men must feel what they preach. If ministers are not affected in their own hearts by what they preach, there is no way his hearers would be stirred to action. If a man does not feel his text, and preach it from the bowels of his heart, then his preaching will be lifeless, apathetic, and futile. Let a man pray for affection, drive, pathos, and zeal.

A Husband's Love for His Wife

A HUSBAND'S LOVE FOR HIS WIFE.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
— Ephesians 5:25

What was Christ's love like?

1. Initiating Love
The love that came to us was initiated by God Himself. There is nothing inherently appealing or attractive in a sinful human that prompted God to love him. The love of Christ came solely from His sovereign initiative and from His free choice. God did not wait for humans to become lovely and respond to His love, but Christ Himself proved that His was a supreme, initiating love.

2. Sacrificial Love
Jesus Christ came into the world to give His life a ransom for many. He came to die. His was a life of obedience so that He might die a death of obedience to the Father and as a substitute for men. The love of Christ showed itself in that He gave Himself for others. He sacrificed Himself. He did not wait for convenience, and even when it was totally inconvenient, Christ still sacrificed for His bride, the church.

3. Unconditional Love
Christ loves with no conditional promises. He never says: “I will love you if….” His is always an unconditional love towards His elect and He loves perfectly, fully, entirely, everlastingly, and supremely with no qualifiers, with no stipulations, with no conditions. He loves His own unilaterally and even when the Bride sins and fails and stumbles, He remains loving toward her.

4. Delightful Love
The love of Christ delights His bride. No love can compare with the love from this Bridegroom! Just as Christ delights His bride and ravishes her with His glory, beauty and dazzling charms, so the husband should love his wife with a delightful love. His love delights the heart, it wins the affections, it woos the heart, it engages the person. The love of Christ satisfies His people!

5. Eternal Love
Jesus never loves temporarily. His love shall never grow cold. He never loves partially or merely for an occasion. The love of Christ cannot be manipulated or coerced. His love for His own lasts forever. It will endure as long as the everlasting ages will exist. His love is so strong and mighty that even the duration of this age cannot exhaust the glories of Christ’s love. His goes on throughout all eternity as it never diminishes, lessens, weakens, grows cold, or fades. It exists eternally!

6. Providing Love
Jesus provides everything that His church needs. He came to live a life in her stead. He came to die a death in her stead. He came to rise from the dead for her justification. He ascended to heaven to intercede for her. Christ’s love provides all that could ever be needed to procure the Bride’s redemption. He provides for His church in all that she could ever need — both spiritually and physically. So the husband must love his wife with this kind of providing love.

7. Protecting Love
Christ Jesus promises to guard His people till heaven dawns. Nothing and no one could ever pluck a child of God out of the hand of Christ! His love protects. His love keeps. His love preserves. His love procures and secures. The love that Christ has for each of His blood-bought sheep is a jealous, protecting, preserving, and secure love. None can break in and loosen His grip on His people. His grip never loosens, it never grows weak, he never gives up on His people.

8. Complete Love
The love that Jesus displayed is one that endures ‘to the max’ or ‘to the end.’ The love of Christ is defined by completeness. It lacks nothing. It is full, whole, entire, and it lacks nothing good. Christ’s love completely engulfs His Bride leaving no part of her unexposed to His perfect and full love. Christ’s unbounded, unrestrained and unlimited love pours down upon His Bride fully!

9. Promising Love
Promises abound in the Scriptures from the lips of Christ to His Bride regarding her future glory. Christ verbally communicates with His Bride and He manifoldly vows to guard her, to keep her, to sanctify her, to feed her, to gladden her, to glorify her, to empower her, and to use her! One strains to even count the abundance of promises in Scripture that Christ makes to His Bride. The love of Christ is a promising, hopeful, guaranteeing, communicating and sure love!

10. Sanctifying Love
Christ builds His church. He strengthens the building as His people mature and grow in Christ. He cherishes His bride and washes her in the Word. He calls upon His people to feed upon Him; yes, to even eat Him! He provides daily sustenance for His people in Himself. Man does not live on bread alone but on every word from God’s mouth. He surely builds and sanctifies His Bride!

11. Cherishing Love
Jesus Christ cherishes His Bride. He passionately loves Her. He tenderly loves her. He zealously loves her. He jealously loves her. Christ has such a profound and preeminent love for His Bride that He will protect her from any and all foes. He loves to manifest Himself in and through His Bride. He cherishes her and she knows it. Christ speaks of her frequently. He tells her how much He loves her repeatedly. And Christ lavishes her with ample promises of future hope!

12. Intimate Love
No relationship ever comes close to the intimacy that Jesus Christ has with His Bride, the Church. The union that believers enjoy with their Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is unspeakably close, intimate, and loving. No other lovers ever come between the love that Christ has for His Bride. No rivals exist. There is no plan B. There is no option of leaving the Bride, the Church, and going after another. The love of Christ for His elect-people is an intimate love. They are so close that the relationship can be viewed as them being ‘one.’ Christ loves nothing more than His Church. There are no programs, no others, indeed nothing in all creation, that He loves more than the Church.

13. Preeminent Love
The best love that one could ever experience is the perfect, supreme, preeminent love from Christ. His love is preeminent. Other human relationships pale in comparison to this relationship with Christ. Other lovers cannot begin to match the perfect love Christ has for His Bride. His love towers in height over all over loves. His love spans the breadth of all the universe and far surpasses any other love one could give. It goes deeper than any other love one has ever dreamed of. The love of Christ cannot be measured. It is preeminent, perfect, lavish, abundant, ever-flowing, rich, and divine. And this is the love Christ willingly and perfectly gives to His own.

14. Deliberate Love
To love is to sacrificially give oneself for another. Christ does not just ‘happen’ to love some people. His love is not an accidental, occasional, situational, or happenstance love. His love doesn’t just happen. Christ deliberately loves His own and He intentionally loves them. No one ever crafted such an amazing picture of true love more than Christ did. He thought of how he could love His Bride. He went after her willingly, passionately, zealously. He sought her, He bought her, and He got her for Himself! He deliberately loved her even when He was tired, betrayed, lonely, feeling the approaching trials and troubles. Yet love won and His intentional and willful love gave Himself on behalf of His bride for her good, for her benefit, for her joy and her glory.

15. Singular Love
Fickle man pursues other lovers. The heart of men runs after other lovers that appear to satisfy and provide pleasure. But Christ’s love is singular. He loves His Bride savingly, perfectly, supremely, and singularly. There are no other lovers in this relationship between Christ and His Bride. No one even comes close to winning His attention, His affection, His delights, His time, and His affection. His love for the Bride whom He sought and bought is a singular love. No rivals exist. No other lovers can be found. No one doubts this. His love for His Church is profoundly faithful and supremely singular. Husbands must see Christ’s love and emulate this love for their wives.

16. Public Love
Christ publicly displayed His love for His people. He died for her publicly, outside the gate. He was even mocked in so doing. Many despised Him and ridiculed Him. Many reviled Him and spoke evil of Him in this perfect, divine act of supreme, self-giving love (at Calvary). Yet His love for His Bride was public, perfect, verifiable, undeniable, and lavish. Christ showed the perfect kind of love — a self-giving of oneself to another regardless of how the recipient receives, recognizes, reciprocates, or expresses gratitude — toward His elect when He died for her at the hands of ruthless blasphemers. No one could deter Christ from His love. He loved His bride publicly so all could see the willful commitment He had for His Bride. He loves publicly and unashamedly.

17. Forgiving Love
God promises to never remember the sins of His people and never to call them to account. He never keeps a list of wrongs and never — ever! — says: “Yes, but remember when you just did that last week….” His love is a forgiving love. He takes all the offenses of those whom He redeemed and casts them into the depths of the sea because He paid the price for it. He holds no grudges. He is never bitter or resentful over her sin. He never keeps the record of wrongs and piles them up to use against us in a ‘blowup moment.’ He forgives. He chooses to not think on it anymore. He promises to never hold His Bride accountable for her offenses. Why? Because she is forgiven. He took her sins, her burden, her iniquities, her wrath, her punishment, her hell. His love forgives. Unquestionable forgiveness, unending forgiveness is what Christ gives. He never retaliates nor does He ever strive to get even. He forgives and actively chooses to not bring it up again to Himself, to her, or to others. This is a perfect, forgiving, supreme and divine love.

18. Relentless Love
Christ’s love chases after His sweet Bride. Like a marathon runner, the love of Christ swiftly and purposefully runs after the prize. And what is that prize? That Christ would have the full harvest of those whom He redeemed in glory one day who surround His throne and worship Him forevermore. His love is relentless. Like an ever-flowing fountain, Christ’s love is ever-flowing. Like a massive waterfall, so the love of Christ bursts down upon the heads of His elect. His love never runs dry, it never runs thin, it never stops pursuing, it never wanes dry, nor does it ever become cold. His love hotly and passionately pursues one lover: His Bride, the Church.

Concluding Exhortation:
The love of Christ is described by all of the above phrases. The way that He has loved you, O Christian man, is the same kind of love that God calls you to lavishly demonstrate to your wives. God does not call you receive this love from Him only. He calls and commands and commissions and strengthens you to receive the love that He has shown you so that you can love your wife in this same way. So husbands, examine the kind of love that you should have for your wives. What is your love for her currently like? What would she say if she were to describe your love toward her? Where can you grow? Where can you change? Where must you repent: first to God, then to your spouse? The delightfulness of looking at the husband’s duty of loving the wife is that it absolutely and powerfully drives you to the gospel constantly. When you thank God for the gospel of grace and how God lavished love and mercy upon you, you should consider how you should turn around and demonstrate this same kind of love toward your precious gift from God, your wife. Love her! Lavish affection on her! Singularly pursue her as your supreme lover! Passionately and deliberately love her. Sanctify her in Christ! Seek God’s help, then love your wife! Feed on Christ each day and preach the gospel to your soul. And then love your bride!

Download the pdf article here.

Equipping the Men to be Shepherds at Home.

EQUIPPING THE MEN TO BE SHEPHERDS AT HOME
Taking the Friday morning study & turning it into a marital discipleship-relationship.
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

How can we encourage, equip & exhort the CFBC men to shepherd, nurture, instruct & pastor their wives at home? How can we as men follow the command of our Savior and give ourselves up for our wives and sanctify them by washing them in the Word? After all, this is what Jesus our Savior does for us? So how can we emulate our Savior and practically implement this in our own marriages? Here are some super practical suggestions.

1. PAY ATTENTION CAREFULLY. (LISTEN!)
You cannot give to your wife what you don’t possess. You cannot impart knowledge to her that you do not have. So, men, as you come on Friday mornings, pay attention, focus, fight distractions and listen carefully so as to understand the teaching and meaning of God’s Word. Let it sink into your mind, heart, affections, and indeed, your whole being.

2. TAKE NOTES AS NEEDED. (REMEMBER!)
Some people benefit from taking notes and jotting down memorable points. Others find great help by taking copious notes so they can review them later on and rehearse the entire study to themselves. Whatever way is best for you, the goal is to remember what you studied, what you learned, and what God used to teach and convict you so you can disseminate that to your wife.

3. THINK IMPLEMENTATION. (APPLY!)
As the men’s study progresses, always be thinking and asking yourself, ‘how must I apply what I’m learning/reading from the Word of God?’ Never be happy in hearing the Word only; always be a doer. If God’s Word doesn’t make you better, then it’s all for naught. So when you attend and listen, be humble, be willing to be convicted, broken, exposed, and molded into Christ’s image by God’s Spirit through the study of the Word of God. Apply to your heart first.

4. PRIORITIZE THE DISCUSSION. (SCHEDULE!)
Every man lives a busy life. We must schedule and prioritize appointments. If men don’t schedule certain activities, it’ll get crowded out or forgotten altogether. So, men, schedule a discussion with your wife. It must be priority. We are called by God to sanctify our wives and wash them in the Word. It’s not optional! We must prioritize this discussion. Make it happen. It’s as important as a meeting with your top client. There, you may have a follow-up review with a boss; but remember, on the final day, you’ll stand before God Himself and give account to your faithfulness. So prioritize this. Schedule this. Make it happen. Yes, it is really that important.

5. SHARE PERSONAL TRUTHS LEARNED. (HONESTY!)
When you have that precious time talking with your wife, honestly share with her what you’ve learned. Tell her what the discussion was about. Inform her of the Scriptures you covered (even read the verses with her!). Share what you learned, doctrines that God reminded you of, insights that other men shared, and ways in which the Spirit of God convicted and challenged you. Not only is this helpful to wash your God-graced companion and help-mate in the Word and apply the Word to her heart and life, but it builds an emotional bond as you honestly and humbly share what you are learning. What a model of leadership! What exemplary husbanding!

TRUST THE POWER OF THE WORD. (CONFIDENCE!)
In pastoring a congregation at large or pastoring one’s family at home, the shepherd must trust the power of the Word to do its work. The Word works in those who believe. So men must have confidence in God’s power to work through His word to sanctify your wife as you shepherd her in the Truth. Trust God’s Word to work in her life, in your marriage, in your relationship, and in her love for, respect for, submission to and affection for you. Men, lead and trust!

Download the pdf article here.

Husbands & Wives Should Discuss Sermons Together.

From Richard Steele (17th c.) who alludes to the teachings of John Chrysostom (AD347-407):

"Let them [husband & wife] both go to church and then discuss the sermon together. If both are Christians already, then they should do what they can to help each other to become thorough saints. Speak often of God and spiritual things. Be fellow pilgrims to the Celestial City!"

From Charles Spurgeon:

"What is the way to become an efficient preacher? "Young man," says one, "go to college." "Young man," says Christ, "follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men." How is a person to be useful? "Attend a training-class," says one. Quite right; but there is a surer answer than that—Follow Jesus, and he will make you fishers of men."

The Need for Open Air Preaching & The Opposition that Comes With It.

Spurgeon talks of the perseverence of one open air preacher, John Furz, who encountered a bit of opposition when he preached.

“Once recommenced, the fruitful agency of field-preaching was not allowed to cease… The preachers needed to have faces set like flints, and so indeed they had. John Furz says: ‘As soon as I began to preach, a man came straight forward, and presented a gun at my face; swearing that he would blow my brains out, if I spake another word.

However, I continued speaking, and he continued swearing, sometimes putting the muzzle of the gun to my mouth, sometimes against my ear. While we were singing the last hymn, he got behind me, fired the gun, and burned off part of my hair.’

“After this, my brethren, we ought never to speak of petty interruptions or annoyances.”

—From Charles Spurgeon’s sermon: Open-Air Preaching—A Sketch of its History and Remarks Hereon

A Godly Man.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

1. Know the Word
As an explorer journeys through the vast forests and the uninhabited territories with expectation and delight, so the man of God endeavors to journey through the Word of God so as to know the Truth. A man of God not just wants to know the truths of the Word of God but he wants to commune with the God of the Word. Every man of God longs for more of God and He is found in the Word. To commune with God, one reads the Word. Every godly man must pursue the diligent and daily priority of being in the Word of God.

2. Meditate on the Word
As a child gathers all of his toys at the early part of the day so he can have plenty of items to play with throughout the day, so the man of God wants to be in the Word and impress the Word upon his heart and mind so that it will stick with him and affect his heart throughout the entirety of the day. As an animal chews the cud, so the man of God chews on the Word. As someone puts gasoline in the automobile, so the believer must fill himself with the Scriptures. To meditate means that one fills and consumes himself with truth. It permeates and saturates him.

3. Obey the Word
A godly man zealously pursues the Word but it is far more than just intellectual knowledge or rote memorization. Every man of God yearns to apply the Word; that is, to be a doer of the Word. Knowledge without obedience is but more logs to make hell hotter. More exposure to truth without repentance, faith, and obedience is like a businessman knowing all that he must do while standing at the door of his office and refusing to put any of it to practice. He will quickly be cast out, terminated, and gone. So it is with the wicked. But every man of God says with the psalmist that he will keep the righteous ordinances from God (Ps 119.106).

4. Prioritize the Word
A godly man prioritizes the Word more than anything else. Before conversing with men, the Godly man consumes his heart with God and His Word. Before working in the fields, the man of God will worship as he fellowships with the Triune God. Nothing so satisfies the heart of a godly man than opening the Book, reading it, seeing God in Christ, and being drawn and invited to worship! Like a delightful fruit tree, the man of God must quickly approach it to get the fruits so as to enjoy the sweetness and delightfulness in partaking of it. A man of God daily prioritizes the Word. Indeed, man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut 8.3).

5. Confide in the Word
In a life full of troubles and in a world pummeled by sorrows, the man of God applies the balm of the Word to the wounds of his heart. There is nothing that so comforts the godly man than the precious ointment and beauty of Christ and His gospel. The man of God confides himself in the Word. He hides in it. He trusts in it. He stands fully and constantly upon it. The only foundation that he has to stand upon in the shaky ground of this world is the solid Rock of Christ as revealed in the Word of God. The godly man receives comfort, joy and solace even in the most torrential of times when he comes to the Word and rests in the arms of the Great Comforter.

Spend Time With God.

From George Whitefield's Journals:

"I give to Him my soul and body to be disposed and worn out in His labours as He shall think meet. I do hence resolve, by His assistance…to lead a stricter life than ever, to give my self to prayer and the study of the Scriptures…. God give me my health, if it be His blessed will…. I give myself wholly to Him."

I give to Him my soul and body to be disposed and worn out in His labours as He shall think meet. I do hence resolve, by His assistance…to lead a stricter life than ever, to give my self to prayer and the study of the Scriptures…. God give me my health, if it be His blessed will…. I give myself wholly to Him.² - See more at: http://deliveredbygrace.com/lessons-from-whitefield-for-2015/#sthash.33zXqgu1.Xrqn5v2W.dpuf

I give to Him my soul and body to be disposed and worn out in His labours as He shall think meet. I do hence resolve, by His assistance…to lead a stricter life than ever, to give my self to prayer and the study of the Scriptures…. God give me my health, if it be His blessed will…. I give myself wholly to Him. - See more at: http://deliveredbygrace.com/lessons-from-whitefield-for-2015/#sthash.33zXqgu1.Xrqn5v2W.dpuf

Warmly Involving All Age Groups Into the Body of Christ

WARMLY INVOLVING ALL AGE GROUPS INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST
Geoffrey R. Kirkland

Every pastor hears it. Every shepherd receives that phone call. Every minister faces the same question. Someone comes to the elder and says that he doesn’t feel plugged in because the church doesn’t ‘have what I need.’ Or, to phrase it slightly differently, a churchgoer may quibble: ‘I don’t feel as though I can relate all that well to others in your church. There’s not that many people my age’ (or, my season of life, etc.). Every man of God serving in leadership in Christ’s church has been there. He’s faced it. He’s dealt with it. So, how do you involve various and all age groups into the beautiful and unified body of Christ in a local assembly?

A local church will have lots of groups, from twenty-somethings, to high school students, to the divorced, to the widowed/widowers, to the middle-aged singles who have never been married, to the teenagers, to the empty nesters, to the hurting ones who have been divorced, to families with young children, to the young children themselves, and to senior saints.

What follows does not attempt to exhaust ideas as to how to incorporate various age groups but it does seek to provide some ideas as to how a local assembly can corporately worship together and consciously, deliberately, compassionately, and patiently extend the arms of Christian love to any and all ages in the body of Christ.

1. Teach on the BEAUTY OF THE CHURCH.
Jesus does not define the body of Christ by class, race, age, gender, cultural background, likes, hobbies, or interests. Rather, the church consists of all those whom Christ redeemed with His own blood. The church serves as a mosaic of God’s glorious power, majesty, and creativity. The church comprises both Jews and Gentiles who have come together in Christ to worship Christ! Teaching this, and reinforcing this with regularity, is necessary in reminding everyone of the church’s beauty, diversity, glory, and vastness.

2. Plead for the ATTENTIVENESS OF THE MIND.
Whether the instructions are directed to the five year old boys, or the teenagers, or the emotionally crushed divorcees, or the senior saints, all must hear the important reality that they must listen attentively to the Word of God. They must engage their minds. Jesus calls for it and demands it. Let him who has an ear, let him hear! Church leaders must call for young and old, regardless of the season of life, to pay attention to the Word preached as a precious jewel that was cast forth.

3. Instruct to show MERCY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER.
Ministers should patiently and tenderly instruct all ages to demonstrate supreme mercy toward one another. Older saints should have mercy toward younger families with toddlers. And teenagers and twenty-somethings must exude overwhelming honor and grace toward senior saints who move slowly down the aisle in the sanctuary. The body of Christ must live with mercy and compassion toward one another. A church that encourages all ages to be present in corporate worship must remember this with frequency and strive to confess failures and implement change where needed.

4. Show the UNIVERSALITY OF THE GOSPEL.
The same gospel that the stay at home mother of four needs is the same gospel that her one year old, three year-old, six year old, and eight year old need. This gospel is the same gospel for the eldest saints who grow ever closer to graduating to heaven and for the teenagers battling with the cultural onslaught of pressures, sins, and temptations. It’s the same gospel for the businessman as it is for the middle-aged single woman who has never been married. The gospel that saves is a gospel that far surpasses the entire universe of background, age, and past histories. The gospel is not bound to an age group. The gospel must never be changed, manipulated, altered, or more palatable for various age groups. The little ones learning to walk need to hear of God’s glory, His justice, Christ’s righteousness, His atonement, repentance and faith, and their full surrender to Christ for life in the same way as the empty nester couple remembers the glory of the gospel.

5. Reinforce the NECESSITY OF BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP.
So how does one really plug into the church? Is church involvement really dependent upon one’s age? What a church has to offer? What programs the church presents? Are these really the issues that get people plugged in and keep them involved? Or is there something deeper — and more biblical — that can shed light on this? One should recall that Moses discipled Joshua. Paul discipled young Timothy. Godly men are to take spiritual truths and pass it on to other faithful men who can teach others also. Titus 2 commands older women to take younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, submissive to their own husbands — all so that the Word of God will not be dishonored. Imagine a church where older men (empty nesters, senior saints, fathers and husbands) came alongside of younger men (new believers, teenagers, young dads, new husbands, twenty-somethings) and walked with them weekly in the Word of God and in prayer. Consider the beautiful portrait of women meeting with other women for regular prayer, fellowship, discipleship, comfort, encouragement, and stimulation to love and good deeds. Singles could meet with young moms at their home while the kids are napping. Senior saints could reach out to the hurting divorcees. A culture of discipleship should repeatedly be reinforced in the local body. Indeed, the dads have the responsibility of shepherding and discipling their own children first and foremost. God instructs fathers particularly to instruct, discipline, disciple and pass on God’s Word, God’s works, and God’s ways to the children in the home throughout the week. In a church culture like this, not one person is left out. There is a place for everyone since the heartbeat of this kind of ministry is people-work, discipleship work, intentional life-on-life growth.

6. Pray for the UNCTION OF THE SPIRIT.
The only way true godliness can pervade the local church is when the Holy Spirit effectually implants His Word into people’s souls. Thus, the power to bring about change and growth in a local church resides in the Spirit of power. Believers must pray in the Spirit for godliness. Christians should cultivate holiness and prayerfulness in seeking to honor God and magnify Christ, all by the power of the Spirit through the reading and application of the written Word. The ultimate need of every soul irregardless of age, season of life, background, or status is the same. All men need the gospel of Jesus Christ. All must hear of their pervasive sin, God’s unbending righteousness, His supreme mercy, Christ’s once-for-all atonement, and the demand for repentance and faith in counting the cost to follow Him. The Holy Spirit raises the dead. He opens blind eyes. He unlooses mute mouths. He gives a heartbeat to the lifeless corpse. He makes men twice-born, that is, born-again. In the fabric of the local church, all believers must remember that the ultimate need that everyone has is the hearing, receiving, applying, delighting in, and submitting to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is made effective through the preaching of the Word and its application all by the effectual power (=unction) of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, instead of suggesting that a local church does not have the demographic preferences that one may hope to find and thus allowing that to serve as an excuse to leave a good, Bible-teaching local church, one should reconsider the importance of diligent and deliberate discipleship that biblically should come through the ongoing ministering of the Scriptures to one another. Indeed, every single Christian has the responsibility to warmly accept other believers into the fellowship regardless of these cultural (preferential) issues and strive to incorporate all people into the discipling web of interpersonal relationships built on Christ, Scripture, prayer and holiness. Amen.

Download the pdf essay here.

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Delight in & Feed upon the Word of God.

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4 Priorities of Christ Fellowship Bible Church.

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Why I believe part of fulfilling my role as a pastor is to do the work of an evangelist.

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Why We Preach the Gospel.

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Essentials for the Building & Maintaining of a Healthy, Godly Marriage.

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Soldier -- Take Up Your Sword!

Marriage & Heaven

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A Primer on Corporate Worship — Its Purposes & Blessings!

When the Sermon Preparation Is Finished, One Essential Still Remains...

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A Husband's Love for His Wife

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Equipping the Men to be Shepherds at Home.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Husbands & Wives Should Discuss Sermons Together.

Training for Ministry.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The Need for Open Air Preaching & The Opposition that Comes With It.

A Godly Man.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Spend Time With God.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Warmly Involving All Age Groups Into the Body of Christ

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