Concerning Preaching
Could it be that the devil considers the best strategy to seduce evangelicals away from the power of true biblical proclamation is actually to focus their attention and energies on preaching more and more?
– William Philip, now Minister at The Tron in central Glasgow, wrote this paper for the Proclamation Trust when he was their Director of Ministry.
Read the paper here – and see what other resources Proc Trust has on offer.
The Reason for God – Tim Keller
Why does God allow suffering in the world?
How could a loving God send people to Hell?
Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive?
How can one religion be ‘right’ and the others ‘wrong’?
Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced doubts skeptics bring to his church as well as the most important reasons for faith. In his new book, The Reason for God, he addresses each.
See the book’s website at www.thereasonforgod.com.
Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor
I must admit, once I started Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, I could barely put it down. This has to be one of the most challenging and yet encouraging books I have read in quite some time.
As far as biographies go, this one was unlike any other biography I have ever read. …
Read this review of Don Carson’s book about his Dad.
Biographical sketch of D.A. Carson
Professor Don Carson spoke at Moore College in Sydney yesterday. Andreas Köstenberger writes, “While many know D. A. Carson for his mind and his impressive scholarly writings, fewer people know the heart that produces those works.”
Professor Köstenberger (Professor of New Testament at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) has written a helpful biographical sketch of Don Carson – available as a PDF file.
(Thanks to Between Two Worlds for the link.)
Christianity vs. Liberalism
What are the main differences between classical vs. liberal approaches to the Christian faith? In the 1920s, J. Gresham Machen argued that these two perspectives were, in reality, two completely different religious systems. Was he right?
Dr. Michael Horton and friends at The White Horse Inn broadcast are continuing their discussion on “Christless Christianity”. Very helpful.
(Preachers: How clear is the gospel you preach at funerals? Are you preaching a liberal ‘gospel’?) Listen to this week’s episode at The White Horse Inn.
On a related topic, Al Mohler asks, “Has the Notion of Sin Disappeared?”
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
To answer the question of Jesus’ resurrection from a historical standpoint, we must first determine what facts concerning the fate of Jesus of Nazareth can be credibly established on the basis of the evidence …
A useful summary by William Lane Craig on Baptist Press.
See also SBTS President Al Mohler’s column on “Must One Believe in the Resurrection to be a Christian?” –
Now, [Deepak Chopra, the New Age president of the Alliance for a New Humanity] writes as one who knows he is “someone outside the Christian faith,” but what makes his point so interesting is that it is almost precisely the argument made by liberal Protestant theology – that it is enough to believe that the Apostles experienced a special consciousness of the risen Christ.
Spurgeon on Preaching Christ
“I believe that those sermons which are fullest of Christ are the most likely to be blessed to the conversion of the hearers. Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the gospel. As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His cross, for I know nothing else, and long ago, like the apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. …”
Advice from C. H. Spurgeon, via Between Two Worlds.
The Intensity of Christ’s Love and the Intentionality of His Death
The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love. “When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Every step on the Calvary road meant, “I love you.”
– a meditation from John Piper.
The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns
“The first thing to note about the crisis the Anglican Communion is facing today is that it has been coming for a very long time.
I remember almost twenty years ago reading an article by Robert Doyle in The Briefing entitled ‘No Golden Age’.1 (It’s shocking that it is actually so long ago!)
The gist of the article was that the idea of a golden age of Anglicanism, in which biblical patterns of doctrine and practice were accepted by the majority, is nothing but an illusion. …”
Read the full text of ACL President Dr. Mark Thompson’s paper delivered at the Sydney ‘Lambeth Decision Briefing’ at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, Friday 14th March 2008.
The Sydney Lambeth Decision Briefing
Audio and PDF files of Friday’s Lambeth Decision Briefing called by Dean Phillip Jensen, and held in the Chapter House of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, are now available, courtesy of SydneyAnglicans.net.
All very helpful in understanding the crisis facing the Anglican Communion.
The topic of the briefing was – ‘The Lambeth Decision: Refining or Redefining Anglicanism?’
The mp3 audio and PDF files will open in new windows.
Phillip Jensen – Are there limits to fellowship? (70 min / 24MB) – PDF file.
Mark Thompson – The Anglican Debacle. (30 min / 11MB) – PDF file.
Robert Tong – Doing the Lambeth Walk. (21 min / 7 MB) – PDF file.
Russell Powell – What is GAFCON all about? (7 min / 2.4MB) – PDF file.
Critical look at the Dalai Lama’s teaching
CASE (The Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education) at New College, UNSW, is holding its first Quarterly Seminar for the year on Tuesday April 1st.
Mike Wilson, the Cross Cultural Ministry Coordinator for the Presbyterian Church of NSW, is speaking on, “A happy ending or the ending of happiness? A critical look at the Dalai Lama’s teaching.” Details from the CASE website.
Making your life count for eternity
So often, those for whom this world has little regard are the ones the Lord uses to bring honour to Christ.
From our Resources section, here’s the story of one man who sought to make a difference for eternity.
The Christ Files screening Good Friday
The Christ Files, a one hour documentary hosted by Dr. John Dickson, airs across Australia on the Seven Network at noon on Good Friday (March 21).
Many Sydney Anglicans will have heard of the Good Friday special, and also the accompanying 4 part series (now available on DVD), but have you considered how you could use them to speak with your friends about the Lord Jesus?
To watch a preview and to order the DVDs, visit thechristfiles.com.au.
John Stott’s ‘Final Public Address’
Though delivered last July at the Keswick Convention, many may not have read Dr. John Stott’s final public address before his retirement from public ministry at the age of 86.
His topic? ‘The model – becoming more like Christ’.
Read the text of his sermon from the Langham Partnership’s website.
Background story here. (Photo: Langham Partnership.)
Five Books to Read Before Easter
Tim Challies, widely respected Christian blogger from Toronto, is suggesting five books to read before Easter. That doesn’t leave much time! Perhaps starting one book would be more realistic.
One of Challies’ recommendations, Pierced for Our Transgressions by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach, has been described by J. I. Packer as ‘an epoch-making tour de force’.
Dr. Peter O’Brien writes – ‘This is a very significant book… Every major objection to penal substitution has been considered, and courteously but firmly answered.’
Dr. Mark Thompson writes – ‘Pierced for our Transgressions is carefully argued and richly edifying.’
What better time than Easter to turn your thoughts to the saving work of Christ on the Cross. (For Challies’ five suggested books, see Challies.com.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…