​If someone asked you, “what kind of a church is Oak Crest?”  What would you say?  There are a lot of answers that might be given, some better than others.  One of the goals of this current series of sermons and articles is to remind all of us of our identity as a healthy, biblical, Christ-centered, God-glorifying church.  So what did you answer in your mind?  Oak Crest is a red church. Oak Crest is a traditional church.  Oak Crest is a family church.  Oak Crest is a conservative church.  Oak Crest is a friendly church.  Well all those things may very well be true, and those things may very well be meant as compliments, but those things are not what I hope you will think of first and foremost about Oak Crest.  I would not want you to think of those things first any more than if someone asked you, “who is Blain Craig?” you would say, “well he has thinning dark hair.”  Well once again that may be true, but that is not my identity that is not what is most important about me.
          We are thinking about those core convictions, those marks of our identity as a church.  Last week we thought about expository preaching.  Now that is one I would hope you would think of when someone asks about Oak Crest.  “Oh, they preach and teach the Bible!”  Now that is so much better than “reddish brick with a white steeple.”
          The second characteristic we are striving to live out is our commitment to Biblical Theology.  Another way we might say it is Sound Doctrine.  The New Testament has a lot to say about the importance of sound doctrine or right belief.  Paul tells Timothy, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths,” (2 Timothy 4: 2-4).  Paul also says to Titus and by extension to all of us, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine,” (Titus 2:1)
          Friends, it is not enough to be consciously aware of how we preach and teach, we must also give careful attention to what we preach and teach.  It must be the whole truth of God’s Word.  Many Christians love to quote John 8:32, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  That is a wonderful verse, but far fewer Christians know what the verse immediately prior says.  Read John 8:31, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.’”  See the freedom we so often love to claim is rooted in an ongoing abiding in the truth of the Word of God.
          Why all the fuss about Biblical Theology and Sound Doctrine?  It is because without being anchored to the truth of who God really is we will be tossed about by every new and novel teaching.  Doctrine and theology are not only for the preachers.  We must all stand on the truth of God or we will be swallowed up by the culture that surrounds us.  You will find a statement of our doctrine on our website.  These are man made documents always submissive to Scripture, serving only as a general guide for our common beliefs.  If you want a quick review of some core convictions visit Core Convictions.  If you want a much more thorough statement visit our Full Confession.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

We are currently in a 9 week sermon series entitled, “The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.”  During this series, I would like to use these weekly newsletter articles to reinforce the previous Sunday’s mark.  One of our core values at Oak Crest is to consistently practice “expository preaching,” more specifically, “text-driven preaching.”  It is very important that we are reminded of what this really means.  I want to remind you of the importance of solid, biblical exposition in preaching.  Let me first of all say, I do not always succeed in doing expository preaching.  When I don’t, I fail as your pastor and as a minister of the gospel.  What is expository preaching?

Very simply, expository preaching is preaching the bible.  You may say, “Everybody does that!”  I am not certain they do.  Many preachers refer to the Bible in their preaching, but does the biblical passage set the agenda of the sermon?  It has been said that expository preaching is, “preaching which expounds what Scripture says in a particular passage, carefully explaining its meaning and applying it to the congregation.”  I think that is a good definition.  Haddon Robinson is one of the most well known and beloved professors of preaching in the country.  He has defined expository preaching as, “communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to the hearers.”

It should also be said that expository preaching as I have discussed it in the previous paragraph is not just one “style” of preaching along with many others.  No, it is far more than that.  It is a theologically and biblically driven philosophy of God’s word.  Expository preaching upholds the centrality of the word of God as the sole authority in a local New Testament church.  If God is not speaking to us through the Bible, then we cannot rightly be called a church.

Why do we make such a big deal about this?  When preachers don’t preach the word of God, it is deadly dangerous.  When preachers preach themselves, or self-help and self-esteem, or they preach to felt needs, God himself is veiled from the people.  God has revealed himself in his word.  “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ,” (Romans 10:17).  No word – no Christ, no Christ – no salvation.  Can we afford not to preach the truth of God?  I am recommitting to you as your pastor to preach the word.

In Christ,

​Blain Craig

         Most of us cannot think of the Lord’s model prayer without considering the final phrase of that prayer, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen” Matthew 6:13.  What a beautiful and appropriate ending to a perfect prayer.  We are once again reminded that it is God alone who is the object of our prayer.  We come full circle to the Glory of God that Jesus begins the prayer speaking about.  It is all about his Glory. 
            Is there any better subject to consume our thoughts and to be the center of our focus than the Glory of God?  All creation from the smallest sub-atomic particle to the farthest galaxy demonstrates the wonder, power, and glory of God.  When we really think about all the things we see in nature it is quite overwhelming.  God is so glorious and powerful.  King David prayed similarly to Jesus in 1 Chronicles 29: 10-13 "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”  May this be our prayer as well.  We really only understand our place in the world when we truly understand God’s power and majesty as the creator of the world.
            As we conclude our thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer, consider the following: 
I cannot say "Thine is the kingdom" if I do not give the King
the loyalty due Him from a faithful subject. I cannot attribute to Him "the power" if I fear what men may do.  I cannot attribute to Him "the glory" if I'm seeking honor only for myself. I cannot say "forever" if the horizon of my life is bounded completely by time.  -Author Unknown.
 
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

          Americans are bombarded with advertisements daily.  We are more likely to receive a phone call from a company hoping we will buy something, than a phone call from a friend.  Think about how many products or services you are encouraged to buy on a given day.  The University of Washington has researched this issue and says, “The average American is exposed to 500 to 1,000 commercial messages a day. That's anywhere from 182,500 to 365,000 commercial messages that a person will view this year alone.”  Another word we could use for all this “encouragement” is temptation.  The temptation is great to constantly be unsatisfied with what we have.
            We can plainly see that the world is continually tempting us to be and do things that are contrary what God wants for our lives.  That is no surprise.  The surprise is how Jesus teaches us to pray regarding temptation.  He says to pray, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” Matthew 6: 13a.  Why in the world would we need to pray for God not to lead us into temptation?  Everyone knows it is the devil and our own sin nature and the influences of this fallen world that leads us into temptation, not God.  Jesus is simply saying that we should pray God will lead us away from temptation; this is not to imply that he could ever lead us into temptation.
            In short, neither you nor I can ever hope to have victory apart from God’s perfect leading into righteousness and holiness.  The cunning subtleties of the enemy should remind us that God alone is able to truly deliver us from temptation and evil.  When it comes to temptation, please do not be guilty of underestimating Satan.  He is not to be taken lightly.  In fact, Jesus told Peter that Satan had demanded Peter that he might “sift you like wheat.”  Jesus reassured Peter that he had prayed for him that his faith would not fail.  The truth remains, Satan, if allowed, could have sifted Peter like wheat, and he could you too.  Look at the example of Job.  On the other hand, we must also never be guilty of overestimating Satan.  Satan is on a leash.  There is an end to his freedom.  God is sovereign.  That is why Jesus teaches us to pray to God regarding our temptations.  We don’t wear garlic, or crucifixes, or chant mantras to ward off temptation.  We pray to God that he would empower us by his Holy Spirit to stand firm in the day of temptation.    As God grants us his grace, may we, “Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10: 5.

In Christ,

Blain Craig