In Preventing Ministry Failure, Wilson and Hoffman’s opening comment regarding intimacy well states the underlying cultural issue around the topic of intimacy. “Unfortunately the word intimacy has been so overused and misused that some people cringe when they hear it.”[1] In our modern culture most people think of intimacy merely as romantic or sexual. This is because most humans fail to understand or achieve true biblical intimacy in their lives, so instead they boil it down to actions that should be the outflow of intimacy but in and of themselves fail to produce true intimacy. This leads to great disappointment and hopelessness. When the physical acts they believe to be intimacy fail to meet the need for true intimacy in their lives they are left empty and further disillusioned.

The authors also correctly pointed out that God created humans with a need for intimacy in three key areas: “with God, with others, and with a spouse.”[2] This points to the bigger stage on which intimacy is meant to play its key role, community. God designed humans for relationships. This is made clear both in the creation account in Genesis and the doctrines of the Trinity and Imago Dei. Made in the image of a Triune God who functions in perfect intimacy within His three beings we also were made to best function in relationships of intimate community. True intimacy was modeled in the Garden between God, Adam, and Eve. Prior to the fall they all fully knew each other and were fully known. However sin broke the natural flow of such intimacy by separating us from God and each other and introducing, “fear, shame, hiding, and blaming.”[3] These parts of our humanity became personal roadblocks to achieving the intimacy our soul so deeply craves. Yet, the truth of the matter is that without true biblical intimacy a person will never be satisfied or complete. Life will never be what it was meant to be short of intimate relationships with both God and people. Intimacy is essential to every human life because that is the way God designed it to be.

Three different New Testament passages including Matthew 6:6-13, Luke 15:11-27, and Romans 8:15 emphasize that a Christian’s relationship with God is to be a child/father relationship. This type of analogy can be very helpful or cumbersome to a person depending on their concept of a child/father relationship. In our day many people grow up without the influence or presence of a good father, and this can drastically taint their understanding of God as their heavenly father. Yet these passages go on to illustrate not just that God is our Father, but that He is our perfect, loving, and gracious father. In fact these passages show how God is actually the perfect fatherly model that we human father’s should ascribe to be. This is completely different than any other religion in all of World History. Never before has a deity described Himself as Father or sought such a level of familial intimacy with mankind. Nowhere else can we find such hope, trust, protection, love, and refuge than with our Heavenly Father, who is Lord over all things.  He does not want distant servants, but close personal children. A fully orbed gospel relationship can only exist under this level of relational intimacy with God.

The audio for the sermon is available in iTunes or on our website, but I also thought I would give a general overview in this post.

In this sermon we looked at 5 Lies this World Teaches About Money and the biblical truth that refutes them.

1. It’s all about the Benjamins!

Truth: God is King and money is to be used to serve Him well. – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

2. I worked hard for MY money!

Truth: All good gifts come from God including your wealth and ability to earn that wealth. – Deuteronomy 8:17-18

3. The purpose of money is to make me happy!

Truth: God blesses His saints so they might in turn generously bless others in His name and for His glory and their own good. – 1 Timothy 6:17-19

4. Just a little more money will finally be enough!

Truth: God promises to provide all our needs if we put our hope and trust in Him and are content with His provision. – Hebrews 13:5

5. If I give enough of my money God will bless me!

Truth: God desires an obedient, loving, sacrificial giver not an obligated, expectant, demanding giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Again this is a very general overview. We covered each point in a lot more depth, and covered a lot more scriptures in our time together. To get the full breadth of it check out the audio links a the top of this post.

–Wholly Surrender!

It turns out I was selected as a winning blog in the SeminaryScholarship.com contest. I did not win the actual $1000 dollar scholarship, but I did win$400 towards the purchase of a Logos Bible Software package. I am so excited about this. I am teaching more and more at church these days, and I have two research heavy seminary classes this summer.

With my new Scholar’s Edition Logos Bible Software I will be able to dig even deeper in study in less time.

Also just wanted to point out that this scholarship opportunity is a recurring event, and their next award will be August 10th 2010. So again if you are in seminary and do not yet have a Logos Bible Software package, I highly suggest you check out their program. After all it is free to register and every seminary student qualifies.

So head over to www.seminaryscholarship.com and check it out.

Thanks again Logos.

–Wholly Surrender!

To that end I have been pining for a version of the Logos Bible Software. It is not secret I am a bit of a computer geek, and am constantly in front of some kind of screen. So I figure what better way to access hundreds of study resources than right on my computer screen (or iPhone for that matter).

That is why I was super excited when I came across SeminaryScholarship.com. This is a site and scholarship hosted by Logos that is giving away $1000 seminary scholarship and a free edition of their Logos Bible Software. This seminary scholarship would certainly help lift some of the financial burden as I progress towards my M.Div., but the software would be an even bigger blessing.

I love learning, especially about Jesus, but I have to admit school is a little harder in the midst of a full time ministry and new baby girl at home. This software would help me to not only produce higher quality work and sermons, but in even less time. What a wonderful value.

In fact if you are a pastor, seminary student, or simply a devoted lifelong learner in Christ you would be well served by Logos as well. I suggest you check it out if you haven’t yet.

–Wholly Surrender!

On Saturday April 24th at 12:12 pm Eliana Hope Mathis made her grand entrance.

She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz., was 21.5 in. long, and had a head full of beautiful hair.

Here were some of her first photos:

For more photos check out the Eliana’s Arrival Day Album.

You can also check out the first few minutes via this video.

Most important is the meaning behind her name.

Eliana is a Hebrew name that means God has answered or God has promised.

When we miscarried in January of 2009 Courtney’s mom gave us a passage of scripture that God really used to minister to our hearts during that difficult time. It was Romans 5:1-5. You can read more about that experience and verse on our baby blog.

Through that experience God really taught us what it meant to fully trust and hope in Him alone. Which lead us to her middle name, Hope.

So Eliana Hope means God’s Promise of Hope.

You can see the live unveiling and explanation in this video.

We will be launching a new family website soon so keep your eyes peeled for a new URL which is sure to hold lots more pictures, video, comments, and stories.

Finally, thank you all so much for you love and support through this whole process. Both our biological and church families have been phenomenal. We can’t imagine doing this without you.

-Wholly Surrender!

It is our official due date, and Baby Girl Mathis is still holding out.

This is worst than the night before your leave for Disney World. So much anticipation and expectation, yet no idea of when resolution will come. No plan. No schedule. No real answers.

That is extremely difficult for us. We are both huge planners and poor “waiters”. We are ready to get this show on the road and experience the new life God has in store for us. Not to mention Courtney is growing increasingly more uncomfortable by the day.

Still we know that His timing is perfect and that His sovereignty rules the day.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

So we do. We wait (as if we had much choice) with eager hearts and hopeful dreams that today might be THE DAY.

–Wholly Surrender!

This past year and half has been one of much change around the Mathis household. We became pregnant with our first child, we miscarried, Courtney quit teaching, we followed God into full-time ministry, became pregnant with our second child, moved to a new town/state, started serving at a new church, and now are eagerly anticipating our first birth and second child.

Change is offensive, frightening, and exciting all at the same time. In fact change might be the most complex experience we face as humans. It is complex for us due to our lack of sovereignty. See God doesn’t have this problem because a) He doesn’t change (Heb. 13:8, Malachi 3:6), and b) he is omniscient (Psalm 147:4-5, Isaiah 46:10) making all change outside of himself a foreknown conclusion and therefore not complex.

Still God understands change because He understands all things and Jesus experienced much change during His time on earth. Not only does He understand it, but in His Word he declares the necessity and inevitability of change.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven–
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

The encouraging thing about that is that no matter how much this change, or any other change for that matter, catches me off guard I know that it never caught God off guard. No God knew it was coming the whole time and that is reassuring because I know that if I trust Him with my whole life He will take care of me and my family and it will all come together for His glory and my good.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Did you catch that last part? “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me….” I think that is why God doesn’t allow us to be sovereign, and why He places change in our lives. Because when everything is going along just fine and dandy I tend to get self-sufficient and forget about my Savior. However, in times of change I seek Him. I call upon Him and pray to Him, and thanks be to God that He allows me to find Him again.

So we face this change and look to the future for His Promise of Hope knowing it will all be for His glory and our good.

–Wholly Surrender!

THE CONDITIONS AND CALLING OF A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ was not the first, but was by far the most influential person in human history. He passed on His yoke through a form of teaching and mentoring referred to as discipleship. Christ’s disciples, unlike their predecessors, were called to a new form of discipleship with a unique set of conditions that would result in a higher and more impactful calling. As a result, the disciples of Christ would turn the entire world upside down and usher in monumental change to revolutionize human existence for the remainder of history. This was not by accident, but rather the culmination of a divine calling and specific life changing conditions.

The first two conditions of discipleship are matters of the heart and/or soul. The first condition, regeneration, is referenced in Ezek. 36:26-27 (also see Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:20-24; and Titus 3:4-7). Romans 3:11 states that “there is none who seeks God.” Therefore, sinful beings must be regenerated into “new creatures” (2 Cor. 5:17) in order to desire the things of God. The second condition of the heart for a disciple of Christ is self denial, as described in Luke 9:23 (also see Matt. 10:38, 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27). In response to the regeneration of the heart by the Holy Spirit, a disciple of Christ must forfeit his/her right to self and submit to the authority of Christ. As Dr. John Piper once said in a sermon, it is important a disciple of Christ knows not only who he is, but whose he is (2001, 2).

The third and fourth conditions of discipleship in Christ are matters of position. The third condition is a properly prioritized life of worship. With worship defined as, “our response, both personal and corporate, to God, for who He is and what He has done, expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.” (Giglio 2003, 53), and properly prioritized defined as, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Ex. 20:3). Everything in a disciple’s life must come second to God, and must be submitted to His authority. Other verses supporting this condition are Matt. 8:22, 10:37, 19:21; Mark 10:21, 28; and Luke 9:59, 61, 14:26, 33, 18:22.  The fourth condition is a life of humble servant-hood. Christ directly addresses this condition in John 12:26 equating, following Him with serving Him and proclaiming that any who serves Him will be honored by God the Father. Other scriptures that encourage disciples of Christ to live as humble servants include Matt. 10:42, 20:25-28; and James 1:27. Most of all, in Scripture, Christ is seen repeatedly taking time out of His busy and tiring schedule to humbly serve the least of these. So disciples of Christ should seek to model after their Great Teacher and do the same.

The final two conditions of Christ’s disciples are matters of the will. The fifth condition is faithful obedience to the teachings of Christ and the Word of God. Christ very plainly stated this truth in John 8:31 and 15:9-10. The apostles also believed and taught this principle as a necessary condition of Christ’s disciples in Acts 5:29 and James 1:22. To be a disciple of Christ, one must decide to mentally know, spiritually believe and physically do God’s Word. The final condition is the decision to partake in and exhibit divine love. In John 13:34-35, Christ tells His disciples that the world will truly know they are His disciples if they love one another with the same love with which He loved them (see also Rom 5:5; Eph. 5:1-2). Love was the foundation of Christ’s life and ministry likewise it should be ours as well.

The Bible does not give a concise, pinpointed definition or description of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Still, by taking the proposed conditions, related scriptures, the Great Commission, the Greatest Commandments and the Acts 2 Church example, a disciple of Jesus Christ can be defined or described as: a regenerated follower of Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeks to humbly love and serve God, love and serve others, spread the gospel, share in life with the family of God, be faithful to the Word of God and aid fellow believers in following Christ for His glory and our good.

Bibliography

Giglio, Louie. The Air I Breathe. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers Inc., 2003.

Piper, John. Christian, Know Whose You Are. [online sermon script] (Desiring God, December 2001, accessed 23 March 2009); available from http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2001/77_Christian_Know_Whose_You_Are/; Internet.

Note: All Bible References are from the New American Standard Bible.

I was asked to speak on The Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Discipleship. So while the main goal of my talk was to give specifics on how we disciple believers here at Calvary, I also wanted to start with a challenge and exhortation about discipleship in general. So I did that by outlining and discussing the following ten discipleship truths spoke by Christ in Matthew 10:24-42.

1. It requires the Pastor/Leader be a disciple & a disciple maker. – v. 24-25
2. It requires embracing change. – v. 27-28
3. It requires trusting & following God’s sovereignty. – v. 29-31
4. It requires personal commitment & surrender. – v. 32-33
5. It requires bearing trials & tribulations. – v.34-36
6. It requires single-minded undivided worship. – v. 37
7. It requires personal sacrifice. – v. 38
8. It requires denial of self. – v. 39
9. It requires proper motives & purpose. – v. 40-41
10. It requires service. – v.42

I considered unpacking each one of those and explaining in more depth what I shared today, but instead I think it might be more beneficial for you to read each truth, the verses, that accompany it, and then prayerfully and humbly ask God to reveal how each of these truths needs to speak into your own life.

You might even want to take one a day for a week and half and just meditate on each one.

Maybe later on when I have more time I can flesh out more details on each one, but I know that Holy Spirit is a much better teach and interpreter than I could ever be so trust Him to speak to you through this simple outline and accompanying scriptures.

We could all stand to deeper evaluate our walk with Christ and commitment to discipleship. Hopefully this will help you in that endeavor.

–Wholly Surrender!

Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you
Full of pity, love, and power

Come ye thirsty, come and welcome
God’s free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms

Come ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry until you’re better
You will never come at all

This is a powerful song because those words declare the hearts of so many. When many hear this song they immediately think back to their own salvation when Christ rescued them from death and restored them to new life in Him. The remember the declaration of James:

James 4:8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

However as I reminded our congregation on Wednesday night it is important that we not mistake this song and these words as being solely for unbelievers. No, in fact every single one of us is a sinner. Some of us are sinners saved by grace, but sinners nonetheless. Paul made this very clear by his own declaration:

1 Timothy 1:15

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

Some might be offended by that, or resent the thought that they who have been redeemed are still sinners. On the contrary I find great hope and relief in that fact. See I have been following Christ for many years now, but just like Paul it seems that I progress deeper into my walk with Christ the more I realize the depth and magnitude of my sinful ways. The more I learn from Jesus the more I realize how much I need Him to continually rescue me from this fallen world and my sinful nature.

So I am thankful for the truth of this song. There are so many days that I am “weary and heavy laden, ruined by the fall” and I need His arms to carry me and I need His ten thousands charms to revive and delight my soul.

In the Song of Solomon we see a beautiful picture of what our relationship with God should be.

Song of Solomon 7:6

How beautiful and how delightful you are, My love, with all your charms!

That revelation is for both believer and unbelievers alike. We all need His arms of love to save us for no other source can even come close to His ten thousand charms.

–Wholly Surrender!