The Gospel Coalition

Since God saved me at 21 years old, I’ve always made it a habit to listen to a lot of preaching. Back in the day before sermons could be easily accessed online, I accumulated hundreds of tapes and CD’s with hours and hours of preaching from men who have, over the years, served as physicians of my soul. And in these days when my soul is needing extra nourishment, I’ve been going back and listening to some of my favorite sermons from my favorite preachers.

So, just for fun, I wanted to find out who the five best preachers are that you’ve ever heard? Not read, but heard? (This means that Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, and all the other dead guys that you should be reading, unfortunately can’t make the list.)
 
I think mine would be, in no particular order (by clicking their names you can go to a site where you can listen to their sermons):

1. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
2. Tim Keller
3. John Piper
4. Eric Alexander
5. Sinclair Ferguson

I thank God for all of these men and the way God has used them to keep me pressing on, straining forward, and looking up during these stretching days.

Over the last two months I have learned a lot about prayer. This proposed merger between New City and Coral Ridge has me feeling more desperate than I’ve ever felt. I have a thousand questions and not nearly as many answers as I’d like. I’ve had concerns, fears, and doubts. I hate “the unknown.” People who don’t know me have said things about me that are untrue and cruel, calling into question my character, my leadership, my theological credibility, and my motives. At times, the weight of this burden has made me want to give up and give in. After all, I didn’t go looking for this and I don’t need it. Before God brought this around for the third time, I was enjoying the thrill of pastoring a thriving 5 1/2 year old church that I had the privilege of planting. Therefore, in my weaker moments I have been tempted to relieve myself of this burden and go back to the way things were. But God won’t let me. He’s clearly up to something big. He’s moving in a profoundly tangible and unexplainable way. He is doing things. He is working. We know it.

So, as we continue to “follow the cloud” with fear and trembling, I have had to learn in new ways what it means to pray. I’ve had to learn afresh “not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” I’ve learned the hard way that the primary thing which separates the spiritually mature from the spiritually immature is what one does with his/her burdens and fears and unanswered questions. The late, great Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said in a sermon from Genesis 26:17-18:

The man who is really feeling the burden is a man pressed to his knees and pressed into the presence of God. His supreme activity is prayer. For he realizes that this is a province that God alone can deal with. He knows the burden. And a man who is burdened is a man who prays.

Throughout this process, I’ve learned the difference between responding to my burden in a self-centered way and responding to my burden in a God-centered way. A self-centered response reveals itself through gossip, vain speculation, and an unruly demand for answers. A God-centered response reveals itself in prayer. All too often my fears and lack of answers have made me want to demand from God and others an explanation for what is going on. “After all, I’m a paying customer”, I conclude. ”I have a right to an explanation for what you’re doing, God.” And in the process, God has revealed my own spiritual immaturity. The words of the great hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” have been a source of great comfort and correction for me. May they be a source of great comfort and correction for you as well:

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear, May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

For the first half of this week I am in California. I flew out yesterday immediately after our second worship service and arrived in my hotel room shortly after midnight (EST).

I’m speaking at the On Target Evangelism Conference in Riverside, just outside of L.A. Please be praying for all of the speakers and the conference as a whole.

You can read more about the conference here.

I wake up every Sunday morning singing my favorite hymn, “O God Beyond All Praising”: 

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Savior,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favor
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we’ll triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.

May God be pleased on this day, all over the world, to inhabit the praises of his people and in doing so, awaken them to his powerful presence.  Amen!

As I continue to ponder what God may be doing in and through this proposed merger between Coral Ridge and New City, I have been reading a lot on the whole subject of revival (not the Todd Bentley sort, but the Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield sort). I have found myself hoping that if this merger is in fact God’s will for both churches that it would be the instrument God would use to bring about genuine revival and reformation in South Florida and beyond. I’ve been praying that if this is the unfolding of God’s plan, that he would use it to pour out his Spirit in such a way that both churches would be mightily awakened to the power of the presence of God. In his book on revival, Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, “Men and women, when they are truly awakened, begin to realise that there is nothing so serious as to be without the presence of God.” This is what I am praying for!  

Just yesterday, my friend Justin Taylor pointed out this excellent quote from Francis Schaeffer’s essay “The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way”:

Often men have acted as though one has to choose between reformation and revival. Some call for reformation, others for revival, and they tend to look at each other with suspicion. But reformation and revival do not stand in contrast to one another; in fact, both words are related to the concept of restoration. Reformation speaks of a restoration to pure doctrine, revival of a restoration in the Christian’s life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture, revival of a life brought into proper relationship to the Holy Spirit. The great moments in church history have come when these two restorations have occurred simultaneously. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation, and reformation is incomplete without revival. May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival, so that this poor dark world in which we live may have an exhibition of a portion of the church returned to both pure doctrine and a Spirit-filled life.

Would you join me in begging God for real and genuine reformation and revival? Why would we want to settle for anything less in our lifetime? 

Here’s something I wrote about New City right before I started it. And 5 1/2 years later, I’m happy to say that we are still striving, by God’s grace, to reach up, reach in, and reach out with all of our might!

At New City, we believe that our ultimate purpose is worship. As we seek to expand God’s Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven”, we are to devote ourselves daily to the task of worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. We were created and designed to worship God the Father, through God the Son, in God the Spirit, with all of our thoughts, our affections, and our wills. That is, God wants thoughtful Christians who believe, emotional Christians who behold, and obedient Christians who behave. Therefore, New City strives to be a worshipping community–a community that finds ultimate satisfaction in glorifying God by enjoying Him in all things. As we do this, we make visible to South Florida His matchless reign and rule over all creation.

New City Church believes that our worship of God ought to be tangibly expressed in three ways: we glorify God by reaching up, we glorify God by reaching in, and we glorify God by reaching out.

Upreach: When we gather together for worship, we ought to come reaching up, starved for God, ready to feast together on the glorious riches of God. Feasting on God together (through Word, Prayer, and Sacrament) gives us the strength and nourishment to glorify Him throughout the week. Our worship services, therefore, should engage the heart, the mind, and the will: They ought to be marked by a deep affection for God (heart), a reverent contemplation of God (mind), and a fervent dependence on God (will).

Inreach: Through the various ministries of the church, it is our privilege and our responsibility to be reaching in. That is, we must be continually seeking to minister God’s grace to one another inside our fellowship by mutually supporting one another, teaching one another, encouraging one another, challenging one another, and edifying one another, trusting that God will see fit to “form Christ in us” as a result (Galatians 4:19).

Outreach: Prior to Jesus’ ascension in Acts 1:8, He told His disciples that they would be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Therefore, it is our privilege and our responsibility to minister God’s grace to those outside of our fellowship by reaching out locally (Jerusalem), nationally (Judea and Samaria), and internationally (the ends of the earth), serving as salt and light to a fallen world in desperate need of the transforming power of the gospel (Matthew 5:13-16).

Also, please be praying for our merger team meeting tonight. We will discuss finances (fun, fun), structure, and governance, amongst other things.  Many have asked where we are in the process. Ok, everyone has asked where we are in the process. It is an important and legitimate question. The best answer we can offer is, “we’re getting close.”

In our process, we are dealing with intricately detailed and difficult aspects. As two congregations, we continue to pray for God’s guidance and protection. We will only proceed with God’s clear direction, for to attempt this relying only on the effort and wisdom of man is folly.

If you are a member of either New City or Coral Ridge, you play a very important part in this work. First, guard your church and your friends by addressing vain speculation sharply and shutting down gossip. In so doing you will protect the work and you protect your church.

Second, we also exhort you to continue to pray, to fast, and to beg God to lead His church forward in unity, peace, and power. We can only ascend the mountain with him as our guide.

Thank-you all so much for your gracious words and your great prayers. We are so grateful for the support and encouragement that we have received from people all over the country.

I’ve been greatly impressed by the way God has answered our prayers to make people in both churches (New City and Coral Ridge) humble and teachable; willing and desirous to follow God’s lead regardless of what it may cost them personally. Those who are willing to cast aside their personal comforts and preferences for the sake of the Big Picture–the ever expanding Kingdom of God–have inspired me and strengthened my faith.

To all of those who are willing to change and serve and grow and be stretched and lose it all for the sake of Christ, I applaud you–more importantly, God applauds you. To those who are ready to take up their cross, and “go outside the camp”–who understand that it’s better to give than to receive, to be self-sacrificial rather than self-serving, to look out for the interests of others before your own interests, to live life going to the back instead getting to the front–I thank you for fueling my weak faith. To those who understand that you are owners of nothing and stewards of everything–that God is God and you are not–we need you!

God is on the move, everybody. What an undeserved joy it is to play a small part in his big enterprise.

Remember: focus on the Big Things. The Big Things–world changing things! 

This past Sunday I reminded everyone that if we Christians are asked what we want to do with our lives and our answer is anything smaller than, “I want to change the world” than we are offending God with our small expectations because God is changing the world and he has enlisted his fallible people to join him in his work. Small things are used by the Devil to fuel big anxieties–which inevitably become big distractions. Don’t let him get a foothold. Don’t let the “ankle bites” steer you off course (and don’t allow yourself to become an ankle biter). If your vision is smaller than God’s vision, it needs to change. Focus on the Big Things!  

Keep looking up in faith, not down in fear. Peter only started to drown when he stopped looking at Jesus. Trust in him. Bank on him. He will always be good to his people. 

Dear Friends, 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I requested to meet with the entire Coral Ridge elder board (session) before we took another step forward in this merger process. It’s very important to me that the Coral Ridge elders are well informed and on board like the New City elders are. These men are called to provide spiritual oversight to the church and we want them, therefore, to know who we are, what’s going on, and why we’re even willing to talk about this in the first place. No secrets.

Our time started out together with me sharing how we got to this point and the vision of New City. I then opened it up for questions and we all spent the next ninety minutes talking about theological things and practical things. We talked about their fears and mine. We talked about everything from Bible translations to how I train elders at New City and what I expect from elders: humility, servant mindedness, rigorous pursuit of holiness, and an unwavering commitment to lay your life down for others. We talked about the Gospel and the difference between building a man-centered empire and expanding God’s Kingdom; between a tribal church and a missionary minded church. There was a real sense of urgency to focus on big Kingdom things and not to be distracted by the Devil into focusing on small, petty things. It was, on all accounts, a thoroughly rich and enjoyable evening. It ended at 10:00 pm with every man on his knees praying for God’s clear direction and fierce protection! 

Mark Kreisel, Scott Spell, and I left mightily encouraged by our time with these men. Without question, God was surely in that place. On more than one occasion last night, someone spoke up and shared that they are praying for New City and, if God marries these two churches, they will be looking forward to welcoming new friends and family members. 

We can’t predict the future, but we can tell you this: when we work through all our fears and we’re done asking all our questions (some of which we don’t have answers to) we walk away sure–absolutely sure–that God is doing something. It’s undeniable. It’s tangible. It’s scary. It’s exciting. It causes me to feel both treasured and terrified. What a wonderfully uncomfortable place to be!

So we continue to “follow the cloud.”

We have a big meeting next Wednesday night with the whole merger team. We will be going over amended by-laws, policy and procedure issues, and financial issues. Please continue to pray for God’s clear direction and fierce protection. Please refrain from godless chatter and vain speculation. If you are a member of either New City or Coral Ridge, remember your vow to “maintain the unity, peace, and purity of the church.” Pray and fast–don’t speculate and gossip. Don’t perpetuate silly rumors–put them down! (Like the one I heard the other day about how I had already raised the $500 K necessary to rip out the Coral Ridge pulpit and replace the marble stage. Unbelievable!)

We need God. And we need you begging for God to make his will and his way known to all of us.

Thank-you all (whoever you are) for your prayers and your support. As the great evangelist George Whitefield once said to a dear friend who told him he looked tired and worn down, I now say to you: “While I am weary in the Lord’s work, I am not weary of the Lord’s work.” He sustains us and promises never to leave us or forsake us. Praise God!

You have my deepest affections and appreciation,

Tullian   

The news is out from Dallas about the new Redeemer Seminary:

In 1999 Westminster Theological Seminary began a Texas Campus to extend the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ through offering theological education grounded in the seminary’s core values and serving churches and communities in the Southwestern United States. By God’s grace, the Texas Campus has graduated students who now serve churches and ministries across the United States. In 2009 Westminster Theological Seminary launched its Texas Campus as Redeemer Seminary, an independent institution which shares the core values and theological commitments upon which Westminster was founded. As Westminster and its campus in Texas have developed since 1999, the board and faculty of Westminster have recognized it is strategic for the mission of the seminary that Westminster and the campus in Texas pursue the mission as two distinct institutions which share in the theological commitments upon which Westminster was founded. In order for the daughter campus in Texas to be distinguished from its mother seminary, the campus in Texas is now established as Redeemer Theological Seminary and is governed by its own board of trustees.

The inaugural convocation of Redeemer Seminary will take place on Monday, February 16, 7:30 pm, in the Park Cities Presbyterian Church Sanctuary. The speaker will be Tim Keller. 

At New City, we believe that God is on a mission to reclaim and replenish a world lost and broken by sin thereby “making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). We believe that the most startling aspect of God’s mission is that he has called his imperfect people (the church) to take part in carrying out his glorious work of revitalization. Christians have been rescued by God in Christ to become agents of renewal–missionaries.

This means that while evangelism remains a priority, the salvation of individuals is not the church’s only mission. Churches are designed by God to be instruments of renewal in the world, not only renewing individual lives but also renewing cultural forms and structures, helping to make all that is crooked in our world straight.
 
So, our mission is spiritual and physical, individual and cultural. God wants us to involve ourselves in the rehabilitation of hearts and houses, souls and society. We’re to care about the renewal of both people and the environment. This requires word and deed, proclamation and demonstration. God is renewing human hearts and recreating all things through his church.

This is our mission to the world.