EPISODE 58
To help us better understand 1 John 4:9-11, Pastor Ben Saunders returns to show us how we are purposely loved by God.
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Free Propitiation – 1 John; Truth
EPISODE 57
In our study of 1 John 4:10, we see how God is free in His giving of Jesus, the propitiation for our sins.
While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by:
-J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973), chpt. 18, “The Heart of the Gospel”
EPISODE 56
In our study of 1 John 4:10a, we see look at how the doctrine of depravity gives us liberating humility, and we see that we stinketh!
While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by:
-Shai Linne, “Election”, Lyrical Theology, Pt.1: Theology
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God’s Love on Display – 1 John; Truth
EPISODE 55
As we look at 1 John 4:9, we see God’s love on display for us.
While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by:
-John Piper, Desiring God (Multnomah Publishers, 2003)
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Geocentric Vs. Heliocentric Preaching
If you grew up as a Christian in a doctrinally sound church, you’ve likely heard that the entire Bible points to Christ. Hopefully, all believers, and especially teachers and preachers, would affirm that statement. Christ is evident from Genesis 1 as Creator to Revelation 22 as Eternal King.
Yet this is much harder to put into practice than it is to say. Especially with teachers and preachers, but with all believers as well, we must see and show Christ in the Scriptures. In this article, I will address teachers and preachers, but please keep reading if you are not one of the above. These principles apply to you as you read and study the Bible, and you should have a serious conversation with your pastor or stop listening to a teacher if he is failing to preach Christ in all of the Bible.
Geocentric Preaching
I have used the terms “Geocentric Preaching” and “Heliocentric Preaching” because of their references to views of our galaxy. Up until the sixteenth century, most astronomers believed that our galaxy revolved around the earth. In preaching and teaching, we can sometimes see this view in action. Preachers, rather than having their sermon revolve around the Son (get the pun?) have their sermon revolve around earthly wisdom.
Now, is earthly wisdom inherently bad? Yes and no. Yes, in that it comes from people, and people are inherently sinful. No, in that we can still get good things from it since people are made in the image of God, and so while that image is twisted, we can still be like Him in certain ways.
“What is earthly wisdom,” you might ask. Earthly wisdom is wisdom that keeps its focus on things in this world, with no focus on eternity or on Christ. Now, you may object and say, “My pastor has a call for salvation at the end of every sermon. Surely he can’t be teaching worldly wisdom!” However, sermons of substance don’t save the Jesus for the last two minutes. Earthly sermons give advice on how to live, but they don’t really get past a TED Talk.
Earthly sermons can even include Jesus throughout the whole sermon, but fail to show Him faithfully. I’ve heard this once in a sermon: “Your relationship with Jesus must be the most important thing in your life.” This is patently wrong! Your relationship with Jesus is your life, not one part of it! “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked . . . but God . . . made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5 ESV).” Jesus doesn’t make your life better. He becomes your life.
Heliocentric Preaching
So that leaves us with Heliocentric Preaching, preaching and teaching focused on the Son. This preaching focuses on Christ, the Christ revealed to us in the Bible. Heliocentric Preaching faithfully shows the glory and beauty of Jesus, and how He is sovereign over us. Heliocentric Preaching shows that Jesus is our life, and that we must be willing to hate everything else in the world to keep Christ (see Luke 14:26).
Sometimes, Heliocentric sermons may never even mention Jesus. Think of sermons going through Isaiah. A faithful preacher shows the depravity of Israel on their own, and he shows their inability to worship rightly without faith. In doing this, he is laying the groundwork for a proper view of Christ, who enables us to worship rightly and frees us from our sin.
As you read and study through God’s Word, don’t come away from it viewing it as a book of good morals. God’s Word does shows us how to live, but we can only rightly live in Christ and Christ alone. Today, open God’s Word and see Christ, from Genesis to Revelation.
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A Call to Love – 1 John; Truth
EPISODE 54
As we take a look at 1 John 4:7-8, we see the need to act out our faith in love.
While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by:
-John Owen, The Glory of Christ
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God Is Love – 1 John; Truth
EPISODE 53
In today’s overview of 1 John 4:7-12, we see how God is love and how that impacts us today.
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Testing the Spirits – 1 John; Truth
EPISODE 52
As we take a third look at 1 John 4:1-6, we see how we are to test the spirits.
EPISODE 51
Taking another look at 1 John 4:1-6, we see the need of certain doctrines, and the importance of others, and why it is important to understand the importance of each doctrine we are discussing.
While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by:
–The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008), p. 2507
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My Five Favorite Books
If you don’t know me well, you might not know that I am a book nerd. I enjoy reading books greatly, and I believe that most books are very valuable. These books in particular that have changed my life or changed the way I think. In this list, I am not including the Bible. Obviously, the Bible is the most important book anyone can ever read. However, the title “My Five Favorite Non-biblical Books” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. So please, don’t read these books before you read the Bible. The Bible is infinitely more important than any of these books, even despite the greatness of the books below. That should tell you something about God’s Word. But without further ado, here are my five favorite books.
1. Desiring God, John Piper
This book is probably the most influential on the way I view my relationship with God. Rather than the way I glorify God being tied to a checklist of obedience, I glorify God by enjoying Him! One of the best quotes of the book is on our purpose: “The chief of end man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.” I give Jesus the glory He deserves when I enjoy Him and treasure Him as He is, as the God of the Universe.
2. Knowing God, J. I. Packer
Knowing God is one of the best books on God ever written. Few if any men outside of the Bible have put so much truth into so few words as J. I. Packer has done in this excellent book. Packer shows the glory of God in who He is, and how He relates to us. His chapter on adoption is probably the single greatest chapter in a book ever written, and it is the reason for the “A” in ABP!
3. Perelandra, C. S. Lewis
The first two books I listed were nonfiction books, but this book is fictional. However, it might be one of the most profound teachings on sin that I’ve ever read. Lewis in this second book of The Space Trilogy basically recreates Adam and Eve in the garden, and he focuses on Eve’s temptation. Rarely do we think about complete human innocence, but Lewis shows this beautifully. This book is thrilling from both a fictional and theological perspective.
4. Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem
This is the first traditional reference book in this list. I have not fully read this book (it’s more than one thousand pages, give me a break!), but I have used it more than any other. It is almost like a theological Google. It is very useful in finding out what the Bible says on a given topic. He is fair in his evaluation of doctrines and I think reasonably gives views that come from an opposing camp. Systematic Theology is also good to simply read through. Even though I use the index more than I use the index more than simply reading it straight through, it does read very well. I would encourage every Christian to have a copy of this work in his home.
5. The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
Contrary to popular belief, The Lord of the Rings is actually one work, composed of six books, so it’s not a traditional trilogy. It was released in three separate volumes. This book is simply one of the best fictional books created, end of statement. Tolkien writes with a homely yet adventurous style. From the epic Aragorn to the lovable Sam Gamgee, Tolkien shows his mastery in creating immersive and three-dimensional characters.