All posts tagged preaching

The Lure of Lies

by Pastor Nick on February 20, 2012
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Yesterday’s sermon at the Rooted was a good one. In it, Pastor Chris spoke about Satan’s strategy in attacking God’s people. Some of us tend to see Satan’s attack in everything from bad traffic to bad weather. As C. S. Lewis taught us in The Screwtape Letters, we should neither ignore him nor obsess about him. But we should be on guard. What Chris said is spot on: “Consistently in Scripture we see the spiritual war being fought not in the trivial matters of daily life (like traffic and weather)…but in teaching…It is a war of counter intelligence, a war of lies and deceit, a war of ideas and teaching.”

The text was 1 Timothy 4:1-11, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…” (vv. 1-2). How do people walk away from Jesus? Through deceit, false teaching, and the lies told to them by liars.

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The Story of Thomas Bilney

by Pastor Nick on January 16, 2012
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On Sunday we looked at 1 Timothy 1:12-20, where Paul has a sudden outburst of worship after remembering the dark and hopeless life from which he was saved. It’s also where we find one of the most succint summaries of the gospel in all of the Bible:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Thomas Bilney became a Christian through this single verse. Elected a Roman priest in Cambridge, England in 1520, “little Bilney” (as he was called on account of his shortness of stature) was searching for peace but could not find it. He wrote:

But at last, I heard speak of Jesus, even then when the New Testament was first set forth by Erasmus [a famous Catholic priest who published the Greek New Testament in 1516]… And at the first reading (as I well remember) I chanced upon this sentence of St. Paul (O most sweet and comfortable sentence to my soul!) in 1 Timothy 1. “It is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be embraced, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am the chief and principal.”

This one sentence, through God’s instruction and inward working, which I did not then perceive, did so exhilarate my heart, being before wounded with the guilt of my sins, and being almost in despair, that even immediately I seemed unto myself inwardly to feel a marvellous comfort and quietness, insomuch that “my bruised bones leaped for joy” (Psalm 51). After this, the Scripture began to be more pleasant unto me than the honey or the honeycomb, wherein I learned that all my labours, my fasting and watching, all the redemption of masses and pardons, are nothing if done without truth in Christ, who alone saveth his people from their sins.

After becoming a preacher, Bilney, who helped to spark the Reformation in England, was dragged from the pulpit while preaching in St George’s chapel (see the 1563 woodcut above), arrested and imprisoned, convicted of heresy, and burned at the stake on August 19, 1531.

Follow Along in Genesis – Resources

by Pastor Nick on August 31, 2010

In September of 2010 the Rooted began it’s study of Genesis – the first and most foundational book in all of Scripture. You simply can’t understand the story of the Bible without a solid grasp of Genesis.

During our opening weeks we compiled a list of great resources to study Genesis for yourself. Study away, and enjoy!

Week 16: Abram Grows in Faith (12:10-13:18)

Week 15: God Calls Abram (11:27-12:9)

Week 7: Judgment Falls (3:14-24)

Week 6: Evil Enters In (3:1-13)

Week 5: Marriage is War (2:18-25)

Week 4: To Be a Woman (2:18-25)

Week 3: To Be a Man (2:5-25)

“When those under his care are in danger, a real man moves to protect them, even being willing to give his own life (John 15:13). When he is courting a woman or in a marriage relationship, he honors that woman and treats her in an understanding way, being kind, gentle, and protective of her (1 Peter 3:7). He lovingly leads his wife, taking initiative and responsibility for the course and direction of the home, yet all the while listening to her and always seeking to do what is in her best interests (Ephesians 5:25, 28, Colossians 3:19). He does his best to understand her and to be to her and for her what she needs. He treats her not as someone lesser but as an equal and fellow heir of eternal life in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:7). When he is raising children, he trains them in God’s Word and does not provoke them to anger (Ephesians 6:4). When he is in the workplace, he does his best and works w/ all of his heart (Colossians 3:23). He does his best to provide for the home, and he takes measures to be sure his family would be provided for if the event of his death (1 Timothy 5:8). When he is in the church, he is willing to use his gifts to serve others. When he is in a position of leadership, he is confident in Christ to stand for truth and make the right decisions. When he is in a position of temptation, he resists the devil and stands firm against the flesh (James 4:7). When a person is in need, he is generous and merciful to them (2 Corinthians 9:7, Matthew 5:7). When others fail him, he is willing to forgive (Ephesians 4:32) and does not take revenge (Romans 12:19), for he is gentle and tender-hearted (Galatians 5:22-23). He studies the Word (2 Timothy 2:15), and teaches it when he has opportunity (2 Timothy 2:2). He is a man devoted to prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and he is a man who loves God w/ all of his heart, soul, and strength (Luke 10:27).”

Week 2: Let Us Make Man (1:26-2:4)

Week 1: God Creates (1:1-25)

Kids Resources

Age of the Earth Resources

Tuning Out if the Minister is Younger Than You

by Pastor Nick on June 14, 2010

(Borrowed from Jon Acuff’s book Stuff Christians Like)

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Sure Whitney Houston, I believe that children are the future, but I’d be lying if I said that’s the first thing I think when a minister younger than me takes the stage.  Call it jealousy that the next generation is about to lap me or that the generation behind me has a cooler name, “millennial tweener x-tremes,” but when youth is served at church, sometimes Christians like to tune out and think:

“Oh no, where’s the regular pastor? Is it ‘regular’ or ‘senior’ or ‘teaching pastor of imaginevisioneering’? I can never get those right, but who is this kid up on stage? Is he doing the announcements? Is there a youth group fundraiser I need to know about? Fine, I’ll get my car washed in a Chick-fil-A parking lot. That’s like a win-win right there, holding a Christian event in the parking lot of a Christian restaurant. That’s God squared.

But why isn’t this kid getting off the stage? Is he, no, is he about preach? Is it youth Sunday already? What, he’s the youth minister? That’s great, but this isn’t youth group. He’s way too young to school me in the game of life. Oh, but this is happening.  It’s tool ate for me to walk out and leave. It’s time for the junior hour of power.

Please just don’t use that phrase that all young ministers bust out. Please don’t say, oh no, you just did. You just said, “When I was growing up.” You said it like it was over, like you’ve crossed from young man into wizened old gentleman. But you’re only twenty-four. The toughest decision you’ve faced in life so far was whether to get the full meal plan or the five-day-a-week meal plan at seminary. You went with the five?  That’s good to know, let me scribble that down here in the sermon notes section of my bulletin.

But I’ll forgive you that one. I’ll let that one slide as long as you don’t give me any marital advice. You’ve been married for about fifteen minutes. You’re still tan from your honeymoon. I can still kind of smell suntan lotion on you. If at any point in this sermon you try to give me marriage advice, I am going to think about college baseball. I just want to be up front about that. The toughest marriage decision you’ve faced so far is whether to exchange one of the china sets you got as a wedding gift for a George Foreman grill that is shaped like a massive charcoal grill.  Don’t, I’ve done that, I fought that battle, and it was not worth it. You need more plates than you think and less George Foreman grills than you think. Trust me on that.

See, I should be doing this sermon, I just gave you some free marital advice. You’re welcome.

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