An Horrific but Encouraging Video

Understanding God's Love – Part 10

Conclusion

We must maintain a carefully balanced perspective as we pursue our study of God's love. God's passionate love for the world cannot be isolated from His particular love for the elect and vice versa. Nor is God's provisional love and His particular love in opposition to each other like some kind of yin-yang principle. The various kinds of God's love are constant, perfect, without ebb and flow.

Some people say, "I don't like this kind of tension." But here is my advice: Learn to live with the tension. People don't like the fact that the Scripture speaks to these issues with tension and they want to remove the tension, but the reality is that there is tension and we better leave it there, because the Bible leaves it there.

Where does The Shepherd's Bible College stand then? Well, we aren't Arminian because the Bible doesn't teach Arminianism. And we aren't hyper-Calvinists because the Bible doesn't teach hyper-Calvinism either. We must endeavour to maintain a biblically balanced approach.

I think that when we discuss God's love and dealings with humankind, we need to stop using sentences that begin "Yes, BUT . . ." and start using sentences that begin, "Yes, AND . . ."

Don't set these five concepts of God's love against each other as if they are mutually exclusive. Instead, embrace all of them equally, and learn to live in the tension.

God Himself is immutable – unchanging. He is not loving one moment and wrathful the next. His wrath coexists with His love; therefore the two never contradict. Such are the perfections of God that we can never begin to comprehend these things. Above all, we must not set them against one another, as if there were somehow a discrepancy in God. God is always true to Himself and true to His Word (words adapted from John MacArthur, The Love of God (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1996), 18).

Ephesians 3:19 explains that Christ's love surpasses knowledge. May we rest in the knowledge of what God has revealed of Himself in Scripture, determine not to go beyond what stands written (1 Corinthians 4:6), and learn to live in the biblical tension of a love that cannot be fully understood by limited human minds.

Understanding God's Love – Part 9

Review Questions

Here are three review questions just to see if we are on the same page. . .

Question #1 – Does God love everyone in exactly the same way? Yes/No?

If we consider the five objects of God's love already mentioned, we would answer this way . . .

Yes, God loves everyone in exactly the same way when it comes to His providential love for His creation (see part 4), and yes, God loves everyone in exactly the same way when it comes to His passionate love for the world (see part 5). In other words, God shows His love for everyone by providing His common grace to both believers and unbelievers, and God shows His love through Christ's death at Calvary which was sufficient to pay for the sins of everyone who has ever lived.

But, no it is not true that God loves everyone in exactly the same way when it comes to His particular love for His chosen saints (see part 6). God chose some to be saved and therefore they experience His particular love in a way others do not. In the same way that we select a spouse for marriage, Christ also has selected a bride for Himself.

Question #2 – Is God's love always unconditional? Yes/No?

Yes, God loves unconditionally when it comes to His particular love for His elect saints (see part 6). There was nothing in and of ourselves that was worthy of God's love. He loved us unconditionally, chose us while we were yet sinners to be His forever, and placed no demands on us in order to secure His forgiveness.

But, no it is not true that God loves unconditionally when it comes to His provisional love for those who disobey Him (see part 7). If we want to experience the full blessing and expression of God's love on a daily basis then we ought to obey His commandments. By living according to His Word, we confirm in our own consciences that we belong to God, and thereby we abide in His love.

Question #3 – Can God's love be earned? Yes/No?

Yes, God's love can be earned when it comes to His provisional love for those who obey Him (see part 7). In fact, Christians are commanded to keep themselves in God's love (Jude 21).

But, it is impossible to earn God's love when it comes to His passionate love for the world (see part 5) and His particular love for His chosen saints (see part 6). In these categories, if God's love could be earned, our salvation would be based on our own effort. Any kind of works-based gospel flies in the face of Ephesians 2:8-9 which declares, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

As you can see, the answers to these questions are not easy. We cannot afford to reduce our responses down to dogmatic "yes/no" answers.

What then should be our response to these tensions in God's love? I will answer that question in a final post tomorrow.

Understanding God's Love – Part 8

Imbalanced Approaches

If God's love for His creation (i.e., provisional love) and for the world (i.e., passionate love) are overemphasized while His love for the elect (i.e., particular love) and for those who obey Him (i.e., provisional love) are negated, then the result is Universalism – the idea that God so loves everyone that He would never send any of them to an eternal punishment. The heresy of Universalism comes as a result of the misappropriation of God's love for sinners.

Similarly, if we overemphasize God's love for the world (i.e., passionate love) to the neglect of the other aspects of God's love and a biblical understanding of His sovereignty, then the result will be Arminianism – a man-centred approach to the gospel that robs God of His glory and exalts man and his choices.

Alternatively, if we overemphasize God's love for His elect saints (i.e., particular love) and strip God of His love for the world (i.e., passionate love), the result will be hyper-Calvinism – the view that says that God has no compassion for the lost and does not care for them in any way. This error can lead Christians to give up their evangelistic activities because they do not see their efforts as necessary.

In addition, if we overly stress God's love for only those who obey Him (i.e., provisional love) then we might be led to a works-based system of salvation and/or sanctification wherein we are constantly burdened by legalistic attempts to maintain our own salvation in our own strength.

This is just a sampling of errors which can creep in if we allow ourselves to set the various objects of God's love against each other in an exclusive manner. There are eternal consequences when we "absolutize" any one of these categories.

So, how do we know if we have all of these aspects of God's love in balance? Tomorrow, I'll provide some test questions for you to see how you're doing.

Understanding God's Love – Part 7

5. The Provisional Love of God

Now we come to the fifth object of God's love – namely, obedient saints. There is a sense in which Christians who are faithful to obey God's commands encounter God's expression of love in a way that disobedient Christians do not. We have entitled this God's provisional love – a love which is conditional, because it depends on a believer's obedience. I am not speaking at all about how one becomes a believer, but rather I am referring to the life of a believer after salvation.

In Jude 21, the brother of our Lord Jesus commanded his readers saying, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." Naturally, one must ask, "How can this be achieved?" Simply stated, since Jude's command requires our obedience, one must assume that God's love is in some way conditioned upon our conformity to His will.

Similarly, Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love" (John 15:10). Jesus' provisional love is conditioned upon keeping Jesus' commands.

My parents expressed their love and affection for me much more when I was obedient than when I was disobedient. Now, of course, they loved me no matter what, and that would never change, but there was an even greater expression of love to me when I lived within the boundaries of their instruction.

So it is with God's provisional love.

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In summary then, there are five objects of God's love: [1] the other members of the Trinity, [2] the creation, [3] the world, [4] the elect, and [5] those who faithfully obey him.

But our understanding and application of God's love must be balanced otherwise terrible theological and practical implications arise. See tomorrow what happens if any one of the objects of God's love are "absolutized" to the detriment of the others.

Understanding God's Love – Part 6

4. The Particular Love of God

God's particular love relates to His predetermined sovereign choice of some to be saved. God's elect saints are the fourth object of God's love. The New Testament declares;

"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us" (Ephesians 1:4-8, emphasis added).

There are not many biblical doctrines that have met such opposition as the doctrine of election. Some Christians argue that predestination makes God an unjust and unfair god who selfishly manipulates people to forcibly respond to Him, while He passes over others with contempt. In short, they argue that sovereign election is not loving at all. But, one must not miss the fact that according to Scripture, predestination is a loving act: "He chose us . . . in love, He predestined . . ." (Ephesians 1:4-5).

When Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, Luke records that "as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). In other words, those who had been chosen by God before the foundation of the world responded positively in faith to the message preached by the apostles. What a loving act of God! This was His particular love in action!

To the disciples, Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain . . ." (John 15:16). What a shock to the disciples who had been thinking all along that they were in control of their own decisions to love and follow Christ. Actually, Jesus had first lovingly chosen them.

Now, as previously stated, some Christians do not accept the reality of the particular love of God. To these I say, it is not wrong that God would choose to love some more than He loves others. In the same way, we choose to love a life-partner as a spouse and extend particular love to that partner while not extending it to others. We love that chosen person even more than we love our neighbour, even though we are commanded in the New Testament to love both (Matthew 22:39; Ephesians 5:25-28).

Second Timothy 1:9 declares: "[God] has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."

In 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Paul says, "knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you."

Surely, we cannot deny the fact that God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) and drew us toward Him. Praise God for His sovereign particular love! Without it, we would be lost.

The everlasting and powerful continuance of God's particular love for His chosen saints is seen in Romans 8:35 when the Apostle Paul asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" The obvious answer to that rhetorical question is that no one can do such a thing. Paul concludes, "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

God loves His elect saints in a particular sense. They are the fourth object of His love. But is there any sense in which even believers encounter a greater or lesser expression of God's love? I believe the answer is yes. I'll transition next to a conditional love of God – one that is dependent upon obedience.

Understanding God's Love – Part 5

3. The Passionate Love of God

God loves the world. This simple statement has divided many theologians who disagree on the meaning of the noun world. The term world appears in several New Testament passages. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. In John 1:29, John the Baptist said about Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" In 1 John 2:2, Jesus Christ the righteous "is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." It is important to interpret the term world correctly because entire theological systems are dependent upon such understanding.

A. W. Pink promoted the idea that God did not love the world, but rather He loved the world of believers (Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1930), 314). Pink said, "God loves whom He chooses. He does not love everybody" (Ibid., 29-30), and, "The love of God is a truth for the saints only, and to present it to the enemies of God is to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs" (Ibid., 246). Pink's concern to preserve the sovereignty of God in salvation is commendable, but unfortunately he went too far.

Regarding John 3:16, John MacArthur says, "We must interpret the expression world in verses 16 and 17 as broadly as we understand the same word in verse 19. . . . Clearly the word world has a universal and corporate aspect that envelops more than just the elect alone. God's love is for the world in general, the human race, all humanity" (John MacArthur, The Love of God (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1996), 86). MacArthur's caution is important. A look at the near context surrounding John 3:16 reveals that world is used elsewhere to refer to all of humankind. How then can we arbitrarily limit the general term to point to just a select group of saved believers in verse 16? We can't.

Paul was clear in Titus 3:4-5 when he said, ". . . when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us." God loves humankind and His expression of love is especially expressed to sinful men in Jesus Christ.

We have entitled God's love for the world His passionate love. He loved the world so passionately, that He was willing to send His only Son to die for that world – and of course that world included unbelievers. The world (i.e., all people) is the third object of God's love.

In Mark 12:31, Jesus commanded: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Jesus does not ask us to walk in a manner in which He Himself does not walk. If we are to love our neighbours, and indeed love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), we can assume that God Himself does the very same for His enemies whether or not they will one day respond to His love by seeking His forgiveness for sins committed against Him. God loves His enemies, therefore God loves all people – yes, even the unsaved – yes, even the whole world.

So God has a passionate love for the world, but He also has another – more selective – kind of love also. I'll present it tomorrow.

Understanding God's Love – Part 4

2. The Providential Love of God

When God had finished creating the universe as we know it, He described it as being "very good." His love and care for His creation can be seen throughout the Bible. This feature of God's love – namely, God's providential love – is often referred to as His common grace.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "[The Father] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). Similarly, when Paul and Barnabas were preaching in Lystra, they proclaimed to the worshipers of Zeus that "in the generations gone by [God] permitted all the nations to go their own ways, and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:16-17). God's providential love was enjoyed by people of all nations and all religions.

When Jesus Christ walked on the earth, He indiscriminately healed the sick, delivered the demon-possessed, raised the dead, provided for the hungry, and showed care to outcasts. His love for people was not dependent upon their ethnicity, lifestyle, or religious affiliation. He showered thousands of people with His providential love. These thousands are representative of the billions of people that are, in a cumulative sense, the second object of God's love.

God's common grace – His providential love – means that believers and unbelievers throughout the centuries have been able to enjoy the fruit of the earth and the joys of life. God built into every single man and woman the ability to enjoy music, art, food, poetry, beauty, architecture, sexual fulfilment, laughter, scientific discovery, medical breakthroughs, the love of a child, the satisfaction of a hard day's work, and the safety of living under God-ordained government that enforces social justice. Of course, this is not to say that all people have enjoyed all of these joys all of the time in every century and in every location, but it does mean that when they have, it's because God has showered them with His providential love.

Now, while Trinitarian love may be described as God's perfect love and His providential love may be considered a natural outflow of God's appreciation for His creation, the true potential of God's agapē love remained untested until it was confronted by a fallen, hard-hearted, and unresponsive world. Next, I'll look at God's love for sinful beings.

Understanding God's Love – Part 3

1. The Perfect Love of God

The first object of God's love is seen within the Trinity. The Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father. We have entitled this the perfect love of God because the loving relationships within the Godhead are entirely and equally reciprocal. Since the members of the Trinity are holy, the relationships enjoyed are entirely without sin. Therefore, the love expressed within the Trinity is never embellished by imperfection. Forgiveness, which may be thought of as an outcome of agapē love, need never been extended within the Trinity because the members of the Trinity need never be forgiven. Therefore, the love experienced is perfect in both directions.

In John 3:35, John the Baptist, speaking about the first and second members of the Trinity, said, "The Father loves the Son." In John 15:9, Jesus affirmed the same truth to the disciples, saying, "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you." Later in John 17:24, Jesus said, "Father . . . Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world."

In the same way, the Son loves the Father. Jesus expressed this in John 14:31 when He explained that the reason why He keeps His Father's commandments was "that the world may know that I love the Father."

Wayne Grudem explains: "This eternal love of the Father for the Son, the Son for the Father, and [presumably] of both for the Holy Spirit makes heaven a world of love and joy because each person of the Trinity seeks to bring joy and happiness to the other two" (Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 199).

Love within the triune Godhead, may be considered natural and expected, but does God extend His love to objects outside the Trinity? Tomorrow, I'll address God's love for His creation.

Understanding God's Love – Part 2

Definition of God's Love

The Apostle John says, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). The text does not say "God loves", as if love was simply one of the many actions of God, and it does not say "God is loving", as if love was simply one of His many attributes. Rather the phrase, "God is love", explains that love pervades and influences all of God's attributes (John MacArthur, The Love of God (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1996), 29).

Agapē, the Greek word used in 1 John 4:8 for love, refers not to a fleeting feeling or emotional attraction, but to a sacrificial commitment to the ultimate good of another person. "God's love means that God eternally gives of Himself to others" (Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 198).

An agapē love "loves the object irrespective of the worth of the object and even though the love may not be reciprocated" (Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody Press, 1989), 192). Phileo describes brotherly love. Eros describes everything from romantic love to sexual passion. "Phileo is sometimes used as a synonym for agapē, but generally the word agapē is used as a more refined and elevated term. In the sense that John uses it here, agapē is unique to God. He is the sole source of it" (John MacArthur, The Love of God, 31).

God's love may be defined as "that perfection of the divine nature by which God is eternally moved to communicate Himself. It is not a mere emotional impulse, but a rational and voluntary affection, having its ground in truth and holiness and its exercise in free choice" (Henry C. Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology, revised by Vernon D. Doerksen (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1979), 86).

God's love is a wonderful expression of His character – one that He alone has manifest perfectly. But who does God love? I have five answers to that question – the first comes in my next blog post, tomorrow.

Understanding God's Love – Part 1

Introduction

Universalism, Arminianism, Calvinism, hyper-Calvinism – how do we understand these terms and what implications do they have for us? Often the words are thrown around without much understanding. We find it so easy to associate Bible teachers, churches, Bible colleges, and seminaries with one or more of these theological camps so that we can justify ourselves when we write them off as "religious nuts of a different ilk".

Which theological camp does The Shepherd's Bible College belong to? The answer is not as easy as you might think. In some ways the theological categories are an unfair way of evaluating anyone's position. First, the terms themselves are often misunderstood. Second, the Bible doesn't employ these theological categories. Caution is needed.

How then can we come to grips with God's dealings with humankind? Is everyone saved in the end? Does every individual have the same opportunity to be saved? Are we sovereign over our own destiny? Does God make this decision for us? Should we passionately preach the gospel? Should we just relax?

I think these questions are fair and I believe the Word of God answers them. I'd like to suggest that these questions can be summed up in one ultimate question: Who does God love? If we can answer that question, then our discussions regarding the gospel might go a little easier.

Over the next few days I'll post several instalments on this blog that deal with the question: Who does God love? I trust it will stimulate some good dialogue.

Much of my thinking has come as a result of listening to a sermon by Scott Ardavanis of Placerita Baptist Church in Newhall, California. If there are any misrepresentations of God's Word, I'll take responsibility for those.

Tomorrow, I'll try to briefly describe God's agapē love.

Catching Up

Well, it has been a long time since my last blog post. What an embarrassment :).

I had been planning to keep you updated with ministry activities, waiting for something significant to happen, only to look back now over the past two months and realise that many important ministry events have come and gone. Shame on me.

Let me provide a quick review:

• I finished the last round of Doctor of Ministry seminars in Los Angeles. Just a dissertation to go now!
• Sereena and I celebrated our 20^th wedding anniversary and enjoyed a vacation on the East Coast of America
• We visited two TSBC graduates who recently started studies at The Master's Seminary in LA – Grant Watson and Reuben Pickering
• Two TSBC students became engaged to be married. Congratulations Josh Powell and Michelle Ward
• I conducted a weekend block course on the subject of preaching here in Hastings
• A number of new students were enrolled in semester two at The Shepherd's Bible College
• I am teaching through the Pauline epistles right now and having a blast in the New Testament Survey course
• Two TSBC faculty members are ministering overseas right now. Russell Hohneck is preaching in several churches in Australia. Donald Stevenson is ministering in Zambia
• I conducted weekend workshops on the End Times at Wellsford, north of Auckland. We had a wonderful time at Community Bible Church, Rodney.
• I preached at Riverbend Bible Church this past Sunday on "Understanding the Love of God"

So yeah, it's been a busy time for me and the other faculty members at The Shepherd's Bible College. I constantly thank God for the privilege of ministry. Please keep praying for us.

D.Min. Seminars in Los Angeles

Having prepared over these last six months, I am flying out to Los Angeles tomorrow to complete my last round of D.Min. seminars. Sereena will join me in LA next week and when my classes are over we get to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary by taking a few days holiday in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. We are so looking forward to having some time together.

But before then, I need to maintain a good work pace for another two weeks. The two doctorate seminars I'm attending at The Master's Seminary are:

• Preaching the New Testament
• Theological Trends and Doctrinal Preaching

Sereena is attending the Women Discipling Women Conference in Los Angeles. I am preaching at Calvary Bible Church in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania and visiting long-time ministry friends in each place we go. Please pray that the Lord would bless our time away. I'll post reports periodically.

End Times Workshops

What Happens in the Future?

Community Bible Church Rodney have invited me to teach a series of sessions on the End Times. The workshop dates are Friday-Sunday, 2-4 September 2011 and the sessions will be hosted in Wellsford, north of Auckland.

If you want more information or if you'd like to register, please e-mail the workshop organiser: AKBorrows@xtra.co.nz

Upcoming TSBC Courses

This week, I'm preparing for next semester's courses. I'll be teaching three:

• New Testament Survey 2 (Romans—Revelation): A Wednesday evening class hosted at Riverbend Bible Church, starting 10 August, which surveys the highlights of the NT epistles.

• Teaching and Preaching: A Hastings weekend block course which begins the process of preparing teachers and preachers to communicate God's Word with clarity and passion, meeting at Riverbend Bible Church, 19-20 August, and four further times for preaching labs throughout the semester.

• Philosophy of Church Ministry: An Auckland weekend block course that discusses what we do in the local church and why, meeting at Auckland Bible Church, 30 September—1 October.

Students can register now for these and all the other TSBC courses on offer. Go to the TSBC website to be enrolled: www.tsbc.org.nz

Impact 2011 Audio Downloads

All of the 2011 Impact Bible Conference messages are now available online. To download these audio files for free, go to the Impact website. Click here.

Here is what is available:

General Sessions

• #1 – Jack Hughes – A Glimpse at the Resurrected Lord of Glory (Revelation 1:9-18)
• #2 – Bill Barrick – What Is the Purpose of the Doctrine of Last Things? (2 Peter 3:10-18)
• #3 – Jack Hughes – A Trip to Hell: Exploring the Realities of Future Punishment (Luke 12:4-9)
• #4 – Bill Barrick – How Does the Doctrine of Last Things Complete the Doctrine of First Things?
• #5 – Jack Hughes – What Will There Be for Us?: Heaven, an Unspeakable Reward (Luke 18:28-30)
• #6 – Donald Stevenson – Glorification: Motivation to Shepherd the Flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-4)
• #7 – Bill Barrick – How Does the Judgment Seat of Christ Relate to Our Glorification?
• #8 – Jack Hughes – Present and Future Ministry of Angels to Believers and Unbelievers (Hebrews 1:14)
• #9 – Russell Hohneck – Receiving a Kingdom Which Cannot be Moved (Hebrews 12:25-29)
• #10 – Bill Barrick – Why Is Christ’s Coming the Focal Point of the Lord’s Table?
• #11 – Jack Hughes – Investing in Eternity Now (Luke 12:33-34)
• #12 – Bill Barrick – How Does Our Future State Impact Our Current Living? (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
• Q&A Session – Nigel Shailer with Bill Barrick and Jack Hughes

Ladies Seminars

• Lisa Hughes – Unmet, Unanswered, Unexpected: When Life Doesn't Proceed As Planned
• Lisa Hughes – The Unexpected Goodness of God: Foundational Truths You Can Live On
• Lisa Hughes – Living In-tune with One Another

Making Disciples Seminars

• Jeremy Dempsey – Evangelism: How to bring someone to Christ
• Randy Bossom – Discipleship: How to see them begin to grow in Christ
• Bryan Martin – Training and Equipping: How to prepare them to make more disciples

Missions Seminars

• Bill Barrick – Starting Missions Right: How does our doctrine of last things impact missions?
• Donald Stevenson – Getting Missions Right: Reflections from Acts
• Greg Stephenson – Doing Missions Right: Developing theologically driven mission

Youth and Youth Leaders Seminars

• John Richard – Living to the Max: Impacting the World for the Lord
• John Richard – Living to the Max: Making the Most of Your Time
• John Richard – Living to the Max: Paul’s Passion for His People

Impact 2011 Photo Slideshow Review

Here's a photo slideshow review which will bring back many fond memories of Impact Bible Conference 2011. . .

Dr. Jack Hughes - Impact 2011 Review

Wow! The Impact Bible Conference was amazing! It was my first time visiting New Zealand, but my wife Lisa’s second trip. We knew from talking to pastors from New Zealand and missionaries to New Zealand that there is a “famine of the Word” in that country. We were told very few churches in New Zealand practice expository preaching. I was curious to see who would attend the conference and the level of their spiritual hunger. Both Lisa and I were pleasantly surprised.

It seems that the reputation of pastors Russell Hohneck and Donald Stevenson of Riverbend Bible Church, and Nigel Shailer of The Shepherd’s Bible College is great indeed! Over 600 Bible-loving believers gathered from all over New Zealand, Australia, and even Africa to the small town of Havelock to be fed the Word! The New Zealanders who came had a deep love for Christ and passion for the Word which was very encouraging.

Our times of worship through singing were heavenly, catching our hearts up to the third heaven, and the fellowship was sweet. And food, lots of great food! I had previously thought that only Hobbits ate six meals a day, but now I know where they got that habit from – the Impact Bible Conference! Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper or evening tea were our daily delight. By the end of the conference my soul and body were made fat!

The theme of the conference was an excellent choice – “Stepping Into Eternity.” I was blessed by the accumulated effect of so much preaching and teaching on eternity. Our minds were constantly transported to heaven and the glories to come. Each day our focus became more heavenly oriented. The joy and anticipation of heaven filled the hearts of those who attended. Each message caused us to “fix our minds on the things above” and see the practical value of living with heaven in view. By the end of the conference we were aching to see Jesus, the angels, departed saints, and glories untold.

Lisa was very blessed to be able to speak to the women and was warmly received. Every night Lisa and I would collapse into bed, exhausted from long days of ministry, but excited to share our stories with each other of people we had met. We were so blessed by many servants from Riverbend Bible Church. A small army of faithful men and women from Riverbend labored to make the conference a reality and blessing for all who attended. Surely they will be great in the kingdom for their service to us was unsurpassed. Our host family, Phil and Natalie Henderson (Phil is Pastor of Onekawa Bible Church and teaches at Shepherd’s Bible College), pampered us to shame. We left thanking and praising God for the many blessings we had received and longing to spend eternity with the many believers we had met.

To God Be the Glory!

Pastor Jack Hughes
Calvary Bible Church, Burbank, California

Impact 2012 Theme

We have settled on a theme for Impact 2012. It will cover the full spectrum of human relationships:

• Husband
• Wife
• Boyfriend
• Girlfriend
• Parent
• Child
• Married
• Single
  
• Employer
• Employee

We have entitled the conference Under Construction: Building Godly Relationships. Watch out for more information as the next year unfolds.

TSBC E-Quipper - June 2011 Issue

The Worship Scene
By Nigel Shailer, Vice Principal and Academic Dean

Is it possible that the church in the Western world has lost its way when it comes to worship? Walk into any Christian bookstore and our subconscious senses are exposed to one overwhelming message – "Worship is music." "Worship is only music!"

Now of course, no one means to say that, and when asked, thoughtful Christians will acknowledge that worship is much more than just music – it includes other activities such as reading the Bible, giving, communion, prayer, service, listening to God, submission to God, and meditating on God. In fact our whole life is meant to be a holy and acceptable sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and everything we do ought to give God glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

But, for the sake of this article, even if we limit our worship discussion to just the songs the church sings today, we will observe a modern trend – it seems that many of our new "worship" songs are more focused on us than they are on God. Both the content of the songs and the style of the songs are designed to appeal to our personal preferences and subconscious expectations.

Maybe it has always been this way. Senior saints love the good ole hymns of yesteryear. Middle-aged Christians prefer semi-contemporary expressions of praise. Youth demand new sounds and experiences which still haven't been sanctioned by those who grow weary of ever-changing musical boundaries. Churches split over these issues. Doesn't it seem like too much of our focus is on us? – our preferences?

How is worship expressed in Heaven? If we look at Revelation 4 and 5, we see that the worshippers have no concern for themselves at all. They celebrate God's uniqueness, rather than promote their own individuality or independence. They celebrate God's dominion, rather than defend their own freedoms. They celebrate God's creative power, rather than boast in their own creativity. Their eyes are completely fixed on God and they lose themselves in the worship experience, giving no thought to themselves whatsoever.

We can model our public worship on this heavenly example. Worship just isn't about us anyway. It's about Him Who sits on the throne and it's about the Lamb. Why should we steal the focus and put it on ourselves?

Please pray for The Shepherd's Bible College faculty and student body. Our goal is to emulate the expressions of the heavenly worshippers each and every day here on earth and especially when we gather for public worship.

Impact Bible Conference Is Over for 2011

Well, another Impact is done and dusted. It wasn't good. . . It was fantastic!

Of course, every Impact is characterised by those who open God's Word session after session to explain it and impress its truths upon our lives. We want to thank Bill Barrick and Jack Hughes for their masterful expositions which magnified Christ's soon return. We were reminded that in order to live Christ-like lives today we must live in light of the future coming of Christ.

John Richard challenged youth to use their time wisely as they wait for Christ. Lisa Hughes called women to contentment and faith in all of life's circumstances. The missions and discipleship seminars were well attended by believers from all walks of life who were keen to expand their evangelistic and personal mentoring skills.

As the weekend conference advanced, attendance grew to 640. When all those voices joined in worship to our coming Lord, the effect was overwhelming. Our music director, Warren Jardine, and his wonderful teams of numerous singers and musicians lead us in excellent expressions of praise toward God. The roof was lifted on Friday night as we sang some old favourites that looked forward to our future days spent with Christ in eternity.

Benji Carey-Smith (TSBC student) and Tony Nuñez (TSBC lecturer) were responsible for an Impact first – an original song written especially with the Impact theme in mind: "Stepping into Eternity". This song is now available on the Impact website.

The engine room, otherwise known as the Riverbend kitchen team, operated like a slick well-oiled machine. What a joyful experience it was to see so many people serving with a smile. In addition, Riverbend Bible Church provided warm beds for 215 visitors. The church's ministry example and hospitality spoke volumes to all our guests.

Some other statistics illustrate God's kindness over the weekend – 54 hours of fellowship were enjoyed; 190 volunteers faithfully served attendees; 3,000 complimentary books were distributed in 500 gift bags; 3,622 meals were served in the dining room, and 19,800 cakes, biscuits, and savouries where prepared for teas and suppers. We are so thankful for everyone who donated time, scholarship funds, service, physical and spiritual resources in order to bless others. Their contribution glorified Christ and blessed many people.

Riverbend Bible Church magnified God last weekend! Thanks to everyone involved for their faithful witness, sacrificial hearts, and hard work! May we all live in the light of Christ's soon return.

Impact - Live Streaming Video

If you're unable to attend Impact Bible Conference this year, we have the sessions available to you via live streaming video. Click on the following link to view the general sessions as they happen: www.livestream.com/rbcnz/

And remember, all the conference sessions are made available for purchase on CD and DVD from Gracebooks New Zealand after the conference.

Below is the conference schedule so that you can plan your live viewing time slots . . .


THURSDAY, 2 JUNE

• 7pm – General Session #1 – Jack Hughes – A Glimpse at the Resurrected Lord of Glory (Revelation 1:9-18)

FRIDAY, 3 JUNE

• 9am – General Session #2 – Bill Barrick – What Is the Purpose of the Doctrine of Last Things? (2 Peter 3:10-18)
• 3:30pm – General Session #3 – Jack Hughes – A Trip to Hell – Exploring the Realities of Future Punishment (Luke 12:4-9)
• 7pm – General Session #4 – Bill Barrick – How Does the Doctrine of Last Things Complete the Doctrine of First Things?

SATURDAY, 4 JUNE

• 9am – General Session #5 – Jack Hughes – What Will There Be for Us? – Heaven, an Unspeakable Reward (Luke 18:28-30)
• 3:30pm – General Session #6 – Donald Stevenson – Glorification: Motivation to Shepherd the Flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-4)
• 7pm – General Session #7 – Bill Barrick – How Does the Judgment Seat of Christ Relate to Our Glorification?
• 8:30pm – Q&A

SUNDAY, 5 JUNE

• 9am – General Session #8 – Jack Hughes – Present and Future Ministry of Angels to Believers and Unbelievers (Hebrews 1:14)
• 11am – General Session #9 – Russell Hohneck – Receiving a Kingdom Which Cannot be Moved (Hebrews 12:25-29)
• 7pm – Communion & General Session #10 – Bill Barrick – Why Is Christ’s Coming the Focal Point of the Lord’s Table?

MONDAY, 6 JUNE

• 9am – General Session #11 – Jack Hughes – Investing in Eternity Now (Luke 12:33-34)
• 11am – General Session #12 – Bill Barrick – How Does Our Future State Impact Our Current Living? (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)

Nine Days till Impact

Impact is only nine days away and we are ramping up now for what we anticipate will be a fantastic time of preaching, worship and fellowship. Five hundred and forty registrations have been received with more coming in every day.

Here are our speakers again . . .








Don't miss out on Impact 2011. Get registered here.

TSBC E-Quipper - May 2011 Issue

It's All Greek to Me
By Tony Nuñez (TSBC’s new Lecturer of Bible Languages and Advanced Theology)


Having been nurtured in a church that preaches the Word of God, perhaps you remember the time you realised that the Bible you hold in your hands is actually a translation. God did not deposit His eternal truth for mankind in what we hold today, but in ancient dialects. Somewhere along the line, we learn that the Old Testament was written in ancient Hebrew, with portions in Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in first century Koine Greek. And for the most part, believers are content simply to know that there are people, ‘out there somewhere’ that understand these languages enough to produce the version of the Bible they so love.

That is, until perhaps that believer is placed in a situation where he or she must discover the meaning of a passage himself! Perhaps it is a teaching opportunity, or an occasion to defend the faith, or even at a time of extraordinary curiosity about a baffling text. It’s at this time, almost invariably, that he or she becomes driven to seek for answers among the multitude of Bible study resources available in print, software, or online. Once the Christian enters this realm, though, the original languages of the Bible may no longer be viewed with a mere distant awareness. Now, the Bible-lover must come into contact with them. Suddenly a new world is opened! And although there is a dense fog amidst the new and confusing grammatical ideas, a world of richness, clarity, and beauty peers through. And it is at that moment, the thought enters, ‘I would love to learn Hebrew or Greek!’

The Shepherd’s Bible College exists to equip all believers . . . even in the original languages of the Bible. Being for all believers, and not just seminarians, we take a unique approach that is simple but not simplistic, functional and yet accessible, that brings the student through the fog and into the brilliant light of understanding the text with a clarity only possible from the original languages.

Hernia Surgery

Thanks to you who have been praying for my recent hernia repair surgery. Everything has gone very smoothly and I am feeling really good. I was sent home on the same day as the surgery and was glad to comply with the doctor. I am moving freely and haven't needed to deal with much pain whatsoever. I am back in my office and will quietly continue with daily tasks. God has been good. Sereena has been a great nurse and is looking after me as well as taking care of all her Impact duties. It's a busy time of year. What a trooper!

Impact Memories

Here is the Impact photo slide show for 2010. Beware - if you watch this, great memories will flood your mind, and your anticipation for Impact 2011 might be too much to handle :)

Impact Bible Conference 2011

There are three stages to salvation: past, present, and future.

The first stage of salvation happens at a point in someone's life when they become a Christian. He or she has experienced (past tense) salvation.

The second stage of salvation is a present and continual process of living in the light of that past salvation. This is otherwise known as the process of sanctification.

The third and final stage of salvation is yet future for those believers who are still alive. It refers to the day when a believer is removed from this earth and will no longer be subject to the sin and temptations of this present world. That future day is called glorification.

Over the past two years, Impact Bible Conference has focused on the first two of these stages of salvation:

• Impact 2009 – The Gospel and Evangelism
• Impact 2010 – Saved To Be Holy

Now in 2011, Impact Bible Conference will deal with the last stage of the trilogy:

• Impact 2011 – Stepping into Eternity

Glorification is the theme of Impact 2011. This is going to be a wonderful time of challenge and encouragement as we all together prepare ourselves for that day when we will meet the Lord in person.

Will you join us in Hastings for this wonderful time? The conference dates are 2-6 June (Queen's Birthday Weekend). We have a fantastic line-up of international and local speakers, and every family represented at the conference will receive a welcome pack containing five wonderful books provided free of charge for their personal growth and encouragement.

The goal of the conference is that every person would be reminded of the brevity of this present life, have their hearts set on their future glorification, and be greatly invigorated to live in light of both of those realities.

Get registered now online: Impact Registration

For more information, go to the Impact Bible Conference website

TSBC Block Course in Auckland

This past weekend saw the completion of the first TSBC block course hosted at Auckland Bible Church. Thirteen students ventured into the world of English grammar. They learned how to diagram a text of scripture – an exercise that is helpful for finding the outline of a passage which can then form a teaching outline for a sermon or Bible study.


The Shepherd's Bible College is offering more block courses in Auckland this year at Auckland Bible Church and Howick Baptist Church:

• Church History
• Hermeneutics (Bible Interpretation)
• Christian Ethics
• Philosophy of Ministry for Church Life
• Personal Evangelism

Check out our website for details.

Registrations Open

Registrations are now open for Impact Bible Conference. The easiest way to be registered is to go to the Impact on-line registration page. Click on the image below and it will take you there. . .

Berean Bible Church

This past Sunday, I preached at Berean Bible Church in Arroyo Grande, California. Each year, I've been able to come to this church to thank the kind folk for their sacrificial contribution to The Shepherd's Bible College ministry in New Zealand. The church family is so gracious and my time with them is always encouraging. Pastor Randy Bossom is a seminar speaker at Impact Bible Conference in Hastings this June. Here is a picture of me with Randy after the service. . .

The Shepherds' Conference

So the second day of The Shepherds' Conference is done. What a fantastic time of preaching, worship, and fellowship! It has been an especially good networking time as we've been able to plan for future ministry opportunities at The Shepherd's Bible College and Impact Bible Conference.

Eight Kiwis are in attendance at the conference. Here's some of Team New Zealand. . .


At the first session, The Master's Seminary student body formed a choir and sang to the Lord wonderfully. Here they are seated in the choir loft at Grace Community Church. . .


This afternoon, we were able to spend a few moments with John MacArthur. . .


Our visit to Los Angeles allows us to nail down speakers for future conferences in New Zealand, secure resources for Impact, report to TSBC supporters, present the ministry to potential new supporters, elicit new prayer partners, and learn from like-minded faculty members in other TMAI institutes from around the world. It has been a very profitable time. Please continue to pray for us.

Calvary Bible Church - Missions Conference

This past weekend, Lawrence Pickering and I represented The Shepherd's Bible College at the Calvary Bible Church Missions Conference in Burbank, California.

We were able to describe the ministry and answer questions about how the Lord is equipping church leaders in New Zealand, through The Shepherd's Bible College.

We received a very warm welcome at Calvary Bible Church which is pastored by Jack Hughes. Jack and his wife, Lisa, are coming to New Zealand in June to preach at Impact Bible Conference.

On Sunday morning, I was privileged to preach at Calvary Bible Church in two duplicate services. It is a joy to partner with such a wonderful church body in order to extend the boundaries of God's work in the South Pacific.

TMAI Symposium

Yesterday and today, I attended The Master's Academy International Symposium in Los Angeles. With me were five other Kiwis: Russell Hohneck (TSBC, Principal), Greg Stephenson (TSBC, Director of Programme Development), Lawrence Pickering (TSBC, Board Advisor), Jeremy Rolston (TSBC, Student), and Bryan Martin (River City Bible Church, Pastor).

What a joy to network with 85 leaders and educators involved in the training and equipping of Christians worldwide. Sessions focused on the subject of raising support.

The Shepherds' Conference begins tomorrow!