For the last month, I have enjoyed the opportunity to sit and hear preaching instead of being the preacher. As I am waiting for God’s direction into a new pulpit, I am striving to discover and demonstrate the marks of a healthy church member (or attendee as is the case currently). I think bare minimum that includes serving in the church and supporting the pastor, though we could discuss many elements. But in this season of sitting under another man’s pulpit ministry, I have asked myself the question, “what should be happening to me as I come and hear the Word of God proclaimed?” Too often I have been guilty of coming to worship, taking my seat, singing the song, listening to the message and then going home. But should I not go into the house of God with an expectation to leave differently? Should not every Sunday be an exercise of sanctification for my soul? In asking these questions I have come to understand that there should be at least three results evident after I have sat under the Word of God
1. The mind should be INFORMED. Regardless of what church you go to, true preaching is a monologue. It is a proclamation of truth that demands a response, but that response is demanded AFTER the facts have been declared. Too many believers today hold low standards of expectations for the preaching of God’s Word. “Just give us that good ol’ gospel preaching.” Now I love the gospel, but knowing the gospel and loving the gospel is a lifelong endeavor. Paul always preached the gospel, yet gave practical insights into the daily lives of believers. We should expect to come to church and learn new truths or discover old truth in new light. Now this means that if I walk away from the preaching without my mind informed, one of two problems has occurred. It could be that the preacher has not effectively done his job. God’s Word must stretch him before it stretches me. Too often pastors fall to the extreme of preaching a commentary they have read the week prior. I fear that too many preachers spend more time studying their commentaries than the text of Scripture. Or the opposite extreme is that they treat the message as an emotional pep talk or entertainment platform. In this case performance and relevance overshadow the text of Scripture. But let me be honest at this point. I have sat under preachers who may be less than par according to my preferences, but are faithful men who love Jesus and study the Word to be approved workmen. More often than not the reason my mind is not informed is because I am not engaged in the Word. Satan is not just a deceiver and a destroyer, he is a distracter. So many times the worship experience itself is spiritual warfare and I must fight the good fight. Every true gospel message, even by the poorest of preachers, will provide some nugget of truth that I can store up in my mind and walk away amazed at the glory of Jesus.
2. The heart should be REFORMED. The Bible has a great deal to say about my heart, and for the most part it declared how corrupt and wicked it is apart from Jesus. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” That is a fearful thought when I look at what lies within my heart. I think Proverbs 4:23 captures it clearly in saying, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” So when I come to worship something should happen in my heart. My mind can be informed, but if my heart stays the same then I have not truly been impacted by the Word of God. Every time we come to the text of Scripture, whether publicly or privately, the goal should be to leave differently than when we came. Reform is a change; it is taking a shape that already exists and making it better. So in this case, it is taking my sinful, corrupt heart and reshaping it to be more like the heart of Jesus. My prayer every Sunday should beg Jesus to change my heart to be like His. I believe that many who read this post are pretty good at the informing part of preaching, but here is where we truly need God to give us grace.
3. The life should be TRANSFORMED. While this result may only result after the first two are accomplished, this is the only one that has visible evidence. Only God will see the first two; here is where we can worship by edifying other believers in Christ. If the Word of God consistently affects my life and how I go through each day, that will be seen by others and will build them up by saying, “if God can do this in me He can and will do it in you too.” If you and I were to leave worship this Sunday, go home and meditate on the text for the morning, praying that God would give us grace to become more like Jesus, and then go to work or school living out that reality, what would be the result among our peers? My prayer tonight is that God will take the Word I hear on Sunday and allow me to live it on Monday. How about you?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Prayerlessness worse than adultery
I've been reading John Owen's treatise on the mortification of sin. Owen is incredibly comprehensive and Christ-centered. At one point he pondered why God does not immediately remove some besetting sin as soon as we implore Him. He answered with the following points.
First, our struggle with some particular sin is usually caused by a general failure to "watch" our relationship with God. A man's struggle with sexual lust may not be caused by television, movies or a scantily clad co-worker, but by a general neglect of prayer and the regular hearing of the word of God.
Second, the propensity to neglect our relationship with God should be more grievous to us than the frustration of any particular lust.
Third, quite to the contrary, we are often unaffected by the neglect of our relationship to God, while we come under terrible conviction for succumbing to particular lusts.
Finally, Owen suggested that for this reason God does not remove the besetting sin from us. Instead, he uses the conviction of this particular sin to awaken us to our poor general condition. This sin actually becomes the occasion for a renewal (even if brief) of our pursuit of that relationship, as we come to God, confessing our sin and weakness, praising His mercy and grace, and clinging to the Crucified as our only hope.
Indeed, God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose. Once again I am reminded that I am a studied sinner and Christ is a steadfast Savior.
First, our struggle with some particular sin is usually caused by a general failure to "watch" our relationship with God. A man's struggle with sexual lust may not be caused by television, movies or a scantily clad co-worker, but by a general neglect of prayer and the regular hearing of the word of God.
Second, the propensity to neglect our relationship with God should be more grievous to us than the frustration of any particular lust.
Third, quite to the contrary, we are often unaffected by the neglect of our relationship to God, while we come under terrible conviction for succumbing to particular lusts.
Finally, Owen suggested that for this reason God does not remove the besetting sin from us. Instead, he uses the conviction of this particular sin to awaken us to our poor general condition. This sin actually becomes the occasion for a renewal (even if brief) of our pursuit of that relationship, as we come to God, confessing our sin and weakness, praising His mercy and grace, and clinging to the Crucified as our only hope.
Indeed, God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose. Once again I am reminded that I am a studied sinner and Christ is a steadfast Savior.
Reflections on Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament
I want to begin by thanking John for telling me I had to get this book and read it. Once again John was right. This is certainly one the most insightful and biblical books that I have ever read. As I was reading, it felt as if a curtain had been pulled back and I was now seeing the Old Testament (OT) in a clearer way than ever before. So thank you John and I am now genuinely sorry that it took me so long to get to it.
I don't really want to attempt a book review, the scope of this book makes it hard to review here but I want to share some reflections from the reading of this book, and hopefully encourage you read it as well.
1) I am often wrong and don't know everything. To those who know me this would seem to go without saying. How could I ever come under the delusion that I know everything or that I have achieved some deep wisdom. Christopher Wright showed me this because every time that my presuppositions clashed with his explanations I was forced to admit by the end of contest that he was right and I was wrong. I need to be reminded that I haven't arrived, that I am not quite as brilliant as I might daydream that I am. Thank you Christopher Wright for bringing a humbling measure into this book.
2) My understanding of the OT as demanding a primarily external obedience was wrong. Dr. Wright proved conclusively that the OT demanded both external obedience and internal obedience. Love and commitment were essential under the Old Covenant. He focuses on Deuteronomy 4-11, where Moses is preaching to the people, challenging them to follow and obey God whole-heartedly not just outwardly.
3) My understanding of prophecy was sharpened by Christopher Wright. He has a brilliant section where he compares and contrasts promise and prediction (this is all in chapter 2). He shows how prophecy is based on relationship and demands a response whereas prediction is not relational, it is simply an announcement of an event. A promise demands action from the promiser, not just announcement.
Wright also showed the ongoing cycle in the OT of promise, fulfillment, and fresh promise. Jesus fulfills all the promises of the OT by being all that the promises pointed to. He is the last stop on this cycle. This does not deny the reality of meaning in OT context promises meant something to the people they were directly given to. It was not like some code book that was gobbledygook to them. It had meaning for them, but Jesus as the final stop on the cycle of promise, fulfillment, and fresh promise, was the ultimate answer to all the promises of God. Jesus is all that those promises were pointing to.
4) The last thing that I want to mention is the mission of Israel, that we in our sad ignorance of the OT so often overlook. We think that the Great Commission was a new thing that God was doing. This is insane for us to think. We know better, look with me at Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
God is blessing Abraham and Israel for the purpose of blessing all the nations. This is a theme that as Wright so powerfully shows runs through the OT. We are part of that blessing, I as a gentile benefited from the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham fulfilled in Christ, through His atoning work I now am blessed of God. But the only difference that I can discern is a subtle shift in the NT. In the NT we are commanded to go to the nations, whereas in the OT the nations are describes as coming to Israel.
My only complaint was that he left some avenues untraveled. I would have liked an appendix of his view of the OT was a shadow of Christ (see Hebrews 8:5 and 10:1 for example). His brief section on Typology did not satisfactorily answer this question. A small complaint, I know.
Thank you Dr.Wright, your book is a gift and I have become an unabashed fan. I will be adding Wright's books to my reading diet as long as their are Wright books and as long as he doesn't lose his mind or fall off the deep end.
I don't really want to attempt a book review, the scope of this book makes it hard to review here but I want to share some reflections from the reading of this book, and hopefully encourage you read it as well.
1) I am often wrong and don't know everything. To those who know me this would seem to go without saying. How could I ever come under the delusion that I know everything or that I have achieved some deep wisdom. Christopher Wright showed me this because every time that my presuppositions clashed with his explanations I was forced to admit by the end of contest that he was right and I was wrong. I need to be reminded that I haven't arrived, that I am not quite as brilliant as I might daydream that I am. Thank you Christopher Wright for bringing a humbling measure into this book.
2) My understanding of the OT as demanding a primarily external obedience was wrong. Dr. Wright proved conclusively that the OT demanded both external obedience and internal obedience. Love and commitment were essential under the Old Covenant. He focuses on Deuteronomy 4-11, where Moses is preaching to the people, challenging them to follow and obey God whole-heartedly not just outwardly.
3) My understanding of prophecy was sharpened by Christopher Wright. He has a brilliant section where he compares and contrasts promise and prediction (this is all in chapter 2). He shows how prophecy is based on relationship and demands a response whereas prediction is not relational, it is simply an announcement of an event. A promise demands action from the promiser, not just announcement.
Wright also showed the ongoing cycle in the OT of promise, fulfillment, and fresh promise. Jesus fulfills all the promises of the OT by being all that the promises pointed to. He is the last stop on this cycle. This does not deny the reality of meaning in OT context promises meant something to the people they were directly given to. It was not like some code book that was gobbledygook to them. It had meaning for them, but Jesus as the final stop on the cycle of promise, fulfillment, and fresh promise, was the ultimate answer to all the promises of God. Jesus is all that those promises were pointing to.
4) The last thing that I want to mention is the mission of Israel, that we in our sad ignorance of the OT so often overlook. We think that the Great Commission was a new thing that God was doing. This is insane for us to think. We know better, look with me at Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
God is blessing Abraham and Israel for the purpose of blessing all the nations. This is a theme that as Wright so powerfully shows runs through the OT. We are part of that blessing, I as a gentile benefited from the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham fulfilled in Christ, through His atoning work I now am blessed of God. But the only difference that I can discern is a subtle shift in the NT. In the NT we are commanded to go to the nations, whereas in the OT the nations are describes as coming to Israel.
My only complaint was that he left some avenues untraveled. I would have liked an appendix of his view of the OT was a shadow of Christ (see Hebrews 8:5 and 10:1 for example). His brief section on Typology did not satisfactorily answer this question. A small complaint, I know.
Thank you Dr.Wright, your book is a gift and I have become an unabashed fan. I will be adding Wright's books to my reading diet as long as their are Wright books and as long as he doesn't lose his mind or fall off the deep end.
Praying to the Real God
Prayer, if it is in any sense to be "meaningful", must be an encounter with the "real" God. The real God can be frightening. If you have never stood before God and been terribly afraid, then you have never stood before God. He isn't safe, He isn't always nice, He isn't accommodating, and He isn't in the business of making us feel comfortable with our rebellion.
Steve Brown, Approaching God: How to Pray, 21.
Steve Brown, Approaching God: How to Pray, 21.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
FURTHER THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION
In my last post I briefly discussed the issue of communion (i.e. The Lord's Supper), and in what contexts it should be offered and recieved. This has led to a bit of dialogue among the bloggers here at B&B, and I am hoping we flesh out this subject further. I want to direct your attention to a short but helpful discussion on this issue (in a a broader context though) found at the wonderful blog, Standing on Shoulders. Take a look at this, and then give us your views! (NOTE: For some reason I cannot get this link to work so that you can click on it and go directly there. I am computer illiterate. So copy paste the link to your address bar and I will try to fix this in the future).
http://standingonshoulders.net/2008/08/28/strict-communion-less-exclusive-than-paedobaptists-or-should-the-water-divide-us/
http://standingonshoulders.net/2008/08/28/strict-communion-less-exclusive-than-paedobaptists-or-should-the-water-divide-us/
Keller on Setting Priorities
This short video is directed at Pastor's but it is well worth the listen of all Christians, especially as we try to live lives that are correctly prioritized so that we can best honor and enjoy God.
http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/09/01/tim-keller-on-time-priorities/
http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/2008/09/01/tim-keller-on-time-priorities/
Monday, September 1, 2008
LESSONS FROM SOUTH BEND (PART 2)
If you read the first post of reflections from my trip this weekend, here are the rest of the lessons I gleaned:
5.Man was not meant to fly! OK this is has no theological or practical significance, but I hate to fly on planes and felt it necessary to emphasize that there is a reason we do not have wings. The Seraphim of Isaiah 6 I imagine are a glorious sight to behold before the throne of God, but me in a flying Tylenol at three thousand feet is not!
6.Family is a gift from God. This weekend afforded me the opportunity to spend extended time with my wife’s side of the family. This was a unique opportunity because usually they only interact with me around Emily, thus discomfort was a real possibility for us all. Yet the entire trip provided sweet fellowship and fruitful conversations. They have accepted me as part of the family from day one and demonstrated genuine hospitality with such love. For that I praise God.
7.Jesus is a Notre Dame fan, and Moses must be an alumni. Saturday morning allowed an opportunity for a guided tour of the campus of the University of Notre Dame. I have been to many college campuses, but Notre Dame is truly in a league of their own. But one of the striking things about the campus is that on one of main buildings facing the football stadium is a mural of Jesus with His arms extended as in a receiving gesture. But in front of a football stadium I swear he looks like he is holding up his arms as motioning “touchdown!” So the fans have affectionately labeled that painting “touchdown Jesus,” and quite honestly that may be why they are such a dominant football program! Also on campus is a stone statue of Moses with his finger pointing toward heaven; however most fans believe he is saying “We’re number one!”
8.There is much to learn from our “high church” brothers and sisters in Christ. The wedding I attended was in an Episcopal church, and it was my first exposure to that protestant tradition. A few aspects took me aback (such as the icons of Jesus and Priests wearing bathrobes), but for the most part I learned a great deal. The architecture is breathtaking in displaying the majesty of God and glory of His presence. Stepping into the building reminded me I am in the presence of the King of Kings. I was also struck by the reverence given to the Word of God. I asked one of the clergy if there were any traditions I needed to be aware of to observe, and he mentioned bowing at the front of the alter before a cross. Doing that reminded me as I walked to recite Scripture that I am coming on the basis of what Jesus did for me on that Cross. And after I read the text, I was to say “The Word of the Lord,” and the congregation responded, “Thanks be to God.” When this is done not out of ritual but out of genuine love and reverence, it is a tradition my Baptist roots would benefit from immensely.
9.Marriage should always remind us of the mysterious, profound and glorious union we have been called into with Christ. I am so grateful for my cousin Kevin and his new bride Sara because they preached the Gospel to my heart by their union. Ephesians 5 played in my head as they committed their lives to one another. Paul told us that marriage is an illustration of Christ and the church, and not the other way around. I pray I never see two people joined together in marriage without seeing behind the curtain the greater reality that union is pointing to, namely that I have been united to my bridegroom by grace through faith in His blood atonement.
10.Receiving Communion must not be entered into lightly with little thought. I faced a difficult dilemma in that communion was offered to all at the wedding as an act of worship. I love coming to the Lord’s Table, as it celebrates His work on my behalf. Yet I wrestled with whether not I should participate. On one hand it was a time of worship and afforded the opportunity to glorify Christ and enjoy fellowship with a community of believers outside my denomination. But on the other hand, I have serious doctrinal differences with the church in which I was a guest. I believe that the church is “disorderly,” by which I mean that the ordering of the body in both government and practice does not match what the New Testament teaches about the local church. Issues such as what do the bread and wine represent, baptizing infants, the priestly role of clergy, and others are serious issues that hinder me from ever becoming a member of that community. So I decided because of my conscious to refrain and respectfully and prayerfully observe the act of worship. I think this topic may open a good discussion on the blog: what would you have done in my shoes, and is it appropriate to receive communion when serious doctrinal differences are present among a believer and the local church. Let’s hear your thoughts!
5.Man was not meant to fly! OK this is has no theological or practical significance, but I hate to fly on planes and felt it necessary to emphasize that there is a reason we do not have wings. The Seraphim of Isaiah 6 I imagine are a glorious sight to behold before the throne of God, but me in a flying Tylenol at three thousand feet is not!
6.Family is a gift from God. This weekend afforded me the opportunity to spend extended time with my wife’s side of the family. This was a unique opportunity because usually they only interact with me around Emily, thus discomfort was a real possibility for us all. Yet the entire trip provided sweet fellowship and fruitful conversations. They have accepted me as part of the family from day one and demonstrated genuine hospitality with such love. For that I praise God.
7.Jesus is a Notre Dame fan, and Moses must be an alumni. Saturday morning allowed an opportunity for a guided tour of the campus of the University of Notre Dame. I have been to many college campuses, but Notre Dame is truly in a league of their own. But one of the striking things about the campus is that on one of main buildings facing the football stadium is a mural of Jesus with His arms extended as in a receiving gesture. But in front of a football stadium I swear he looks like he is holding up his arms as motioning “touchdown!” So the fans have affectionately labeled that painting “touchdown Jesus,” and quite honestly that may be why they are such a dominant football program! Also on campus is a stone statue of Moses with his finger pointing toward heaven; however most fans believe he is saying “We’re number one!”
8.There is much to learn from our “high church” brothers and sisters in Christ. The wedding I attended was in an Episcopal church, and it was my first exposure to that protestant tradition. A few aspects took me aback (such as the icons of Jesus and Priests wearing bathrobes), but for the most part I learned a great deal. The architecture is breathtaking in displaying the majesty of God and glory of His presence. Stepping into the building reminded me I am in the presence of the King of Kings. I was also struck by the reverence given to the Word of God. I asked one of the clergy if there were any traditions I needed to be aware of to observe, and he mentioned bowing at the front of the alter before a cross. Doing that reminded me as I walked to recite Scripture that I am coming on the basis of what Jesus did for me on that Cross. And after I read the text, I was to say “The Word of the Lord,” and the congregation responded, “Thanks be to God.” When this is done not out of ritual but out of genuine love and reverence, it is a tradition my Baptist roots would benefit from immensely.
9.Marriage should always remind us of the mysterious, profound and glorious union we have been called into with Christ. I am so grateful for my cousin Kevin and his new bride Sara because they preached the Gospel to my heart by their union. Ephesians 5 played in my head as they committed their lives to one another. Paul told us that marriage is an illustration of Christ and the church, and not the other way around. I pray I never see two people joined together in marriage without seeing behind the curtain the greater reality that union is pointing to, namely that I have been united to my bridegroom by grace through faith in His blood atonement.
10.Receiving Communion must not be entered into lightly with little thought. I faced a difficult dilemma in that communion was offered to all at the wedding as an act of worship. I love coming to the Lord’s Table, as it celebrates His work on my behalf. Yet I wrestled with whether not I should participate. On one hand it was a time of worship and afforded the opportunity to glorify Christ and enjoy fellowship with a community of believers outside my denomination. But on the other hand, I have serious doctrinal differences with the church in which I was a guest. I believe that the church is “disorderly,” by which I mean that the ordering of the body in both government and practice does not match what the New Testament teaches about the local church. Issues such as what do the bread and wine represent, baptizing infants, the priestly role of clergy, and others are serious issues that hinder me from ever becoming a member of that community. So I decided because of my conscious to refrain and respectfully and prayerfully observe the act of worship. I think this topic may open a good discussion on the blog: what would you have done in my shoes, and is it appropriate to receive communion when serious doctrinal differences are present among a believer and the local church. Let’s hear your thoughts!
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