Sermon (video): A Powerful Illustration of God's Love for You (Matthew 3:1-17)

You've read through Matthew 4 before. You're familiar with the story of Jesus' baptism. But unless you really dug deep in your study, you may have missed some absolutely incredible principles ... especially the fact that Jesus' baptism was a powerful illustration of God's love for you.

To view the sermon, simply click here.

Reflections on the Jerry Sandusky verdict

Last night, the jury arrived at a verdict in the Jerry Sandusky case. He was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse of minors. There was an overwhelming amount of testimonies. There was a lack of overwhelming substantive evidence. And yet, the jury and most people watching the trial believe that Sandusky was lying and should spend the rest of his life in prison.

Did the jury get it right? Or, as the case proceeds through the appeals process (which almost certainly is a given), will it become apparent that the witnesses were lying? Who knows?

But, there is one person who most certainly knows - Jerry Sandusky. As the verdict was read, Sandusky showed little emotion. Yet, inside his mind and heart, he knew the truth. If he is truly guilty, there was never an acknowledgment of it as he sat silently.

This is human nature. 

Adam and Eve would not volunteer a confession until God confronted them (Genesis 3).

Sarah could not acknowledge the fact that she laughed at a promise given by the Lord even when confronted (Genesis 18:9-15).

David refused to acknowledge an adulterous affair, murder and deception until the prophet Nathan confronted him (2 Samuel 12:1-15).

Annanias and Saphirra would not volunteer the truth to the Apostle Peter (Acts 5:1-11).

This is human nature ... or rather an evidence of the sin nature. Valuing self-protection and comfort more than "truth," the sin nature lies and refuses to acknowledge truth.

And, depending upon the nature of the offense, some folks (who have an active conscience) will withhold the truth to their own harm. They will live with guilt the rest of their lives. If they don't shut their conscience down completely ("sear it" - 1 Timothy 4:2), they will begin to experience problems with their health, relationships, etc. 

In his commentary on the book of Ephesians, John MacArthur recounts the following story:

"According to an ancient Greek story, a Spartan youth stole a fox but then inadvertently came upon the man from whom he had stolen it. To keep his theft from being discovered, the boy stuck the fox inside his clothes and stood without moving a muscle while the frightened fox tore out his vital organs. Even at the cost of his own painful death he would not own up to his wrong."

It is a godly and courageous person, indeed, who will own up to what they have done. Why is it courageous? Because it is rarely if ever easy. In fact, it may be the hardest and most frightening thing someone will ever do ... and in confessing, there may be consequences.

But there is so much on the line! Why?

Because if the person is saved, God will bring discipline into that person's life until they make it right (Hebrews 12:5-11). 

And if discipline does not come in this life, it shows that someone is not God's child. Thus, they will hear the Lord say on the Day of Judgment: "I never knew you, depart from me..." (Matthew 7:22-23). The place to which these men and women are sent is a place of intense anguish (Matthew 13:41-42; Revelation 20:11-15). And it will be forever (Matthew 25:46). Horrid thought!!!

This second possibility shows that a desire to protect oneself from truth and consequences in this life may reveal that there are infinitely greater consequences in the life to come.

It's not worth it! Just meditate on the promise and joy of experiencing the truth of this verse, of being right with God:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). 

Being right with God and enjoying Him is worth whatever cost you may have to pay to get it!

Video: 3 Minute Sunrise (New Smyrna, Florida)

I took some footage of a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean recently. Something about the waves, birds and the sun waking up the dawn made it a very relaxing and worshipful experience. You can click on the link to watch the video I took.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9IYtLKCASY

Video: Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

On our recent vacation, my family explored a lighthouse just south of Daytona Beach, Florida. I created a fun, 3 minute video of my trek with my three sons to the top and back down. Hope you enjoy it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T25QoI_BI

When God showed up - a week I'll never forget! (the Brownwood Revival)

Dr. Gray Allison
President Emeritus
Mid-America Seminary

In some ways, 1995 will always stand out as one of the most incredible years of my life! It's the year that I encountered God in a way that was more powerful than anything I've ever experienced. It left me different; it left me dissatisfied with lesser things; it left me wanting to experience God again. I'd like to share a little about it with you...

I moved to the Memphis, Tennessee area in 1994 to work on my Masters of Divinity degree at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. At that time, the seminary was located in downtown Memphis and was housed in a former Jewish synagogue. Dr. Gray Allison was president at that time.

For the most part, I enjoyed chapel services there. We had our share of boring speakers but many of them showed us some wonderful things from God's Word. Some of the memories I will always cherish were the times Dr. Adrian Rogers of Bellevue Baptist Church came to speak in chapel!

Adrian Rogers
Former Senior Pastor
Bellevue Baptist Church

In my personal life, I was experiencing the ups and downs of the Christian life. My "walk" with Jesus was chugging along but lacked the power I read about in the New Testament. I spent time in God's Word and prayed but it typically felt like a one-way relationship. Struggles with sin in my mind and heart reminded me all too well of Romans 7 where Paul lamented his inability to effectively live a Christ-honoring life. I wanted in live in the reality of what Paul described in Romans 8 - the Spirit-filled life.

In the early part of 1995, students at Mid-America were becoming aware that something special was taking place in some of our sister seminaries. I don't know when I first heard it called the "Brownwood Revival" but that's the name that stuck. (Click here for an article that the Houston Chronicle wrote about this revival four months after it began. Click here for an article written by the Baptist Press.)



Bill Elliff

Bill Elliff(1) had connections with Mid-America and had also recently experienced the power of God in that revival. If I remember correctly, he had visited Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and saw what God was doing there. He was asked to come to Mid-America for chapel services that memorable week.

I cannot remember the exact date. I just remember that it was a Tuesday morning in the early part of 1995 when we made our way to the chapel service. As I walked in, there was a sense that something was very different. I don't remember any of the musicians playing any music in an attempt to try to create an "atmosphere." But something was very different.

As Bill was introduced as that week's speaker, we were told that he had experienced God in a powerful way recently and he had come to tell us about it. As he approached the pulpit, he did so with a great sense of solemnity. He looked at us and spoke quietly and sometimes, his voice would crack. He wasn't going to "work us up" into a revival. He was broken by his encounter with God and it had left him keenly aware of his own sinfulness and frailty in God's sight.

If my memory serves me correctly (it's been over 17 years ago), that Tuesday in chapel, Bill spoke on God's holiness. He talked of how Isaiah was captivated by God's holiness in Isaiah 6 and how the natural human response was to become keenly aware of personal sin (Isaiah 6:5).

But he went on to say that God wanted us to acknowledge our sin on a deep level so we could confess it and receive forgiveness (Isaiah 6:6-7). Later in the week, he pointed out that when our sin is dealt with, we are empowered for service in ways we never thought imaginable (Isaiah 6:8ff).

As Bill preached in his soft, broken tones, students (most of them grown men) began to weep. This wasn't anything worked up and it certainly wasn't normal. In fact, I NEVER remember any other time when conviction of sin was so obvious.

All I can say is that God enabled us as a group to become more aware of the sin in our lives than we had ordinarily been able to experience. It's as if God shined a light into the hidden, sin-filled closets of our minds and hearts and we were made aware of how sinful we really were. Sinful thought patterns, wrong motives and long-forgotten sinful actions were brought to light. The only natural response was to weep over those sins, despise them, confess them to the Lord and forsake them.

In fact, in my personal experience, searching out sin in my heart became a compelling desire. I actually found great delight in searching and discovering sin ... because I loved the feeling of cleansing and forgiveness when I got it right with the Lord. Searching out sin was something I craved! I had never experienced this desire and joy to that extent.

I came to realize that in times of revival, the way to pure joy in the Christian life is through the valley of repentance. It is only as we are enabled to see our sins, bemoan and confess them at a very deep level, and then receive forgiveness from Almighty God that we are able to experience the unimaginable joy of the Lord.

When I say "joy of the Lord," I'm talking about an emotional response that was typical among most (if not all) of those present. It's something you can't adequately define ... you can only experience it. What did Moses feel as he saw God's glory in Exodus 33:18-23? What must Peter, James and John have felt as they saw Jesus radiating His glory in Matthew 17:2? They responded with fear/awe ... but you had to be there to really understand.

When God showed up at Mid-America, I can recall so many specific moments that will stay with me until the day I die. But if I was to boil it all down, I would simply say that God showed up and left us with a desire for Him that may have dissipated but has never completely disappeared.

While I have fallen far short of God's glory many times since then, I've also been left with a desire to know God more! It's left me with a disdain for religion as usual. I developed a clearer understanding of how putrefying apathetic Christianity is to Jesus (Revelation 3:16) because I've experienced God in a way that has left me wanting more.

As we see our nation and world morally spiraling out of control, may we cry out with Moses with hearts that long to experience Him - "Please show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18). May He do it among us again!