There’s a group of 15 believers in a remote village in south central Burma (or Myanmar) somewhere near the Irrawaddy Delta, who are quickly becoming some of my spiritual heroes. Unlike me, these men and women are consistently facing opposition as they seek to plant a gospel-centered church. Opposition for me is the weird look I occasionally get when mentioning I’m a pastor.

But listen to how my friend David describes this group of people:

Our church plant continues to meet on a regular basis, but with significant pressure from both local and religious leaders. At first, we had informal gatherings, but when [the authorities] see a pattern of our folks worshipping on Sunday morning and that our church planter is going from house to house, they accuse us of “changing their religion” and “creating problems” in their village. But the believers have all agreed and confess boldly that they have been changed by Jesus…

Western Christianity is much different than this; stories like this can sometimes be difficult to connect with. But there’s more. The cloud of oppression for this small group of believers changes their actual meetings. During worship, they sing softly. When they’re taking requests before their Heavenly Father, it’s barely above a whisper. Why? They don’t want to draw unnecessary attention resulting in targeted persecution. They live out a Christianity where that possibility is never far from their minds. The pastor of this small church spends each week encouraging these believers to hold fast in their faith. The current study diet: “to be strong in the Lord.”

That’s serious stuff. When we talk about church-planting difficulties in the States, we rarely see seminars on how to avoid arrest or suffer persecution for God’s glory. And yet, when you interact with David and this church, you find a group of people who are less aware of suffering than they are of the Savior. I want to be like that.

In Sovereign Grace, we’re thinking a lot about people like this group in south central Burma. We’re also thinking a lot about the 41% of the world’s population that still exists unreached by the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we need your help.

David is a pastor from Burma who graduated from our Pastors College. He’s got serious game when it comes to planting churches and a real heart to see the gospel preached in his home country. In fact, he is responsible for leading and directing a well-known church planting center, as well as a portion of the teaching. The guy never stops! Currently, David is looking to plant another church near the Irrawaddy Delta in a village largely unengaged and unreached by the gospel. As an inroad, he’s starting a preschool there. It’s crazy stuff, but we’re excited to partner with David to make it happen.

But there’s even more. We continue to look at other areas of the world where unreached people groups exist. We’re considering involvement with unreached Muslims in an African nation. We’re supporting translations work and other ministries that work on the front lines. There are also men related to these ventures that we’re considering for the Pastors College.

These are all exciting updates that appear to change on an almost daily basis. And each day, we’re reminded that what we need more than anything are your prayers. As you read this, a few Sovereign Grace pastors are visiting this small church in south central Burma to encourage the believers in their faith. Pray that God would use these men in mighty ways. Pray that more would be converted in this small village. Please pray for David. Pray that God would soften the hearts of those unengaged among the Karen people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for the selection of leaders for these churches. Pray that the gospel would go forth and many would be saved to the glory of God. Pray that we would play our part in Sovereign Grace Ministries and that every dollar spent would be multiplied so that God’s kingdom would expand.

May God bless the advancement of the gospel in Burma, North Africa, India, and among the unreached people groups beyond our borders!

----------------------

Dave Harvey leads international expansion and church planting for Sovereign Grace Ministries and is based in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. For more information about the Sovereign Grace church-planting process, click here.

Thabiti Anyabwile answers this question from his home in the Grand Cayman Islands in the newest T4G study tour video:



Thabiti Anyabwile - Study Tour from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Theologian Jonathan Edwards looms large in church history and in the history of theology. Yet because his writings are often very difficult to read, they are inaccessible to many readers. Making Edwards’s theology and writings accessible to a broad audience was the burden behind a new series of books: The Essential Edwards Collection.

The set contains short paperback volumes for a total of 760 pages. It was written and edited by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney with an introduction by John Piper. The series includes five topical books:

• Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God
• Jonathan Edwards: On Beauty 
• Jonathan Edwards: On Heaven and Hell
• Jonathan Edwards: On the Good Life 
• Jonathan Edwards: On True Christianity
  

C.J. endorsed The Essential Edwards Collection. Here’s what he wrote:

Books on the life and theology of Jonathan Edwards could fill a library. So where does an average reader (like me!) begin? Right here, with The Essential Edwards Collection. Strachan and Sweeney provide a doorway into the life and teaching of one of the church’s wisest theologians. But this book is more than history. The authors have included notes of personal application to help us apply the life and teaching of Edwards to our own lives. I’ve read no better introduction to Jonathan Edwards.

And here are four other noteworthy endorsements:

D.A. Carson: “Everyone says Jonathan Edwards is important. Quite frankly, however, his writing style is pretty dense by contemporary standards, so few pastors and other Christian leaders have invested much time reading him. Edwards is one of the ‘greats’ of whom everyone has heard and whom relatively few have read. This new series tackles the problem. Here is the kernel of much of Edwards’s thought in eminently accessible form.”

Mark Dever: “In The Essential Edwards Collection, Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney play the role of the good friend who pulls the book down off the shelf. With knowledge and excitement, they open the large and intimidating tomes, and point to some clear and searching section which illuminates God’s truth and searches our hearts. In this collection, Edwards is introduced to a new generation of readers. His concerns are made our concerns. This is a worthy effort and I pray that God will bless it.”

Al Mohler: “Why hasn’t this been done before? The Essential Edwards Collection is now essential reading for the serious-minded Christian. Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan have written five excellent and accessible introductions to America’s towering theological genius—Jonathan Edwards. They combine serious scholarship with the ability to make Edwards and his theology come alive for a new generation. The Essential Edwards Collection is a great achievement and a tremendous resource. I can’t think of a better way to gain a foundational knowledge of Edwards and his lasting significance.”

Carl Trueman: “Jonathan Edwards is surely one of the most influential theologians of the eighteenth century, yet until now a representative sample of his work has required the reader either to wade through poorly printed double-column editions or to purchase incredibly expensive scholarly editions. Now at last we have a wide-ranging and representative sample of his work published in an attractive, accessible and, most important of all, readable form. The authors are to be commended for the work they have put into this set and I hope it will become an important feature of the library of many pastors and students of the Christian faith.”

In his recent sermons on Jude, C.J. spoke about the tendency of Christians to have an inaccurate view of God the Father and to have “hard thoughts about God.”

In the first message C.J. said, “I have interacted with many Christians over the years who are not certain of God’s love for them. They can be reluctant to admit it, but they aren’t convinced in their heart and mind that God loves them. In light of their sin and the holiness of God they wonder whether God does indeed love them.”

After the message C.J. received an email from a father who fears that he is unintentionally introducing to his children these hard thoughts about God. He wants to know what to do to model the grace and love of God to his children. Here is the email exchange between C.J. and John (not his real name).

---------------------

Hi, C.J.—

Thanks for your message from Jude on Sunday. It is always a privilege to hear God's Word through you. I am reminded of His grace to me through the truths preached by you over decades now.

When you noted how we often have hard thoughts of God and fail to appreciate His initiating love, I immediately thought of my example and communication about God to my kids. And when you asked at the end, "What are you most worried about?", I think it is that I will hinder my children from knowing that God not only rightly expects their obedience and submission—a bar they cannot possibly reach—but also that he loves them as a Father so deeply that He sent His son for them.

I am afraid they do have hard thoughts of God and that’s largely because of my own sinfulness (anger, impatience, anxiety), which I am eager to continue killing by the Spirit. But apart from that, the question I have is, how do we as parents insist that our children obey us in the Lord without cultivating hard thoughts of Him?

Grateful for any thoughts you would have on this.

John

---------------------

John,
 
This a great question that I can’t possibly cover fully in one email. But here are a few thoughts that I hope are helpful.

• You have the privilege of introducing them to God the Father and describing the ways in which he is different from you, different from all sinful fathers, and how in any way you are like him it’s only because of grace that you reflect him. See Luke 11:11–13.

• Your honest confession of your sin to your children will protect them from having hard thoughts about you or God.

• Communicating your affection for them—and joy when you are with them—promotes both good and accurate thoughts about God.

• Initiate time with them at both planned and spontaneous times. Don’t leave them with the impression that they get most of your attention when they disobey. Let them know you are so grateful for them and love being with them as much as possible.

• Bless your children with many gifts in many forms! See Luke 11 again. Study your children in order to discern what gifts would genuinely bless them and then purpose to surprise them as often as possible.

• Requiring appropriate obedience does not promote hard thoughts about God. This only happens when we do so in self-righteousness or anger. See point 2 again.

• Frequently preach the gospel to them (and not at them). Reveal to your children just how far God has gone to show his love for sinners like us.
  

My friend, if you follow the example of our gracious God, your children will not have hard thoughts about him. They will have accurate thoughts about him—and a deep love for you.
 
I hope these brief thoughts help, John.
 
C.J.

Perhaps the most neglected book in the New Testament is the little book of Jude, a postcard really. Yet Bible scholar Tom Schreiner writes that “some of the most beautiful statements about God’s sustaining grace are found in Jude.”

Recently C.J. preached through Jude in a two-part message at Covenant Life Church. The audio is available here:

Jude: Called to Contend: A Postcard from the Past

Called
C.J. Mahaney
Feb 14, 2010
51:42 minutes
Listen or download here.

Contend
C.J. Mahaney
Feb 21, 2010
62:36 minutes
Listen or download here.

"I harbor a prejudice against all new editions [of books] and a preference for the originals, even though they wander about in sheepskins and goatskins," said Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon here shows a bias toward the old tomes. And he reveals just how prickly a preacher can be about his library.

You can learn a lot about a man by the books in his study (or by the ratio of books to the sports equipment he keeps in his office). Either way our friends at Together for the Gospel have been busy featuring videos filmed in the hallowed libraries of Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, Mark Dever, C.J., John MacArthur, and R.C. Sproul. Each of the six available videos can be viewed here, beginning with the most recent study video with R. C. Sproul, a video that has caused a bit of a stir and has led some to stop and give serious thought to the question: Is C.J. crazy? Hmm.

Come see for yourself at the Louisville Convention Center April 13–15 for the low, low price of [click here to find out]. Until we meet in Kentucky, you can meet the men, and their libraries, here:

 

R.C. Sproul - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Lig Duncan - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Al Mohler - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Mark Dever - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

John MacArthur - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

C. J. Mahaney - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

On Wednesday Mark Dever announced the addition of Matt Chandler to the 2010 Together for the Gospel conference. Today on the T4G blog C.J. explains why he suggested that Matt should take his main session. Read C.J.’s comments here.

When people think of church planting in Sovereign Grace Ministries, the idea of reaching Starbucks-studded suburbia often comes to mind. And obviously we have more suburban churches than urban ones, at least here in the U.S. of A.

But Sovereign Grace does not exclusively focus on the suburbs. In fact, a growing number of church planters are being called to urban areas, which creates an incalculable excitement in our hearts.

Now a new church plant is underway in the heart of San Francisco. Christ Church was planted with a group of folks who have a heart for the city of San Francisco, and is led by Toby Kurth.

I first met Toby when Sovereign Grace had launched an urban church plant in New York City and he was working on his Ph.D. in Early American History. Toby and his wife Rebekah jumped into this church plant with heart and soul and served tirelessly for several years.

As they served in that church, it soon became evident that God had called Toby to preach. So off to the Pastors College he went, and then to Gilbert, Arizona, for a church-planting residence. From there, the invasion plan for a church plant to San Francisco took shape.

Let me introduce you to my buddy Toby.

1) Hey Toby, tell us what drew you there?
 
One common theme that has run from the earliest days of considering the church plant through today is God demonstrating that he has gone before us. We feel like active participants and spectators at the same time.
 
California is home for Rebekah and me; and though our burden for urban church planting began in Brooklyn, our hearts were redirected here. I spent a day in San Francisco after my grandmother passed away in October 2005 praying about our future and ever since then God has increased our burden and opened doors for this church plant to happen.
 
2) What are some of the unique challenges that urban church planters encounter?
 
The unique challenges we have encountered have all been two-sided. The challenges appear to be obstacles, but are simultaneously opportunities for God to demonstrate the power of Christ and his gospel. Cities are diverse and neighborhoods can change dramatically in cultural and socioeconomic make-up in just a few blocks. This can appear to be an obstacle, but is ultimately an opportunity to build on the cross-cultural transcendence of Christ and his gospel. It is a great opportunity to display love above and beyond any obstacles that where we are from or what we do might present.
 
Another obstacle is that many city dwellers can be outwardly opposed to what they think the message of Christianity is. Some of that is due to superficial or negative interactions with Christians, and some of it is just that people have never heard the gospel. Either way our goal is to bring people face-to-face with Jesus, with who he is and what he has done.
 
Finding a place to meet is the last big challenge. It can be hard to get established as a church without a steady, affordable place to meet and a presence in the community. This has been a huge way God has demonstrated that He has prepared the way for us. We have a building! It is a hundred-year-old sanctuary built by German Lutherans and later used by a Baptist church. The building has a rich history of use in ministry to the ever-changing community around it. From Chinese and Russian Jewish immigrants to “Summer of Love” hippies, the church has consistently been used by God to bring people to Christ.

But over time membership dwindled. The church was in the process of praying about their future and what God would have them do to see gospel ministry continue in their building when we arrived in January 2009. God gave me a great and growing friendship with the pastor and the sole remaining elder. What began as a friendship grew into these men wanting to support our church plant in any way they could. Their humility and desire to see the gospel go forward led to them merging in what remained of their people with our church plant on October 4, 2009.

You would be hard pressed to find a church in the Bay Area where the gospel has been faithfully proclaimed for 104 years. We have inherited a rich legacy and pray that we will be faithful to continue and hopefully expand it.
 
3) Toby, you know Sovereign Grace Ministries is about “gospel-centered local churches planting local churches.” Tell us about Wellspring Church and how they heroically served, supplied, and supported the starting of Christ Church.
 
Wellspring has been another clear and amazing evidence of God preparing the way for this church plant. Sam Shin’s humility and desire to see churches planted in the Bay Area is compelling.

For starters, almost all of our church plant team came from Wellspring’s San Francisco small group. Sam also gave me the opportunity to preach twice a month starting last February. This enabled me to build much better with the church-plant team, for the people at Wellspring to be more invested in our church plant, and for me to get to launch the church on August 2nd with a running start in the pulpit. In addition to sending off a large portion of their congregation, Wellspring also sent us with a $10,000 check.

We continue to look for opportunities to do as many events together as we can, which has included a fall retreat, various seminars, and a Christmas Eve service. Wellspring is a sister church and a partner in the gospel for us in so many ways.
 
4) What excites you most about Sovereign Grace planting even more churches in urban areas?
 
What I personally love about urban church plants is that no two of them will look the same. I think there can be such a temptation with church plants, and it can be so subtle, to put faith in a model more than the active presence of God.

Trying to import a certain way of doing things that works in the suburbs into an urban setting simply will not work. Urban church planters must put their faith in what Christ is calling them to do in their setting. We have a wonderful model in Sovereign Grace and I look forward to working it in a unique urban community.
 
5) Last question: Let’s say some young guy is reading this and he burns to plant an urban church. What would you say to him?
 
I would start by commending him for his desire to plant an urban church. We need as many church planters as we can get. But a call to plant is much more than a burden. You must have the confidence that God has placed that burden in you and that God is going before you. That burden may begin in you, but it has to be confirmed outside of you.

You need to be invested in a local church where you can be equipped and evaluated and where those who know you best can ultimately confirm your call. You need to do all you can to cultivate a love for God’s Word, your ability to preach it, and a love for the lost. An urban church plant is an exciting adventure, but our only hope in the midst of it is ever and always in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for passing along your experience, Toby. And thanks even more for serving the Savior in San Francisco!

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with Phil Sasser, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Apex, North Carolina (part one here).

Phil, what books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?

I have been most inspired by The Sacred Anointing by Tony Sargent and Between Two Worlds by John Stott. I have been most practically instructed by Christ-Centered Preaching by Bryan Chapell.

Of contemporary preachers, I have been probably most influenced by C.J. Mahaney and John Piper. While C.J.’s use of humor and illustrations is a challenge to some of us non-funny, pedantic pastors, his gospel-centered emphasis on application is, in my humble opinion, without equal. John Piper’s preaching emphases on the glory of God, the love of sound doctrine, and passionate commitment to the gospel always inspire me to resist the temptation to entertain or tickle the ears of those to whom I preach.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?

My father once told me that you could determine what a man would turn out to be by two things: the friends he kept and the books he read. My father’s love of reading and commitment to spend time doing it was one of the many wonderful gifts that he gave me.

The time I've spent reading has been significant but the fruit has been immeasurable. Jonathan Edwards has two excellent sermons that have been most helpful in my understanding of the importance of the effective use of time: “The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It” from Ephesians 5:16 and “Procrastination or the Sin and Folly of Depending on Future Time” from Proverbs 27:1.

I have an aversion to contemporary time management books.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?

It is very difficult to identify the most significant. I suppose that being more aware of the evidences of grace in a person’s life than his/her sin is one of the most significant. My heart's natural inclination is toward pride and self-righteousness. Those natural tendencies are the enemies of our soul. They leads us to ungodly appraisals of ourselves and others. Being intentional in recognizing the Spirit's work of grace in others is a powerful antidote to censoriousness and a negative view of others.

Having the privilege and responsibility to care for the souls of others requires that I have a grace-filled perspective of them. Seeing the fruit of the Spirit first makes me freshly aware of how powerfully God works in a person's life. My eye becomes more attuned to the effectual work of the gospel. It gives me a better perspective even on the challenging aspects of pastoral care. I am filled with a greater appreciation for others and a greater faith for their continued growth in godliness.
 
Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?
 
As our church as grown, I have become more aware of my inadequacies in leading our pastoral team. I am very comfortable in a small church setting. Leading a team of pastors is more of a challenge for me. God has seen fit to overcome my inadequacies by giving us a very godly and mature team. And I have benefited greatly by my relationships with other Sovereign Grace pastors of larger churches.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I have a gym membership and try to get there 2 or 3 times a week. Mostly I'm trying to rehab my new left knee. I love to play golf, but it is of minimal exercise value.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

My first love was baseball, but those days are long gone, so it has been replaced by golf. My favorite sports to watch are college football (Ohio State), college basketball (Ohio State and N.C. State), major league baseball (Reds), and golf.
 
What do you do for leisure?
 
Reading is the constant. I also watch romantic comedies with Cassie. I'll probably catch a lot of grief for this admission. When alone I sometimes listen to classic rock and roll. Dylan, The Byrds, and Paul Simon are at the top of that list. I have also been know to shoot pool at the local pool hall and I have a weakness for online chess.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

My first profession was a pharmacist (I sold drugs legally as opposed to C.J.), but if I had to choose again, something other than vocational ministry, I would either be a teacher (high school or college) or a lawyer.

My friend, you would have made an excellent history teacher. I learn new stuff about history whenever I am with you! But I’m so glad that instead of teaching history you were called to teach God’s Word and pastor the wonderful local church in Apex.

Over the past couple of years I’ve done a series of interviews so that you can “meet” men like John Piper, Carl Trueman, Wayne Grudem, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, David Powlison, and Thabiti Anyabwile. These are men I deeply love and respect. We asked them a set of questions that resulted in some very insightful answers. 
 

But I also like asking these questions of “ordinary” pastors, men less recognized who are laboring faithfully in their local churches. There is nothing ordinary about these men. I consider them extraordinary! I think their work serving the local church is the most important work being done today, work that is worthy of high esteem (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13).
 
Today I want you to meet one extraordinary ordinary pastor: Phil Sasser.

Phil serves as the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Apex, North Carolina. He has served at that church for 16 of his 29 years in ministry.

Phil and his wife, Cassie, have been married for 40 years and have five children and 15 grandchildren.

Meet Phil Sasser.

Phil, please describe your morning devotions. What time do you wake up in the morning? How much time do you spend reading, meditating, praying, etc.? What are you presently reading?

I have some insomnia, so wake up time can vary somewhat. Usually I get up between 6 AM – 7 AM. The first 45 minutes in my office is spent in reading, meditation, and prayer. The M’Cheyne Reading plan has served as a base for my daily Bible reading. This year, I am supplementing M’Cheyne by reading two pages from Herman Bavinck’s Our Reasonable Faith. I have a daily prayer agenda that varies with each day of the week.

What book(s) are you currently reading in these three categories: (a) for your soul, (b) for pastoral ministry, or (c) for personal enjoyment?

(a) Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards (this is about my fifth time reading through it) and The Work of Christ by G. C. Berkouwer.

(b) Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D. A. Carson

(c) Truman by David McCullough
 
Apart from Scripture, what book do you most frequently re-read and why?

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray is one. Murray’s treatment of the atonement is outstanding even though the book is relatively short. It is very rich in content and insight. Murray also covers doctrines such as our union with Christ, adoption, and glorification which sometimes are omitted from discussions on the atonement.
 
When you finish a book, what system have you developed in order to remember and reference that book in the future?

By the grace of God I have a good memory. Or is it that I can’t remember what I’ve forgotten? But if it is a particularly good quote, I copy it and put it in my sermon files on the pertinent subject or text.

If you could study under any theologian in church history (excluding those men in Scripture), who would it be and why?

John Calvin, because of both his depth and breadth of theological writing. There is a wonderful simplicity in his commentaries. He is writing to the ordinary pastors of his day, so he “cuts to the chase” quickly. Calvin’s commentaries have a focus on the gospel and the doctrines of grace. On the other hand, you can soar with Calvin in The Institutes.
 
What single piece of counsel (or constructive criticism) has most improved your preaching?

C.J.’s emphasis on the centrality of the gospel has obviously affected every aspect of my pastoral ministry. That is especially true of my preaching. I grew up, spiritually, in an atmosphere where the gospel was often marginalized or overshadowed by other, more secondary doctrines such as spiritual gifts, discipleship, eschatology, or ecclesiology. While these are important biblical themes, they must never supplant the gospel in focus or priority in preaching. We must never assume the gospel and, as C.J. has emphasized, there should be a sighting of the gospel (the cross & resurrection) in every sermon. This emphasis has done more, I think, to improve my preaching than any other counsel or criticism.

To be continued tomorrow in part 2...