Voddie Baucham is a well-known Baptist pastor and public speaker in the United States.  Many of my readers will already be familiar with his sermons and some have been blessed with the opportunity of seeing him preach in person.

At the end of last week, my posts concerned overcoming difficult circumstances in life — physical and spiritual.  Mr Baucham has done both.

He grew up in a single-parent home.  His mother became pregnant at the age of 17 in South Central Los Angeles, an area internationally infamous for its gangs and crime.  Although his parents got married, the union did not last.  Mr Baucham’s father pursued a career in professional US football.  He died in 2006 at the age of 55, as a result of cocaine addiction.  Mr Baucham preached at his funeral.

Mr Baucham was not raised in a Christian home.  His mother was a Buddhist.  It was only when he went to university that he heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Yet, before he graduated, he was a licensed minister and had delivered his first sermon.  He met his wife Bridget at university. They have four children.

Although Mr Baucham speaks at Christian conferences throughout the year, he serves full-time as Pastor of Preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas.

Mr Baucham is living proof that one can overcome not only environmental adversity but spiritual deficiency.  He was able to leave circumstances which could have easily led him to a very different life.  He transformed his life by acknowledging the sovereignty of God and the power of His grace.

Let it never be said, ‘It can’t be done.’  We can be overcomers.

In the five-segment sermon below Mr Baucham discusses our man-centred worldview and our brokenness.  Each segment is around 10 minutes long.  I hope that you find them as compelling as I did.

Before you begin viewing, you might wish to read Psalm 51, the text on which the sermon is delivered.  I have selected the English Standard Version (ESV) as it has a thorough concordance in the footnotes.

In part 1 of ‘Brokenness’, Mr Baucham critiques the man-centredness of the emergent church and the popular Christian novel, The Shack (yes, I realise that it contradicts what I wrote in 2009):

In part 2, he examines David’s plea for God’s forgiveness in Psalm 51.  Mr Baucham says that only when we realise we are broken — truly broken — can we submit to God’s will and His sovereignty.  David begs God to cleanse him of his sin — not just a lick and a promise (as my mother used to say) but a thorough, ritual cleansing.  David recognises his brokenness and submits himself to God’s will, mercy and grace:

In part 3, he discusses the more positive aspects of remorse and memory with regard to sin.  If we had no memory of our sins, we would commit them time and time again.  David also remembered his sin — bedding Bathsheba.  A year later it was as alive a memory then as when he committed it.  Mr Baucham also tells us what it was like returning to South Central Los Angeles for his father’s funeral:

In part 4, he impresses upon us that Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and reads from Revelation (Rev. 19:11-21).  This is not the girly Christ we know from today’s church services, praise bands and the other man-centred constructs with which we are only too familiar.  He further discusses The Shack in this regard:

In part 5, he concludes by saying that only when we acknowledge our brokenness can we put ourselves at God’s mercy and begin to recognise His sovereignty and saving grace.  Only then will we realise what sinners we are.  Only then will we see our man-centred modern Christianity and heinous worship services for what they are.  Mr Baucham reminds us that God is displeased when we worship Him falsely, pleasing ourselves as we do it.  Think modern hymns, entertaining liturgy and all the rest.  When we realise just Who God is, we will wish to worship Him in a solemn, reverent manner befitting His majesty:

More on this topic — and from Mr Baucham — tomorrow.