Monthly Archives: October 2013

Set Free in Christ

by Pastor Patrick Cho

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share a devotional with our college ministry at their annual welcoming luau. Each year this proves to be one of my favorite events because of the chance to get to know the new collegians (and see the returning ones, as well!). I decided to share this time about the freedom we receive through the grace of God in Jesus Christ. I was blessed by these thoughts from the first chapter of a book by Sinclair Ferguson entitled By Grace Alone. In this book, Ferguson walks through a contemporary hymn written by an African pastor, E. T. Sibomana. The book covers a variety of themes related to the gospel and the grace of God.

In order to address the topic of freedom, it is necessary biblically to explain the human’s bondage to sin. Every person who walks this earth is in spiritual bondage. There are, of course, many people who have no sense of this bondage, who walk around completely certain that they are free – free to do what they want, free to live as they please. Many people are angered when they are confronted with the idea that they are not in control but are slaves to sin. But Jesus taught quite plainly in John 8:34 that the one who sins is a slave to sin.

The problem is that there is a widespread misunderstanding about what it means that we are sinners. Most people would admit that they are not perfect. Whenever I have a chance to talk to someone about their sinfulness, they are almost always ready to admit that they have done some wrong things. But this admission doesn’t go far enough. Generally, people believe that they are morally good and right but that they stumble from time to time. We are generally good people, they hold, who mess up occasionally. This is even how some professing Christians view their sinfulness. They would confess, “I’m a sinner because I have sinned in my life.”

This perspective doesn’t quite match up with the Bible’s description of the human condition. The Bible proclaims that all men are sinners by nature and are enslaved to their sin (cf. Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:3). All men are born sinners and are bound to their sinful tendencies. As lovely as my children are and as much as I love them dearly, I understand that even at their young age they are sinners in desperate need of God’s saving grace. The problem isn’t that we are sinners because we have sinned. It is more accurately understood that we sin because we are sinners. This is our nature and our identity apart from Christ.

A person needs to understand and confess this truth in order to fully understand and appreciate the freedom that is offered in Christ. There is a wonderful proclamation of emancipation in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus could set the sinner free because He paid the sinner’s ransom. He would go to the cross and hang in judgment for the sins of the world. As an innocent man, He would die the death in place of guilty sinners. The punishment that was rightfully deserved by sinners He would take upon Himself. He would bear the curse of sin for us that we might be set free.

The ideas of slavery and freedom, though they should be deeply etched in our minds because of our unfortunately history, are terms that are unfamiliar to us experientially. In America, we live in the land of the free. One of the banners of the American Revolution stated emphatically, “We serve no sovereign here.” But the reality is that all people are under the rule of a sovereign. Either they are bound under the despotic tyranny of sin, or they are slaves of a benevolent and righteous Lord. For Christians, we need to remember that we were purchased out of our slavery to sin and made slaves of righteousness (Rom. 6:18). So now, we no longer live for ourselves but for the one who died and was raised again for us (2 Cor. 5:15). Praise God for the freedom we have in Christ. Though we were in bondage to sin with no hope of deliverance or rescue, He made a way for us by sacrificing Himself. He set us free.

…The Stones Would Immediately Cry Out

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 19:40

But could the stones cry out? Assuredly they could if He who opens the mouth of the dumb should bid them lift up their voice.

  • Certainly if they were to speak, they would have much to testify in praise of Him who created them by the word of His power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who called them into being. Shall not we speak well of Him who made us anew, and out of stones raised up children unto Abraham? The old rocks could tell of chaos and order, and the handiwork of God in successive stages of creation’s drama; and cannot we talk of God’s decrees, of God’s great work in ancient times, in all that He did for His church in the days of old?
  • If the stones were to speak, they could tell of their breaker, how he took them from the quarry, and made them fit for the temple, and cannot we tell of our glorious Breaker, who broke our hearts with the hammer of His word, that He might build us into His temple?
  • If the stones should cry out they would magnify their builder, who polished them and fashioned them after the similitude of a palace; and shall not we talk of our Architect and Builder, who has put us in our place in the temple of the living God?
  • If the stones could cry out, they might have a long, long story to tell by way of memorial, for many a time hath a great stone been rolled as a memorial before the Lord; and we too can testify of Ebenezers, stones of help, pillars of remembrance.

The broken stones of the law cry out against us, but Christ Himself, who has rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, speaks for us. Stones might well cry out, but we will not let them: we will hush their noise with ours; we will break forth into sacred song, and bless the majesty of the Most High, all our days glorifying Him who is called by Jacob the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.

3.23p

Weekly Links (10/11/2013)

One cannot explain the explosive dynamite, the dunamis, of the early church apart from the fact that they practiced two things simultaneously: orthodoxy of doctrine and orthodoxy of community in the midst of the visible church, a community which the world could see.  By the grace of God, therefore, the church must be known simultaneously for its purity of doctrine and the reality of its community.  Our churches have so often been only preaching points with very little emphasis on community, but exhibition of the love of God in practice is beautiful and must be there. (Francis Schaeffer)

by Richard Shin

Enjoy.

  • “We must not relegate God to those occasions when he is one cause among others that we can see, measure, and test.  We only have direct access to the natural means, but they are God’s ordinary way of working in the world and in our lives.” Michael Horton teaches us that our God is the God of the ordinary.
  • “Though the unpredictable timing of Lefty Gomez must have been a source of frustration for his teammates, as this vignette reveals, that to Lefty a promise was a promise.” Clint Archer writes about the promises of God.
  • “Men seem to be wired in such a way that pornography hijacks the proper functioning of their brains and has a long-lasting effect on their thoughts and lives.” Dr. Al Mohler pens an article on how pornography affects the brain.
  • “I thought she was saying, ‘I sure would like to spend some time with you dad. Why don’t you put me on your lap?’ Now I believe she was saying, ‘You’ll be glad if you put me on your lap.’ And she was right. But there is no Shannon to comfort me in the loss of Shannon.” R.C. Sproul Jr. updates us a year after his daughter’s passing.
  • “For me or any other writer to claim to know what is going on in all those churches is sheer foolishness. Only God attends every church service in America. Unless he gives us some inside scoop, let’s stop claiming to know what only he knows. Otherwise, we are not helping our pet cause, we are merely slandering Christ bride.” Joe Carter writes on the slandering of Christ’s bride.
  • “I said Hill and Allberry’s books have two things in common. The first is that they accept that this biblical evidence is overwhelming that homosexual practice is not God’s will. The second is that they, as men attracted to other males, believe that the biblical view of homosexuality makes great sense and is even liberating when viewed from within joyful belief of the gospel story.” Tim Keller reviews two books on Christianity and homosexuality penned by two Christian men who are attracted to other men.

Coram Deo

Single Life Update

by Julia Chen

I’ve been coming to Lighthouse for about two years now, and it has been a tremendous blessing to be a part of this particular church family. I appreciate the elders for their commitment to preaching God’s Word, and the members for continually seeking to build each other up in Christ. It’s true that there are many joys in life that I can attribute to my “Christian lifestyle” — I belong to a wonderful church community, and I have purpose in life, just to name a couple. But what if, hypothetically, Jesus Christ has not risen? Would the benefits of Christianity, outside of eternal blessing, be enough? These are some of the questions that Alex Ko raised in his sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:19 entitled “Most to be Pitied.”

In the passage, Paul argues that if Christ has not risen, then Christians would, in fact, be the people most to be pitied. In order to reach this conclusion, we must consider the implications of the idea that the dead cannot arise. Paul’s logic goes something like this: If the dead cannot rise, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is worthless, since Christianity revolves around the historical event of Christ’s resurrection. All believers would still be in their sins and would be condemned to eternal punishment because our hope in Christ goes only as far as this life.

So then why are Christians the most to be pitied? In Luke 9:23, Jesus says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This is not something to be taken lightly, but it is a complete and perpetual commitment. If we are to proclaim ourselves to be Christians, then we are to be Christ to the world, to bear His name. If Christ has not risen, then wouldn’t our natural response be to avoid suffering and seek out what’s best for us—YOLO, as it were? Conversely, we are called to live a life that is counter-cultural, to invest in heavenly rewards rather than pursue worldly pleasures.

As a young single adult living a relatively comfortable life in sunny San Diego, it’s easy to get lost in worldly pursuits. It’s not that the blessings in my life are bad; moreover, I need to remember the gospel, and my testimony—that I once hated God and was hopelessly lost in my sin. I need to take responsibility for my personal disobedience and acknowledge that it is only by God’s grace that I am saved. As Christians, we have all experienced God’s grace and have been set free by the glorious truth of Christ’s resurrection. Therefore, we should live in a way that reflects this. What we do in this life should bring us closer to God. We should be wholly dependent on our Sovereign Creator, and we should actively seek to glorify Him in all that we do. We are the most to be pitied if Christ has not risen because we have been called to the narrow path—and this is the path that we must strive towards—but we can find comfort in the fact that Christ is indeed risen, and that our hope in Him extends into eternity.

Don’t Worry, Be Holy

by Elder Johnny Kim

Lately, I’ve noticed that the older I get, the more I’m growing in my distaste for shopping malls. Between the packed parking lots, bustling crowds, and walking, for me, whatever I might need to buy hardly ever seems worth all the trouble. Rather, when it comes to shopping I have adopted the personal motto of, “If I can’t get it at Costco, then it either doesn’t exist or I don’t need it.” Of course I would have to assume that the majority of the general population doesn’t hold to my views, or else malls would quickly be going out of business. In fact, quite the opposite is true as it seems like the malls around town are always flourishing and are constantly being remodeled and expanded with increased offerings for shoppers. One thing I’ve noticed though is that whatever size a given mall might be, a quick look at the mall directory reveals what is typically true for all malls: the majority of the stores in a mall are related to the sale of clothing. And also typically true is that in second place are all the various eateries and restaurants to feed the hungry masses who are shopping for said clothing.

Interestingly, and perhaps not so coincidentally, it just so happens that in the Bible we can find that Jesus addressed these two very things: clothing and food. In Matthew 6:19-34 (and mirrored in Luke 12:13-34), Jesus uses the items of clothing and food to address the issue of worrying about earthly and material goods in light of God’s kingdom. Jesus teaches that rather than worrying about such things, Christians should be primarily concerned with seeking God and doing His kingdom work. Even the things that are arguably necessities for life here on Earth are not to be what occupies our thoughts and minds. Biologically speaking, we certainly need food and water to live, and even clothing to protect our bodies from the elements. However, God makes it clear that He desires for us, who He has created to be spiritual beings, to be occupied with Him and His spiritual concerns. Furthermore, God promises to provide for our earthly needs should we be completely engrossed in serving Him and His purposes.

The truth of these passages can certainly serve to bring the Christian some comfort and peace during times of physical need and uncertainty. However, the Christian must ultimately recognize that these passages represent clear commands from God, commands to abstain from such worry and anxiety. In other words, to worry about the physical needs of our life is to be in direct disobedience to God and therefore is sin. It might not seem fair to be caught in sin for “merely” worrying about things that we literally need in order to stay alive. However, the standard has been established by God in His word and a closer look at His word, specifically in Matthew 6:19-34, helps us to understand how the sin of worry can indeed turn us away from seeking after God.

God’s promise to provide for our earthly needs is clear. If we “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness”, God promises to care for our needs. And yet many Christians still live their lives as if God never has and never will come through on His promises. When we worry about the very things God promised He would provide, worrying in our heart is as if we are speaking with our lips, “God, I don’t believe You and I think You are a liar who can’t be trusted”. The sin of worry serves to reveal just how little regard we have for God’s word and His faithfulness. In Matthew 6:32, Jesus offers the reminder that God, the one who created us, certainly knows that we need things such as food and clothing in order to live. Those requirements are not lost on the God who is not only all-knowing, but specifically created us to need those things. So it is God’s role to provide us with those things according to His timing and in the manner in which He ordains. Yet when we worry, we in essence “take things into our own hands” and seek to obtain for ourselves, by our own efforts, those things that God has authority over. We are no less foolish than a naive child rebelling against his parents when through our worrying heart, we tell God, “I know exactly what I need and when I need it and You don’t”.

Worrying is not just a harmless emotion and a natural instinct. Christians who know the truth are to understand that worrying is a sin and an offense to God. God has provided for us through His truth and in the evidence of His faithfulness all that we need to know in order to rely on Him wholeheartedly. Worrying steals away from God’s faithfulness, His authority, and His goodness so that ultimately, God and worry cannot coexist in the Christian life. What worries do you have in your life? Are you more concerned about your earthly needs or your heavenly Father’s desires? In the end, without God, there’s no mall that will be big enough to satisfy the worries of this life.

His Sweat Was As It Were Great Drops Of Blood Falling Down To The Ground

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 22:44

The mental pressure arising from our Lord’s struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground.

  • This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he distilled great drops of blood!
  • This demonstrates the mighty power of his love. It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best. This precious camphire-tree yielded most sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it giveth forth its best spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound.
  • This sets forth the voluntariness of Christ’s sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers to cry, ‘Spring up, O well;’ of itself it flows in crimson torrents.

If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the heart. The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial. But see our Saviour in His agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his agony driving his blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth. The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the ground, pictures the fulness of the offering which he made for men.

Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through which he passed, and will we not hear its voice to us? ‘Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.’ Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the great tempter of your souls.

3.23a

Weekly Links (10/4/2013)

“In the thirty sections of their pamphlet, they have produced a list of difficulties to be met with in reading the Old and New Testament. Had I been aware of their design, I could have enriched the collection with many more, at least as good, if not a little better. But they have compiled, I dare say, what they deemed the best, and, in their own opinion, presented us with the essence of infidelity in a thumb-phial, the very fumes of which, on drawing the cork, are to strike the bench of bishops dead at once.

Let not the unlearned Christian be alarmed, “as though some strange thing had happened to him,” and modern philosophy had discovered arguments to demolish religion, never heard of before. The old ornaments of deism have been “broken off” upon this occasion, “and cast into the fire, and there came out this calf.” These same difficulties have been again and again urged and discussed in public; again and again weighed and considered by learned and sensible men, of the laity as well as the clergy, who have by no means been induced by them to renounce their faith.

Indeed, why should they? For is any man surprised, that difficulties should occur in the books of Scripture, those more especially of the Old Testament? Let him reflect upon the variety of matter on which they treat; the distance of the times to which they refer; the wide difference of ancient manners and customs from those of the age in which we live; the very imperfect knowledge we have of these, as well as of the language in which they are described; the conciseness of the narratives, sufficient for the purpose intended, but not for gratifying a restless curiosity; above all, the errors and defects of translations.

Many and painful are the researches sometimes necessary to be made, for settling points of that kind. Pertness and ignorance may ask a question in three lines, which it will cost learning and ingenuity thirty pages to answer. When this is done, the same question shall be triumphantly asked again the next year, as if nothing had ever been written upon the subject. And as people in general, for one reason or another, like short objections better than long answers, in this mode of disputation (if it can be styled such) the odds must ever be against us; and we must be content with those of our friends, who have honesty and erudition, candor and patience, to study both sides of the question – Be it so.” (George Horne, Letters on Infidelity)

by Stephen Rodgers

RESOURCES

ROBERT REYMOND

  • In more somber news, Robert Reymond has passed away; his systematic theology was actually the second systematic I ever bought (and introduced me to the concept that some of the topics were considerably denser than you might realize if all you had read up to that point was Grudem’s fine-but-introductory offering). James White offers up a bit of a eulogy, and Fred Butler has a great summary of the “essential” Reymond works.

OTHER

  • The NANC has a new website (and they’re changing their name to the ACBC).  I figured we have enough folks in biblical counseling programs that this would be of interest to you.

That’s it for now.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

We Are LBC!

by Hansol An

As the school year begins, and with it the college football season, I’ve noticed a few teams using the slogan, “We Are…” followed by their school’s name or mascot. SDSU and USC come to mind but I’m sure there are others (schools tend to copy one another). The intent is to bring unity and solidarity to the fan bases of these schools with a short, memorable slogan that embraces being identified primarily as an Aztec, Trojan, etc. But having your identity defined by your support for a team has limited real-life value – bragging rights aside. Though many fan(atic)s are deeply committed to their teams, how important is it really in the grand scheme of things? For Christians, our identity is in Christ (Gal 2:20). As a believer we are a member of Christ’s body the church. We shouldn’t forsake the assembling, as the author of Hebrews warns. We and should be actively using our gifts to minister to one another within the context of the local church.

At Lighthouse, we have many things to look forward to as the fall season begins. Since our calendar year is predominantly scheduled around the traditional fall-to-spring school year, many of our ministries start up again during this time. Second Hour classes, GraceLife, LKC and Flocks are all back from the summer break. But for many, one of the most anticipated aspects of the start of a “new year” is the return of the collegians that were away on break and the barrage of new visitors from the local colleges.

From the beginning, LBC has always been a church that has been equipped to minister to collegians. When the church first started, about a third of the regular attenders were collegians. That has stayed fairly consistent throughout the past 14 years as the church has grown. God has allowed us to reach the campuses by supply many youthful members not too far removed from their own college days, who have a desire to minister to the collegians. But where many churches will segregate collegians from the rest of the church, the leaders of LBC have recognized that there’s no reason for that. There is no special designation for collegians because they are in a more transitory stage of life. LBC has always endeavored to treat collegians as adults, with the rights and responsibilities of being full members in the church. We understand that there are unique aspects of college life but there is no less a responsibility to be active in the church for a collegian, than a single adult or married person. If anything, this stage of life allows the most liberty and flexibility, which in theory should translate into more participation, not less.

Collegians should be challenged by their calling as Christian adults to be a faithful part of Christ’s body, not later but now. Everyone is important and God commands us to minister to one another. So consider how you’ll be a part of the local body this year. Get involved. Whether it’s LBC or another church, being present is half the battle. Collegian or not, we should show the world our identity in Christ through our service to his body. Maybe churches should adopt the slogan too. WE ARE LBC!

LBC Weekly SPARK – October 2, 2013

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

October is here, which means that many ministries that were on break are up and running once again! This is always an exciting time of year where we can welcome in new students and countdown to the holiday season! Keep in mind that there are many opportunities to get involved and invest in each other’s lives. Don’t forget that the Lord has saved us into the body of Christ and has given us to each other by His grace to love one another and serve one another. Let’s actively participate to ensure that the body continues to mature in Christ.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are this week’s announcements:

  • Weekly Bible Studies. All our midweek Bible studies will be meeting this week at the church.

Grace Life – All married couples and parents are invited to come out this Thursday at 6:30 PM for an introduction and orientation about the upcoming year. Food will be served! We meet in Room 107. Nursery care will be provided as well!

Single Life – The singles ministry meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the sanctuary. Dinner is served at 6:30 PM and Bible study begins around 7:15 PM. Visit www.lighthousebc.com/singlelife for more information!

College Life – The college ministry meets on Fridays at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary. Visit www.lighthousebc.com/collegelife for more information!

Lumos – The youth ministry meets on Fridays at 7:00 PM in Room 107. Contact Josh Liu for information about Bible study or to arrange a ride (liu.joshuac@gmail.com).

Kids’ Club – Our midweek Bible study for children meets on Thursdays at 6:30pm. The theme this year is “Behold Our God,” and will focus on the attributes of God. The cost is $40 per child, with a $10 reduction for subsequent children of the same household. Join us as we seek to proclaim the greatness of God to our children through songs, Bible study, snacks, and activities! Contact Josh Liu for more information and to receive an a registration form (liu.joshuac@gmail.com).

  • Mommy & Me. All moms of children 0-4 years old are invited to join Mommy & Me on Fridays at 9:45 AM at the church. Contact Jane Kim for more information or if you are interested in coming out (janeminkim@gmail.com).
  • Sunday School. As was announced on Sunday, we will be introducing a 26 week class on eschatology, the study of end times, this coming Sunday during the Sunday School hour. Pastor Patrick will be teaching the class during the fall and winter quarters.

As always, we will also be offering Fundamentals of the Faith in Room 107. Roger Alcaraz and Ryan Short will be teaching FOF this term. All members should keep in mind that FOF is a membership requirement. If you have not yet taken the class, please make plans to do that soon!

  • All-Church Retreat. This year’s All Church Retreat will be from November 1-3 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. Dr. Michael Grisanti from The Master’s Seminary will be our speaker. Signups are being taken in the foyer on Sundays. The cost is $150 per adult, $75 per child age 3-12, babies 2 and under are free, and $450 max per family. If you have any questions or need financial assistance please talk to Hansol An (hansolan@gmail.com) or any of the deacons.
  • Fall Festival. We will be having our annual Fall Festival on Thursday, October 31 from 5:30-8:00pm at the church! More information is forthcoming. Contact Josh Liu if you are interested in helping (liu.joshuac@gmail.com)!
  • Local Outreach. There are still several opportunities to shine the light of the gospel in our community.

LBC partners with South Bay Community Church in National City to host a children’s program that includes tutoring, Bible teaching, and games for the children in the neighborhood. If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact Hanka Rodgers (hanka.rodgers@gmail.com).

We have the opportunity to visit a convalescent home in Hillcrest on Tuesdays to minister to the elderly. For more information on how to get involved with this ministry, please contact Peter Park (xpeetzax@gmail.com).

LBC partners with Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church every other Sunday from 3:00-6:00pm to help feed the homeless and needy. We help prepare and serve the food, and clean the kitchen. For more information on how to get involved with this ministry, contact Joyce Kang (joycekang84@gmail.com) or Hanka Rodgers (hanka.rodgers@gmail.com).

  • Beacon. Don’t forget about our online newsletter and blog! Visit www.lighthousebc.com/beacon today!