Sunday 10th August 2008 Giving Christ His rightful place.

A picture of Michele with a smiley face she made from food. She promptly ate the food.
Above that is a picture of Cathy joining in on Michele's lap-a-thon at Michele's pre-school last week. That denim dress Cathy has on originally was Michele's. Would you believe they both fit into it.
Now I guess by now you are wondering what the title has to do with those two photographs. Nothing. Not a thing. It is all to do with Sovereign Grace Ministries. I like to listen to sermons when I am driving my trains. It helps to take my mind off the silly things I see passengers and members of the public do. I mentioned SGM in my last post. I don't have a problem with SGM. We don't have them here in the land down under that I am aware of. I liked some of the preaching I heard and was unable to fault it. In fact some of the preachers I thoroughly enjoyed. John Piper I have listened to many times. I find him challenging. We need challenging in our Christian walk. You don't? Good for you. I do. John MacArthur is good. Christ has used all those men to minister to me in a deep and personal level. I thank the Lord Jesus that He has seen fit to shine His light upon me through the ministry of these and other men.
I listened to the the 2006 and 2008 conferences at SGM. There was some good ministry there. Christ was upheld. The Gospel was expounded, sometimes deeply. Sometimes Christ really probed into my innermost being. Then I got to the discussion panels. Here, sadly, I saw what I see often. Christ was not uplifted in this, that the men failed to give Christ His rightful place. There was a lot of backslapping and how good each preacher thought the other preacher was. I thought firstly it was a mutual admiration society. Hang on, wasn't that conferences about Christ, the gospel, theology and doctrine? Yes, do I hear you say? Aren't we supposed to give Him all the glory?
Don't think for one minute I am saying that SGM are alone in this. Oh, no, far from it. May God forgive me, but even I do it. Yes, there are four fingers pointing at me. But I am reminded that Christ is my all in all. I am dead. He is now living in me. He should/must receive His rightful place. If I or you are doing the doing then it is nothing. Only what Christ does will last. He may, in His infinite mercy, use you or me, as His vessel to accomplish His will. But you and I cannot claim any credit at all. God is Sovereign. He is Holy. It is His world. We are here for His purpose.
I am reminded that according to humanist thinking, the chief end of man is the happiness of man. No, no, no! That is not so. The chief end of man is to, first, glorify God, and secondly, enjoy Him. I must decrease, He must increase. My boast can only ever be in Christ and Him crucified.
OK, I will get off me soap box now! Maybe next time I will go on about salvation by works.