PastaKeith

Felt Needs - Pro or Anti Gospel?

2005-12-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Treasures Found While Surfing Today
Felt Needs Explanation Why do we preach to people? what is the most important element in preaching? When we try to share the gospel, what are we aiming for? I am %100 in support of exegeting the text, crafting a sermon that is true to the text, and communicating the gospel in an unashamed way... But we need to speak to hearts, and the needs they feel. If we don't take the audience into account when we preach, how can we expect them to understand us? This guy has a pretty good rationale here. I like his style. Let's see how it works in ministry.
Felt Needs Matrix

Daily Bible Reading 2 Chronicles 1; 1 John 1; Micah 7; Luke 16;

2005-12-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

2 Chronicles 1
1:1 Solomon's Reign Begins
1:2-6 Traveling to the Tabernacle @ Gibeon
v.4 - Aside: Where is the Ark?
v.6 Solomon went up to the tabernacle, to the Altar. What will he do there?

1:7-13 God's Question to Solomon
v.9 The nature of NT 'rule' The promise of God's wisdom
v.11-12 Ask for wisdom, get riches? God knows our heart... What did He see in Solomon's heart? What does he see in mine?

1:14-17 The Prosperity (or Beginning Pollution) of King Solomon
v.14 Uh-oh. Not good.
v.15 Uh-oh. Not good either.

1 John 1
Great Outline on 1 John

1:1-4 Eyewitness Testimony concerning the Word of Life
v.1-2 They saw it and experienced it, and proclaim it.
v.3 Purpose of proclamation - Fellowship with the church (the true church) and with the Father & Son
v.4 Purpose of Writing - to complete his Joy.8
1:5 The Testimony of the Word of Life
v.5 This is the message of the living, breathing, touched Word-of-Life. (The rest of the letter is an outworking of this testimony?)
1:6-10 5 Conditional Statements
v.6 - There is no fellowship with God while we walk in darkness.
v.7 - There is fellowship if we walk in the light, and the Blood of Jesus removes our sin.
v.8 - There is sin in each of us. To deny that is to deny the truth.
v.9 - There is a purification from sins, based on the forgiving character of God, appropriated by our confession.
v.10 - There is a price for denying our own sinfulness, and the price is denying the truth of God and His gospel.

Micah 7
7:1-6 The Doomed Hope of Israel
v.1 Fruit-pickers have no fruit to gather. Is he a prophet with no one who listens? Is that the analogy?
v.3 Ambidextrous in Atrocity; I can understand the Prince and Judge asking for a bribe, what is the meaning of the great man speaking his desire? And are they all taking BasketWeaving 101? NASB rendering here is difficult. Holman Bible renders this, "when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,they plot it together." I like that. More on the HCSB, offical bible of the SBC.
v.5 No pillow talk! Loose Lips Might Sink Ships!

7:7-8 The True Hope of the Prophet
v.7 As for me (contrasting Micah with all Israel?) I will wait for the God of my salvation. All previous sins seem to be driving at gaining an advantage? At getting ahead? At getting over on the rest of the world? Micah says 'No! I'll wait for God.
v.8 Corrie ten Boom said, "There is no pit that He is not deeper still"

7:9-13 The Coming Judgement of All: Two Directions
v.9 Wow! Is that the gospel right there? We bear our indignation, for we are sinners, but he pleads our case and executes justice (am I dead? Is this justice?), but no! The sinner does not die, he is brought into the light, and God's righteousness is seen by the sinner. Compare with Romans 3:21-26, which Cliff Bedell has called the Heart of the gospel.
v.10 Those who hope in material things, and not in God... they will not be able to stand in the Day of Judgement.
v.12 On that day, earth will be empty (7:13) because of its sinful actions... no one is able to stand in the face of God's holiness.

7:14-20 The Coming Return from Exile
v.16 Hand on mouth - like job.
v.17 Licking dust like a serpent - like the devil? The kings of the nations leave their forts in fear, and fall down before God.
v.18, What God is there like this?
- He Pardons Iniquity
- He Passes over the Rebellious Acts of His people
- Doesn't hold onto anger forever, because His delight is to love full force.
v.19 The Coming Exile is not the end, God will restore.
- He'll stomp on their sin.
- He'll bury their sin in the ocean and "place there a buoy that says, 'No fishing.'" - Corrie Ten Boom
v.20 He will take them off the Land, but He will fulfill His great promise to Abraham and Jacob.

Luke 16
The Developing Outline
15:1-16:13 Four Parables and a Pithy Saying
16:14-31 Reaction of Pharisees and Reaction of Jesus

16:1-10 Parable of the Unrighteous Steward
16:11-13 Faithful in Little, and serving two Masters.
16:14- Feedback, and Jesus' Reaction
16:14-15 Reaction to the Four Parables & the Pithy Saying
v.14 The Pharisees & Scribes React
v.15 Jesus Responds:
16:16-17 A change in the program? Law gives way to kingdom?
16:18 Higher standards for fidelity/morality in the kingdom
16:19-31 The Rich Man and The Beggar
v.29, connection to 16:16-17
v.31 Chilling warning! Listen to the Law!

Daily Bible Reading for 12-01-05 1Chron.29; 2 Peter 3; Micah 6; Luke 15;

2005-12-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Readings today from McCheyne's Bible Reading Plan
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Anyhow, here's what I'm reading today:

1 Chronicles 29 (David's Final Worship Service):
29:1-5 David's Appeal to the People
   v.2 is really neat in the NAS "I have provided the gold for the things of gold..." etc....
   v.3 David's delight in God spills over into his giving. His delight is manifest in the giving of more. He gives another generous gift (3), and then appeals to the people to consecrate themselves (5)to the temple project.

29:6-9 The People's Response
   v.7 The people respond in turn.
   v.8 Here is a trustworthy guy: Jehiel the Gershonite.
   v.9 They gave with their whole heart... and therefore could rejoice in their gift.

29:10-22a David Leads the People in Worship
   10-13 David Blesses the Lord
   14-19 David's Appeal to the Lord for Perfect Hearts
   20-22a The People Bless the Lord and Give Offerings

29:22b-25 The Second Coronation and Reign of King Solomon

29:26-30 Summary of the Reign of King David
   v.29 a hint at the authorship of 1 & 2 Samuel? Samuel, Nathan & Gad?

2 Peter 3 (Fiery Words from a Grizzled Old Fisherman)
3:1-2 Peter's Purpose for His Second Letter: Remember!
   v.2 The Word of the Lord is spoken through the Apostles

3:3-7 Mockers will Come
   v.4 They mock his coming, and preach the doctrine of uniformitarianism
   v.5-6 In their mocking, they neglect that the dry land came out of the water once, and that the whole world was flooded once upon a time.
   v. 7 Take heed! What comes next is a flood of fire!

3:8-10 Know that He is Coming Again
   v.8 Often abused to make Genesis 1 fit into a 'billions of years' scheme, Peter's intent here is to answer the charge in 3:4, "WHere is the promise of His coming?" He's coming, you just think He's taking a long time.

3:11-13 Future Facts are Given to Influence Our Present Acts
   v.11-12 All the Ipods, Cruise Ships, TV's and SUVs are going to be burned up... Why not rather be holy?
   V.13 Besides, the world we get, the one we are going to, will be so much better.

3:14-18 Closing Exhortation: You Know the End of the Story, Therefore Be Strong!
   v.14-15a: Be diligent to be holy, knowing that God's delay in coming means salvation for more...
   v.15b-16: Paul talks about these things in his letters, and people twist those writings to their own destruction.
   v. 17-18a: So watch out and don't let the false teachers distract you or draw you into error!
   v.18b: Closing benediction. To God be the glory.

Micah 6 (Strange Waters... What lies ahead?)
6:1-5 The Opening Argument Phase of the Indictment
   v.3 I can hear the voice of God asking Israel, "Why don't you love me?"
   v.4 I brought you out of slavery and gave you great leaders!
   v.5 What are they supposed to remember? The story of Balak and Balaam. The vulgarity at Shittim, check out Phineas spear-work here!

6:6-8 The Evidentiary Phase of the Indictment
   v. 6-7 What is the Offering this God Demands? What should we offer Him? (6) Sacrifices? Valuable animals? (7) 1000s of animals, doused in valuable oil? My first born child?
   v. 8 No! God has told us what He requires!
      To do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with Him!
      Man! That is a powerful section of scripture!
      Sermon Title: What will get the job done?
      I. What can we offer to Him? (Micah 6:6-7)
         Money given? Candles lit? Prayers said? Lighting oneself on fire? (Include all relevant forms of self-debasement that buy the approval of God.)
      II. What has He asked for? (Micah 6:8)
         How hard it is do to the simple thing He requests of us!

      That'll preach!

6:9-16 The Sentencing Phase of the Indictment
   v. 9-12 Will God continue to bless a sin-sick people?
   v. 13-15 The Principle of Some-Equals-Nothing: This shows up in Haggai and Zechariah as well: The people work, they harvest, they deposit, but when they come to look for what they worked for... It is gone! God frustrates their efforts and brings them up short. We hear His voice call to us in the midst of our sin (6:9), and we fear the frustration to come: Need encouragement not to sin? There is some right there!
   v. 16 Wicked Kings Ahab and Omri were long gone at this point, but the people lived according to the wicked statutes of those kings... And not according to the righteous statutes of the leaders he gave them (6:4).

Luke 15 (Familiar Territory, again..)
Luke 15:1-3 The Setting
   v.1 The Crowd that Gathered.
   v.2 The Hypocrites who Grumbled.
   v.3 The Story He Told.

Luke 15:4-7 The Lost Sheep (99:1 odds)
   v.4 Was this common practice, to leave the 99 and go after the one? would they have stayed there alone? Were those the good sheep? (15:7?)
   v. 7 More joy over one sinner recovered... Than over a church of 150 meeting regularly for prayer and bible study? Hmm... Do we have our priorities right?
      Is it missing the meaning of the passage to say, "Well, no one in the world needs no repentance! We all need to repent!"? I think it might be.

Luke 15:8-10 The Lost Coin (9:1 odds)
   v.8 probably harder to find a missing coin on a dirt floor with an oil lamp, than on a tile floor with light bulbs or a flash light.
   v.10 Focus is definitely on the 1, as opposed to the 9. They are safe, the lost are who Jesus is seeking.

Luke 15:11-32 The Lost Son (1:1 odds)
   In a Jewish society, this kid was the worst of all... In our society, He's the prototypical American teen... Some of the stigma has been lost.
   v.12-24 Arrogance, Descent, Realization, Return, Redemption
   v.25-30 'Righteous Indignation' at the Reaction of the Father
   v.31-32 The Testimony of the Father
      You have always been with me (You're a good kid, I like you!)
      All that is mine is yours (What have I withheld from you?)
      But we had to celebrate, your brother is back from the dead (Be excited over the repentance of the lost, church!)

That'll preach

That was fun... See you tommorrow

New Location, Same Stuff, Hopefully More Frequent Updates

2005-12-01T17:58:00.000-08:00

Up until yesterday, my blog was hosted at here but I wanted to have a way to update remotely.

Thanks to this guy I've been inspired to actually produce some content on a daily basis. No promises, probably no readers either... But I've decided to give it another go.

First Post

2005-03-29T18:48:00.000-08:00

Here it is. The first post on my blog. Not exactly sure what use a blog is... but I'll give it a shot.

What's new?
- Writing my own job description.
- Rapid-reading the "Series of Unfortunate Events" Books (I'm on "The Carnivorous Carnival" Now...)
- Starting a blog.