The Savior's Last Week

Here is a post I did a few years ago on the last week of Jesus. I hope you take some time over the next few days to reflect of the death and resurrection of our Lord.

Humility Book Review

Here is my book review of CJ Mahaney's Humility from 2005.

Pursuing Humility by the Grace of God

Reading CJ Mahaney's Humility again reminded me of this post I did 4 years ago:

Humility draws the gaze, favor and presence of God (Isaiah 66:2, 57:15) while pride repulses Him and brings Him in opposition to us (1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 8:13). If we would have God for us, we must seek to cultivate grace-enabled, Cross-bought humility in the power of the Holy Spirit. But first, let's do a little pride check.

Characteristics of the Proud
- Talk about themselves and their accomplishments
- Often compare themselves to others
- Concerned about what others think of them in public prayer
- Concerned about what others think in times of public worship
- After a meeting, I think about what I said and consider what others thought of me
- I fear speaking because I am afraid of making a mistake and saying something that would be considered stupid
- I take advantage of service that is likely to get me noticed and praised
- Do not confess sin to others
- Driven by a permeating perfectionism
- Feel good when others come to me for advice
- Like being the leader because it causes people to give you their attention
- Fear being a leader because I might mess up in front of others
- Extremely concerned about clothing
- Dress in a way that draws attention to themselves
- Laugh at other's mistakes, but blush at own

Characteristics of the Humble
- Amazed at God's love for them
- Often think about how great God is compared to them
- Understands personal weakness and willing to own and discuss them
- Primary goal in serving others is to bless them and glorify God
- Enjoy leading because of its service to others
- Enjoy following so as to assist the leader in serving others
- Will do the minimial tasks that get no recognition, and do them repeatedly
- Ask others for advice/asks questions
- Regularly study the Bible for guidance and direction
- Compare my life to God and not others
- Regularly confess sin to others
- Look for ways to spend time with people Jesus loved but the world doesn't
- When I make mistakes, I can laugh at myself and not be embarrassed
- Dress modestly

27 Ways to Cultivate Humility
From C.J. Mahaney:
1. Meditate on the cross.
2. Begin your day by acknowledging your dependence upon God.
3. Begin your day expressing gratefulness to God.
4. Practice the spiritual disciplines.
5. Seize your commute to memorize and meditate on Scripture.
6. Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you.
7. At the end of the day, transfer the glory to God.
8. Before going to sleep, acknowledge the gift.
9. Study the attributes of God.
10. Study the doctrines of grace.
11. Study the doctrine of sin.
12. Play golf.
13. Laugh often (especially at yourself)
14. Identify evidences of grace in others.
15. Encourage and serve others each and every day.
16. Invite and pursue correction.
17. Respond humbly to trials.

From Karl Graustein:
18. Ask God to make you humble.
19. Understand the immense difference between God and us.
20. Be aware of your weaknesses and limitations.
21. Study God's promises to the humble.
22. Study creation.
23. Spend time with people who are more gifted than you.
24. Learn a new skill.
25. Spend time with humble people.
26. Spend time with people who are honest with you about you.
27. Serve others.

What is Your Church Giving Away for Easter?

This church is giving away several million dollars worth of stuff (cars, furniture, etc.). My church: All we've got is a Savior who rose from the dead.

"I count everything as loss becasue of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." -Phil. 3:8.

HT: JR Vassar

Lots of Good-Looking New Books

1. What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
2. You Can Change by Tim Chester

For this week only, you can get both these at 50% off at WTS.

3. Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll
4. Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide
5. What Does God Want of Us Anyway? by Mark Dever
6. The Trials of Theology (highly recommended by John Piper)
7. New Version of the 2 Volume Whitefield biography
8. Gospel in Life (DVD) by Tim Keller

Happy Reading!

God Revealed Conference Audio

God Revealed: Delighting in the Character of the Creator

March 21-24, 2010

• God has Revealed Himself: Exploring the Knowability of God – Justin Childers
• God Revealed as Sovereign: Exploring the Supremacy of God – Jim Upchurch
• God Revealed as Triune: Exploring the Nature of God – Justin Nale
• God Revealed as Holy: Exploring the Perfection of God – Jason Gault
• God Revealed as Just: Exploring the Wrath of God – Jonathan Brooks
• God Revealed as Love: Exploring the Kindness of God – Dan Rolfe
• Q & A - Justin Nale, Jonathan Brooks, Dan Rolfe, and Justin Childers

New Dever Books

Do you think either of these will be given away at T4G?

1. New Mark Dever book - A quick overview of the whole Bible (wow!).
2. New Mark Dever book - Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement (yes!).

First Half of the God Revealed Conference Audio

1. The Knowability of God - Justin Childers
2. The Sovereignty of God - Jim Upchurch
3. God as Trinity - Justin Nale

To download, right click on the link and choose "save target as."

The Knowability of God

At our God Revealed Conference Sunday night, I meditated on the fact that God has revealed Himself (Audio here). Here were my 5 sections in the message:

1. The Importance of Knowing God.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 says that nothing is more important to a human than knowing God. If we are going to boast, let it be in that we know God.

2. The Obstacle to Knowing God.
God is the main obstacle to knowing God. Because of His justice and wrath, sinners cannot know Him on their own.

3. The Gift of Knowing God.
Christ died and rose from the dead so that we can know God. In fact, Jesus said that the eternal life that He gives to His own is the gift of knowing God (John 17:2-3). The Son chooses who to reveal the Father to (Matt. 11:27).

4. The Means of Knowing God.
If we are going to know God, we must pursue knowledge of Him through the means he has revealed Himself to us. I highlighted 4 ways God has and continues to reveal Himself: (1) Creation, (2) The Bible, (3) Jesus, (4) suffering.

5. The Effect of Knowing God.
When we know God, it changes our lives.

God Revealed Conference Starts Sunday Night

If you are in the area, consider joining us for the God Revealed Conference. All the details are here. I hear that there will be a special book giveaway on Tuesday night :).

If you are coming, which message are you most looking forward to?
If you cannot come, which message will you be looking forward to getting the audio for?

LTNBG on Clearance

Piper's Let The Nations Be Glad (2nd Edition) is on clearance. I bet this is because a new edition is now available.

The T4G Effect

One of the best aspects of the Together for the Gospel conference is all the free books they give away. Each session greets the attendees with a stack of books on their chair. So, in anticipation of T4G coming up in about a month, I'm not buying any books. 2 years ago, I already had most of the books they gave away, so I've been excercising self-control for the past few months.

For example, Piper has several new books out (like A Sweet and Bitter Providence). But, I don't have them yet. It is rare for me not to be first in line for a new Piper book.
I also really want this new book on church discipline: The Church and the Suprising Offense of God's Love. But, I don't have it yet.

Any of my readers going to T4G in April?

Work Out Because God Works In

John Murray helpfully summarizes Phil. 2:12-13:

“No text sets forth more succinctly and clearly the relation of God’s working to our working. God’s working in us is not suspended because we work, nor our working suspended because God works. Neither is the relation strictly one of co-operation as if God did his part and we did ours so that the conjunction or co-ordination of both produced the required result. God works in us and we also work. But the relation is that because God works we work. All working out of salvation on our part is the effect of God’s working in us, not the willing to the exclusion of the doing and not the doing to the exclusion of the willing, but both the willing and the doing. And this working of God is directed to the end of enabling us to will and to do that which is well pleasing to him. We have here not only the explanation of all acceptable activity on our part but we have also the incentive to our willing and working. What the apostle is urging is the necessity of working out our own salvation, and the encouragement he supplies is the assurance that it is God himself who works in us. The more persistently active we are in working, the more persuaded we may be that all the energizing grace and power is of God.”

From Redemption Accomplished and Applied

Praying with Whitefield and Piper

I'm praying today with Whitefield and Piper for God to raise up these kind of preachers and that I'll be one of them.

Whitefield wrote:
Yea…that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more . . . raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ. And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake’, who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades, but to win the Master’s approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness ‘signs and wonders following’ in the transformation of multitudes of human lives.

Quoted in Piper's "Why Expository Preaching is Particularly Glorifying to God."

Pillar Commentary Sale Ends ??

FYI - The great sale on the Pillar NT Commentary volumes ends today.

UPDATE:
Actually, I just got a note that they are extending the sale through next Tuesday.

Don't Be Surprised

Peter commanded the church not to be surprised when the fiery trial comes. I'm praying for gospel hope in Nigeria. One day, these Muslims will give an account and these Christians will receive the reward of their sufferings.

Philippians 2:5-11 - Gospel Glory

This is one of the most majestic passages in all of Scripture. In this passage, we are allowed to peer deeply into the greatest realities in the history of the universe.

The passage takes us on a breath-taking journey from the highest of heights in the eternal counsels of God to the lowest of lows and the agony of the cross and back up again to the most supreme place in the universe.

In Sunday's sermon, I focused on 2 aspects of the glory of Christ in this passage:
1. The Self-Humiliation of Christ (v. 6-8).
2. The Super-Exaltation of Christ (v. 9-11).

In verses 6-8, we see 4 downward steps in Christ's self-humbling:

• The top step is that Jesus is God.
• The first step down is that Jesus became a man.
• The second step down is that Jesus became a servant.
• The third step down is that Jesus was obedient to the point of death.
• The final step down is that Jesus died on a cross.

In verses 9-11, we see at least 4 truths about the exaltation of Christ:

• Jesus is at the highest place in the universe.
• Jesus' exaltation includes His resurrection, ascension, and enthronement.
• Jesus is Lord of the universe and has comprehensive authority.
• Jesus is the universal object of worship to the glory of God.

Sunday's Sermon Title: Gospel Glory

Thanks to all who suggested possible sermon titles for Philippians 2:5-11. I've chosen "Gospel Glory" as the title of my sermon for Sunday. So, my friend Dan Rolfe is the winner of Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ.

I like both Gospel Humility and Gospel Exaltation. Both ideas are clearly in the text, but they both are in the text so to take one and not the other would only reflect half the text.
I also like Gospel Attitude and Gospel Minded, which reflect Paul's point nicely. The context of this passage is that we are to have the attitude of Christ.

But, in the end, I think Gospel Glory captures the big picture best. Christ's self-humbling and His super-exaltation were all for the glory of God the Father (v. 11).

Giveaway Update

I'm very pleased with your suggestions for the Philippians 2:5-11 sermon title. I'll pick the winner of the sermon title contest tomorrow. So, keep the suggestions coming. But, I'd also like to get your opinion on my favorites so far. In no particular order, these are leading the pack:

Gospel Minded
Gospel Humility
Gospel Exaltation
Gospel Glory
Gospel Attitude
Gospel Journey

Which do you like and why?

Knowing God in Jeans

Back in January, I reviewed Josh Harris' Dug Down Deep. In that review, I said, "I couldn't help but think that Dug Down Deep is basically a modern and simplified version of Knowing God. Anybody else with me on this one?"

No one answered my question and I was beginning to think I was alone in my assesment. That is, until I read Thabiti's review, in which he said:

"At the end of the day, Dug Down Deep is Knowing God in blue jeans and a shaved head. That is to say, it’s a book of classic truth and worth, written for our day. It’s instantly in my top two or three reads so far in 2010. Thank you, Josh, for writing this book!"

So there you have it.

Free Book Contest - Sermon Title

Help me with my sermon title for Sunday and win a free book. I'll give away a copy of John Piper's newest biography book, Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ, to the person who comes up with the best title for my Philippians 2:5-11 sermon.

However, I'm not just looking for any random title (that would be easy for this majestic passage). I'm looking for one that fits the text AND fits with the other titles for my Philippians series. Here is where we have been so far:

Philippians 1:1-8 - Gospel Partnership

Philippians 1:9-11 - Gospel Prayer

Philippians 1:12-18 - Gospel Advancement

Philippians 1:19-25 - Gospel Ambition

Philippians 1:27-30 - Gospel Living

Philippians 2:1-4 - Gospel Unity

You can see where I'm going. I would like a title that matches the others ("Gospel _____"), and that fits Philippians 2:5-11.

So, if you want to help me out and have a good chance to win Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ, post your suggestion in the comments or send me an e-mail with your entry. If 2 people submit the same thing, the one who made the suggestion first will win the book. Any questions?

Why Read Books on Suffering?

"Justin, why do you read books on suffering?" That is the question I asked myself as I picked up yet another book that details God's plans and purposes for suffering in the life of His people. The question is relevant because I don't suffer very much and am never persecuted. If I was experiencing extreme suffering, it would be only natural to read books to help me endure. But, I live in relative ease and comfort.

The answer to that question is easy. I read books on suffering because I know I will suffer. Jesus promised me I would and I believe Jesus. And, I've lived long enough to know that no one lives very long without meeting pain, hardship, grief, and loss. My day of suffering will come. If God gives me life long enough, I will suffer.

We can't wait for the suffering to be upon us to fight against the temptations to doubt God and call His goodness into question. We must fight now.

If I hope to endure my lot of suffering, I must arm myself with the Biblical meaning, purpose, cause, and goal of suffering now. I'm hopeful that when all around my soul gives way, I will have been prepared in some small way to say, "He then is all my hope and stay."

I don't want to dread the clouds that are big with mercy. I don't want to cringe under the pain of the thorn He uses to pin aside the veil that hides His lovely face. So, I think about and read books on God's design in suffering.