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Sep '17

Worship – A. W. Tozer

Posted on Sep 19, 2017 in Great Books |

Sep '17

I’m a little surprised when I think that I am about to suggest that perhaps the very best book to read to help you understand modern, contemporary worship in the second decade of the third millennium is a collection of writings by a man who died over a year before I was born.

Aiden Wilson Tozer writes as a passionate pastor and his writing delivers words that smack us directly. He writes things like:

I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.

…I would warn those who are cultured, quiet, self-possessed, poised and sophisticated that if they are embarrassed in church when some happy Christian says “Amen!” they may actually be in need of some spiritual enlightenment.

The great hospitals have grown out of the hearts of worshiping men. The mental institutions grew out of the hearts of worshiping and compassionate men and women. We should say, too, that wherever the church has come out of her lethargy rising from her sleep and into the tides of revival and spiritual renewal, always the worshipers were back of it.

Science is great, philosophy is greater, theology is greater still, and worship is greatest of all. For worship goes back of where science can go, back of where human thought can penetrate, back of all the wordings of theology, and back to the reality. And when the Christian gets on his knees, he is having a meeting at the summit. He can’t get beyond that.

The wisdom and insight in this small, 134 page volume is significant. The book is full of inspiration and challenge and should make any believer reflect on their own heart before participating in worship, even though we so easily take it for granted. I encourage anyone to read and be challenged by A.W. Tozer as we strive to be worshipers who worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

I was provided a copy of this book by Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. (Mike Fischer)

You can find this book on Amazon by clicking here.

Aug '17

Word Centered Church

Posted on Aug 29, 2017 in Great Books |

Aug '17

Word-Centered Church: How Scripture Brings Life and Growth to God's People by [Leeman, Jonathan]

I remember attending the Sovereign Grace conference, WorshipGod 2011 in at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. I believe it was after Thabiti Anyabwile’s message in that conference, “Gathering to Hear” that we as attendees we were gifted with a book by Jonathan Leeman titled Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People.

That book impacted me after reading it, and the 2017 revision—now with a new title—impacted me once again.

Jonathan Leeman presents a serious problem in our churches. We say God’s Word is important to us, but we don’t make it central to our lives. We often don’t even make it central to our ministries!

We like to look to programs to engage people, yet it is the Word of God that transforms us and gets us to surrender and yield to Christ. Great salesmanship or a sleek presentation doesn’t cut it. Only God’s Word can change us.

Leeman provides practical suggestions challenging us to make the Word central. He uses the word “reverberation” in describing how a pastor preaches and passes it on through the congregation much like a sound wave reverberates and causes other objects to reverberate and “pass the sound on.”

What would the church look like if people came for God’s Word as opposed to coming for “the show?” Would a church that puts God’s Word first see a reverberation that impacts the entire congregation and even the community and world around?

While much of this book is simply the previous edition with some revisions in a new design and with a new name,

Word Centered Church is a good book for any pastor or church member to read and be reminded what is most important in church life: Hearing God’s Word through preaching, reading, singing, and praying.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review from the publisher. (Mike Fischer)

You can find this book by clicking here.

Aug '17

Pastoral Theology

Posted on Aug 29, 2017 in Great Books |

Aug '17

Pastoral Theology: Theological Foundations for Who a Pastor is and What He Does by [Akin, Dr. Daniel L., Pace, Dr. R. Scott]

I am recently sensing an increased interest in theology. Perhaps there are times in the life of a church where we crave the basics on which we are founded. Maybe we see culture leading us astray or perhaps it is simply recognizing our need for God. This is a good thing as we need this strong foundation for everything we do.

Is there a need for another theology book? There are many great theology texts one can choose from. Why might we choose this book as opposed to dusting off any other theology text in our library? Daniel L. Akin and R. Scott Pace titled this book

Pastoral Theology but it could have just as easily been called “Practical Theology” or “Everyday Theology.” This is a theology handbook for “in the trenches.”

While it is written for pastors, I think it would be very helpful for any believer to read as it defines the role of pastor and defines what the church is. In other words, there is purpose and definition defined and described for each one of us. It is easy to get distracted by trends and felt-needs, but good theology helps us focus on what is important.

The book starts with the foundations of our faith—God, Jesus, Spirit—and progresses through the doctrines of the church and ends with how to practically facilitate this in our churches, although there is much practical throughout the book.

In a time where there is a war for our churches, we need this practical, everyday pastoral theology. As a pastor, it is helpful to be reminded what we stand for and how this affects how and what we do in church. For the congregation, it is helpful to be reminded what we stand for and what a church is and is not. I found myself both encouraged and challenged throughout the book.

I’m glad there is an increase in attention given to theology. I hope that this newly increased interest will help us refine our purpose of making disciples and reaching the lost as we seek to give glory to God the Three-In One.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. (Mike Fischer)

Click here to find this book on Amazon.

Aug '17

Awe

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in Great Books |

Aug '17

We are created by God as worshipers of His glory. Due to the fall, we struggle to worship appropriately. This means that we are created worshipers, but due to spiritual death or theological misgivings we can inappropriately direct our worship to things other than God. In the introduction to the book Tripp says “Our hearts are always captured by something—that’s how God made us. But sin threatens to distract us from the glory of our Creator. All too often, we stand in awe of everything but God. Uncovering the lies we believe about all the earthly things that promise us peace, life, and contentment, Paul Tripp redirects our gaze to God’s awe-inducing glory—showing how such a vision has the potential to impact our every thought, word, and deed.”

This is such a common problem. Tripp identifies the problem and then gives the reader a clear challenge to focus their worship daily on our great God. The absence of awe is a sad state for the Christian, the family, and the church. I think this book is an important read for all of us. I hope it will bless you as it has me. (Rob Love)

You can find this book here.