Cancer Is Not Your Shepherd: Chapters 2 & 3

Duplex Frati Radio, Mike Abendroth. No Compromise. Glad you're listening today. Glad you're listening today. It is, in real time, May 9th, 2024. How could I prove that? The Boston Bruins last night lost 6 -1.

Personal Updates, Sports, and Show Logistics

Celtics play tonight. I don't even know why I root for these teams in New England. They're all winners, except the Red Sox and the Patriots. I was a Green Bay Packer fan growing up because the teams that I picked when I was 9 years old in 1969, they all had yellow in their jerseys or pants.

And so I picked Green Bay, yellow. Pittsburgh Pirates, yellow. I guess they could have done the Oakland A's. I probably didn't know they existed. Boston Bruins, yellow. Phil Esposito, his brother, Gary Chevers, Bobby Orr.

Let's see, who was at Pittsburgh when I was a kid? Probably Roberto Clemente. Green Bay Packers, it was Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Max McGee. I don't know, who was the guy that blocked Jethro Pugh in the ice bowl with Dallas?

I don't know. Anyway, Herb Adderley, number 26, Travis Williams. Was he around then in the late 90s? Who knows? That's when they had kickoff returns and kickoffs. And then for the other teams, I'm missing something.

Basketball. Oh, oh, duh, duh. It was the Lakers. So there you have it. So then I moved to Massachusetts in 1997. And I still liked the Lakers and hated the Celtics. And I didn't really have a football team to root for.

And then Brady was, you know, promoted after Bledsoe went out. Thought there's nothing like a winner. Boston Bruins, that was easy because I was already here. Red Sox, I don't care that much about baseball.

So all that to say, I enjoy watching football these days. I have been sadly rooting for the Chiefs, sadly for some of you, not sadly for me. It's fun because they're winning. But my daughter, Maddie, went to school with one of the football players who plays regularly for the Kansas City Chiefs.

So we root for Noah Gray and the Kansas City Chiefs. My name is Mike Havenroth. Like I said, this is no compromise radio ministry. I don't know. I should probably just ask. You know, if you don't ask, you don't get.

And so I—this is a pretty small operation. Spencer helps me a lot. He's kind of the guy behind the scenes, but nobody's really paid anything to do much. Maybe he gets a gift certificate once a year. And he—well, he does get one.

It's not very big, but everything else. Jonathan helps me, you know, put stuff on the website, et cetera. But there's not really—it's a small operation. It's basically me. When I say I'm no compromise radio ministry, that's pretty much it.

And it would be great to have an app. So if you're a listener and you're into this stuff and you want to help me put together an app, I just need to know how much it would be for the details behind the scenes, and that would be great.

I can't really pay—I mean, if you're an app developer and that's your job, don't email me. But if you know how to do it and you can help me get one at a low price, just like cost type of thing, and you'll do it for help and ministry, that'd be awesome.

So I'm going to ask. It'd be great to have an app. I also need some new designs for NoCoSwag, and my brother just totally put me to shame. So if you have cool designs that can be as good as the pactum or better, you can write me, mike at nocompromiseradio .com.

And I'll give you credit. We'll have you on the radio. We'll promote your stuff. Scratch your back. You scratch mine. Et cetera. Today on No Compromise Radio Ministry, it is day two of me talking about a Christian view of sickness.

I didn't phrase it that way last show. I just read from my book, Cancer is Not Your Shepherd. And I read the introduction in chapter one because I just thought to myself, you know what? Just to give you kind of a flavor of what it's like and how you could give it to a person with cancer.

And it's not going to lead off with Romans 828, although that's a wonderful verse and need it. But someone who has cancer in light of 2 Corinthians chapter one can be a comfort to other people who need comfort who have cancer.

And again, it could be MS. It could be Lou Gehrig's disease. It could be a heart problem. It could be anything. How does a Christian suffer? And so half the book, Cancer is Not Your Shepherd, is me writing.

The other half of the last 16 days, last 15 days, would be Puritan writers, Thomas Watson, Thomas Brooks, Thomas Goodwin. I didn't put Thomas Shepherd in there. I think I used to like Thomas Shepherd, this New England guy, but I think he's maybe too, I don't know, hyper lordship.

We'll see. All that to say, today on No Compromise Radio Ministry, I'd like to read a little bit from the book since it's not audible. I guess that's the other thing. If you would read the book, if you've got a good voice and you're willing to read the book on audible, then let me know.

The only book I think I have on audible is Gospel Assurance. Maybe I should just read this and it could be on audible. I don't know. Who would buy it? We'll see. That could be my next project. Cancer is Not Your Shepherd, A 31-Day Guide to Suffering.

I read the introduction. Day one I read, you have cancer. And then now we're up to, let's see, chapter two. All right. Chapter two or day two. Hebrews and Cancer. This is Mike Gabendroth, No Compromise Radio.

Growing Up, Sanctification, and the Pain of Change

Growing up is every child's wish. To be bigger, taller, and more mature is yearned for by young people. Similarly, to grow spiritually is every believer's wish. The complicating factor is that growing is often painful.

Not many people love change, yet that is exactly part of the response to God's sanctifying grace. Theologians call this change mortification and vivification. Death and life. Killing sin and living for righteousness.

This is the Christian's response to God's sanctification. Now, see, again there, as I said last time, there's Reformed theology that undergirds this. It's just not overt. It's just, it's not, I mean, there are Calvin quotes and Sinclair Ferguson quotes and other quotes.

But anyone, you know, a Methodist could read this and go, oh, fine. And then they would actually learn some Reformed theology. I obviously do not believe in synergistic sanctification. I believe we have a response.

God is the sanctifier, and we respond with killing sin and living for righteousness. But that response is not sanctification. God is the sanctifier alone, and we respond. So, see right here, you've got good Reformed theology.

I hope as a pastor and a Christian I have changed over the last 35 years. I know maturity is a good thing. Paul urged his understudy Timothy to make sure others saw his progress in the faith. Growth should be evident to people around you.

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 1 Timothy 4 .15. When people ask me what has caused the greatest amount of growth in me personally, I always respond with Hebrews and cancer.

I do not mean Hebrew people, but the book in the Bible called Hebrews. And when I say cancer, I mean cancer. Why cancer? Before my first cancer diagnosis in 2015, I would say that there was no flagrant or disqualifying sin in my life.

I did not and still do not look at pornography, and I was and am faithful to my wife. I read my Bible daily and live an upright life. But what cancer did expose was deep-seated issues that are hard to root out and difficult to notice.

Self-righteousness, pride, worry, anxiety. Did I mention self-righteousness? And more. These sins were always there, regularly popping out, lurking and simmering. But cancer seemed to be the great revealer.

In front of my family and the church, I put on a courageous face. And in the Lord's glory, there were times I walked by faith and not by sight. The problem surfaced at nighttime, like a nightmare. The family slept, and I worried.

I googled. I cried. I borrowed trouble by becoming anxious about the future. The good news about prostate cancer is that it is very curable if the cancer remains in the prostate itself. The bad news is there are so many options for treatment, each with advantages and disadvantages.

Additionally, prostate cancer is in a—how can I write this ?—delicate part of the male anatomy with unique complications. More to worry about. I had to come face-to-face with my spiritual inadequacies.

I realized my self-righteousness was not suitable or sufficient to help me in my time of need. I needed help. I needed sympathy. I needed a priest. I needed the Jesus perfectly portrayed in the book of Hebrews.

Christ Our High Priest in Hebrews

Why Hebrews? Hebrews is a book that is at its core a sermon. Its anonymous author has one goal in mind, and that is the magnification of Jesus Christ, the ultimate high priest. Priests essentially did two things.

One, offer sacrifices, and two, make intercession or pray. Hebrews proclaims that Jesus not only sacrificed himself for sinners, but still prays for his people now. Yes, there are warnings sprinkled throughout the sermon and many commands, especially in the final chapter.

But the book, from start to finish, is about Jesus. Hebrews 4, 14 -16. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

While the Old Testament always associated thrones with justice and meeting out judgment, the throne in Hebrews 4 is quite different. When the writer of Hebrews first spoke these words that are now written in epistle form, every listener expected verse 16 to say,.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of judgment. Instead of dispensing dread and gloom, the throne is one of joy and grace, all because of the high priest, Jesus the God-man. To repeat, what comes forth from a throne of grace?

Answer, grace. When the suffering child of God needs help from one who understands their weaknesses, and needs sympathy, not just empathy, Jesus the Son of God liberally gives assistance, grace, and mercy in the exact time of their need.

What an incredible priest. I am certain that having cancer qualifies as a time of need, don't you? And since that is a fact, draw near to Jesus with confidence. By God's grace, I did. You can too. Run to him with boldness.

In my study slash office in the church building, I usually have the door closed when I am studying. The door opens without a knock, I think. It must be my wife or one of my children. When it is someone else, I always say kindly, Don't you think you should knock before entering?

Only my family can saunter in without knocking. You, dear Christian, are a child of God, and you don't need to knock. You don't need incense to approach, hoops to jump, sins to stop, or Latin formulas to evoke.

You simply and confidently go to your Savior and the lover of your soul. Just because Jesus has passed through the heavens does not make him far from or unable to help those he came to rescue. Hebrews and cancer.

One showed me my inadequacies, and the other showed me my gracious high priest. Maybe you should read Hebrews today. Why don't you stop reading this book now, lay your burden before the Lord Jesus, and ask for help?

If you can't pray on your own, know Jesus is praying for you. That is day two. Mike Abendroth, No Compromise Radio. Cancer is not your shepherd. By the way, you can always write me and ask me a question.

Ecclesiology, Assurance, and Shepherding the Flock

And typically in the old days, the question was, how do I find a good church? Then, over the years, as I changed to a Christ-centered ministry and not a discernment ministry, the answers that I gave most often were to the question, how can I have assurance?

Because probably in the early days, my main goal was for listeners to be in a verse-by-verse, expository preaching church. And I wouldn't have said it back in the day, but I would have said, find a church that properly preaches, properly gives Lord's Supper and baptism, and has church discipline.

I remember in some of my old messages, going through the Belgic Confession and looking at the three marks of the church. I guess we have nine marks now. But the three marks of the church, much to be said about the nine marks of a church that are very good.

But the three marks of the church, I read all that, but it really wasn't kind of formulated in my mind. It wasn't really systemic. It wasn't bleeding through everything. And so, I would have those thoughts, but they weren't maybe true non-negotiable essentials.

So, find a Bible-teaching church, verse-by-verse. Then, something more is needed because you can be a verse-by-verse Bible teacher and miss the forest from the trees, bogged down in word studies, bogged down in how many times this word is used, bogged down into syntax and lexical issues, bogged down into not seeing the immediate context, the context of the book, the context of the Testament, the context of the Bible itself, the context of the Lord Jesus, context of the covenant of works, covenant of grace, covenant of redemption.

There are ways that you can read your Bible that don't really help. And there are also attitudes of the pastor that come forth, too, that would lend itself to lack of assurance. So, just like I said here in the book with Hebrews and cancer, you want to have the pastor for you.

And, you know, obviously, they are for you. That's why they're there. But what I mean by that is instead of as the pastor thinking most people in the congregation are so sinful, how can they call themselves a Christian?

The pastor should be, obviously, calling sin, sin, talking about repentance, talking about mortification and vivification as a response to God's sanctifying work. Obviously, or as they say in the streets, avi, maybe that's just text message stuff.

Of course, they should say that. If you're teaching through the Bible verse-by-verse, you're going to have a lot of that, right? Running from sin, stopping sexual immorality. Just read 1 Corinthians 6 and you'll see there's three commands right there in verses 12 through 21.

If memory serves, maybe it's 22. To the end of the chapter 23. Now I'm going to have to look it up. Come on. Otherwise, what was that old slogan that's going to make a monkey out of me? I don't want to be made a monkey.

Verse 20. That's the end of the chapter. So, verses 12 through 20 of 1 Corinthians 6 has three commands, obviously. But now the preaching style should be as a shepherd. Yeah, of course, I know the congregation sins.

Of course, they ought not to sin. Of course, we ought to call sin, sin. God's holiness, holy, holy, holy. But when we do talk about those things, God is so holy and sin is so unholy, well, then we get to the mediator or we should get to the mediator.

We should get to the advocate. We should get to the Lord Jesus. The sin bearer, the Lamb of God, our great high priest, the wonderful prophet, the king. We need to be talking about Jesus. And when you talk about Jesus, he is the one that doesn't break bruised reeds and he doesn't snuff out smoldering wicks.

You want the congregation to say the pastor wants me to excel and encourages me. And even though I sin, Jesus still loves me. Wouldn't it be an awful thing to sit in a church thinking, if I sin, I'm no longer loved by God or I could lose my salvation or maybe I sin so much I'm not really a Christian?

Most every sermon, I'll say, if you're an unbeliever, these promises are not for you and you need to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. You're a sinner and your doom is sure. Most every sermon, I say that.

Yes, there are unbelievers sitting there, but I'm there to edify the flock. Should not our ecclesiology say to ourselves that, you know what, we need to feed the sheep and that we're for them? Anyway, at No Compromise Radio, you can write me and I don't know what the latest wave of things would be.

Maybe there's going to be cancer emails. And by the way, if I could say this just kindly and gently and I'll get back to the book. If you have recipes, if you have suggestions, if you have books, if you have articles, if you have videos that say pharmaceuticals are all bad, pharmaceutical companies are all bad and the medicine that I'm taking from Dana-Farber is all bad and that I should just be eating grapefruit all day or melons or, I don't know, kale or something.

Just please don't send them to me because in one way it just kind of bugs me. I know you want to help, but, you know, I'd rather have you say there's a specialty doctor of leukemia at such and such a hospital.

Have you ever thought about going to them or whatever? That would be better. Obviously, there's big pharma, there's big pharma. There's lots of bad things about it. See, you know, COVID. But all that to say.

It's like you get prostate cancer and the next thing you know I'm not supposed to have any biopsies or any PSA test or any brachytherapy. I'm just supposed to, you know, be in hyperbolic chambers, hyperbaric chambers and eat macadamia nuts or something.

I don't know. And no, then there's testimony. So people did it and then they lived. I like chiropractors. I have acupuncturists help me. I like alternative medicine to some degree, but I have a mix. So we let our conscience be our guide.

And we can help people, but sometimes the help is not as good. Actually, I have a chapter in the book about what to say to people and what not to say to people. Day 3, Invisible Realities. James 1, verses 2 to 5.

Romans 5, 1 to 5. What do you notice that is similar in the two passages you just read? I trust you notice words like joy, rejoice, testing, steadfastness, endurance, character, and hope. Whether we realize it or not, whether we believe it to be true or not, the triune God is using trials to mold and shape us into the image of the Lord Jesus.

He is conforming us, chiseling us, and refining us. We cannot always see this, and that is why this chapter contains the word invisible. Perhaps the word imperceptible would also work. Like a child feverishly asking his parent, Am I growing?

Only be shown the pencil marks on the door proving that he is. Christian with cancer? You know that cancer, left untreated, slowly eats away at your good molecules, good tissues, good blood, and good organs.

In a similar but spiritual and better way, the Holy Spirit himself is slowly and steadily dealing with the sin in your life, sifting, convicting, encouraging, replacing, and more. God is even taking your cancer and using it to produce a holy character in you and in me.

We do not rejoice that we have cancer, but we count it all joy and rejoice that even though cancer is an enemy and killer, the Lord of the universe does only what he can. Utilize cancer to make us more like Jesus.

Don't rush past that thought. Cancer? More like Jesus? That sounds like something miraculous. In actuality, it is supernatural, and it is true. Furthermore, it is amazing, and it displays the Holy Spirit's incredible handiwork.

Romans 8. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, and for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. It took a long time for me to say these words from my heart, but I finally humbled myself and said them out loud like I meant them.

Lord, I want to sincerely thank you for cancer. Insert tears here. Now it's your turn. In light of God's love for you and the verses you read at the beginning of this day, go for it. The one who loves you and made you already knows your weaknesses.

I know, I know, it's hard. So to help you, I want you to take the verses you just read and insert the word cancer. I'm not trying to change scripture, God forbid. I just want to emphasize my point, so please allow me.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you get diagnosed with cancer. For you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and endurance has its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom when you have cancer, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without approach, and it will be given to him. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we rejoice in our cancer, knowing that cancer produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

And we know that for those who love God, cancer works together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. Lord, thank you, even for my cancer. Mike Abendroth, No Compromise Radio Ministry.

Cancer is Not Your Shepherd, a 31-day guide to suffering. If you want 10 or more copies, email me, mike at nocompromiseradio .com. 40 off for 10 or more. Thanks for listening.