Why Would Anyone Want to Pray?

It’s time consuming, it’s boring, it’s hard to know how to do it, and it really doesn’t seem to matter all that much.   These are just a few of the more common attitudes amongst Christians concerning prayer. The truth is, all of these grumblings are for the most part warranted depending on how a person understands what prayer is. If prayer is understood as merely folding your hands, bowing your head, using impressive words, all to do nothing more than to get God to do something, I’d say it would definitely make sense for that person to think of prayer in this way.

But…if prayer is understood to be the way we personally communicate with the Creator of the Universe in a way that expresses our trust in and dependence on Him, prayer begins to mean something different. When prayer is seen as a gift from the Lord, an undeserved gift of grace, prayer begins to become not so boring. When prayer is seen as something Jesus died for, the “how to” of prayer becomes something a person pursues, instead of an excuse. If prayer is understood as being possible only by the blood of Jesus being shed on the cross removing from us the holy and just wrath of a holy and just God, prayer begins to seem a whole lot less time consuming. When prayer is understood as a gift God has given us because
He wants us to be involved
in what He is doing for His eternal kingdom, prayer more than matters — it becomes crucially important.

God desires and demands that we pray. Jesus told us to pray privately, and instructed us to pray together. There is no “I” or “me” in the Lord’s prayer, but “us” and “we” are found throughout. Praying together, as a Church body, increases each individual’s faith and increases the effectiveness of our prayers. Believers find strength in praying together.

New Life, let us pray. Let us do so privately in our homes and together on Sunday mornings and outside Sunday mornings, because indeed,

prayer is not a burdensome tool, it is a desirable gift.

Every first Sunday of the month we are holding a prayer service at the church. We do not want any hindrance to prevent people from attending the prayer meeting. For those who have children, we know how difficult finding a babysitter can be, so we will begin to offer childcare on the nights of the prayer meetings. Our next meeting will be a week from today, the 6th of December. Please join us as we come before the throne of grace and speak with our loving Heavenly Father. New Life, are we dependent on ourselves or on God? Nothing acknowledges and speaks more clearly or profoundly a dependence on Him and not on ourselves, than prayer. Let us pray.

This Is My Body: How We Understand the Lord’s Supper

It may surprise some people to know that former President Bill Clinton was not the first person to suggest that a lot can hinge upon what one’s understanding of the word “is” is!  When Jesus says, “This is my body,” what does “is” mean?  How are we to understand Jesus when he refers to the bread as his “body” and the cup as his “blood” in instituting the sacrament of the Supper (Mat. 26:26-27)? On the third Sunday of every month, the congregation at New Life celebrates the Lord’s Supper, but what exactly is happening when we partake of the bread and the cup?  There is, undoubtedly, mystery involved in the Lord’s Supper, but just what that mystery precisely is has been an area of debate in the church, especially since the time of the Protestant Reformation.

There have been basically four ways of understanding Jesus’ words of institution. Some understand the Lord’s Supper to be merely a memorial that recalls the death of Jesus for sinners in the giving of his body and the shedding of his blood.  This view regards the bread and the cup as purely symbolic and rejects the notion that by receiving the elements one partakes of Christ himself.

Over against this “memorialistic view”, others argue for the real presence of Christ in the sacrament.  For example, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christ is physically present – really and truly – as the elements of ordinary bread and wine are transformed through priestly consecration into the literal body and blood of Jesus.  Though outwardly the elements still look like, taste like, and smell like bread and wine, they are, in reality, the physical body and blood of Christ.  This view is referred to as transubstantiation.  Martin Luther rejected this view at the time of the Reformation and the Lutherans eventually formulated a view that has come to be called consubstantiation, in which the ordinary elements of bread and wine are not transformed into the body and blood of Christ but the physical body and blood are mysteriously “added” to the elements so as to be “in, with, and under” them.

Contrary to common assumptions, the historic Reformed position, following John Calvin’s interpretation of Jesus’ words, does not deny the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper and does not regard the sacrament as merely a memorial.  Instead, the Reformed position argues that while the elements are not transformed into the physical body and blood of Christ, nor is the physical body and blood of Jesus “added” to the elements, Jesus is spiritually present – really and truly – in the sacrament.  So while we do not feed upon Christ with our mouths and teeth, we do feed upon Christ – really and truly – by faith to the nourishment of our souls.  As surely as our bodies are nourished and sustained physically by the bread and the cup, we can be certain that our souls, too, are nourished and sustained as we feed upon Jesus spiritually in the sacrament by faith.

One of the important implications of this view is that by receiving the bread and the cup, we are not simply pledging our consecration to God, but we are receiving God’s continuing work for us and in us as He nourishes us and our faith by drawing us into union with Christ and the saving benefits of the cross.  In other words, observing the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper isn’t primarily about us doing something for God; it is about God doing something for us. For this reason, many, including Calvin, have maintained that the Lord’s Supper should be observed and celebrated as often as possible.

In His Abounding Grace,

Brian

Imagine the Possibilities If Christians Simply Tithed

Two weeks ago, I delivered a sermon on the subject of wealth, particularly with regard to the teaching in Proverbs on the way Christians should handle money. One of the questions I submitted for discussion in Life Groups during the following week was this: imagine that all people at New Life were willing to give 10 percent or more of their income to the church. What could we do with that kind of money?

My hope is that your imaginations ran wild, and that you considered the various ministries that could be started, the missionaries we could support, the seminary students whose tuition we could supplement, the number of poor people in the community and in our church we could help, the single mothers we could assist, the aid we could provide to the Muncie Mission, the churches we could start planting, the mortgage debt that could be relieved, the plans we could make to expand our crowded sanctuary — all if Christians simply tithed.

The word “tithe” actually means 10 percent. It is commanded in various places in the Scriptures. For instance, Deut. 14:22 says: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” The prophet Malachi spoke bluntly about the failure of God’s people to tithe: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you, because you are robbing me.” (Mal. 3:8–9)

I personally have no knowledge of how much any of you gives to the church, and I plan to keep it that way. So I don’t have anyone in mind as I write this article. But I do know that tithing provides a great opportunity for you to tangibly demonstrate that you trust God, not your money, to meet your needs. Tithing is an act of faith, a counter-cultural declaration that you are willing to part with your wealth for the sake of God’s kingdom. Tithing is not just for the benefit of the church — it is for your own personal spiritual enrichment.

Donald Whitney put it simply: “The more we believe God will provide for our needs, the more we are willing to risk in giving to Him. And the less we trust God, the less we will give to Him.”

Some of you might like to give 10 percent of your income, but you feel it is currently impossible. Let me suggest that you increase your giving incrementally. If you give 2 percent of your income, try giving 5 percent. Then keep increasing your giving over time until you reach 10 percent. Better to do this incrementally than not at all.

You might feel the sting of sacrifice in this life when you give of your wealth, but when you meet Christ in glory in the next life, I assure you that you will not regret anything you have given to Jesus’ beloved church.

My love to you

In Christ

Bob

Finding Joy in the Kingdom

“Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you. Do not be afraid, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” ~Luke 12:29–32

This passage in Luke is often used for dealing with stressful situations. And rightly so, it is a charge to have faith in God and His work and provision in our lives. However, it can be easy to focus on the promise of God’s provision and miss the promise of the kingdom and our charge to seek it first in our lives. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of
visiting a church and experiencing a group of people truly excited and rejoicing in the spreading of the kingdom.

On October 10 Jessy and I and three of the girls from the Youth Group, Jessie Jordan, Jenna Bergman, and Kelsey Johnson, traveled to Tennessee. The purpose of this trip was to attend the Missions Conference at First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. For the past three years New Life has partnered with First Pres on the Mexico missions trips, and it has been so exciting to see the relationships that have formed between New Life and First Pres.

First Pres has a tremendous heart for and history with missions. The church was actually planted in 1838 by missionaries that came to witness to the Native Americans. Every year they have a weeklong missions conference where they invite over twenty missionaries to come and speak to the congregation, meet with the small groups and Bible studies, and share what God has been doing in their lives and ministries. It was exciting to see so many missionaries from all over the world and hear their exciting stories of God working and how the kingdom is growing. But it was also really exciting and encouraging to see a church body excited and focused on the work of the kingdom.

The girls and Jessy and I instantly felt welcomed and appreciated by the congregation. Not only did we receive a warm welcome and generous hospitality from our brothers and sisters at First Pres, but they also showed such joy and enthusiasm in our ministry and what God was doing at New Life. The girls mentioned that at times they felt like they were being treated just like the missionaries, because the congregation was so excited to hear from them too.

The church has several rooms that are dedicated to supplying missionaries with anything they might need like clothing, travel accessories, and luggage. One of the missionaries shared a story about how all of her luggage had been stolen, but because of the church’s passion for the kingdom God used them to meet all of her needs. This is a vivid example of the passage in Luke 12 at work. It was through First Pres’s kingdom focus and sacrifice that God provided for His people.

As we enter the holiday season and prepare for a time of thanksgiving, let us focus our hearts first on the kingdom trusting in God’s provision for us and looking for how He might use us to provide for others.

In Him,

Adam

The Blessing of Communicant Membership

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a British pastor regarded by many as one of the finest preachers of the 20th century, concluded that church membership is “the biggest honor which can come someone’s way in this world.” Having heard the six-part sermon series on the church that Pastor Bob just completed in which he set forth the church as the premiere institution in all the world, we must agree with Lloyd-Jones and praise God that He would receive us as members into the body of Christ by His grace.

In considering membership in the church, our denomination (PCA) distinguishes two kinds of membership: non-communicant and communicant. Non-communicant members are children who, by virtue of being born into the covenant community through one or both believing parents, are baptized as a sign of the promises of God in Christ Jesus. Thus, our baptized children are non-communicant members privileged to receive the instruction and the nurture of the church as they grow up in the faith but not permitted to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper requires the instruction provided through the church and the promises signified in baptism to be embraced by personal faith and repentance on the part of covenant children. The Reformed practice of infant baptism has never regarded baptized infants as saved regardless of faith and repentance. In order to become a communicant member of the church, one must make profession of faith before the elders of the church so that the session might determine its soundness. A credible profession of faith includes a testimony of conversion marked by repentance and personal faith in Christ, an understanding of the person and work of Christ as it is set forth in the gospel, a commitment to obey the commands of God, and a proper understanding of the sacraments.

Having been examined by the elders of the church, the believer then makes public profession of faith before the congregation by taking vows of communicant church membership. It is worthy of note that many have criticized the practice of infant baptism because it allegedly robs the believer of giving a personal testimony of faith in Jesus before the congregation at the time of his or her conversion. This argument clearly fails to consider the steps involved in becoming a communicant member in a Reformed church where covenantal infant baptism is practiced.

In communicant membership, one can enter into the full privileges of the church, which include sharing in the Lord’s Supper through which believers are spiritually fed and nourished in faith, and (in accordance with church by-laws) receiving a voice in the government of the church by voting for officers. Of course, with privileges come duties. The communicant member, whether young or old, commits to keep the Lord’s Day, to take an active part in spreading the gospel, to support the work of the church financially, to submit to church leaders in an effort to keep the peace and purity of the church, and to seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through personal Bible reading and prayer.

In concluding, there is no set age at which one must move from non-communicant status to communicant status. But the parents of covenant children and the church as a whole should be diligent and faithful in nurturing children in the truth of the gospel with the aim that our children would embrace the promises signified in baptism by faith. In the end, we are together, as members of Christ’s church by grace, being increasingly fitted for lives that honor and glorify God not only in this life, but in the life to come.

In His Abounding Grace,

Pastor Brian

Sermon Series: the Book of Philippians

When I first arrived at New Life back in 2004, I began to preach through the book of Genesis. After reaching chapter 21, we decided to switch gears and move to a New Testament book. By God’s grace, we were then able to begin and complete a study of all 28 chapters of the book of Acts. From there, we moved to the book of John, and spent many months going through the 21 chapters of that Gospel.

Since the completion of the series on John in February of this year, we have been spending time in a number of topical sermon series, including apologetics, the fruit of the Spirit, our annual Q&A series, and the church. So, I think it’s high time we get back into a study of a book of the Bible. Since we have not given any extended attention to any of Paul’s epistles, the elders have given approval for me to begin a series on the book of Philippians. We will start in verse 1 and work our way, one passage at a time, through the entire book.

By the way, let me comment briefly on both kinds of sermons (book studies and topical studies). Book studies are good because they allow us to chew on certain passages within the context of the broader flow of an entire book; they force us to tackle passages we might not otherwise consider; and because we know that all of God’s

Word is inspired by the Spirit and therefore useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

But topical studies are valuable too, because they allow us to get a more thorough understanding of a specific Biblical or theological topic by moving our focus beyond one Bible book to consider the teaching of the whole counsel of God on the topic in question.

Thank you for your attention to the topical series on the church. If this has sparked any interest in you for further study, I would highly recommend that you visit our Book Table in the foyer and pick up a copy of Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion.

I encourage you to be reading through this book on your own so that together we can sit at the feet of Jesus and be encouraged by His Word.

My love to you
In Christ,
Bob

Youth Update: A Call to Prayer

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”  This verse from Isaiah 29 is aclear depiction of a danger that many people fall victim to, the danger of a false assurance of salvation. It is possible to attend church, understand the Gospel, and read the Bible but still fail to have a heart truly regenerated by Christ. This danger can be especially acute for youth growing up in the church.

At New Life we are committed to providing a strong Christian education for our children. We have Sunday School classes, Children’s Worship, AWANA, and Youth Group.

However, as important as all of these programs are it is still possible for our children to grow up in our church and develop a false assurance of salvation. One of the ways we are trying to combat this is by teaching our youth to ask questions and not just memorize answers. It is true of both youth and adults if we are asking the questions we are 75% more likely to pay attention to the answer. The Youth Group is currently working through three books that encourage the kids to take ownership of their relationship with God.

The Girls’ Bible Study is discussing a book called Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free. This book discusses the nature of lies and various lies propagated by our culture about God, Satan, relationships, and faith. The purpose of the book is to attack the lies young women are confronted with but also cause them to ask questions about their faith and identity as a follower of God.

The Guys’ Bible Study is discussing a book called Growing up Christian. This book is designed to help youth recognize the many blessings and dangers of growing up in the church. It encourages the youth to produce godly fruit as a result of their salvation rather than the source of it.

Sunday nights at Youth Group meetings we are discussing a third book called Awesome on the Inside. This book teaches the importance of having a heart consumed by Christ. It encourages spiritualdisciplines like prayer, devotions, and witnessing but stresses the importance of these things coming from your heart rather than your background.

Charles Spurgeon asked the youth of his congregation this question “Is your soul resting on the Gospel or have years of tears, prayers, and sermons been wasted on your barren heart?” That may sound a bit harsh, but he was making a charge not only to the youth of his church but also his congregation. Our youth have the responsibility of responding to the “years of tears, prayers, and sermons” afforded them by their Christian upbringing, but this also assumes that tears, prayers, and sermons are being offered up for our youth.

On behalf of the youth at New Life I urgently seek that you would be daily lifting up our children to God in prayer. Pray for our Sunday School and Children’s Worship, pray for AWANA, and pray for our Youth Ministry. Pray that God would be working in the hearts of our children and drawing them to Himself. Pray that our youth would be filled with questions about God and how to truly take ownership of their faith. Pray that they would be drawn into the Word for answers and direction.

It is only through God’s grace and effectual calling that these children will develop a true assurance of salvation; please partner with us in this by offering up your prayers on their behalf.

In Him,

Adam

Welcome to New Life’s New Website

Welcome to New Life’s new and improved website!

As many of you know we have recently been changing and transitioning a lot.  We just started Sunday School classes in the new building, there is new paint and carpet in the foyer, and we are thrilled to welcome you to our new website.  The idea behind this new site is that it will be a catalyst through which we connect with each other more as a church, reach out to the community, and encourage one another.  We have tried to make this site as user friendly as possible but still fairly cutting edge, so easy enough for those not computer savvy to use but still cool enough for the techies out there.  On this site you will be able to access information about New Life, our staff and church leaders, the church calendar, current events, related videos, sermon mp3s, and regularly updated articles from staff and members of our congregation.  You will also be able to comment on and discuss the various articles and events coming up, as well as subscribe to articles, calendars, and events so that you received email updates about their changes and activity.

Hopefully you will find this site exciting, encouraging, and easy to use.  To receive updates via email when the site is updated click here to subscribe now, or you may enter your email address in the “eNews & Updates” box located at the top of the right column. When the site is updated you will automatically be notified by email. Or, you may subscribe to the RSS feed using your favorite RSS reader.  Additionally, you can leave comments or questions on anything that you find interesting (comments will pond approval by site administrators so they will not appear automatically).

We are going to try and continually update the site with new activities, events, and articles so please check back often.  We have just gotten this all up and running so there are bound to be some problems and correction to be made in the future, so please bear with us.  Thanks a lot for checking out the new site and have a great day!

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
~1 Corinthians 14:26