Contradictions – sermon jam by Josh Harris

October 6, 2007October 6, 2007 Tony Reinke Audio, Cross of Christ, Cross-centered life

Yet another sermon jam coming out on 10:31’s forthcoming volume. This one by Josh Harris, Senior Pastor of Covenant Life Church (Gaithersburg, MD), is called, Contradictions:

“There are two options for mankind. There are two options for each and every one of us. We can choose human wisdom or we can choose God’s wisdom – the wisdom of the Cross. But they don’t fit together. They can’t be made compatible. They are incompatible. God’s Cross wisdom contradicts human wisdom. The human race is divided into two groups. That’s how Paul sees all of mankind. It’s not about gender, it’s not about age, it’s not about wealth, it’s not about education, for Paul. No. He says the world is divided right down the middle and the dividing factor is what people think of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Your perspective of that even is the most important thing about you. It’s the defining thing about you. And Paul shows that the wisdom of the world (human wisdom) completely disagrees and contradicts God’s wisdom (the wisdom of the Cross). The Corinthians wanted to mix-and-match human wisdom and Cross wisdom. Paul says, ‘No, it doesn’t work. They contradict.’ No matter what the race or the culture, the message of the Cross is always folly and offense to natural, sinful man. …. This is no small difference of opinion on a minor topic. No. This is absolute contradiction on the central issue.”

See 1 Corinthians 1-3

MAKE WAR! – Piper sermon jam

October 4, 2007October 4, 2007 Tony Reinke Audio, Boldness, contending, Earnestness, Fighting sin, Growth in godliness, Hard decisions, Idolatry, Idols, John Piper, Mortification, Music, Sanctification, Sin, Sin in the church, Spiritual Warfare, Wickedness of the heart, Worldliness

Our friends over at 10:31 Sermon Jams are getting ready to launch a new and improved Website next week and with it comes the release of their 4th volume of sermon jams. And they keep getting better! Over the coming days at TSS we’ll be giving you some exclusive access to songs from the new volume.

This first one, War, comes from John Piper’s sermon on Romans 8:10-17 (his ministry will always be equated in my mind with thunder):

“I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections and their failures and their addictions and their short-comings, And I see so little war! ‘Murmur, murmur, murmur… Why am I this way?’ MAKE WAR!”

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Ed Welch: “There is a mean streak to authentic self-control. Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin. The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war. There is something about war that sharpens the senses. You hear a twig snap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attack mode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull the trigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keeps us vigilant.”

Rick Gamache sermon jam

September 7, 2007September 7, 2007 Tony Reinke Audio, Audio sermon, Churches in Minneapolis, Missiology, Rick Gamache

I love sermon jams, the place where sermonic highlight meets background music. Sermon jams are excellent for the gym, excellent for personal devotion, excellent to share with other listeners less likely to listen to entire sermons, and overall just an excellent way to reach the lost and share the faith. Sermon jams are very common online, but few are as well constructed as those produced by 10:31 Sermon Jams. Many of their jams are available online for free download.

My interest was especially peaked when I heard the newest CD release would include a jam of my favorite preacher, Rick Gamache (pastor of Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Bloomington, MN)! No one has more personally and profoundly influenced my life in turning my gaze back to the Cross than Gamache and this sermon jam encapsulates his ministry so beautifully. Have a listen for yourself …

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Audio posted with the kind permission of 10:31 Sermon Jams. Special thanks to Bryan Guenther.

Critiquing the Missional Movement

September 6, 2007September 7, 2007 Tony Reinke 2007 SGM LC, Audio, Church methodology, Community, contending, Contextualizing, Cross of Christ, Cross-centered life, Culture, D.A. Carson, Discernment, Ed Stetzer, Evangelism, Gospel in Culture, John Bunyan, Mark Driscoll, Missiology, Missions, Pastoral Ministry, Seeker Friendly, Seeker Sensitive, Sovereign Grace Ministries

Now that all the Sovereign Grace Ministries messages are free, I’m slowly feasting message-by-message in a long and delicious buffet of audio. Today I finally arrived at Dave Harvey’s message from the SGM Leadership Conference this Spring (at the time, I was on the other side of the wall listening to Dever speak on his annual reading schedule).

Harvey, the author of the excellent book When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage (Shepherd’s Press: 2007), is also an expert church planter and apostolic leader within SGF. This Spring in his session “Watch Your Mission: To Be, or Not to Be, ‘Missional,’” he assessed the strengths and weakness of the missional movement. In part, he argues the MM muddies the Cross-centered focus of the Church and misunderstands the apostolic context of the Great Commission.

Here’s the heart of his outline:

1. What are the Strengths of Missional Churches?
A. Missional Churches Have a Commendable Passion for Evangelism.
B. Missional Churches Have a Laudable Commitment to Engaging Culture.
C. Missional Churches Have a Profitable Impulse for Reexamining Church Tradition.
D. They Also Possess an Admirable Devotion to Social Impact.

2. What are the Weaknesses of Missional Churches?
A. Missional Churches Tend to Be Mission-Centered Rather Than Gospel-Centered.
B. Missional Churches Tend to Have a Reductionistic Ecclesiology.
C. Missional Churches Tend to Confuse Culture Engagement with Cultural Immersion.
D. Missional Churches Tend to Downplay the Institutional and Organizational Nature of the Church.
E. Missional Churches Tend to Have an Insufficient Understanding of Apostolic Ministry.

Free: Get the full outline here and the mp3 audio here.

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Update: It should be noted SGM believes in a continuing apostolic gift: “present-day apostles plant and build local churches for the sanctification of the believer, the expansion of the mission, and the exaltation of God.” For more on why they use the term, what it means and does not mean, see the SGM booklet by Harvey titled Polity: Serving and Leading the Local Church (2004), pages 17-26, 49-50.

Mars Hill Music

August 17, 2007August 17, 2007 Tony Reinke Audio, Music

Mars Hill Church audio has released a number of songs for download. Access these songs and watch for additions through the feed here. Some examples of what you will find:

Come Ye Sinners