Decisions, Decisions, Decisions (Part 5)

by Elder Mike Chon

When we approach decisions in our life, we sometimes wonder if we are choosing what God has planned for us. Does God have a sovereign will for my life? Did I choose the decision that God had planned for me? In the last article we examined the steps to making decisions in accordance with Godly wisdom. Today we will examine the characteristics of God’s sovereignty and how that helps us make our decisions using wisdom.

There is only One that is sovereign over all things. In 1 Timothy 6:15, God is declared “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” He is the only One that is ultimately sovereign in this universe. So what does Scripture reveal about God’s sovereign will?

  1. First, it is certain. It will not be frustrated or changed by men, angels, or anything else (Daniel 4:35).
  2. Second, God’s sovereign will is detailed in all things. God’s sovereign will ultimately determines which of our plans find fulfillment (James 4:13-15), the existence of creation (Rev. 4:11), the ruler’s personal plans (Prov. 21:1), the result of casting lots (Prov. 16:33), the believer’s suffering (1 Peter 3:17), and our personal salvation (Rom. 8:29-30).  So not only is it above all things, but nothing can escape it.
  3. The third thing we need to understand about God’s sovereign will is that it is hidden. God hides His sovereign will until it happens. So if you are wondering what God’s sovereign will for next Wednesday is, then you’ll just have to wait until next Thursday. Only God knows what will happen in advance and all the whys of His sovereign will (Deut. 29:29; Psalm 115:3; Rom. 11:33-34). The only exception to this is if God has revealed the future in prophecy.
  4. Fourth, God’s sovereign will is the supreme determiner of all things, without violating human moral responsibility or making God the author of sin (Acts 2:23; James 1:13). (I will expand on this point in a future article.) Even though God is completely sovereign, humans are moral agents who make real decisions for which we are responsible, therefore we cannot be fatalistic in our approach to life.
  5. Lastly, God’s sovereign will is perfect in that it will ultimately lead to God’s greatest glory (Rom. 11:36). Many times in our life we will face circumstances that are difficult or cause tremendous suffering. Even though we may not fully understand why we had to endure this difficulty, we can know that our experience was part of the sovereign plan of an all-wise and loving God. God’s plan is always perfect because God is perfect.

So how do we finally make a decision in our life that is God honoring?

  1. First, our plans (Prov. 21:5) need to come from a submissive heart to the sovereignty of God (James 4:13-16).
  2. Second, as we examined before, our circumstances, (such as open doors), should always be weighed with wisdom, and not read into to determine God’s will for our lives. Remember open doors are not commands by God to go through, instead they are opportunities that should be evaluated with wisdom.

After following through the steps from our last article in seeking wisdom in our decision making, then we are able to make a decision that is moral and wise. If you have concluded that one decision is wiser than another, than it would be sinful to knowingly choose the less wise or less moral option. Remember God has commanded us to be wise and mature, to go against that command would be sinful. If two options are equally wise, which happens often, than you can choose either option with the confidence that God is pleased. With all our decisions that we make, we must always trust in our sovereign God to work out all the details together for good. Hopefully this series has helped in understanding how to approach the decisions that we need to make in life to God’s glory alone.

He Was Sore Athirst…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Judges 15:18

Samson was thirsty and ready to die. The difficulty was totally different from any which the hero had met before. Merely to get thirst assuaged is nothing like so great a matter as to be delivered from a thousand Philistines! But when the thirst was upon him, Samson felt that little present difficulty more weighty than the great past difficulty out of which he had so specially been delivered.

It is very usual for God’s people, when they have enjoyed a great deliverance, to find a little trouble too much for them. Samson slays a thousand Philistines, and piles them up in heaps, and then faints for a little water! Jacob wrestles with God at Peniel, and overcomes Omnipotence itself, and then goes ‘halting on his thigh!’ Strange that there must be a shrinking of the sinew whenever we win the day. As if the Lord must teach us our littleness, our nothingness, in order to keep us within bounds. Samson boasted right loudly when he said, ‘I have slain a thousand men.’ His boastful throat soon grew hoarse with thirst, and he betook himself to prayer. God has many ways of humbling His people.

Dear child of God, if after great mercy you are laid very low, your case is not an unusual one. When David had mounted the throne of Israel, he said, ‘I am this day weak, though anointed king.’ You must expect to feel weakest when you are enjoying your greatest triumph. If God has wrought for you great deliverances in the past, your present difficulty is only like Samson’s thirst, and the Lord will not let you faint, nor suffer the daughter of the uncircumcised to triumph over you. The road of sorrow is the road to heaven, but there are wells of refreshing water all along the route. So, tried brother, cheer your heart with Samson’s words, and rest assured that God will deliver you ere long.

1.21p

LBC Weekly SPARK – February 25, 2011

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. The second chapter of The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, is called “Ministry Mind-Shifts.” The challenge presented in this chapter is that most ministries need to rethink and reevaluate what its ministry’s goals and methods are. As we learned from chapter 1, programs are not the essence of what biblical ministry ought to be. Programs are nice and helpful, but they serve the purpose and are not the purpose of ministry in themselves. The goal of ministry ought to be to see a body of believers who are committed to fulfilling the Great Commission – disciples of Christ making disciples of Christ.

One shift in ministry philosophy that needs to take place is to move from running programs to building people. Instead of thinking about what you want the finished product of your program to look like, you should begin with the people you have and mold the ministry to their giftedness and availability.

Another shift involves moving from running events to training people. Think about how much more effective evangelism in the church would be if the focus were less about having evangelistic events and programs and more about training up your members to preach the gospel and be committed to it. The program might be run by a small team of members, whereas the training would address and involve the entire church.

Other shifts that the authors propose are to move away from using people to growing people, and to move away from filling gaps to training new workers. When I was in college, I remember visiting various churches and having them try to get me involved in their children’s ministries. They didn’t know much about my gifts, talents, and abilities, but they needed workers to watch the kids. Unfortunately, a lot of churches function in this way, simply trying to fill the gaps that are left by members who have moved away or resigned.

The book offers eleven of these “ministry mind-shifts” that help us to evaluate what really ought to be the focus of what we do. If the Great Commission is about people building up people, then our focus should move away from solely mounting up programs and events. The programs and events help serve the work of the Great Commission, but are not the fulfillment of the Great Commission in and of themselves.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. Bible Studies. The youth and singles will be having their regularly scheduled Bible studies tonight. The college group will not be meeting on campus this week due to the College Life Retreat at Pine Valley. If you are in college and not going to retreat, you are welcome to join the singles tonight at the church at 7:00pm. Check out the church website for more information about our Friday night Bible studies. Also, please pray for our college ministry as they have retreat this weekend at Pine Valley! Pray for safe travel to and from the retreat site as well as a wonderful weekend learning God’s Word!
  2. Flocks. Next week, our regular midweek Bible studies will not be meeting. Instead we will be having our regional flocks. Visit the flocks page at the church website to download the sermon response worksheet. Fill it out and come prepared for the large group discussion. For more information about flocks, you can either check out the website or contact Peter Lim ( peterlim@yahoo.com ).
  3. GraceLife Picnic at the Park/Fun in the Sun Day (FITS). Due to the poor weather forecast, this GraceLife event has been cancelled. However, the Care Ministry will be hosting a Fun in the Sun Day event on Sunday, March 6 to provide a time of fellowship and fun for all. FITS will be at the church beginning at 1:00pm. Lunch will be served for $5/person (youth and kids eat free!).
  4. End Times Bible Study. To coincide with our study in 1 Corinthians, Pastor Patrick will be hosting a Sunday evening series on the end times. Come find out what the Bible says about eschatology through this helpful series. The meetings will be at the church from 6:00-8:00pm on March 6, March 20, April 3, and April 17. For more information, please talk to Pastor Patrick.
  5. Parent/Child Dedication. We will be having our next Parent/Child Dedication during the worship service on Sunday, March 13. If you have recently had a child and would like to participate, please contact Pastor Patrick.
  6. Single Life Retreat. The singles will be having their retreat on the weekend of March 18-20, at Pine Valley Bible Camp. Our speaker this year will be Pastor James Lee of Pillar Bible Church, and he will be addressing the theme of “Dependence.” The cost is only $130 (including a $50 non-refundable deposit). You can sign up with Brian Song tonight at Bible study or on Sunday at church!
  7. Prayer. Don’t forget to come to church a little early on Sunday for a time of corporate prayer in the sanctuary. The sanctuary will be open for prayer at 8:45am, and prayer requests will be projected on the wall. If you are out in the foyer talking with one another, I would encourage you to remind each other of this time and come in to pray for the church.
  8. Vision Quest. The winner of the skit competition from last Sunday’s Vision Quest is Team Banana! Congratulations to all the teams! It really was a great night together and a helpful look into the Vision of LBC.

Weekly Links (2/25/2011)

I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you . . . Do you think I am trying to weave a spell? Perhaps I am; but remember your fairy tales. Spells are used for breaking enchantments as well as for inducing them.  (CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory. HT: Jared Wilson)

by Stephen Rodgers

Apologies for the late post today folks.  Pastor John (he of San Jose fame) was kind enough to stay up rather late talking to me last night, so I got a late start on this.

And that brings us to the links for the week:

  • John Piper has some valuable musings as to whether smartphone apps are a threat to focus, and what the solution is for that.  His answer may surprise you.  (WEB)
  • The latest “Ask RC” event (from 2/17/2011) is available for viewing now.  And if Q&A with RC Sproul is something that interests you, you might want to check out the first one they did as well. (VIDEO)
  • This testimony from Covenant Life Church is a great testimony (no pun intended) to God’s providence in both prayer and salvation.  If you have six minutes to spare, I think this is well worth your time. (VIDEO)
  • Jared Wilson revisited the basics of the Lordship Salvation debate in this great article. If you really want to jump into a more exhaustive work on the subject though, I would heartily recommend John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus.  (WEB)
  • Speaking of John MacArthur, I was personally encouraged by a Q&A he recently did with Phil Johnson.  You can read the transcript, or download the audio. Johnson takes the opportunity to speak highly of his pastor, and MacArthur takes every opportunity to poke fun at his friend. (WEB/MP3)
  • Ken Sande gave a great interview to Christianity Today.  It’s so good, that I’m recommending you read it even though CT has terrible formatting. (WEB)
    • For the “pretty” version that makes you click seven times just to read it, click here.
    • For the “ugly” version that gives you the entire article but destroys formatting, click here.

That’s all for now folks.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Peacemaking for Families (Grace Life)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

A couple weeks ago, the Grace Life ministry began a study through Ken Sande’s book, Peacemaking for Families. So far, the lessons have been greatly helpful in providing instruction and pointing to biblical principles of conflict resolution. Sadly, since we are sinners, our sin oftentimes manifests itself in our marriages and parenting. We hurt those we claim to love the most and we act selfishly, seeking only to get what we want.

The opening chapters of Sande’s book have been very helpful getting us to honestly confess that our conflicts stem from the sinful desires of our own hearts. We can’t solely blame others (“They make me so mad!”), and we can’t blame our circumstances (“All this noise is driving me crazy!”). As the Bible clearly indicates, in conflict we must first look inward to find the problem (James 4:1-2).

In any relationship, conflict is going to be reality. The teaching of Christ in Matthew 5:23-24 is particularly insightful. Jesus says that if someone has something against you, you are to go and resolve the conflict before offering the sacrifice at the altar. Even if you are doing everything you can to be at peace with others, you still can’t control how others are going to act towards you. The passage doesn’t say, “If you have a problem with someone…” It says, “If someone has a problem with you…”

This study through biblical conciliation in the context of the home is sure to be greatly practical and helpful. Hopefully, our families are already finding ways to implement the principles in their relationships. We all need to work hard at identifying our sinful desires and unbiblical demands in order to better love and serve one another. This isn’t to say that conflicts will be avoidable altogether. We may stumble along the way, but at least we can have the biblical principles in mind when we do in order to make peace quickly and completely.

Living Theology – Hub Post

by Stephen Rodgers

Garret already did a fantastic job in his treatment of the series, so I have little of substance to add to it.  However, considering that the series took more than a year to complete (he began in November 2009), I thought it might be helpful to create a hub post collecting all the articles.  After all, numerous people have joined our church since then, and they might be unfamiliar with the series (or Garrett for that matter!).  And that doesn’t even begin to include the people who read this online without having visited LBC.  I’m not sure many of them understand what a massive undertaking it was that you set forth to accomplish; perhaps this post will help them see that.

I also wanted to take a brief moment to publicly thank Garrett for all the hard work he did on the series.  He joined the Beacon as a writer at the same time that I joined as the editor, and his faithfulness in producing article after article, week after week, was an enormous benefit and comfort to me personally.  And he consistently did so in a manner that showed he had spent considerable time in reflection not only of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, but of Scripture itself.  The icing on the cake was that in the entire time he spent as a writer, he only ever asked for time off once: and that was due to the fact that he was relocating to San Jose to be part of the church plant! I think he crammed relocation, a career change, and possibly his engagement into that time period, and he still came back with more articles two weeks later!

Garrett, it has been an absolute pleasure.  You are a good writer (meaning I almost never changed your words), a discerning thinker (meaning I almost never deleted your words), and a faithful Christian brother (meaning I never failed to learn from your words).

Thank you.

Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology TOC (with corresponding links to Garrett Glende’s Living Theology series)

Part 1: The Doctrine of the Word of God

Part 2: The Doctrine of God

Part 3: The Doctrine of Man

Part 4: The Doctrines of Christ and the Holy Spirit

Part 5: The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption

Part 6: The Doctrine of the Church

Part 7: The Doctrine of the Future

The Vision of LBC

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past Sunday at our Vision Quest, we had a chance to examine more closely the Vision Statement of LBC. This is the “V” of our MVP Statement, which stands for Mission, Vision, and Passion. As our members know, the Vision of LBC is to plant churches. Church planting has been a goal at Lighthouse since we first began in 1998.

Although Acts 1:8 does not specifically mention church planting, it does lay out the outline for the remainder of the book of Acts (in which numerous churches were planted!) and the scope of the Great Commission itself. Christ’s commission is given in Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all the nations. This entailed bringing them to an understanding of the gospel and to a point of saving faith (i.e. baptizing them), and teaching them so that they could grow in spiritual maturity (i.e. “teaching them all that I have commanded”).

According to Acts 1:8, Jesus intended this discipleship ministry to extend to the ends of the earth. As you read through Acts, you see the disciples spreading the word of the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  As others who have written significantly on the subject of missions have pointed out (John Piper and Dave Doran come to mind), these three areas represent a natural progression from local to cross-cultural missions:

  1. Jerusalem – The central city of those who were initially given the Great Commission. This would be analogous to the city of San Diego for us.
  2. Judea and Samaria – The region in which Israel was located which shared a common language and cultural history.  This does not mean however, that there were not significant points of disagreement among people in this region. (John 4:9, 20) This would be something like North America for us today (which by-and-large shares a common language and culture).
  3. The Ends of the Earth – Exactly what it sounds like; this is taking the Gospel to the Gentiles, which is the central theme in the ministry of Paul. (Rom 11:13; 1 Tim 2:7)  This involved people, cultures, and languages that were utterly foreign to first-century Jews.  To us today, this would be going somewhere with a different race, culture, and/or language.

You also come to find that the primary vehicle that God uses to fulfill the Great Commission is the church. The Apostles establish churches in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, and they do not see their work completed until elders are appointed in every church (Acts 14:23; cf. Titus 1:5). This is why at Lighthouse we teach that doing missions God’s way means being committed to church planting.  And it also takes some of the mystery out of missions, especially for those who have never gone on a missions trip before.  As Pastor John was fond of saying, “missions is just doing church somewhere else.”

This past July, we were able to send a team to San Jose to begin a Lighthouse church plant in Northern California. This certainly does not mean that we are done with church planting! Perhaps someday soon, Lord-willing, we will be able to announce the beginnings of a new work elsewhere. We do not want to simply check off our church planting box now that the ministry is established in San Jose. Our hope is to plant many more churches in obedience to the Great Commission.

Recommended Resources Updated

by Stephen Rodgers

Just to let you know, the Recommended Resources page has been updated once more.  There is now a section on Preaching, which contains resources to aid in preaching and the discovery of good theological reference materials (since it is assumed that diligent study precedes preaching).

Because this section has been added, a couple of resources which had previously been found in the Software section have been moved (since there is now a much more appropriate home for them).

Enjoy!

Pro Rege

And So All Israel Shall Be Saved

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Romans 11:26

Then Moses sang at the Red Sea, it was his joy to know that all Israel were safe. Not a drop of spray fell from that solid wall until the last of God’s Israel had safely planted his foot on the other side the flood. That done, immediately the floods dissolved into their proper place again, but not till then. Part of that song was, ‘Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed.’ In the last time, when the elect shall sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb, it shall be the boast of Jesus, ‘Of all whom thou hast given me, I have lost none.’ In heaven there shall not be a vacant throne.

‘For all the chosen race
Shall meet around the throne,
Shall bless the conduct of His grace,
And make His glories known.’

As many as God hath chosen, as many as Christ hath redeemed, as many as the Spirit hath called, as many as believe in Jesus, shall safely cross the dividing sea. We are not all safely landed yet:

‘Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now.’

The vanguard of the army has already reached the shore. We are marching through the depths; we are at this day following hard after our Leader into the heart of the sea. Let us be of good cheer: the rear-guard shall soon be where the vanguard already is; the last of the chosen ones shall soon have crossed the sea, and then shall be heard the song of triumph, when all are secure. But oh! if one were absent-oh! if one of His chosen family should be cast away-it would make an everlasting discord in the song of the redeemed, and cut the strings of the harps of paradise, so that music could never be extorted from them.

1.21a

LBC Weekly SPARK – February 18, 2011

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. At our last All-Church Retreat, you all received a copy of The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. I hope you have had a chance to take a look at it because it really is a helpful book about church ministry.

In the first chapter, the authors describe the difference between trellis work and vine work. To summarize, the trellis is what supports the vine. It represents the structure of ministry – the programs, administration, and ministries of the church. The vine is the life and growth of the church, and is supported by the trellis.

The problem in many churches today is that there is much focus on trellis work at the expense of the vine. Churches offer amazing programs and a wide array of ministries, but the people in these churches are spiritually weak and unhealthy. This imbalance is explainable given that trellis work is easier than vine work. Tending to the vine requires getting to know people and invest in them, and people can make things difficult and messy. Not only is trellis work easier, but it is also more impressive. Much vine work is done without any appreciation or recognition. Think of it practically. Many people would be much more impressed to hear that Lighthouse was hosting a regional pastors’ conference than they would be that a group of individuals in the church were growing spiritually. More attention needs to be given to the vine, and that is the basis of the book.

The authors also explain that the heart of this ministry philosophy comes straight from the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). This is something that we at LBC can appreciate. Notice that Jesus doesn’t command His followers to make church members or to carefully structure church programs. He tells them to make disciples. While trellis work is necessary in order to promote the healthy growth of the vine, the thrust of Jesus’ command is to minister to people. Helping people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and helping them to grow in faith is what the Great Commission is all about. It is people work. Since this command was given to all who would follow Jesus as Lord and Savior, it underscores the applicability to us today. We are to make people our goal and focus, not programs. Souls, not structure.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some trellis things in order to provide opportunities for you to do vine work:

  1. Bible Studies. The youth, college, and singles will be having their regularly scheduled Bible studies tonight. The youth and singles meet at the church at 7:00pm, and the collegians will be meeting on-campus at UCSD and SDSU. Check out the church website for more information about these Friday night Bible studies.
  2. Membership Class. We will be having a two-part membership class this Saturday, February 19, from 9:00am-12:00pm, and Sunday, February 20, from 1:00-4:00pm. Attendance is required for both classes. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application ( pastorpatrick@gmail.com ).
  3. Vision Quest. The Vision Quest is this weekend!!! On Sunday at 5:30pm at the church, this is going to be a great time to fellowship with the church family, as well as to hear more about the MVP of LBC. The theme for the night will be the Vision of LBC. This time the activity will be a skit night, so it should be a lot of fun! Bring $5 for food and be prepared for a fun-filled evening! If you would like to participate please contact Pastor Patrick ( pastorpatrick@gmail.com ).
  4. College Retreat. The college group will be having their annual retreat from February 25-27 at Pine Valley Bible Camp. Our speaker this year is Pastor Dan Nah of Cornerstone Bible Church, and he will be speaking on the theme of “Scandalous Grace.” The cost to go is only $120. There is currently a wait list to attend, but the staff is working to procure additional space!
  5. Single Life Ladies Appreciation Tea. Tea anyone? The singles will be having their first ever Ladies Appreciation Tea this Saturday, February 19, from 2:00-4:00pm, at the church. This event is intended to encourage the gals in the faith and to provide a time of fellowship together. All singles are encouraged to attend! Please RSVP with Eugene Park ASAP ( e1park@gmail.com ) so we can adequately plan for the event!
  6. Single Life Retreat. The singles will be having their retreat on the weekend of March 18-20, at Pine Valley Bible Camp. Our speaker this year will be Pastor James Lee, who will be addressing the theme of “Dependence.” The cost is only $130 (including a $50 non-refundable deposit). You can sign up with Brian Song tonight at Bible study or on Sunday at church!
  7. Grace Life Picnic at the Park. On Saturday, February 26, from 11:00am-1:00pm, we will be having a GraceLife Picnic at the Park (Torrey Hills Community Park). This is an opportunity for families to spend an afternoon together in the sun while the kiddies play! Bring a lunch for your family as well as parky type fun things (e.g. kites, Frisbees, footballs, etc.). Talk to Pastor Patrick if you have any questions.
  8. Parent/Child Dedication. We will be having our next Parent/Child Dedication during the worship service on Sunday, March 13. If you have recently had a child and would like to participate, please contact Pastor Patrick.
  9. End Times Bible Study. To coincide with our study in 1 Corinthians, Pastor Patrick will be hosting a Sunday evening series on the end times. Come find out what the Bible says about eschatology through this helpful series. The meetings will be at the church from 6:00-8:00pm on March 6, March 20, April 3, and April 17. For more information, please talk to Pastor Patrick.
  10. Prayer. Don’t forget to come to church a little early on Sunday for a time of corporate prayer in the sanctuary. The sanctuary will be open for prayer at 8:45am, and prayer requests will be projected on the wall. If you are out in the foyer talking with one another, I would encourage you to remind each other of this time and come in to pray for the church.