I began a new message series yesterday at CrossPoint entitled CERTAINTY.  During these times of uncertainty I will be preaching about the certainty of Jesus Christ through the eyes of the Gentile physician named Luke.  I am excited about the adventure that awaits us for the remainder of the year.

Our theme for the series is found in the last phrase of the opening sentence of Luke’s Gospel:

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke 1:1-4 (bold & underline added for emphasis)

Luke wanted his friend, Theophilus – as well as the many other readers – to have CERTAINTY concerning the things they had been taught.

And what is certainty?  Certainty is inevitability.  Certainty is faith in action.  It is a knowledge based on fact, history and truth.  Certainty is unwavering conviction that something is true.

And on what did Luke base this certainty?

With the precision of a doctor, Luke lays out for us his research plan for writing his Gospel account.

First, check out Luke’s THOROUGHNESS:

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,

Next, note Luke’s ACCURACY:

2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,

Also, consider Luke’s ORDERLINESS:

3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Finally, Luke compiled his Gospel for a specific purpose – CERTAINTY:

4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

So, for 2010 we are going to examine the longest and most concise of the four Gospels.  Fifty percent of Luke’s account is unique to his Gospel writing.  Ten stories from the birth and infancy of Jesus are found in his writing, which are not found anywhere else.  Luke is responsible for 28% of the New Testament in the books of Luke and Acts.  In other words, if we took Luke’s writings out of the Bible we would not know much about Jesus or the first century church.

If you live elsewhere in the world, you are welcome to follow along in this series through our weekly podcasts.  If you live in the Birmingham area, we invite you to be our guest each Sunday morning at 8:15, 9:30 & 10:45.  Join me as we develop CERTAINTY concerning the things we have been taught.

A few weeks ago I wrote extensively about CrossPoint’s spiritual emphasis called RENEW.  Today I want to write about RENEW from my own personal perspective.

First, RENEW has challenged me personally.  The spiritual emphasis has caused me personally to examine my walk with Christ.  As a result of that critical self-examination, I have discovered sin that had slowly slipped into my life.  Thankfully, I have confessed that sin and repented from it.  My awareness and sensitivity to sin has increased dramatically.

Next, RENEW has caused me to grow deeper in love with my family of faith.  I love my sheep, and I fall deeper in love with each of them every day.  I love the flock God has ordained me to lead.  I am convinced my love for CrossPoint is in direct correlation to the serious nature of RENEW.

Speaking of love, RENEW has caused me to fall deeper in love with the church.  I have a much deeper, a much broader understanding of the church now that I have spent the last several months critically examining where we are as a congregation.  I also have greater love for Christ and His Word as a result of the study.  I love Christ.  I love the church.  I love the Word of God.

Also, RENEW has deepened my resolve.  I have two responsibilities as the pastor of CrossPoint.  First, I am called by God to preach God’s Word.  Next, I am called by God to cast God’s vision.  My resolve to do those things has more meaning and significance today.

For those who do not know, preaching God’s Word and casting God’s vision for a church is serious business.  It is difficult as well.  And yes, there are and will be times I will be called on by the Lord to challenge the church, to raise the bar of excellence, to communicate hard sayings, to press the people and to clearly communicate God’s expected will for us.  RENEW has done all that and so much more in me!

I thank God for RENEW!

Mike Mason, author of Champagne for the Soul, was asked by an interviewer, “What stands in the way of us experiencing joy?”

Mason’s insight is refreshing:

One thing: forgetting the gospel. The gospel is the most wonderful thing in the world. If you know it, and believe it, you will be joyful. You can’t help it. So if you’re not joyful, you’re not believing the gospel. You’ve lost touch with its amazing power. You’ve forgotten why you came to Jesus in the first place—because He, and He alone, has the words of life that set you free. He alone loves you not for anything you do…Everyone who gives their life to Jesus does so with great joy, because this news is so electrifying. The gospel is simple, but you’ll never encounter anything else like it. Over and over in my experiment I discovered great joy in a simple return to the gospel. It gave me the permission to keep stripping away from my life everything that doesn’t really work, everything that doesn’t truly bring deep, satisfying joy. My thought life, the way I prayed, my relationships, my work—everything was overhauled for the pure sake of joy and love. Only the gospel gives a person such radical freedom.

CrossPoint’s second annual Men’s Weekend Retreat was impressive.  R. Kent Hughes taught us well.  He is, indeed, a spiritual giant, and we were privileged to sit at his feet. I had the joy of spending considerable time with Dr. Hughes throughout the weekend.  I gleaned many lessons from my new friend.

While enjoying lunch with the Retreat’s Sponsor Church Pastors I learned…

…Ministers are dispensable

…Take time to smell the roses with your family

…We are all just a few blinks away from seeing Jesus (see Ron Ethridge’s blog for an explanation of the blinks)

…Humble yourselves

…Love your people

…Discipline yourselves

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Incredible photo from Haiti

I am taking a team of students and adults to Costa Rica, May 28 – June 4, 2010.  We will be working with Mission Challenge.  CrossPoint has been forming a working relationship with MC through CrossPointers, Ken and Katie Parsons.  Katie has a special affinity with MC, since her parents moved there in 1982 to be missionaries.

Our work will include construction as well as street evangelism opportunities.  If the Lord is willing, we will conclude the week with an evangelistic outreach event.

Cost for the trip is $1,000.00, which includes airfare, food, lodging, ground travel and exit taxes from Costa Rica.  If you would like more information, please contact my assistant, Kristin Coon by email at kcoon@crosspointchurch.info or by phone at 205-655-0364.

We invite you to travel with us as we reach JUST ONE MORE to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

CrossPoint’s second annual Men’s Weekend Retreat is finally here.  We’ve been planning, praying and preparing for this event for several months.  As of today, we have sold 380 tickets.  We estimate the final number to exceed 400.  And as an act of faith, we have ordered enough food to feed 450 men!

Because of the last minute demand we are extending our ticket sales through today.  If you would like to attend, please call the CrossPoint office at 205-655-0364.

In addition to the ticket sales, Bryan Haskins, our Worship Leader tells me the worship will be over the top.  He met with the worship leaders from some of our sponsor churches, and the rehearsal was a worship experience in and of itself.  These talented men will be leading us to sing more than 40 praise and worship songs throughout the weekend.

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Do you love the church?  On what is your love based?  Is your love for the church based on infatuation or is it based on truth?

Josh Harris asked his readers that question.  His answer was dead on.

Take note:

Do you love the church? Romans 12:10 tells Christians to “Love one another with brotherly affection.”

The affection and love we’re to have for fellow-Christians is to be based on the work of Jesus Christ for us. It’s not about elitism, it’s not because Christians are better than anyone else, it certainly isn’t because Christians are necessarily more lovable. We love the church because we love the Savior who redeemed the church.

Acts 20:28 tells us that Jesus obtained the church with his own blood. Is this what your love for the church is based on? If it’s anything less, it won’t last long.

• Don’t love the church because of what it does for you. Because sooner or later it won’t do enough.
• Don’t love the church because of a leader. Because human leaders are fallible and will let you down.
• Don’t love the church because of a program or a building or activities because all those things get old.
• Don’t love the church because of a certain group of friends because friendships change and people move.

Love the church because of who shed his blood to obtain the church. Love the church because of who the church belongs to. Love the church because of who the church worships. Love the church because you love Jesus Christ and his glory. Love the church because Jesus is worthy and faithful and true. Love the church because Jesus loves the church.

Excerpted from the sermon “We Are Here to Love the Church.”

(Editor’s Note: There is a short advertisement for an upcoming Lifetime movie before the news video starts)

On Tuesday, Woolley told The Today Show he knew he was going to die and decided to write a journal on his notepad to his wife and young kids in the event someone found his corpse under the rubble.

“I was in a big accident. Don’t be upset at God. He always provides for his children even in hard times,” Woolley wrote in the dim light. “I’m still praying that God will get me out but he may not but He will always take care of ya.”

For the complete story, click here.

Dan Woolley on Twitter – @webguydan

Spurgeon on the truth of God’s Word:

There are many things that should make you valiant for God and for his truth. The first thing I will bring to your remembrance is the fact, that this warfare in which you are engaged is an hereditary warfare; it is not one which you began, but it is one which has been handed to you from the moment when the blood of Abel cried aloud for vengeance.

Each martyr that had died has passed the blood-red flag to the next, and he in his turn has passed it on to another.  Every confessor who has been nailed to the stake to burn, has lit his candle, and handed it to another, and said, “Take care of that!”  And now here is the old “sword of the Lord and of Gideon.”

Remember what hands have handled the hilt; remember what arms have wielded it; remember how often it has “pierced to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow.”  Will you disgrace it?

There is the great banner: it has waved in many a breeze; long ere the flag of this our land was made, this flag of Christ was borne aloft.  Will you stain it?  Will you not hand it to your children, still unsullied, and say, “Go on, go on; we leave you the heritage of war; go on, and conquer. What your father did, do you again, still keep up the war, till time shall end.”

I love my Bible because it is a Bible baptized with blood; I love it all the better, because it has the blood of Tyndale on it; I love it, because it has on it the blood of John Bradford, and Rowland Taylor, and Hooper; I love it, because it is stained with blood.

If only more in the church today understood the sacredness of God’s Word and knew more of those who shed the blood of martyrdom so that we may have our own personal copy to study.