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Tell The Truth – Introduction

July 3, 2017 By Craig Wilson

Welcome to this video series designed to help you learn the “Come Home” gospel presentation taken from Will Metzger’s book Tell the Truth.

Although my goal is to give you enough information to properly understand the presentation I would strongly encourage you to purchase a copy of the book for yourself.

The author is very thorough in the book and really helps the reader understand what the gospel is what is is and what it is not.  If I were rating the book it would definitely get 5 stars from me.  It’s a book that should be a part of every christian’s library.

Of course you can purchase a copy from Amazon in either print or kindle edition.  I have both and because of the charts and diagrams in the book I recommend getting the print edition.

In this first video I’d like to spend a few minutes introducing the subject of biblical evangelism.

As Christians we have the obligation and the responsibility to truthfully, accurately, and effectively communicate the biblical gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christians have the responsibility to truthfully communicate the gospel.  If we are not careful in an effort to minimize the offense of the gospel we may leave out critical pieces of the message.

For instance we may be tempted to leave out God’s wrath towards sin and sinners. Or we may be tempted to do our best to ignore the subject of hell.

I understand why this temptation exists.  Who likes to think about hell?  But the reality is they are biblical truths and we must tell the whole truth of the gospel.

If we omit the unpleasant truths we would be guilty of presenting an incomplete gospel.  A weakened and watered down gospel that does not contain the whole truth.

First of all we have the responsibility to truthfully communicate the gospel.

Second we have the responsibility to accurately communicate the gospel.  The gospel is composed of a set of very specific facts.  It is our responsibility to get the facts right.

As Will Metzger says in the book “In order communicate the gospel we must know the content of the gospel.

The good news is Scripture clearly presents all of the facts of the gospel.  The challenge for us is to take the time and the effort to know those facts.

Finally we have the responsibility to effectively communicate the gospel.  How can we do this?

First of all we must continually seek the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Second we must invest significant time and effort in prayer.

When we recognize that apart from abiding in Christ we can do absolutely nothing our understanding of our need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to pray will become crystal clear.

To effectively communicate the gospel we must be bold.  In order to tell it truthfully we must know the gospel accurately.  Once we know it we can be effectively communicate the gospel.

Theologian Carl Henry said “A one to one approach initiated by every believer still holds the best promise of evangelizing the earth in our century.”

I know the slogan “Each one reach one” has been overused by how different would our church be, how different would your family be, how different would Berea be if we did just that?  What if each one of us would reach one?  It would produce significant change in our world.

Will Metzger writes “I am convinced that God purposes our speaking the truth in love as the means of salvation.  If all Christians learned these truths, their witness would be more God honoring and their spiritual growth enhanced as they daily re-expereince the gospel of grace.”

Did you notice what he said?  “Their witness would be more God honoring and their spiritual growth enhanced”.  Learning the gospel, learning to communicate the gospel will help you to grow spiritually!  This will be good for you and for others.

As I bring this first video to a close let me leave you with a final though from the book.  The author writes “In our world 99.9% of all Christians are not in full time ministry.  Unless everyone engages in evangelism, praying, initiating, and fervently speaking the gospel not much will happen.”

Will you take up the challenge?  I’m confident you will.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Reading the Bible For Yourself

July 13, 2016 By Craig Wilson

Consistent intake of the Scriptures is a key component of our spiritual growth as a disciple of Jesus.  But as we read the Bible we must guard against reading it in rote fashion.  We must learn to slow down and really read what God is saying to us.  To that end here is some wisdom from John Piper on how you and I can read the Bible for ourselves.

How to Read the Bible for Yourself| Desiring God

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-read-the-bible-for-yourselfWhen John Piper sits down to read the Bible, how does he sees the things he see? Here he gives us three steps to understanding and applying every passage in God’s word. How to Read the Bible for Yourself| Desiring God

Next up is a brief article written by John MacArthur that gives some practical tips to keep in mind as your read and study God’s Word.

Elements of Productive Bible Study

gty.orgBy now, we can agree that God’s Word is the foundation of our spiritual growth. But how do the words on the pages of Scripture translate into greater godliness and deeper sanctification in the lives of God’s people? To help you get the most from God’s Word, I want to highlight some key elements of productive Bible study. The first one is simple—we have to read it.  Elements of Productive Bible Study: Read

Finally, if you would like to go even deeper in learning more about reading and studying the Scriptures you may want to pick up a copy of “From the Mouth of God”.  I’ve published an excerpt from the book below.

truthforlife.org

An excerpt from “From the Mouth of God” by Sinclair B. Ferguson

The cord in the story of Rahab? It was a cord. She was not saved because the cord was scarlet, or because it represented the blood of Christ, but because she placed her destiny in the hands of the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and threw in her lot with his covenant people. He is indeed the God who promised to send Christ and to bless the nations of the earth through the seed of Eve and Abraham. But had the cord been green, or even black, it would have made no difference to its ‘meaning’. But because it is scarlet, by association of ideas it has come to be understood as symbolic of the blood of Christ. Colour association is, however, an unreliable principle of interpretation.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Raising Your Children For the Glory of God

July 4, 2016 By Craig Wilson

 

Looking for some wise counsel in raising your child for Christ?

When it comes to raising children there are a lot of people dispensing advice.  But be careful who you listen to!  Your children are too valuable to take advice from just anyone.  Here are three perspectives from three godly pastors offering you sound wisdom you can trust and use!

What Is the Daily Aim of Parenting?| Desiring God

desiringgod.orgWe’re honored to be joined by author and speaker Paul Tripp. He joins us one last time. Paul, as a parent, I think of parenting as painting. Each day I put one dab on a canvas. I hope it’s the right color. I hope it’s in the right spot. But parenting brings with it a lot of uncertainly, insecurity, and self-doubt. As a parent with experience, what would you say is the goal of day in and day out parenting?

 

Cultivating a Godly Child – John MacArthur

An old Chinese proverb says, “One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade.” You and I are still benefiting from the shade provided by trees planted by our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. We are shaded, to some degree, by their moral standards and spiritual commitment.

Biblical Principles for Parenting – Alistair Begg

truthforlife.orgHave you ever noticed how that little girl grows up to look just like her mom? Or how the energetic little boy reaches adulthood and responds just like his dad? The Bible tells us that parents transfer their values from one generation to the next. that’s our topic when Alistair Begg looks at 1 Samuel 1.

 

 

Filed Under: Parenting

Don’t Let Bad Times Destroy Good Theology

May 15, 2016 By Craig Wilson

Ruth Sermon Series from Grace Community Church in Berea“Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.” (Ruth 1:6–22, ESV)

Let’s begin by considering three important questions.

  • How do the circumstances of your life impact your theology?
  • What has the greatest impact on what you believe about God?
  • Is your opinion of God formed by the time in which you live or is it formed through God’s self revelation of Himself in the pages of Scripture?

Those three questions are answered in the life of Naomi. Last week I pointed out that the events of the book of Ruth took place during the times of the judges. The time of the judges in the words of Scripture was a time in which everyone did that which was right in their own eyes. I don’t think that it is unfair to compare the days of the judges to the culture we find ourselves living in today. And even if that is just a little bit true then we must make sure that we don’t fall into the trap that Naomi fell into. She let the times in which she lived and the circumstances of her life shape her perception of God rather than relying upon the revealed record of God to provide her with an accurate understanding of God and how he works in our lives.

The Book of Ruth helps us to understand that despite the downward spiral of our culture and the feeling of hopelessness created by our culture’s collapse God is still working to accomplish his purpose. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christian Living, Missions, Ruth, Sermons

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener in Moab

May 11, 2016 By Craig Wilson

Ruth Sermon Series from Grace Community Church in BereaThere is danger when preaching from a book such as Ruth or Esther to focus exclusively on the characters in the story. What few messages I have heard preached from Ruth that has usually been the emphasis. The danger is that we examine the lives of the characters in the book while we miss out on the Main Character of every book of the Bible and that of course is God.

That is not to say that the characters in the book don’t have something to teach us because certainly they do. But the book of Ruth isn’t really about Ruth or Naomi or even Boaz rather it is about God and His providence demonstrated in individual lives as he works for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose which is the creation of a diverse family of which Jesus Christ will be the preeminent One. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Sermons, Uncategorized

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Blog Posts

  • Tell The Truth – Introduction
  • Reading the Bible For Yourself
  • Raising Your Children For the Glory of God
  • Don’t Let Bad Times Destroy Good Theology
  • The Grass Isn’t Always Greener in Moab

Grace Church Sermons

  • Ephesians The Riches of God's Grace
  • God's Unseen Hand
  • Truth For Life
  • Precious Promises For A New Year
  • Advent 2014
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  • Is This All There is to Life?
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  • Lord Teach Us to Pray
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  • Believe - The Gospel of John

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  • Classic Articles and Resources for the Historic Christian Faith
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  • Founder's Ministry Committed to Historic Baptist Principles
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  • Reformed Theology From R. C. Sproul
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