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Jesus Christ: Lunatic, Liar, or Lord?
There is a cancer update at the end of this message. CHIP STAM STEM CELL DRIVE: BE THE MATCH www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== Who is Jesus Christ? Today's WORSHIP QUOTE is a rather famous excerpt from C. S. Lewis's MERE CHRISTIANITY. The author presents a persuasive argument against the modern-day notion that Jesus was merely a great moral teacher. Lewis was a scholar and author who came to faith in Jesus Christ rather late in life. He went on to be one of the most effective Christian apologists of the last century. JESUS CHRIST: LUNATIC, LIAR, OR LORD? Jesus . . . told people that their sins were forgiven. . . . This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. . . . I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. — C. S. Lewis, in MERE CHRISITIANITY (New York: Macmillan, 1952), p. 56-57. [Jesus came as the God-Man! When Jesus spoke, God was speaking. Take another look at Philippians 2:5-11 (“that at the name of Jesus . . .”). How does our worship planning and leadership clarify and present the truth about the Lordship of Jesus Christ?] Blessings to all! Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Ministries The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.wqotw.org www.sbts.edu/icw ==================== THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 1 (Ed Willmington): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-05 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 2 (Carl Stam): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-12 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 3 (Donald Hustad): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-19 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 4 (Ron Man): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-26 ==================== ===================================== HEALTH UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST FOR CHIP STAM, CANCER PATIENT www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== August 3 Treatment Update Dear friends and family, Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. Some pictures of the stem cell infusion day are found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam. Last Monday (July 26) was the exciting day when the PET scan revealed that the cancer has been reduced and there is no evidence of disease. Hallelujah! Even with that great news, we are having a bit of a roller coaster ride emotionally since last Friday (July 30). I had to go back to the clinic Friday afternoon for a two-hour infusion (FOSCARNET) to fight one of the Graft Vs. Host Disease viruses. That day's blood tests revealed that I have high levels of CMV (one of the viruses that most people have, but only is a problem when one's immune system is weak, like mine). It is not a return of the Lymphoma, but one of the normal side effects of the treatment. My new blood system and my old blood system are at war with each other. Does that sound like the Apostle Paul in Romans 7? I will have two of these infusions each day until this virus is under control. The home healthcare nurse came on Saturday night to teach us how to do the second daily infusion by ourselves with all the tubes and the pump. We are hoping that this is just a bump in the road, but we knew that these manifestations of Graft vs. Host Disease were probable. These folks seem to know what they are doing. I am not in pain, but my feet, ankles, and legs are swollen pretty badly. The doctors assure me that my shape will be back to normal when the high steroid doses are reduced. THERE'S MORE Yesterday, Monday, we found out that there is a national back-order for the FOSCARNET drug I am taking (ask a pharmacist). If they can't get more by tomorrow (doubtful) then they will have to admit me to the hospital for tonight (August 3). We'll see what happens. God is God. In the mighty and caring hands of our Creator and Redeemer, Chip www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org. =========================== |