Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

We all grieve.  We grieve the loss of a job . . . the loss of our home . . . the loss of a loved one.  Grieving is common to us all.  What is not common to us all is the way in which we grieve.  There are only two ways to grieve in this life: the world’s way is without hope; God’s way is with hope.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13)

Those who are without Christ grieve without hope.  The loss of a job becomes hopeless.  The loss of a home becomes shattering.  The loss of a loved one becomes paralyzing.  But for those who are in Christ, grief is the gateway into an unimaginable hope.  In the eyes of the watching world, Jesus was nailed to a hopeless situation on Golgotha’s Hill.  But three days later, what was hopeless became the most exultant hope the world has ever seen!

The resurrection of Jesus turns the most hopeless of situations into an opportunity for a holy hope.  To be sure, we still grieve when facing a variety of losses on this side of the grave.  But we do not grieve as others do, as those who have no hope.  Godly grieving is a grace reserved for those who have placed their trust in Jesus.  In Him the flame of hope burns eternal, even when we cannot fuel it in our own strength. 

The Gospel is the key that unlocks the door that leads to the grace of godly grieving.  The Gospel assures us that God is in control of all things; nothing happens to us that doesn’t first pass through His nail-scarred hands.  We grieve the loss of a job with the hope of knowing Jesus is in control of all things.  We grieve the loss of our home with the hope of finding shelter in Him.   We grieve the loss of loved ones with the hope of reuniting with them in eternity.

When Jesus conquered sin and death, He demonstrated a power that is beyond all comparison in the earthly dimension.  There is no darkness He cannot light . . . no pain He cannot ease . . . no problem He cannot solve.  It is the power of Omnipotence that is available to us in the Gospel.  We need only receive it and rest in it daily to let the grace of godly grieving flow.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

What do you fear most?  I know the Bible says we are only to fear God, but I am asking this question to cause you to dive below the surface of your life to see what is really going on.  Do you fear the economy getting worse?  Do you fear the loss of a relationship?  What is the one thing you believe that losing it would cause your life to spiral out of control?

Regardless of what you may fear today, there is one fear you will never face:

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  (Psalm 51:11)

David was overwhelmed with the reality of his sin and feared most the loss of the presence of his Lord.  Grace had finally convinced David that he could live without everything else in the world . . . except God.  As Pastor Tullian likes to say, David understood that Jesus plus nothing equals everything! David could live without his health.  He could live without his wealth.  He could live without power, position, prestige, and pleasure.  But he could not bear to contemplate living apart from the presence of God.

Jesus experienced this most dreadful loss on the cross in your place.  Matt 27:46

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He cried, perhaps the most ghastly verse in all of Scripture.  But because He experienced that dreadful loss, this is a fear you will never face.  No matter what you do, Jesus said He will never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).   

• In your impatience . . . Jesus is with you!
• In your anger . . . Jesus is with you!
• In anxiety . . . Jesus is with you!
• In your lust . . . Jesus is with you!
• In your discontent . . . Jesus is with you!

One of the most astonishing promises of the Gospel is found in the truth that you cannot sin yourself beyond the grace of God.  And this truth must seize you moment by moment, day after day.  When you are convinced that God will not cast you away from His presence or take His Holy Spirit from you, faithfulness to Jesus will mark your life rather than fear.  This is the power of the Gospel that both saves and sanctifies.   

To be sure, we are great sinners.  But we have an even greater Savior, who has willingly paid the price for every one of our sins—past, present, and still to come.  The next time you sin and fall short of the mark your Master has set before you, confess it, and be grieved for breaking His heart.  But don’t stay there!  Quickly follow that confession with a heart filled with thanksgiving and joy for the One who faced the most awful fear . . . so that you will never have to face it . . . no, not ever!

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today I want to share something with you that can help you get more out of life.  Learn to IGNORE A WHOLE LOT MORE!

I am convinced that some people in the body of Christ believe they have the “gift” of criticism.  No matter what you do, you simply cannot please them.  They are never satisfied with your effort and will always seek out something to criticize or complain about.  Now, I am not talking about constructive criticism or course correction by someone who truly has your best interests at heart.  I am talking about those small-minded people who find their joy and satisfaction in cutting others down, tearing them up, and throwing them out. 

Jesus had to deal with such people on a daily basis.  No matter what He did, it was never good enough for some.  Even His miraculous works of healing brought out the critics!

He went on from there and entered their synagogue.  And a man was there with a withered hand.  And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him.  He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value is a man than a sheep!  So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”  Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”  And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.  But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.  (Matthew 12:9-14)

You would think the religious leaders would be filled with awe and joy to witness the divine healing of a crippled man.  Instead they were filled with fury, for more reasons than I have space to recount.  The point of today’s message is to help you deal with your critics. 

Remember, our Lord promised that we would receive the same kind of treatment He received if we would live for Him (see Matthew 10:25 and John 15:20).  So bring on the critics, the complainers, the condemners!  You can receive their “gifts,” knowing Jesus walked where you walk and has given you all the grace you need to IGNORE A WHOLE LOT MORE!  Remember, those who belittle you are simply being little!

Only the power of the Gospel allows you to IGNORE A WHOLE LOT MORE!  Because you already have everything you need in Jesus you can let your critics criticize, complain, and condemn all they want.  When you rest in the finished work of Jesus, you don’t have to defend yourself anymore.  When your identity is rooted in Jesus, you no longer have to explain yourself to your critics.  There is no need to “throw your pearls before pigs,” because your purpose, meaning, and significance is anchored in the cross work of Jesus. 

Listen, if perfection didn’t please everybody, imperfection never will.  If they nailed the only perfect Man to the cross, they certainly won’t hesitate to nail your hide to the barn door! You simply need to focus on Jesus and let the power and grace of the Gospel equip you to IGNORE A WHOLE LOT MORE!

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!  

If someone asked you how you would measure maturity as a Christian, how would you answer?  Would you focus on performance, effort, and good works?  Here are some of the most common yardsticks Christians give when asked about measuring maturity:

• Daily devotions
• Consistent prayer life
• Weekly witnessing
• Regular church attendance
• Faithful tither
• Scripture memorization
• Outreach oriented
• Mission minded

As good as these answers are, they are not accurate measurements of true maturity in the Christian.  Think about it: if faithful, consistent practice of spiritual disciplines was the measure of maturity, the Pharisees would have been the holiest individuals on the planet!  Yet Jesus said their holiness never moved from their head to their heart.  The Pharisees were more concerned with what their hands and feet were doing than how their heart was beating. 

Real Christian maturity is never measured by behavior; it is only to be measured by belief.  What we believe about Christ’s behavior on our behalf is the true measurement of our maturity.  The Pharisees believed it was all about their work . . . their effort . . . their performance . . . their righteousness.  In their eyes, what they did made them holy.  And the more they did, the more holy they believed they were.  This is why Jesus excoriated them. 

Christian maturity is grounded in our understanding that it is all about what Jesus has already done on our behalf . . . His work . . . His effort . . . His performance . . . His righteousness.  Our behavior cannot gain for us He has already accomplished for us.  Christ’s behavior secured for us everything we need, and it is only in our believing it and re-believing it every day that we find ourselves walking in the way of maturity.

The more we grasp the Gospel, the deeper we drive the roots of Christian maturity into the soil of the sanctified life.  Our sense of sin deepens; our hope brightens; our zeal quickens.  Daily we must become ever more seized by the truth of God’s unconditional love poured out for us on Golgotha’s Hill—while we were still sinners (see Romans 5:8).  If God didn’t wait for us to be good before He loved us, He’s not waiting for us to get better to keep loving us!  We are completely loved in the Beloved.  The mature Christian is undergirded and uplifted by this truth and walks in it moment by moment. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

If you are not in the Fort Lauderdale area, or did not get to attend Coral Ridge last Sunday, here is the video from the sermon.  A special thank you to Pastor Tullian for asking me to preach in his place…

At first glance, faith in Jesus Christ and the beliefs of the functional atheist seem as far apart as the east is from the west.  But upon closer inspection, we see that everyone who professes faith in Christ does, at times, live like a functional atheist.

A functional atheist is someone who professes faith in Christ, but behaves as if He doesn’t exist.  They don’t say, “There is no God,” but rather they deny the existence of God in their lives by the way they are living at a particular time.  The functional atheist has decided to live apart from the revealed truth of Scripture.  He professes faith in Christ, but lives life as a practicing atheist. 

There are countless ways this is fleshed out in the life of a Christian.  Let’s take a look at some functional atheists and see if any you recognize any of these folks.

Sunday-only Sam and Sandra focus on God on Sunday but forget about Him Monday through Saturday. On those days, they live like God doesn’t exist.  Sunday-only Sam and Sandra confine their focus on God to the time they spend in the church sanctuary.

Home-only Harry and Holly focus on God at home through daily devotions and prayer but forget about Him as soon as they get out into the world.  Home-only Harry and Holly find it easy to practice their faith at home, but not before the watching world of their non-Christian peers.

Painless providence-only Peter and Pam focus on God when the clouds are fleecy, the sky is blue, and the sun is shining.  Painless providence-only Peter and Pam keep their focus on God when all is going well . . . but as soon as the storm winds begin to blow, they take their eyes off Jesus and focus on to the storm.

All functional atheists have one thing in common.  They believe they were made in the image of God but do everything in their power to return the favor by making God into their image.  They refuse to serve the God who is because they prefer to serve the God they want.  They believe in God and trust Him . . . just not with the whole of their lives.  God is only part of their lives rather than all of their lives.   

I am the way, the truth, and the life.  (John 14:6)

Jesus is not only the way to eternal life; He is, in and of Himself, everyday life.  When He gave the promise, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19), He was speaking of a deliverance that transcended the political, social, and economical deliverance the people of Israel were looking and hoping for.  He offers a life of freedom from the bondage to sin and the self.  It is a life of freedom to live according to His will, rather than our will. 

The Gospel is the cure for functional atheism.  The more we focus on the Gospel, and the better we understand it, the more it will draw us into a life of faithfulness rather than functional atheism.  When we catch a glimpse of who Jesus really is and what He really did on our behalf, we begin to focus less on ourselves and more on Him.  We begin expanding our relationship to Jesus throughout the week.  We begin expanding our relationship to Jesus outside of the home.  We begin expanding our relationship to Jesus even when His providences are painful. 

Wherever this finds you, the power of the Gospel can transform you into the person Jesus is calling you to be.  Fear, worry, and doubt over an uncertain future are replaced by faithfulness, worship, and devotion to Christ.  We begin letting go of everything smaller than God, because we realize those things can never do for us what only Jesus can do.  The unconditional love and undeserved favor we are given in the Gospel are the motive and motivation to give up our functional atheism for a life built upon and centered in Christ alone.  This is the only place where we can live a life that truly matters. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

When Jesus saved you, He placed you into His body—the church.  The Christian life was never meant to be lived in intentional isolation—which, sadly, is how far too many Christians live.  As a member of the body of Christ, each person is as needed and as valuable as the next.  And one of the most important roles we can all play in one another’s lives is to be an encourager.  I call encouragement “Christian Vitamin C.”      

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.  (Hebrews 3:12-14)

Everyone is carrying a burden.  Look closely into the eyes of the people around you and you will see their desperate longing for a little encouragement . . . a kind word . . . a pat on the back . . . a warm smile.  Encouragement is to the soul what vitamin C is to the body.  “Gracious words are like a honeycomb,” Proverbs 16:24 asserts, “sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

There’s just one problem: we are not encouragers by nature.  Our sinful self-centeredness keeps us from encouraging others.  We are consumed with OUR dreams, OUR goals, OUR desires, OUR sorrows, OUR suffering, OUR success, OUR doubts, OUR fears.  Our mantra is Jesus and ME . . . not Jesus and we!

Only the power of the Gospel can free us from the suffocating prison of self-absorption.  The Gospel shifts our focus from self to the Savior; when we are focused on the Savior He redirects our focus to others so that we might minister in His name.  And one of the greatest ministries we can all have, regardless of our gifting and calling, is to be an encourager.   

Scripture is quite direct on this point: “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

William Barclay put it this way:

One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement.  It is easy to laugh at man’s ideals.  It is easy to pour cold water on the enthusiasm.  It is easy to discourage others.  The world if full of discouragers.  We have a Christian duty to encourage one another.  Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet.  Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.

So . . . what about you? Are you such a person?  Do you speak encouragement into the lives of others?         

Here’s another crucial question: do you have an encourager in your life?  Someone who speaks life into your life?  If you can say yes, get on your face before the Living God and thank Him for this incredible gift!  I thank God daily for the many encouragers He has given me: my beloved wife and best friend, Kim; my mentor, Clark; and several brothers in Christ.  There is one man whom I’ve nicknamed “Brother Barnabas” (Barnabas means “son of encouragement”), because of the daily dose of the Christian Vitamin C he gives to me.  I thank God for Kim, Clark, and all those who pour words of life and love into me.  And I also make it a point to give heartfelt thanks to my encouragers.  Those like Barnabas, who are wired as encouragers, need to receive encouragement every bit as much as those to whom they deliver it. 

If you don’t have an encourager in your life, why don’t you make a point of being an encourager in the lives of everyone you meet?  Jesus put it this way: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).  If you want encouragement from others, you be an encourager to them.  Everyone needs a daily dose of Christian Vitamin C!

Ultimately, the Gospel is our greatest source of encouragement.  That is why we need to continually preach it to ourselves.  But as we’ve seen, God has called each Christian to fill the role of encourager in the lives of others.  Encouragement is divinely designed to keep us from being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  That is powerful stuff!

“Let us encourage one another,” the letter to the Hebrews exhorts.  Jesus gave us the Gospel to empower our encouragement through a reorientation toward others and away from ourselves.    

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

A life without rules and regulations would be no life at all.  I’m sure we all think at times that we would like to live a life without rules and regulations, but it wouldn’t take long for our world to degenerate into utter anarchy.  Our collective despairing cry would be for the return of rules and regulations!

But what is the reach of rules and regulations?  Rules and regulations are designed to create boundaries and protect rights, in order to ensure that everyone in society behaves in such a way that a community can function, regulate, and work appropriately.  When the rules and regulations are violated, consequences follow; for many, the fear of these consequences keeps them from committing violations.  Doing what is right is driven by the fear of the consequence of doing what is wrong.

The reach of rules and regulations can indeed control, constrict, and confine behavior.  But rules and regulations can never transform the heart, which is the ultimate source of our wrong thinking and evildoing.  Only the Gospel can do that, as the apostle Paul powerfully explains:   

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle!  Do not taste!  Do not tough!”?  These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.  (Colossians 2:20-23)

Rules and regulations can only go so far in controlling behavior.  Eventually we all follow the natural desires of the heart, and those desires, if not directed by the Holy Spirit, ultimately lead to death.  It is only the transforming power of the Gospel that can change the heart . . . only the Gospel which can radically and permanently change behavior.  This change is motivated, not by instilling fear or inflicting guilt, but rather, out of a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to the One who has transformed our life . . . who gave us a new heart and a new spirit.

Rules and regulations were never designed to do for the human heart what only the Redeemer can do: make it alive, make it new, and make it beat to the things of God.  Remember, it’s not about changing behavior.  It’s about changing the heart, which will ultimately change behavior, and only the power of the Gospel can do that.

If you are in a position of influence in someone’s life as a parent, teacher, coach, etc., aim at changing behavior, and you may win the battle.  But if you aim at changing the heart, you will win the war.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We have all heard someone say, “The grass is always greener on the other side!”  But is it true?  Let’s take a look at what is meant by this maxim, and decide whether or not it is true.

First, when someone says these words, what they mean is that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence because it is someone else’s grass!  Our sinful, self-absorbed nature is fond of looking at what we don’t have and thinking it is better than what we do have.  This problem goes all the way back to Adam and Eve.  They had everything in the Garden of Eden except one tree, and that one tree seemed greener to them than everything else they had.

And we are just like our first two parents.   

• The job I don’t have is greener than the job I do have
• The body I don’t have is greener than the body I do have
• The education I don’t have is greener than the education I do have
• The talent I don’t have is greener than the talent I do have
• The opportunity I don’t have is greener than the opportunity I do have
• The car I don’t have is greener than the car I do have
• The home I don’t have is greener than the home I do have
• The marriage I don’t have is greener than the marriage I do have
• The social network I don’t have is greener than the social circle I do have
• The ministry I don’t have is greener than the ministry I do have

The Bible makes it clear that we are not to spend our time fixated on the things we don’t have and thinking them to be better than what we do have. 

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.  (Exodus 20:17)

You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them (graven images), nor take it for yourselves, lets you be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.  (Deuteronomy 7:25)

Do not be deceived; neither fornicators . . . not the covetous . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

What do you have that you have not been given?  Everything you have is a gift from God and every gift you have been graciously given—you could say undeservedly so—and should be received with gratitude, appreciation, and contentment.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism explains, “The tenth commandment requires us to be completely satisfied with our own status in life.” The letter to the Hebrews instructs, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

So . . . is the grass always greener on the other side in the world you currently live in?  Only the Gospel empowers us to see the truth about where the grass is greener.  And do you know where that is?  It is always where you water it . . . fertilize it . . . nurture it . . . and care for it. 

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
(Acts 16:6-8).

What a remarkable passage of Scripture!  Paul and his companions were embarked on mission to share the Gospel of Christ with as many as possible.  You would expect that Satan would make every effort to frustrate their efforts, and that God would move heaven and earth to advance the good work. And yet we see that the Holy Spirit twice forbade them from preaching the Good News in certain regions. As the kids often say, what’s up with that?!

I cannot tell you how many times I hear someone describe how the devil is hard at work opposing them.  This is frequently true, yet I’ve learned from personal experience that often it is not Lucifer, but the Lord who has His loving hand of restraint upon me.  It only looks like the work of the devil, because my vision is short-sighted, my plans are self-centered, and my goals are self-absorbed. 

I must continually remember that God has not promised to give to us all our hopes and dreams.  We want to get a good education, a secure and successful career, marry the perfect person, raise perfect children, and live happily ever after on a plush retirement plan.  Just one problem: God never promised to give us any of these things!  We may in fact enjoy these good gifts from the hand of God.  But the moment we begin to connect our identity to school or job or spouse or children or bank accounts and anchor our happiness in these, we can be certain that God will place His restraining hand upon us.  God will not make us comfortable in our idol worship!

If we are adopted members of God’s forever family, there are times when God will stand in opposition to us—not because He is angry with us or disappointed with us, but because He loves us and wants the best for us.  “The Lord disciplines the one he loves,” the letter to the Hebrews explained, “and chastises every son whom he receives” (12:6).

Just like a child who pleads for a chocolate bar twenty minutes before dinner, we often set our hearts on what our Father knows is not best for us!  Our vision is clouded by our sin, and we may regard God as a cosmic kill-joy when we don’t get what we want.  We mentally stamp a petulant foot and wonder why God won’t come through for us!  Yet He has come through, by withholding the stuff we think will meet us in our place of deepest need—the need which, in reality, only God can meet. 

Our deepest need will never be met by people, our profession, or our possessions.  It will only be fulfilled in a person—one Person—and His name is Jesus Christ.  Everything smaller than God will inevitably disappoint us.  We all know this to be true from repeated personal experience.

So remember, it’s not always Satan who is working to derail your plans.  God will take the wheels right off the track when we are moving in the wrong direction.  God simply loves us too much to let us shrink the size of our life down to the size of our life by chasing after the idols of the heart.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!