You should always be reading at least one book.
Any of you that know me will not be surprised by that statement. I make a point in virtually every sermon I preach to recommend at least one book. Reading stimulates your mind. Even, especially perhaps, if you don't agree with the author. As a general rule, I am reading one book on theology and one biography. I am still working my way through The Biography of Robert Murray McCheyne, by Andrew Bonar. I am about to start a book I have wanted to read for a few years actually, but was recently given it as a gift from my good friend John Babri - Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor.
As important as reading is, one's reading diet must be carefully chosen. I do not advocate only reading books of your predisposed positions and ideas. Stretch your mind with the thoughts of those you might not agree with. For example, I have book in my TO READ stack (which is intimidatingly tall) called Why I Am Not a Calvinist, Jerry Walls and Joseph Dongell. Obviously, I will not agree with the conclusions of the authors, but I trust that my mind and presuppositions will be stretched.
My musing on this subject this afternoon was provoked by two recent Barna Group reports on the subject of reading. A report released on May 30, 2005, entitled Survey Reveals The Books and Authors That Have Most Influenced Pastors, was very enlightening regarding the state of our evangelical churches in America. "When pastors were asked to identify the three books that had been most helpful to them as a ministry leader during the past three years, more than two hundred different books were listed. However, only nine books were listed by at least 2% of all pastors," states the report. The top two books listed as most helpful to Pastors were The Purpose Driven Life (listed by 21% of Pastors) and the Purpose Driven Church (listed by 15% of Pastors. Now, don't misunderstand me. These aren't the worst books that a pastor can read... but THE MOST HELPFUL AS A MINISTRY LEADER??
The report indicated that "only seven additional books gained recognition from at least 2% of pastors – and each of those seven publications was chosen by 2%. Those books were What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Phillip Yancey; Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala; Wild At Heart by John Eldredge; Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels; Spiritual Leadership by Henry Blackaby; Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley; and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell."
Even more of a concern was the type of books pastors spend their precious time reading. The chart below shows what category of books were chosen. The percentage indicates what portion of pastors polled listed at least one book in that category in their list of the three most helpful.
54% Personal Spiritual Growth
23 % Church Growth
22 % Leadership
9% Evangelism
6% Pastoring
5% Prayer
5% Charismatic Perspectives
4% Cultural Trends
3% Preaching
Only 3% of Pastors said they found a book on Preaching extremely helpful. Maybe they all have mastered the art of expositing God's Word before God's people week in and week out. Only 9 % have read a helpful book on Evangelism? I realize I am an Outreach Pastor, but I have read four books already this year on evangelism that have challenged and stretched me immensely. Perhaps I still have more to learn.
My concern is simply this, how can we expect evangelical Christians to be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ when their pastors are spending more time reading books about methodolgy than theology. I understand that we need to package the goods in an attractive, understandable way. But when you don't even know what you are packaging, does the pretty wrapping paper even matter?
Why are Christian "Bookstores" so full of self help books? Book on methodology, psychology, church growth, etc... But if I want to find a book on soteriology, ecclesiology or the doctrine of God's sovereignty, I have to order it online? Because people, and their pastors, aren't reading books that stretch our minds and force us to interact with the theology of God.
What are you reading? I am try to make a list entitled 5 Must Read Books for Every Christian. I find in difficult to limit it to five. It may grow to 10. But I will popst it here soon. In the mean time, what are you reading? Even if it is the Purpose Driven Life, read something! And think about it as you read it!
Grace to You!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
Joel Osteen: Man of Humilty
I have deliberately avoided mentioning Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston. He is quickly becoming a household name in American evangelicalism. I honestly have not done my research on his theology and ministry philosophy, and have therefore chosen to remain silent on his rapid rise to popularity.
Then, Pastor Osteen appeared on Larry King Live last week. I do not have cable television, so I did not see the interview live. I was directed to the transcript, which I am assuming was much less painful than watching it live. It was truly a train wreck. Even reading the transcript, I began to squirm in my chair, feeling quite sorry for Pastor Osteen. He delivered no system of belief and no discernable concept of salvation at all. I honestly, was very saddened that tens of thousands of people are influenced by this man every week.
Then came one of the greatest acts of humility I have seen demonstrated in a long time. Pastor Osteen issued an apology and sought forgivness. He was clear that he believes John 14.6, stating "having a personal relationship with Jesus is the only way to heaven." Further doctrinal and methodological differences notwithstanding, I admire the humilty of Pastor Osteen.
Lord, make me as humble as this man. Break me of myself. Teach me to fear you and no man.
Grace to You!
Then, Pastor Osteen appeared on Larry King Live last week. I do not have cable television, so I did not see the interview live. I was directed to the transcript, which I am assuming was much less painful than watching it live. It was truly a train wreck. Even reading the transcript, I began to squirm in my chair, feeling quite sorry for Pastor Osteen. He delivered no system of belief and no discernable concept of salvation at all. I honestly, was very saddened that tens of thousands of people are influenced by this man every week.
Then came one of the greatest acts of humility I have seen demonstrated in a long time. Pastor Osteen issued an apology and sought forgivness. He was clear that he believes John 14.6, stating "having a personal relationship with Jesus is the only way to heaven." Further doctrinal and methodological differences notwithstanding, I admire the humilty of Pastor Osteen.
Lord, make me as humble as this man. Break me of myself. Teach me to fear you and no man.
Grace to You!
Honor to Whom Honor is Due
Desiring to speak with respect and honor towards one who has gone before me in both depth and scope of ministry, I submit my concern over Rev. Billy Graham's embrace of the Clintons at his crusade in New York this past weekend. Clearly Rev. Graham's comments regarding Mr. Clinton becoming an evangelist and Mrs. Clinton running the country were tongue in cheek; however, what wisdom and discernment are demostrated in publically embracing a couple who stands for the antithesis of evangelical Christianity? By their words and legislative legacy, the Clinton's embrace gay marriage, abortion on demand, many other cultural sins that should give us concern.
This is not a partisan attack, or even a political statement. I would be as equally concerned if a local New York city liberal pastor that denied the authority of the Word of God were the one embracing Mr. Graham. However, the highly public positions of the Clinton's do raise the level of concern. Whatever happened to so-called Evangelical leaders providing genuine Biblical leadership? What about offering good, wise examples to our churches as heroes of the faith? I addressed these same concerns over Dr. Mohler's choice to not distance himself from evangelicals lauding the legacy of Pope John Paul II. (See posts The Burden of Leadership and Standing in the Tradition of Luther.)
Do evangelists and theologians not care about the gospel? Surely they do, so how does one embrace someone who has "a form of godliness but denies the power thereof?" Just because someone can talk a good talk, should place them on a platform and embrace them as "good people?"
I haven't yet done a fraction of the ministry that Rev. Graham has. I desire to be respectful of his age and experience, but his lack of discernment in this highly public venue is rather disconcerting. Any thoughts...
Grace to You!
This is not a partisan attack, or even a political statement. I would be as equally concerned if a local New York city liberal pastor that denied the authority of the Word of God were the one embracing Mr. Graham. However, the highly public positions of the Clinton's do raise the level of concern. Whatever happened to so-called Evangelical leaders providing genuine Biblical leadership? What about offering good, wise examples to our churches as heroes of the faith? I addressed these same concerns over Dr. Mohler's choice to not distance himself from evangelicals lauding the legacy of Pope John Paul II. (See posts The Burden of Leadership and Standing in the Tradition of Luther.)
Do evangelists and theologians not care about the gospel? Surely they do, so how does one embrace someone who has "a form of godliness but denies the power thereof?" Just because someone can talk a good talk, should place them on a platform and embrace them as "good people?"
I haven't yet done a fraction of the ministry that Rev. Graham has. I desire to be respectful of his age and experience, but his lack of discernment in this highly public venue is rather disconcerting. Any thoughts...
Grace to You!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Which Theologian Are You?
Follow this link to a quick quiz to see which theologian your beliefs line up with. Not surprisingly, I ranked with Luther and Edwards. I was pretty close with Calvin - it was the padeobaptism that threw me off!
Click Here to take the quiz.
Have fun... and let me know what you find out!
Grace to You!
Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com
Click Here to take the quiz.
Have fun... and let me know what you find out!
Grace to You!
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Which theologian are you?
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Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Why I Love the Church, part 2
NOTE: This the second part of a two part post. Scroll down to read the first two points contained in the previous post.
THURSDAY
Here we are again! This week we have been looking at the deep love that Christ has for the church. Author and Pastor John Stott commented, “If the church is central to God’s purpose as seen in both history and scripture, it must surely also be central to our lives. How can we take lightly what God takes so seriously? How dare we push to the circumference what God has placed at the center?” Challenging words, indeed. But we have already seen how much Christ loves the Church. Remember, Joh 6 teaches that the Church is that precious love gift given from God the Father to Christ His Son.
Let’s look again at our text, Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”
The application we are seeking to draw from this text is our response to the Church. Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? To answer that question, we have to first understand how Christ loves the Church. There are at least four aspects of Christ’s love for the Church we find in this text. Tuesday we saw how Christ’s love was sacrificial, He laid down His life for the Church. As well, our love for our Church should be sacrificial.
Let’s look at a second aspect of Christ’s love for the Church that is found in 26 and 27. Christ’s love for the Church is INTENTIONAL. Christ’s love for the Church had a specific intention. According to verse 26, the focus of Christ’s love was to sanctify and purify the Church. Verse 26 says that Christ’s goal in His love was to sanctify the Church. To sanctify is to set apart, to purify. In other words, Christ wants a pure Church, a pure Bride. Verse 27 indicates that Christ will ultimately present the Church to Himself as His pure Bride. That is a reasonable expectation. We all desire a pure Bride. The text also indicates the means by which Christ would purify and sanctify His Church. Verse 26 makes reference to the washing of water with the Word. Christ is referencing the Old Testament imagery of the laver of water outside the place of sacrifice in the Old Testament Tabernacle. The picture is one of ceremonial cleansing. The water Christ uses to cleanse and sanctify His Church is the Word of God.
Now the tough application. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, we will have full expectation that the Word of God will be central to the ministry of the Church. The Word will be boldly proclaimed! It will faithfully taught! It will dominate the conversation among the corridors of our churches. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, the Word of God will be the final rule of faith and practice, not men’s traditions, preferences or history.
Let me speak as a pastor for a moment. What is your expectation of your Pastor? You should jealously guard the time your pastor has to study the Word of God in order to present it to the Church with the aim of the churches sanctification and purity. If you love the Church like Christ loves the Church, you will let that be your Pastor’s primary and undiluted responsibility.
Incidentally, the ministry of the Word of God is the responsibility of each and every Christian, not just pastors. See Col 3.16 and following where we are called to let the Word of Christ richly us as we admonish one another. If you love the Church as Christ loves the Church, you will be deliberate about ministering the Word of God the people of your church. Perhaps, in a card, a word of encouragement, a word of challenge or guidance, or in some other way, formally or informally.
Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY and INENTIONALLY – do you?
FRIDAY
We have spent the week examining how Christ loves the Church and asking ourselves some penetrating questions. Do we really love the church like Christ loves the Church? I find that many of us often approach Church with a consumer mentality, instead of a passionate, relational mentality. What I mean is this… We are looking at we can get out of church much like we see what can get from a restaurant or a department store. Where will I get the best deal? Where will my needs be met best? Where will I find the best service? It doesn’t appear at all that Christ took this approach to the Church.
Let’s look a final time at our text for the week. Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”
Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, that is he willingly laid down His life for the Church. Christ loves the Church INTENTIONALLY. That is to say He had a specific intent in His love for the Church, namely her sanctification and purity. Today we want to look at a third aspect of Christ’s love for the Church. Christ’s love the Church was UNCONDITIONAL. Though this thought is implied in our Eph 5 text, it is best expressed is Romans 5. Listen to the profound thoughts in these familiar verses… 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . 10For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,”
Do you catch the thrust of those verses. Christ initiated the relationship with the Church apart from any overture or effort on the part of the Church. Christ was not seeking to get anything from the Church, because frankly, we have nothing to give. We are called dead in Christ, helpless, sinners, enemies. And yet Christ loved us, initiating a passionate love without reciprocation. In fact, Christ still passionately loves the Church and we often turn our back on Him and disappoint Him, yet he continues to love us.
Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do you love the Church because Christ loves the Church, or do you love the Church because you are (like a consumer) seeking what you can get from your church? I trust all of our churches give generously to spiritual aid and development of our people, but is that why you love the Church? Or do you, as Christ, love the Church unconditionally! These are tough thoughts, but we want to have the heart of Christ in regards to the Church. Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, INTENTIONALLY and UNCONDITIONALLY.
Let me wrap up with a little story. Dec 7, 1941, “a day that will live in infamy.” Japanese planes began dropping bombs on Pearl Harbor. By Monday morning, Dec 8, there were long lines at every armed services recruiting center in the country, people signing up without regards to future plans or any other obligations. They wanted to be part of what was happening in our country. Now, jump ahead 25 years… America finds herself in the middle of another conflict; however, this time we couldn’t get any volunteers. We had to draft people to serve by compulsion, and even then, many ran away. What made the difference? In 1941 people believed in the cause. In the 60’s and 70’s, people didn’t know or understand the cause enough to passionate jump on board.
Here is our challenge… we know the cause of the Church! Do you believe in it? Are you ready to commit to it and love the Church like Christ loves the Church? I hope you are!
THURSDAY
Here we are again! This week we have been looking at the deep love that Christ has for the church. Author and Pastor John Stott commented, “If the church is central to God’s purpose as seen in both history and scripture, it must surely also be central to our lives. How can we take lightly what God takes so seriously? How dare we push to the circumference what God has placed at the center?” Challenging words, indeed. But we have already seen how much Christ loves the Church. Remember, Joh 6 teaches that the Church is that precious love gift given from God the Father to Christ His Son.
Let’s look again at our text, Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”
The application we are seeking to draw from this text is our response to the Church. Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? To answer that question, we have to first understand how Christ loves the Church. There are at least four aspects of Christ’s love for the Church we find in this text. Tuesday we saw how Christ’s love was sacrificial, He laid down His life for the Church. As well, our love for our Church should be sacrificial.
Let’s look at a second aspect of Christ’s love for the Church that is found in 26 and 27. Christ’s love for the Church is INTENTIONAL. Christ’s love for the Church had a specific intention. According to verse 26, the focus of Christ’s love was to sanctify and purify the Church. Verse 26 says that Christ’s goal in His love was to sanctify the Church. To sanctify is to set apart, to purify. In other words, Christ wants a pure Church, a pure Bride. Verse 27 indicates that Christ will ultimately present the Church to Himself as His pure Bride. That is a reasonable expectation. We all desire a pure Bride. The text also indicates the means by which Christ would purify and sanctify His Church. Verse 26 makes reference to the washing of water with the Word. Christ is referencing the Old Testament imagery of the laver of water outside the place of sacrifice in the Old Testament Tabernacle. The picture is one of ceremonial cleansing. The water Christ uses to cleanse and sanctify His Church is the Word of God.
Now the tough application. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, we will have full expectation that the Word of God will be central to the ministry of the Church. The Word will be boldly proclaimed! It will faithfully taught! It will dominate the conversation among the corridors of our churches. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, the Word of God will be the final rule of faith and practice, not men’s traditions, preferences or history.
Let me speak as a pastor for a moment. What is your expectation of your Pastor? You should jealously guard the time your pastor has to study the Word of God in order to present it to the Church with the aim of the churches sanctification and purity. If you love the Church like Christ loves the Church, you will let that be your Pastor’s primary and undiluted responsibility.
Incidentally, the ministry of the Word of God is the responsibility of each and every Christian, not just pastors. See Col 3.16 and following where we are called to let the Word of Christ richly us as we admonish one another. If you love the Church as Christ loves the Church, you will be deliberate about ministering the Word of God the people of your church. Perhaps, in a card, a word of encouragement, a word of challenge or guidance, or in some other way, formally or informally.
Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY and INENTIONALLY – do you?
FRIDAY
We have spent the week examining how Christ loves the Church and asking ourselves some penetrating questions. Do we really love the church like Christ loves the Church? I find that many of us often approach Church with a consumer mentality, instead of a passionate, relational mentality. What I mean is this… We are looking at we can get out of church much like we see what can get from a restaurant or a department store. Where will I get the best deal? Where will my needs be met best? Where will I find the best service? It doesn’t appear at all that Christ took this approach to the Church.
Let’s look a final time at our text for the week. Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”
Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, that is he willingly laid down His life for the Church. Christ loves the Church INTENTIONALLY. That is to say He had a specific intent in His love for the Church, namely her sanctification and purity. Today we want to look at a third aspect of Christ’s love for the Church. Christ’s love the Church was UNCONDITIONAL. Though this thought is implied in our Eph 5 text, it is best expressed is Romans 5. Listen to the profound thoughts in these familiar verses… 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . 10For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,”
Do you catch the thrust of those verses. Christ initiated the relationship with the Church apart from any overture or effort on the part of the Church. Christ was not seeking to get anything from the Church, because frankly, we have nothing to give. We are called dead in Christ, helpless, sinners, enemies. And yet Christ loved us, initiating a passionate love without reciprocation. In fact, Christ still passionately loves the Church and we often turn our back on Him and disappoint Him, yet he continues to love us.
Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do you love the Church because Christ loves the Church, or do you love the Church because you are (like a consumer) seeking what you can get from your church? I trust all of our churches give generously to spiritual aid and development of our people, but is that why you love the Church? Or do you, as Christ, love the Church unconditionally! These are tough thoughts, but we want to have the heart of Christ in regards to the Church. Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, INTENTIONALLY and UNCONDITIONALLY.
Let me wrap up with a little story. Dec 7, 1941, “a day that will live in infamy.” Japanese planes began dropping bombs on Pearl Harbor. By Monday morning, Dec 8, there were long lines at every armed services recruiting center in the country, people signing up without regards to future plans or any other obligations. They wanted to be part of what was happening in our country. Now, jump ahead 25 years… America finds herself in the middle of another conflict; however, this time we couldn’t get any volunteers. We had to draft people to serve by compulsion, and even then, many ran away. What made the difference? In 1941 people believed in the cause. In the 60’s and 70’s, people didn’t know or understand the cause enough to passionate jump on board.
Here is our challenge… we know the cause of the Church! Do you believe in it? Are you ready to commit to it and love the Church like Christ loves the Church? I hope you are!
Why I Love the Church, part 1
NOTE: I preached a sermon by this same title at my home church on May 15, 2005. I then attempted to deliver the same thoughts spread over five five-minute thoughts on a local Christian radio station. The quick devotional thougths could not fully capture the thrust of the message, but they do, I hope, give the essence of the thoughts. Here is the transcript of the radio broadcasts (given in two parts). But first the outline.
Why I Love the Church - Eph 5.25-33
Christ’s love for the Church was sacrificial (v25)Christ’s love for the Church was intentional (v26-27)
Christ’s love for the Church was nurturing (v28-30)
Christ’s love for the Church was unconditional (Rom 5.6,8,10)
Monday
In my house we have a … well, it’s an ugly flower pot. It is a little boy holding a fishing pole and there is this… what is supposed to look like a large weaved basket behind him. That is where the flowers go. It really is pretty ugly; certainly nothing I would ever buy. However, it is also not something that I would ever want to get rid of. You see… my father gave that flower pot to my mother the day I was born, almost 31 years ago. I remember that flower pot being all over the many houses I lived in growing up. Then almost 24 years to the day after my father gave it to my mother, my mother gave it to my wife, the day my first daughter was born. What makes that pot special is the giver. Surely you have items around your house that have been handed down through generations and are very precious to you.
This week, we are going to think a little bit about similarly, a very special gift. Let me read a few verses from the Bible. Ephesians 5. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Obviously, the primary application of this text is how a husband’s love for his wife should resemble the love that Christ has for his church. There is much to be said about that, however, this week, I want us to look at a secondary application. If a husband’s love for his wife should be based on Christ’s love for the church, it is necessary that we understand just how Christ did in fact love the church. The question of application I want us to consider then, this week, is simply this… “Do I love the church like Christ loves the Church?”
Remember our illustration of the ugly flower pot that is so special because of the giver? In a small way, that illustrates one of the primary reasons the church is so special and why Christ has such overwhelming love for the church. The church, that is, all born again believers who have trusted Christ alone for their salvation, that church, is a special love gift from God the Father to Christ His Son. Let me read a few verses to you from The Gospel of John 6.
37“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
You see what is going on there? Here is the picture I want to put into your mind this morning… God calls a people to give to Christ. Christ redeems this precious love-gift and nourishes it. The church is the precious love-gift that is passed from God the Father to Christ the Son as an expression of deep love. You see now why THE CHURCH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO CHRIST?
Christ loves the church and we should love the church likewise. In the next four mornings we are going to look at the verse we read from Eph 5 and discover four ways that Christ loves the church and ask ourselves: “Do we love the church like Christ loves the church?”
Remember today that your church is precious to Christ and it should be precious to you also. Do you love the Church like Christ loves the church?
TUESDAY
Yesterday morning we made an effort to express the fact that Christ loves the Church and we emphasized the reason He loves the Church. According to John 6, God calls a people to give to Christ. Christ redeems this precious love-gift and nourishes it. The church is the precious love-gift that is passed from God the Father to Christ the Son as an expression of deep love. You see now why THE CHURCH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO CHRIST?
In a wonderful little book entitled Stop Dating the Church Joshua Harris, Pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD states, “As Christians we are called to be imitators of God (Eph 5.1). We are to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8.29). Can there be any question that part of being like Christ is to love what He loves? Christians often speak of wanting God’s heart for the poor or the lost. These are good desires. But shouldn’t we also want God’s heart for the Church! If Jesus loves the Church, you and I should too. It’s that simple.”
So we must ask ourselves, “Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church?” To answer that, of course we need to understand just how Christ loves his Church. Let’s look again at Eph 5.25 and following where will find at least four ways in which Christ loves the Church.
First we find in verse 25 that Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY. Listen “25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” The word gave means to surrender or yield up. Christ surrendered His very life out of love for his Church. 1 Timothy 1.15 reminds us that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is the point of His coming. God put skin on in the person of Christ expressly to die. To Die and raise again victoriously over the power of sin and death to offer salvation to sinners like you and I. That is why he came.
It is worth noting also, in John 10.17-18 Jesus declares “I lay down my life … no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” Jesus was not a martyr. His life was not snuffed out too early. It was the perfect timing of His own choosing. No one had the power to take His life, He chose to lay it down to redeem the Church, the precious gift given to Him by his Father.
Clearly, Christs love for the Church was SACRIFICIAL. Now, do you and I love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do we love the Church sacrificially? Some of us may be called to lay down our life for the furtherance of the Church, but most will not. We called to sacrifice in much smaller ways. We call it a sacrifice when we give a small percentage of our hard earned money to the church. We call it sacrifice when we get up early to go to a Saturday morning outreach event. We call it a sacrifice when we have to stand up to our friends who mock and scorn godliness and laugh at sin. These things we call sacrifices pale in comparison to what Christ sacrificed for the church – His very life.
Do you love the Church sacrificially? How is that demonstrated in your commitment to your church? Are you present to encourage and build up the flock when they gather for corporate worship? Are you there when a need arises in a ministry? Does your Pastors and ministry leaders have to stand in the pulpit and beg for people to help in various ministries while you sit in the pew and decide if you can give up an hour of your precious time to serve the Church?
These are tough questions I know. But friends, Christ loves the Church sacrificially and so should you and I. Maybe you should call you church today and see haw you can love that ministry today! Let’s Pray
Why I Love the Church - Eph 5.25-33
Christ’s love for the Church was sacrificial (v25)Christ’s love for the Church was intentional (v26-27)
Christ’s love for the Church was nurturing (v28-30)
Christ’s love for the Church was unconditional (Rom 5.6,8,10)
Monday
In my house we have a … well, it’s an ugly flower pot. It is a little boy holding a fishing pole and there is this… what is supposed to look like a large weaved basket behind him. That is where the flowers go. It really is pretty ugly; certainly nothing I would ever buy. However, it is also not something that I would ever want to get rid of. You see… my father gave that flower pot to my mother the day I was born, almost 31 years ago. I remember that flower pot being all over the many houses I lived in growing up. Then almost 24 years to the day after my father gave it to my mother, my mother gave it to my wife, the day my first daughter was born. What makes that pot special is the giver. Surely you have items around your house that have been handed down through generations and are very precious to you.
This week, we are going to think a little bit about similarly, a very special gift. Let me read a few verses from the Bible. Ephesians 5. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Obviously, the primary application of this text is how a husband’s love for his wife should resemble the love that Christ has for his church. There is much to be said about that, however, this week, I want us to look at a secondary application. If a husband’s love for his wife should be based on Christ’s love for the church, it is necessary that we understand just how Christ did in fact love the church. The question of application I want us to consider then, this week, is simply this… “Do I love the church like Christ loves the Church?”
Remember our illustration of the ugly flower pot that is so special because of the giver? In a small way, that illustrates one of the primary reasons the church is so special and why Christ has such overwhelming love for the church. The church, that is, all born again believers who have trusted Christ alone for their salvation, that church, is a special love gift from God the Father to Christ His Son. Let me read a few verses to you from The Gospel of John 6.
37“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
You see what is going on there? Here is the picture I want to put into your mind this morning… God calls a people to give to Christ. Christ redeems this precious love-gift and nourishes it. The church is the precious love-gift that is passed from God the Father to Christ the Son as an expression of deep love. You see now why THE CHURCH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO CHRIST?
Christ loves the church and we should love the church likewise. In the next four mornings we are going to look at the verse we read from Eph 5 and discover four ways that Christ loves the church and ask ourselves: “Do we love the church like Christ loves the church?”
Remember today that your church is precious to Christ and it should be precious to you also. Do you love the Church like Christ loves the church?
TUESDAY
Yesterday morning we made an effort to express the fact that Christ loves the Church and we emphasized the reason He loves the Church. According to John 6, God calls a people to give to Christ. Christ redeems this precious love-gift and nourishes it. The church is the precious love-gift that is passed from God the Father to Christ the Son as an expression of deep love. You see now why THE CHURCH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO CHRIST?
In a wonderful little book entitled Stop Dating the Church Joshua Harris, Pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD states, “As Christians we are called to be imitators of God (Eph 5.1). We are to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8.29). Can there be any question that part of being like Christ is to love what He loves? Christians often speak of wanting God’s heart for the poor or the lost. These are good desires. But shouldn’t we also want God’s heart for the Church! If Jesus loves the Church, you and I should too. It’s that simple.”
So we must ask ourselves, “Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church?” To answer that, of course we need to understand just how Christ loves his Church. Let’s look again at Eph 5.25 and following where will find at least four ways in which Christ loves the Church.
First we find in verse 25 that Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY. Listen “25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” The word gave means to surrender or yield up. Christ surrendered His very life out of love for his Church. 1 Timothy 1.15 reminds us that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is the point of His coming. God put skin on in the person of Christ expressly to die. To Die and raise again victoriously over the power of sin and death to offer salvation to sinners like you and I. That is why he came.
It is worth noting also, in John 10.17-18 Jesus declares “I lay down my life … no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” Jesus was not a martyr. His life was not snuffed out too early. It was the perfect timing of His own choosing. No one had the power to take His life, He chose to lay it down to redeem the Church, the precious gift given to Him by his Father.
Clearly, Christs love for the Church was SACRIFICIAL. Now, do you and I love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do we love the Church sacrificially? Some of us may be called to lay down our life for the furtherance of the Church, but most will not. We called to sacrifice in much smaller ways. We call it a sacrifice when we give a small percentage of our hard earned money to the church. We call it sacrifice when we get up early to go to a Saturday morning outreach event. We call it a sacrifice when we have to stand up to our friends who mock and scorn godliness and laugh at sin. These things we call sacrifices pale in comparison to what Christ sacrificed for the church – His very life.
Do you love the Church sacrificially? How is that demonstrated in your commitment to your church? Are you present to encourage and build up the flock when they gather for corporate worship? Are you there when a need arises in a ministry? Does your Pastors and ministry leaders have to stand in the pulpit and beg for people to help in various ministries while you sit in the pew and decide if you can give up an hour of your precious time to serve the Church?
These are tough questions I know. But friends, Christ loves the Church sacrificially and so should you and I. Maybe you should call you church today and see haw you can love that ministry today! Let’s Pray
Monday, June 20, 2005
The Greater Good??
I made a decision a couple of months ago to avoid musing about politics specifically on this Blog, however, this morning I need to make a few comments about local Toledo politics. This is essential at this time, because there are striking similarities between the local Democratic agenda and the issue of Evangelical Co-Belligerence that we have been discussing. Let me explain…
Toledo lawyer, and former City Councilman, Keith Wilkowski, a Democrat, has announced his bid to be Toledo’s next mayor. This shouldn’t be such interesting news. Toledo is, after all, dominated by the Democratic politicians, even in the midst of their own schism. In making his much expected announcement, Mr. Wilkowski said, “cannot stand by and watch this city continue to decline. It really is that straightforward. It's not about friendships or political alliances or which politicians support other politicians” “Why did Wilkowski have to mention friendships?” those of you lucky enough to not live in the Toledo area may ask. Well, let me give you a small insight into the local politics of Toledo. You see if there is an illustration of the current evangelical movement.
The local Democratic Party is experiencing a major schism (locally referred to as the “A Team” and “B Team”). Our mayor finds himself at the helm of the “A Team,” which is currently out of control of the Democratic Central Committee. Mr. Wilkowski was a member of the PAC that was created specifically to reelect Jack Ford as mayor of Toledo, in fact, he was the Treasurer. After multiple local polls indicated the Mr. Ford had virtually no chance to be reelected, Mr. Wilkowski announced his own bid. Wilkowski has been asked many times how he could be treasurer of a campaign for Jack Ford and now run against Mr. Ford. He is asked to comment on Mr. Ford’s record. What shortcomings of the Ford Administration led Mr. Wilkowski to run against him? Wilkowski is very nuanced in his answers. He refuses to be critical of Mayor Ford. Why? Because Mr. Wilkowski wants an A Team Democrat to be elected mayor, even if it is Jack Ford. Ford would be better than B Team Democrat, former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who appears poised to run again. And Ford would certainly be better, according to Mr. Wilkowski’s scheming, than stealth Republican candidate Rob Ludeman. If Mr. Ford somehow pulls out a victory over Mr. Wilkowski in the primaries (highly unlikely) than Mr. Wilkowski will have to throw his support BACK to Jack. He can’t offer any sound bites now that will be used against Jack in the general election later this fall.
If this is a bit confusing… welcome to Toledo politics! Let me sum up. Keith Wilkowski is not concerned about the best person to take Toledo forward. He is concerned solely about getting an A Team Democrat to occupy the Mayor’s chair. Therefore, he cannot say anything condemning his own primary opponent.
Do you see the connection yet to the confusion that is evangelicalism in America? Very well intentioned evangelical leaders, such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, even Albert Mohler, seek to create a political atmosphere that is conducive to conservative morality. While I greatly appreciate these efforts, I have a deep concern that in this effort, there is a lack of clarity on the gospel. Evangelicals are linking arms with Catholics, Mormons, and many others who deny the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is the greater concern the declaration of the Gospel to a lost and dying world or creating a cultural context that is fits our biblical convictions? In other words, are we more concerned for the greater good of mankind (i.e. the proclamation of the gospel) or that our team wins (conservative judges and politicians)?
I have been doing much thinking, studying, praying about passages such as 2 Cor 6.14-18, which contextually is linked to 2 Cor 5.16-21, where Paul charges us that our greatest is distinguishing those who are “in Christ” and those who are “without Christ.” I am afraid that many evangelical leaders today are more concerned over dividing those who think like we do from those who are more liberal than we are. In doing so, we blur the lines that the Gospel so clearly draws between those “in Christ” and those “without Christ.”
Just some humble thoughts for you to muse on this week. What are your thoughts on 2 Cor 5-6? What does it mean to be “unequally yoked?” What do phrases like “be separate from them” and “touch no unclean thing” mean? Your thoughts…
Let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you today….
Grace to You!
Toledo lawyer, and former City Councilman, Keith Wilkowski, a Democrat, has announced his bid to be Toledo’s next mayor. This shouldn’t be such interesting news. Toledo is, after all, dominated by the Democratic politicians, even in the midst of their own schism. In making his much expected announcement, Mr. Wilkowski said, “cannot stand by and watch this city continue to decline. It really is that straightforward. It's not about friendships or political alliances or which politicians support other politicians” “Why did Wilkowski have to mention friendships?” those of you lucky enough to not live in the Toledo area may ask. Well, let me give you a small insight into the local politics of Toledo. You see if there is an illustration of the current evangelical movement.
The local Democratic Party is experiencing a major schism (locally referred to as the “A Team” and “B Team”). Our mayor finds himself at the helm of the “A Team,” which is currently out of control of the Democratic Central Committee. Mr. Wilkowski was a member of the PAC that was created specifically to reelect Jack Ford as mayor of Toledo, in fact, he was the Treasurer. After multiple local polls indicated the Mr. Ford had virtually no chance to be reelected, Mr. Wilkowski announced his own bid. Wilkowski has been asked many times how he could be treasurer of a campaign for Jack Ford and now run against Mr. Ford. He is asked to comment on Mr. Ford’s record. What shortcomings of the Ford Administration led Mr. Wilkowski to run against him? Wilkowski is very nuanced in his answers. He refuses to be critical of Mayor Ford. Why? Because Mr. Wilkowski wants an A Team Democrat to be elected mayor, even if it is Jack Ford. Ford would be better than B Team Democrat, former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who appears poised to run again. And Ford would certainly be better, according to Mr. Wilkowski’s scheming, than stealth Republican candidate Rob Ludeman. If Mr. Ford somehow pulls out a victory over Mr. Wilkowski in the primaries (highly unlikely) than Mr. Wilkowski will have to throw his support BACK to Jack. He can’t offer any sound bites now that will be used against Jack in the general election later this fall.
If this is a bit confusing… welcome to Toledo politics! Let me sum up. Keith Wilkowski is not concerned about the best person to take Toledo forward. He is concerned solely about getting an A Team Democrat to occupy the Mayor’s chair. Therefore, he cannot say anything condemning his own primary opponent.
Do you see the connection yet to the confusion that is evangelicalism in America? Very well intentioned evangelical leaders, such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, even Albert Mohler, seek to create a political atmosphere that is conducive to conservative morality. While I greatly appreciate these efforts, I have a deep concern that in this effort, there is a lack of clarity on the gospel. Evangelicals are linking arms with Catholics, Mormons, and many others who deny the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is the greater concern the declaration of the Gospel to a lost and dying world or creating a cultural context that is fits our biblical convictions? In other words, are we more concerned for the greater good of mankind (i.e. the proclamation of the gospel) or that our team wins (conservative judges and politicians)?
I have been doing much thinking, studying, praying about passages such as 2 Cor 6.14-18, which contextually is linked to 2 Cor 5.16-21, where Paul charges us that our greatest is distinguishing those who are “in Christ” and those who are “without Christ.” I am afraid that many evangelical leaders today are more concerned over dividing those who think like we do from those who are more liberal than we are. In doing so, we blur the lines that the Gospel so clearly draws between those “in Christ” and those “without Christ.”
Just some humble thoughts for you to muse on this week. What are your thoughts on 2 Cor 5-6? What does it mean to be “unequally yoked?” What do phrases like “be separate from them” and “touch no unclean thing” mean? Your thoughts…
Let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you today….
Grace to You!
Monday, June 13, 2005
"User Friendly" gone off the deep end!
As if the whole idea of a "user friendly" church or a "seeker driven" church isn't inane enough, some churches are taking the philosophy to its next logical step. Churches offer "drive-thru" Sunday services is a telling news piece about the extreme ends to which a so called church will go to "reach people with the gospel." Is this what Paul meant when he mentioned becoming "all things to all people?"
I actually mentioned drive thru marriages in a recent post in a tongue in cheek manner. It appears I was not too far from making a true to culture comment.
Maybe the scariest comment is the very last sentence of the article, "God created us each and every one good, and we celebrate that." Is that not the underlying false theology that drives the whole "seeker" philosophy. Each human is good and has within themselves the ability to turn to God, we simple need to provide the impetus through gimmicks and the like?
What about Romans 3.20 "There is no one righteouss, no not one. There is none that seek God." People will not naturally turn to God until He draws them. The primary means he uses to draw men to himself is the bold preaching of His Word (John 17.17; Rom 10.17; 2 Tim 3.15).
Something for you to muse on this afternoon!
Grace to You!
I actually mentioned drive thru marriages in a recent post in a tongue in cheek manner. It appears I was not too far from making a true to culture comment.
Maybe the scariest comment is the very last sentence of the article, "God created us each and every one good, and we celebrate that." Is that not the underlying false theology that drives the whole "seeker" philosophy. Each human is good and has within themselves the ability to turn to God, we simple need to provide the impetus through gimmicks and the like?
What about Romans 3.20 "There is no one righteouss, no not one. There is none that seek God." People will not naturally turn to God until He draws them. The primary means he uses to draw men to himself is the bold preaching of His Word (John 17.17; Rom 10.17; 2 Tim 3.15).
Something for you to muse on this afternoon!
Grace to You!
Phil Johnson jumps into the Blogosphere... in typical Phil-Johnson-style
I try to take a little time each day to survey the blogosphere. I find this both entertaining an enlightening. We all need a laugh to keep us sane and otherwise healthy. As far as enlightenment, I occasionally find a few bright spots in the realm of the blogger that help me think through the issues of the day. My most recent "bright spot" is Pyromaniac, the blogging thoughts of Phil Johnson, of the Spurgeon Archive and Grace to You Ministries. Phil combines his extensive contacts with his keen insights. He makes reference to MANY other blogs and quips about the content you might find if you follow his links. It is sort of a portal into the evangelical blogosphere.
In typical Phil-Johnson-style, he tackles some of the more cutting edge issues of the day right off the bat. In a recent post he opens the dialogue on a subject the has dominated much of the evangelical blogdom, including a variety of posts right here at my site. He questions the extent to which evangelicals should partner with unbelievers for political gain. It resembles, to some degree, his excellent chapter "Let Your Light So Shine" in Fool's Gold. This particular post has drawn, at this point, 31 comments, some even from the likes of fellow blogger, Steve Camp.
The thoughts brought out in this post and the subsequent comments form the basis for the article I promised last week, and am still working on, on the subject of Evangelical Unity.
Happy reading and... Grace to You!
In typical Phil-Johnson-style, he tackles some of the more cutting edge issues of the day right off the bat. In a recent post he opens the dialogue on a subject the has dominated much of the evangelical blogdom, including a variety of posts right here at my site. He questions the extent to which evangelicals should partner with unbelievers for political gain. It resembles, to some degree, his excellent chapter "Let Your Light So Shine" in Fool's Gold. This particular post has drawn, at this point, 31 comments, some even from the likes of fellow blogger, Steve Camp.
The thoughts brought out in this post and the subsequent comments form the basis for the article I promised last week, and am still working on, on the subject of Evangelical Unity.
Happy reading and... Grace to You!
Monday, June 06, 2005
Coming Soon...
Here are a few articles that I am working on, just in case you care. Besides, if I tell you there are coming, they have to come! Accountability!
The Heart the Gospel - This one will be a four part series dealing with the four key elements that comprise the heart of the gospel message - God, Man, Christ, and You Must!
Evangelical Unity - Some thoughts on the basis on which we decide to unite or divide ourselves from others who claim Christianity?
Why I Love the Church - This will be a transcript of a recent sermon I delivered here at my home church on May 15. I will also deliver this series in a five part address on a local contemporary Christian radio station next week. It is basically an exposition of Eph 5.22-33 asking the question, "Do I love the Church like Christ loves the Church?"
A Bible-Driven Church - Not a steal of MacArthur's work, rather a look at how the Christian publishing industry is effecting the church, primarily through her pastors.
Feel free to share your thoughts on any of these topics, perhaps you will help shape my thinking as I study and write. Also, what other Blogs are you reading that you find helpful. Note the updates link section to the right. There are some other helpful Blogs (probably much more helpful than these musings) for you to peruse at your leisure.
Grace to You!
The Heart the Gospel - This one will be a four part series dealing with the four key elements that comprise the heart of the gospel message - God, Man, Christ, and You Must!
Evangelical Unity - Some thoughts on the basis on which we decide to unite or divide ourselves from others who claim Christianity?
Why I Love the Church - This will be a transcript of a recent sermon I delivered here at my home church on May 15. I will also deliver this series in a five part address on a local contemporary Christian radio station next week. It is basically an exposition of Eph 5.22-33 asking the question, "Do I love the Church like Christ loves the Church?"
A Bible-Driven Church - Not a steal of MacArthur's work, rather a look at how the Christian publishing industry is effecting the church, primarily through her pastors.
Feel free to share your thoughts on any of these topics, perhaps you will help shape my thinking as I study and write. Also, what other Blogs are you reading that you find helpful. Note the updates link section to the right. There are some other helpful Blogs (probably much more helpful than these musings) for you to peruse at your leisure.
Grace to You!
Dad, That's Easy
Just a brief thought for your musing pleasure this morning…
I was recently eating a hasty supper with my family. It was a Tuesday night and I needed rush back out the door to return to the church for our Grace Evangelism class and visitation ministry. Understanding that I was leaving to teach a class, my 6 year old daughter, Elisabeth, asked what I was going to be teaching about on that night. Underestimating her comprehension, as I usually do, I simplified my answer to, “I am going to be talking about how to tell people about Jesus.” “Dad, that’s easy. Why do you need a class?” was the profoundly elementary reply.
As my wife looked at me with the all too familiar “what are you going to say now” look, I wondered, “what am I going to say now?” “Well, yes, Elisabeth, it can be easy, but…” And I fumbled around a bit and shoved my food in my mouth and ran out the door with my tail between my legs, soundly rebuked by my own conscience, aided by my traitorous six year old! This was the same girl that set me straight days later. We had the neighbor kids over playing around the house, which has become the norm with the warming of the weather. The children to our east are from a broken home, living most of the time with their father next door to us. On this particular afternoon, I could not find Elisabeth. Seeking help from Rebekah, my 5 year old, I was informed she and Wesley, the little boy from next door, had gone upstairs. Now, Elisabeth knows not to bring the neighborhood kids into the house without their parents permission, especially upstairs to the bedrooms. So I went in to retrieve them, already prepared to deliver a little lecture. As I reached the top of the stairs, I saw them in my bedroom. Now there was real trouble. I sent Wesley downstairs and sent Elisabeth to her bedroom. Once Wesley was out of earshot, I demanded, none too quietly, “Why did you have Wesley in the house? Why were you upstairs, and why were you in my room? You know…” and on the lecture began. When I finally came up for air and let Elisabeth speak, she gave me her story. She and Wesley had been sitting on the front porch and she was trying to tell Wesley about his need of trusting Jesus. She decided she needed her Bible and Rebekah kept interrupting them. So she invited Wesley to come inside with her so she could get her Bible and look up John 3.16. She could not find her Bible and was in my room to get an extra one off our bookcase.
Right, egg all over my face! Sometimes the important lessons we learn come from unexpected places.
But what of the brief comment Elisabeth made at our dinner table that Tuesday evening, “Dad, that’s easy!” Is “telling people about Jesus” easy? I am not sure that question has a simple answer. In one sense, we can answer with a resounding “Yes!” Gospel-speak should naturally flow off the lips of every true believer. We should be able to say like Paul (and my daughter) “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!” (Rom 1.16). But in another sense, sharing the gospel with people can be difficult. There are certain elements of the gospel that, when brought together, form the heart of the matter: namely, the holiness of God, the utter inability of man, the sufficiency of Christ and the necessity of faith alone in Christ alone. Any presentation of the gospel minus any of these core elements is not a complete gospel. We must be careful not to dumb down the gospel in our great desire to share the life-transforming hope of Jesus Christ.
So, as Elisabeth reminded me, it is easy! But it is hard work at the same time. Does Gospel-speak flow naturally from your lips? Do you accurately communicate the heart of the Gospel to people in your sphere of influence? Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Remember: it is the power of God for those who believe!
Grace to You!
I was recently eating a hasty supper with my family. It was a Tuesday night and I needed rush back out the door to return to the church for our Grace Evangelism class and visitation ministry. Understanding that I was leaving to teach a class, my 6 year old daughter, Elisabeth, asked what I was going to be teaching about on that night. Underestimating her comprehension, as I usually do, I simplified my answer to, “I am going to be talking about how to tell people about Jesus.” “Dad, that’s easy. Why do you need a class?” was the profoundly elementary reply.
As my wife looked at me with the all too familiar “what are you going to say now” look, I wondered, “what am I going to say now?” “Well, yes, Elisabeth, it can be easy, but…” And I fumbled around a bit and shoved my food in my mouth and ran out the door with my tail between my legs, soundly rebuked by my own conscience, aided by my traitorous six year old! This was the same girl that set me straight days later. We had the neighbor kids over playing around the house, which has become the norm with the warming of the weather. The children to our east are from a broken home, living most of the time with their father next door to us. On this particular afternoon, I could not find Elisabeth. Seeking help from Rebekah, my 5 year old, I was informed she and Wesley, the little boy from next door, had gone upstairs. Now, Elisabeth knows not to bring the neighborhood kids into the house without their parents permission, especially upstairs to the bedrooms. So I went in to retrieve them, already prepared to deliver a little lecture. As I reached the top of the stairs, I saw them in my bedroom. Now there was real trouble. I sent Wesley downstairs and sent Elisabeth to her bedroom. Once Wesley was out of earshot, I demanded, none too quietly, “Why did you have Wesley in the house? Why were you upstairs, and why were you in my room? You know…” and on the lecture began. When I finally came up for air and let Elisabeth speak, she gave me her story. She and Wesley had been sitting on the front porch and she was trying to tell Wesley about his need of trusting Jesus. She decided she needed her Bible and Rebekah kept interrupting them. So she invited Wesley to come inside with her so she could get her Bible and look up John 3.16. She could not find her Bible and was in my room to get an extra one off our bookcase.
Right, egg all over my face! Sometimes the important lessons we learn come from unexpected places.
But what of the brief comment Elisabeth made at our dinner table that Tuesday evening, “Dad, that’s easy!” Is “telling people about Jesus” easy? I am not sure that question has a simple answer. In one sense, we can answer with a resounding “Yes!” Gospel-speak should naturally flow off the lips of every true believer. We should be able to say like Paul (and my daughter) “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!” (Rom 1.16). But in another sense, sharing the gospel with people can be difficult. There are certain elements of the gospel that, when brought together, form the heart of the matter: namely, the holiness of God, the utter inability of man, the sufficiency of Christ and the necessity of faith alone in Christ alone. Any presentation of the gospel minus any of these core elements is not a complete gospel. We must be careful not to dumb down the gospel in our great desire to share the life-transforming hope of Jesus Christ.
So, as Elisabeth reminded me, it is easy! But it is hard work at the same time. Does Gospel-speak flow naturally from your lips? Do you accurately communicate the heart of the Gospel to people in your sphere of influence? Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Remember: it is the power of God for those who believe!
Grace to You!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Remember...
Not sure why these thoughts are running through my brain today, maybe something to do with the Memorial Day that just passed. My wife and I drove our three children around a local cemetery and mused about all the American flags and what they represented. Our daughters (age 6 and 5) were surprisingly keen to the sacrifice these brave men and women had made on behalf of our enduring freedom. Anyway, a few moments of musing today… remember…
Franklin Delano Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 “a day that will live in infamy.” I continue to be challenged, motivated and reminded of the ideals of the American heritage when I read the historical accounts of that day. Of course, I do not have firsthand experience from which to draw, having not been born until 1974.
I do remember, however, pulling out of the McDonald’s drive through around 9 o’clock the morning of September 11, 2001. I had turned my radio off to order my medium coffee from the kind lady that I saw virtually every weekday morning on my way to the office. I turned my radio back on to the sound of Bill Wills, from WTAM 1100 AM, a Cleveland talk radio station, in a calm, yet obviously concerned voice saying something about what appeared to be a small plane running into the World Trade Center in New York City. Immediately, I was skeptical. I had been in the city recently. I had scene the skyline numerous times. “The World Trade Center doesn’t just appear out of nowhere”, I thought. There is almost no possibility that this was an accident. I drove into the parking lot of my office at Millersburg Baptist Church and sat in my truck to listen to the continued coverage. Just as I put my truck into park, the voice on the radio screamed with panic insisting that another plane just ran into the second tower of the World Trade Center. At that moment, along with rest of America, I understood our country was under attack on our own soil for the first significant time since 1941. The questions remaining were, “How big and far reaching would the full attack be?” “What was the next target?”
I went through such an unbelievable array of emotions sitting in my truck over the next 20 minutes. I was angry! How could anyone do this to our country? I was appalled that our government didn’t protect us. I was thankful that George W. Bush was president and not Al Gore. (This was ACTUALLY one of my first thoughts – and one of the first comments from my wife when I reported the event to her.) I was motivated. I was frustrated that my 8 years as an Army reservist were over, because I wanted to go get whoever did this. But after going through the 20 minute gamut of emotions, I realized I had a wife and a two daughters at home that I had to get back to and take care of. I turned my truck around and drove quickly back to my house.
My wife was at first pleasantly surprised to see me walk back in the door, assuming I had forgotten something and she would get another hug before I returned to the office. Then she saw my face, which apparently was still in a bit of shock. As I scrambled around looking for a portable radio (we had no T.V. in our house) I filled her in on the details. We finally got a radio station to come in when we held the radio in certain position in our bathroom! It was one of the first times I actually wished we had cable television. We spent the rest of the morning listening to the newscasters speculate as to what happened in New York and Washington D.C. Then by late morning, I remembered… I was a pastor and I would have to address the congregation on Wednesday and Sunday regarding these horrible events. I had just started a series on Nehemiah. Do I proceed with the scheduled study or do I address the pressing issue of the day? It didn’t take me long to decide the priority of addressing the issue that would consume everyone’s mind.
As I sat at my desk that afternoon, I prayed intently that God would afford me wisdom from Him to know just how to address our folks regarding these horrible events. Do I address the sovereignty of God? Should I focus on the total depravity of man, the profound fact that each of us naturally have the capacity to carry out such a heinous act as this? Perhaps the focus should be the mercy and grace of God, looking at the tower that fell in Shiloam? I really didn’t know.
Through a period of earnest prayer, God directed my thoughts to Psalm 64. I was amazed as I studied these comforting words. I decided I wasn’t going to do a normal exposition of the text; rather I simply wanted to capture the heart of the psalmist and then spend some time as a church family in prayer. The message David communicates to us in Psalm 27 is Confidence in God through Communion with Him. We take courage, not in America, not in self, but in God alone. In the midst of contemplating the approaching attack of his enemies, David declared in v13, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord.”
Do you have confidence in the goodness of the Lord in the face of overwhelming despair? Whatever it is we face that seems to place the weight of the world on our shoulders, we must hold fast to the goodness of God, the attribute whereby we gain confidence in the outworking of His divine plan.
The lessons September 11 have for America are deep and far reaching, indeed still being learned today. But the lessons for us as believers in the sovereign hand of Good God are exponentially more profound. God is always in control and God divine plan of love and redemption will never be thwarted.
Some folks put together a nice tribute to the heroes of September 11. Follow the link to watch, but as you do, remember the fallen heroes, but also remember the Good God we serve!
http://www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html
Grace to you!
Franklin Delano Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 “a day that will live in infamy.” I continue to be challenged, motivated and reminded of the ideals of the American heritage when I read the historical accounts of that day. Of course, I do not have firsthand experience from which to draw, having not been born until 1974.
I do remember, however, pulling out of the McDonald’s drive through around 9 o’clock the morning of September 11, 2001. I had turned my radio off to order my medium coffee from the kind lady that I saw virtually every weekday morning on my way to the office. I turned my radio back on to the sound of Bill Wills, from WTAM 1100 AM, a Cleveland talk radio station, in a calm, yet obviously concerned voice saying something about what appeared to be a small plane running into the World Trade Center in New York City. Immediately, I was skeptical. I had been in the city recently. I had scene the skyline numerous times. “The World Trade Center doesn’t just appear out of nowhere”, I thought. There is almost no possibility that this was an accident. I drove into the parking lot of my office at Millersburg Baptist Church and sat in my truck to listen to the continued coverage. Just as I put my truck into park, the voice on the radio screamed with panic insisting that another plane just ran into the second tower of the World Trade Center. At that moment, along with rest of America, I understood our country was under attack on our own soil for the first significant time since 1941. The questions remaining were, “How big and far reaching would the full attack be?” “What was the next target?”
I went through such an unbelievable array of emotions sitting in my truck over the next 20 minutes. I was angry! How could anyone do this to our country? I was appalled that our government didn’t protect us. I was thankful that George W. Bush was president and not Al Gore. (This was ACTUALLY one of my first thoughts – and one of the first comments from my wife when I reported the event to her.) I was motivated. I was frustrated that my 8 years as an Army reservist were over, because I wanted to go get whoever did this. But after going through the 20 minute gamut of emotions, I realized I had a wife and a two daughters at home that I had to get back to and take care of. I turned my truck around and drove quickly back to my house.
My wife was at first pleasantly surprised to see me walk back in the door, assuming I had forgotten something and she would get another hug before I returned to the office. Then she saw my face, which apparently was still in a bit of shock. As I scrambled around looking for a portable radio (we had no T.V. in our house) I filled her in on the details. We finally got a radio station to come in when we held the radio in certain position in our bathroom! It was one of the first times I actually wished we had cable television. We spent the rest of the morning listening to the newscasters speculate as to what happened in New York and Washington D.C. Then by late morning, I remembered… I was a pastor and I would have to address the congregation on Wednesday and Sunday regarding these horrible events. I had just started a series on Nehemiah. Do I proceed with the scheduled study or do I address the pressing issue of the day? It didn’t take me long to decide the priority of addressing the issue that would consume everyone’s mind.
As I sat at my desk that afternoon, I prayed intently that God would afford me wisdom from Him to know just how to address our folks regarding these horrible events. Do I address the sovereignty of God? Should I focus on the total depravity of man, the profound fact that each of us naturally have the capacity to carry out such a heinous act as this? Perhaps the focus should be the mercy and grace of God, looking at the tower that fell in Shiloam? I really didn’t know.
Through a period of earnest prayer, God directed my thoughts to Psalm 64. I was amazed as I studied these comforting words. I decided I wasn’t going to do a normal exposition of the text; rather I simply wanted to capture the heart of the psalmist and then spend some time as a church family in prayer. The message David communicates to us in Psalm 27 is Confidence in God through Communion with Him. We take courage, not in America, not in self, but in God alone. In the midst of contemplating the approaching attack of his enemies, David declared in v13, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord.”
Do you have confidence in the goodness of the Lord in the face of overwhelming despair? Whatever it is we face that seems to place the weight of the world on our shoulders, we must hold fast to the goodness of God, the attribute whereby we gain confidence in the outworking of His divine plan.
The lessons September 11 have for America are deep and far reaching, indeed still being learned today. But the lessons for us as believers in the sovereign hand of Good God are exponentially more profound. God is always in control and God divine plan of love and redemption will never be thwarted.
Some folks put together a nice tribute to the heroes of September 11. Follow the link to watch, but as you do, remember the fallen heroes, but also remember the Good God we serve!
http://www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html
Grace to you!
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