Here’s a preview for our time gathered as a body this coming Sunday.  It is a communion Sunday so take some extra time to examine your heart and anticipate reflecting on the death of our Savior.

Text:

Judges 3:12-30

Songs-

There is a Fountain

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

All I Really Need

O Great God

Jesus Paid it All

I Will Praise Him Still

As the Deer

The Love of God

C.J. Mahaney over at the Sovereign Grace Ministries blog posted some quotes from Ed Welch’s book, Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest (Greensboro: New Growth Press, 2007).  Looks like yet another book to add to my “to read” list.

While it is easy to think we don’t struggle with worry I think if we were honest we would have to admit that we deal with worry in one form or another almost constantly.  These quotes are great tools to help us in examining our hearts.

Worry is dangerous. It is not to be trifled with. When you find worries, anxieties, and fears, pay attention. (p. 95)

At this point, we know that worry and fear are more about us than about the things outside us. They reveal what is valuable to us, and what is valuable to us in turn reveals our kingdom allegiances. We also know that God is patient and compassionate with us, and he gives grace upon grace. Though alert to our divided allegiances, he persists in calling us away from fear and worry, persuades us of the beauty of the kingdom, and gives more than we can imagine.

With this in mind, his words should sound attractive, and we should be more and more inclined to listen. We should still like to abolish anxieties quickly, but we are learning that God values strong foundations and gradual growth, and such foundations are established as we feed on him and his words. As we meditate on Scripture and make it our own, we should anticipate slow but steady change. Worriers should be experts in a handful of passages. (p. 147)

For me, knowing that there is grace for tomorrow has made the most noticeable difference on my own anxieties and fears. The hurdle that was always in front of me was that I couldn’t imagine that grace, which is another way of saying that I limited God to the size of my own imagination. Now I know that I could never imagine that grace because I have yet to receive it. As a result, I am beginning to look forward to days of final exams rather than dread them.…This makes me think about all the times when I have received grace, didn’t take notice, and didn’t thank God for being faithful once again. (p. 145)

Over at the New Attitude site Joseph Stigora recently posted an article on self-pity entitled “Jesus Crashed My Pity Party.” It provides a very important and rarely seen perspective on self-pity. It doesn’t answer every question on this subject but it provides a foundation for viewing it in light of the gospel.

If you’re anything like me, when things aren’t going the way you’ve planned you often give into the temptation to feel sorry for yourself more then we’d like to admit. The Bible—and the gospel—has a lot to say about self-pity. It’s important that we take a closer look at why we feel sorry for ourselves and how to break this sinful cycle.

Simply put, self-pity is sorrow or grief aroused by our own misfortune. It is an intense awareness of an actual or (often in my case) a perceived wrong for which we feel abandoned, unloved, alone and victimized. Now how do we make a connection to the gospel from here? That can be hard to do, but looking at the situation in light of the gospel, our self-pity has everything to do with God and the cross of Jesus Christ. At the cross, we see the most dramatic picture of God’s great love for us. While we were still sinners, Jesus became sin for us, took God’s wrath in our place and redeemed us for his glory (Rom 5:8; 2 Cor 5:21). We can’t earn it and we don’t deserve this mercy, and yet Christ died for us.

That is no small truth! It is the foundation of all our hope, joy and life. It is an anchor for us in the difficulties of life. In the cross, God dealt with our greatest need and so it follows that he will care for all our subsequent needs. This is the nature of our amazing God and his grace!

Self-pity is subversive to these truths. It turns our focus inward, ignoring God’s deepest demonstration of love for us. We may not be fully aware of it, but self-pity has assumptions and makes statements: that either God doesn’t care, he isn’t good or he isn’t able to do something we want. Rather than trusting in his character and accepting his loving rule in our lives, self-pity says, “I want to rule. I will treat myself better than this. I want to sit on the throne.” And we all know that whoever sits on the throne gets the glory. Self-pity is based in self-worship.

One of the dangers of self-pity is that we often pass it off as not being a big deal. We rationalize it. But the truth is, it is very serious. In his article called “The Poison of Self-Pity,” William Farley says,

“Often those trapped in self-pity can not see their sin or apply the message of the cross to themselves. That is because the foundation of self-pity is pride, and the nature of pride is blindness. It follows that those bound by self-pity will often be blind to both its presence and its underlying cause.” (The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Summer 2007).

There it is, can you follow the progression? The reason I so often fail to see self-pity is active in my life is that I become so focused on myself and my circumstances that I lose sight of God. Instead of seeing all things as under God’s kind and loving sovereignty, all I can see is that I am not getting what I want. God begins to fade from my field of vision. Self looms larger and my self-pity becomes a form of self-worship. My self-worship is rooted in my thinking so highly of myself, it’s rooted in pride.

Here’s what I mean: when we are proud, we think we see things clearly, but we actually can’t see at all. We complain, speak critically and assume our assessments are right. Gratitude evaporates from the self-pitying heart. Those immersed in self-pity do not have the ability to see God’s grace at work around them. Objectivity is gone and we are tossed on the seas of our subjective senses. We feel that we have been victimized and no one cares, not even God. The only person left to pity us is ourselves… and then our self-focus spirals in on itself, leaving us trapped under the weight of our sin, miserable, bitter and alone.

But we don’t have to stay there. The way out of self-pity is not to sit off to the side with our head in our hands, looking dejected until someone is manipulated into asking us what is wrong (and sadly, I’ve done that!). The way out of self-pity is to repent and turn our eyes to Jesus Christ. The way out is to counteract the lie that God does not care with Scripture about his character, his mercy, his nearness and his cross. He reminds us that we can cast all of our cares on him because he loves us (1 Peter 5:5-7), Jesus tells us that the Father cares for the birds and that we are worth more to him than a bird (Luke 12:22-34) and that is how we see God’s grace each day. And above all that he does to sustain us each day, the grace of God comes to us in the fact that through his own sacrifice he has transferred us from a domain of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son who forgives our sins! (Col 1:13-14) When he is our focus, it brings everything else into perspective. Our confidence in the cross where Jesus dealt with our greatest need is enough to give us hope in all situations.

Life deals out serious situations, but the gospel of Jesus Christ grounds us. Even in pain and loss, we can find strength in our salvation. Hab 3:18-19 says:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

In each situation, we face the choice of setting our eyes on ourselves or looking to Christ crucified. Self-pity is the result of self-focus; the remedy is God-focus.

So when we are tempted to complain, criticize, become bitter or feel sorry for ourselves, take heart. Go to the Scriptures and read of Job, David, Paul and Elijah. See how their plights pushed them toward God. Read articles such as “The Cross and Criticism” and William P. Farley’s excellent article, “The Poison of Self-Pity.”

The cave of self-pity is a dangerous, slippery place that is not a haven for our souls; but the cross helps us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, to worship God and not ourselves, and to live in gratitude, love and joy as for the good things he has done for us!

A total of seven of us are now in Seattle for the Resurgence Conference (Josh, Pat, Dan, John, Eric, Matthew, and myself).  As I mentioned yesterday we would greatly appreciate your prayers for our time.

If you want to keep up on what we are hearing there are a couple of different ways-

Justin Buzzard is live blogging the conference over at his blog.

You can download the messages here as they become available.

If you are really technologically advanced and have extra time you can even watch the live video feed here.

During the last couple of weeks there have been some thoughtful posts written on music and its role in the Christian’s life and in the church. Bob Kauflin wrote a post today over at Worship Matters giving some of the highlights of the discussion, links, and some thoughts of his own. You can read his post below. Well worth reading.

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine, Greg Gilbert, posted a blog on the 9Marks site called Against Music. The title was more an attention grabber than a statement of Greg’s attitude toward music in general. He was cautioning Christians against becoming spiritually dependent on music in their relationship with God. He wrote:

The bottom line, I suppose, is that it would do every Christian well to do some honest heart-searching about what makes them feel “close to God.” Can you feel close to God just by reading or saying the words, “In Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”? Would you be able to function in a church that’s great in every way except the music? If not, you probably need to give some thought to whether your spiritual life is dependent on something it should not be dependent on.

I was asked to post a response, which I did here. Greg then followed up with another post, which ended with a group of insightful questions that help us discern whether or not we’re viewing music appropriately in our corporate worship. Some of the questions he asked were these:

• Do you need music playing in the background for the reading of Scripture to affect your emotions?
• Do you desperately look forward to the next conference you’re going to attend because you know that, finally, you’ll be able to feel close to God again?
• Do you tend to feel closer to God when you’re alone with your iPOD than you do when you’re gathered with God’s people in your church?
• Do you feel like you just can’t connect with other believers who haven’t had the same “worship experiences” that you have? Can you only connect with other believers who “know what it feels like to really worship?”
• Is your sense of spiritual well-being based more on feeling close to God, or knowing that you are close to God because of Jesus Christ?

Greg makes it clear, especially in his second post, that he’s not against music. I wanted to pick up on that thought and tell you why we should be for music. When we get too concerned about the negative effects of music, we can unintentionally stifle the good effects God intends for music to have on our souls. So here are a few thoughts about why God so often connects music and worship.

Music is meant to affect us emotionally. Some times I’ve thought it was more “spiritual” or pleasing to God if I could be affected without music playing. But that’s not the point. Of course music isn’t essential to expressing or stirring up strong feelings towards God. But that doesn’t mean music is irrelevant or unimportant. God intended for music to speak to our emotions so that we would not only think right thoughts about him, but also have deep affections for him. Music can make us feel joyful, reflective, sad, or peaceful. When the effects of music are skillfully combined with Scriptural realities and lyrics that magnify Christ, those truths often become more vivid and alive to us. That’s one of the reasons revivals from the Great Awakening of the 18th century to the Charismatic outpouring of the 1970’s have always been accompanied by a fresh outpouring of songs. God uses music that changes from generation to generation to spread the unchanging Word of the Gospel.

Music helps us meditate on Scriptural truth. Biblical meditation involves turning over specific truths in our minds so that they might sink into our hearts and affect our wills. Well-written music is a great tool to accomplish that end. It enables us to slow our words down without getting bored or sounding like we’re drunk. It allows us to enjoy repeating phrases. It aids in memorizing God’s promises. And it does all this in a way that we can find delightful. “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting” ( Ps. 147:1).

Music enables us to express our unity in the Gospel. Throughout history Christians have reaffirmed and declared their unity of faith through reciting creeds like the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. We’re affirming the truths around which our faith is built. But reciting what unites us is meant to go hand in hand with singing about what unites us. Singing together is a physically engaging statement that we are committed to the same cause, and redeemed by the one Savior.

Music draws out differing emotions from the same lyrics. Too often the music we sing on Sundays sounds the same, comes from the same century or decade, or only relates to a limited age bracket. The highs and lows of human emotion, the diverse aspects of God’s character, and the varying responses we should have to God are squeezed into a narrow emotional bandwidth of triumphant praise, traditional conservatism, sappy sentimentalism, or bland commercialism. God has given us music as a way of encouraging and expressing the wide range of responses that are appropriate for the holy, merciful, compassionate, all-powerful God we worship. That’s why we should give thought to arranging songs, and be able to benefit from singing Holy, Holy, Holy with an organ, a rock band, or no instruments at all.

As usual, the thoughts I have on this topic far exceed the time I have to write them on this blog. If you can suggest more reasons why music is a good thing when we gather to worship God, please leave a comment. The clearer we are on the reasons God wants us to use music in our public praise, the less likely we’ll use it for the wrong reasons.

I recently heard John Piper remark that he loves God’s word like he loves his eyes. He loves his eyes not so much for their own beauty but because they allow him to see what is beautiful. This is what Scripture does. Scripture is precious because in its nature and in its content it allows us to see our supremely glorious God.

If we are to look to Scripture to see God, Spirit enabled meditation is a must. Recently I came across the following post over at The Blazing Center written by Stephen Altrogge. Enjoy.

The truth is, the Bible is big on meditation as well. Psalm 1:2 says of the godly man, “… his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Which brings me to the question: what exactly is meditation? According to our culture, meditation is the relaxation of the mind to the point where little or no thought occurs. But according to scripture, meditation is the increased focus of the mind with much deep thought occurring. The goal of secular meditation is to empty the mind, the goal of godly meditation is to fill the mind with God’s truth.

So how do we meditate on God’s word? What does this look like practically? Here’s just a few suggestions.

Meditate Prayerfully
When we read the Bible, we’re not just reading a book – we’re reading the sacred word of God. The Bible is the very words of God, given to us that we might know him, love him, and obey him. Which means that we simply can’t understand the Bible apart from the enlightening power of God’s spirit. We must have God open our eyes to understand and apply the glorious truths that we read in scripture. Apart from the spirit of God our devotional times will be dry, listless, and fruitless. Before you read God’s word, pray that God would give you understanding.

Meditate Quietly
It’s difficult to give deep, concentrated thought to a passage of scripture if you’re surrounded by distractions. I realize that this isn’t the case for everyone, but for most of us effective meditation on God’s word occurs in quiet places. If you’re trying to do your devotional time in the middle of Starbuck’s, you might be selling yourself short. I find that my most effective times of biblical meditation come in the quiet of the early morning, before my day is rolling. Psalm 131:2 says, “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Effective meditation usually happens in the stillness.

Meditate Vocally
Just because you’re in a quiet place doesn’t mean that you need to be quiet. God speaks to us when we read scripture and it’s often appropriate to respond vocally to God’s promptings. Take for example, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” When I read this verse, I want to respond out loud to God with rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving. Scripture isn’t a dry textbook, it’s the living word of God. We must interact with scripture, responding to it’s commands, rejoicing in it’s promises, and delighting in its revelations.

Meditate With Pen In Hand
I first heard of this from John Piper, who said the following:

“A pastor will not be able to feed his flock rich and challenging insight into God’s word unless he becomes a disciplined thinker. But almost none of us does this by nature. We must train ourselves to do it. And one of the best ways to train ourselves to think about what we read is to read with pen in hand and to write down a train of thought that comes to mind. Without this, we simply cannot sustain a sequence of questions and answers long enough to come to penetrating conclusions”

The practice of writing down my thoughts as I read my Bible has had a transforming effect on my devotional times. Writing forces me to think through each verse, and to trace the logic of each passage. It helps me to fight distraction and to focus all my attention on the words before me.

As Paul Tripp continues his series through Psalm 27 he recently posted on the incredible influence we have on ourselves. If you read it you will probably find yourself agreeing that you are indeed the most influential person in your life. As he notes, this is pretty frightening until we run to the all-sufficient grace of God in Christ.

“My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” (v.8)

I find myself saying it all the time. When people hear it they laugh, but actually I’m being quite serious when I say it. Here it is. No one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do. You’re in an unending conversation with yourself. You’re talking to yourself all the time, interpreting, organizing, and analyzing what’s going on inside you and around you.

You may be talking to yourself about why you feel so tired. Or maybe you woke up this morning with a sense of dread and you’re not sure why. Perhaps you were surprised by how angry you got at the remark of that co-worker. Or maybe you’re rehearsing to yourself your schedule for the day, wondering why you agree to so many things in one day. Perhaps you’re reliving a conversation that didn’t go too well. Or maybe you preparing yourself for a conversation that may be difficult by conjuring up as many renditions as you can imagine, so you can cover all the contingencies. Maybe your mind has traveled back to your distant past and, for reasons you don’t understand, you’re recalling events from your early childhood. Or maybe you’re simply telling yourself to “buck up,”, “slow down,” “hang in there,” or “take charge.”

The point is that you are constantly involved in an internal conversation that greatly influences the things you decide, say, and do. In Psalm 27, David lets us eavesdrop on his internal conversation. He’s exhorting himself, in the midst of his trouble, not to run away from God, but to run toward him. Now that’s good self-counsel!

What do you regularly tell yourself about yourself, God, and your circumstances? Do your words to you encourage faith, hope, and courage? Or do they stimulate doubt, discouragement, and fear? Do you remind yourself that God is near, or do you reason within yourself, given your circumstances, that he must be distant? Do you encourage yourself to run to God even when you don’t understand what he’s doing? Or do you give yourself permission to back away from him when you are confused by the seeming distance between what he’s promised and what you’re experiencing? Are you your own best defense lawyer, laying out arguments for your innocence in places where you’re actually guilty? When others talk to you, is your internal conversation so loud that it’s hard to concentrate on what they’re saying?

Here’s the question. How wholesome, faith-driven, and Christ-centered is the conversation that you have with you every day? Do you remind yourself of your need? Do you point you, once again, to the beauty and practicality of his grace? Do you tell yourself to run toward God in those moments when you feel like running from him?
Would you be comfortable with someone playing a public recording of the private conversation you have with you every day?

No one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do. How well are you counseling you? Reach out for help one more time today. Confess that you don’t counsel yourself very well and rest in the rescuing grace of the One who is called the Wonderful Counselor.

Next Sunday, the 24th we will be saying goodbye to Genesis and embarking on a new Grace Group study.

We are going work our way through a study of A.W. Pink’s classic work “The Attributes of God.” This should be a rich and practical study as we together come to know and love our God more and more.

Study guides, books and memory verses will be available this Sunday. The memory verses consist in reviewing 13 of our past verses and introducing 5 new verses.

If for some reason you won’t be at Grace Group this Sunday you can access the study guide here. The book is also available online and can be found here. This next week’s verse is John 17:3.