2014 Key Verse Testimony (Dt 15:15)

2014 Key Verse: Dt 15:15a

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you."

Remembrance. I am tentatively choosing this key verse as as I prepare to preach through Deuteronomy. The three key imperatives of Deuteronomy are love (Dt 6:5), obey (Dt 10:12-13) and choose (Dt 30:19-20). But no one, however godly and holy, can long sustain such imperatives by their sheer resolve and will power with beauty and mystery. (They might do it grumpily, angrily, habitually or legalistically!) We need to remember the grace of God (1 Cor 15:10). Throughout his three lengthy farewell speeches in Deuteronomy, Moses says "remember" or "do not forget" (God's grace), in order to help God's people to live victoriously with God's blessing in the promised land. I pray that 2014 may be a year of remembrance so that the grace of God may compel us to love God (Dt 6:5) and to obey God (Dt 10:12-13) and to choose life (Dt 30:19-20) with hearts that are overflowing with resounding joy and gratitude.

Review. Each year over the last few years, a theme for West Loop UBF was chosen.

• The gospel (2010)--the matters of first importance (1 Cor 15:1-4). To focus preeminently on the gospel, our West Loop pastors decided to study and preach through Paul's earliest epistles in 2010: Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians (2011).

• Grace (2011)--the primary experience of the gospel (Ac 20:24). The primary sentiment or communication of the Bible is the grace of God. Only the grace of God authentically changes and transforms sinner's hearts (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 2:11). J.I. Packer says, "In the New Testament, 'grace' is a word of central importance - the keyword, in fact, of Christianity. The thought of grace is the key that unlocks the New Testament; and it is the only key that does so. However well we may know the New Testament, we cannot get inside its meaning till we know something of what grace is." J. Greshan Machen says, "The very center and core of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God--the grace of God which depends not one whit upon anything that is in man but is absolutely underserved, resistless and sovereign." Charles Ryrie says, "Christianity is different from all other religions because it is a message of grace. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation of God's grace. Salvation is by grace, and grace governs and empowers Christian living. Without grace Christianity is nothing. Jesus Christ is the grace of God personified." The grace of God makes Christians gracious. If grace is lacking, we easily become like annoyed legalistic imposing moralistic self-righteous and self-deceived Pharisees.

• Sanctification (2012)--the "scary" part of the gospel (Phil 2:12b-13). Sanctification--"being made holy"--is painful; it is like being refined in the fire of affliction (1 Pet 1:6-7). But it makes us more like Jesus, and less like the comfortable complacent compromising sinner we naturally are. Sanctification is primarily the result of the gospel and the work of God (Phil 2:13), not man's effort (Phil 2:12b); it is secondary to God first working in us (Phil 2:13). Sanctification is never man-centered, man-generated, nor man-imposed, but it is gospel and grace driven. Without sanctification, grace is cheap grace, which we easily abuse and which is NOT grace.

• "The whole counsel of God" (2013)--the entire Bible (Acts 20:27, ESV). This is also translated "the whole will of God" (NIV), "the whole purpose of God" (NASB), and "the whole plan of God" (HCSB). This refers to the entirety of God's redemptive plan in the entire Bible. It means that Paul did not study some parts of the Bible that he favored or preferred, nor did he omit other parts of the Bible that he may not have liked. This convicted me for I had thought that I would never study or preach from Revelation, because it was too hard and too confounding. But by considering "the whole counsel of God" I decided to bite the bullet and buckle down and preach through Revelation in 16 sermons. Each week I often had no idea how to preach it in a way that would not confuse or complicate, but that would communicate the gospel. Often, the theme, outline and application of my sermon came to me only when I woke up on Sun morning! My favorite themes are The kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of Christ (Rev 11:15), and We overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb (Rev 12:11).

• Thanksgiving. In 2013, we thank God for Rhoel--the practical steward and overseer of West Loop UBF since our inception in 2008--becoming the chapter director, while I continue my role as the primary preaching and teaching pastor and elder. Collectively, our West Loop members came up with our West Loop catchphrase: Live out the gospel in life and community. I thank God for our men, our families and our singles who take stewardship over all things West Loop: preaching when I am away in the Philippines each year, music, CBF, HBF, college and adult's ministry, mercy ministry, women's ministry, Sat fellowship. I thank God for the ongoing work of God in Philippines UBF and Podil UBF where we have the joy and privilege of working closely with. We thank God for our 12 couples renewal of vows on Oct 12, 2013, following a series on marriage led excellently by Kevin and Julie Jasmer. This was truly a happy blessed event that reveals God's marvelous grace to our families. At the close of 2013, three of our Chicago South Side UBF chapters--Hyde Park, IIT and West Loop--had four combined Sun services for Thanksgiving and Christmas (with Wright College and COD joining us once each). I am truly having too much fun because of the happy community of God's people that I meet every day of my life.

A Theology of Remembrance (2014). May 2014 be a year of remembrance (Dt 5:15; 15:15).