Where have you been Blogger-boy?

Every once in a while I remember I have a blog, then consider burying it in its blog-grave, then think of one more thing I would like “say” before I do!

We had our annual business meeting at Grace Fellowship Church last night and that gave cause to reflect on the last year of our church’s life.

One year ago, I read our folks John 12:24 and suggested this would be the basis to the next year or so as we planned to send off a part of us to plant another church.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

I asked our folks to ponder, “How does it feel to die?”  That was a real question, since we sent out 26 members (plus their kids and some “attenders”) over the last 12 months.  For a church of our size that is a pretty huge hit – basically one third of our membership.  We also went through some other pruning and trials that made this past year one of the most difficult we have yet to experience.

But then I looked through that list of 26 names again and do you know what I saw? Sent out from our little church in one year were 3 pastors, 2 deacons, 2 lead worshipers, 2 missionaries, 1 pastoral assistant and 16 solid members spread out to churches like Grace Fellowship Church East, New City Baptist, Harvest Durham, and a couple of others. What a blessing!

On top of this was the added surprise that the Lord added to our membership 24 new people – just two shy of the number who were sent out. We had hoped to grow again, but did not expect it to come so soon.

So now Grace Fellowship Church is a new church. There is a new core, a new vibe and the same old Gospel.  Toronto continues to grow with people from all over the world and a bunch of our church were here on Saturday to take that glorious Gospel to whomever happened to be waiting at a nearby bus stop.

I love His church.

For Free - Some Suggested Questions for TAG

(Almost) every week our members all meet in various homes in what we call Truth Application Groups or TAG's.  The one week we do not meet is the Sunday we hold a "Fellowship Lunch."  (Since we are an urban church, we thought it a good idea to take one Sunday per month to eat together immediately after the first service - then share the Lord's Supper.)  Today is a Fellowship Lunch Sunday which means there are no TAG's meeting today.  With me so far?
Our TAG's spend 40% of their time trying to apply what we have heard preached in the morning service.  Our elders typically meet right after the service to fine tune some questions to enable this so that we aim at heart motivations.  Since I forgot it was Fellowship Lunch Sunday when I was studying yesterday, I went ahead and made up some TAG questions.  And being one of those guys who hates to waste anything, I am posting them here.
If you are a GFC member, I would encourage you to find another member this week and talk through some of these.
If you are some cyber-outsider peering in, feel free to listen to the sermon once it gets posted and then use these questions if you want a feel for how we do what we do.

• Every member of GFC agrees to be at Sunday morning service, TAG and Wednesday night service.  Are you? Do you feel it is okay to miss? How much?  Does it feel like we meet too many times per week?
• What are some benefits of regular meeting with other Christians?
• What keeps you from being transparent and authentic with other Christians?
• What are you most afraid of losing in persecution?
• What distractions tempt you the most? (money, sex, stuff, comfort)
• Have you ever felt bored with preaching, tired of serving, or fed up with services?  What might that be saying about your spiritual health?
• Have you lived on the fringe of a church? How is living in the core different? Have you invited others in?

Can Ministry be Measured?

Every once in a while I sit down with our member directory and note every ministry every member is involved in. It always pleasantly surprises me.
We are not a “program church.” By design we keep our service schedule tight and avoid meeting at any times besides Sundays and Wednesdays. Yet, almost every member of our church is busy serving in three or four significant ministries. These will include everything from nursery staff, to setting up (lots of!) chairs, to serving seniors at a nearby nursing home, to greeting people at the door.
As vital as all these ministries are, they pale in comparison to that whole other level of ministry that is taking place at the same time – Christians serving other Christians. The members of our church take fellowship seriously, and seek to build into each other’s lives all the time. I am amazed to overhear snippets of conversations week by week as I stroll the hall. I am encouraged to catch glimpses of brothers meeting for meals during the week in order to sharpen each other spiritually. I smile at established members inviting “new people” over for a meal. I am thrilled to observe older women serving younger women, to see grown men taking time to build relationships with unbelieving kids in our church family, to hear of “secret” financial gifts to those in need and to watch the tidal movement of authentic Christian community.
Then there is the consistent evangelism of the lost. We meet to pray every week and every week our members ask to pray for certain folks to whom they have spoken the Gospel.
How could one measure this? Part of its beauty is that it is so real and “of the moment” and carried along by the Spirit that it could never be scripted or assessed.
I think that is a very important thing to remember when we evaluate church. We might be tempted to set up a grid that lists particular ministries to particular age groups or demographics. Or, we might think the only evangelism that really counts is the stuff we do “officially” as a group. In a market-driven culture these look like decent measures. They are not the ones God uses.
Real people engaging real people with the real Truth. This is what it means to be part of a real local church. And I absolutely love mine!

Why We Don't Pray

We meet to pray every Wednesday night at GFC and usually take 10 minutes before prayer to reorient our minds toward God. To do this last night I asked our adults two questions. I found folks’ answers very encouraging! Admittedly, I did not get every response jotted down, but here is a sampling of what we came up with:

1. What lies do we believe that keep us from praying?

• God will not listen to me
• God is not able to help
• I need to work things out myself; I am more trustworthy than God
• God is not going to do good
• I am not good enough for God to listen to me
• My matters are unimportant
• I have already prayed about this a hundred times
• I will not pray the right thing
• Prayer will not change anything since God is sovereign

Then we sought to answer these lies with the Truth of the Word.

2. What things are true about God that should deeply encourage us to pray to Him?

• He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything
• He forgives our iniquities
• He takes pleasure in His people
• His mercies are new every morning
• He hears those who ask of Him
• He listens to the humble who pray
• He does more than we can ask
• If He gave us Christ how will He not give us all things?
• His kingdom is not of this world
• He sympathizes with our weakness
• He maintains the cause of the afflicted
• He draws close the brokenhearted
• Christ intercedes for us, sitting, resurrected at the Fathers right hand
• He is our pleasure, stronghold, joy and path of life
• His Spirit intercedes for us in prayer
• He hears us

If we fail to pray it is because we have thought much too little of Christ and much too much of ourselves. God rescue us from proud independence!

Praying for More Than a Few Minutes

What makes a church like ours set aside a beautiful Saturday morning to seek God in five hours of prayer?

When Grace Fellowship Church began we were one dependent lot. We had no money, no building, no people, and no guarantee of success. Yet, reading of two personalities from the past had recently impacted me.

First, I read a description of the Week of Prayer held every year at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London under Spurgeon’s ministry. The author held up that week as one of the sweetest, most spiritually refreshing seasons of the calendar year. The week would begin with the elders leading in prayers of repentance “often in tears” and culminate in aspirations of great hope in the progress of the Gospel.

I also read how George Mueller started an orphanage, yes, to help the orphans, but more importantly, to launch an impossible ministry that would prove the sovereign God hears and answers prayer. If you read his autobiography you will laugh with joy at all the ways God did exactly that.

So, at GFC we started with a mid-week meeting to pray before we ever met for worship on Sundays. And after Sunday meetings began we kept it. Within a year or two we added a week of prayer in the New Year. Several years after that we started holding a second week or a day of prayer in September (the second new year!).

And all we do at these meetings is pray. Oh, we have little booklets to direct us and remind us of what we should be praying about, but there is no teaching, nor is there that bane of all lively prayer meetings – the 40 minutes of “prayer requests.” (It has always floored me that we can be so easily duped into talking about what we are going to pray rather than just praying!)

So, this Saturday will come, our fall day of prayer, and I will have feelings in the morning like, “Yawn, here we go again.” And, “Five hours on a Saturday sure is long!” Then I will put on my pastor game-face, show up at 7AM and by noon be thinking, “Does it have to end?”

You pray for us, won’t you? That the Lord will “come down” this Saturday and meet with His people. He has never missed an opportunity so far.

Two New Churches Are Born!

Tim recently posted on our longstanding prayer request at GFC for own meeting place for free. That request is one of many we gladly make every week as we gather to pray. Another thing we prayed about for many years was church planting.
Last Sunday night New City Baptist Church launched in downtown Toronto. It was a humbling experience to watch this new church be born. John Bell is leading the work and preached an excellent message from Matthew 16 challenging all of us to live like the Gospel is true. One of my favorite lines from his preaching: “Do you know what our biggest handicap is in evangelism? Who human beings are under sin.”
The Lord has been with this work so far and I cannot wait to see what He will do in the months and years to come.
Three weeks ago, we were able to launch a second church. Grace Chapel is pastored by Habib Sakr in Markham, a suburban area just north of Toronto. This work had a decidedly different birth than New City, but the Lord is clearly in it. Habib immigrated to Canada from Lebanon and was saved by God along the way. After many years of faithful associate pastor work, the time came for him to launch a new reformed and Baptistic church and amazingly, the Lord has gotten them up and going quickly. We were there for there first service where my brother preached an excellent sermon from Hebrews 11 on the faith of Noah. My favorite line from that sermon? “There was Noah before Noah. It was not like he had some model to follow!” That brought faith as humble reliance on God into a new light.
Please pray for us as we help both these churches move ahead. The lack of blogging around here has been in large part to the added work of helping these works begin. That has been absolutely joyful labour!

Benedictions...

A few years ago I developed a strong urge to incorporate a final benediction into our meetings for corporate worship at Grace Fellowship Church. This had never been a part of my ministry, probably out of reaction to some of the rote renditions I had lived under in the past.

It is now a great joy to me to speak one of these blessings over the sheep allotted to me each week. It is exciting to read them with meaning and to bless my people with the very words of Scripture.

I got to wondering. Do you have a benediction at church? And are there any we have missed on our list?

Just reading this list will bless you...

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you
according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations,
according to the command of the eternal God,
to bring about the obedience of faith
— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

May the God of peace be with you all.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority,
before all time and now and forever. Amen.

And my God will supply every need of yours
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all... so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

May... our God may make you worthy of his calling and may [He] fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Over the Hill?

Last week I completed our Sunday morning sermon series on the core values of Grace Fellowship Church. It was joy to study and preach through these with Julian and you can access the messages here.

This week I am back in the Gospel of John after a long hiatus and it is like sitting down for coffee with an old friend. I was quite timid to preach John as I think it is one of the most layered and profound books in the Bible. Even though it is narrative, it almost carries a sense of the wisdom literature genre to it – for the careful reader. But initial fear, as is so often the case, was soon replaced by excitement. The only Gospel I have yet to preach through verse by verse is Matthew – and the beauty of each is that it teaches you Christ.

I recall someone coming to me early in the John series and saying, “When you announced John I was a little let down. We had already heard lengthy series on Mark and Luke. But once we got going it enflamed my love for Jesus like never before! I just cannot get enough of Christ!” My thoughts run parallel. The Christian never tires to hear of His Lord (even though the preacher might get tiresome).

So, it is finally back to some routine. I have a set text to study each week, instead of a topic like the Core Values series and that is fine with me. It has been a long and weary sprint from Labour Day to this week!

We have also begun a new evening series we call “26 Questions (You Should Be Asking).” Lots of folks have asked me for that list of questions and I am happy to share it here:

1. How Can I Know What is True?
2. Who Is God?
3. How Many Gods Are There?
4. Where Did the World Come From?
5. Is The World Spinning Out of Control?
6. What is prayer and What Does it Do?
7. Are There Other Spiritual Beings?
8. Why Are We Here?
9. Is There Any Difference Between Men & Women?
10. What is Sin and What Difference Does it Make?
11. Who is Jesus?
12. Why Did Jesus Die?
13. Where is Jesus Now?
14. What is the Gospel?
15. What Does it Mean to Be Born Again?
16. What Can I Do About My Guilt?
17. Will My Life Ever Get Better?
18. Can I Lose My Salvation?
19. What Happens When I Die?
20. Who is the Holy Spirit?
21. What is the Church?
22. What is Baptism?
23. What is the Lord's Supper?
24. Where Do I Fit in the Church?
25. What Will Happen at the End of Time?
26. What is the 'After-Life'?

Some of those questions might get tweaked a little as we move on, but they give you the general feel. I am really excited about this series especially as it falls on the end of our Core Values. Not only do we want to answer these questions, but we also want to show how these answers contribute to our Core Values. I think it will be a great series taught by a number of our gifted men.

I will be preaching elsewhere this week, but am happy to leave my pulpit to Tom Gee and Julian Freeman. It is a Fellowship Lunch Sunday at GFC, so after our morning meeting we eat lunch together and move right from that into a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Our whole family hates to miss that, but such the schedule dictates!

So, it appears the gallop has settled back down to a trot. We are over the hill and await a new one.

Ordination Sermon - The Fuel to Pastoral Courage - 2 Timothy 1:7 - Part Two

In Timothy’s case, it was a fear of man (the cowardice that flows out of shame/embarrassment) that fuelled the neglect of his spiritual gifting. He had an ample supply of fear-triggers.

1. Imminent persecution. Paul himself is writing from prison. Deserted, cold and suffering – and this after much public opposition to his work. The same fate always lurked about for Timothy.

2. Older saints opposed to his ministry. It is not always the case, but sometimes, some churches are full of old people who are too proud to listen to a younger man. Timothy was ever conscious of his young age and apparently there were some in Ephesus who were as well. Paul would write in 1 Timothy 4:12 “ Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

3. Sophisticated false teachers abounded. These wolves in sheepskins were deceptive, slick and always saying enough good to make you think their bad was not so bad. They were a formidable enemy.

4. It appears that Timothy was not altogether healthy and might have worried about his ailments. Or, he might have been so anxious over other matters that it affected his health. Paul would write to him: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” (1 Timothy 5:23).

Persecution, grumpy old men, false teachers, sickness – lots to be afraid of!

But to all these possible causes of fear and shame – we are given one answer. Julian – to all your triggers to fear and shame, whether the fear of hurting someone, the fear of looking badly, the fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time... to all these triggers you are offered one word. And I want to preach that word to you, my brother! And may God give you grace so that fuel for Gospel courage, that cure to shame and fear – the true cure – marks your entire life and ministry!

The Cure? “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I. Remember what the Spirit does not give -- (Fear

Was Not Attached to the Given Spirit or His Gifts

The Holy Spirit that God gave you – and the gifts with which He has blessed you – are not marked by fear.

That means that any fear in you is man-generated, sin-generated. It is a symbol of our fallenness, not our righteousness. It is evidence of your spirit, not the Holy Spirit.

Saul was a tall and handsome man. He stood head and shoulders over everyone and when the people of Israel saw their new King, they said: “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” But where was Saul before they brought him to the coronation ceremony? Hiding in the luggage. He was afraid.

You are a good looking chap, Julian. People see you as smart and friendly and full of good works. And all that pressure to perform, to not disappoint people, may tempt you to hide in the luggage. To duck back behind books or administration or fellow elders... but that is the fear of man – not a mark of God’s powerful Spirit!

It was not humility that kept Saul in the luggage – but disbelief that gave birth to her screaming child, Fear. Saul had already been assured by God that the Sovereign Lord would be with him. He had been anointed by God to this ministry. He had been given confirmations of this through circumstance and people. He was called to be King – not coward.

And you too have been called, not to a kingship, but the eldership. An office in God’s church that requires you to serve by leading. You will lead by example, yes, but you must also lead by word and action. The best Kings in Israel’s history led their troops to battle; they marched at the front of the lines. Like King Theoden in Lord of the Rings they rushed down to what appeared to be certain death. They took risk for God’s glory. Necessary risk – no one WANTED to fight those Orks, but someone HAD to!

There is no room for the faint-hearted in the leadership of a church. By taking on this ministry you are inviting, at some point, persecution and suffering. You are offering your life to the King as the one who will go into the battle when someone HAS to. You might as well decide now not to fear!

Jesus calmed a raging storm from a little fishing boat. After they woke him up from his nap, He asked His disciples (in the midst of the tumult!), “Why are you afraid?” and then with a word stopped the wind and waves. He did not console them, dry the rain and salt water off their faces... He asked them why they feared. They should not have been afraid since the Lord of Creation was in the boat with them! And the Lord of creation is “in the boat” with you, Julian, in all you do.

The more fear controls your ministry, the less the Holy Spirit is at work.

Although there are plenty of worldly reasons to run away in shame and tremble in the corner – there is never a spiritual reason. God Himself has removed all “triggers to fear” by removing the greatest risk known to man – death. By conquering death, he conquers fear. Perfect love casts out fear.

The presence of God’s Spirit and the gifts of His Spirit in us – are not gifts of fear.

In Paul’s words, God has not given us:

^· The Holy Spirit of Timidity!

^· The Coward Spirit.

^· The Barney Fife Spirit – with shaking hands and wobbly knees.

^· The Golly Spirit of Indecision and Second-guessing.

^· The Buckle-Under and Roll-Over Spirit

God has not given to us the Spirit of Fear... “BUT” (that lovely little adversative....) BUT, He has given the opposite, something entirely better and different!

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

“The Spirit and the gifts are ours!” Ours through Christ our Lord. Now, tell us about the Spirit and the gifts... how do these impact our fearful tendencies? How do the Spirit and His gifts help us fight off the cowardice that tempts us when sickness, persecution, strife and false teachers attack?

Ordination Sermon - The Fuel to Pastoral Courage - 2 Timothy 1:7 - Part One

Spending the last several weeks meditating on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (and other passages) has greatly refreshed my own zeal for the ministry which God has set before me. One of my kids asked me on Sunday night how long it took to prepare the sermon I preached as we brought Julian into the eldership. My answer (I think I stole it from somewhere in essence) was 41 years and one week. This sermon in particular had a lifetime behind it - not that I am the pastoral prototype(!) - rather, it is a subject that I have thought about for years.
Anyway, we do not ordain men at GFC... and we have our reasons. But we do confirm their calling to the eldership and the deaconate. What follows are some notes from the first part of my sermon on 2 Timothy 1:6-7 as we set aside a service to confirm the call of God on Julian Freeman.

The Fuel to Pastoral Courage - 2 Timothy 1:7

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I. There are ways that this passage does not relate to us:

1. Timothy had a unique relationship to an Apostle. “I have no one like him,” “He is a son in the faith.” That is how Paul characterizes this man. Timothy had traveled with Paul, witnessed his persecutions firsthand and spent countless hours being mentored and trained by this apostle.

2. There was something unique in Timothy’s gifting because of this. Today, we lay hands on Julian: “we,” as in Murray and me. But we are not apostles nor do we transfer spiritual gifting via our hands. In fact, Mr. Spurgeon would suggest we are wasting our time! Speaking of this ceremony, he said, “Empty hands on a empty head make for an empty rite” – I think that is how he described this! But we have our reasons to press on.

II. There are more ways this passage does relate to us:

1. It is in the Bible – and all of the Scripture is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” This is more than a distant story, some history to be read at arm’s length. It is the Word of God spoken to us to teach, etc.

2. This passage also describes something that is common to the Christian condition – namely, temptation to shame and fear in relation to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Although Timothy was uniquely gifted by the laying on of hands of an Apostle, he was gifted by the same Holy Spirit that gives gifts to every believer. In fact, the same Holy Spirit that is given to every believer in Jesus. And this Holy Spirit does not change personality or nature depending on whom He indwells! He is the same, yesterday, today and forever – He is the Spirit of love, power and self-control.

III. What’s more, there are several ways in which this Scripture relates to you, Julian, in particular:

1. You share with Timothy a similar family and spiritual heritage.

Like you, Timothy came from a Christian family. They were not always that way, since his grandmother Lois would have been alive long before Jesus was born. She must have been a faithful Jew, who, like her daughter Eunice, repented of sin and put her faith in Jesus when she first heard of him.

You have a similar heritage, Julian. Faithfully taught by your grandmother Marion, and your mother Lynn as a young boy, you were graced with a solid Christian upbringing.

Now, we all know this upbringing is not what saved you! I know that social structures, family background and genetics did not make you what you are... because I was there while you were growing up. I can testify to the entire world that you gave good evidence of being a slave to sin. That you were born with no special propensity or leaning toward Godliness. That you, like Adam, were under sin’s dominion. That you, like the rest of us, were as lost and dead in sin as any other.

Yet, God saw fit to use the means of grace to your conversion.

Parents, use those means! Read the Word. Pray. Evangelize your kids! Don’t fall prey to the temptation to think that conversion is unnecessary or a given – just because you believe in Jesus.

One day as a young High School student God saved Julian. The good seed sown in your life was met with the life-giving water and sunshine of the Holy Spirit and you became a Christian, not because of Mama and Nana, but because you saw your sin as a great offense to a Holy God and you turned in faith to His Son, Jesus.

Like Timothy, you have shown evidence of a sincere, a genuine faith. And it is to the praise of God that He would impart life to THREE generations – and we hope and pray to a fourth with your daughters and any other children.

But let me ask the rest of you: “Has God saved you?” Have you acted upon the facts of the Gospel: Jesus the Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. And that He now calls on all men everywhere to repent from sin and put their complete trust in Him alone for salvation. Have you turned to Christ? I am not looking for pastors here, I am looking for Christians! If you have not turned in faith to Jesus, do so today!

2. You share with Timothy similar gifts.

On the day God saved you, He gave you the Person of His Holy Spirit to dwell in you. He also gave you gifts to be used in His church for her good. Just as He does with every Christian.

Now, there was a council of elders that saw the gifting to pastoral ministry in Timothy. And these elders along with Paul laid hands on him and when they did, or prior to it, they were also given a word of prophecy concerning his life.

Today, the prophets are silent, but the Holy Spirit is not. By putting the desire into your heart to be an elder, and by confirming your giftedness through the Elders of your local church and the members of that local church – we are 100% certain that He has called you to this ministry. In the words of Paul to the Ephesian Christians – you are a gift to the church.

So, you are a gift. And you have been given a gift.

3. You are like Timothy in your need to exercise that gift!

Last year I made a great bonfire at the cottage. It began with soaring flames and intense heat. But that initial burst of energy rather quickly died down and would have slowly smoldered all day had I not tended my fire. I needed to poke at it to give it some air – add dry kindling when the damp wood took over – stir the embers to create more heat – and generally prod, poke and push to keep it burning hot and furiously.

Paul writes to Timothy that the gift he was given by God is much like my fire. It will not extinguish as long as Timothy lives (“the gifts of God are irrevocable!”)... but it can smolder away and become more smoke than flame – fogging up rather than giving light and heat.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands”

Timothy’s gift, given as it was by Apostolic hand-laying, still needed to be fanned into flame. How much more your gifts, Julian. And ours!

Earlier, Paul wrote: 1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Fan it into flame... do not neglect it... these warnings mean we can do that very thing. An untended fire throws little light and little heat.

A New Elder at GFC and a Big Promise for Every Pastor to Keep

Yesterday we added another elder to Grace Fellowship Church. It was a remarkable day! We take eldership quite seriously, so this was the end of a long process of training and evaluation. Murray and I are thrilled to have Julian Freeman serving alongside us as a fellow pastor!

After the sermon, I asked Julian to stand and respond to the following statement. This statement is a result of surveying the New Testament and considering some of the unique requirements and qualifications given to an elder. Just assembling this was a humbling and yet, encouraging task.

The references are included:

Called to the Office of Elder – The Promise

Having repented of sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ;

Having been baptized by immersion in water and made member of this local church;

Having faithfully served for many years in many capacities;

Having prayed and studied and read and grown in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus;

And having aspired to the office of elder and having been approved and affirmed to that office after careful examination by all the elders and members of Grace Fellowship Church;

Will you now promise,

Hebrews 13:7

- to lead a life worthy of emulation

Hebrews 13:17

- to joyfully watch over the souls of this flock as one will give an accounting for each of them to God

James 3:1

- to always preach with the Day of God’s Strict Judgement for Teachers in mind

James 5:13

- to pray believingly for the sick

1 Peter 5:1

- to shepherd God’s flock allotted to you willingly, eagerly, seeking to model first what you ask of them

Acts 20: 17

- to serve the Lord with both joy and tears

- to resist every temptation to shrink back from declaring the whole Gospel (whether in the privacy of someone’s home or the public square)

- to preach repentance and faith in Christ alone

- to willingly accept suffering, should God call you there

- to value the calling and Gospel of Jesus Christ above your own life

- to guard the church as the blood-bought possession of Jesus Christ, and thus to care for her as His most valuable possession

- to stay alert at your post, even willing to rebuke fellow elders who preach or teach any doctrine not found in God’s Word

- to live as if, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

1 Corinthians 14:29

- to carefully weigh the words of the preached Word

2 Corinthians 11-12

- to willingly suffer for Jesus’ sake hardship, physical torture, betrayal, inconvenience, exposure, disappointment, persecution, sovereign weakenings, calamities, and daily pressures of concern for the church

1 Timothy 4:6

- to value the Word of God over an argument won

- to train yourself for godliness

- to labour and strive with persistence in the work of your ministry more than any before you, giving God all the glory for any success

- to address men’s lives as well as minds; calling others to follow your personal growth in godliness and sanctification

- to keep close watch on your life and your doctrine

1 Timothy 6

- to purse righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

- to never quit, give up, swerve from or slack off in your effort to fulfil your ministry; not even when you are middle-aged, tired, and suffering

- to despise the allure of riches in this world and live for the eternal wealth of Christ’s presence in heaven

- to guard the sacred deposit entrusted to your care

Titus 2

- to teach the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that old men, old women, young men, young women, and children will understand how to adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ with good works

- to value Jesus above your wife, your children, your church, your ministry, your knowledge, your self, and anything else in this world

- to speak to God’s people with gentle authority

- to be zealous for good works

2 Timothy

- to not be ashamed of the Gospel or the Saviour, regardless of the audience

- to flee youthful sins and run toward being a man who handles the Word of Truth accurately

- to correct with gentleness, not quarrelsomeness

- to preach the Word of God; in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with complete patience and teaching

- to entrust your soul to the Faithful Creator no matter the blessing, the trial or persecution

If, in the sight of God and these witnesses you do now set your heart to make this pledge, promising that when you fail you will seek both forgiveness and restoration as soon as is possible, then I call upon you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom to answer, “I do.”

Julian, because we believe

- the Holy Spirit has gifted you to this ministry

- and made you a gift to this church

- and trust that we have not acted in haste, but in prayerful dependence on Christ

Therefore, it is our joy as the council of elders of this local church to lay hands on you and call upon God Himself to seal to you this ministry for your life and His glory.

Amen.

More Baptisms at Grace Fellowship Church!

This Sunday will, Lord willing, be another highlight reel in the life of Grace Fellowship Church. We are having a baptism service in the evening where three will publicly proclaim their faith in the Lord by following Him into the waters of baptism. Baptisms are always wonderful, but this one is a little more special as I am scheduled to baptize my mom.

It is one of the great privileges of my ministry to have much of my family a part of our church. What is an absolute delight for me is to watch the Lord work in their hearts independent of me – it is a joy that is hard to explain.

Anyway, please pray for my mom and Tom and Peter who will all give testimony to the Lord’s saving work in their lives, then be baptized at the local pool. We will meet at Timothy Christian School for the first part of our service then make the one block pilgrimage to the pool. (I love baptisms in the pool! It is about as public as you can get in snow-covered Toronto!! Speaking of which, I just looked outside and it is starting up again! Another couple of inches with freezing rain to add to the two feet on the ground!!)

After the baptisms, we will head back to TCS for time in the Word and a glorious season of praise to God in song. Pray that God will use the testimonies of the three and the preaching of His Word to bring even more souls to Himself!

The Lord continues to bless our church. We are undeserving.

Worship in Song Conference - March 1, 2008

Every once in a while we have folks asking us about how and why we sing the way we do at Grace Fellowship Church. This is actually something we have thought a lot about and worked very hard at developing; in fact, it is an ongoing project for us!

As churches think about how to sing in a Gospel-centered and culturally-relevant way, they are faced with a whole string of questions. My experience has been that most people answer those questions out of their preferences rather than the objective Truth of Scripture.

I teach a course on Worship at Toronto Baptist Seminary and it is always exciting to see my students wrestle with what the Bible actually has to say on the subject. We had the idea not long ago to provide the church-at-large with the brunt of this material in a very practical one day conference. We are calling it (quite originally!) "Worship in Song Conference."

The day will include workshops for everyone from keyboardists to sound guys to service planners and we also hope to model (as best as we can) the principles in action with 4 times of worship in song. I plan to give three messages: Why we sing, what we should sing (how to find and choose songs) and how to lead corporate worship singing.

The whole thing is going to take place, Lord willing, on Saturday, March 1, 2008 here in Toronto and we invite you to reserve that date now. Registration will open soon and be open to the first100 registrants only – we want to keep this as practical and as personal as possible. Stay tuned here and to our church website www.gfcto.com for details!

The Bizarreness of Preaching: Some Monday Reflections on a Long-winded Sunday

I had received the question many times before, but never with such sincerity. After telling the 8 year old in the car beside me that I was a pastor, his perplexed face looked at mine and he queried. “Well, what do you do the rest of the week?” So much for bonding with my kids classmates!

I thought of that little guy today as I sat here in my study reading Mariano Di Gangi’s new book, “Great Themes in Puritan Preaching.” Di Gangi noted how many consider the Puritans to have been obnoxious bores... especially when you consider for how long they preached! I had to chuckle to myself. I found out Sunday night that my morning sermon had droned on for exactly 60 minutes. Sixty minutes of me speaking and others listening. It is a rather bizarre thing when you think of it. First of all, I need to say that I generally have a very precise “feeling” for time – as in down to the exact minute. But Sunday was different. There was a conspicuous fatigue in the air at GFC Sunday morning and a lot of our "regulars" were gone. That all made for a different experience, preaching wise, and somehow I thought I had preached for around 40 minutes. Twenty whole minutes off! Yowza! (Which is probably something close to what most of the parents of small children were saying around minute 43!)

Di Gangi writes of some long-winded Puritans, “Undoubtedly, some of their homilies would have benefited from sensitive editing. But such criticisms say more about the shortness of the average listener’s attention span today than they do about a Puritan pastor’s supposed prolixity [wordiness]” (p. 18).

It is remarkable to me that the folks of GFC stayed with me on Sunday morning when I was too long. I think it says much more about them than me (in one respect). There is a hunger for the Word in that lion’s den and whomever the pulpiteer, he had best deliver at least a little meat!

My text Sunday morning was John 3:16 and the love of God. It has been some time since I have laboured as much in preparation and preaching of a text. I felt like a schoolboy trying to describe the heavens or a spelunker shining his penlight around a massive underground cavern... there was so much to say! Yet, every word that tumbled out of my mouth felt like felt. It landed soft.

I think, I hope(!), we got a few good glances in on the love of God for the world... but I still felt such a lack. Even as I preached I thought, “Why aren’t you more affected by these things, Preacher!?”

Which leads me to this stunning observation – preaching is odd. Think of it! You are called to labour in the Word, study men’s hearts to figure out how best to get the Truth of that Word into them, then stand and talk (interestingly, not redundantly, but with passion) and your topic is... God! The ineffable, almighty, eternal, good, holy, transcendent yet immanent, Creator of all things – including you (and your voice and mind and heart, etc). And to top it all off, good Christian people sit and labour to listen – working hard to understand what God wants to say through their appointed “stammering tongue.”

I am so glad there is a Holy Spirit.

Sometimes while I preach my mind is praying to the Spirit, begging Him to come and work. Unbelievers were in my church Sunday – and there I was offering them life. If such a thing as a “salvation gun” existed, I would have shot them between the eyes! I want them to be in heaven. But, by God’s appointment and design, it all comes down to this:

“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:9-17).

Preacher, take aim and fire off the Word. Regardless the skill or incompetence, that Word will not return void. It may be bizarre at one level, but isn’t it also so remarkably grand!

Church Government Models May Encourage the Toleration of Sin

In my pastoral theology class today we continued our study of what qualifies a man to be an elder. We have been systematically making our way through every single character qualification written in the New Testament. It is a humbling study!

In considering the command found in Titus to have “believing/faithful children,” one of my students made a keen observation. He commented how church government often impacts how we view these qualifications. For example, if our church government is something like one pastor, and a second board of deacons or elders or managers or what have you, there is an added pressure on the church to tolerate sin/disqualification in a pastor. Why? Because if the church were to remove the pastor, they are a ship without a captain!

However, if a church operates Biblically, with a plurality of elders (equal in standing, ministry and responsibility – albeit, to use Strauch’s term, there exists “a leader among equals”) then if one elder is disqualified (sad as this may be!) there is freedom to remove him without ripping apart the overall leadership of the church. Removing a solo elder is a much greater threat to the church. (This is partly why we wrote into our constitution that any time our local church is without 2 or more elders, the church must apply to a sister congregation to have their elders join the solo elder in leading our church.)

This is one more reason I think the Lord was quite right when he established two offices in the church – elder and deacon – and determined that both offices should be filled by a plurality of qualified men.

I Need a New Church

Things have been getting bad at Grace Fellowship Church lately. I never thought it would come to this... but the fact is, I need a new church.

There is just no more room left in the gym. We love meeting at the Christian School, but space has become a precious commodity!

So, what I need is a new church. Okay, not a new bunch of people – I mean, I love these ones WAY too much! But a new place for us to meet.

I see two options for this:

1) Some church in Toronto has a building that they no longer fill. They want to see a Gospel witness remain in their community and not watch their church meeting house turn into a mosque, community centre or bar (all of which I have witnessed on many occasions in this city!) So, they will call us up and say, “Come have our building, please.” And we will come.

2) Somebody will really want a new church to begin in downtown Toronto and they will buy us or give us a meeting place for free. We will send out a bunch of people to start a new church. And then we will have some space again at the school.

Either way, I want a new church.

Feel free to help out where you can!

Baptisms Tonight!

It is a baptism Sunday at Grace Fellowship Church today! I can hardly think of a more precious time in the life of our church. I love these days.

Our baptisms will take place at a local pool for the first time. In the spirit of the Ethiopian eunuch, we looked around for the closest source of deep water! Lord willing, I will baptize two young men converted from Roman Catholicism and two younger ladies saved from within Christian families... one of them my daughter.

We would love to have you join us! We will meet at 4:55 tonight at Timothy Christian School, then proceed one block south to The Elms Pool. After the baptisms, we will return to Timothy to sing, preach and praise the God who saves. (You can find the details here.)

Below is the text of our opening hymn for tonight. May its clarion call revive and encourage your heart today!

Stand, Soldier of the Cross
Stand, soldier of the cross,
Thy high allegiance claim,
And vow to hold the world but loss
For thy Redeemer’s Name.

Arise, and be baptized,
And wash thy sins away;
Thy league with God be solemnized,
Thy faith avouched today.

No more thine own, but Christ’s,
With all the saints of old,
Apostles, seers, evangelists,
And martyr throngs enrolled.

In God’s whole armor strong,
Front hell’s embattled powers:
The warfare may be sharp and long,
The victory must be ours.

O bright the conqueror’s crown,
The song of triumph sweet,
When faith casts every trophy down
At our great Captain’s feet.

Nine Things I Love About My Church - A guest posting from Dorin

It has been fun to get some replies to my call for things you love about your church. Below is the text of an email I received from my good friend Dorin - a dear brother and true servant in our church. Dorin's other claim to fame is that he is one of the many Romanians in our church... we happen to like Romanians!

[1] My church brings glory to God, though He is self-sufficient.
[2] My church is Christ centered – like sheep following their Shepherd.
[3] In my church the Holy Spirit is working with power:
a. Spiritual growing;
b. The Word of God is preached with power;
c. Increasing the numbers.
[4] My brothers and sisters are seeking God before anything else. Even outside church programs or services but having lunch together or doing something else they are talking most of the time about their church, about what God is doing in their lives.
[5] My brothers and sisters are seeking God not to use Him for their purposes but to serve Him and worship Him.
[6] My church is not buildings or sophisticated altars or icons or candles or gold or smells. My church is people sitting around their Teacher. When you meet my church the first thing is striking you is… Love.
[7] At my church the Scripture is preached on books. This is a real blessing as we can learn the Word of God as He was revealed in a well organized, continuous and consistent way. We are able to listen to the sermon again and again during the following week through the recordings. And on top of all of this, Sunday morning, at the beginning of every sermon we have a little bit of refreshing review. This way we are able to implement the Word in our lives using Lord’s power not our own.
[8] My church is preparing to meet her Bridegroom washing her clothes and reading His letters.
[9] Our Lord Jesus Christ promised “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”. In my church this word is fulfilled.

34 Things I Love About My Church! - Numbers 26 through 34

[numbers 1-8 are here...]

[numbers 9-18 are here...]

[numbers 19-25 are here...]

And this is the rest...

26. I love that we try to memorize the Word of God together.


27. I love that when I go and preach somewhere else, I ALWAYS feel like I cannot wait to get back to GFC. The grass never looks greener to me. This is my favorite church in the whole world!


28. I love watching you grow as the Word of God takes root in your life – and I love that so much of that growth is the somewhat imperceptible growth of a plant in the garden... you don’t see a lot of sudden, massive changes – but there is this genuine and real and deep and slow, yet progressive growth in godliness over time.


29. I love that our men can play hockey after prayer meeting.


30. I love that our church does not fit in my basement anymore! The Lord has blessed us with many new people and that is so cool.


31. I love the fact that our church is starting to reflect the multi-national flavor of heaven with over 9 different countries already represented in our midst. Just this morning I looked across the gym and witnessed a Zambian, a Romanian and an Albanian (all recent emigrants to Canada) fellowshipping together in Christ!


32. I love our church since it is more and more a real family with people in their childhood, teens, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. We just need a few in their 90’s!


33. I love the fact that our church is trying to be a place of encouragement (not judgment) in a very inhospitable, mean and defeating world.


34. I love that even though we are in the city we have lots of parking!


Now that I have made my list, I challenge you to do the same! What do you love about YOUR church?

Post a link or send me an email and I will tally the results one day soon!

34 Things I Love About My Church! - Numbers 19 through 25

[numbers 1-8 are here...]

[numbers 9-18 are here...]

19. I love that we do not have 87 programs running every week! But that we are trying to do a few things well – the things we know we need to do before anything else – read our Bibles, pray, evangelize, fellowship, worship, have godly families and not get tripped up by the 8000 temptations we face every day.

20. I love that we have an imaginary friend named Walter who gives really good advice.

21. I love that we are not perfect since it makes me pray more and more and long for heaven more and more and wish that I were a better pastor more and more.

22. I love the way little children in our church expect to learn something in the sermons – and rightly so! And I love it when they do learn.

23. I love that we never have to talk about money and how you should give more and how we need this or that to do this or that, but that you all give so freely and joyfully and that God continues to provide for everything we need.

24. I love that there are young couples in our church, statistically the most undependable and faithless age group in most churches, who are responsible for huge things like kids ministries, the treasurership, leading in worship, etc – and they are faithful!

25. I love everybody who has ever worked in the nursery – and so should you!