It was a real choice mission, and when it was over, I'd never want another.

How to be more like Jesus in the new year, 3 simple steps:

1. Join the church within driving distance most faithful to the Scriptures. If there isn't one that qualifies, move closer to one that does.

2. Ask the leadership for tasks/chores/duties nobody else wants to do.

3. Serve faithfully even though the following be true:

• You are un(der)appreciated.
• Your value isn't recognized by those you serve.

Related Scriptures:

• Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.


• Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.


• 1 Corinthians 15:58 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.


• Philippians 2:3-11 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

You have to be prepared for the possibility that God does not like you.

Check out "The Culture Culture", an excellent and convicting post on the prevalent biblical theme of differentiation, or antithesis, between God's people and the world, including contemporary applicability.


An excerpt:

"The difference, the antithesis, between us and the world isn’t that they have sin issues while we do not. The difference is two-fold. First, our sins have already been covered. Jesus died for them, and the Father is not angry with us. Second, we are committed to finding them out, rather than hiding them. Isn’t it gracious of God then to give us the glaring shamelessness of the world to make our own sins more known to us? May He in turn give us eyes to see."  ~R. C. Sproul, Jr.

READ "The Culture Culture"

I hope it feels so good to be right. There's nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the short comings of others, is there?

Some slooge from my recent Providence Church sermon on Matthew 7:1-6, which includes the most popular legitimate* Bible verse among Americans: "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Key: This passage does not teach that judgments should never be made (cf. 7:16), but that hypocritical judging and judgmentalism are reprehensible for Jesus' followers.

The Pharisees took it upon themselves to arrogantly pronounce judgment upon others, while blind to their own glaring faults. The Christian should operate in an opposite manner: critically judging his or her self first.


I. When not to Judge
A. When you’re heart is not right.

B. When your lifestyle won’t allow it. ~ N.B. Those addressed in this passage are “hypocrites” (Matt 7:5)

II. When to Judge
A. When choosing personnel for positions (e.g., Leadership positions, teachers, those interacting with children, future spouse, etc.)

B. When a self-professed believer is in sin, our Christian obligation (cf. 1 Cor 5:9-11; Matt 18:15-20) ~ Reason for judging: Not to tear down, but to build them up in Christ (Prov 27:17) and restoration (James 5:19-20)

C. When contemplating evangelism

D. In all things (1 Cor 2:15)

III. How to Judge
A. With humility - After cleaning the plank out of your own eye first

B. With understanding

"when we see a brother or sister in sin, there are two things we do not know: First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin. And second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him or her."
- F.B. Meyer

C. With concern for the other person

IV. How not to Judge
A. Judging [merely] according to outward appearances (cf. James 2:2-5; 1 Sam 16:7)

B. Judging prematurely (cf. 1 Tim 5:22, 24)

C. Judging hypocritically (Matt 7:3) ~ It’s difficult to see another’s sin properly, with impaired vision

(Click to listen)

* The most popular Bible verse among Americans when polled is "God helps those who help themselves." However, it's actually NOT in the Bible. In fact, the Bible teaches that God helps those who cannot help themselves.

You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance, but you think you're low maintenance.

The following is a quote I shared in Sunday's sermon on Matthew 5:4. I think it speaks for itself.

“If you think you’re not bad, then you’re worse than everybody else.”
- John F. MacArthur, Jr.

Click to listen to "Mourning Comes before Strength."

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
-Matthew 5:4 (ESV)

It occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is you turn them into poor people.

I started a new sermon series at Providence Church on the Sermon on the Mount this past Sunday, beginning with Matthew 5:3.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (ESV)

Click to listen to "Becoming Poor to Get Rich."


In the sermon I shared 7 ways you can know you're poor in spirit from a 1978 John MacArthur sermon, "Happy Are the Humble." After researching those 7 in print, I realized that Johnny Mac got them from Thomas Watson's The Beatitudes.

Some Thomas Watson for your reading pleasure ...

If poverty of spirit be so necessary, how shall I know that I am poor in spirit? By the blessed effects of this poverty, which are:

1 He that is poor in spirit is weaned from himself. 'My soul is even as a weaned child' (Psalm 131: 2). It is hard for a man to be weaned from himself. The vine catches hold of everything that is near, to stay itself upon. There is some bough or other a man would be catching hold of to rest upon. How hard is it to be brought quite off himself! The poor in spirit are divorced from themselves; they see they must go to hell without Christ. 'My soul is even as a weaned child’.

2 He that is poor in spirit is a Christ-admirer. He has high thoughts of Christ. He sees himself naked and flies to Christ that in his garments he may obtain the blessing. He sees himself wounded, and as the wounded deer runs to the water, so he thirsts for Christ’s blood, the water of life. Lord, says he, give me Christ or I die. Conscience is turned into a fiery serpent and has stung him; now all the world for a brazen serpent! He sees himself in a state of death; and how precious is one leaf of the tree of life, which is both for food and medicine! The poor in spirit sees all his riches lie in Christ, 'wisdom, righteousness, sanctification . . ‘. In every exigency he flies to this magazine and storehouse. He adores the all-fullness in Christ.

They say of the oil in Rheims, though they are continually almost spending it, yet it never wastes. And such is Christ’s blood; it can never be emptied. He that is poor in spirit has recourse still to this fountain. He sets an high value and appreciation upon Christ. He hides himself in Christ's wounds. He bathes himself in his blood. He wraps himself in his robe. He sees a spiritual dearth and famine at home, but he makes out to Christ. 'Show me the Lord (says he) and it sufficeth’.

3 He that is poor in spirit is ever complaining of his spiritual estate. He is much like a poor man who is ever telling you of his wants; he has nothing to help himself with; he is ready to starve. So it is with him that is poor in spirit. He is ever complaining of his wants, saying, I want a broken heart, a thankful heart. He makes himself the most indigent creature. Though he dares not deny the work of grace (which were a bearing false witness again the Spirit), yet he mourns he has no more grace. This is the difference between an hypocrite and a child of God. The hypocrite is ever telling what he has. A child of God complains of what he lacks. The one is glad he is so good, the other grieves he is so bad. The poor in spirit goes from ordinance to ordinance for a supply of his wants; he would fain have his stock increased. Try by this if you are poor in spirit. While others complain they want children, or they want estates, do you complain you want grace? This is a good sign. 'There is that maketh himself poor yet hath great riches' (Proverbs 13:7). Some beggars have died rich. The poor in spirit, who have lain all their lives at the gate of mercy and have lived upon the alms of free grace, have died rich in faith, heirs to a kingdom.

4 He that is poor in spirit is lowly in heart. Rich men are commonly proud and scornful, but the poor are submissive. The poor in spirit roll themselves in the dust in the sense of their unworthiness. 'I abhor myself in dust’ (Job 42: 6). He who is poor in spirit looks at another’s excellencies and his own infirmities. He denies not only his sins but his duties. The more grace he has, the more humble he is, because he now sees himself a greater debtor to God. If he can do any duty, he acknowledges it is Christ's strength more than his own (Philippians 4: 13). As the ship gets to the haven more by the benefit of the wind than the sail, so when a Christian makes any swift progress, it is more by the wind of God's Spirit than the sail of his own endeavour. The poor in spirit, when he acts most like a saint, confesses himself 'the chief of sinners’. He blushes more at the defect of his graces than others do at the excess of their sins. He dares not say he has prayed or wept. He lives, yet not he, but Christ lives in him (Galatians 2: 20). He labours, yet not he, but the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15: 10).

5 He who is poor in spirit is much in prayer. He sees how short he is of the standard of holiness, therefore begs for more grace; Lord, more faith, more conformity to Christ. A poor man is ever begging. You may know by this one that is poor in spirit. He is ever begging for a spiritual alms. He knocks at heaven-gate; he sends up sighs; he pours out tears; he will not away from the gate till he have his dole. God loves a modest boldness in prayer; such shall not be non-suited.

6 The poor in spirit is content to take Christ upon his own terms. The proud sinner will article and indent with Christ. He will have Christ and his pleasure, Christ and his covetousness. But he that is poor in spirit sees himself lost without Christ, and he is willing to have him upon his own terms, a Prince as well as a Saviour: 'Jesus my Lord' (Philippians 3: 8). A castle that has long been besieged and is ready to be taken will deliver up on any terms to save their lives. He whose heart has been a garrison for the devil, and has held out long in opposition against Christ, when once God has brought him to poverty of spirit, and he sees himself damned without Christ, let God propound what articles he will, he will readily subscribe to them. 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do’ (Acts 9: 6). He that is poor in spirit will do anything that he may have Christ. He will behead his beloved sin. He will, with Peter, cast himself upon the water to come to Christ.

7 He that is poor in spirit is an exalter of free grace. None so magnify mercy as the poor in spirit. The poor are very thankful. When Paul had tasted mercy, how thankfully does he adore free grace! 'The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant' (1 Timothy 1: 14). It was super-exuberant. He sets the crown of his salvation upon the head of free grace. As a man that is condemned and has a pardon sent him, how greatly he proclaims the goodness and clemency of his prince! So St Paul displays free grace in its orient colours. He interlines all his epistles with free grace. As a vessel that has been perfumed makes the wine taste of it, so St Paul, who was a vessel perfumed with mercy, makes all his epistles to taste of this perfume of free grace. They who are poor in spirit, bless God for the least crumb that falls from the table of free grace. Labour for poverty of spirit. Christ begins with this, and we must begin here if ever we be saved. Poverty of spirit is the foundation stone on which God lays the superstructure of glory.

What I object to is that you automatically treat me like an inferior!

Last Sunday's sermon at Providence Church was on Luke 17:7-10.

7"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? 8Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'" (ESV)

In the sermon I dealt at great length with the issue of pride, because I think that's our primary obstacle to realizing our full potential as unworthy servants doing our duty.

In the sermon I shared some good quotations along the way. For example ...

"In place of true humility we learn certain words or phrases that we believe make us sound humble: ‘Oh, really, it was nothing’ or ‘Anyone could have done it.’ We cast our eyes down and shrug our shoulders or maybe even blush. Of course, we don’t really mean it—inside we’re congratulating ourselves for how humble we look and feel. We want that reputation but don’t know how to get to the reality. Like children playing dress-up in their parents’ clothes, we’re only acting humble; none of it really fits us."
-Joshua Harris

"Being critical and/judgmental of others is not a spiritual gift, but a mark of pride. Dealing graciously with others is a sign of diminished pride, especially those who offend you."
-Gunny Hartman

"And if I’m arrogant, I need to remember God doesn’t sympathize with me in that arrogance; He is opposed to the proud."
-C. J. Maheny

"We even get offended when people act as if they see us better than we see ourselves."
-Paul David Tripp

"... boasting and self-pity as two forms of pride. Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to suffering. Boasting says, 'I deserve admiration because I have achieved so much.' Self-pity says, 'I deserve admiration because I have sacrificed so much.' Boasting is the voice of pride in the heart of the strong. Self-pity is the voice of pride in the heart of the weak. Boasting sounds self-sufficient. Self-pity sounds self-sacrificing. The reason self-pity does not look like pride is that it appears to be needy. But the need arises from a wounded ego, and the desire is not really for others to see them as helpless but as heroes. The need that self-pity feels does not come from a sense of unworthiness but from a sense of unrecognized worthiness. It is the response of unapplauded pride."
-John Piper

"Obedience doesn't mean you want to; it just means you do."
-Gunny Hartman

"Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to be saying to us, “I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.” Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size."
-John Stott

I also gave some characteristics of a godly servant:

• Humility (1 Peter 5:5-6; Phil 2:3, 5-11)
• Submission to authority - Jesus came not to do His will, but that of the Father (John 6:38)
• Inconspicuous - does not draw attention to self (John 3:30)
• Even serve the unworthy - Jesus even washed Judas' feet (John 13:1-18, 30)
• Builds up the master, serves God's glory (Matt 5:16; 1 Cor 10:31)
• A love for Jesus Christ that prompts you to obedience (John 14:21)

This week Joe Thorn shared some offspring of pride from a Richard Mayo sermon, adding his own musings to each of the progeny. He notes that pride gives birth to:

1. Covetousness - because you believe you deserve something more than others.
2. Ungodly ambition - because you believe that you are most qualified, and the idea of someone else being preferred over you is an insult to your perceived worth.
3. Boasting - because everyone should know who you are and what you have accomplished.
4. Contention - because in picking fights you feel a sense of superiority over those who may (or may not) be in error.
5. Unthankfulness - because you deserve everything you get!
6. Selfishness - because others do not!
7. Self-deceit - because it’s easier to believe you are something, when in fact you are nothing.
8. A judgmental attitude - because you believe the errors of others are much more serious than your own.
9. Gossip - because you look so much better when telling others how awful someone else is. Mayo said that the proud “endeavor to build their own praise upon the ruins of others’ reputation.”
10. Complaining - because God should have consulted you before orchestrating the events of your day/life.
11. Hypocrisy - because you must hide the truth, your own failures, in order to avoid shame and accumulate praise.

And yesterday I came across 5 Symptoms Of A Proud Heart:

1. You get defensive at the first sign of criticism or correction. Proverbs 13:1 says, "A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke." A humble man eagerly receives rebuke, correction, and criticism. I on the other hand, am quick to be defensive. What about you? When you receive correction from others at work, or at church, or in the family, how do you respond?


2. You are quick to speak and slow to listen. Proverbs 18:2 says, "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." I'm often not interested in others or what others have to say, but only in voicing my own opinion. The humble person on the other hand, is slow to speak and eager to hear the input and wisdom of others. When you're with other people, are you quick to voice your own opinion, or are you eager to hear the opinions of others?


3. You're convinced that you're always right. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." I'm very proud, which in turn causes me to be certain that I'm right in all situations, at all times. The humble person is keenly aware of their blind spots, and aware that they could be wrong. When a debate arises, are you convinced that your way is the right way?


4. You're quick to criticize and slow to encourage. I'm aware of people's deficiencies and unaware of God's grace at work in people's lives. The result? Much criticism and little encouragement. The humble person however can identify with Paul when he said, "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 Tim 1:15) Are you more aware of people's faults or the grace of God at work in their life?


5. You become overwhelmed when life gets chaotic. When life gets chaotic and I'm loaded down with responsibilities, I can be easily overwhelmed. Why? Because I'm self-sufficient. In my pride, I rely on my own strength to carry out my plans. However, when things get chaotic, I get anxious. The humble person depends on God to carry out and execute plans, and thus experiences God's peace.

Most of us really don't want to be humble or strive for humility. Instead, we only want to appear humble and be thought of as humble by others.

Our pride gets in the way of our service to God and/or others, because such activity is unworthy of us. If we do serve, our pride resents the experience if we're not given sufficient praise. Plus, those people are deemed unworthy of our service, so we automatically treat others as inferior.

"At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend."
-John Stott