Forgiveness and the Big Kingdom

This is from Paul Tripp... very good!

Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger than You (New Growth Press, 2007), pp. 161-62

Forgiveness and the Big Kingdom

• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you get it right.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you step out of your little kingdom and into His.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you say that the Bible’s description of you and everyone around you is accurate.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you declare that your life does not belong to you, but has been created for the purpose of the Author.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you say that selfishness is your biggest sin and that grace is your only hope.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you are reminding yourself who you are and what you truly need.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you refuse to be comfortable with your rebellion.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you recognize that the biggest problems you face in life exist inside of you, not outside of you.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you are praying that God’s kingdom would come and his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you make the kingdom of God visible for others to see.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you are worshiping the King of forgiveness and encouraging others to do the same.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, your sight is accurate, your head is clear, and your heart is in the right place.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you cry out for an eternity when forgiveness has finished its work once and for all.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you tell yourself that for all the good you have experienced in God’s kingdom, there is still more that is needed and more to come.

A lifestyle of forgiveness expands everything you are touching to the size of God’s kingdom.

Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger than You (New Growth Press, 2007), pp. 161-62

Where is our trust... REALLY?

I don't want a world-wide flu epidemic to wipe out thousands or, God-forbid, millions of the most vulnerable of us around the globe...
I don't want global conflict and war to tear apart whole regions, countries, cities, and families...
I don't want growing unemployment and hardship for hardworking men and women who want nothing more than to provide an honest living, put food on the table and a roof over their families heads...

So I am happy for things like doctors, and researchers, and vaccines...
And I am happy for diplomatic & military strategy and innovation...
and I am happy for entrepreneurial thinking and compassion to help motivate and motivate others to greater opportunity and productivity...

But I must be careful that my trust is ultimately not in those things. But instead, I must Trust in the one who skillfully crafted man to learn and think, create and work, by HIS design.. so we have the benefits of medicine, and innovation, of creativity and a strong work ethic... that come FROM Him... and work to His Glory.


"God is not displeased with the strength of a horse and the legs of a man as good things that He has made. He is displeased with those who hope in their horses and in their legs. He is displeased with the people who put their hope, for example, in missiles or in make-up, in tanks or tanning parlors, in bombs or body-building. God takes no pleasure in corporate efficiency or balanced budgets or welfare systems or new vaccines or education or eloquence or artistic excellence or legal processes, when these things are the treasure in which we hope, or the achievement in which we boast. Why? Because when we put our hope in horses and legs, then the horses and legs get the glory, not God"

~JohnPiper, The Pleasures of God , 208).

The Gospel Way

No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.

Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message,

lived out on earth through infinite compassion,

applying thy life to insult, injury, death,

that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,

Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way,

Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit,

for applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul,

until its virtue diffuses every faculty;

Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.

Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;

Help me to give up every darling lust,

to submit heart and life to its command,

to have it in my will,

controlling my affections,

moulding my understanding;

to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,

not departing from them in any instance,

nor for any advantage in order to escape evil,

inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;

Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness by my own doings.

O gracious redeemer,

I have neglected thee too long,

often crucified thee,

crucified thee afresh by my impenitence,

put thee to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me so long,

and for the grace that now makes me willing to be thine.

O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds,

that nothing may ever draw me back from thee, my Lord, my Saviour.

From The Valley Of Vision (A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions)

Edited by Arthur Bennett

"The Gospel Way" - Page 35

Number and success...

Numbers in a room, as encouraging as they are, ultimately mean very little. There are a great number of ways to get people into a room… and many of those would be for reasons not befitting of Christ’s Bride or Christ’s Mission. In fact, without trying to be to contrary, a number of churches have people in the seats week in and week out and yet are missing the mark when it comes to Gospel-centrality evidenced in the lives of her people. As Chester and Timmis say in chapter 13 of the book Total Church, “... we must not confuse large with successful. Nor for that matter should we equate small with successful!” (pp. 192) We are not necessarily more “successful” if we have 70 people in the room… on the other hand, we are not necessarily more “successful” if we only have 10!

Our desire and measure of success is that we are being shaped by the Gospel and proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed to those around us in need of Jesus. If we can find ways to challenge, assess and encourage the people of River City Church to THAT end… then we will have been faithful to God’s calling and Christ’s mission make disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus… 2 Timothy 2:2.

Key Principles...

Long time no blog... sorry about that...

I've been a little overwhelmed with all on my plate with this Church Plant... good stuff... just a LOT of stuff.

However, there is a small leadership team that has been doing a lot of work on River City and one of the resources we have been using is a book called "Total Church." We have found it to be most-helpful in helping us unpack the patterns in the New Testament of the advancement of the Church and how the basic principles can/should be applied today in a church-planting context.

So you can understand a little bit as to where my brain is... here is an excerpt:

"... two key principles should shape the way we "do church": gospel and community. Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community. Whether we are thinking about evangelism, social involvement, pastoral care, apologetics, discipleship, or teaching, the content is consistently the Christian gospel, and the context is consistently the Christian community. What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and the community.

Being gospel-centered actually involves two things. First, it means being word-centered because the gospel is a word-the gospel is news, a message. Second, it means being mission-centered because the gospel is a word to be proclaimed-the gospel is good news, a missionary message.

So maybe we really have three principles. Christian practice must be (1) gospel-centered in the sense of being word-centered, (2) gospel-centered in the sense of being mission-centered, and (3) community-centered."

("Total Church" Chester & Timmis, pp. 15-16)

Soli Deo Gloria,

JP
rivercityfargo.org

I dare you to pray this...

A challenge from Francis Chan. Its a tough one but I needed to hear it... perhaps you do as well...

Update on Jake Peterson (& family)

Hello friends!

Below is a letter that was sent yesterday to a number of people of which I have had the privilege of ministering with and to over the past seven years. The Lord has opened up an opportunity for our family to step out in faith in a new work. We will remain here in Fargo and we will be working with a team to plant a church here in the central part of town. Please feel free to contact us with questions after reading this post.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jake

~~~~~~~

July 2009

Friends of Bethel Church,

The Lord’s direction is clear, so Amy and I are taking a "leap of faith." We will be partnering with Brett Moser and his family to plant River City Church in the downtown area of Fargo beginning in September 2009. God has given us a heart for this city and although we will be stepping away from Bethel, we will remain engaged in ministry in Fargo.

I write these words with both grief and joy; grief for one reason and joy for two reasons. The grief comes because we have 7 years of ministry here in this place with students and young adults, and that has been no small thing. I came on staff as an intern with little experience. Over the past 7 years, I have been mentored and equipped for the ministry of the Gospel. We have seen many college students come though these doors and many of them equipped and sent back out to workplaces, churches, and mission fields half-way around the world! These are things we celebrate and hold dear. The relationships built, the time spent laughing and crying, all the intangible things… I cannot express enough my thankfulness to the Lord and to Bethel for my time here.

In the midst of grieving a change from Bethel College Director to "church planter," I find myself consumed with joy! We are excited for this new church and the people who will come to know Jesus in downtown Fargo! The challenge of the young/urban culture that is freely drifting and in need of Jesus is part of what inspires us to birth a fresh planting of the Gospel in that part of our city. We have a deep assurance that God has confirmed this direction for our family and cannot wait to see how He will work in our lives and the downtown community.

The second reason I write with great joy is that God is at work in shaping the ways in which Bethel will be able to more effectively make disciples among college students and serve as a mission outpost among the 25,000 college students in Fargo/Moorhead. We’ve laid some fantastic groundwork and I’m excited to see how Bethel will be impacting college students for years to come!

Amy and I celebrate that the partnership with Bethel in the mission of making disciples remains strong. I hear clearly from Bethel leaders and continue to feel the support from this body in commissioning and sending us out so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be heard and the Kingdom of God will expand for the sake of our city and for God’s glory.

It has been a joy serving in your midst and we look forward to serving along side of Bethel Church here in Fargo as part of River City Church.

Thank you for all your love and support!

In His Grip,
Jake & Amy Peterson