Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Let Us Go Forth Therefore Unto Him Without The Camp

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Hebrews 13:13

Jesus, bearing His cross, went forth to suffer without the gate. The Christian’s reason for leaving the camp of the world’s sin and religion is not because he loves to be singular, but because Jesus did so; and the disciple must follow his Master. Christ was ‘not of the world:’ His life and His testimony were a constant protest against conformity with the world. Never was such overflowing affection for men as you find in Him; but still He was separate from sinners. In like manner Christ’s people must ‘go forth unto Him.’ They must take their position ‘without the camp,’ as witness-bearers for the truth. They must be prepared to tread the straight and narrow path. They must have bold, unflinching, lion-like hearts, loving Christ first, and His truth next, and Christ and His truth beyond all the world.

Jesus would have His people ‘go forth without the camp’ for their own sanctification. You cannot grow in grace to any high degree while you are conformed to the world. The life of separation may be a path of sorrow, but it is the highway of safety; and though the separated life may cost you many pangs, and make every day a battle, yet it is a happy life after all. No joy can excel that of the soldier of Christ: Jesus reveals Himself so graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the warrior feels more calm and peace in his daily strife than others in their hours of rest.

The highway of holiness is the highway of communion. It is thus we shall hope to win the crown if we are enabled by divine grace faithfully to follow Christ ‘without the camp.’ The crown of glory will follow the cross of separation. A moment’s shame will be well recompensed by eternal honour; a little while of witness-bearing will seem nothing when we are ‘for ever with the Lord.’

4.6a

Weekly Links (5/2/2014)

“I used to tell young preachers, in order to preach you’ve got to have the power of God on your life. Now I tell them, in order to tie your shoes you’ve got to have the power of God on your life.” (Paul Washer)

by Stephen Rodgers

Alright, it’s the first WL of the month, which means that we’re loaded for bear when it comes to free resources.  Since it’s only the second day of the month, we may need to do a follow-up post to highlight any resources that aren’t available yet, but meanwhile, here’s what is available.

There are a few other resources that aren’t new per se, but should be of interest to many of the folks at LBC:

If you’re in San Diego, don’t forget that this is the 15th anniversary celebration of LBC! See you there!

Pro Rege

Before Honour Is Humility

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Proverbs 15:33

Humiliation of soul always brings a positive blessing with it. If we empty our hearts of self God will fill them with His love. He who desires close communion with Christ should remember the word of the Lord, ‘To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.’ Stoop if you would climb to heaven. Do we not say of Jesus, ‘He descended that He might ascend’? so must you. You must grow downwards, that you may grow upwards; for the sweetest fellowship with heaven is to be had by humble souls, and by them alone.

God will deny no blessing to a thoroughly humbled spirit. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,’ with all its riches and treasures. The whole exchequer of God shall be made over by deed of gift to the soul which is humble enough to be able to receive it without growing proud because of it. God blesses us all up to the full measure and extremity of what it is safe for Him to do. If you do not get a blessing, it is because it is not safe for you to have one. If our heavenly Father were to let your unhumbled spirit win a victory in His holy war, you would pilfer the crown for yourself, and meeting with a fresh enemy you would fall a victim; so that you are kept low for your own safety.

When a man is sincerely humble, and never ventures to touch so much as agrain of the praise, there is scarcely any limit to what God will do for him. Humility makes us ready to be blessed by the God of all grace, and fits us to deal efficiently with our fellow men. True humility is a flower which will adorn any garden. This is a sauce with which you may season every dish of life, and you will find an improvement in every case. Whether it be prayer or praise, whether it be work or suffering, the genuine salt of humility cannot be used in excess.

4.5p

LBC Weekly SPARK – April 24, 2014

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord! As a church family, let’s continue to point each other forward towards the amazing hope we have in the grace of God. We worship a risen Lord and Savior who made it possible for us to be right with God! As you reflect this week at flocks on the implications of the resurrection of Christ, I hope you enjoy wonderful discussions and fellowship!

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. FLOCKS. Don’t forget that it’s flocks week so our regularly scheduled midweek Bible studies will be taking a break this week. For more information about flocks, please visit the church website (http://lighthousebc.com/welcome/flocks/).
  2. MEMBERSHIP CLASS. We will be having a membership class this coming weekend! The class will meet on Saturday, April 26, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and on Sunday, April 27, from 2:00-5:00 PM. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory. If you are interested in membership, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application (pastorpatrick@gmail.com).
  3. SUNDAY SCHOOL. Our regular Sunday School classes will be meeting again this weekend. Eschatology meets in the main auditorium and FOF will be in Room 107.
  4. MEMBERS MEETING. There is a members meeting this Sunday, April 27, at 4:45 PM. All members of LBCSD are highly encouraged to attend. As always dinner will be served. If you are a ministry coordinator and would like to give a ministry update, please contact Pastor Patrick with details about your update.
  5. MNV. Don’t forget about Monday Night Volleyball at La Jolla Shores. It’ll run through the summer on Monday nights at 5:00 PM. Meet at the north side of Shores by the volleyball courts!
  6. ANNIVERSARY BANQUET. This year’s banquet will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Liberty Station on Saturday, May 3, at 5:00 PM. The dress for the banquet is semi-formal (i.e. coat and tie). If you have any questions about the banquet, please contact Randy Sarmiento (dizzyd101@gmail.com).
  7. ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND. LBCSD will be celebrating 15 years of God’s faithfulness to this ministry on the weekend of May 2-4. It’s going to be a packed weekend but one which I’m sure will be a tremendous blessing!

Friday, May 2
7:00 PM Session 1 – The Mission of LBC (Patrick Cho)

Saturday, May 3
9:00 AM Session 2 – The Vision of LBC (Jim Kang)
12:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM Break
5:00 PM Session 3 – The Passion of LBC (Chris Mueller)
This will be at the anniversary banquet.

Sunday, May 4
9:00 AM Session 4 – Reflections on 15 Years of Ministry (John Kim)
11:00 AM Refreshments and Fellowship

Singles’ Retreat Recap

by Randy Tsuchiyama

This year’s Single’s Retreat was titled, “Living Sacrifices” and was centered on the theme of worship. Through the four messages that Dr. Andy Snider gave during the retreat, the importance of worship was clearly portrayed. Thinking about what worship ought to look like and seeing how I approach worship brought a lot of conviction about changes that I need to make in my life

The first two sermons of the retreat were used to exposit the story of worship in the Bible. During the first sermon, Dr. Snider explained what worship in the Old Testament looked like. During the second sermon, he explained what worship looked like in the New Testament. One key point that hit home for me was that worship is something that needs to be done every moment of my life and is not relegated to certain events throughout the week (namely, Sunday worship service). Though this point was not a new one, being reminded of the importance of worship in EVERY THING that I do was a very sobering one. I was challenged to think through worshipping God in how I work, how I serve at church, and even how I choose to relax. As a worshipper of Christ, I am called to revere, love, and submit to God in everything that I do

The last two sermons of the retreat were about the worshipping church’s identity. Dr. Snider discussed what our identity as a church ought to be based on the fact that we are Christians and that we are all worshippers of Christ. As a church that is worshipping God, we are all redeemed, separated, devoted, and related (like a family). Thinking about how to love one another like family is a huge challenge. The way that we love is the way that we make the love of God visible to this lost and dying world around us. The way that we ought to be showing love to one another should look drastically different than what the world expects love to look like. This is one aspect of worship that I was particularly challenged by and am looking to grow in more and more.

The topic of worship is such an important one for the Christian. Worship is what we do every moment of our lives. Sometimes we choose to worship ourselves and other times we choose to worship God. After being blessed by the preaching of Dr. Snider, I am praying that God graciously helps me to choose to worship Him more and more everyday.

Reflections on the Resurrection

by Pastor Patrick Cho

It was such an encouragement seeing so many this past weekend come together for our Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services. What an amazing time to think upon the cross and reflect on the grace of God to save! The significance to the believer of the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be overstated. Here are just some ways the Jesus’ rising from the dead proved to be infinitely important and absolutely vital to the Christian faith.

1. The resurrection of Jesus was perhaps the single greatest demonstration of His deity to man.

Jesus spoke of His divine authority in John 10:18. By His authority He laid down His life for sinners and by His authority He took it up again. In history, more than a few people have claimed they would find a way to return from the dead. Man probably has been seeking to cheat death since death entered into the world. Jesus proved His divinity not only by paying for the sins of God’s people (past, present, and future) in a single immeasurably powerful act, but also by demonstrating His authority over sin and the grave by coming back from the dead.

2. Jesus’ resurrection was God’s validation of His work on the cross to save sinners.

One way that the resurrection validated Jesus’ work was that if He was an imposter and a fraud, God would not have raised Him from the dead. Only God has both the power and authority to raise someone from the dead. Here was someone who came claiming to be the Son of God. He spoke about many prophecies that were fulfilled in Him. He even taught that in Him God’s people would find the fulfillment of the Law! All God had to do to completely silence these outrageous claims was to keep Jesus in the tomb. But Jesus rose again, which was in a sense God’s way of saying, “He is who He says He is, and He accomplished what He said He would accomplish.”

Another way Jesus’ resurrection was God’s validation of His work on the cross was through the fulfillment of prophecy. The OT writers wrote about how the Christ would suffer and be raised again. This is probably nowhere clearer than in Isaiah 53:10-11, “. . . He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days . . . Out of the anguish of His soul, He shall see and be satisfied.” All this is written after God’s servant is crushed by the Lord and offered as a guilt offering. The OT prophets foretold that the Messiah would come back from the dead, and Jesus rose again in fulfillment of those prophecies.

3. Jesus’ resurrection secured the believer’s hope for future grace.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Jesus rose from the dead as a firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20-23). In other words, if Jesus rose from the dead, it is certain that His people will follow. The great foundation to our hope as believers is that Jesus is not lying in some tomb in Israel. In fact, Paul concedes that if there is no resurrection, all Christians have no reason to hope and are of all men most to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). Those who seek to completely destroy the Christian faith need only prove that Jesus did not rise from the dead. This is how much the Christian faith and hope rest on the resurrection. We live in the knowledge that this life is not the end. This world is not our home because we have been made citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We are aliens and sojourners in this life. There is a glorious inheritance awaiting us when Jesus comes again and is fully revealed to us. All this hope rests on His resurrection.

There are many more reasons the resurrection is significant for the believer, but these are the ones we focused on this past weekend. May the hope you have in Christ motivate you to live holy lives for His glory. Let’s seek to put aside sin and any encumbrances and run undistracted towards Him. And may our understanding that Jesus not only rose from the dead but is also coming again compel us to take risks for the faith because there is more to life than what we see here. As believers in the risen Lord, let us preach the gospel of His resurrection with greater faithfulness in light of these reflections from God’s truth.

…That He Might Bear It After Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 23:26

We see in Simon’s carrying the cross a picture of the work of the Church throughout all generations; she is the cross-bearer after Jesus. Mark then, Christian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer. But let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that in our case, as in Simon’s, it is not our cross, but Christ’s cross which we carry. When you are molested for your piety; when your religion brings the trial of cruel mockings upon you, then remember it is not your cross, it is Christ’s cross; and how delightful is it to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus!

You carry the cross after Him. You have blessed company; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord. The mark of His blood-red shoulder is upon that heavy burden. ‘Tis His cross, and He goes before you as a shepherd goes before his sheep. Take up your cross daily, and follow Him.

Do not forget, also, that you bear this cross in partnership. It is the opinion of some that Simon only carried one end of the cross, and not the whole of it. That is very possible; Christ may have carried the heavier part, against the transverse beam, and Simon may have borne the lighter end. Certainly it is so with you; you do but carry the light end of the cross, Christ bore the heavier end.

And remember, though Simon had to bear the cross for a very little while, it gave him lasting honour. Even so the cross we carry is only for a little while at most, and then we shall receive the crown, the glory. Surely we should love the cross, and, instead of shrinking from it, count it very dear, when it works out for us ‘a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’

4.5a

Facing Change

by Samantha Zhang

I’ve been noticing that almost every conversation I have with a collegian includes discussing the many unknowns of their future: career choices, relationships, marriage, relocating and much more. These conversations make me nostalgic and bring me back to my college years when thinking about my future seemed so daunting and figuring out God’s will for my life seemed so confusing.

When I was a senior in college, one of my good friends shared a quote with me that has stuck with me through the years: “There are two constants in life: change and God.” My life has definitely been a testament to the truth of this quote. When I was a new graduate, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the many uncertainties that I was confronted with upon entering “the real world.” My friends moved all over and even out of the country, and I didn’t know whether to stay in San Diego or move back home; I had no idea if I should continue pursuing physical therapy or not; my church had gone through a split, and I had just begun dating. Fast forward four years later, and here I am–a wife to Matt, a mother to Rylan and a homemaker. I have definitely experienced a lot of change, but through it all, God has been my one constant. His word, His promises and His faithful character have been the unwavering stronghold in my life. As someone who has struggled a lot with change, I encourage you to consider the following points the next time you encounter uncertainty in your life:

  1. Let God be your stability. Isaiah 33:6 says “He will be the stability of your times.” What gives your life stability? Is it a relationship? Financial stability? Securing a specific career? One way I assess whether I am finding my hope in my circumstances instead of Christ is by asking myself whether I would be okay if God’s plans for my life are not the same as my plans. “The heart of a man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). If I find myself in despair or distraught by change in my life, it is usually because I am not finding my stability in Him alone. Make Christ your sure foundation and the stability of your times and you will find that no matter what circumstantial changes take place in your life, you will have the peace that surprasses all comprehension that only God can give.
  2. Focus on obeying God’s revealed will instead of obsessing over his unrevealed will. Be careful not to become overly preoccupied with trying to discern God’s will for your future. Undoubtedly, it is important to pray, search God’s word and seek counsel when making important decisions that affect your future. But I challenge you to be even more diligent in being sure that you are living out God’s revealed will (what we know from His word) for your life. It may not be God’s will for you to know all of the plans He has for your life, but you do know it is His will for you to love Him with your whole being (Matthew 22:37), to rejoice always and pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17), to outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10), etc. Focus on obeying what you do know about His will.
  3. Remember your life is but a vapor. James 4:14 says “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Psalm 103:15-16 emphasizes the same point: “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” Let these verses humble you. Consider your life and all your future plans in light of eternity. Our lives are a mere snippet within God’s glorious eternal plan and we should be in awe that He would allow us to take part in it. We must remember that we exist to glorify God. Our lives are not about ourselves! Contrary to what our selfie-obsessed culture teaches us, our lives are not to be wasted by trying to build a name for ourselves on earth. We are to be living sacrifices, making much of Him and being obedient to His will for our lives and whatever He may be calling us to.

Change, as scary as it can be, is an inescapable part of life. In Matthew 8, Jesus led His disciples into a storm. And just as Jesus was with the disciples in the storm, you can be assured that wherever He leads you in your life, He will be with you. If the unchanging Christ is your stability, you will not be dismayed when you encounter change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What an immense comfort this should be for our souls! We have a God whose character is consistent and unwavering! May we continue to press on in the good race, keeping our eyes fixed on our changeless Christ.