This looks to be a great and needed upcoming book. On his blog today, CJ shared a portion of a chapter dealing with Paul’s instructions to Timothy on how women should behave in worship.

(1 Tim 2:9). He is concerned because some of them are imitating the dress and adornment of the ladies of the Roman court and the prostitutes. Those women were known for their expensive clothes and jewelry and elaborate hairstyles; they dressed, not only to attract attention, but to seduce as well.

When the women of the church arrived dressed like this, it’s no surprise that they distracted others from worshiping God. What’s more, through their ostentatious dress they associated themselves with the wealthy (thus separating themselves from the poor) and the ungodly (thus distancing themselves from their fellow church members). Their dress was distracting, and maybe even divisive.

He concludes:

This truth has timeless relevance. Consider, who inspires your attire? Who are you identifying with through your appearance? Who are you trying to imitate or be like in your dress?

Does your hairstyle, clothing, or any aspect of your appearance reveal an excessive fascination with sinful cultural values? Are you preoccupied with looking like the latest American Idol winner, or the actresses on magazine covers, or the immodest woman next door? Are your role models the godly women of Scripture or the worldly women of our culture?

I hope the entire book is this applicable and clear on how to be in the world and yet not of the world and resisting the world’s seduction.

Whatever you may be planning on doing with your upcoming “free” money, this article by Piper gives a great biblical view of finances. So, even if you have already spent this upcoming check, consider what you can do with future expendable income or maybe even some that you do not consider expendable.

Before the check comes dream of some person or ministry which might make much of Christ because you treasured him above your next home project.

The reason God created money and enabled us to earn it is so that we could show by the way we use it that money is not our treasure, Christ is. That’s why the checks are coming. So we can make Christ look great.

“Be content with what you have, for he has said,
‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

I just want to know how John Piper knew about our home project plan?

I have relatively few quotes from this sermon. It was one that I simply had to just sit and listen in amazement of what Christ accomplished and how little I deserved any part of it. At pastor’s conferences certain messages can be aimed directly at pastors, others can be more academic in nature. Dr. Sproul seemed to disregard any credentials in the room. It seemed he did not care if it was a room full of educated pastors or simple minded men and women; whether there were sinners or saints present he was burdened to preach Christ! At one point he even addressed that some in the room, even though pastors, may still be under the curse and in need of Christ. Therefore, I would encourage all that this message is for them.

It is based on the premise that we live in a planet under the curse of God; What does that mean? He then contrasts the blessing of God and the curse of God. Christ came to make his blessings known as far as the curse is found.

Piper’s message on suffering was vintage Piper. He traced through the last 3 chapters of Hebrews demonstrating that we must share with Christ in his suffering and that “the sweetest fellowship is fellowship of His sufferings.” He also reminded us that suffering is a large part of the attractiveness of the Gospel. When we rejoice in suffering, that will catch the world’s attention:

The world will not glorify Christ because Christians are healthy and wealthy, because that is what they already live for.

I want to recommend this message to women. There is gold in the middle of the message as Piper talked about “strong” women in his church. Women who are faithful and love theology, women who have stayed with unconverted husbands for years, women who have suffered and found joy in the gospel. I believe it will be a great encouragement.

One last quote just for fun:

iPhones are killing us

Listen and find the context it will serve you well.

I have just returned from attending the second T4G conference and want to try to share a few quotes and thoughts from the conference. First, some may be interested to know that the sermons are available for free download. All were good but I would highly recommend Ligon Duncan’s, R.C. Sproul’s, and John MacArthur’s.

Ligon Duncan’s is a helpful examination of the need for a systematic theology. Not simply doctrine, but a systematic way of understanding that doctrine. For any struggling with the emergent movement I believe he rightfully points out some of the liberal backbone of that movement. One quote came from J Gresham Machen’s book “Christianity and Liberalsim”: “Christianity is a life not a doctrine.” Surprising to some maybe many evangelicals is that this quote is the wording from the 19th century liberals! Here is a fuller quote and response by Machen in his writing:

Christianity, according to that fashionable modern answer, is a life and not a doctrine, it is a life or an experience that has doctrine merely as its symbolic intellectual expression, so that while the life abides the doctrine must necessarily change from age to age.

That answer, of course, involves the most bottomless skepticism that could possibly be conceived; for if everything that we say about God or about Christ or about the future life has value merely for this generation, and if something contradictory to It may have equal value in some future generation, then the thing that we are saying is not true even here and now. A thing that is useful now may cease to be useful in some future generation, but a thing that is true now remains true beyond the end of time. To say, therefore, that doctrine is the necessarily changing expression of religious experience or religious life is simply to give up the search for truth altogether.

Was Christianity at the beginning in that sense a life as distinguished from a doctrine? At this point we desire to be perfectly clear. Christianity at the beginning certainly was a life, about that there can be no manner of doubt. The first Christians led lives very different from the lives of the people about them, and everything that did not conform to that peculiarly Christian type of life was rigidly excluded from the early Church. Let us be perfectly plain about that.

But how was that Christian type of life produced? There we come to the crux of the whole question. If one thing is clear to the historian it is that that type of life was not produced merely by exhortation or merely by the magic of personal contacts; if one thing is clear to the historian it is that earliest Christian missionaries did not go around the world saying. “We have been living in contact with a wonderful person, Jesus; contact with Him has changed our lives; and we call upon you our hearers, without asking puzzling questions, without settling the meaning of His death, without asking whether He rose from the dead, simply to submit yourselves to the contagion of that wonderful personality.”

Ligon went on to give advice for those that are opposed to systematic theology:

If someone tells you they don’t believe in systematic theology, look out! They are about to slip it in under the door without you looking.

He also addressed the notion that the bible is really a story, not doctrine, and that this too is on the slippery liberal slope. I was not quick enough to write down all the quote on this but he traced how the Bible is full of narrative, prophecy, wisdom literature, hymns and songs, letters, etc. not simply a story from which we pull some meaning. He even went to show how the stories that the scriptures use and that Christ used are “not to leave wiggle room. That is not how the Bible stories work. He (Christ) uses them to drive deep in our heart propositional truths and doctrine.”

I can only share bits and pieces. The whole context will make even these quotes more clear and powerful. If you enjoyed them or even if you disagreed with them, I would encourage you to listen to the entire message.

I am officially back from vacation just in time to head south again to Together 4 the Gospel in Louisville.  I need to clean up some business before I leave though.  This years Reformed Roundball (March Madness Picks) had record participation (37) and featured one of the greatest come from behind wins ever.  The prize for such a feat?  Getting your picture on Blasted Gourd, and I may have to pull out my Mullet Trophy!

This years winner, the only one to pick Kansas to win it all, Shane Walden:

Rounding out the top 10

Beth Lutz, Joel Merck, Charles Lemons, Joey George, Tom Lutz, Eric Price, Angela Perry, Steve Jones, and Drew Nuce.  Heather and I tied for 26th with Kara only one point behind!  Thanks to all who participated.

We are on vacation this week and visited a PCA church this morning for worship.  I was reminded of how good it is to worship corporately.  There is something to be gained by worshiping God together.

Several rows up and over one section was an elderly man, probably in his 80’s.  Every once in awhile I would hear an odd sound.  Finally, I noticed that he was holding a voice box (some electronic device that made a voice for him) up to his neck to sing the hymns.  He sang every hymn, every word.  He took part in every aspect of the worship.  I was humbled and encouraged by his worship of our savior.   That odd sound was truly a joyful noise.

This is part of an article Justin Taylor linked to today.  Good reminders!

Christians, how often do you pray for your pastors who preach the Word of God to you? How devoted in prayer are you for the work of preaching? The health of the church is dependent on a man of God standing with an open Bible and declaring the glory of Christ’s person and work. The success of the sermon depends upon the sovereign work of God to open our hearts to hear and apply His Word. Thus, we must plead with God for His blessing on the preacher and on the message he preaches.
Here are a few suggestions of what to pray for those who preach:
1. During the week, pray for God to reveal the burden of the text to him.
2. During the week, pray that God would grip the preacher’s heart with His glory revealed in the text.
3. On Sunday morning, pray that God would free him from distractions.
4. On Sunday morning, pray that he would proclaim the truth boldly and clearly.
5. On Sunday morning, pray for God to powerfully speak through him.
6. On Sunday morning, pray that Christ would be treasured by all gathered.