Active: Spirit, Mind, Body

Thoughts at the end of the day

2012-01-02T22:09:00.002-06:00

Mondays this winter are proving to be long days. A few years ago, Mondays were off days. Time to spend with the family. Time to rest. My Sabbath day. Now it's not, and that concerns me. It's not that I feel the need to sleep in. (What's that?) It's that I know my body, mind, and spirit need the rest. I believe it is part of the ebb and flow of total health. I believe it is the pattern that God modeled and we should follow. And right now, I'm not living it like it was intended. And, no, I don't feel a New Year's resolution coming on. Just an observation and an stimulus to pray.

Yesterday I began a new Bible reading plan. Ten chapters per day, from ten different books Will let you know how it goes and what benefits can be gained from that style of reading. I am also reading other books and trying my hand at the Kindle. Bought one for Sally for her birthday, and my hope is to make it through God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas Kostenberger.

Yesterday I began a new preaching / teaching series in the book of 1 Corinthians. Chapter 1, verses 1-3. Main homiletical point: Commit to the will of God for your life by walking in a sanctified manner, and experience the grace and peace that God gives. I look forward to digging and discovering every week, but the challenge continues to be maintaining focus throughout the week and disciplining myself to shape and craft exegetical information into words that pierce the heart. I give what I can to the work, but only the Holy Spirit can make the impact.

On the running side of life, my training has slowed down. I desire to run a 10k in mid-February down in Georgia. Thinking ahead to the summer and fall, my goals are to continue working on distance and speed. If I can stay injury free during the track season, I'd like to improve my 400m time and then work toward a respectable 10k and 5k time. Is it too much to wish for a 10k pace of 7:45? My PR for 10k is in the 45 min range (7:15 pace). My desire for the 5k is to be under 21 minutes (6:45 pace?). My goal for the 400m is 55-57 sec. Either way, I am grateful to have the ability to move and exercise at will without pain.

A new year to live, a new year to serve

2012-01-01T06:52:00.000-06:00

So today is January 1, and I am doing what I always do on Sunday morning. Rising early, waking up the brain, and looking over my notes for the day's message for our people at Grace Bible Church. Sprinkling the time with prayer, looking for new insight, and asking God for clarity in my own mind and when I speak.

Sometimes I think to myself, "one of these days I will be finished with sermon preparation on Friday," but that causes me to wonder. Why not continue to think and pray and edit all the while until I stand up and walk to the pulpit? This habit of reviewing and meditating late on Saturday and early on Sunday is not a burden but a blessing because it helps me to stay focused.

Heavenly Father, stir up your Spirit in my heart and mind to reveal your message today in a manner that challenges, convicts, equips, and ushers in a degree of life change in your servant and your people. Amen.

Book Review: The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by R. C. Sproul

2011-11-09T20:53:00.001-06:00

Illustrated by T. Lively Fluharty

The Barber Who Wanted to Pray is a wonderfully illustrated account of Martin Luther and his barber, Master Peter, who takes the opportunity to ask his hero in the faith how to pray more effectively. While R. C. Sproul is known for his biblical teaching and knowledge of church history, the illustrations make this book a treasure. I read it over the course of two evenings with my youngest children (ages 7 and 5) who studied each page intently.

The story of Luther and Master Peter is couched within the life of a modern family who are having evening devotions and the question of one of the children prompts this particular tale. Luther's method for prayer centers on the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed. Those who are not familiar with the Apostles' Creed might stumble a bit over it but should know that it has an important place in the development of Christian doctrine.

In terms of the story-telling, I found myself wanting to change the wording for my young children, to soften its meaning for their ears. For example, one part of the story speculated that Master Peter could easily cut the throat of Luther the outlaw with his razor blade. Another part of the story mentioned capture, burning at the stake, and execution. These were realities of the day, I'm sure, but I found myself improvising with a new way to say the same thing.

This book is not for Lutherans only or Reformed Christians only. It is for anyone who wants to know more about church history and to understand a simple way to pray. Click here for more information on Crossway's site. Also available in ebook format.

Being justified, having peace

2011-11-09T10:10:00.000-06:00

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

In the apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, he has made a case like a trial lawyer: all stand guilty before God in unrighteousness, but the righteousness that comes from God has been revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the cross, the Son of God was made to be an atoning sacrifice for sins so that all who believe in Christ and receive this sacrificial payment by faith might be declared righteous. God is both just in adhering to the standards of His law (the soul that sins shall die) and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

And what is the result of this great work of God, the justification of sinners? We have peace with God. Many are those who, when they stop the ears from the noises and distractions of this wicked generation, can hear the cry of their souls: “where can I find peace?” From an early age, it is normal to discern this voice even though it may be difficult to determine its purpose. Why do I behave in this way? Why do I fear death? Can I find rest from my troubles? Is there lasting satisfaction to be found in material wealth, accomplishments, and worldly pleasures? Ultimately the answer is “no” because nothing within a man's own strength can repair the rip in one's heart caused by alienation from God due to our sin condition. But God acted outside of us, on our behalf to repair the rip and bridge the gap so that we who were the object of his wrath might be reconciled, introduced into a state of grace, and called friend.

Book Review: The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study by Starr Meade

2011-10-15T11:52:00.000-05:00

Homeschoolers have lots of choices when it comes to good curricula. Sonlight, Abeka, My Father's World, Bob Jones Press, Alpha Omega, and so on. Our family has had very limited exposure to the Bible portion of these same curricula and still believe the foundation to teaching the Bible to our children is direct reading of the text, one-on-one discussion, prayer, and making personal application.

This workbook series by Starr Meade will meet a need for incorporating Bible exposition into home school study plans.

Five workbooks targeted for middle school to early high school, providing a survey of the entire Bible

Volumes 1-2, Old Testament
Volumes 3-4, New Testament
Volume 5, Answer key

"Students can either use the text as a supplementary companion to their own reading of Scripture, or they can simply use the study guide to move through the Bible from beginning to end."
These workbooks are very word intensive. You won't find a lot of fancy graphics, color schemes, charts, timelines, basic maps, internet links, etc.
The studies are designed to be read along with chapters of the Bible, about 3 chapters per study section.
They are arranged in chronological order.
Tests and assessments provided are typically short answer, fill in the blank, and matching.
Not much commentary is provided. This is not a Bible handbook and does not seem to be geared toward life application although it would be difficult NOT to get life lessons by simply reading the Bible. However, students of this age may need a bit of help to cross the bridge to application.
It is designed to be done at the student's own pace and can easily fit a 1-year or 2-year plan.
Future editions could prove helpful if they include key doctrinal words, highlighted and defined for appropriately for this age level.

I have two sons who are ages 13 and 11, and while we haven't used it with them personally, I am eager to find some time to do so. For more information on this workbook series, visit this link:

http://www.crossway.org/books/the-most-important-thing-youll-ever-study-tpb/

Pilgrim Ascends the Hill called Difficulty

2011-10-13T20:58:00.001-05:00

I beheld then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which there was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways besides that which came straight from the gate: one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring, Isa. 49:10, and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying,

"The hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend;
For I perceive the way to life lies here:
Come, pluck up heart, let’s neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe."

The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw that the hill was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and supposing also that these two ways might meet again with that up which Christian went, on the other side of the hill; therefore they were resolved to go in those ways. Now the name of one of those ways was Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the one took the way which is called Danger, which led him into a great wood; and the other took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide field, full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more.

Bunyan, J. (1995). The pilgrim's progress : From this world to that which is to come. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Book Review - The Hidden Smile of God

2011-10-13T20:55:00.001-05:00

The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper

This book is a compilation of three biographical studies (John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd) which seeks to display what Piper calls "the fruit of affliction" in the lives of each man. Each of these men suffered in varying degrees but all suffered greatly. Bunyan was imprisoned for 12 years for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ without state approval. Cowper suffered the harsh realities of parental loss and constantly struggled with depression, suicidal tendencies, and fear of finally being rejected by God. Brainerd endured great physical suffering (tuberculosis) for the last seven years of his short life and spent much of it in the wilderness preaching to Indians. Each of these men endured their suffering as part of the wise bestowment of God. They did not reject it as a cruel turn of events, nor did they have a blind eye to the realities of the pain which was present with them, but saw it through biblical lenses as a normal experience of the Christian life.

If we were to look at our day and compare the concerns of modern Christianity with those of previous generations, then we might not be surprised at the level of soul strength which so often seems to be absent. This book and the message of these men's lives was a tremendous encouragement to me as I have looked at suffering in my own life. Don't read it because you're a Piper fan. Read it because the men he holds out to us had a powerful impact on Christendom precisely because of how they handled affliction. Piper is great at peeling back the layers of our own hearts so that a word of truth and conviction can be implanted.

Book Review - Walking in the Spirit

2011-10-13T20:28:00.001-05:00

Walking in the Spirit by Kenneth Berding

This short book gives a practical explanation of how the believer is exhorted to live in relation to the Holy Spirit as described in Romans 8 and summarized by the phrase "walking in the Spirit." You might call it "the Romans 8 guide to Spirit-filled living."

The chapters are organized by the major exhortations:

Walk in the Spirit. (4; cf. Galatians 5:16)
Set your minds on the things of the Spirit. (5-8)
Put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. (13)
Be led by the Spirit. (14)
Know the Fatherhood of God by the Spirit. (15-17)
Hope in the Spirit. (18-25)
Pray in the Spirit. (26-27)

What I liked about the book:

a helpful explanation of how biblical metaphors work (pp. 21-22) and why they are needed
illustrations from his personal life: how being filled with the Spirit causes us not to desire that which would satisfy the flesh,
clear explanation of biblical concepts like flesh, mindset, mortify
The author is careful not to make walking in the Spirit formulaic and encourages us to learn as we do it.
An appendix is provided which gives an overview of Romans 8 and helps us to see that the chapter is not simply about the individual.
short, very readable and accessible; study questions at end of chapters

I would recommend this book to people who want to know what it means to live a spiritual life in Christ, to small groups, and church members of denominations where the Holy Spirit is seldom discussed. This book is not an exhaustive treatment of the subject but brings out important truths that every believer should know.

Book Review: The Hardest Thing to Do by Penelope Wilcock

2011-09-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Back in July, I was accepted to the Crossway Publishers' Blogger Book Review program. They send me a free book every couple of months and I agree to write a review and publish it on this blog as well as use social media to get others to read my review. Crossway is not just any publisher. Their purpose is expressly to help spread the gospel message, and I have found myself consistently blessed in my own spiritual life through their resources.

The Hardest Thing to Do is a novel, the fourth in a series by Penelope Wilcock. I have never read anything by this author and typically do not read fiction, but my hope was to break out of a reading rut to stimulate other parts of my brain!

Here is what I like about this book:

Set in pre-Reformation England, this book has the feel of historical accuracy as it details the lives of a community of Benedictine monks. You get the sense that Wilcock has lived what she writes.
The author writes very descriptively and joyfully. She uses words that I don't know (but probably should!) without making me feel illiterate.
It is a story about monks. As a protestant, my opinion of monks is colored by Martin Luther's experience of works-sought-righteousness. After reading this story, I found myself longing for the monastic lifestyle, not so much for it simplicity but for the portrayal of genuine Christian community.
The characters are honest in their longings, struggles, and joys.

Here is what I struggled with in reading this book:

There are myriads of characters to keep up with (Brother so-and-so, Father so-and-so) but fortunately the book begins with a catalog of characters and where they belong in the narrative. By the end, I finally felt less confused.
Latin! Wish it were translated somewhere in the footnotes.

If you want to get a synopsis of the story and other reviews, click here. What I can add is this: I will definitely put Penelope Wilcock on my list of authors to follow. If Christian fiction is written so that we will know what the gospel looks like, fleshed out in everyday life, then give me more of this. Life is full of difficult choices : whether to forgive and believe that God can change a person's character (mine too!), how to show mercy to an offender without disrespecting another who has been hurt in the process, facing the ugly realities in one's heart that keep us from obeying the gospel. Wilcock shows us that there is a way forward but it takes effort, understanding, a giving up of one's rights, and trust that God bring beauty out of ashes.

Book Review on Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God

2011-07-24T07:32:00.000-05:00

Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney

This book is one of five in The Essential Edwards Collection published by Moody, which also includes topical books dealing with Edwards' thoughts and writings on beauty, heaven and hell, the good life, and true Christianity. At the time of writing Strachan and Sweeney were doctoral student and professor, respectively, at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I received this book as a free gift while attending the 2010 Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, KY .

I have not read or examined the other books in this series but this one is biographical in nature and takes the reader through Edwards' life from beginning to end. Each of the eight chapters tackles a season of life, includes a sampling of his writings pertinent to that time, and then exhorts the reader to apply Edwards' life and ideas. Obviously, the sections of his earlier life contain less of his personal writings, and the later ones contain more.

Before reading this book, I had begun (and almost finished!) George Marsden's work, Jonathan Edwards: A Life, and this gave me a framework to begin with, so that reading this smaller, condensed work was more like a refresher and summary, making it easier to recall the patterns and lessons.

I suspect that many people were introduced to Edwards in high school literature classes as a sample of Puritan life, and therefore have a one-sided perspective. But as this title suggests, Edwards was not a self-rightoues man who scowled at sinners unconditionally condemning them to hell but was a man who sought to know and live under God with all of his heart, mind, and strength.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ and a student of the Bible, life application is essential. This feature of the book was most helpful to me. The authors do well at translating Edwards' life and ideas into exhortations for today, showing that a life lived 300 years ago, in full devotion to Christ, is relevant for today because each of us, no matter how gifted or talented can learn from this how how to be humble under the sovereign hand of God.

This quote summarizes the book well: "Through dogged study of the Bible and regular meditation upon its realities, Edwards entered into the great battle for souls on the side of the Lord. He knew great trial in his life, and he struggled with sin all of his days, but he never stopped seeking the reward set before the saints of God. Edwards's life is a living example to all the children of God in the current day, to put aside the things that hinder our faith and distract our focus." (144)

I can easily recommend this book to anyone wanting a balanced view of this important pastor / theological and an introduction to his writings. There is abundant material on his life and writings available today. Happy reading!

And again...

2011-04-05T14:56:00.001-05:00

To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life. It means that you appropriate, again by faith, the fact that Jesus fully satisfied the law of God, that He is your propitiation, and that God's holy wrath is no longer directed toward you.

To preach the gospel to yourself means that you take at face value the precious words of Romans 4:7-8:

Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. (Bridges, 59 -- see previous posting)

"When you set yourself to seriously pursue holiness, you will begin to realize what an awful sinner you are. And if you are not firmly rooted in the gospel and have not learned to preach it to yourself every day, you will soon become discouraged and will slack off in your pursuit of holiness."

This is what I need today.

2011-04-05T14:45:00.002-05:00

"It is not our contrition or sorrow for our sin, it is not our repentance, it is not even the passing of a certain number of hours during which we feel we are on some kind of probation that cleanses us. It is the blood of Christ, shed once for all on Calvary two thousand years ago but appropriated daily or even many times a day, that cleanses our consciences and gives us a renewed sense of peace with God."
~ Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, 58.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2011-03-30T07:10:00.001-05:00

Our little girl turned 7 yesterday. She is full of life. Sally had taken the kids out for lunch yesterday, and the waitress asked her, “what do you want for your birthday?” She answered, “a little sister.” Hmm…

2011-03-08T12:30:00.000-06:00

Tips for better Bible reading (and reading in general):

Slow down. Yes, the Bible is a big book and becoming fluent in its meaning can take years but you will gain more by reading slowly, thoughtfully, and carefully. Think of yourself as a backyard gardener hand-picking vegetables off the vine rather than a volume-oriented combine farmer whose main goal is to get as much yield as possible in one pass.
Read longer. A verse a day just doesn't cut it for me. Our culture pushes everything to go faster but does that really help you understand? Don't get me wrong; there are days when I fail to open the Bible for my own sake, but when I do, reading longer helps me get the sense of story and purpose. It allows my mind to make connections from Old Testament to the New, and it helps me see how much of Scripture's message is summed up in the person of Jesus Christ.
Ask questions and take breaks to pray about what you are reading. God has given the gift of his Holy Spirit to every born-again believer, and He is available as the "Spirit of truth" (Jn 14:17); He is the one who will "teach you all things" (26).

Interestingly, I am applying this same advice to my recreational activities the older I get. Running used to be something I could just do without any thought given to the consequences on my body! Now it helps to slow down (who wants all that joint pain anyway?), jog longer, and take breaks along the way. It's hard for a has-been sprinter to get used to it, but on the bright side, this is how I got to know my wife when we were dating. We'd jog around Baylor campus for 30 minutes in the morning, something very counter-intuitive for me to do.

Here's a short quote discovered today:

"Beware the fury of a patient man!" (John Dryden, 1631-1700)

I don't think this is referring to a patient man as someone who let's pent up anger build until he explodes. Maybe it was meant to say that whatever "fury" comes from a patient man is certainly deserved in light of his patience, especially when it is all used up. God is patient with people, but there is a limit to it. He continues to call out that now is a time to receive His mercy through the cross of Jesus Christ, but someday soon, that time will end and all that will be left is his fury on the wicked (Revelation 14:7). Or...maybe the "fury" is his patience, similar to Romans 12:20, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; for by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head."

Feel free to comment and share you thoughts with me, and thanks for reading.

New Direction

2011-03-07T16:16:00.000-06:00

Hoping to take this blog in a new direction. I have many interests but not much expertise. Hoping to share some thoughts and things that catch my attention, subjects and interests which provoke growth of the whole person -- spirit, mind, and body.

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." ~ John 10:10

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles for the Glory of God

2011-02-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

It's my favorite time of day -- morning -- when everyone else is asleep and the house is perfectly still and quiet. Just finished reading a rather lengthy email / prayer letter from Bill Lawrence who is a former seminary teacher of mine. I always enjoy his communications. He's in his late 60s (I'm guessing) but still going strong in ministry, traveling quite a bit internationally. His latest email was a combination of his personal thoughts and ramblings while traveling by train from Budapest, Hungary to Constanta, Romania. His email brought back many memories for me as I have traveled some in that region: airplane from Budapest to Bucharest but also train from Prague, Czech Republic to Poland in the early and mid 90s. I remember the crowded trains, the interesting characters going "somewhere," the constant vigilance for pickpockets and loss of your passport, border guards who would mess with you a little bit, wondering if you brought enough food for the journey, etc.

Dr. Lawrence was a student at DTS back in the 1960s and started a church in southern California where he pastored for a number of years before returning back to Dallas as an instructor. He blends the experience of pastoring with the heart of training. I enjoyed his classes, sense of humor, and downright seriousness when the time called for it. He helped me to realize that my tendency toward being a loner would not be to my advantage when developing as a leader. Bill now heads a ministry called Leader Formation International where he teaches and develops leaders. He is frequently in Hungary and Romania meeting with church leaders and Campus Crusade for Christ staff. He's not a retiree hitting the golf course and driving the RV. He's chugging through the Carpathian Mountains, sharing sleeper cars with bilingual Romanians, and giving every day to building the Church and her leaders for the glory of God.

Lord, I pray you would give me as many years of serving you and that you would expand my personal involvement in the lives of others around the world who are "repenters" and have left behind lives of emptiness for the greater adventure of kingdom work, knowing that there was no loss in dying to self and the world because what is gained is eternal life.

God's Mighty Power Considered

2011-02-15T06:34:00.000-06:00

Last night we took a few minutes before bed to watch a portion of this episode

History Channel: The Universe -- Secrets of the Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VSKipGmdAk (not sure if the youtube version is legit, but you can see what I mean)

I don't have all the facts down in memory but this type of information fascinates me both for the grand scale in which it all happens (space and time) and the complexity with which it happens and sustains itself. I'm a firm believer that the design of the universe was not a result of blind forces over eons of time but the handiwork of a wise and infinitely intelligent God.

When God spoke to Job, he asked him to question the knowledge and wisdom of God:

Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, and caused the dawn to know its place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? Who has put wisdom in the innermost being or given understanding to the mind? (Job 38:12-13, 19-20, 36)

2011-02-14T22:19:00.000-06:00

What a pleasant day today was...temperature was in the mid-60s, I only had to work my p/t job for 5 hours, the kids were able to spend a good amount of time outside, and love was in the air. Driving as much as I do gives me the opportunity to catch up on news or listen to NPR. I especially like Tom Ashbrook's On Point program. He is a great host and knows how to sum up a caller's or guest's comments succinctly and understandable. There is a wide variety of subjects that he tackles, and it's hard not to like him.

We shared some chocolate candy with the kids, gave them cards, and -- like I said -- had a generally pleasant day. I'll take it anytime. On the radio were different programs analyzing the concept of love. Of course there were some interesting takes on the meaning of love, but none can truly compare (in my opinion) to the Bible's description: "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Of itself, the giving of one's life is a surpreme act because nothing of greater value to the giver can be given. But from the perspective of the Savior, it is even more a supreme act of love because it (the giving of his life in death) bore more that it deserved, guilt from sinners, of which He was not one. Not only that, but his death resulted in life. On the one hand, he is able to give life through his death to any who will humble themselves and receive his death on their behalf. On the second, his death was not final, for it resulted in a triumphant resurrection.

To me, this is how we know what love is because He first loved us in this manner. Good night, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Evaluating Yourself and Embracing the Struggle

2011-02-13T21:18:00.004-06:00

Today's ministry at GBC was not unusual. Sunday mornings begin early, usually around 5am, after a busy Saturday. That combination is not ideal but it's what works for now. With a part-time job and a full-time job that has little defined "hours", I sometimes work 7 days a week. Again, not ideal, but it is what it is. These circumstances and my personality work together to push me into being disciplined. I accomplish more through discipline that I ever will through talent.

For the last 3 years, I've taught Sunday school, then led Sunday worship, then returned in the evening to lead a prayer meeting / Bible study. When Sunday evening finally rolls around, it's not uncommon to let down emotionally, being both tired and thinking through personal interactions, comments and nuances of people's words. The temptation is to let the weight of the day crush my spirit at night, and to do this week in and week out. It's exhausting and many times I feel like a failure.

Reading Christian biography teaches me that this is not an uncommon feeling for pastors. Andrew Bonar wrote in his journals of times of discouragement and defeat, although our evaluation of him today would be as a faithful man of God. Wiersbe writes, "God's choicest servants rarely evaluate their own ministries with accuracy and balance, and often Bonar was too hard on himself." I certainly don't see myself as a "choice servant" but I am sure my personal evaluations are off more than not. Even in the life of Alexander Maclaren, a mighty expositor of the Word, we see that he was never satisfied with his own work. Again, Warren Wiersbe comments, "let God evaluate your ministry, for often when we think we are doing our poorest, we are really doing our best."

One final word from a reading tonight: Maclaren wrote to some students training for the ministry:

I thank God that I was stuck down in a quiet, little, obscure place to begin my ministry; for that is what spoils half of you young fellows. You get pitchforked into prominent positions at once and then fritter yourselves away in all manner of little engagements instead of stopping at home and reading your Bibles, and getting nearer to God. I thank God for the early years of struggle and obscurity. [108]

So let me lay down and rest tonight. There are many who have their opinions of me and point out my failures; there is an enemy of God who harasses and accuses, but there is One who judges with a holy standard, who has already declared me "accepted in the Beloved". These years have been filled with struggle but they are working to my advantage because they are shaping me into the man I want to be. It comes with a price, and that is okay, because I know the purpose.

Congregate or Transform?

2011-02-13T16:08:00.001-06:00

It is very easy to build churches in which seekers congregate; it is very hard to build churches in which biblical faith is maturing into genuine discipleship. It is the difficulty of this task which has been lost in many seeker churches, which are meeting places for those who are searching spiritually but are not looking for that kind of faith which is spiritually tough and countercultural in a biblical way.” [David Wells, Above All Earthly Pow'rs, p. 119]

Big Truths for Young Hearts conference at CBC Nashville, part 1

2009-08-15T04:32:00.004-05:00

I attended the first session of this conference at Community Bible Church in Nashville last evening with a couple friends and thought I'd blog about it today.

In recent years, CBC has drawn some well-known pastors and teachers for the Nashville Conference on the Church and Theology (John MacArthur, Bruce Ware, D. A. Carson, Steve Lawson). This weekend, Dr. Bruce Ware is returning for a parenting conference which focuses on helping us know how to teach Bible doctrine to our children.

Dr. Ware is a theology professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY and is currently the president of the Evangelical Theological Society. I've heard him speak at the Desiring God Pastor's Conference several years ago and really enjoy his clarity, precision, and passion in communicating biblical truth.

Session 1 of the Big Truths for Young Hearts conference focused on getting us as parents to grasp the truth of God's exclusive and incomparable claim to be God alone. We looked at numerous texts from the Old Testament (most from Isaiah 40-46) but narrowed down to three areas where the prophet Isaiah focused his message on this truth about God. It can be summed up this way:

God is exclusively and incomparably God as he is (1) Creator of Heaven and Earth, (2) Redeemer of his Chosen People, (3) and Sovereign Ruler over Good and Evil.

I think the point of all this was to impress us with the necessity of knowing God in his essential character and utter uniqueness before setting out to teach our children about Him. Often, there are assumptions made about God when teaching children, or conclusions drawn, that are simply not true. For example, much of contemporary teaching of children focuses on creation. God made the animals, the stars in the sky, and you and me. The erroneous assumption may be this: God made all of these things because he needed company or was in some way incomplete without them. But the Bible teaches us that God does not need anything. Rather, he made all things to put on display his greatness and to fill us, who are empty, with Him! Wouldn't it be great if our children grasped this concept from an early age?

The final two sessions will bridge this foundation to skill in parenting and imparting truths that we as parents have come to embrace. Looking forward to thinking about my wife's and my role as disciplers of our four young children and praying they will come to love God deeply by knowing Him and his ways.

Old School Evangelism

2009-06-30T21:45:00.002-05:00

Here is the sinner's prayer that Hopeful was encouraged to pray by Faithful in The Pilgrim's Progress (notice how different this sounds from modern evangelism):

"I told him (Faithful) that I knew not what to say when I came (to Christ). And he bid me say to this effect: God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that if his righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that thou are a merciful God, and hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world; and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow him upon such a poor sinner as I am (and I am a sinner indeed); Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen."

Be Not Dismayed by Soul-Trouble

2009-04-10T14:53:00.000-05:00

The lesson of wisdom is, be not dismayed by soul-trouble. Count it no strange thing, but a part of ordinary… experience. Should the power of depression be more than ordinary, think not that all is over with your usefulness. Cast not away your confidence, for it hath great recompense of reward. Even if the enemy’s foot be on your neck, expect to rise amid and overthrow him. Cast the burden of the present, along with the sin of the past and the fear of the future, upon the Lord, who forsaketh not his saints.”

- Charles Spurgeon, The Minister’s Fainting Fits

Outside the Camp

2009-04-09T09:26:00.002-05:00

Leviticus 13 is a long chapter. And all it does is answer the question, "what do you do if you think someone has leprosy?" The priest has an integral part in examining the person and determining whether he is ceremonially clean or unclean. (I'm glad pastor's don't have to do that today. We can leave it to the medical professionals.)

"Check the discolored spots of skin. "

"Check the color of the hair on the spot."

"Examine scaly infections."

"Check the garmet that has a mark of leprosy, whether in warp or woof."

My favorite instruction is this: (v. 40) "Now if a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald; he is clean. If his head becomes bald at the front and sides, he is bald on the forehead; he is clean."

But the saddest is shortly after:

“The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. (45-46)

How painful to have to declare to all "I am unclean!" and to remain so for as long as one has the disease. How painful to live alone. How painful to dwell outside the camp, away from the Living God.

Jesus healed the lepers and gave them their life back. Jesus drew near to them and brought them back, inside the camp. But he went outside the camp to the Place of the Skull (Golgotha), too a place where people died to be the perfect Sin-bearer. And we are bid to go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Hebrews 13:13)

FYI

2009-04-09T09:04:00.003-05:00

Hershey's Track and Field

Get your kids (ages 9-14) out there and have some fun! I'll be hosting clinics in April / May and a track meet in May.

Whitestone Inn

A Bed and Breakfast near Kingston, Tennessee. Sally and I are spending a couple days there next month, courtesy of some generous friends!

Kingdom Acres

Live in the Nashville area? Looking to get some good, farm-grown vegetables every week for 6 months for a fair price? Check out Kingdom Acres. Contact malinda@kingdomacademyofthearts.com and ask about farm shares. Deadline to sign up is this month.

The Gift of Conviction

2009-04-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

Has it been a while since you've really felt convicted of sin? Specific sin. Personal sin. Ugly sin.

The old saying goes of a Christian, "I'm not perfect, just forgiven." True enough. And I am eternally grateful that in the Gospel there is held out a promise of complete forgiveness -- once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that sinners may be reconciled to God.

But there are times when the forgiven person grieves God and brings pain to himself and others because of wrong choices, breaking God's commandments, and laziness in the battle with the ever-present indwelling sin. And sometimes the feeling of having done wrong is not there. We don't break down and cry; we don't feel that our sin is rebellion toward God; we don't have a vision of our God as a consuming fire of holiness.

But bless God for those times when we feel His grief, our wretchedness, and the hypocrisy. Those times when we experience God searching the heart and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit who "convict[s] the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." (Jn 16:8). And if God so chooses to use other people to bring that awareness about, then bless Him too.

If God brings conviction into your life, accept it as a gift. Treat it like news from a doctor that you have a terrible, potentially deadly ailment, but one that can be treated. True conviction is a searchlight of the heart. Let it show you the problem and convince you to get help from God before it is too late.

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Why God Brings Revival

2009-03-13T06:03:00.003-05:00

More notes from Iain Murray's Pentecost - Today? on why God brings revival (pages 71-72)

for a great enlargement of the church and usher in a new era of evangelism
to establish new agencies -- missionary societies, Bible and tract societies, and organisations to remedy social sufferings and evils
to raise up young men and women prepared to raise the next generation by building godly homes
to bring home the elect before their lives are cut short in epidemics or natural disasters
to give special encouragement to the godly before the onset of persecution or other trials

"The sovereignty of God, far from being seen as a discouragement to our efforts, ought to be seen as an eminent reason for hope and expectancy. Ignoring divine sovereignty may appear to give more room for enthusing over human organisation and activity but the truth is that the church has always accomplished most when she has most deeply realised her own helplessness. Dependence upon God is our greatest need; it focuses our attention upon what he can do; and it makes his glory a supreme reason for all our concerns." (p. 74)

Quotes on the relationship between God's sovereignty and Man's responsibility

2009-03-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

from Pentecost - Today? The Biblical Basis for Understanding Revival, by Iain H. Murray

...in discussing the question "what is the cause of my salvation? or what is the cause of revival?"

"God gives promises and duties as instrumental means to blessing, not as causes, for the grace of God is in the means as well as in the result. God's act does not follow man's, rather the divine and human agency are conjoined so that we find that what is required of man is also attributed to God." (See Ezek 36:26, 18:31; Eph 2:5, 5:14) "In all these things man is active, and conscious of his own responsibility, but at the same time he is dependent upon God 'who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure' (Phil 2:13)." (p. 62)

"That both sovereignty and responsibility coexist without the one destroying the other is unmistakably clear in the words of Christ concerning Judas." (Luke 22:22)

[And we must come to terms with the fact that this coexistence of man's responsibility and God's sovereignty is nowhere explained in the Bible. Spurgeon said of this, "I cannot comprehend it: without hesitation I believe it, and rejoice so to do, I never hope to comprehend it. I worship a God I never expect to comprehend."]

John Owen, "Our duty is to apply ourselves unto his commands and his work is to enable us to perform them." (p. 63) While God has appointed means and promises, such is our spiritual incapacity that if it were not for his enabling grace no good would ever be done by us. To make human action the cause of divine blessing is to overturn the whole nature of salvation. It would be the same as interpreting our Lord's words, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well,' as though he was indeed saying the woman was the author of her own new health. (p. 64)

The Spirit's constant molding and grace-pressure

2009-01-04T21:37:00.003-06:00

Over the last five years since beginning pastoral ministry, I have noticed some personal changes related to how I "prepare and deliver the goods" (for lack of a better term!)

In the beginning, I was fresh out of seminary and liked to do things by the book. If I learned a method for study, interpretation, and proclamation, then I followed it pretty closely to a T. I manuscripted every message as much as possible and reviewed it before standing behind the pulpit on Sunday morning. One of my great fears was having a hard drive crash before printing the manuscript or stepping behind the pulpit without my notes. I had been trained to prepare diligently but to preach without notes. Such is my luck, I just couldn't do it.

Same goes for classes or Bible studies that I would lead. Leaning heavily on notes and written preparation. The fact was that I hadn't worked out in my mind, in an accessible way, practical doctrine that could be recalled. That type of fluency in theology takes time and as I taught through sections of the Bible, this gradually came more naturally.

Today I am more focused in my study and probably spend less time preparing. I still outline diligently to get the flow of the passage but manuscripting and rehearing have gone by the wayside. Give me a good outline and a week's worth of study and I will do fine with just that before me. I have also come to learn that my congregation is not sitting there ready to critique my technique. They want to be edified, taught, and preached the word of God. They are much more forgiving and truly grateful for the teaching and preaching ministry. They are not looking for me to become the next superstar preacher. Knowing that, I can focus on getting the right interpretation and application. God has allowed me the grace to think more on my own two feet -- not "winging it" or "shooting from the hip" -- but having an adeptness that allows me more personal freedom without fear of freezing up in mid-sentence. I wish I could go back and tell current ministry students not to worry about this if it doesn't happen right away, that it will take some time (5 years for me!) but it will come with practice and the Spirit's constant molding and grace-pressure.

My Reading Plan for 2009

2009-01-01T10:36:00.005-06:00

Books throughout the year: the Bible, Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion; Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress

(notes to self: order may change as time goes on; see The Lifetime Reading Plan on amazon.com; develop a one-year reading plan for Pilgrim's Progress; look into books of history and biography)

[books without a reading date: ]

January: finish Marsden's Jonathan Edwards: A Life; the Love Dare with Sally

February: Mahaney's The Cross-centered Life; Burroughs' Gospel Worship;

March: John Calvin: Doctrine, Devotion, Doxology;

April: Lloyd-Jones' Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure; Jim Andrews' Polishing God's Monuments;

May: Carson's Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor;

Summer months: (June, July, August): John Owen's Communion with the Triune God;

September: Wells' Above All Earthly Pow'rs;

October

November

December

PLEASE leave me a comment if you would like to recommend a book! Thanks.

Christmas at our house

2008-12-26T12:04:00.001-06:00

Christmas Day was very special at our house. It was a little more humble in terms of gift giving to our children, but not once did anyone say "I didn't get what I wanted" or "I wish I had gotten more." What a blessing to us parents! In addition to that, we had relaxed time together and Dad (me) got to enjoy most of the fun with the kids toys. Sally got me some beautiful Fernando Ortega music and I (being very practical) followed my children's suggestion to get her a new purse. Noticing her recent enjoyment of coffee, I purchased a small 4-cup coffee maker that hopefully will serve as a blessing to our family and friends who visit. On Christmas eve, we stayed home after I returned from work, at a warm and satisfying home-cooked meal, and enjoyed The Nativity Story -- a film I would heartily recommend! Recently, Hannah and Jacob have been very clear about explaining to me what Christmas is about and how Jesus died for our sins. With her boldness, God would use her as an evangelist someday...maybe sooner than I think.

We will enjoy visits from both sets of parents in the coming days. Always a blessing to have them stay with us and give us the privilege of showing hospitality.

Getting Back to a Simpler Life

2008-12-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

For the past 7 months, I have been working a second job in the evenings to supplement our family income, in addition to keeping up most of my ministry responsibilities. Sally has been working part-time two days a week, and although our financial stress has mainly been relieved, it has created a new family routine that has had some negative consequences. Starting in January, I will go back to being more full-time in the ministry. Here are a few things I have learned during those 7 months:

Working two jobs can be difficult and a strain on a family. Not impossible, but difficult: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Physical problems can contribute to emotional and spiritual problems. A consistent lack of sleep and rest can wreak havoc on relationships but often are not seen as the primary cause of the problems that arise.
Children need time with their parents. A lack of regular time with either or both parents can contribute to unseen problems in the family dynamic.
It is hard to be a shepherd of people (whether those people are your immediate family or your church family) if you are always tired because that "tiredness" will preempt you from spending extra time with people, especially if you are an introvert by nature.
Bivocational pastors are by no means inferior in character or skill to full-time pastors. To each situation God has a purpose.

I Love Books

2008-05-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

I love books, but don't have a lot of money to purchase the one's on my wishlist. So here's a way to get some for free...good Puritan writings from yesteryear but relevant for today.

If you'd like to help my chances in this giveaway, click the banner ad above, subscribe to the Challies Dot Com mailing list (no spam, only used for contest notification), and I will be most grateful!

Finishing the Course

2008-04-26T20:50:00.000-05:00

Paul said, "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24)

Today, Sally finished the course of the Country Music Half Marathon in 1:58:44. Congratulations, Sally, and thanks to Lisa Monsees, a college friend and former teammate from Columbia, MO for sticking with you throughout the race. It was a fun day for all of us.

The Big Picture of Parenting

2006-10-24T09:03:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

The big picture of parenting helps us to know if we are on the right track.

Ten years ago, Sally and I were married but had no children. Hard to believe! That summer we went with a team of athletes to the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a ministry trip. While there, the father of Sally’s friend who was from Slovakia took our team to see an old castle. We really enjoyed seeing that castle and learning more of its history. Later when we returned to the States, our friend gave us a gift. It was a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring the castle we had visited. The puzzle sat on our shelves and survived a couple of moves. This past summer I finally opened it up and tried my hand at it. It was harder than it looked. Now imagine someone dumping 500 puzzle pieces on your kitchen table but took away the picture. How much harder would it be? You might get the edges worked out (if you were lucky) but even then you would have to know what it was that you were trying to put together!

Parenting can be very puzzling. Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?

Is the baby crying because she is hurt, hungry, bored, or tired?
Should I let my child play at the new neighbor’s house when I can’t see them from the front yard?
When do I talk with my daughter about the birds and the bees?
What do I tell my teenager when they don’t want to go to church anymore?

Not only is parenting puzzling but it can be downright scary! The other day I went to our pediatrician to make a payment and a new mother was there. She was visibly nervous and by her own words “scared to death.” She didn’t know how much Tylenol to give her newborn infant and came to speak with a nurse. Some of us feel that way when there is nothing observably wrong with our kids – scared to death! What can we do to make sure they turn out all right? Perhaps a better question is this: what is our role in helping our children become what God wants them to be?

Obviously, our answer is found in Scripture. If parenting is a puzzle, then the Bible is our picture on the box top and we should keep it consistently in view. Our text this morning is one familiar verse in Proverbs. Look with me at chapter 22, verse 6, “Train a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

After looking at a few details pertaining to this well-known verse, I want to help you understand the big picture of Christian parenting. Undoubtedly, most of us have gotten confused and failed to understand how the pieces fit together. My goal is not to give you a checklist of dos and don’ts but some truths that will help you know if you’re on the right track.

If you remember, most of the proverbs were written by Solomon who was King David’s son. Solomon was the wisest man of his day. His reputation as a wise man went far beyond the borders of Israel and he made some profound observations on life. Like most proverbs in his writings, this verse has two parts. It reads like a statement of cause and effect. In it, he gives us a mental picture to illustrate the truth he is trying to communicate. In the first part, Solomon describes a parent’s responsibility using the imagery of a path or way that a child should follow. Last year Andrew and I took a few morning to cross the creek at Don Fox park and walk the wooded path. He had never been there before. I had. It was important for him to listen to my voice and stay on the path.

In the first part of this verse, Solomon emphasizes three things.

First, parents are to train children in the way of wisdom. In the Old Testament, the word for train is used in other settings for temple dedication. Gleason Archer, an Old Testament scholar, suggests that the word “train” in verse 6 this gives the following range of meanings: “Dedicate the child to God, “ ”Prepare the child for his future responsibilities, “ ”Exercise or train the child for adulthood.” So parents have work to do.

Second, parents are to train their children during their formative years. This word is also used in a variety of contexts and can refer to someone who is an infant (Exod 2:6), a weaned child (1 Sam 1:24), a young child (Jer 1:6), a lad (Gen 22:12), an adolescent (Gen 37:2), or a young man of marriageable age (Gen 34:19). These are the formative years and the years during which parents are to exercise their influence.

Third, this verse tells us there is a way a child should go. I think the fundamental meaning of this phrase does not refer to a person’s personality, gifts, or temperament although it is wise to understand how God made your child. Fundamentally, though, the way a child should go is the way of wisdom or the way of life as described in Proverbs. The way of wisdom stands in contrast to the way of the fool. It is the path that leads to life.

Another thing I want you to understand is that this verse is not an absolute promise but an observation from life and an encouragement to do the same. He’s saying, “if you do this, chances are great that your child will remain committed to that way of life when he is old.” One of the reasons this is not an absolute promise is because God himself served as a parent to Israel. The prophet Isaiah, speaking for the Lord, wrote, “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.” (Is 1:2b)

Even bigger than the concept of childhood training is the concept of parental influence. This is really what I think the verse is addressing. When you move from becoming a behavior control specialist to a parental influencer, you’ve done a good thing. A behavior control specialist works on the exterior while a parental influencer works on the interior. It’s really an inside job. And during these formative years, a parent’s authority goes down while their potential influence goes up. If you can recognize this, you’ll understand better how to adjust your parenting as your children grow.

What I just gave you are just a few details of the verse. Now let’s step back and look at the big picture of parenting! What truths do I need to consistently keep in view so that I won’t get lost in the puzzle?

First, The Gospel is central in understanding and helping people grow. From the very beginning, speak to your children of God’s holiness and rulership over the world. Explain to them what sin means and what the eternal consequences are. Tell them that God has provided a Savior, a spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ, to take away our sins, and that we must trust Christ in faith. Teach them that it is only through the Gospel that they can receive a new heart and the power of self-will can be broken. It is through the Gospel that we receive the help of the Holy Spirit and special grace is poured out upon our souls so that we might become more like Jesus. And one other thing. The Gospel is still needed even after a child becomes a Christian by faith. The Gospel is central in understanding and helping people grow.

Second, the heart of your child is the target. Behavior is important but it is secondary. Why is this true? Because it is the heart which determines behavior. Behavior, attitude, and performance are all by-products of the heart. Two verses are especially instructive.

“Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” (Prov 4:23)

“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’” Matthew 15:16-20 (NIV)

So what does this mean for parenting? It means that when your children have disobeyed you, broken God’s command, acted foolishly, or hurt someone else, you deal with the externals so that you as a parent will understand the problem, but you ultimately seek to influence the heart and improve a child’s biblical self-understanding. That is, you help them to see themselves and their problem from a Christian point of view.

Third, there are two sides of child training: teaching/training, rebuking/correcting. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the [child] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This verse reminds us that there is both a positive and a negative side to parenting. Positively, we teach and train. That means you as a parent are always engaging your child, looking for and being aware of opportunities to build into their life. You’re wanting to be their biggest cheerleader publicly and privately. Negatively, we rebuke and correct.
Keeping these two sides of child training in balance is the challenge. Some of us lean too heavily on the rebuking side. Some of us never go there or don’t like to go there.

Fourth, the foundation of all child training is love. First Corinthians 16:14 says, “Do everything in love.” Love puts the child’s need above your own. It is far too easy to resort to authoritarianism and unrighteous anger. Love reminds us that children are a blessing from God and we should treat them as such.

How do I train a child in the way of wisdom? (The parents’ responsibility and practice)

• Acknowledge your humble dependence on God everyday. (Prov 3:33-34; James 4:6)
• Possess what you want to impart. Have integrity. Train yourself in godliness. (1 Tim 4:7, 8; Deut 6:6)
• Spend time together. (Deut 6:7-9; Mk 3:14; Acts 4:13)
• Use the Bible as your primary textbook. (2 Tim 3:16) In other words, make sure that the truth content of the Bible is being imparted.
• What I have just told you can be summarized in this way: prayer, personal example, precept ... in that order

Proverbs 3:33-34 says, The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.

QUOTE: Every autumn I have a spate of letters from fond parents, teachers, guardians, and monitors, appealing to me to follow up on such and such a youngster who is away from home at college for the first time, and who has to be hunted, followed, shadowed, intercepted and driven to Christian meetings. I have scarcely ever known this desperate technique to work. I understand the panic of parents and guardians, but it is too late then to try high pressure tactics. Prayer, example and precept, in that order, are the means of bringing up children and young folk in the faith. Nor will high pressure tactics and brainwashing techniques avail when young folk have gone off on their own. Some young folk, alas, will have their fling and sow their wild oats, and come at last to heel, sadly, like the prodigal son. It is where Christians pathetically put their trust in external techniques and artificial stratagems that young folk go astray. Nothing takes the place of the realism of holy living and secret wrestling before God in prayer for our youngsters. We must commit them to God so utterly that we dare not interfere or tamper with their precious souls."(William Still, late Pastor of Gilcomston South Church, Aberdeen, Scotland)

God's sovereign choice in salvation

2006-08-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday was election day and I hope you were able to participate. We went to the voting polls and chose men and women for consideration of public offices like governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee State Supreme Court, Tennessee State Senate and House of Representatives. I think politics is one of those “love it or hate it” things in life. But on voting day we have a chance to choose people. We participate individually but it is our voice collectively that decides who wins. Those whom we don’t vote for and elect are left to find other means of work. Those whom we choose are granted responsibilities, rights, and privileges.

There are some obvious parallels here to the Christian doctrine of election. It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with God’s sovereignty. You might be sitting there saying, “I’ve never heard anything about election.” Let me tell you that it is important to understanding how God has worked on your behalf before you ever knew him.

If I could give two word pictures to illustrate how election fits in God’s great plan. Election is really one chapter in God’s book of sovereignty. Or you might think of it like this: Election is a bright and shining star in the heavens of God’s sovereignty.

I. Difficulties of approaching this topic

First, let me say that there are some difficulties in approaching this topic. Good Christian people who cherish Christ have hated this doctrine. Most notable is John Wesley who said these words. “I reject the blasphemy clearly contained in the horrible decree of predestination...I would sooner be a Turk, a Deist, yea an atheist, that I could believe this.” He also said that this doctrine “has a tendency to destroy holiness; for it wholly takes away those first motives to follow after it...the hope of future reward and punishment, the hope of heaven and the fear of hell.”

On the other side of the coin, there are notable Christians who have taken the doctrine too far; men like Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, and Zwingli. Their understanding could be called “predestination in both directions” or hyper-Calvinism. What I am advocating today is something that, in my humble opinion, takes the full scope of biblical information into account.

II. What does election mean?

Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

I want to begin by looking at some key passages from the New Testament and then to offer a definition that sums it up.

From the very beginning of Romans, the apostle Paul outlines a carefully thought out argument to show the need, the provision, and the application of God’s righteousness to man. He tells us how all are sinners and in need of a Savior, how God made a way for us to be righteous in his sight through the death of Christ, how justification by faith has always been God’s plan, and how the believer is to relate to sin and the Spirit. Here in Chapter 8 he appeals to those who are presently undergoing suffering. It is the climax of the entire book. Paul assures us that whatever comes into our life whether it be painful or pretty, it is always purposeful. He speaks as if from a mountain top and looks back into eternity past. He says, “friend, long ago God foreknew you in the sense of having a relationship with you. In that knowledge he predestined you to something. What is that? He predestined you to be conformed to the image of His son. This pain that you are enduring now is for that purpose. Now only that but God has called you. Not only that but God has justified you. Not only that but God has glorified you. It is still a future event but the down payment has been made now. So it is as certain as if it were already accomplished.

Ephesians 1:4-5
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

In this the prelude to Ephesians, Paul teaches us about the wonderful spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ. We have such blessings as adoption [being brought into the family of God], redemption [being purchased from slavery to sin], forgiveness [having our sin debt toward God paid in full], an inheritance [having riches in Christ stored up for us], and the Holy Spirit [which among other things is God’s guarantee that we will be safely brought into glory]. He uses two words in verses 4, 5, and 11 that refer to us having been chosen and predestined to these blessings in Christ. What is interesting about the Greek word for “chose” is that it is always used in the middle voice. Active voice verbs describe action being done by the subject. Passive voice verbs describe action being done to the subject. Middle voice verbs (in Greek) describe action being done for the benefit or the sake of the subject. We would say God chose us for himself

Several things need to be noted here. First, we were chosen in Christ. All of the blessings of salvation come through Christ. He is the one through whom the blessings are given. Second, we were chosen before time began. Election is an act of God that took place far in eternity past. Third, we were chosen for the end goal of being holy and blameless in God’s sight. Verse 5 adds that the basis of our being predestined had nothing to do with us! We were predestined “according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace”. Not on the basis of future faith or something good in us that God wanted to redeem.

2 Thessalonians 2:13
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,

Acts 13:48
48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts 16:14
14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

There are a few other places in the New Testament where election is mentioned almost in passing, as if it were something that everyone understood. [2 Thess 2:13; Acts 13:48, 16:14]

So how can we define election? Taking just the passages we have looked at, what can we say? Election is God’s sovereign choice before time began of some people to be saved from wrath and punishment for sins for no reason in themselves. The real reason behind God’s choice is a mystery hidden in his divine will.

III. What objections might you have to this doctrine?

A first objection might be stated this way: It is unfair for God to choose some people and not others. Our sense of fairness tells us that all people should be treated equally. For Americans, the issue of fairness is even more pronounced because our country was founded on the concept that all men are created equal and deserve the same freedoms. But I would say this: the question should not be “what is fair?” but “what is just?”. Our sense of fairness is subservient to God’s sense of justice. Two passages in the Gospels illustrate this. Matthew 20:1-16 tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. A landowner goes out to hire men at different times of the day: some in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some at the end of the day. When it comes time for each to receive his pay, the landowner pays each person the same regardless of how many hours were worked. What complaint do the workers have? “That’s unfair!” But the landowner did not go back on his word. The workers hired early in the day received what was agreed to. They have not been shortchanged. Only the ones hired later received more pay than they deserved. The point is that what looks like unfairness is really generosity on the part of God.

A second objection to election is this: if God chooses who will be saved, then my choice to accept Christ or reject him is not a real choice.

What texts in the New Testament illustrate the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility?

Matthew 11:25-27 11:28-29
Matthew 13:10-11 13:53-58
Matthew 16:15-17 16:1-12

A third, common objection has to do with the clear statements that it is God’s will for all to be saved. First Timothy 2:4 says it is God “who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” And Second Peter 3:9 says, “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” These are true Biblical statements. But we also know that since not everyone is actually saved, then God is either not able to effectively accomplish His will or we must refine our understanding of God’s will. Does these passages describe God’s heart for all people or God’s unchanging plan? It seems to me that these passages describe God’s heart (his will of desire) rather than his unchangeable plan (his will of decree).

The last objection I want to address is this: If God chooses to save some and passes over others, then his choice to overlook is really a choice to condemn. If this statement is true, then predestination works both ways. Some would support this by pointing out the case of Pharaoh. The Bible says that when God was about to free the Israelites from Egypt, He hardened Pharaoh’s heart. As a result, Pharaoh would not go along with Moses. There are other instances in the Psalms and in Romans 9 which use the language of hardening. Is God to blame when people are punished for their sins? The Bible never indicates this. Instead, it teaches that God simply permits sinful men to act upon their evil intentions, and by withdrawing this restraining grace, their evil hearts go unchecked [Rom 1:24, 26, 28]. In other words, God doesn’t hang them but He gives them enough rope to hang themselves. His hand upon them doesn’t create new evil in their heart but the withdrawal of his restraint lets them pursue the evil that is already there.

This is called the doctrine of reprobation and it can be summed up like this. Reprobation is God’s sovereign decision to pass over some persons, sorrowfully deciding not to save them, to punish them for their sins, and thereby manifest his justice. Several points need to be made here. First, reprobation never brings God joy. Ezekiel 33:11 reminds us that God does not delight in the death, the punishment, or the condemnation of sinners. Second, if this brings sorrow to God, then it should bring sorrow to us. How many people have been lost to eternity because they thought we didn’t care? Third, we must always remember that the basis of God’s election is grace while the basis of reprobation is God’s justice.

OTHER NOTES:
1. Reprobation is God’s sovereign decision to pass over some persons, sorrowfully deciding not to save them, to punish them for their sins, and thereby manifest his justice.
2. Jude 4, Romans 9:17-22, 1 Peter 2:8
3. Reprobation never brings God joy. [Ezek 33:11]
4. The cause of election lies with God while the cause of reprobation lies with the sinner. [John 3:18-19; 5:40]
5. The basis of election is God’s grace while the basis of reprobation is God’s justice.
6. The phrase “double predestination” is not a helpful phrase because it does not accurately describe the Bible’s teaching or the Reformed view.
7. Our sorrow when a person rejects Christ ought to mirror the sorrow that God feels.

Conclusion

It should give you great comfort to know that God has chosen you for Himself long ago in ages past.

It should give you great assurance to know that God’s choice of you is one step in a larger series of steps to bring you to glory.

It should give you great sorrow to see some people who have (as far as you can tell) been left to themselves.

The grace of God begins the process of salvation

2006-08-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

For my son’s birthday recently he received a 200-piece puzzle. It is a nice break from the video games. You know how puzzles work: lots of smaller pieces fit together to make a larger picture. All of the smaller pieces are given meaning when they fit together. One of the strategies of putting together larger puzzles is to work on smaller sections first and then connect those sections together.

We’ve been trying to put together the pieces of Bible doctrine this year. So far this year we have worked on the doctrines of God, the Bible, mankind, and Christ. Today we begin working on salvation. The individual pieces of salvation, which we are going to look at the next 3 months are GRACE, ELECTION, ATONEMENT, CALLING, CONVERSION, REGENERATION, UNION WITH CHRIST, JUSTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION, PRESERVATION & PERSEVERANCE, and, GLORIFICATION.

One of the subjects which weighs on my heart is the subject of salvation. I believe most well-meaning Christians have a very narrow understanding of salvation. “You need to go to heaven. The way to heaven is trusting Christ. Trust Christ today.” The Bible, however, opens up for us a much broader view of the work of salvation, and usually it is only after we have trusted Christ that an investigation into this is made, if it is made at all.

Grace is a huge topic and I want to pain a picture for you in broad strokes. A good way to approach this might be to ask questions. What is God’s grace? Why do I need God’s grace? What does God’s grace look like in real life? How do I respond to God’s grace?

[*Note: I am indebted to Bruce Demarest, The Cross and Salvation, for the following outline.]

I. Grace is favor and lovingkindness granted to those who do not deserve it. [What is grace?] – Romans 5:8

A. Liberals hold it to be the natural capacity for doing good; being endowed with a rational mind, freewill to resist the power of evil, and choose to live sinlessly. All people are children of God but flawed by evolution. It champions natural growth, human education, natural morality, the human heroism of the cross.

B. Roman Catholics: the divine enablement that supplements human initiative. We did not inherit depravity from Adam, just moral and spiritual weakness. “You supply the faith, God supplies the grace.” Grace moves one to trust Christ and receive baptism. Baptismal grace assists the person in keeping the commands of God which advances their justification.

C. Arminian: prevenient grace erases the debilitating effects of sin on minds, restores moral free agency, convicts of sin, exerts a Godward influence on hearts. Thus, every human has the potential for salvation (universal). If people were unable to believe, then it would be unfair of God to condemn those who did not. Mankind’s free will can resist God’s grace. [John Wesley] Prevenient grace (the universal and unconditional benefit of the Atonement) enables the mind, emotion, and will to respond to God’s call through the modality of the conscience. One who responds to initial grace is granted more grace.

D. Reformed: Two forms of grace: common and special.
1. Common grace is God’s undeserved goodness to every person in the form of his general care (focus is universal, see p. 64 bottom).

Luke 6:35 (NIV)
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

What does common grace do? Upholds the laws and processes of nature; all forms of life sustained in existence (Acts 17:28a); supplies food, water, shelter; restrains the power of sin through the Spirit; delays or withholds judgment; facilitates the good and true in the arts, sciences, technology; social and political order maintained; good gifts given to sinners as incentive to repent (Rom 2:4) and show that God does not delight in the death of the wicked. This accounts for "splendid pagans".

Abraham Kuyper said, “By His common grace God bridles the evil of fallen human nature, restrains the ruin which sin has produced and spread, and enables even the unregenerated men to do good in the broad, non-redemptive sense. It is the source of the good, the true, and the beautiful which remains, in spite of sin, in human life, even in human life which has not been regenerated.”

This grace is resistible.
Isaiah 26:10 (NIV)10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.

Charles Ryrie gives this illustration of common grace. “If you offered to give one dollar to a man whom you knew needed one hundred dollars and if he rejected your one dollar gift, you would doubtless consider his refusal sufficient grounds for declining to give him further assistance. If, on the other hand, the needy man accepted the one dollar gift gratefully, you might try to give him more. The dollar would be insufficient to meet his need, but if he refused it would be sufficient to condemn him. That dollar is like common grace which is not able to save but which is able to condemn, if rejected. [Holy Spirit, p. 63]

2. Special grace is the exercise of God’s saving power toward sinners which enlightens the minds of alienated rebels, quickens the will and energizes their affections toward God (focus is individual). Once a person is renewed by the Spirit he believes the Gospel, repents of sin, and trusts Christ. Saving grace is both prevenient and effectual; that is, it effectively changes the heart of those the Father has given to the Son. God does not violate the will. He simply changes it to be willing. General and special grace are mediated by Christ’s person and work.

II. Grace is needed because sin has corrupted us completely. [Why is grace needed?]

A. Sin’s corruption is called DEPRAVITY [Jer 13:23, Rom 1:26-32] Sin has brought corruption to the human race to the extent that we are spiritually hopeless.

Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV) 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.

Romans 1:28-32 (NIV)
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

B. Intellectually, sinners are unable to discern spiritual truth; that is, they are unable to grasp the full significance of truth from a spiritual perspective [Eph 4:18; 2 Cor 4:4; Rom 8:7-8; 1 Cor 2:14].

Ephesians 4:18 (NIV)
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

C. Volitionally, the unregenerate can only exercise their wills against the purposes of God [2 Pet 2:19]. The unregenerate have lost true “free will” [the ability to do as we please and the ability to choose between moral alternatives] because rebellion against God has plunged them into sin-slavery. Their will is bound to sin.

2 Peter 2:19 (NIV)
19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

D. Emotionally, our affections take delight in evil rather than in God [Titus 3:3; Gal 5:16].

Titus 3:3 (NIV)
3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

E. Relationally, sin makes us alienated from God and our fellow human beings [Col 1:21].

Colossians 1:21 (NIV)
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

III. The Bible teaches that there are many dimensions to grace. [What other dimensions of grace does the Bible teach?]

A. Grace is an attitude of God [Eph 2:4-8],

Ephesians 2:4-8 (NIV)
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

B. Grace is an action of God [Jn 1:14; 1 Tim 1:14; Rom 3:24],

1 Timothy 1:14 (NIV)
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:24 (NIV)
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

C. Grace is the gift of God.
1. in the person of Christ
2. in righteousness and salvation
3. gift of God’s power
4. spiritual endowments [spiritual gifts]

D. Grace is the power of God at work [Acts 18:27; Rom 5:20-21; 2 Cor 12:9; Rom 16:20; Titus 2:11-12],

Romans 5:20-21 (NIV)
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

E. Grace is the method of God’s saving us [Eph 2:8-9],

F. Grace is a state or realm entered by faith [Rom 5:2]

Romans 5:2 (NIV)
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

IV. How should I respond to God’s grace?

A. Gratitude – this is why we “say grace” before meals!
B. Graciousness toward others
C. Tell the unbeliever that it is God who has been gracious to them by providing health, provisions for life, food, family, meaningful work, etc.
D. Recognize that it is God’s grace that works in you to choose to obey God. (Ph 2:13, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
E. Let it be the driving factor in your pursuit of holy living. [Titus 2:11-12]

The presence of God alleviates fear

2006-07-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

One of the cardinal rules of preaching is never to make apologies at the beginning of a message, but I thought I should say that this message will probably be a little shorter than normal given the circumstances from this past week. We arrived back from vacation late Tuesday night and spent the entire next day getting our house in order, anticipating the surgery that Sally would have on Friday. So I thought I’d give myself a little grace, make accommodations to take care of some of the family needs, and trust God with the message.

Some of you asked if this was an emergency situation, and no, it was scheduled late and we moved quickly after that to get it done. She is doing fine but is resting at home today.

In one of my high school health classes I remember reading about the natural response to danger. They called it fight or flight. Last week while in Colorado at my in-law’s home, I would go jogging in the early morning and pass a sign which read “Mountain Lion Country.” By that time I was constantly looking in the woods to see if a mountain lion lurked nearby waiting to pounce on me. And I wondered what I would do? Would I fight or take to flight?

On Friday morning, I took Sally to the hospital for her surgery and wondered if that would be the last time I would see her alive. Even though the surgery was routine, there are always risks of something worse happening. As I left her side and went to the waiting room, would I let fear take hold of me or would I let God give me peace?

Fear is a powerful emotion that can take hold in childhood and grow stronger as we grow older.

Time magazine reporter that in a nationwide survey of more than 2,200 seven-to-eleven- year-olds, most children feel good about their lives, their families and just being themselves. But many are also afraid. More than two-thirds are scared that “someone bad” is lurking about their neighborhood, waiting to break into their homes. A quarter of the children are afraid that they will be attacked when they go outside – with some justification, since more than 40% have been harassed by older kids or adults while playing. Children addicted to television (those who watch four or more hours daily) are twice as likely to be fearful; nearly 25% of all the children are frightened by TV “shoot ‘em ups” and other violent programs. [Tan, Paul, Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations, 1979]

Many Christians today needlessly live in a state of fear: fearful of death and the burden it could place on their left-behind family, fearful of missing God’s plan for their life, fearful of not finding their soulmate and then being stuck in a unfulfilling marriage, fearful of the cost of being a disciples of Christ. I say they “needlessly live in a state of fear” not because there aren’t legitimate things which cause fear but because God has provided a remedy for fear.

Our text today is very short and very familiar but it touches on this theme and the remedy. Let us turn to John 6:16-21. Jesus and the disciples had just fed the 5,000+ people and the people wanted to make Jesus king by force. Realizing that this was taking place, Jesus slipped away from the crowds, sent his disciples on ahead to another location by boat, and would catch up to them at a later time. This is where we pick up in verse 16.

I. Various events and circumstances in life open the door to fear. (6:16-19)
A. The disciples faced various situations that opened the door to fear because they followed Christ.
1. The possibility of death was very real in a culture that had less access to modern health care. [plagues, famine]
2. The destructive power of nature was always nearby with great storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. [Martin Luther - great fear during a storm]; storms often seen as the wrath of God
3. Hostile, corrupt men (terrorism) were present to oppose the work of God.
4. Christian persecution was not only a reality but was an expectation. [burned at stakes, wild beasts, beheading, ]

B. Christians past and present continue to face these same situations.
1. Heightened fear because of the propagation of news regarding disaster
2. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis
3. Missionaries who face the possibility of kidnaping and abduction
4. Persecution against Christians by communist or Moslem governments

II. The awareness of God’s presence in the life of a Christian alleviates fear.
A. Jesus said to his disciples in the boat, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

B. God has always told His people to have courage and not to be afraid.
1. Moses
2. Joshua (Joshua 1:9)
3. David ()
4. The Twelve Disciples (Matthew 28:20)
5. Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:9-10)
6. Timothy (2 Timothy 1:7)

C. Christians are commanded to have courage because the presence of God is with them.
1. The presence of God is with His people.
a. God the Father
b. God the Son
c. God the Spirit
2. The presence of God provides more than just “emotional support.” It is a layer of defense, a presence of power
3. The awareness of God’s presence, however, is an important factor. The awareness of God’s presence is heightened by prayer, self-reminder of truth, listening. [Why is the presence of God a help?]

“[When women] love, they love quietly; they speak, as it were, in whispers, and we have to listen carefully, attentively, to hear their words of love and to know them. Isn’t God also this way? Doesn’t he intervene in most of our lives in whispers, which we miss if we fail to recollect ourselves and pay careful attention–if we do not constantly strive to hear those whispers of divine love? [Sacred Marriage, p. 235]

III. Find courage in the presence of God.

“Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the mastery of it.”

A. When you face death, read your Bible, sing the hymns, and pray to the Father because it transforms your mind with truth.
B. At the time of death you will not be left alone, for the angels of God will bear you to Abraham’s bosom. (Luke 16:19-31)
C. When you suffer for being a Christian let the ever-present Spirit of Christ give you a measure of grace to endure.
D. Go to the church meetings to find the special presence of God. You will be encouraged and your fears will subside.

In the book Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas speaks about marriage as a spiritual discipline which invites the constant awareness of presence of God. Just like the presence of God was manifest between the two cherubim on the ark of the covenant, God’s presence is manifest between the husband and wife. How does this work? One way it works is in the practice of conversation. They way a husband and wife speak to each other either invites or pushes out the presence of God. Words of encouragement and comfort bring the presence of God because that atmosphere is consistent with his character. Words of strife and chaos push out the presence of God because the atmosphere created by those words are inconsistent with the character of God.

It is the same way in church services and meetings. The presence of God is either invited or pushed out by the words that are spoken. Think about what we do on Sunday morning. We speak words for 75 minutes: words of praise, words of prayer, words of exposition. The words that we speak here which are consistent with the character of God invite the presence of God. And when the presence of God is here, it alleviates fear. It provides comfort. It provides strength to carry on and to face our tasks with confidence in God.

E. When you are afraid to carry out a job God has given you to do
1. Speaking publicly for Christ
2. Leading the Church as an elder or deacon, making hard decisions which are unpopular and difficult
3. Doing the work of evangelism
4. When the world wants you to denounce Christ [illus: Polycarp, see From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya]

Polycarp was a bishop of Smyrna (which I think is a city in Egypt) for 50 years. He was a direct disciple of the Apostle John. Wouldn’t you like to have been listening in to those conversations where John was telling Polycarp the stories of Jesus. Well, Polycarp became mighty as a defender of the truth and boldly spoke out against paganism, condemning their religion and calling others to do away with their godlessness. Finally a persecution broke out in AD 156 against the Christians and Polycarp was targeted. His own disciples hid him for a time in a hayloft but after a servant was taken and tortured, the servant gave up the location of Polycarp so that the authorities could take him into custody. They did not want to kill Polycarp. He was already 86 years old and they thought it would do little good. They only wanted to make him deny Christ publicly. He was taken to a great arena where thousands of pagans had gathered and commanded to deny Christ. As he opened his mouth to speak, his first words were, “Away with the godless.” Listen to what he said.

Conclusion
The benediction that we say also takes hold of this theme:

Now go into the world in peace.
Have courage,
hold onto what is good;
honor all men.
Strengthen the fainthearted;
support the week;
help the suffering;
And share the gospel. Love and serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit;
And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
[And all God’s people said] Amen.

Freedom from sin

2006-07-05T11:21:00.000-05:00

[My apologies for not posting the most recent notes online. In the midst of the birth of Jacob, going on vacation, and Sally having surgery, it has not been at the top of my to do list. My hope is that soon this site will be a backup whereas the primary place to get sermon information will be the church website in the form of audio files. ~Matt]

By way of reminder, last week we touched upon the subject of fear, and particularly, any fear that stands in the way or hinders us from doing God’s will or the job that God has given us to do. I spoke on this at the Elmcroft Assisted Living Center on Wednesday, and got a very lively response. It told me that this touches people where they live. “Courage is not the absence; it is the mastery of it.” You remember we learned that God’s presence alleviates fear; an increased awareness of his presence over time will help in moments of doubt, not so much as an emotional support but as a reminder of the resources we have to do God’s work. And lastly, we learned that we can do things which invite the presence of God or which push it out. Indeed, the greatest gift that God can give to you is Himself.

Our subject matter this morning, in the spirit of Independence Day, concerns verses 31-38 wherein Jesus speaks these words: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” And again, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Truth and freedom have been American ideals from the earliest days.

I. The foundation of America is based on the value of freedom.

The first official act of Congress was a call for prayer by the Rev. Mr. Jacob Duche, which he offered extemporaneously in Carpenter’s Hall at 9am, September 7, 1774.

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the wording for the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, delegates of the Continental Congress voted to accept it. On July 8, 1776, the Declaration was read publicly for the first time outside of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, accompanied by the ringing of the Liberty Bell.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...We, Therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions...And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

After each had signed, Samuel Adams declared: We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.

John Adams’ proclamation: The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America, to be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival, commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty from one end of the Continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.

Unfortunately, in our day, both truth and freedom have taken on different meanings than they used to embody. Truth used to mean “that which is true under any circumstance in any culture at any time.” Today, truth means “that which works for you.” You have your truth and I have my truth. Freedom used to mean “the right to be a human being as God intended, within the constraints of morality and responsibility.” Today, freedom means “the right to do as we please, so long as it doesn’t hurt another person.” Gone are the restraints of morality, decency, and responsibility.

How far we have come from our foundations! The foundation of America is based on the value of freedom.

Americans value freedom of religion.
Americans value freedom of speech.
Americans value freedom to vote.
Americans value freedom to choose.

II. Christians value freedom because it is fundamental to the gospel.

A. True disciples of Christ know the fullness of gospel truth by remaining in personal fellowship with him. (31-33)
1. Disciples of Christ continue to hold to Jesus' teachings.
2. Those who no longer remain in personal fellowship with Christ or continue to hold to his teachings cannot rightfully be called disciples.
3. True disciples of Christ know the fullness of gospel truth.
4. Gospel truth sets a person free. [how?]

B. The person who continually commits sin is a slave to sin. (34-38)
1. Sin is a slave master but the gospel sets free.
2. The unbeliever who is still under the power of sin is a slave to sin.
3. The believer who has had the power of sin broken yet submits himself to it again through temptation becomes a slave to sin.
4. The truth about Jesus Christ has the power to set me free from the power of sin.

III. Help others know the truth which sets them free.
A. Knowledge applied enables a person to be set free from the most slave-producing force known to man: sin.
1. Abide in the way of Christ.
2. Apply your mind and heart to the knowledge of Christ. (Prov 1:2-5)
3. You will be set free from sin.

B. Encourage the “seeker” (learner/disciple) who is not a Christian yet to follow Jesus in search of truth.
C. Know the gospel truth which sets people free.
1. “Christ died for sinners and rose again.”
2. Each each word in that sentence is a gospel truth.

D. Reject a return to sin-slavery by committing to live a holy life.
1. You should live and breath the truths of Romans 6.
2. You should live and breath the truths of Galatians 4 and 5.

Respecting the Lord's Day

2006-05-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

John 5:9b-24

Religion and politics are similar to each other in the sense that every few years there are a handful of issues which dominate the debate of the day. Just read the minutes of a denominational convention or eavesdrop at a pastor’s conference and you’ll learn what topics are engaging the church. A few years ago it was the authority of scripture, Lordship salvation, worship reform, and open theism (the manner in which God is engaged in the free choices of men). Today it is the new perspective on Paul and the emergent church.

Every generation has its debates. For the fourth century church it was Christology. For the Reformation-era church it was the very nature of the gospel and the priesthood of believers. In Jesus’ day, the Sabbath held a special place among religious leaders. The Jews were asking themselves, “how can we keep the Sabbath so that God does not discipline us as a nation as he did 400 years prior when he sent us into exile?”

Today, not much is said about Sabbath-keeping except by a few fringe groups. I have gotten books from people who say, “read this and you’ll understand why historic Sabbath-keeping (Friday night to Saturday night) is crucial to Christian faith. And I am not convinced. What I am convinced of is that the church in general has a lax and careless attitude toward the Lord’s Day. And that applies to people who say you’ve got to be at church every time the doors are open and to those who say that church attendance has little bearing on one’s spiritual life. Both of those examples reveal a careless attitude about the meaning and practice of the Lord’s Day.
In our continuation of John 5, after Jesus healed the paralytic man, a small controversy over the Sabbath erupts where Jesus raises the bed of his truth-truck and unloads on them. If the Jews thought they had a problem with him healing on the Sabbath, they had a few more things coming.

Jesus is going to explain his connection to God the Father so that there will be no doubt as to why he has the right to heal on the Sabbath and command a man to pick up his mat and walk. And when we are through with this I want to push you a little harder in your attitude and approach to the Sabbath. (When it comes to application, I will use the terms Sabbath and Lord’s Day interchangeably.)

The healing of an invalid at the pool of Bethesda contradicts a Pharisaic tradition regarding the Sabbath.

Our text this morning does not say that it was the Pharisees who were giving Jesus and the now-healed paralytic grief. It was “the Jews” but this phrase is used in John to denote the Jewish authorities who were first skeptical but now growing more antagonistic toward Jesus. Why were they upset? We pick up our story from last week in the second half of verse 9, “Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.’” At this time in Jewish history Sabbath-keeping was a hot topic, like illegal immigration is today. The issue of Sabbath-keeping pushed people’s “hot button.” To understand why this was so hot, you need to look back in the Old Testament and at another stage of Jewish history.

The three texts that our Scripture reader read this morning are cornerstones upon which Sabbath-keeping is built. The first mention of a sabbath comes in Genesis 2:1-3 where it says that God rested from all his labors on the seventh day of creation. When all the heavens and the earth were finished, God rested, blessed that day, and made it holy. All the other days He said “it is good” but on this day He said “it is holy.” In Exodus 20:8-11, God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites through Moses. The fourth commandment incidentally is the longest stated commandment of the ten. Not that it is the most important because Jesus explained the two most important (love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself) but it is given the most explanation. Finally, in Exodus 31:12-18 God expands the meaning of the Sabbath to include it as a sign between God and the people, similar to circumcision.

As you move forward in biblical history, three of the great prophets – Isaiah (ch. 56), Jeremiah (ch. 17), and Ezekiel (ch. 20) – warn the people that their neglect of keeping the fourth commandment is specifically tied to their exile from the promised land. They had desecrated the holy day and done as they pleased. Therefore, God has visited them with judgment. During the 400-year period before Christ, the Pharisees as a group devoted to strict adherence to the law became organized and strongly influenced the religious climate of their day. Bob Deffinbaugh writes these words:

During the 400 "silent years" between the two testaments a great deal of attention was given to the interpretation of the Law (in general) and of the Sabbath (in particular). The detail to which the inspired writers went was nothing compared to the embellishments performed on the Sabbath commandment by the Jewish scholars and religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees. We would not be correct to conclude that all of these efforts to clarify the Law are silly and senseless. While the method of interpretation may be wrong, not to mention the conclusions reached, there was ample motivation for probing the obligation of the individual Israelite to the Fourth Commandment. During the Maccabbean Period (a century or so prior to the coming of Christ) a 1,000 Jews had been slaughtered because they were attacked on the Sabbath and would not break the Sabbath to defend themselves. Little wonder, then, that Jewish scholars sought to clarify the Sabbath commandment.
For instance, to carry a burden on the Sabbath Day is to work. But next a burden has to be defined. So the Scribal Law lays it down that a burden is "food equal in weight to a dried fig, enough wine for mixing in a goblet, milk enough for one swallow, honey enough to put upon a wound, oil enough to anoint a small member, water enough to moisten an eye-salve, paper enough to write a customs house notice upon, ink enough to write two letters of the alphabet, reed enough to make a pen"—and so on endlessly. So they spent endless hours arguing whether a man could or could not lift a lamp from one place to another on the Sabbath, whether a tailor committed a sin if he went out with a needle in his robe, whether a woman might wear a brooch or false hair, even if a man might go out on the Sabbath with artificial teeth or an artificial limb, if a man might lift his child on the Sabbath Day. [Bob Deffinbaugh, The Sabbath Controversy in the Gospels, www.bible.org]

Getting back to our story in John 5, we can see why the Jewish authorities were a little more than put off. This is why they not only questioned the man who broke the Sabbath by carrying his bed (and he was not carrying a twin-size mattress down the street. It was probably no more than a couple of blankets or a mat to lay on) but they also sought to know who made this “carrying of the mat” possible! The real problem was the person who gave permission to carry the mat and therefore flouted the law. Just like Phinehas of the Old Testament, they wanted to get to the source and stop it before it spread.

The man who was healed initially didn’t know who did it for him but later learned it was Jesus. Instead of thanking him for the miracle, the man went back to the authorities and said it was Jesus, probably for fear of his own life or at least fear of being put out of the synagogue. This brings up another interesting point. At the time John was writing his gospel and his three epistles to the church, the Christian community was made up of two kinds of people: Jewish Christians and Hellenistic Christians. The Jewish Christians had a tendency to struggle with the messianic nature of Jesus. Accepting him as messiah could mean being putting out of the Synagogue. The letter of 1 John emphasizes how we can have fellowship with one another, with Jesus Christ and the Father, because they had lost fellowship with those in the Synagogue. Some people, under the pressure, left the Christian community and went back to Judaism. On the other hand, the Hellenistic Christians came from a pagan background and struggled to accept the full humanity of Christ because of being heavily influenced by gnostic teaching. This is why John emphasizes the humanity of Christ by saying “which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you.” (1 Jn 1:1, 3) Our story in John 5 would be an encouragement to the Jewish Christians to not follow his example by caving in to the Jewish authorities.

The real problem plaguing the Pharisees was not their devotion or zeal for the law. Actually, it was the opposite. They had become so wrapped up in applications of the law that they had forgotten the heart of the law. Jesus said to them in Mark 7:9, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition.” Their zeal made their heart so narroly focused that it caused them to fail to see the bigger picture. It would be like trying to walk a mile in a perfectly straight line while keeping your eyes fixed on the ground below. Listen to what Jesus says in reply to show that they had lost sight of the big picture.

Verse 17, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Listen to that again.

If I said that to someone on the street, it might not sound like a big deal. “The Father is working at our church, and I am doing His work, too.” Okay. But say that statement in the context of a Sabbath and it takes on a whole new meaning. God is no longer “resting” from his labors. God is working, even on the Sabbath. He is doing the work of redemption.

Jesus was saying that a change has taken place now that the Son of Man was on the scene. I see this change tied to the covenant because, remember, Sabbath-keeping was given as a sign under the Mosaic covenant. Under the old covenant, obedience to God meant imitating him in the Sabbath rest. Under the new covenant, obedience to God means imitating him in the work of redemption.

The Son can do nothing according to his own will but only the will of the Father. (19)
The Father loves the Son and shows him what He is doing. (20)
The Son sees what the Father is doing and does likewise. (21)

Paul says in Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” The Pharisees were not imitating God because they could not see a covenant change.
Secondly, they failed to understand that as the Son of God, Jesus had the authority to change the rules about the Sabbath. The next section of John 5 focuses on Jesus’ authority.

The Father has entrusted judgment to the Son. (22)
Everyone must honor the Son just as the honor the Father. (23)
The one who hears the word of Christ and believes the Father who sent him has passed from the realm of death to the realm of life. (24)

Keep the Sabbath respectfully without neglecting the weightier matters of mercy and justice.

Now just because Jesus has authority over the Sabbath and scripture teaches that certain necessities supercede the Sabbath, does not mean you can do as you please on the Lord’s Day. We are still required to keep the Sabbath respectfully without neglecting the weightier matters of mercy and justice. In fact, if there were a simple reformation of respect given to the Lord’s Day it would have a dramatic effect upon the Church’s testimony to the world.

In my study this week I have become convicted that on this day we do not participate in the Lord’s hour or give the Lord his morning but are to keep the Lord’s Day! The Puritans used to call the Lord’s Day “the market day of the soul.” Six days a week one buys and sells for the sake of one’s body, but Sunday is a day to “trade” in spiritual commodities for the sake of our souls. The Westminster Confession of Faith gives us these words to consider:

All Christians “after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand,” are to “not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts, about their worldly employments and recreations,” but also are to be engaged “the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.” [Duncan and Johnson, Give Praise to God, p. 332]

As a pastor, this gives me pause to consider Sunday evening worship not as a duty or as a tradition but as a framework so that the Lord’s Day is hemmed in the beginning and end with a right focus on God.

Mothers, there are some duties of necessity for you, but can you order your life so that on this special day you can cease from your labors of sewing, cleaning, laundry, and housework? Make a double recipe once a week, put it in the freezer and pull something out on Saturday night

Fathers, can you lead your family to order this day after God’s priorities by word and example? When you are on vacation with family, do you actively seek out a house of worship to attend? Cut your grass on Saturday. Change the oil on Monday. Don’t work your employees seven days straight! Hire someone else if you have to.

Students, can you trust God that if you cease from doing school work on Sunday afternoon that He will get you through class with what you need to know and a grade that pleasing to Him? In seminary this was especially brought home one time when Howard Hendricks said that some students need to get Bs because to pursue the A would mean neglect of something, whether it be family or the Lord.

A Break in the Posts

2006-05-18T10:34:00.000-05:00

With the natural constraints at home and work during the first few weeks of Jacob's life, I have been unable to write good manuscripts for the last two weeks sermons. We are going through a short series of Jesus' miracles as recorded in the Gospel of John. We now have the ability at church to digitally record the messages, so that might make this format obsolete soon. [Even my outlines won't make much sense to someone who doesn't hear the message first hand!] If I can get those mp3 messages posted somewhere online, I will include a link.

The face of love

2006-05-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

Here is the newest addition to the Smart family: Jacob Charles Smart, born April 30, 2006 at 6:44 am. He weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long.

The face of my wife, my children, my extended family...all of these are the face of love to me. What man is poor that has a family who loves him?

The days before Jacob was born, I attended a pastor's conference in Louisville, KY -- Together for the Gospel. If you get a chance, browse through the conference blog, particularly the posts before the date April 26, 2006. You will find some interesting thoughts.

The Power and Wisdom of the Cross

2006-04-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

You can tell much about the state of the Church by the messages that are preached to it. I want to share with you two lists of sermon titles. See if you can figure out what these preachers and their people value by simply noting their sermon titles. I am not criticizing one or the other. I just want you to see the difference. One list is contemporary; one is from the past.

LIST #1
How To Tell God You Love Him
The Five Essentials of Life
It Takes Courage To Make A Difference
Where To Find The Hope You Need
How God Heals Your Hidden Wounds

VALUES: simplicity, structure, help for personal problems, lightheartedness

LIST #2
A Family Well-Ordered (Cotton Mather)
Charity and Its Fruits (Jonathan Edwards)
Gospel Worship (Jeremiah Burroughs)
Duty of Self-Denial (Thomas Watson)
The Art of Divine Contentment
The Mischief of Sin
The Desperateness of Sinners
An Alarm to Sinners
Hell’s Furnace Heated Hotter

VALUES: Christian virtue and character, seriousness, biblical terminology

Comparing one list with another, it seems there are some truths which have lost their centrality in preaching. What once was at the core of biblical proclamation is now hard to find at all. Our text today speaks about one of these truths which we hear less and less of. It is the message of the cross.

I hope that the Church has not outgrown the cross, has not moved on to bigger and better things. I hope that we have not forgotten the most pivotal act in history and relegated it to the sidelines. The Latin word for cross (crux) is where we get our word crucial. The cross is crucial to our faith.

When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, it was to address their many problems: divisions, worldliness, tolerating immorality, issues of marriage and food, and the display of Christian love at their church meetings. But both at the beginning and end of his letter, he reminds the church of the centrality of the message of the cross.

In chapter 1, verses 17-25, Paul gives us two reason why we need the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5

You need the message of the cross because you are too weak to save yourself.

A. [PROBLEM] You cannot save yourself.

1. Your nature is dead in its orientation toward God. (Eph 2:1-3)

Ephesians 2:1-3 (NIV)
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

2. You are enslaved by the power of sin. (Rom 7:14-15)

Romans 7:14-15 (NIV)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

3. Those who are dead toward God and slaves to sin have no resources in themselves to cancel a sin debt. (Rom 5:8)

Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

B. [SOLUTION] The cross demonstrated God’s power to save.

1. The cross satisfied God’s wrath toward sin. (Rom 3:25)

Romans 3:25 (NIV)
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

2. It secures a new heart orientation for those who have faith in Christ.
3. Christ broke the strength of sin when he rose from the grave because sin’s strength is demonstrated in death. (James 1:15; 1 Cor 15:17, 54-57)

James 1:15 (NIV)
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV)
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (NIV)
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A boy and his father were traveling in a car when a bee flew through the open window. The boy was so highly allergic to bee stings that both he and his father knew that his life was in danger. As the boy frantically jumped around and tried to avoid the agitated bee, the father calmly reached out and grabbed the bee. When he opened his hand, the bee began to fly again, terrorizing the boy once more. The father then said, “Look, son,” holding up a hand with an implanted stinger, “his stinger is gone; he can’t hurt you any longer.” As a bee loses its stinger when it stings, so death lost its sting when it stung Jesus.

4. There is even more to the power of the cross!

THERE IS WONDERFUL POWER in the Cross of Christ. It has power to wake the dullest conscience and melt the hardest heart, to cleanse the unclean, to reconcile him who is afar off and restore him to fellowship with God, to redeem the prisoner from his bondage and lift the pauper from the dunghill, to break down the barriers which divide [people] from one another, to transform our wayward characters into the image of Christ and finally make us fit to stand in white robes before the throne of God. John Stott, The Preacher's Portrait

You need the message of the cross because you are not wise enough to save yourself.

A. You are not wise enough to save yourself.
B. The wisdom of the world is foolish in God’s sight.
1. Philosophy (Acts 17:16-21)
2. Psychology and Theology
C. The cross demonstrated God’s wisdom to save.
1. The one who went to the cross was both God and man.
2. The one who went to the cross fulfilled all of the law’s requirements.
3. The cross secures salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life for all who believe.

III. The message of the cross is “Christ crucified for sinners and raised again.”

The cross is a stumbling block.

Commenting on the atoning death of Jesus, a Muslic cleric said, “That means God is thirsty for the blood, and he wouldn’t give forgiveness to anyone except if he sees the blood–and the blood of who? His son! It is ridiculous!”

But the message is “Christ crucified.”

The story is told of a small English village that had a tiny chapel whose stone walls were covered by traditional ivy. Over an arch was originally inscribed the words: WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED. There had been a generation of godly men who did precisely that: they preached Christ crucified.

But times changed. The ivy grew and pretty soon covered the last word. The inscription now read: WE PREACH CHRIST. Other men came and they did preach Christ: Christ the example, Christ the humanitarian, Christ the ideal teacher.

As the years passed, the ivy continued to grow until finally the inscription read: WE PREACH. The generation that came along then did just that: they preached economics, social gospel, book reviews, just about anything. This story illustrates how man’s philosophical detours affect how the gospel is transmitted.

Let the power and wisdom of the cross be applied to you. Put your trust in the Savior of the cross.

A. He died for you, in your place.

B. He calls you to believe in his name, trust in his provision, and treasure Him above all else.

God's Purpose in "Unfortunate Events"

2006-04-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

John 13:18-32

Daniel Handler is an author who writes under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. Some of his books were put into a movie called A Series of Unfortunate Events. In this story three children of the Baudelaire family (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) find themselves orphans after their house burns down and they are left without parents. They are soon placed in the custody of a family friend, Count Olaf, who really has no use for them except to steal their family inheritance. After revealing this sinister plot to the executor of the parents’ will, the children are placed in the care of their Uncle Monty, but Count Olaf finds them, disguising himself as Stefano, and successfully removes Uncle Monty from the picture. Next the children are placed in the custodial care of strange Aunt Josephine who has a penchant for grammar. But again, Count Olaf tracks the children down and does away with Aunt Josephine after her house falls into Lake Lac LeMond. By the end of the movie, you get the sense that nothing can go right for the children except for their determination and resourcefulness in the face of tragedy.

The passage of scripture that was read today was a very brief event in real time but it was very significant. In the life of Jesus, you might call it an unfortunate event. What does God do with these unfortunate events, especially when they show up in the middle of his plan of redemption? Does it catch him off guard? When an unfortunate event happens in your life, does God have to call an audible? Change His plan? Does He find Himself scrambling to figure out what to do next? This morning, we shall see. What Judas did and thought in his heart was not so important to you and me as what it accomplished and how it fits together in God’s plan.

If you look closely at John’s Gospel, you will see that he devotes about half of his text (10 chapters!) to the last week of Jesus’ life. That tells you by the amount of space devoted to that week that it was very important! John 11 and 12 set the scene for what we read in chapter 13. We find that Lazarus has died and his sisters send word for Jesus to come but he delays. He delays so much so that there is no chance that Lazarus can be helped – or so it seems. Mary and Martha learn an important lesson from the Savior – he is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in him though he die, yet he shall live! Taken back by the power and compassion displayed by Jesus, a few days later Mary takes a jar of nard, breaks it open and pours it onto the feet of Jesus. Remember Mary – the one who wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus and fellowship with him? The one who could find time out of her busy day to learn from him? This Mary anointed Jesus for his burial. This Mary did a beautiful thing to him. But at the same time we learn something about Judas. We learn of his greed and thievery into the common purse that the disciples kept. At the beginning of chapter 13, Jesus has a private moment with his disciples. He begins to wash their feet – an act which is misunderstood by Peter and shows their true resistance to the plan that God has. After the washing, Jesus shares a meal with his disciples, an intimate meal of fellowship. But all is not well and he must tell them some disturbing news: one of them is about to betray him. It is indeed a very unfortunate event.

On Friday, one of the biggest headlines in the news stated this: Judas is No Traitor in Long-Lost Gospel. The National Geographic Society has published the translation of a document dating from the year 300 AD which has been called the Gospel of Judas. The ancient document lay hidden in the Egyptian desert for nearly 1,700 years until some looters discovered it in the 1970s. An antiquities dealer in New York purchased it and kept it in a safe-deposit box until the year 2000 when it was purchased and subsequently restored.

In this gospel, if we may call it that, Judas is portrayed very differently than the gospels of the Bible. According to Bart Ehrman, a religion professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “He’s the good guy in this portrayal. He’s the only apostle who understands Jesus.” Rather than betray Jesus, Judas actually does was Jesus wants him to do, which is turn him over to the authorities so he can be crucified and thereby released from the prison of his body into the enlightenment of spiritual existence. Later, when Judas sees what has happened to Jesus, he commits suicide, which, in this interpretation, is good because he too wants to be freed from the prison of the body and be with Jesus.

The Gospel of Judas is actually a gnostic document which valued hidden or mysterious knowledge as a means to salvation and spiritual existence over a physical existence. Of course, the timing of the release of this information is very interesting, on the eve of Holy Week. I am afraid, however, that those with a weak faith and do not understand how we got the final version of our Bible, will find their trust of church history and what was handed down to use eroding. This same thing will be happening with the release of the major motion picture The DaVinci Code which essentially says that everything you have been taught about the Jesus and the Church is wrong; it is a scandal; it is a coverup. This is why we must know why we can trust the Gospels in the Holy Bible. This is why we must know how God Himself gave us the books of the Bible as he worked through a long process of scriptural canonization.

When all the hoopla dies down, Judas will still be who he was. On the one hand he was exercising his free will to be greedy and covetous; on the other hand he was fulfilling a plan.

I. God ordains that some “unfortunate events” would happen as part of his plan. (13:18-20)
A. It is hard for us to grasp how God can ordain bad things and still be a good, loving God.
B. God chooses some men to fulfill good purposes, some to fulfill bad purposes. (18)
1. Judas was a person who had evil intent in his heart and demonstrated it with his covetousness. (12:6; cf. John 6:64, 70)
2. Judas may have been in league with the Zealots to betray Jesus as part of a larger plan to throw off the Roman government.
3. Judas succumbed to Satanic influence. (13:2, 27)
C. We cannot presume to know the infinite mind of God.

II. God utilizes these “unfortunate events” to bring about greater good for man. (13:21-30)
A. Jesus shared with his disciples the troubling truth that one of them would betray Him.
1. Jesus was distressed in his heart because of this.
2. The disciples sought to know who it was.
3. Jesus prompted Judas to quickly do his business.
B. Jesus could do this because of the great benefit to man Calvary would bring. (Heb 12: 1-3)

III. God utilizes these “unfortunate events” to secure greater glory for Himself. (13:31-32)
A. God gets greater glory when men recognize what He has done for them. (Subjective)
B. God gets greater glory in the act itself apart from man’s perception of it. (Objective)
1. The cross would vindicate God’s justice in the overlooking of sin for so many years. [like carrying a credit card balance forward for years but finally paying off the balance in full]
2. God demonstrates power over sin, death, and the grave.
3. God solved the problem of how to keep the standards of His holy law and yet freely offer forgiveness in Christ.
4. The cross gives unhindered access to God by faith in Christ.
5. The cross makes unrighteous men righteous by the merit of Christ.
6. The cross satisfies God’s wrath for man’s sin.

The offensiveness and deceitfulness of sin

2006-04-04T09:54:00.000-05:00

I feel that I should begin this morning with a few comments from last week. Last week we began to explore the basic problem of man which is described in the Bible as sin. Sin has several shades of meaning. It is an act, a state, and a nature. We understand the act portion of that definition because we see the acts of sin everyday in hatred, discord, pride, cruelty, and various other expressions. It is a state in the sense that we live in an environment that has been tainted by sin’s corrupting nature and there is nothing we can do to escape it. It is a nature in the sense that we are born into a corrupted condition in both body and soul. David said in the 51st Psalm, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (5) Paul says “we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” (Eph 2:3)

We also looked a biblical descriptions of sin as missing the mark, transgression of the law, rebellion, and lawlessness. Briefly we talked about the effects of sin upon man and I drew the cords tighter in describing church life and relationships. This morning I want to focus on two aspects of sin: one as it relates to God and the other as it relates to man. I will not belabor a discussion on the need of this topic as it will be readily apparent immediately. As you ponder these words this morning – as you consider them in your mind – open up your heart to feel because a right response to sin and to the gospel involves the intellect, the will, and the emotions.

The offensiveness of sin in the sight of God is very great.

In a daily scanning of the news we learn about sin from the unlawful acts of people. We read of child abuse perpetrated against a 15 year-old boy while chained to a bed; we read about alleged sexual battery against blind students in Watertown; we read about a minister’s wife in Selmer, TN who confesses to the murder of her husband. Some of the sins we read about or witness firsthand push our hot buttons and we are quick and right to condemn them! Yes, some crimes are particularly evil. If you ranked the top five sins in the order of offensiveness and outrage produced in you, what would be at the top of your list? Homosexuality, drunken vehicular homicide, abortion, or murder? Ted Peters wrote a book about sin and listed seven categories of sin; I think they are worth a mention: worry, unfaith, pride, concupiscence (a fancy word for lust), self-justification, cruelty, and blasphemy – in that order, going from bad to worse. I find that list interesting because it doesn’t mention any of the sins I previously mentioned as those which might be most offensive to you. Regardless of whether they are “big sins” or “little sins” even the smallest is offensive to God and deserving of eternal punishment. Maybe this is why the first sin of Adam and Eve was not a heinous crime like we might expect so that we could not later point back to the episode and say "my sin wasn't as bad as theirs!" How many of you have ever said to yourself, “at least I didn’t sin like Adam and Eve.” (You probably said that but substituted Hitler or Stalin for Adam and Eve.) But the Bible says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Is 64:6)

Why is it hard for us to grasp the offensiveness of sin to God? Think of it this way. A blind man cannot see the difference between Michelangelo's statue of David and a tower of Lego Blocks. A deaf man cannot hear the difference between Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and heavy metal. A black vulture which has a terrible sense of smell cannot tell the difference between roses and road kill. Or think of a dog whistle. If I blow a dog whistle long enough, my friendly four-legged friends will let me know that it irritates their sense of hearing. But none of my two-legged family members can hear a thing. Why? Because we don’t have the right sense to do so.

What's my point? All of these illustrations have to do with a sense that is not developed and the inability to see the beauty of one thing and the wretchedness of another. The Bible says we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) and we do not have a "sin sense" that works very well. God's "sin sense" is perfect and He is rightly and infinitely repulsed by the presence of sin. It takes a person who has the imputed righteousness of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit to have a sense of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of sin.
Read Isaiah 1:10-17

The deceitfulness of sin to the heart of man is very great.

The second characteristic of sin that I want to address is the deceitfulness of sin to the heart of man. The Bible says in Hebrews 3, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

A. Man wants to minimize his sin.

You want to minimize the seriousness of your crime.

We give our sins new names. Lust becomes appreciation for physical beauty. Greed becomes business savvy. Stubbornness becomes principle. Pride becomes self-esteem. Irresponsibility with family becomes corban, or "devoted to God." Worry becomes human nature.

You want to deflect responsibility for your crime.
You want to claim ignorance of God's requirements.

B. Sin is deceitful in several ways. (How is sin deceitful?)

It is pleasurable to the flesh. (Eph 4:22)
It does not remind us of the deadly consequences.
Its means of entrapment are stealthy. (Prov 5:1-6)
It hardens the heart against God.
It promises freedom but delivers bondage.

I have a friend who sees the beginning of his father's slipping into a delusional disorder. His dad is becoming accusatory of his wife; he is often irritable and angry (which is very much out of character for him); he is forgetful from day to day of the conversations he has with people. My friend fears for himself because it is a hereditary problem. He said to me, “maybe I should write myself a letter so that if this happens to me, I will know what is going on.” This is what the Bible is for us – a letter from God in the midst of our delusion. Sin has so affected us and deceived us that we need a communication from outside to show us reality.

What should I do knowing the offensiveness and deceitfulness of sin?

You need the Spirit of God to search your heart. Confess what the Spirit reveals. Make this a daily practice. Read scripture and pray while you do this.

Don’t trust your flesh – that part of you which is at enmity with the Spirit. The roots of sin in the garden of the heart can never be destroyed until God takes us home.

Ask God to quicken (to show signs of life; stimulate) your “sin sense” or conscience. This is not pleasant; it hurts. Ask Him to replace it with an appetite for holiness.

The basic problem of man is sin.

2006-03-28T15:13:00.000-06:00

If I were to go to the doctor and say, “doc, I need a complete physical examination. I want to be as healthy as I can. So check me out and tell me if anything is wrong.” I would expect him to check my cardiovascular system (blood pressure, breathing, heart beat); I would expect him to take a sample of blood and run a battery of tests on it; I would expect him to test my reflexes and strength, and perhaps several other tests that would indicate early signs of serious problems.

Suppose that doctor ran his tests and did find something wrong – something seriously wrong! But when he came back into the examination room he said something like this. “Matt, I find that your bones are connected in such a way to give you freedom of movement. I found that your blood is made mostly of water and it contains nutrients and oxygen which travels to your muscles, brain, and other places to provide what they need. Your heart beats about 75 times per minute and exerts a certain amount of pressure upon your arteries and veins.”
– I might respond by saying, "OKAY...That’s not very helpful but thanks...I think."

When we go to doctors, we expect them to tell us if something is wrong. Why? Because it is ultimately for our good. When we are buying a house and hire someone to do an inspection, we expect him to disclose everything he finds, right? If not, he has not faithfully done his job. In the same vein, when we come to church to hear the Word of God proclaimed, we should not come expecting the preacher to sugarcoat the medicine, water down the message, or elevate the man. Why? Because to do so puts you in grave spiritual danger. We expect the man of God to lay out the biblical facts, make a diagnosis, and prescribe a cure! Failure to do so is an outright abandonment of the call of God!

In a sense, the past few weeks we have been at the doctor’s office learning about man made in the image of God, and both the material and immaterial aspects of man (body, soul, spirit, heart, conscience, etc.). But the Bible says more than that. It says that we are desperately sick and in need of cure. It is my job today to share this with you.

You are aware, however, that not every pastor feels this same way. The reasoning goes like this: People know what they are doing wrong. Why do we need to beat them over the head with it. Jesus didn’t come to condemn people. He came to save them. I just try to focus on what is positive.

[transcript from Larry King Live.]

KING: How about issues that the church has feelings about? Abortion? Same-sex marriages?
PASTOR: Yeah. You know what, Larry? I don't go there. I just ...
KING: You have thoughts, though.
PASTOR: I have thoughts. I just, you know, I don't think that a same-sex marriage is the way God intended it to be. I don't think abortion is the best. I think there are other, you know, a better way to live your life. But I'm not going to condemn those people. I tell them all the time our church is open for everybody.
KING: You don't call them sinners?
PASTOR: I don't.
KING: Is that a word you don't use?
PASTOR: I don't use it. I never thought about it. But I probably don't. But most people already know what they're doing wrong. When I get them to church I want to tell them that you can change. There can be a difference in your life. So I don't go down the road of condemning.
KING: You believe in the Bible literally?
PASTOR: I do, I do.

What does the Bible mean when it speaks about sin?
If you haven’t noticed, I am big on definitions. I like to know what words mean in the context they are being used. I don’t like throwing around words where I don’t know what they mean. A word like sin is easier to illustrate than define, but we need to define it. What does the Bible mean when it speaks about sin?

Very simply, sin is any act originating from the heart that fails to live up to the perfect standard of God's holy character.

Sin is missing the mark of holiness. Rom 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

When I was a kid, my dad and I used to shoot bow and arrows in the back yard. We had hay bales stacked up against a backdrop and would place our targets on that. I had one of those red, plastic bows that you buy at K-Mart for $10. My dad had a compound bow and it had some real power behind it. When I was learning to shoot an arrow, many times I would let my arm come down just as I was releasing the fingers. The result was an arrow that fell short and skidded into the dirt. My dad, however, was much more consistent; very steady and controlled in his release. One day I was in the house while he was shooting. He came in and said, son, you’ve got to come outside to see this. My dad had shot an arrow in the bulls eye, but that wasn’t why he came to get me. My dad had shot a second arrow after that one. At the time, we were using hollow, aluminum arrows. This second arrow had actually struck the first arrow and lodged itself in the hollow core of the first arrow. A more perfect shot has never been made. My arrow fell short every time. His was perfect!

Sin is transgression of the law. Rom 5:12-21;
Transgression simply means going beyond the limits set by law. When God gave Moses the law, it set limits on what man could and could not do. Interestingly, this passage focuses on the sin of Adam. We know there was not a written law at the time of Adam, but Adam had God’s command, “do not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. Paul says that when Adam sinned, all of the descendants of Adam became sinners (v. 19). Adam transgressed; his descendants became transgressors by default.

Sin is rebellion against God and lawlessness. 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”

Another way to describe sin is by calling it rebellion. Rebellion casts off law as if it were a yolk of burden. It lives by the credo “Laws were made to be broken.” You’ve heard me say this before: we tend to think that the very young and the very old are more godly because of their behavior. However, one hasn’t found the capacity to show his sin nature while the other has lost the desire. When children turn two years old they find the capacity to express their sin nature. They rebel at sitting in the grocery cart; they rebel when they can’t climb on the kitchen counter; they rebel when you tell them all the bathtub water is supposed to stay in the bathtub. I don’t want to be hard on those who are two, but that is when we begin to notice it, and it stays with us until the Spirit of God can subdue it and break its power.

How does sin affect me?
A. You are totally depraved.
1. Sin has touched every part of you.
2. You can do nothing on your own that earns meritorious favor with God.
3. An unbeliever can do good deeds but nothing that can make peace with God.
B. You inherited Adam's guilt. (Romans 5:12-21)
C. You live in a world that is corrupted by sin. (Romans 8)
D. You will hurt others and protect yourself because of sin. (Genesis 3)
E. You are a person of pride.
1. Pride of power
2. Pride of knowledge
3. Pride of virtue
F. You will die from your sin.

[From here I went on to describe what I feel are the particularly prevalent sins at the church where I serve. We looked at Richard Owen Roberts Backsliding Index and other sins which seem to show up frequently.]

The immaterial side of you

2006-03-23T10:30:00.000-06:00

A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group found that 62% of all adults interviewed consider themselves to be not merely “religious” but “deeply spiritual.” However, when the spiritual commitments of Americans were studied more closely, there seemed to be a breakdown between one’s commitment and practice. The report says, “Spirituality is in vogue in our society today. It is popular to claim to be part of a ‘faith community’ or to have a spiritual commitment. But what do Americans mean when they claim to be ‘spiritual?’ The recent Grammy awards were perhaps indicative of this breakdown between self-perception and reality. The members of the group that won the award for best song thanked God for the victory then immediately followed with profanities that had to be bleeped from the broadcast. It seems as if God is in, but living for God is not.” (http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=226)
The Bible teaches us that there is a spiritual side to each person, Christian and non-Christian alike. And while we may recognize the fact that there is part of us that is unseen and mysterious, we cannot simply “tip the hat” and move on, for just as each part of our physical body has a function, so that part of us which is unseen by the human eye also has a function -- to commune and connect with God.
The longer I am in ministry, the more I believe that there are too many truths of the Christian life that go unemphasized. We are like the amateur bodybuilders who do nothing but work on their upper body (triceps, biceps, lats, traps, pecs, and abs) but they walk around on toothpick legs!

Describing the inner nature of man is not as simple as it might appear. Remember the boy last week who described his body and then said, “that’s all there is of me except for what is inside, and I never saw that”? Well, there are a lot of things on the inside of me that I have never seen. I am not talking about internal organs or bones; I am talking about the non-physical side. Christians take their cue from the Bible and where it speaks, we listen.
Some say we are essentially three-part beings (body, soul, spirit). There are passages, especially in the New Testament that seem to make a distinction between different aspects of a human being’s nature. The one that illustrates this easily is 1 Thessalonians 5:23, which says, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In trying to make sense of the distinction and function of these three aspects of humanness, some teach that plant life consists of body, animal life consists of body and soul, and human life consists of body, soul, and spirit. Saying this another way, some teach that the spirit provides God-consciousness, the soul provides self-consciousness, and the body provides world-consciousness.
This model does not adequately represent the biblical data. (Notice I didn’t say “accurately” but “adequately.”) When looking at a variety of passages, we find there is overlap with soul and spirit. (I will be quoting these in the NKJV since it is a more literal translation.)

Rachel and Stephen at death
Genesis 35:18 (NKJV)
18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

Acts 7:59 (NKJV)
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Jesus and Paul describing people
Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

1 Corinthians 7:34 (NKJV)
34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

Both the soul and spirit are described as having sinful desires and the ability to be purified.
1 Peter 1:22 (NKJV)
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heartm

Revelation 18:14 (NKJV)
14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Psalm 78:8 (NKJV)
8 And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Wayne Grudem, “What can the spirit do that the soul cannot do? What can the soul do that the spirit cannot do?”

The Bible uses several important words to describe the inner you.
The Greek word for soul is psyche. We get our English word psychology from this. At the most basic level, the soul is the life-principle or that which gives animals and humans life. In the Bible it might be called the breath of life and it is joined to the body. When the soul and body are separated, the body dies. When the soul and body are joined, the body has life.
At a second level, the word psyche or soul is often translated in the Bible as life, meaning one’s own life. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” In Mark 8:35, Jesus was teaching that one’s life or soul is the most valuable thing you possess when he said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” And then in another place Jesus taught his disciples the depth of love demonstrated in the laying down of one’s life for his friends: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
At a third level, the soul is the seat and center of the inner life of man; the seat and center of life that transcends the earthly (it can be saved [Jam 1:21] or lost [Mk 10:28]) – the most important thing about you (Mt 16:26); the Christian hope is an anchor of the soul
Another common word used in the Bible for the immaterial part of man is spirit. As we said earlier, some passages of scripture seem to draw a line between spirit and soul as if they were two distinct entities (1 Thess 5:23; Hebrews 4:12). Other passages of scripture seem to treat these words synonymously. That is, they are used in the same way to refer to the same thing. Because of this difficulty in distinguishing the two terms, it is almost impossible to define spirit in a way that is distinct from soul. I have a book in my library called The Theological Wordbook and they actually lump the two words together and immediately admit the difficulty of determining biblically whether the two are the same or different. There may well be a distinction between soul and spirit but in practical terms it is impossible for a human being to sense that distinction. (Job 7:11)
The concept of one’s heart is a little bit easier to understand. We use the word all the time. “I’ve got a special place in my heart for you.” “He’s a cold-hearted man.” “My heart says yes but my mind says no.” “He left me at the altar and I am so broken-hearted.” The word heart in Greek is kardia (which makes sense) and we get our phrase cardiac arrest (which means heart attack). The word in Hebrew is levav and it generally refers to the inner man especially as it encompasses the mind, the affections, and the will. The most recognizable passage from the OT is Deuteronomy 6:4. The Bible says you can apply the heart to understanding (Prov 2:2); it is the well-spring of life (Prov 4:23); the heart can be pure or corrupt (Matt 15:19); the heart entertains thoughts (Matt 9:4); the heart can be weighed down or troubled (John 14:1)
By no means are these scripture references even near being exhaustive. Folks, do you own study. Get a good concordance. You will learn a lot about yourself.
The last word that I want to touch on today is conscience. If I am not mistaken, the Latin roots mean “with knowledge.” That doesn’t help us much, though. Conscience was made popular in the movie Pinnochio where Jimminy Cricket played Pinnochio’s conscience. Conscience is the moral faculty of the mind that prods a person to do what he thinks is right and not to do what he thinks is wrong. Going against one’s conscience creates moral consequences such as guilt or shame. The conscience is supposed to operate like a moral compass pointing due north but going against one’s conscience repeatedly will harden and silence it. For example, suppose your favorite TV show is Andy Griffith. You watched Andy Griffith everyday and got used to the portrayal of family, integrity, honesty, and humor on that show. But then one day you turned on a late night show like Crime Scene Investigation and you saw graphic portrayals of people being murdered. At first, your conscience would object strongly saying, “this is not good for me to see.” But the more you watch it, the quieter your conscience becomes until eventually it does not protest; it does not object. In fact, it gives hearty approval this is real and it really isn’t all that bad. That, my friend, is when you have a problem because the conscience can be shaped and molded to believe that anything is permissible. That is why murders can go to death row without feeling remorse or regret; because their conscience does not object.
[APPLICATION]
You must have a good understanding of your spiritual side in order to pursue real change.
All this knowledge about yourself is fine but knowledge unapplied produces pride. [REPEAT] Knowledge applied produces wisdom.
Having a knowledge of the immaterial part of a person is especially important when doing counseling. The practice of counseling others is not limited to professionals or pastors. It is something that you as a normal Christian could be involved in with your family or close friends. There are many different practices and theories of counseling, some of which are anti-Christian because of their approach to the source of our problems – either they are blamed on our genetic makeup or our past. What makes Christian counseling unique is the fact that while we recognize the contribution genes and a traumatic past can make, we also recognize the resources we have in Christ to work through and move beyond the source of our problems.
Recognizing that a person has a soul affects our counseling this way: (1) instead of automatically resorting to medicine, we may explore the brokenness of our soul and try to make it whole first (for example, depression); (2) instead of depending entirely on cognitive therapy (here is the truth, now follow it) for personal change, a Christian recognizes the spiritual battle in a person’s life. That is not to demonize every little problem, either, but it acknowledges a person’s need to make peace with God before making peace with others.
I have heard schizophrenia described as a “fracturing of the soul.” Addictions to drugs and alcohol, sex, or food typically have a spiritual component contributing to the problem. I am not trying to lay out a complete philosophy of counseling here, but I want you to be made aware of the complexities when helping people deal with their problems and the hidden sources that may lie deep within a person’s soul. The Bible says in Proverbs 20:5, “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.”
A second area that I find this whole discussion of soul, spirit, heart, and conscience to be helpful with is in our pursuit of sanctification – growth in holiness and Christlikeness. Listen to this verse, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Tim 4:7-8) This verse says that godliness requires personal discipline of the soul. No one ever becomes godly without trying. I don’t mean trying in the strength of the flesh but trying in the strength that the Spirit supplies (Col 1:29). You cannot become godly until you understand your inner nature. Jesus taught that it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean (meaning ceremonially unclean food) but what comes out of a man (meaning his words and deeds) because these originate in the heart. Jesus constantly taught his disciples that the central problem which kept them from understanding more and living in greater fellowship was their HARDNESS OF HEART!