Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Forgotten God is the next book the AGCC Bookclub will tackle. Here is the brief description given to it on Amazon.com:

"A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit's direction in our lives. In the name of the Father, the Son, and ... the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? As Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit--the Helper--so that we could be true and living witnesses for Christ. Unfortunately, today's church has admired the gift but neglected to open it. Breakthrough author Francis Chan rips away paper and bows to get at the true source of the church's power--the Holy Spirit. Chan contends that we've ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan's invitation to stop and remember the One we've forgotten, the Spirit of the living God."

By clicking on the picture of the book to the right you will be directed to an inside view of the book at Amazon...this way you can view the table of contents, etc.

You can pick the book up at our church bookstore, amazon, or wherever else is convenient to you...Enjoy!

Self Righteousness - ch 3

"Self-righteousness turns grace on its head because it views the sinner as deserving God's blessings rather than as undeserving." p 43

This can happen in deceptive ways. When I consider how I am apt to turn grace on its head, I realized that when I am asking God to help me in some way, the thought that God is evaluating my actions affects how I act. As if God is evaluating my actions in order to decide whether or not to answer my request as I want. So, if I have asked God to give me favor in a conflict at work I may not stop at the store for a snack on the way home from work... as a way of showing God that I am denying myself. As if this will lean the scales in my favor. I may even stop from sinning in my attitude or action in order to show God how self-controlled I am. Having Gods "decision" in the back of my mind I am attempting to sway him. It is like I am showing God that even though my heart is bent towards evil, I have control and therefore deserve my favorable outcome. Or maybe I want him to know how impacting his word has been on my life... as if he does not see me giving into temptations when there is no "decision" at stake. Oh, how deceitful is my heart.

I have an unbelieving friend at work, and we discuss spiritual things every once in a while. Inevitably our discussion comes back to the justice of God. He thinks he is a pretty good guy, and that many people have a sincere desire to do good and know God but are rejected by him because they do not know about or believe in Jesus. In his view, their sincere desire should be enough for God to accept anyone, and he says that God must be very angry and unfair to make it impossible for those who do good, and whose only crime is not believing in Jesus to have eternal damnation.

How would you answer this accusation?

Both the saved and unsaved are affected by self righteousness. As a believer it can help us have a deeper love for Christ as we see how he loves us despite our sin.

How does self righteousness manifest itself in your life?

Motivation of the Gospel - ch 2

Page 34 says, "Genuine love for Christ comes through 1) an ever growing consciousness of our own sinfulness, and unworthiness coupled with 2) the assurance that our sins, however great, have been forgiven through his death on the cross." He explains how this truth impacted both the "sinful woman" who anointed Jesus' feet and the "highly respected Jew", Isaiah.

I thought these were great examples, and he said "Isaiah's experience parallels that of the sinful woman." (p 36)

This doctrine of indwelling sin and the assurance of Gods acceptance is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest truths in the christian life. This impact of humility mixed with confidence that it produces is so joyous that it is hard to describe unless it is experienced.

The Righteousness of Christ - Ch 1

Phil, that is a great quote, "The obedient death of Christ is the very apex of the righteousness of Christ." (p.23)

When I read the first chapter I had a couple of thoughts. One was on page 20, the authors quote Galatians 3:13, "Christ Redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us". Then he says, "... apart from the saving work of Christ, every one of us still deserves God's curse every day of our lives". (p 20)

Sometimes, when I am hurt, or my children are sick, I think what it would be like if our bodies never healed. What if we just had to live with that affliction for the rest of our lives? That, and so much more, is what we deserve. But it is easy to take for granted the fact that God has made our bodies to heal. Most of us do not have to live with perpetual injury in our bodies. But one definition of a curse is "a call on divine power to send injury upon". If all that separates us from being cursed by God is Jesus, then we are completely dependent on Jesus to make sure that God knows we are off the "Curse List". Thank you Jesus for not being ashamed to acknowledge you know me!

And, this leads to another thought I had. Our righteousness before God is completely dependent on knowing Jesus, and having his righteousness.

"For our sake he make him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2Corinthians 5:21)

We know, because of Gods perfection, that he will not make a mistake and leave us on the "Curse List"; however, should we also be aware of how dependent on Jesus we are to rescue us from Gods just wrath against our sin?

I remember being on a jury and going through the long but interesting process of a trial. On the third day it was time for the jury to decide the guilt or innocence of the defendant. I will call her Jane, although that was not her name. Watching Jane stand before the judge as we entered the courtroom to read the verdict her eyes pleaded for mercy. She knew her fate rested on the next few words that she heard, and the weight of it could be seen in her body and face. One day when we stand before the awesome, penetrating eyes of a perfectly holy, pure, righteous, and completely sovereign Judge how will we respond? How much awe, reverence, and holy fear will we experience because of the finality of this judgement seat, and the weight of this verdict? There was no one to rescue Jane in the courtroom where a guilty verdict was read. She crumbled into the arms of her lawyer who tried to comfort her. If Jesus does not come through for us then we have no hope. If Jesus does not acknowledge to God the judge that he knows us at this moment then who will save us? There is no one. No one can, and would anyone be willing? I do not know the reference, but Jesus said there would those who come to him and say that they have done miracles, cast out demons and prophesied in his name, but he would say, "I never knew you". As a result they would be sent away to a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. If we are not clothed in the righteousness of Christ then we will not be recognized. The authors main point is that, "The righteousness of Christ, which is credited to us, is the first bookend of the Christian life". (p. 26) How sweet is that righteousness!?

This righteousness of Christ saves us from the daily affects of being under a curse, and saves us from the eternal consequences of Gods judgement. I love Jesus!!

The Righteousness of Christ

As I have begun reading the bookends of the Christian Life, I was freshly struck about the obedience of our Savior Jesus. Bridges says, "The obedient death of Christ is the very apex of the righteousness of Christ." (p.23)

Jesus death on the cross shows His love for His Father and for us. He willingly endured pain, suffering, wrath and being forsaken for me. He did this so that I could have fellowship with God and stand in His obedient righteousness and not my own.

This allows me to come humbly to God with a confidence not from me, but from Christ to worship, adore, honor and love the Father. To cultivate my relationship with Him.

I need to be reminded of this daily! Thanks be to God!

The Next Book - Hooray!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the first month of the Book Club!!! We read a book and allowed God to use it to challenge and strengthen our beliefs! Hooray!!

Starting May 18th we are beginning the next book "The Bookends of the Christian Life". The authors of this book have created a study guide. The below link should open that document for you. Copy and paste it into IE. Use it as a tool to help you study this book.

http://www.thebookendsbook.com/media/TheBookendsStudyGuide.doc

Keep an eye out for the dates of the next discussion.

Last Chapter

I finished the last chapter a bit ago and have been pondering several things that Tim Keller said. I have to say that this chapter has somewhat captured my thoughts.

Let me see if I can walk through what impacted me and if it is clear. At the end of this entry I will close with a question/topic that I would welcome everyone's input on.

The first quote on page108 says, "Jesus' salvation is a feast, and therefore when we believe in and rest in his work for us, through the Holy Spirit he becomes real to us. His love is like honey, or like wine. Rather than only believing that he is loving, we can come to sense the reality, the beauty, and the power of his love. His love can be more real to you than the love of anyone else. It can delight, galvanize, and console you. That will lift you up and free you from fear like nothing else."

Then he starts the next paragraph and says, "This makes all the difference.". What a simple and profound statement. When we boil it all down this is the difference. Our view of Gods love for us has the potential to completely change our life. I say our view of Gods love, because one believer is just a loved as another by God; however, both believers may not experience the reality of what Tim says in the paragraph above. He says later that "He(Jesus) offers us access to the presence of the Father".

For me, I realized how I have drifted from the comfort of this love. After reading this I wanted to be freshly aware of, and experience this love again and again.

The next quote on page 115 says this, "We can only change permanently as we take the gospel more deeply into our understanding and into our hearts. We must feed on the gospel, as it were, digesting it and making it part of ourselves. This is how we grow.". And again on page 114 he says, "We must personally appropriate it (the gospel) making it more and more central to everything we see, think, and feel. That is how we grow spiritually in wisdom, love, joy, and peace."

I saw what I needed. It was a consistent time with God. I need to drink from the water of his grace... often.

Then he said something other than I expected, and here is where I would like to get input. Each of us tends toward either cheap grace, or legalism. The solution he say on Page 122 is to, "... focus on how seriously God takes sin and on how he could only save us from it at an infinite cost to himself. Understanding this must and will profoundly reshape our lives."

When I consider the cross, and the cost of sin I think about the great sacrifice that Jesus made to pay that price. I am deeply impacted by what he went through mentally (knowing what was in the cup and still moving toward it), emotionally (all on earth either leaving, or rejecting him), physically, and spiritual (separated from his father). I have always focused on the great cost of sin to Jesus, and the infinite cost it was to him. I find my contemplations about the cross and Jesus rightfully moves my heart, but do you think he is saying I should be equally affected by what the Father went through? Explain.

I know, that sounds like an essay question... but I would like to know!

The True Elder Brother

How amazing the insight concerning the elder brother (me). If the elder brother would have gone out and search for his wayward brother what a testimony of the grace of God. As I ponder this, it will help me with my evangelism. I need to go out and search for the lost sheep, lost coin and my lost brother. I thank God that he sent the "True Elder Brother" (Jesus) to look for me!

"We will never stop being younger brothers or elder brothers until we acknowledge our need, rest by faith and gaze in wonder at the work of our true elder brother, Jesus Christ." pg 89

I want to continue to gaze upon the one who died for me! Thanks!

The proud are out!!

"The humble are in and the proud are out" scripture has really make me think. I do not consider myself a proud person but this scripture and author Keller's explanations of this parable took me back to my colon cancer diagnosis. My comment was "I don't drink, smoke, do drugs. I take supplements and take care of myself better that many people I know". I see that comment as a "proud son". I think deep down I was saying God should not have allowed this to happen.

I have never looked at this parable in the way it is being explained and do agree with other bloggers in that we do "flip" between brothers. One does not have to agree with all of Keller's interpretations of this parable. But that is the beauty of understanding or looking at something differently as I believe Keller has done extremely well. I believe it will help me work more diligently towards making me a better person.

Chuck

Older son vs. Younger son

I think that I swing back and forth between the older and younger son mindsets. A lot of the time I find myself thinking that my good works have given me the 'right' to have a good life. I know this because when something bad happens I have a tendency to complain and ask God why that bad thing happened. On the other hand, when I am having difficulty in a particular area of sin then I kind of expect something bad to happen.

All of this has helped me to see how dangerous the sin of deception is. All other sin is at least evident to our senses... we know that we have sinned and that we are in the wrong. But when we allow ourselves to be deceived we don't know that we are being deceived!

So no matter what mindset I find myself in, I need to pray and ask God to shred the deception that may be clouding my mind. The truth is that neither mindset is biblical, but deception can sometimes make me think that the older brother mindset is somehow more moral and pure. It isn't. It is just as sickening in God's sight as a complete abrogation of the faith.

Chapter 3 - Redefining Sin

I want to be upfront that I have read about half of this book and I have some, many, disagreements with the author on things he says. I know the author is a lot more educated than I am, but still, I have some issues with his exegesis.

That said, I agree with the authors point that the way our heart works is very deceitful and leans one way or the other (licentious or law). On page 43 he says, "Jesus, though, shows us that a man who has violated virtually nothing on the list of moral misbehavior's can be every bit as spiritually lost as the profligate, immoral person. Why? Because sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge..."

What a compelling thought! Yes, I would rather have a law keeper living next door to me, because it would benefit me to have someone who keeps their home up and cares about their status. But that does not make them any more desirable to God. His view is altogether different. The law abiding or the licentious are both separated from him... and that really matters to God.


If we believe this how should we respond?

Redefining Sin

This part of the book really struck me:

(pg 39.) If, like the elder brother, you seek to control God through your obedience, then all your morality is just a way to use God to make him give you the things in life you really want. A classic example of this is the bargain that the young Salieri makes with God in Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus.

I would offer up secretly the proudest prayer a boy could think of. "Lord, make me a great composer! Let me celebrate your glory through music - and be celebrated myself!"

How many prayers I have offered up with similar intentions!

(pg 42-43.) Elder brothers obey God to get things. They don't obey God to get God himself - in order to resemble him, love him, know him, and delight him. So religious and moral people can be avoiding Jesus as Savior and Lord as much as the younger brothers who say they don't believe in God and define right and wrong for themselves.

but the good news
(pg. 45) But Jesus says: "The humble are in and the proud are out" (see Luke 18:14). The people who confess they aren't particularly good or open-minded are moving toward God, because the prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it.

What good news for my younger-brother and older-brother nature! It's good to be aware of my need for the Savior. (Note: While I don't agree that the prerequisite for receiving God's grace is needing to know I need it - it is God's grace that opens my eyes to see that I need a Savior - I see his other point that God gives grace to the humble - James 4:6)

Some questions. Tim Keller emphasizes the importance of not seeking God for the things we can get from Him, but for the pure intentions to know and love Him. How do we do that and yet still take hold of God's promises, live in faith and ask without doubting? Perhaps to put praying/faith in the right perspective, James 4:3 - You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Also, how do we apply verses such as Psalm 103:2 - Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits? It seems to me that the benefits this passage is talking about refer to ones that reveal His character - love, mercy, etc. As a result, we know God more and love Him for who He is. But it seems like a delicate balance - to know God and his benefits, but to seek Him purely for who He is, not what we can get from Him. Could it be why Psalm 103 begins with three proclamations to "Bless the Lord" and to "bless his holy name" only to be followed by His benefits?

Questions About Using Blog?

If you have any questions about how to post, read or use this blog, please send me an email to let me know. I'll respond as soon as I am able. My email is timb@abundantgracecc.org. The more we all participate the more beneficial and fun this blog will be.

Chapter 2 Thoughts

"Act 1, then demonstrates the lavish prodigality of God's grace. Jesus shows the father pouncing on his son in love not only before he has a chance to clean up his life and evidence a change of heart, but even before he can recite his repentance speech. Nothing, not even abject contrition, merits the favor of God. The Father's love and acceptance are absolutely free." The Prodigal God, pg.24

How amazing is this statement! Before the son can even recite his repentance speech the Father is pouncing on his son in love. I am reminded of this line in a song "How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He would give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure."

Words are not enough to describe the overwhelming sense of God's mercy and grace upon my life. That He would 'pounce' on me in love before I had a chance to clean up my life or even recite my repentance speech makes me want to love and worship Him all the more! How about you!

The Parable

This blog idea seems great Tim. Thanks for doing this. In fact, this is the first time I have ever blogged, so let me know if I am doing something taboo. I like questions, and to hear others points of view. So, if others comment then I will keep asking questions... Lord knows I have a billion... I mean trillion... of them.

Before chapter one begins the entire parable is written out. This is a great help. For one it helped me read it slowly and consider what was said and what was not said.

In light of that I have a couple of questions.

In verse 32 the father tells the son the reason (... this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.) why he had to welcome the younger son back with such joy. How do you think this affected the elder son? What do you think Jesus' purpose was for ending it there?

My first thoughts are these -
Question #1 ( How do you think this affected the elder son?):

The elder son could have had one of two responses.
1) The elder son was not affected by the fathers reason. His heart was hardened and thought father was acting foolishly by attracting attention to this disgraceful son.
2) The elder son was softened by the fathers reason. He saw what his father did from a different light and realized his own selfish viewpoint.

Question #2 (What do you think Jesus' purpose was for ending it there?) is a little more difficult:

Was Jesus wanting the religious leaders to wonder what should happen next, and consider what THEY would do after such a reason from the father, since they were probably aware he was talking to them? Almost drawing to himself those religious leaders who believed in this type of God... a type of God who loved those who humbly/repentantly came to him. At the same time exposing the hearts of the religious leaders who thought the father was foolish?

It is also interesting that the bible does not record the response from the tax collectors or religious leaders.

What can I post here?

Just in case you are wondering what you can post about the book, here is a list of suggested categories:
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE AUTHOR IS WRITING
THINGS THE BOOK HAS CHALLENGED YOU ON
OR WAYS YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED
OR JUST RANDOM THOUGHTS THAT CAME TO YOU AS YOU WERE READING THE BOOK..HOPING IN SOME WAY THEY ACTUALLY ARE RELEVANT
POINTS IN WHICH YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE AUTHOR..PLS BE RESPECTFUL
REALLY ANYTHING ABOUT THE BOOK..DON'T BE SHY!

Who is in church?

I have been reading the book and was struck by the last paragraph and ending of chapter 1. Tim Keller says this, "Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day...We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did. If our churches aren't appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we'd like to think." (pg. 15,16)

This is a scary and powerful thought. It is scary because it could be true and it is powerful because it gives me something to work on in my life. I don't want to have a church or friends that are elder brothers. I pray that God will direct me to younger brothers who need Jesus. May God grant to us wisdom as we evaluate our lives throughout this book study. May we put to death the elder brother and younger brother in our lives and love the Father just because of who he is - our FATHER!

And may we attract both brothers to AGCC and see lives changed for the glory of God!

Ch. 1 - THE PEOPLE AROUND JESUS

Were you like me? I never really caught the story of the elder brother. I would always just have that quick thought that I understand his frustration, but ultimately was glad the this story emphasized God's mercy and that I was glad that I received it!

In the silhouette to the right we all seem very much the same. But oh how deceiving, we could most likely be classified into one of two groups...the tax collectors and sinners or the pharisees and the teachers of the law. After reading chapter one, which group do you see yourself?

To conclude for today..from page 10..."No, the original listeners were not melted into tears by this story but rather they were thunderstruck, offended, and infuriated. Jesus's purpose is not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories. Through this parable Jesus challenges what nearly everyone has ever thought about God, sin, and salvation. His story reveals the destructive self-centeredness of the younger brother, but it also condemsn the elder brother's moralistic life in the strongest terms. Jesus is saying that both the irreligious and the religious are spiritually lost, both life-paths are dead ends, and that every thought the human race has had about how to connect to God has been wrong."

Quick Thought....

As I was beginning to read the book the story of the Prodigal Son is told. While pondering the story, I find myself siding with the older brother. "It's just not fair!", I say in my head. I alway get worked up inside when I hear this story. I feel the same way when I hear the story of Mary & Martha...why does the hard worker get ragged on? Boy, was I setting myself up!

Welcome to the AGCC Book Club Blog. The first book that we are reading is The Prodigal God - Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. You can purchase it at the church resource center or online at Amazon.com.

The author of the book discusses a parable that we are all very familiar with..."The Prodigal Son". We all love hearing that story and about how some friend or family member has reconciled with God. As exciting as these stories are, the author, Timothy Keller proposes there is much more to the story than the wayward son returning home.

Pick up the book and join us as we learn about "Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith".

Please us this blog to post your thoughts of the book as well as questions for other to answer. We will be meeting on May 17th to discuss the book in person from 1:30pm to 3:30pm at the church building.