The Book of Revelation is Exactly What We Need

I was blessed to be in the seats at Baptist Church of the Redeemer for the six months or so that Jim Hamilton preached through the book of Revelation. I was new to the church and fairly new in pastoral ministry. I remember thinking: “I can’t believe he’s preaching on this!” Don’t get me wrong, I believed that all of the Bible was true and profitable for the body of Christ. But, admittedly my interaction with friends and other pastors on Revelation had always produced more fear and confusion for me than edification.

But, I was struck by how clear and powerful the sermon series proved to be. Jim did not overwhelm us with theories, positions or charts. He simply explained, with passion and gravity, this very important book of the Bible. I remember coming away from those sermons and being more impressed with the beauty, strength and majesty of Jesus than ever before. The “crucified, risen, ascended, reigning and returning” Lord seemed to peer directly at us from the pages of John’s letter on those Sundays. There was expectation for the future, yes but not the kind that leads to speculation and calculation. It was the kind that made obedience in the present all the more attractive and logical. Jesus was real and was coming again. We were confronted with His power and the futility of resisting it.

I’m so thankful that Crossway has seen the blessing and value that these sermons and Jim’s careful study offer for the wider Church. So, I couldn’t be more excited to now hold Revelation, The Spirit Speaks to the Churches in my hands. Pastors, if you’re not familiar with the Preaching the Word commentary series, edited by R. Kent Hughes, you should quickly familiarize yourself. This series has been helpful to me in my preparation through the book of Acts and the gospel of Mark. I know that this latest edition to this reliable series will serve you very well, both as an encouragement to preach on Revelation and as a resource as you go about explaining this glorious book to your congregations.

When Jim stood up to begin the series on Revelation, I admit to having doubts about how applicable this apocalyptic work would be to our church full of normal people with normal needs, too many to mention. Then, near the beginning of his first sermon, he said something like this:

“We have been lulled to sleep by the ordinariness of our lives. Our senses have been dulled by the humdrum of one day after another. We need to see God as he is. We need to be convinced that Jesus is reigning as the risen King. We need to have him speak to the situation in our churches. We need to know that God is right now on his throne, in control in Heaven, worshiped by myriads upon myriads of the heavenly host. We need to see the way that God will pulverize wickedness, obliterate those who oppose him, and set up his kingdom. The book of Revelation has exactly what we need.” –Pg. 18

The book of revelation is exactly what we need. I hope that you will benefit greatly from this new volume and that through it, our confidence in and worship of our reigning and returning King will soar!

Moving Men by God–Inside the Life of Hudson Taylor

Dear Saint at Redeemer,

As we launch into a new year, I’m reminded of the words of the author of Hebrews:

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. –Hebrews 13:7-8

For the last three years, at the beginning of each year, it has been our custom to do just that. I have the privilege of studying the life of a “hero of the faith,” and presenting the “outcome of their life” to you in the form of a biographical sermon that we call “Footsteps of the Faithful.” Our prayer is that you and I would imitate their faith, and be reminded that Jesus is the same, yesterday and today and forever. In other words, their Jesus is our Jesus. Thus far, we’ve considered the lives of George Whitfield and William Tyndale and I hope that you will join us this coming Sunday, we will study and learn from the life of Hudson Taylor.

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) is often referred to as the founder of modern missions. He is best known for his work in founding the China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship) which impacted China for the gospel in countless and supernatural ways. But, the focus of this Sunday’s message will not mainly be on facts and numbers, although those are astounding and worth careful consideration. The focus will be on Hudson Taylor’s private life. What was Hudson Taylor like as a man? What was he like behind closed doors? What role did prayer and dependence upon God play in his ministry? How did he deal with struggles and temptation? What can God teach us from his life? How can we be encouraged to press harder into Jesus in this new year by reflecting on the life of this saint?

I pray that you will join us this Sunday as we consider Moving Men by God–Inside the Life of Hudson Taylor. It has been a joy to study the life of such a witness to King Jesus. It was said of Taylor that he was “small in stature and far from strong. . .always facing physical limitations. . . But above all, he tested the promises of God and proved that it was possible to live a consistent spiritual life on the highest plane.” And that he did. Through tragedy, personal loss and setback after setback, Taylor’s joy and resolve only strengthened. How could this be? What was his secret? Join us this Sunday to find out. Pray that God would prepare you to set out this year to know Him like Hudson Taylor knew Him–a God that could and would provide for those who seek Him. . . That even when we are faithless, He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13). I’ll look forward to seeing you this Sunday at Redeemer!

Blessings in Him this New Year!

Under the Blood: A Sermon Clip [VIDEO]

Jason Allison is a mastermind. His work has shown up on my blog before and will again. He’s creative, gospel-centered and really good at what he does. The video below is a great example of the quality of his work. He took a clip from a sermon I recently preached on the Lord’s Supper and. . . well check it out:

Under The Blood from Jason Allison on Vimeo.

The Hobbit Trailer is Now Online!

December Sermon Series at Redeemer: “So I Send You”

Jesus had been crucified on a cross, enduring the full wrath of Almighty God. He had been buried. Three days later He rose. He appeared to Mary, and then to his disciples. Then, while his disciples were gathered in a room, after Mary had given them the announcement that Jesus had risen, He appeared to them (when the doors were shut). He showed them his hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw Him. Then He said:

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

So, the message of Christmas is not just that Jesus came, but that now He is sending. . . us. This December I will press pause on my sermon series through the Gospel of Mark, to take up, what Hudson Taylor so aptly coined as the Great Commission of Jesus. Each week, we will study a phrase from Matthew 28:18-20. The schedule is below:

December 4th—”We Are Sent.”
December 11th—“We Are Sent to Make Disciples.”
December 18th—“We Are Sent to Make Disciples of All the Nations.”
December 25th—”We Are Sent to Make Disciples of All the Nations, by the Power of the Spirit.”

I hope that you will pray with me for God’s blessing on the teaching of His word this Christmas at Redeemer and in all of our churches, for His glory.

VIDEO: Family Camp 2.0 Sonic Conversation Between Travis & Billy. . .

Big thanks again this year to Jason Allison for putting together the script and video! It was lots of fun. . . and it did get a few laughs.

Family Camp ’11 messages from Craig Cabaniss [The Gospel According to Ruth} are now online. . .

This past weekend our church family had the opportunity to retreat together for our annual church Family Camp. This year our speaker was author, pastor and speaker Craig Cabaniss. Craig is the senior pastor of Grace Church in Frisco, TX. He is also a member of the leadership team of Sovereign Grace Ministries and a contributing author to the book Worldliness, recently published by Crossway. He and his wife Ginger have four children.

Over three sessions together, Craig walked through the book of Ruth considering “The Gospel According to Ruth.” The sessions can all be accessed at our sermon page at bcredeemer.org. Here’s an outline of Craig’s messages from Ruth:

Session 1: Grace and the Prodigal Daughter, Ruth 1:1-6

Session 2: God’s Grace to the Bitter and Rejected, Ruth 1:7–2:23

Session 3: God’s Redeeming Grace, Ruth 3-4

I can’t recommend these messages, or the ministry of Craig Cabaniss more highly. Take some time and listen to God’s story of grace in Ruth and be reminded of that story in your own life.

My favorite quote from the weekend summed up the book well: “Grace is always God’s last word to His people.” ENJOY!

Visiting Redeemer this Sunday? Here Are Some Major Schedule Changes that You Need to Know (Due to Family Camp)

This Sunday morning the majority of our church will not be at our normal location for worship. We will be at Trinity Pines Retreat Center, at our second annual Family Camp, returning Sunday afternoon.

However, there will be a worship service at Baptist Church of the Redeemer on Sunday. So, if you’re unable to join us for Family Camp, or you’re planning to visit Redeemer, let me encourage you to attend on Sunday. Here are the significant changes that you’ll need to be aware of:

1) Location: The location of our service will be in the same building (Main Building as you come into the campus). We have moved the service from the main sanctuary to a smaller assembly room nearby. You can enter through the same door that you would as if you were heading to the sanctuary and follow the signs and greeters to the proper location.

From the main double doors: Walk down the hall (sanctuary on your left) and take your first right down the hall. Then turn right just before you enter “David’s Hall.” The assembly room will be the first room on your left.

2) Time: The time of our service will be the same as usual: 10:40am.

3) Sunday School & Lunch: There will be no Sunday School or Fellowship lunch this week. We will resume both SS and lunch next week, Lord willing.

4) Childcare: There will be no nursery or children’s church this week. However areas outside of the assembly room will be open to parents if needed.

If you have other questions about this Sunday’s service, please call 832-655-2515.

Blessings!

Travis

What Do You Need to Pack for Family Camp?

Redeemer’s New Worship Location Beginning this Sunday

These are exciting days. As many of you already know, we are moving into a time of discussion and prayer about a potential merger with First Baptist Church, Missouri City. If you’ve been around Redeemer for a little while, you’ll know that this possibility has been on our hearts and in our prayers for several years now. Recently FBC decided to move forward with the conversation and we’ve had one meeting together (the first of many) to discuss the possibility of merging our two churches into one. We want to let you know that this will be a process involving much discussion, prayer and deliberation.

As we begin these discussions about a potential merger, we do have an important announcement to make that will have an immediate impact on our meeting location. First Baptist Church has graciously invited us to begin worshiping in their main sanctuary, located at the entrance of the campus, beginning this Sunday, August 28th. As was announced last Sunday, we will continue to meet in the Family Life Center for Sunday school, and our fellowship lunch following our time of worship. Our worship time will remain the same, beginning at 10:40am.

So, let me ask you to be prepared to be flexible and ready for a few changes in our normal routine over the next few weeks. Small changes will occur as we discover the most efficient ways to transition back and forth and as we work out all of the details that go along with a new worship location. We greatly appreciate your patience and help. Please continue to pray for God’s leading in our discussions about the potential opportunity to merge with FBC. We are so thankful for the opportunity to minister in this community, with this group of Christ followers. What a privilege!