STATE DENOMINATIONAL NEWS: Word comes this week that Dr. Jeff Ginn, Executive Director of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia for the past 3 years, has resigned to accept a pastorate in Baton Rouge, LA.
Ginn has been, in my opinion, a good leader. He is dynamic, articulate, and creative. He has led the SBCV in some fresh directions. He has had, apparently, a desire to return to pastoral ministry in a local church(which is really where it's at in kingdom work) and so will leave our state at the end of July. I didn't know him well. We've only had a few conversations. I assisted him once in a funeral in another city. He's a pretty sharp guy. My guess is he'll be missed. I wish him well in his new assignment.
As you know, Virginia is one of a small handful of states that have two state Baptist conventions. Here it's the SBCV and the BGAV. Local congregations can be either uniquely aligned with one or dually aligned with both. We have voted to affiliate with each of these 2 great entities. Both of them are led by and made up of terrific people and do really good work for Christ in our state. We divide up our Cooperative Program giving between them. Of late I suppose I've been a little more involved with the older BGAV because of personal friendships, but I'm a fan of both groups and am delighted that our church has the opportunity to draw from the resources of each.
In case you've forgotten, each Southern Baptist church is autonomous. We're not in some denominational hierarchy. We make our own decisions under the guidance and lordship of Christ. We do, however, voluntarily choose to relate to other congregations as partners in mission and ministry. Locally, that's through associations(for us, the PBA). Statewide, that's through state conventions. Nationally, we're linked to the Southern Baptist Convention. All of that gives us the chance to unite with likeminded believers and intensify our efforts to reach the world for Jesus. After all, that's our real business. Our churches are not to be cozy, comfortable country clubs that exist solely that we might get our needs met. Instead we're to be constantly finding new and effective ways to spread the Gospel of Christ all over the globe, often in sacrificial approaches. That's why working together in these larger groupings helps local fellowships carry out their mandate.
In recent years, denominationalism has fallen on hard times. Everything is in flux. Many Baptists across the land are turned off by bloated bureaucracy and loss of focus and division over sometimes minor issues. It remains to be seen what shapes our cooperation will take in the future. If you're a church member and serious about the Great Commission, all of this should be of at least some concern to you. This isn't something that just pastors should be interested in. Stay tuned.
CULTURAL DECLINE. The action last week by the New York state legislature to legalize same-sex marriage there next month is regrettable and one more indication of the decay and deterioration of the culture around us. This should not surprise us, though. We live in a fallen world that is mostly alienated from God. Lost people have no other means of making their decisions except by relying on their natural, fleshly reasoning which is set against God's will. In other words, unbelievers are just acting naturally. Spirit-filled, scripture-immersed Christians know that homosexuality is sin and that marriage is to be between a man and a woman.
All of that said, though, I hope by now you know my heart. We're not to be condemnatory people. We're to shower gay and lesbian individuals with love and grace with the hope of reaching them for Jesus. One of my favorite Bible texts on this is 2 Timothy 2:24-26. I'm appreciative of some of the humble, gracious remarks that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Al Mohler made on this issue in response to a questioner at the SBC in Phoenix the other week. Though adamantly opposed to homosexuality, he reminded us all that we've got a lot of work to do in terms of extending understanding compassion before we can expect to gain a hearing. We've been loudly judgemental.But each of us is a sinner. Every one of us struggles still with some sin. We're going to have to exchange our shouting and our rhetoric for humility and listening ears and loving tears. We're going to have to come down off our legalistic pedestals, where we tend to rank sins,and admit that before God we're all desperately wicked and in need of His mercy.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Miscellany
REFLECTION STATEMENT: Every now and then I have Marian print up some sheets of paper with thought-provoking sentences on them and post them at different points around our facility. The idea is to stimulate our thinking.
Regrettably, no one ever comments on them, at least to me. This is true, too, for newsletter columns and bulletin inserts. No one asks "What did that mean?" or says"I didn't agree with that" or "That really impacted me" or "That was a waste of time and paper" or "That gave me a new perspective". It's a little discouraging and makes me think that these sincere efforts to provide seed and fertilizer for inspiration and motivation and spiritual challenge are futile.
Well, anyway, currently there is a 14-word saying attached to some of our doors and hallways and bulletin boards around here that poses a question: if our church ceased to exist would it make any difference to this neighborhood?
That inquiry stirs up still other questions. Does the community all about us even know that we're here? What is their impression of us? Do they sense that we care? Are we really ministering to them in any meaningful way? And again, if we folded up or moved away would that have a negative impact on them? Do they harbor the impression that we just drive in for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and then drive out without any real concern for, or interest in, them?
All of this is important to consider. If God planted us here, and wants us to remain here for at least the foreseeable future, then this is our mission field. We're to reach out and get to know and influence and bless the persons on these streets close by our property. I don't know that we're really doing that. We take a stab at it occasionally but have no ongoing, concerted, consistent strategy in place to just love on those folks with the love of Christ and touch their lives in helpful, practical ways whether or not they ever come to our church. Somehow we've got to seek the mind of the Lord and come up with some plan to accomplish that.
I'm excited about the desire of our Outreach Committee to attempt another small step in that direction with the milk-and-eggs project on June 25. This is something we all can get behind in different ways. Let's not leave this to the few members of this team. Let's plug in. Let's be here that morning to meet our neighbors and help them in a specific,tangible area of life. And let's develop dozens more creative approaches to extend a hand. Matthew 25:31-46 comes to mind here. God never intended for us to have a comfortable, country club mentality but rather to shine as lights in the darkness. Seed, and salt, in a hurting world.
NEW BOOK: In just a few weeks California pastor, writer, and conference speaker Francis Chan releases his latest work, Erasing Hell(David C. Cook, 2011). It will be a brief but thorough examination of what the Bible says about eternal punishment, and will be a great antidote to the seemingly universalistic distortions about that subject in the controversial book by Rob Bell that came out in March. I hope you'll get a copy(about $15) and read and review it very carefully. It will give you thoughts to share with unsaved friends. Chan's perspective will be a humble, not arrogant, one.
SBC. I didn't attend the annual meeting this year, held out in Phoenix. Messenger count was expected to be quite low, and no major matters seemed to be on the agenda. I do think it is important for pastors(and laypeople, too) to go to these conventions. There were many years when I never missed. Oh, well, maybe next year, in New Orleans. You do need to be aware that there is real concern in our denomination these days over declining baptisms and attendance in our churches.
Regrettably, no one ever comments on them, at least to me. This is true, too, for newsletter columns and bulletin inserts. No one asks "What did that mean?" or says"I didn't agree with that" or "That really impacted me" or "That was a waste of time and paper" or "That gave me a new perspective". It's a little discouraging and makes me think that these sincere efforts to provide seed and fertilizer for inspiration and motivation and spiritual challenge are futile.
Well, anyway, currently there is a 14-word saying attached to some of our doors and hallways and bulletin boards around here that poses a question: if our church ceased to exist would it make any difference to this neighborhood?
That inquiry stirs up still other questions. Does the community all about us even know that we're here? What is their impression of us? Do they sense that we care? Are we really ministering to them in any meaningful way? And again, if we folded up or moved away would that have a negative impact on them? Do they harbor the impression that we just drive in for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and then drive out without any real concern for, or interest in, them?
All of this is important to consider. If God planted us here, and wants us to remain here for at least the foreseeable future, then this is our mission field. We're to reach out and get to know and influence and bless the persons on these streets close by our property. I don't know that we're really doing that. We take a stab at it occasionally but have no ongoing, concerted, consistent strategy in place to just love on those folks with the love of Christ and touch their lives in helpful, practical ways whether or not they ever come to our church. Somehow we've got to seek the mind of the Lord and come up with some plan to accomplish that.
I'm excited about the desire of our Outreach Committee to attempt another small step in that direction with the milk-and-eggs project on June 25. This is something we all can get behind in different ways. Let's not leave this to the few members of this team. Let's plug in. Let's be here that morning to meet our neighbors and help them in a specific,tangible area of life. And let's develop dozens more creative approaches to extend a hand. Matthew 25:31-46 comes to mind here. God never intended for us to have a comfortable, country club mentality but rather to shine as lights in the darkness. Seed, and salt, in a hurting world.
NEW BOOK: In just a few weeks California pastor, writer, and conference speaker Francis Chan releases his latest work, Erasing Hell(David C. Cook, 2011). It will be a brief but thorough examination of what the Bible says about eternal punishment, and will be a great antidote to the seemingly universalistic distortions about that subject in the controversial book by Rob Bell that came out in March. I hope you'll get a copy(about $15) and read and review it very carefully. It will give you thoughts to share with unsaved friends. Chan's perspective will be a humble, not arrogant, one.
SBC. I didn't attend the annual meeting this year, held out in Phoenix. Messenger count was expected to be quite low, and no major matters seemed to be on the agenda. I do think it is important for pastors(and laypeople, too) to go to these conventions. There were many years when I never missed. Oh, well, maybe next year, in New Orleans. You do need to be aware that there is real concern in our denomination these days over declining baptisms and attendance in our churches.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Not Camping With Camping
Well, May 21 came and went and California radio preacher Harold Camping's prediction that the rapture would occur and God's judgement would fall on that day didn't materialize.
Regrettably, the 89-year old Family Radio head is not deterred. He's simply "recalculated", again, and now says that all of this will take place in October. News people are having a jolly field day with this stuff, and hundreds of folks who believed this man's declarations now feel crushed and deceived.
Some observations:
1.He blended ignorance and arrogance in his claim to know when these major prophetic
events would happen. Matthew 24:36,42, and 44 make it clear that no one but the Father
has that information. We're given signs but not the date.
2. He has to be labeled a false prophet now if you take Deuteronomy 18:21-22 seriously.
Jesus warned that lots of spokesmen like that would turn up in the endtimes(Matthew 24:
24).
3. He has given the culture around us one more reason to laugh at our faith. In the minds of
many, all preachers, churches, and Christians are lumped together with this guy and
others like him as silly and backward and thus deserving of ridicule rather than a hearing.
That's unfair because there are millions of believers who are faithfully living the Christian
life and are involved in serving, sacrificial ministry. There are thousands and thousands of
Christ-followers who are careful, responsible, capable students of the scriptures who
present God's Word accurately(2 Timothy 2:15).
4. The more I study the Bible, the more I doubt the validity of a pretribulational rapture
anyway. It's just my opinion these days but I don't see a lot of scriptural support for it.
Jesus is coming back visibly, bodily, gloriously...but it's hard to hold to a 2-stage second
coming. And just believing in that because that's always what you've been told,without
doing your own diligent study on it, is not wise.
5. Unwittingly, Mr. Camping may now have caused a lot of Christians to lose hope in the
return of Christ. He may also have made it easier for many unbelievers to doubt the sure
reality of coming judgement for this earth . Evidences abound that we are living in the
last days. Signs seem to be intensifying that our Lord will soon be appearing and millions
of lost people will be doomed forever. That's why it was so hard for me to hear media
people mock and scorn Camping, even though I knew he was wrong, because I was
saddened that they were missing the larger point that one day final endtime events are
going to take place and so many won't be ready(2 Peter 3:1-13). Jesus said that society
would be pretty much like it was in the days of Noah(Matthew 24:37-39) when He comes
again.
6. While we're waiting, we're to be ministering to people, winning souls, and growing in
Christ-likeness. That ought to keep us busy.
Regrettably, the 89-year old Family Radio head is not deterred. He's simply "recalculated", again, and now says that all of this will take place in October. News people are having a jolly field day with this stuff, and hundreds of folks who believed this man's declarations now feel crushed and deceived.
Some observations:
1.He blended ignorance and arrogance in his claim to know when these major prophetic
events would happen. Matthew 24:36,42, and 44 make it clear that no one but the Father
has that information. We're given signs but not the date.
2. He has to be labeled a false prophet now if you take Deuteronomy 18:21-22 seriously.
Jesus warned that lots of spokesmen like that would turn up in the endtimes(Matthew 24:
24).
3. He has given the culture around us one more reason to laugh at our faith. In the minds of
many, all preachers, churches, and Christians are lumped together with this guy and
others like him as silly and backward and thus deserving of ridicule rather than a hearing.
That's unfair because there are millions of believers who are faithfully living the Christian
life and are involved in serving, sacrificial ministry. There are thousands and thousands of
Christ-followers who are careful, responsible, capable students of the scriptures who
present God's Word accurately(2 Timothy 2:15).
4. The more I study the Bible, the more I doubt the validity of a pretribulational rapture
anyway. It's just my opinion these days but I don't see a lot of scriptural support for it.
Jesus is coming back visibly, bodily, gloriously...but it's hard to hold to a 2-stage second
coming. And just believing in that because that's always what you've been told,without
doing your own diligent study on it, is not wise.
5. Unwittingly, Mr. Camping may now have caused a lot of Christians to lose hope in the
return of Christ. He may also have made it easier for many unbelievers to doubt the sure
reality of coming judgement for this earth . Evidences abound that we are living in the
last days. Signs seem to be intensifying that our Lord will soon be appearing and millions
of lost people will be doomed forever. That's why it was so hard for me to hear media
people mock and scorn Camping, even though I knew he was wrong, because I was
saddened that they were missing the larger point that one day final endtime events are
going to take place and so many won't be ready(2 Peter 3:1-13). Jesus said that society
would be pretty much like it was in the days of Noah(Matthew 24:37-39) when He comes
again.
6. While we're waiting, we're to be ministering to people, winning souls, and growing in
Christ-likeness. That ought to keep us busy.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Summer Reading
The summer season is arriving and with it comes more relaxed opportunities for reading.
Christians should be in the forefront of those who allow their minds to be expanded and their souls stretched by good books. Obviously the Bible is our first priority but God plants truth in the writings of contemporary authors, too. Their works can sharpen and refresh us and give us greater understanding not only of pertinent life issues but of the scriptures themselves.
Allow me to recommend some literary offerings that have impacted me recently and that could be helpful in your faith journey as a believer.
For starters, try Russell Moore's Tempted And Tried(Crossway, 2011). It's a brief study of the 3 major temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. Those critical tests are unpacked and explored skillfully and then their relevant applications to our lives today are discussed. It makes for good devotional reading. We tend to forget that Jesus himself experienced temptations and yet was victorious over them, giving us a pattern to follow in overcoming our own tests after we are born again and have a new spiritual nature.
Paul Enns has written Heaven Revealed(Moody Publishers, 2011). After the death of his wife this seminary professor set out to study anew the wonders of the afterlife for the child of God. His work considers many of the basic questions that Christians have about our eternal destiny, such as what we will do there and what we will see. His answers are based on biblical teachings and offer an exhilirating view of our future that rules out the common misconception that Heaven is just a glorified retirement village where Christians will sit on clouds and strum harps.
There is another dimension in the life beyond, though, that has gotten a lot of attention in recent months due to a controversial book by Michigan pastor Rob Bell that seemingly eliminates the idea of eternal punishment for some and apparently espouses universalism. A good, scholarly antidote to Bell's ideas comes in an earlier published work, Hell Under Fire(Zondervan, 2004), edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson with contributions by several leading evangelical academicians. This book examines the scriptural perspectives on Hell from a wide variety of angles. It's interesting that in July popular California pastor and author Francis Chan has a new work coming out on this fascinating subject, entitled Erasing Hell, in which he will defend the reality of this unpleasant otherworldly destination.
Two short but insightful books should be of special interest to church leaders. The Case For Antioch(B&H Books, 2011) investigates some of the characteristics of one of the early churches presented in the New Testament book of Acts and how that particular ancient congregation offers clues on how to develop transformational churches today in our culture. David Platt's Radical Together(Multnomah, 2011) deals with ways that modern churches can model serving, sacrificial ministry in society and make a profound difference. This work is a followup to a previous bestseller by Platt.
Interested in family concerns? Try the helpful, practical book How We Love Our Kids(Waterbrook Press, 2011) by Milan and Kay Yerkovich. The authors describe several different love styles that show up in homes and how those approaches affect children. Using the increasingly popular attachment theory, this book reveals how the early childhood experiences of parents determines how they will rear their own kids. Sometimes that's good and sometimes it isn't. This couple offers very specific suggestions on how to best show healthy love to our children.
Tired of shallow, trivial formulas for living the Christian life? Read the new book by Gary Thomas, Thirsting For God(Harvest House, 2011), in which he blends scripture and the reflections of some great Christ-followers in church history who discovered depth and maturity in ways unexpected to us who live in an insipid, fluffy, celebrity-and-entertainment oriented environment that often infects our view of Christianity. Two other works, Counterfeit Gospels(Moody Publishers, 2011) by Trevin Wax and Revise Us Again(David C. Cook, 2010) by Frank Viola also diagnose some of the glaring misunderstandings about our faith and practice as evangelical Christians and propose how we can live authentic spiritual lives as believers. Wax's book exposes some of the alternative brands of Christianity that do not match up to the biblical portrayal of the genuine gospel. The work by Viola, succinct and fresh, cuts through some of our behaviors as Christians that aren't very real and life-giving.
On these lazy, hazy days just ahead don't simply pamper your body. Do something good for your soul, too. Read a stimulating book.
Christians should be in the forefront of those who allow their minds to be expanded and their souls stretched by good books. Obviously the Bible is our first priority but God plants truth in the writings of contemporary authors, too. Their works can sharpen and refresh us and give us greater understanding not only of pertinent life issues but of the scriptures themselves.
Allow me to recommend some literary offerings that have impacted me recently and that could be helpful in your faith journey as a believer.
For starters, try Russell Moore's Tempted And Tried(Crossway, 2011). It's a brief study of the 3 major temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. Those critical tests are unpacked and explored skillfully and then their relevant applications to our lives today are discussed. It makes for good devotional reading. We tend to forget that Jesus himself experienced temptations and yet was victorious over them, giving us a pattern to follow in overcoming our own tests after we are born again and have a new spiritual nature.
Paul Enns has written Heaven Revealed(Moody Publishers, 2011). After the death of his wife this seminary professor set out to study anew the wonders of the afterlife for the child of God. His work considers many of the basic questions that Christians have about our eternal destiny, such as what we will do there and what we will see. His answers are based on biblical teachings and offer an exhilirating view of our future that rules out the common misconception that Heaven is just a glorified retirement village where Christians will sit on clouds and strum harps.
There is another dimension in the life beyond, though, that has gotten a lot of attention in recent months due to a controversial book by Michigan pastor Rob Bell that seemingly eliminates the idea of eternal punishment for some and apparently espouses universalism. A good, scholarly antidote to Bell's ideas comes in an earlier published work, Hell Under Fire(Zondervan, 2004), edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson with contributions by several leading evangelical academicians. This book examines the scriptural perspectives on Hell from a wide variety of angles. It's interesting that in July popular California pastor and author Francis Chan has a new work coming out on this fascinating subject, entitled Erasing Hell, in which he will defend the reality of this unpleasant otherworldly destination.
Two short but insightful books should be of special interest to church leaders. The Case For Antioch(B&H Books, 2011) investigates some of the characteristics of one of the early churches presented in the New Testament book of Acts and how that particular ancient congregation offers clues on how to develop transformational churches today in our culture. David Platt's Radical Together(Multnomah, 2011) deals with ways that modern churches can model serving, sacrificial ministry in society and make a profound difference. This work is a followup to a previous bestseller by Platt.
Interested in family concerns? Try the helpful, practical book How We Love Our Kids(Waterbrook Press, 2011) by Milan and Kay Yerkovich. The authors describe several different love styles that show up in homes and how those approaches affect children. Using the increasingly popular attachment theory, this book reveals how the early childhood experiences of parents determines how they will rear their own kids. Sometimes that's good and sometimes it isn't. This couple offers very specific suggestions on how to best show healthy love to our children.
Tired of shallow, trivial formulas for living the Christian life? Read the new book by Gary Thomas, Thirsting For God(Harvest House, 2011), in which he blends scripture and the reflections of some great Christ-followers in church history who discovered depth and maturity in ways unexpected to us who live in an insipid, fluffy, celebrity-and-entertainment oriented environment that often infects our view of Christianity. Two other works, Counterfeit Gospels(Moody Publishers, 2011) by Trevin Wax and Revise Us Again(David C. Cook, 2010) by Frank Viola also diagnose some of the glaring misunderstandings about our faith and practice as evangelical Christians and propose how we can live authentic spiritual lives as believers. Wax's book exposes some of the alternative brands of Christianity that do not match up to the biblical portrayal of the genuine gospel. The work by Viola, succinct and fresh, cuts through some of our behaviors as Christians that aren't very real and life-giving.
On these lazy, hazy days just ahead don't simply pamper your body. Do something good for your soul, too. Read a stimulating book.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Treasures From Tertius
I love finding short texts in scripture and digging out some insights from them for preaching. Notice I said short texts, not necessarily brief sermons on them!
This past Sunday I brought a message from Romans 16:22. Just a little verse, but loaded with lessons and applications.
The Apostle Paul is concluding his massive, comprehensive tome on the doctrine of salvation, his letter to the church at Rome(a great choice for a Bible book to spend 2011 in, reading and studying and reflecting). Because of poor eyesight or illegible handwriting or both, he had secured the services of an amanuensis, or secretary, to do the actual writing for him as he dictates. Thus in this little verse we are introduced to Tertius, the scribe, who in one sentence interjects his own short, warm greeting to the readers at the very end of the epistle.
After careful meditation, I discovered ten practical insights to pass on to you from that tiny statement that most readers would pass over as insignificant. God's word is so rich, isn't it(2 Timothy 3:16-17)? My own heart was warmed as I shared these thoughts with you. And the sermon wasn't that long! The ideas were meant to deepen faith.
Take lesson #5, for example. Based on the example of Tertius, I said the Christian walk is not just about meeting obligations and doing jobs but about building relationships and being part of a community. This secretary was working hard, listening carefully to Paul's words and then meticulously copying them down. In so doing he is serving the Lord and helping to advance the kingdom. He is laboring behind the scenes in a faithful way. Nevertheless he takes the opportunity to greet the readers and to personally, intimately interact with them. Perhaps he knew some of them, perhaps not. He saw the value of being connected and bonded to God's family. He was not just task-oriented and duty-conscious but was interested in people and being in relationship with them.
We miss something if we quickly exit the church building as soon as the benediction is pronounced without briefly lingering to spend a little quality time with our fellow believers. We're only cheating ourselves if we don't take advantage of chances to get into close-knit huddles(S.S. classes, choir, Bible studies, small-groups) with other Christians where we can be nourished and challenged and encouraged. We need one another! We draw strength from each other. It's quite possible to sit in a pew every Sunday or to hold some major church position and not really know or be known by, any other disciples who can refresh and inspire us and hold us accountable in our growth. Like Tertius, we must take the initiative to reach out and build networks of friends that can laugh with us and cry with us and pray with us and offer wise counsel when we need it. Lone-ranger Christians eventually crash and burn!
I like application #8, too. It also draws on the experience of this humble amanuensis in reminding us that not everything in the Christian life will be fun. There surely must have been some moments for this guy when the job of taking dictation got tedious. Certainly his fingers probably got tired and ached. It wasn't a glamorous, out-front, on-the-platform kind of Christian service. It definitely wasn't emotionally titillating, even though Paul's Spirit-inspired thoughts and words must have fed his soul. But Tertius was ministering. He was making a difference. He was pleasing the Lord. He was playing a part in God's great overarching plan to get the glorious message of the gospel out to the world. The task may have seemed at times to be dull and mechanical but the Lord would use his efforts.
Regrettably, the entertainment-saturated, success-oriented culture around us today has so crept into the Church that many believers have the idea that if something in the Christian life doesn't turn you on or pump you up it must not be of God. If the sermons don't excite you or the worship music doesn't thrill you the Lord must not be at work.If we go through some trial of illness or suffering we conclude that God doesn't care or if a church can't report big, glowing statistics it's labeled a failure. What happens is that we base our walk with God so often on our feelings and emotions, which are fickle and up-and-down. If we're not careful, the menial, routine chores(taking a turn in the nursery or mopping the fellowship hall floor or rehearsing for weeks on one choir piece or bagging groceries for the needy or diligently preparing a Sunday school lesson) begin to look like uninteresting and unimportant assignments that we'd rather avoid on our way to the next scintillating Christian concert or dynamic seminar. If we're not paying attention, we end up seeing our faith as a way to get our needs met and to feel good instead of as a channel for serving Christ and promoting His purposes. We have to understand that even though prayer and Bible study and sitting with a sick friend and working through a relational problem toward reconciliation or explaining the plan of salvation to a lost friend may not always give us a giddy high they are still beautiful, significant, soul-building acts that honor the Lord and bring glory to His name. Usually it's the slow, methodical, often grinding stuff in our Christian pilgrimage that stretches us and shapes us into godly character.
Make no mistake. Mostly unknown Tertius was rewarded for his work. That's insight #6. He had the great privilege of sitting with, and assisting the Apostle Paul. He had the joy of knowing his contribution to the crafting of this letter would have an impact. His name, because of the inserted greeting in verse 22, would forever be associated with this foremost piece of biblical writing. And in Heaven there would be trophies, too. You, as well, will be richly rewarded, both now and in eternity, for whatever you do to advance the cause of Jesus. In Matthew 10:42 you have our Lord's word on that!
This past Sunday I brought a message from Romans 16:22. Just a little verse, but loaded with lessons and applications.
The Apostle Paul is concluding his massive, comprehensive tome on the doctrine of salvation, his letter to the church at Rome(a great choice for a Bible book to spend 2011 in, reading and studying and reflecting). Because of poor eyesight or illegible handwriting or both, he had secured the services of an amanuensis, or secretary, to do the actual writing for him as he dictates. Thus in this little verse we are introduced to Tertius, the scribe, who in one sentence interjects his own short, warm greeting to the readers at the very end of the epistle.
After careful meditation, I discovered ten practical insights to pass on to you from that tiny statement that most readers would pass over as insignificant. God's word is so rich, isn't it(2 Timothy 3:16-17)? My own heart was warmed as I shared these thoughts with you. And the sermon wasn't that long! The ideas were meant to deepen faith.
Take lesson #5, for example. Based on the example of Tertius, I said the Christian walk is not just about meeting obligations and doing jobs but about building relationships and being part of a community. This secretary was working hard, listening carefully to Paul's words and then meticulously copying them down. In so doing he is serving the Lord and helping to advance the kingdom. He is laboring behind the scenes in a faithful way. Nevertheless he takes the opportunity to greet the readers and to personally, intimately interact with them. Perhaps he knew some of them, perhaps not. He saw the value of being connected and bonded to God's family. He was not just task-oriented and duty-conscious but was interested in people and being in relationship with them.
We miss something if we quickly exit the church building as soon as the benediction is pronounced without briefly lingering to spend a little quality time with our fellow believers. We're only cheating ourselves if we don't take advantage of chances to get into close-knit huddles(S.S. classes, choir, Bible studies, small-groups) with other Christians where we can be nourished and challenged and encouraged. We need one another! We draw strength from each other. It's quite possible to sit in a pew every Sunday or to hold some major church position and not really know or be known by, any other disciples who can refresh and inspire us and hold us accountable in our growth. Like Tertius, we must take the initiative to reach out and build networks of friends that can laugh with us and cry with us and pray with us and offer wise counsel when we need it. Lone-ranger Christians eventually crash and burn!
I like application #8, too. It also draws on the experience of this humble amanuensis in reminding us that not everything in the Christian life will be fun. There surely must have been some moments for this guy when the job of taking dictation got tedious. Certainly his fingers probably got tired and ached. It wasn't a glamorous, out-front, on-the-platform kind of Christian service. It definitely wasn't emotionally titillating, even though Paul's Spirit-inspired thoughts and words must have fed his soul. But Tertius was ministering. He was making a difference. He was pleasing the Lord. He was playing a part in God's great overarching plan to get the glorious message of the gospel out to the world. The task may have seemed at times to be dull and mechanical but the Lord would use his efforts.
Regrettably, the entertainment-saturated, success-oriented culture around us today has so crept into the Church that many believers have the idea that if something in the Christian life doesn't turn you on or pump you up it must not be of God. If the sermons don't excite you or the worship music doesn't thrill you the Lord must not be at work.If we go through some trial of illness or suffering we conclude that God doesn't care or if a church can't report big, glowing statistics it's labeled a failure. What happens is that we base our walk with God so often on our feelings and emotions, which are fickle and up-and-down. If we're not careful, the menial, routine chores(taking a turn in the nursery or mopping the fellowship hall floor or rehearsing for weeks on one choir piece or bagging groceries for the needy or diligently preparing a Sunday school lesson) begin to look like uninteresting and unimportant assignments that we'd rather avoid on our way to the next scintillating Christian concert or dynamic seminar. If we're not paying attention, we end up seeing our faith as a way to get our needs met and to feel good instead of as a channel for serving Christ and promoting His purposes. We have to understand that even though prayer and Bible study and sitting with a sick friend and working through a relational problem toward reconciliation or explaining the plan of salvation to a lost friend may not always give us a giddy high they are still beautiful, significant, soul-building acts that honor the Lord and bring glory to His name. Usually it's the slow, methodical, often grinding stuff in our Christian pilgrimage that stretches us and shapes us into godly character.
Make no mistake. Mostly unknown Tertius was rewarded for his work. That's insight #6. He had the great privilege of sitting with, and assisting the Apostle Paul. He had the joy of knowing his contribution to the crafting of this letter would have an impact. His name, because of the inserted greeting in verse 22, would forever be associated with this foremost piece of biblical writing. And in Heaven there would be trophies, too. You, as well, will be richly rewarded, both now and in eternity, for whatever you do to advance the cause of Jesus. In Matthew 10:42 you have our Lord's word on that!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Broad Shoulders
One of the most popular biblical texts at Christmas time is Isaiah 9:6-7.
From the Old Testament, these verses show up on seasonal greeting cards and in pastors' sermons and even provide a slice of Handel's Messiah. The words "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" offer tremendous hope and speak of God's greatest gift to the world, Jesus.
But another line in that passage is quite intriguing. It says "and the government shall be upon his shoulder". In these days of strong, populist anti-government sentiment, that phrase really grabs your attention. Politicians and legislators and leaders of all political parties as well as the executive branch are widely distrusted and seen as incapable of effecting wise, effective leadership right now. Confusion and division and inertia abounds. Polls suggest that very few people have confidence in what's coming out of Washington, and similar feelings seem to exist among citizens of other nations about their governing authorities. What does it mean, then, for the ancient prophet to predict that the government shall rest on the shoulders of Christ? What could that portend?
Obviously the main point here is the kingship of Jesus. All of scripture develops that idea. He is referred to as "king of kings and lord of lords" and the apostle Paul, in Philippians 2, affirms that everyone eventually will recognize Christ's authority and yield to it. All of the threads of biblical teaching appear to indicate that Jesus began to establish his kingdom when he came to earth centuries ago. At present he reigns, invisibly and often imperceptibly, through acts of divine providence and through the workings of the Holy Spirit in and on the hearts of people. Both Old and New Testaments, in various ways, promise that one day Christ will return to this world for a second time and his kingdom will ultimately triumph over the nations and be fully manifest to all. According to texts like Isaiah 9:7 and 11:1-10 his victorious, eternal reign will be marked by peace, justice, integrity, and prosperity. Evil and inequities and war and deception will all be banished. So will poverty and racism and crime.
It's pretty clear from scripture that even now Jesus is at work behind the scenes on the world stage impacting the affairs of nations, leading everything to a final conclusion. We may see only chaos or tangled lines but Christ is slowly and surely weaving out his design for restoration and healing for this bruised and battered planet. History will have an endpoint. Good will win. Imagine how different this world would be today if it looked to him in submission and obedience. The halls and chambers on Capitol Hill would have a refreshing new tone if Jesus was in charge. North Korea and Iran would no longer be worrisome. The pundits and media talking heads would have vastly new and positive topics to discuss.
Of course this business of the government being on his shoulder has a bearing on the Church, too, whether we're speaking of the worldwide fellowship of true believers or local assemblies. This insight reminds us that the Church belongs to him. Members don't own it, he does. Members can't really build it, only he can. Check Matthew 16:18 on that. We can't take credit for successes. That goes to him. Ephesians 3:20-21 is emphatic here. Surely this idea should warn us about trying to run the church. A man named Diotrephes in 3 John was strongly rebuked about that. Jesus is the head of the Church. Individual Christians should work hard in it, doing their very best to share the Gospel and develop new believers and reach out in all kinds of people-helping ministries, but when all is said and done, we must look to Christ for guidance and strength and leave the results in his hands.We ought not be endlessly pushing for new rules and policies that choke out the missional vitalty of the church and quench the Spirit's moving among us. We shouldn't plot and maneuver and scheme to attain power in our congregations but should have servant hearts under the leadership of Jesus. How many church fights and splits could be avoided if we remembered that? How much burnout among parishioners could be prevented if we realized that we're not responsible for the harvest, just the planting?
And certainly this conviction that the government shall be placed on Christ's shoulders has implications for our personal lives, too. So many of us are control freaks. We tend to be worry warts. We obsess over a lot of stuff. We have to learn sooner or later the value of letting go. You know what I'm talking about:our adult children sometimes make decisions we can't understand or friends may verbally wound us and not even seem to notice or the aging process slows us down and wears us out and holds us back or prolonged illness in the family robs our joy or some folks just don't like us regardless of how hard we try to please them or unresolved sibling rivalry rears its ugly head or lack of financial resources keeps us from doing some of the things we'd like to do. Sometimes we feel helpless. We want things to go our way, to be just right. That's an echo from Eden and a hint of Heaven but we're caught in the in-between and so we get anxious and uptight and often angry at the circumstances we face. In this present fallen world, there are some things we'll not be able to change.Many times we fret over things that end up not happening. We stress out over stuff that's none of our business or we get bogged down in other people's junk.
Like Peter in John 21:20-22 we need to be reminded not to get overly worked up over things we're concerned about needlessly. Like Paul in Philippians 4:12 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 we have to learn the secret of contentment and trust, regardless of our situation. Jesus talked in Matthew 6 about stopping foolish worry. The ancient sufferer got to the place in Job 13:15 where he could have confidence in God however dark his problems were.
Our Lord has strong, broad shoulders. He can handle our burdens and fears and doubts and longings. He is sovereign and is using the bits and pieces of our lives, both good and bad, to develop us and mold us.He knows what he's doing! Our part is to yield to him, opening up our clenched hands and releasing control to his authority.Our task is to learn what his commands are by studying the Bible, and then obeying. With that comes incredible peace. After all, it's not about our image but rather his image being formed in us. Turning over our messed up lives to him in a new birth is the beginning point of a journeythat will find us repeatedly surrendering matters to him and that winds up at that moment when we breathe our last and commit our spirit to him in death and enter into the eternal adventure awaiting us beyond.
The picture of a child being carried on the shoulders of his big, strong dad is apt here. Ah, the exhiliration, the freedom, the sense of relaxed abandon, and that awesome view!
From the Old Testament, these verses show up on seasonal greeting cards and in pastors' sermons and even provide a slice of Handel's Messiah. The words "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" offer tremendous hope and speak of God's greatest gift to the world, Jesus.
But another line in that passage is quite intriguing. It says "and the government shall be upon his shoulder". In these days of strong, populist anti-government sentiment, that phrase really grabs your attention. Politicians and legislators and leaders of all political parties as well as the executive branch are widely distrusted and seen as incapable of effecting wise, effective leadership right now. Confusion and division and inertia abounds. Polls suggest that very few people have confidence in what's coming out of Washington, and similar feelings seem to exist among citizens of other nations about their governing authorities. What does it mean, then, for the ancient prophet to predict that the government shall rest on the shoulders of Christ? What could that portend?
Obviously the main point here is the kingship of Jesus. All of scripture develops that idea. He is referred to as "king of kings and lord of lords" and the apostle Paul, in Philippians 2, affirms that everyone eventually will recognize Christ's authority and yield to it. All of the threads of biblical teaching appear to indicate that Jesus began to establish his kingdom when he came to earth centuries ago. At present he reigns, invisibly and often imperceptibly, through acts of divine providence and through the workings of the Holy Spirit in and on the hearts of people. Both Old and New Testaments, in various ways, promise that one day Christ will return to this world for a second time and his kingdom will ultimately triumph over the nations and be fully manifest to all. According to texts like Isaiah 9:7 and 11:1-10 his victorious, eternal reign will be marked by peace, justice, integrity, and prosperity. Evil and inequities and war and deception will all be banished. So will poverty and racism and crime.
It's pretty clear from scripture that even now Jesus is at work behind the scenes on the world stage impacting the affairs of nations, leading everything to a final conclusion. We may see only chaos or tangled lines but Christ is slowly and surely weaving out his design for restoration and healing for this bruised and battered planet. History will have an endpoint. Good will win. Imagine how different this world would be today if it looked to him in submission and obedience. The halls and chambers on Capitol Hill would have a refreshing new tone if Jesus was in charge. North Korea and Iran would no longer be worrisome. The pundits and media talking heads would have vastly new and positive topics to discuss.
Of course this business of the government being on his shoulder has a bearing on the Church, too, whether we're speaking of the worldwide fellowship of true believers or local assemblies. This insight reminds us that the Church belongs to him. Members don't own it, he does. Members can't really build it, only he can. Check Matthew 16:18 on that. We can't take credit for successes. That goes to him. Ephesians 3:20-21 is emphatic here. Surely this idea should warn us about trying to run the church. A man named Diotrephes in 3 John was strongly rebuked about that. Jesus is the head of the Church. Individual Christians should work hard in it, doing their very best to share the Gospel and develop new believers and reach out in all kinds of people-helping ministries, but when all is said and done, we must look to Christ for guidance and strength and leave the results in his hands.We ought not be endlessly pushing for new rules and policies that choke out the missional vitalty of the church and quench the Spirit's moving among us. We shouldn't plot and maneuver and scheme to attain power in our congregations but should have servant hearts under the leadership of Jesus. How many church fights and splits could be avoided if we remembered that? How much burnout among parishioners could be prevented if we realized that we're not responsible for the harvest, just the planting?
And certainly this conviction that the government shall be placed on Christ's shoulders has implications for our personal lives, too. So many of us are control freaks. We tend to be worry warts. We obsess over a lot of stuff. We have to learn sooner or later the value of letting go. You know what I'm talking about:our adult children sometimes make decisions we can't understand or friends may verbally wound us and not even seem to notice or the aging process slows us down and wears us out and holds us back or prolonged illness in the family robs our joy or some folks just don't like us regardless of how hard we try to please them or unresolved sibling rivalry rears its ugly head or lack of financial resources keeps us from doing some of the things we'd like to do. Sometimes we feel helpless. We want things to go our way, to be just right. That's an echo from Eden and a hint of Heaven but we're caught in the in-between and so we get anxious and uptight and often angry at the circumstances we face. In this present fallen world, there are some things we'll not be able to change.Many times we fret over things that end up not happening. We stress out over stuff that's none of our business or we get bogged down in other people's junk.
Like Peter in John 21:20-22 we need to be reminded not to get overly worked up over things we're concerned about needlessly. Like Paul in Philippians 4:12 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 we have to learn the secret of contentment and trust, regardless of our situation. Jesus talked in Matthew 6 about stopping foolish worry. The ancient sufferer got to the place in Job 13:15 where he could have confidence in God however dark his problems were.
Our Lord has strong, broad shoulders. He can handle our burdens and fears and doubts and longings. He is sovereign and is using the bits and pieces of our lives, both good and bad, to develop us and mold us.He knows what he's doing! Our part is to yield to him, opening up our clenched hands and releasing control to his authority.Our task is to learn what his commands are by studying the Bible, and then obeying. With that comes incredible peace. After all, it's not about our image but rather his image being formed in us. Turning over our messed up lives to him in a new birth is the beginning point of a journeythat will find us repeatedly surrendering matters to him and that winds up at that moment when we breathe our last and commit our spirit to him in death and enter into the eternal adventure awaiting us beyond.
The picture of a child being carried on the shoulders of his big, strong dad is apt here. Ah, the exhiliration, the freedom, the sense of relaxed abandon, and that awesome view!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Miscellany
SEPTIC TANK THEOLOGY. In our current Sunday morning sermon series on popular cliches, sayings, and expressions in everyday conversation evaluated in the light of scripture, we recently considered the oft-used phrase, "misery loves company".
That line can be taken 2 different ways. It may mean that sometimes hurting people want others around them to listen to them and comfort them. Or it might be suggesting that bitter, miserable folks often want to spread their toxic attitudes to others so they won't be all alone.
How does this saying look from the perspective of God's Word? Perhaps we should examine it from some varying biblical angles.
It is safe to say that cranky, negative, unhappy individuals do sometimes seek out others to align with them in their misery. A swamp, a cesspool of emotional and relational poison is then formed. Through gossip and complaining, resentful and frustrated persons build a coalition of folks who then stew in their juices and spew out their venom. The ancient wisdom teacher warns us frequently not to be drawn into these webs that can turn us into angry, whiny people. Check out Proverbs 13:20, 16:27-29, 21:19, 22:10, 24-25, 26:20-22, and 29:22. Read Hebrews 12:15, too. Two Old Testament characters, Korah in Numbers 16 and Absalom in 2 Samuel 15, stand out as spiteful, critical persons who tried to get others to link up with them in their meanness.
We do have a biblical mandate to go to and try to help hurting people, though. Texts like Romans 12:8, 15-16, and James 1:27, and 2 Timothy 1:16-18 all stress that. So does Galatians 6:1. But we better make sure we're strong in the faith when we attempt to minister to those who are bogged down in sin or grief or anger or guilt. We need to be constantly getting spiritually re-charged by prayer, time in the Word, and fellowship with positive, emotionally healthy individuals or we'll be vulnerable to getting sucked into the pain of those we're attempting to rescue.
I suppose that Hell will be the ultimate and eternal misery. Sinners who die without Christ have that as their unending destiny. My impression, though, is that even with that horrible place being heavily populated, there probably won't be any companionship there. That's the sense I get from reading Luke 16:19-31. Hell will be a destination of utter loneliness.
It needs to be said that all of us are miserable spiritually until changed by Jesus. Jeremiah 17:9 and 31:33 and Romans 3:23 and Mark 2:16-17 and Matthew 11:28-29 and John 10:10 make that point powerfully. How blessed we are that Christ came to us and beside us in our weakness and hopelessness and began to transform us! In the 4 Gospels, Jesus spent a lot of time in the company of miserable people and when they were willing to be changed(John 5:6) He lifted them.
NEW BOOK. Kerry and Chris Shook have written Love At Last Sight(Waterbrook Press, 2010). It is a helpful, practical, 30-day guide to growing and deepening relationships, whether marital or with friends. It's simple and straightforward but very insightful. The discussion on pages 151-152 of how certain types of aquatic life illustrate how different people deal with their anger is worth the price of the book. Puffer fish, hermit crabs, angelfish, electric eels, sharks, and piranha all picture the wrong approaches to expressing angry feelings. There are lots of constructive tools here for building stronger ties with those we love.
YOGA. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Al Mohler stirred up a hornet's nest with his recent blog post(reprinted in our worship guide the other week) criticizing the practice of yoga by Christians. He's gotten a lot of response, much of it negative. Maybe what he wrote will drive folks to the Word to see if what he said is right(Acts 17:11) or just personal opinion.
That line can be taken 2 different ways. It may mean that sometimes hurting people want others around them to listen to them and comfort them. Or it might be suggesting that bitter, miserable folks often want to spread their toxic attitudes to others so they won't be all alone.
How does this saying look from the perspective of God's Word? Perhaps we should examine it from some varying biblical angles.
It is safe to say that cranky, negative, unhappy individuals do sometimes seek out others to align with them in their misery. A swamp, a cesspool of emotional and relational poison is then formed. Through gossip and complaining, resentful and frustrated persons build a coalition of folks who then stew in their juices and spew out their venom. The ancient wisdom teacher warns us frequently not to be drawn into these webs that can turn us into angry, whiny people. Check out Proverbs 13:20, 16:27-29, 21:19, 22:10, 24-25, 26:20-22, and 29:22. Read Hebrews 12:15, too. Two Old Testament characters, Korah in Numbers 16 and Absalom in 2 Samuel 15, stand out as spiteful, critical persons who tried to get others to link up with them in their meanness.
We do have a biblical mandate to go to and try to help hurting people, though. Texts like Romans 12:8, 15-16, and James 1:27, and 2 Timothy 1:16-18 all stress that. So does Galatians 6:1. But we better make sure we're strong in the faith when we attempt to minister to those who are bogged down in sin or grief or anger or guilt. We need to be constantly getting spiritually re-charged by prayer, time in the Word, and fellowship with positive, emotionally healthy individuals or we'll be vulnerable to getting sucked into the pain of those we're attempting to rescue.
I suppose that Hell will be the ultimate and eternal misery. Sinners who die without Christ have that as their unending destiny. My impression, though, is that even with that horrible place being heavily populated, there probably won't be any companionship there. That's the sense I get from reading Luke 16:19-31. Hell will be a destination of utter loneliness.
It needs to be said that all of us are miserable spiritually until changed by Jesus. Jeremiah 17:9 and 31:33 and Romans 3:23 and Mark 2:16-17 and Matthew 11:28-29 and John 10:10 make that point powerfully. How blessed we are that Christ came to us and beside us in our weakness and hopelessness and began to transform us! In the 4 Gospels, Jesus spent a lot of time in the company of miserable people and when they were willing to be changed(John 5:6) He lifted them.
NEW BOOK. Kerry and Chris Shook have written Love At Last Sight(Waterbrook Press, 2010). It is a helpful, practical, 30-day guide to growing and deepening relationships, whether marital or with friends. It's simple and straightforward but very insightful. The discussion on pages 151-152 of how certain types of aquatic life illustrate how different people deal with their anger is worth the price of the book. Puffer fish, hermit crabs, angelfish, electric eels, sharks, and piranha all picture the wrong approaches to expressing angry feelings. There are lots of constructive tools here for building stronger ties with those we love.
YOGA. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Al Mohler stirred up a hornet's nest with his recent blog post(reprinted in our worship guide the other week) criticizing the practice of yoga by Christians. He's gotten a lot of response, much of it negative. Maybe what he wrote will drive folks to the Word to see if what he said is right(Acts 17:11) or just personal opinion.
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