Deep Creek Anglican Church Blog

“Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives it meaning.  Without Him, all things lose their value.”

That’s how our Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola begin Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ.  We’re going to journey with them in their exploration of one Person – Jesus Christ.

Listen to the goal of Jesus Manifesto:

“We hope to present our Lord to you in such a way that you cannot help but love Him, that you cannot help but fall at His feet and give Him your undying devotion – not out of guilt, duty, obligation, or fear, but because your heart has been captured by a glimpse of the greatest person this world has ever known, Jesus Christ.  Out of such love flows everything else.”

Chapter One: The Occupation of All Things

This is a power packed opening chapter.  My posts are to encourage you to read Jesus Manifesto – not to be a substitute.

Who is the focus of this book, this chapter, the Father and Holy Spirit, the angelic hosts, the creation, the Bible? JESUS!  Here is a sampling:

• when God expresses Himself, it is Christ
• Christ is the only thing that the Spirit reveals
• all of the holy angelic hosts live to worship and serve the Lord Jesus
• the whole created order was created by, in, through, and for Christ – and it waits for deliverance from the bondage of corruption and to be filled with Jesus’ ‘infinite sweetness’
• the Old Testament Scriptures should be understood in the light of Jesus Christ
• the New Testament writers were completely consumed with Christ.

Jesus is the God of the whole show – the centre, corners and edges.  And therefore the practical implications of His supremacy know no bounds, viz:

• we will naturally and consistently speak about Him – Jesus will be our chief occupation
• we will always show Him from the pages of Scripture
• nothing is worth pursuing outside of Christ

The concluding words of this opening presentation on the magnificence of Jesus are very challenging:

“A spellbinding apprehension of Jesus by our hearts wipes everything else off the table.  Jesus bests all things.  He dwarfs every competitor.  Concisely, a person who is fully occupied with Christ, who knows Him well, and who is in touch with Him through daily fellowship can boldly say, “Christ is all I need.  you can strip everything else away from me, and I would still be left with Christ….”

We have just completed a four-week series on Counterfeit gods.  Tim Keller’s book was very thought provoking and stimulating.  Especially the evocative images of the heart as an idol factory, converting ‘things’ (mostly good) into ultimate things.  All the false gods in our lives – that promise the world and never deliver on their marketing – fall away when our lives are centred on the Lord Jesus, the supreme Lord of all.  The One who is:

‘Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There’s no way to measure what You’re worth’

We’ve had a wonderful time of reflecting on, and worshipping the Christmas Baby through the month of December.  The Children’s Christmas Eve service last night was an action packed presentation of the Christmas message.  The 11.00pm Christmas Eve Communion service is perhaps my favourite service all year.  Last night we even had a harpist in our music team – the sounds are beautiful but the instrument is, well, a bit hard to put in the boot of your car!

Across a wide variety of service formats at Deep Creek, we have focussed on the amazing grace of God – to take on human flesh to be the Saviour of the world.  The narrator of the Christmas video below, from St Helen’s Bishopgate, London comments:

“Someone as supremely powerful as God has taken the initiative to come and get to know us – that’s Christmas.”

That’s Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

My friend and ministry colleague, Rev Dr Paul Barker, yesterday preached his final sermon as Vicar of Holy Trinity Doncaster.  Paul has faithfully ministered at HTD for nearly 14 years.  At yesterday’s celebration service, amongst many highlights, two things stood out: the growth of a large Mandarin congregation over the last decade and the Lord’s rich blessing on Paul’s preaching and teaching ministry.  Paul has responded to a call on his life to go out as missionary with CMS to teach Old Testament and preaching, and train up pastors in theological colleges across Asia.

What would you preach on in your final weeks as a soon to be departing minister of a church?

Paul chose Rev 4 to 7 for his final four messages.  You can download here.  What a tremendous focus – the Lion who is the slain Lamb, absolutely victorious.

In Paul’s final sermon at HTD yesterday, taken from Rev 7:1-17, we were reminded that:

• The Book of Revelation is for Christians on earth struggling against the might of the pagan Roman Empire
• It is for all Christians in all times struggling against opposition  to the Gospel
• Chpt. 4 opens with a focus on God
• Chpt. 5: God’s good purposes are represented by the scroll.  The praise of heaven reaches new heights when the Lion, who looks like a Lamb, opens the scroll
• On earth, Jesus looked weak and defeated – a slain Lamb
• But in heaven, He reigns and is worthy of all praise
• Chpt. 6: a terrifying scene.  The Day of Judgment is coming.  And who can stand?  No one, based on their own merit
• The six seals may not offer comfort to Christians being persecuted.  But there is an interlude before the seventh seal, and John sees an angel (7:2)
• Who can stand?  No one.  But only by the merciful protection of God (7:9a)
• Don’t succumb to the Aussie ideology “She’ll be right.”  Jesus’ atoning death is the only place for confidence
• Rev 7 is a wonderful chapter of comfort and assurance.  To strengthen us weak Christians on earth, who are tempted to abandon the Faith, or who are attracted to this world’s gods, or who are tempted to drift in the face of trials.  Trust in the Lamb
• In chpt. 5, John hears ‘Lion.’  And sees a ‘Lamb’
• In chpt. 7, John hears a number (144,000).  And sees a multitude no one can number
• And they are standing!
• The scene is the fulfilment of promises made to Abraham.  Fulfilment because of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus
• Can you find yourself in that vast multitude?
• They are in white robes (7:9b) – washed in Jesus’ blood.  Only by the blood of Jesus will we stand before God
• 7:15-17 is a glorious picture of safety, comfort and life.  Only joy.  No crying
• Chpt. 7 is a call to perseverance.  Don’t give up, drift or yield to temptations or trials.
• Keep your eyes focussed on the glorious slain Lamb at the Father’s right hand.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ generates lots of questions, such as:

• how can we sure that Jesus did rise from the dead?
• what about our own resurrection?
• why is the resurrection of Jesus SO important?
• for the follower of Jesus Christ, what does it mean that we have been ‘raised with Christ’ and how does that impact our lives?

Does the resurrection of Jesus Christ change everything?  That’s the question that is addressed in the soon to be released book, ‘Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything.’

Raised With Christ: How The Resurrection Changes Everything from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

This is a must read. It can be pre-ordered here.

Leadership magazine ran an article back in 2007, ’5 Kinds of Christians’ posted here.  On Wikipedia, this article is referenced under “Christian” and is viewed 10,000 times per month!

In September 2006, more than 1,000 self-identified American ‘Christians’ 18 years of age and older were surveyed on their religious beliefs and practices.  The survey revealed the following distribution of beliefs and practice:

Active Christians 19%

1. Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
2. Committed churchgoers
3. Bible readers
4. Accept leadership positions
5. Invest in personal faith development through the church
6. Feel obligated to share faith; 79% do so.

Professing Christians 20%

1. Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
2. Focus on personal relationship with God and Jesus
3. Similar beliefs to Active Christians, different actions
4. Less involved in church, both attending and serving
5. Less commitment to Bible reading or sharing faith

Liturgical Christians 16%

1. Predominantly Catholic and Lutheran
2. Regular churchgoers
3. High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by serving in church and/or community
4. Recognize authority of the church

Private Christians 24%

1. Largest and youngest segment
2. Believe in God and doing good things
3. Own a Bible, but don’t read it
4. Spiritual interest, but not within church context
5. Only about a third attend church at all
6. Almost none are church leaders

Cultural Christians 21%

1. Little outward religious behavior or attitudes
2. God aware, but little personal involvement with God
3. Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation
4. Affirm many ways to God
5. Favor universality theology

Now this is America where Christendom, although declining, is still significant.  I suspect the results for self-identified Aussie ‘Christians’ would look quite different.  Whatever the differences, the statistics emphasise a great missional challenge, even amongst those in Western society who call themselves Christians.

A ‘lone ranger’ follower of Jesus is an oxymoron.  When we turn to Christ in repentant faith we are saved into the Church; we are gifted by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the Church and its mission, and instructed by the Lord to come together regularly in corporate worship.

The American category of ‘Cultural Christian’ appears to be constituted by the remnants of Christendom and pluralism.  At the human level, a very difficult mission field.  Praise God that salvation is of the Lord with Whom nothing is possible.