The Love of God through Preaching – Romans 10
Gospel in a Sentence: Jesus the Christ was sent to the earth to die, paying the penalty of sin in our place and taking our judgment upon himself; and he rose from the dead, bringing us back to life and giving us new and perfected righteous lives in Himself, who is now the Lord of our lives.
Big Picture: Israel has missed the saving righteousness of God because they’ve rejected Christ.
Goal: That we celebrate the proclamation of the message of the Gospel.
Key Ideas
1) Being passionate doesn’t justify someone; the righteousness of Christ received by faith does.
2) The point of the Law is justification by Christ’s work through the Gospel.
3) Preaching is a gift of God so that we can hear the Gospel and be saved.
4) Israel, by in large, has rejected Christ.
Key Terms
Heart – The seat of the whole self, including mind, emotions, and will. It should not be understood as the seat of the emotions or in any way a reference to emotions. A word that could be substituted for it in your thinking could be ‘soul.’ Also, band made famous by the amazing and infectious song, ‘Barracuda.’
To Save – To rescue from danger, in this case, from death and hell. It’s worth remembering here that the whole discussion in Romans is based on the belief in a future judgment day, which is part of the Gospel message (Romans 2:8-9, 16).
Word – Message. The word ‘word’ usually does not mean an individual word, but a whole message comprised of many words. Also, a colloquialism used in response to indicate agreement or affirmation.
Moses – The person God chose as a mediator for the whole nation of Israel, by whom he gave the Law. Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 18:15-19, God had Moses tell the people that in the future, God would raise up another prophet like Moses, who would directly mediate between God and Israel. That’s Jesus.
Isaiah – Old Testament prophet who made God’s word known when the Kingdom of Israel was about to end. Israel, a nation set apart by God for his glory, had been entrenched in idolatry, and Isaiah prophesied about the fall of the Kingdom of Israel to worldly powers and Israel’s being exiled – scattered in captivity among Gentile nations. However, he also prophesied about Israel’s return from exile and the coming restoration of the whole world.
Key Observations
10:1-2 Paul tells his fellow-Christians that he wants and prays that Israel would be saved. He yearns for their salvation, in part, because they do have a passion for God. However, this passion is an ignorant passion. They don’t know the truth.
3 Here, Paul explains how Israel’s ignorance was demonstrated; hence, the ‘for.’ Israel was ‘ignorant’ of the righteousness from God; that is, they were ignorant of justification by a righteousness which was outside of them credited to them through faith. They did not submit to the message about God’s righteousness.
4 This verse explains Israel’s failure to submit to God’s righteousness. (Again, hence, the ‘for.’) Why did Israel miss God’s righteousness? Because they missed Christ. The whole point of the Law (the end, or goal, of the law) is Jesus himself. With Jesus, one gets righteousness, and thus, justification. This is given to every believer in him – not just Jews.
5 ‘For’ indicates that Paul is giving an explanation for the Jews’ missing of Jesus, and therefore their missing of the righteousness of God. That is, they attempted to attain a righteous status by doing what the commandments require, which we know is impossible. Verse 5 cites Leviticus 18:5.
6-8 These verses are continuing explanation of the Jews’ missing of Jesus. They start off by saying what the message of righteousness through faith does not say, then, they instruct us as to what the message of righteousness through faith does say.
First, we are taught that we need not perform impossible tasks to bring Christ near to us. He has already been incarnated and has risen from the dead.
Second, we are taught that the saving message of the Gospel is something that has drawn near to us. It has been made available to be trusted – and thus, the righteousness of God has been offered to humanity.
Thus, Israel missed Jesus not because they weren’t offered his righteousness – but because of a failure to trust in him.
How Paul Quotes the Old Testament in Romans 10
Some of the more astute students in your study may see the footnotes in their Bibles and decide to look up the passages in the Old Testament that these quotations are from.
While this is certainly a good thing, there is a good possibility that they might end up extremely confused, and might even think that Paul is misusing the Old Testament.
The key to understanding the way that Paul is quoting the Old Testament is to understand verse 4 – ‘Christ is the goal of the law for righteousness.’ The point of the Law is Jesus, not doing enough good to get to heaven. When the New Testament authors cite the Old Testament, they do it in light of the fact that Christ has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.
The first quotation in this section is from Deuteronomy 9:4. Here, Israel is warned that they are not being given the Promised Land because of their righteousness. God reminds them of their unrighteousness. Now, the ‘Promised Land’ was a sign of what was to be granted in the future – a New Creation (Romans 4:13, Hebrews 11:9, 10, 13-16). By citing Deuteronomy 9:4, Paul is drawing our attention to the fact that we do not inherit the New Creation by our righteousness – but by Christ’s.
The second quotation in this section is from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Here’s the problem: in the context of the passage, these truths aren’t about Jesus – they’re about the Law. The basic message is that the message of the Law has been given to Israel and is understandable. They can’t say they didn’t know what the Law required.
So is Paul just misusing the Old Testament to try to make a point about Jesus? No. Remember, he’s just said that Christ is the goal of the Law. He’s the point of the Law and the fulfillment of the Law. The Law is a signpost that points forward to Christ.
So, just as the Law was given in a way that resulted in its accessibility, by the grace of God, so now the fulfillment of the Law, the Gospel, has been given in a way, by the grace of God, that makes it accessible.
Another way of thinking about it is that the message of God began to be given in such a way that made it understandable, and the completion of its being given has been in the same way.
But not only is the fulfillment of God’s message, the Gospel, understandable – it also results in change of the actual heart and mouth. That word becomes part of a person through faith – part of their heart and speech. And it saves them. (See vv. 9, 10.)
This makes total sense in the context of Deuteronomy 30. In this chapter, God promised a future in which he would circumcise the hearts of his people and cause them to turn to himself. And this is exactly what he has done in the Gospel – he has changed hearts and turned people towards himself, and has given them a righteousness that is not theirs, but is Christ’s own righteousness. Therefore, we will be saved.
So, this message of righteousness through faith does not tell us to do impossible tasks – but rather, it instructs us to receive the Gospel of Christ which transforms and saves us.
9-10 Why can we say that the Gospel is near to us – in our mouths and hearts? Because when that word becomes a part of us, we get the promise of salvation. Verse 10 is further explanation (‘for’) of the content of the message of righteousness based on faith. We trust Christ and are given righteousness, confessing him and getting salvation. We should not understand ‘confession’ here as any sort of added condition for salvation, but rather, the natural evidence of a message becoming a part of a person. You take it in and trust it, and you also speak it. The Gospel becomes part of our speech. It is, after all, a message.
11 This verse is a defense of the fact that salvation is received by faith alone. It cites Isaiah 28:16. The shocking thing in this verse is that every believer gets eternal life. In other words, it is not just for ethnic Israelites.
12 This verse is a defense of the idea that everyone who believes in Jesus, regardless of Jewish background, will be saved. That’s why it begins with ‘for.’ The Lord is God, and treats all according to the same Gospel.
13 ‘For’ indicates that this is further defense of the idea that salvation is without reference to ethnicity. It quotes Joel 2:32.
14-15 Paul has just finished arguing that the message of the Gospel has been brought near to be believed – and that Israel’s problem was a rejection of that Gospel. Here, he asks a string of rhetorical questions about the nature of salvation, given that the Gospel must be believed for it. Ultimately, for belief and salvation to happen, a preacher must be sent. The citation of Isaiah 52:7 tells us two things – 1, it tells us that preachers are necessary for the spread of good news. 2, it tells us that preachers have come with the Good News.
16 Even though preachers have been sent out, not everyone has obeyed what the Gospel demands – belief. Isaiah 53:1 is enlisted to support Paul’s point – the Gospel has been rejected. In context, here, ultimately the nation of Israel is responsible for its condemnation. They have rejected the Gospel.
17 ‘Therefore’ or ‘so’ at the beginning of this verse indicates that Paul is giving us a conclusion – and also a transition back onto the topic in general. Faith comes by hearing the Gospel.
18 One might ask then if people, particularly the Jews, have heard the Gospel. People have. Not all are saved because not all believed.
Psalm 19:4 in Romans 10:18
One would like for people to read this verse and simply just think, “Yes, preachers have gone out and people who have rejected Christ are responsible for their condemnation,” since that’s the point of the verse.
However, if someone from your Bible study looks up the quote from Scripture, there will probably be mass confusion. Here’s why. Psalm 19:4 is about nature, not about the Gospel. It says that nature declares God’s glory.
Some have concluded, then, that one can know the Gospel through nature and be saved without the preaching of missionaries. This is contextually problematic, given vv. 14-15. It’s also contextually problematic given 1:18-21, in which all nature can do by demonstrating God’s glory is to condemn us.
So how does this quotation work? If we look back at Psalm 19 we see that it compares the glory of God in nature with the glory of God in the Law. The basic premise is that God’s glory is widespread in creation and yet made special and more glorious through the Law.
We must remember then, that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. The Law reveals God’s glory even more than creation itself does. So, just as God has caused himself to be glorified in creation, so now, he causes himself to be even more glorified through his word spread to the world through preaching. In other words, Christ is the fulfillment of God’s self-revelation to mankind which began through nature. This self-revelation is being proclaimed to all the world just as it began to be with nature’s splendor.
A simpler explanation is this: Paul is not appealing to this verse to prove that the word of Christ has gone out to the ends of the world. Don’t get caught up on the word ‘world,’ here! Paul is appealing to Psalm 19:4 to demonstrate that it is in God’s character to disclose himself to the world for the sake of his glory. Therefore, God has ordained that preachers be sent out with the word of Christ.
What’s the point of the citation of Psalm 19:4? Everyone is held accountable to believing the Gospel if they’ve heard it. Everyone who has rejected it is guilty for doing so. Paul is particularly applying this truth to the Israelites.
19-20 Paul here narrows his focus on just Israel. Did they merely hear without comprehension of the message? No. Paul appeals to Moses (Deut 32:21) and Isaiah (Isaiah 65:1) to demonstrate his point. In both of these texts, God is honored as gracious in initiating relationship with Israel. Yet, Israel rejects God, and so God lets them go into sin while drawing those who did not seek him, (in this case, Gentiles) to himself.
21 Paul’s final response to the question about whether or not Israel could comprehend the Gospel is from Isaiah 65:2. Indeed, God has opened wide the offer of salvation to Israel; yet, they have continued to reject him.
Sample Discussion Guide:
-Last time we looked at the fact that God’s word doesn’t fail – he does exactly what he desires to do for his glory. That includes electing people to salvation based on his desires, and hardening whom he desires.
-Then we looked at the outcome of God’s election – those he elected believed and got God’s righteousness. Those whom God did not choose did not come to Christ and so stand condemned. Today we’re going to look more at human responsibility in responding to the Gospel message.
-What do you think are different reasons that people reject the Gospel?
-Why do you think so often that Christians, even, do not respond positively to the Gospel being preached to them?
-Would you say that your church does a good job of making sure that the Gospel is the point of every sermon? Why/Why not?
-Our goal tonight is to delight in the widespread glory of God through the Gospel’s being preached (Pray)
-Have someone read vv. 1-4.
-Part of the reason Paul yearned and prayed so much for his fellow-Jews is because they had a zeal for God, but apart from knowledge. What do you think that might look like in the world today? Do you think it’s possible to be a “Christian” in name and have a zeal for God without knowledge? Why or why not?
-Paul says that the Jews sought to establish their own righteousness. What are some ways that modern Americans seek to establish their own righteousness? (Why do we think we’re good?) What behaviors do you take pride in?
-God tells us that seeking to establish one’s own righteousness is dangerous, even damning, because it prevents people from receiving God’s righteousness. He explains how Israel missed out on God’s righteousness in verse 4. Take a minute and write down your paraphrase of v. 4. After a minute or two, have people share their paraphrases.
-Vv. 5-13 develop the idea that the righteousness of faith comes through the preached message of the Gospel. This is in contrast with trying to become righteous by trying to keep the Law, as ancient Israel did. Have someone read vv. 5-13.
-Paul mentions here that the idea of going to heaven or to the grave to somehow attain salvation is ridiculous. What are some of the things that people do today to try to give themselves assurance of a good afterlife?
-What are some things other religions require for salvation? How does that make you feel about the fact that Christ has accomplished salvation, and that it’s simply received by faith?
-Have someone read vv. 14-17.
-We saw in the previous section that faith in the message is necessary for salvation. This section brings out the need for a preacher and hearing.
-Who first clearly explained the Gospel to you? How did he/she do it?
-Are there people in your life that you don’t think have heard the Gospel clearly? Who? What are some practical ways we can respond to that reality?
-Out of about 16,000 ethnic groups in the world, over 6,000 have no church in their own languages. What does this passage say about people that have not heard the Gospel?
-What are some different things we can do about that?
-Have you considered spending time overseas to take the Gospel to people who have no access to it – for a month, a year, or even a lifetime? What are some obstacles to you doing so? (Some people are inevitably going to respond to this question in the language of ‘feeling called’ or ‘feeling led.’ This will be a great opportunity to ask what they mean by those phrases, since they’re unbiblical phrases that often express very unbiblical concepts.)
-Have someone read vv. 18-21.
-Here Paul shows us that God has been gracious in giving the Gospel to Israel, even though Israel has, by in large, rejected it.
-What are some words or phrases that stand out with respect to God’s treatment of Israel?
-Where are we talked about in this section?
-How does this reveal God’s grace?
-Given what this passage says about the Gospel, ignorance, preaching, and human responsibility, how do you think we should pray for ourselves? Our friends? Butler University? The world?
-Spend time in prayer for those spheres.
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Holy Spirit - Witness to Christ - Talk at Butler Cru, 11/11/2011
I’m Derek, and I’m on staff with Cru here. Before we look at God’s word, let’s ask him to empower us to hear, understand, and apply it.
Father, we can only approach you because you poured the condemnation we deserve upon your Son Jesus. And so it is based on his representation before you that we ask you for your mercy. Open our ears to hear of your greatness from your word. Cause us to become people of prayer and people of proclamation. Amen.
We’ve been in a series called ‘Witness.’ A witness is someone who has observed something and then reports it. A Christian witness, therefore, is someone who has come to know Jesus Christ personally, and who proclaims who he is and what he is done to others.
We’ve already seen that all Christians are called to be proclaimers of the excellencies of Jesus Christ and his death. Tonight, we’re going to look at Witness and the Holy Spirit.
But before we begin to unpack that, I want to tell you explicitly what I desire and have been praying for.
Goal: That we would together regularly pray for God to glorify Christ in and through us. (x2)
Some of you will instantly respond negatively to this, because you don’t want to get together to pray. Frankly, that’s unacceptable. God instructs Timothy, a Pastor, with these words, “First of all the, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all types of people… I desire then that in every place the men should pray…” (1 Timothy 2:1, 8).
So the command exists, but let me tell you the good news. Even if this seems like a ‘tall order’ to you, the power to do so exists. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in, and that is the point of tonight’s talk.
Point: The Holy Spirit’s primary role on earth is to bear witness to Jesus Christ. (x2)
Jesus said this before he was murdered and raised to life: “When the Helper comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, he will bear witness about ME.” (John 15:26)
Therefore, because he is doing so, we will regularly gather to pray that he would glorify Christ in and through us.
I realize this might raise some questions. So tonight, I’ll be seeking to answer the following questions:
1) Who’s the Holy Spirit?
2) Why should we care?
3) What’s the Holy Spirit do?
4) What should we do?
First, let’s address the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?”
The reason we have to ask that question is because our culture is full of misinformation about who the Holy Spirit is.
If you’ve seen “The Italian Job,” you’ve seen the part where Seth Greene’s character is in a train station, calculating the total number of what they’ve stolen. He stands up and yells, “YEAH!!!” And then after everyone’s staring at him, he explains, “Got the… Holy Spirit… you should get on it… it’s a good train.”
Unfortunately, that reflects the way that the Holy Spirit has been portrayed. Like a force. An irrational emotion. A substance that preachers on TV with their own private jets can manipulate, and pass on to people by smacking them in the head so that they fall down writhe as if they had epilepsy.
He’s been portrayed as a Genie God, who if you just get riled up enough in your emotions, will grant you a healthy, wealthy, easy, American-dream filled, idolatrous, world-exalting, God-diminishing, best life now.
And at the very least, he wants you to talk in gibberish on TV while wearing enough make-up to make The Joker from Batman look like he’s underdone it.
But who is he really? The Holy Spirit is God himself. God’s word says, “…no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Holy Spirit knows. And he knows all God’s infinite and holy thoughts. He is God!
He is our Creator; Job 33:4 says, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life!”
And he does whatever he pleases. Jesus taught, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”(John 3:8).
It is he who gave mankind the words of the Bible. Paul, talking about his own writing and the writers who wrote Scripture, says, “We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
And it is he who raised Jesus from death to be the ruler of all creation: “He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit” (1 Timothy 3:16).
So who is the Holy Spirit? He is God himself. He does as he pleases!
Second question: why should we care?
Because some of us here tonight are more anxious about exams and papers than we mourn the presence of sin – “Blessed are those who mourn” – Matthew 5:4.
Because some of us are more excited to give someone our opinions about athletes or politics than you are to proclaim Christ – “...that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:47).
Because some of us are more concerned with getting a special ‘spiritual feeling’ by singing the right kinds of songs than we are with the words that the Holy Spirit has authored.
Because some of us, if we even do pray, pray that God would just remove our pains. We pray for things like Aunt Millie’s cat who may have asthma. And we do not pray for the glory of God through the advance of the Gospel.
Because some of us, walking to the cafeteria, are more concerned with what might be for dinner than the fact that nineteen out of twenty people we might pass on the way to the cafeteria are under God’s righteous judgment. “…whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”(John 3:36).
Because some of us are more concerned with what the people in this room will think of us after the meeting’s over than the fact that thousands of people within a few square miles of this building are ignoring the God who created them, by whose will they even continue to exist. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
Because some of us, who grew up in church and know we should do ‘Christian’ things, as I give you this list – don’t care, have no appetite for the word of God, have no true love for him, and are bored by God’s word. Your life looks no different from anyone else’s, and there is no evidence of heartfelt obedience to Christ in you – just apathy.
I say these things with fear and trembling. And I do not bring them up to make you feel bad, but to show that you and I have a radical, deep, moment-by-moment need for God himself to transform us. And that’s why we should care about the Holy Spirit.
That brings us to our third question:
What’s the Holy Spirit do?
We already saw John 15:26. “When the Helper comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about ME.”
I’ve spent the last few days studying all of the explicit mentions of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. And a lot of times, when we think about the Spirit, we think about tongues or miracles or healings. And he did things like that on special occasions.
But primarily, we see him doing one thing – causing people to proclaim God’s word.
Here are a couple examples:
“Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord…?’” (2 Chronicles 24:20)
“’My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,’ says the LORD…” (Isaiah 59:21).
And the New Testament says this about the Old Testament Scriptures that were written before Jesus – that the authors were “inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Peter 1:11).
So the Holy Spirit has always been doing one main thing since he created the world – bearing witness about Jesus.
This is good news for two reasons.
First, we need the Holy Spirit to show us Jesus personally. Jesus has died and risen from the dead and complete pardon from God is granted on that basis to all who submit to him. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings us to Christ for salvation.
And not only at that point of salvation, but he continues to reveal the glories of Jesus to us. Paul prayed that God “may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts…” (Ephesians 3:16-17).
So the Holy Spirit communicates Christ to us, and we need that since we would never see his glory on our own.
But there’s a second reason that the Holy Spirit’s witness to Jesus is good news. He not only shows Jesus to us – but he shows Jesus through us – by making us witnesses for him.
Jesus told his disciples, before he ascended into heaven, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
And when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live with all his people, the first thing that he did was to cause them to tell ‘of the mighty works of God’ (Acts 2:11), so that thousands of people from all over the Roman empire would understand and here, and so that over 5,000 in one day would trust Christ Jesus.
So that’s the good news! The Holy Spirit communicates Jesus to us – he shows us Jesus so that we can know him. AND – he bears witness through us so that we bear witness for Jesus.
So – last question – what do we do?
You might say – okay, great that he bears witness to Jesus. But I still feel like I’m not ‘seeing’ it.
We’ve all been there. But that doesn’t mean that you should stay there.
You need to do three things
1) Repent. You need to decide that you are going to passionately follow Jesus.
2) Remember. Look at the Spirit’s word, and what Jesus accomplished.
3) Request. Ask God to help.
There’s an amazing example of this pattern in Acts chapter 4. Peter and John had just been arrested for publicly proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. They’d been threatened not to. And then they go back to their friends and tell the story.
“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ’ – for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you appointed as the Christ, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
See what they’re doing there? They’re remembering the truth. Jesus is the Christ! The Son of God! And God is in control. They’re having a Bible study. And then look at what they do next
“’ And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness’”
See what they’re doing? They’re making a request from God. Asking him to transform them. And let’s see what God does:
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:24-29, 31).
So God shows up. The Holy Spirit gives them boldness and they go out proclaiming Christ. I don’t know about you, but that is exciting to me. And that’s what we’re called to do.
One more example. You’ve heard the Lord’s prayer. Jesus gave it to us as a pattern of how we’re to pray.
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” (Matthew 5:9, 10)
‘Our Father.’ That implies we’re praying together as a group. It also assumes a relationship with God through Jesus.
‘in Heaven’ – though he loves us and we know him; he’s GOD in heaven – and we are his creatures.
‘Hallowed be your name’ – That means ‘glorify your name!’ And we’ve seen how God does that – by his Holy Spirit bearing witness to CHRIST in and through us.
‘Your kingdom come…’ - in other words, cause me to do your will. Cause others to do your will. RULE over us! And how does God do that? By the Holy Spirit bearing witness to Christ.
So what shall we say?
The Holy Spirit is God himself. He glorifies Jesus Christ the Son. He does that towards us – so let’s dig into his word. And he does that through us – and so we need to come together to ask God to make us bold to proclaim his word.
I believe that God deserves the glory of Christ being proclaimed. And I believe we will only do that if we begin by coming together to ask him to change us and to change our world. And if we do, the Holy Spirit will act.
Pray with me right now…
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Is Christianity Practical? 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2; 6:17-19
It's very common to have a set of beliefs or doctrines challenged by a questioning of its practicality. Does it actually change your life? Does it affect how you live? Does this worldview actually show up in the way you live your life?
The reason for that challenge is simply that, many times, a person's lifestyle is clearly inconsistent with his stated beliefs. We've all seen the pastors who've fallen because of sexual scandal, and we've all heard the stories of religious 'hypocrites.'
Part of that judgment against Christianity in particular can be unfair - because Christians claim to be guilty of sin!
Part of that judgment against Christianity in particular, however, is fair. The reality is that cultural Christianity doesn't change lives. Growing up in church doesn't change one's life. Claiming to be 'Christian' doesn't change your life. Saying a certain set of words in agreement with truth the Bible might teach doesn't change your life.
The good news is that Christ, on the other hand, does.
In chapter 4 of 1 Timothy, Paul gives Timothy instructions about preaching the word of God. He says to the young pastor, "Command and teach these things" (v. 11) and "...train yourself for godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come"(vv. 7, 8).
Then, beginning in chapter 5, Paul begins to give Timothy specific ways to instruct different types of people in the congregation - older men, younger men, older women, younger women, widows, slaves, and the wealthy.
Before delving into the specific sections, I think it's helpful to think through a few general themes that this section brings up.
1) People are different. Not to state the obvious, but they are. They have different needs. They have different lives. They have different perceptions of reality. They will need to obey commands differently depending on their situations in life. They're going to be tempted by different things.
Pastors thus need to be mindful of who they're addressing. They need to think through the person's particular needs, desires, sins, and situations.
And so do the rest of us, as we engage them in holy conversation.
2) Yet, people's different situations and different lives are to be addressed by the same Gospel! How a pastor applies the realities of the Gospel may change - but the Gospel does not. "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching"(4:16). "If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed"(4:6).
Thus, pastors, and the rest of us, must address each other's life situations with the Gospel itself. We'll see specific ways Paul does this in this section.
The Gospel is good news of eternal life freely given because of Jesus Christ. People's situations are not addressed with naked command - but with good news that salvation has been given to them.
3) These commands are unified on another repeated theme - the end, or goal, that the Gospel be seen by those in the church, as well as outsiders, as a good thing. In other words, the lives of Christians should make the Gospel look good. Or to put it in a negative way, the lives of Christians should not make the Gospel look bad.
The heart is that the Gospel be lifted up - that Christ be lifted up and shown to be glorious and worthy of our allegiance.
Paul's reason for writing Timothy is that "you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God - a pillar and buttress of truth."
The Church exists to hold high the Gospel! And Paul then gives the confession of the Church - the good news that is held up for all -
"Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory!" (3:15-16)
So what are some practical implications of these things?
1) We must consider people as individuals. We must listen. We must get to know their specific situations. Loving them implies this. Loving them implies that we take the time to understand what's going on - that we don't assume we know exactly what they should do. We must take the time and effort to consider them.
To do less is unloving and lazy.
2) We must address people with the Gospel. We must desire their good - we must want them to know Christ more than all things! We must realize that only he is the Savior - that we are not. We must recognize that behavior modification is not good news.
We must genuinely love them and give them the Savior. Not use them and seek to save them ourselves.
3) We must ultimately give commands so that the name of Christ will be honored. It's really easy to be pharisees and just love 'righteousness' - without really wanting to please Christ personally. It's really easy to try to fix behaviors that we just don't like - that make us upset - rather than seeking to genuinely glorify Christ.
Holy Father, I confess that I'm a sinner. It is often not my aim to please you. It isn't my aim to honor Jesus Christ. I do not love my neighbor well. I do not consider them; and so often, I do not give them Jesus!
O God, I'm sorry.
I thank you that Jesus' resurrection is my vindication because of your giving it to me. I thank you that you love us so much. That you lift up the Gospel and save us. That you love us individually in Christ.
God, glorify Christ in me and among us so that we love each other, point each other to the cross of Christ, and honor you.
Because Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead I ask - amen.
The reason for that challenge is simply that, many times, a person's lifestyle is clearly inconsistent with his stated beliefs. We've all seen the pastors who've fallen because of sexual scandal, and we've all heard the stories of religious 'hypocrites.'
Part of that judgment against Christianity in particular can be unfair - because Christians claim to be guilty of sin!
Part of that judgment against Christianity in particular, however, is fair. The reality is that cultural Christianity doesn't change lives. Growing up in church doesn't change one's life. Claiming to be 'Christian' doesn't change your life. Saying a certain set of words in agreement with truth the Bible might teach doesn't change your life.
The good news is that Christ, on the other hand, does.
In chapter 4 of 1 Timothy, Paul gives Timothy instructions about preaching the word of God. He says to the young pastor, "Command and teach these things" (v. 11) and "...train yourself for godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come"(vv. 7, 8).
Then, beginning in chapter 5, Paul begins to give Timothy specific ways to instruct different types of people in the congregation - older men, younger men, older women, younger women, widows, slaves, and the wealthy.
Before delving into the specific sections, I think it's helpful to think through a few general themes that this section brings up.
1) People are different. Not to state the obvious, but they are. They have different needs. They have different lives. They have different perceptions of reality. They will need to obey commands differently depending on their situations in life. They're going to be tempted by different things.
Pastors thus need to be mindful of who they're addressing. They need to think through the person's particular needs, desires, sins, and situations.
And so do the rest of us, as we engage them in holy conversation.
2) Yet, people's different situations and different lives are to be addressed by the same Gospel! How a pastor applies the realities of the Gospel may change - but the Gospel does not. "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching"(4:16). "If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed"(4:6).
Thus, pastors, and the rest of us, must address each other's life situations with the Gospel itself. We'll see specific ways Paul does this in this section.
The Gospel is good news of eternal life freely given because of Jesus Christ. People's situations are not addressed with naked command - but with good news that salvation has been given to them.
3) These commands are unified on another repeated theme - the end, or goal, that the Gospel be seen by those in the church, as well as outsiders, as a good thing. In other words, the lives of Christians should make the Gospel look good. Or to put it in a negative way, the lives of Christians should not make the Gospel look bad.
The heart is that the Gospel be lifted up - that Christ be lifted up and shown to be glorious and worthy of our allegiance.
Paul's reason for writing Timothy is that "you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God - a pillar and buttress of truth."
The Church exists to hold high the Gospel! And Paul then gives the confession of the Church - the good news that is held up for all -
"Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory!" (3:15-16)
So what are some practical implications of these things?
1) We must consider people as individuals. We must listen. We must get to know their specific situations. Loving them implies this. Loving them implies that we take the time to understand what's going on - that we don't assume we know exactly what they should do. We must take the time and effort to consider them.
To do less is unloving and lazy.
2) We must address people with the Gospel. We must desire their good - we must want them to know Christ more than all things! We must realize that only he is the Savior - that we are not. We must recognize that behavior modification is not good news.
We must genuinely love them and give them the Savior. Not use them and seek to save them ourselves.
3) We must ultimately give commands so that the name of Christ will be honored. It's really easy to be pharisees and just love 'righteousness' - without really wanting to please Christ personally. It's really easy to try to fix behaviors that we just don't like - that make us upset - rather than seeking to genuinely glorify Christ.
Holy Father, I confess that I'm a sinner. It is often not my aim to please you. It isn't my aim to honor Jesus Christ. I do not love my neighbor well. I do not consider them; and so often, I do not give them Jesus!
O God, I'm sorry.
I thank you that Jesus' resurrection is my vindication because of your giving it to me. I thank you that you love us so much. That you lift up the Gospel and save us. That you love us individually in Christ.
God, glorify Christ in me and among us so that we love each other, point each other to the cross of Christ, and honor you.
Because Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead I ask - amen.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
pastors gotta hang with non-Christians. and why good reputations are important. 1 Timothy 3:7
(7) …and it is necessary that an overseer continually have a good witness from those who are outside so that he won’t fall into reproach, which is a snare of the devil.
God here ends his list of what is required for a pastor. He actually reiterates the term ‘it is necessary’ here again to denote what is absolutely always required of an elder/pastor – since a pastor is to, in essence, shepherd Jesus’ people in Jesus’ physical stead, with the word Jesus gave, in the power of the Spirit Jesus sent.
The requirement here is that outsiders give a good testimony about the pastor candidate. It’s worth noticing that the term ‘outsiders’ is used. This means that there are those in the Church and those outside the Church. In other words, these are people that make no claim to belief in Jesus. These are in every sense of the word, non-Christians.
And this is more than a good reputation. Paul here says that people on the outside have to speak well of the pastor. That means that an elder-candidate must have relationships with non-Christians. He must have a continual public witness and ministry. He can’t be holed up with a bunch of Christians.
There’s a tension here. God also says that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
So which is it? 1 Peter 2 can help us here. “Keep your conduct among the nations honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation… this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people”(vv. 12, 15).
Peter goes on to specifically talk about the responsibilities of slaves: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust”(18).
And he gives us Jesus’ example in vv.21-24: “For to this you have been called, since Christ also suffered for you all, leaving to you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Jesus never sinned. His opponents knew that he never sinned. But we had – and he died for us, in our places for our sins – and healed us. And because God is just, he was vindicated by being raised from the dead. Jesus is alive and reigning, having perfectly saved everyone who trusts him.
And how did his opponents think of him? Even Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”(John 18:38). Yet, it was Jesus’ accusers that Pilate was speaking to.
And so we see that the world will deal with Christians in one of three general ways – by becoming Christians, by holding Christians in high esteem, or by hating Christians.
And with a pastor, we’re considering those in the second category. And that means that, just like Jesus did, an elder candidate has to hang with non-Christians, have an above-reproach witness to non-Christians, and be respected by non-Christians – in so much as it is possible.
Why? Well, first, because Jesus did and it honors Jesus. Second, because it may be what God uses to bring some of them to Christ. Third, because it silences the ignorance of fools – which, well, honors Jesus.
And fourth – for the reason given in 1 Timothy 3:7 – so he won’t fall into reproach. In other words, so he won’t be able to be fairly insulted. Oh he’ll be insulted; Jesus was. It was just never with any reason. The idea is that the insults are known to be stupid – even by those who cast them. BUT – the idea of this text is to minimize insults by having someone who has good relationships with unbelievers – they speak well of the guy.
Why’s this important? Simple. The pastor represents Jesus, the word of God, and the leadership of Christ’s body, the Church. Anything he does will represent the Church. What happens when a pastor falls into sin in public? The whole Church gets maligned.
But what happens when non-Christians like and respect the pastor? The pastor is diminished, and the message – the Gospel of Christ – is seen.
God raises the stakes here and calls ‘reproach’ the ‘snare of the devil.’ He uses this phrase in another verse in 2 Timothy 2:26: “they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
A snare is basically a trap. It keeps you from going where you should be going and causes you to be a slave to whoever trapped you.
Well, why is ‘reproach’ the snare of the devil? Simple. It stops the work of the Church – the glory of Jesus in the salvation of souls – and if grave enough, does damage to the pastor’s own soul.
We’d do well to take care, here. The devil is active. He wants to stop the Church. Now, we know he won’t. After all, didn’t Jesus say that he would build his Church and that the gates of hell would not overcome it? That he’s gathering all his sheep? Quite.
However, the enemy is still attacking – still trying to make Jesus look bad. But we’re in the business of honoring Jesus so that people will be saved by seeing him.
Summary:
-It’s necessary that a pastor have relationships with non-Christians
-It’s necessary that non-Christians speak well of a pastor for him to be a pastor
-This is because the Church’s job is to show Jesus to the world
-This is against the devil’s schemes – lying and killing people to, if it were possible, rob God of his due glory
Prayer:
Holy God, Jesus bore the reproaches we deserved. We are sinners, and our guilt is known by you. Yet you loved us and executed your Son in our place for our sins. Thank you! Cause us to live in such a way that Jesus is honored. Cause us to recognize how high the stakes are – that this is a microcosm of a cosmic conflict. Thank you that Jesus has secured his victory. We want to participate in it; so give us eyes to see how grave the conflict is and how high the stakes are and strength to live like Jesus, loving this world and all in it, for the sake of his glory. And it’s for his sake we pray, amen.
God here ends his list of what is required for a pastor. He actually reiterates the term ‘it is necessary’ here again to denote what is absolutely always required of an elder/pastor – since a pastor is to, in essence, shepherd Jesus’ people in Jesus’ physical stead, with the word Jesus gave, in the power of the Spirit Jesus sent.
The requirement here is that outsiders give a good testimony about the pastor candidate. It’s worth noticing that the term ‘outsiders’ is used. This means that there are those in the Church and those outside the Church. In other words, these are people that make no claim to belief in Jesus. These are in every sense of the word, non-Christians.
And this is more than a good reputation. Paul here says that people on the outside have to speak well of the pastor. That means that an elder-candidate must have relationships with non-Christians. He must have a continual public witness and ministry. He can’t be holed up with a bunch of Christians.
There’s a tension here. God also says that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
So which is it? 1 Peter 2 can help us here. “Keep your conduct among the nations honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation… this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people”(vv. 12, 15).
Peter goes on to specifically talk about the responsibilities of slaves: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust”(18).
And he gives us Jesus’ example in vv.21-24: “For to this you have been called, since Christ also suffered for you all, leaving to you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Jesus never sinned. His opponents knew that he never sinned. But we had – and he died for us, in our places for our sins – and healed us. And because God is just, he was vindicated by being raised from the dead. Jesus is alive and reigning, having perfectly saved everyone who trusts him.
And how did his opponents think of him? Even Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”(John 18:38). Yet, it was Jesus’ accusers that Pilate was speaking to.
And so we see that the world will deal with Christians in one of three general ways – by becoming Christians, by holding Christians in high esteem, or by hating Christians.
And with a pastor, we’re considering those in the second category. And that means that, just like Jesus did, an elder candidate has to hang with non-Christians, have an above-reproach witness to non-Christians, and be respected by non-Christians – in so much as it is possible.
Why? Well, first, because Jesus did and it honors Jesus. Second, because it may be what God uses to bring some of them to Christ. Third, because it silences the ignorance of fools – which, well, honors Jesus.
And fourth – for the reason given in 1 Timothy 3:7 – so he won’t fall into reproach. In other words, so he won’t be able to be fairly insulted. Oh he’ll be insulted; Jesus was. It was just never with any reason. The idea is that the insults are known to be stupid – even by those who cast them. BUT – the idea of this text is to minimize insults by having someone who has good relationships with unbelievers – they speak well of the guy.
Why’s this important? Simple. The pastor represents Jesus, the word of God, and the leadership of Christ’s body, the Church. Anything he does will represent the Church. What happens when a pastor falls into sin in public? The whole Church gets maligned.
But what happens when non-Christians like and respect the pastor? The pastor is diminished, and the message – the Gospel of Christ – is seen.
God raises the stakes here and calls ‘reproach’ the ‘snare of the devil.’ He uses this phrase in another verse in 2 Timothy 2:26: “they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
A snare is basically a trap. It keeps you from going where you should be going and causes you to be a slave to whoever trapped you.
Well, why is ‘reproach’ the snare of the devil? Simple. It stops the work of the Church – the glory of Jesus in the salvation of souls – and if grave enough, does damage to the pastor’s own soul.
We’d do well to take care, here. The devil is active. He wants to stop the Church. Now, we know he won’t. After all, didn’t Jesus say that he would build his Church and that the gates of hell would not overcome it? That he’s gathering all his sheep? Quite.
However, the enemy is still attacking – still trying to make Jesus look bad. But we’re in the business of honoring Jesus so that people will be saved by seeing him.
Summary:
-It’s necessary that a pastor have relationships with non-Christians
-It’s necessary that non-Christians speak well of a pastor for him to be a pastor
-This is because the Church’s job is to show Jesus to the world
-This is against the devil’s schemes – lying and killing people to, if it were possible, rob God of his due glory
Prayer:
Holy God, Jesus bore the reproaches we deserved. We are sinners, and our guilt is known by you. Yet you loved us and executed your Son in our place for our sins. Thank you! Cause us to live in such a way that Jesus is honored. Cause us to recognize how high the stakes are – that this is a microcosm of a cosmic conflict. Thank you that Jesus has secured his victory. We want to participate in it; so give us eyes to see how grave the conflict is and how high the stakes are and strength to live like Jesus, loving this world and all in it, for the sake of his glory. And it’s for his sake we pray, amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Beware of pride!!!!
Thanks to Pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (NYC) for this insightful article.
Those of us who consider ourselves 'into' theology or 'reformed' in some sense would do very well to read it.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Evangelizing about trivial things....
There's a post over at 'Stuff Christians Like' about how we tend to evangelize about trivial things. I found it convicting, since we often to tend to publicly celebrate silliness - and often not Jesus.
Here.
The solution to that, though, isn't to force oneself to talk about Jesus. It's... well, what is it?
Here.
The solution to that, though, isn't to force oneself to talk about Jesus. It's... well, what is it?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Evangelism Article
There's a wonderful article on evangelism HERE.
It's right. Except for the infant baptism thing.
Read it, especially if you're reformed.
It's right. Except for the infant baptism thing.
Read it, especially if you're reformed.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Richie D, are you serious?
Richard Dawkins, infamous atheist and author of "The God Delusion," has decided that after his failed attempt at dethroning his creator and judge, perhaps he should set his sights lower.
On Harry Potter.
Richie, like many Christian critics of the series, has not read it. (He has read the Golden Compass and liked it. Surprising, I know - a radical atheist liking atheistic propoganda written for children.)
But, he thinks that raising children with stories that are 'non-scientific' may be negative.
He goes on to talk about how raising children in a religion is 'abuse' and 'evil.'
So, Dick, do you understand that...
1) you have no basis for belief in what may can be considered 'negative'?
2) you have no basis for belief in what may be considered 'good' nor 'evil'?
and 3) you have no basis for belief in conclusions from scientific data, the scientific data itself, nor truth in general...?
That is, you have no basis for belief in those things unless you make yourself the independent standard for declaring what is true. That isn't atheism, though. It's just declaring that, well, YOU'RE God.
Whoops.
I should note, that God has said that you do know him, by the way. You're just rebelling against said knowledge.
Click here for the article.
On Harry Potter.
Richie, like many Christian critics of the series, has not read it. (He has read the Golden Compass and liked it. Surprising, I know - a radical atheist liking atheistic propoganda written for children.)
But, he thinks that raising children with stories that are 'non-scientific' may be negative.
He goes on to talk about how raising children in a religion is 'abuse' and 'evil.'
So, Dick, do you understand that...
1) you have no basis for belief in what may can be considered 'negative'?
2) you have no basis for belief in what may be considered 'good' nor 'evil'?
and 3) you have no basis for belief in conclusions from scientific data, the scientific data itself, nor truth in general...?
That is, you have no basis for belief in those things unless you make yourself the independent standard for declaring what is true. That isn't atheism, though. It's just declaring that, well, YOU'RE God.
Whoops.
I should note, that God has said that you do know him, by the way. You're just rebelling against said knowledge.
Click here for the article.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Why I'm a Christian
If you ask me why I'm a Christian, you're probably really asking me, "Why do you believe in Christianity?" Or maybe you're even asking, "What are the facts that lead you to Christian belief?" Or maybe you're even asking, "What are the things that made it intellectually feasible - but not only feasible, obligatory to believe?"
To these questions, I can only really say one thing. God made me a Christian. See, the presupposition in those questions is that my mind and will are free - that I'm somehow able to analyze facts in an unbiased fashion and arrive at Christianity - or not.
But God has taught that my mind and will are not free, but rather, are in a state of rebellion against him - as are yours. I can look at all the facts in the world that point to the authority of Scripture - but I - and you - will interpret those facts through rebellious lenses.
The mind is not neutral. It is in rebellion.
So why am I a Christian? God gave me a new soul - a new nature - one that responds to and sees his glory in his book.
If you're asking me what facts in the world agree with Christian belief, well, that's a different question. But in asking it, realize this - all those facts will be interpreted through rebellious lenses - unless God so chooses to have mercy, act, and open one's eyes.
To these questions, I can only really say one thing. God made me a Christian. See, the presupposition in those questions is that my mind and will are free - that I'm somehow able to analyze facts in an unbiased fashion and arrive at Christianity - or not.
But God has taught that my mind and will are not free, but rather, are in a state of rebellion against him - as are yours. I can look at all the facts in the world that point to the authority of Scripture - but I - and you - will interpret those facts through rebellious lenses.
The mind is not neutral. It is in rebellion.
So why am I a Christian? God gave me a new soul - a new nature - one that responds to and sees his glory in his book.
If you're asking me what facts in the world agree with Christian belief, well, that's a different question. But in asking it, realize this - all those facts will be interpreted through rebellious lenses - unless God so chooses to have mercy, act, and open one's eyes.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Why Do Good People Suffer?
Or in other words, why, if God is 'good,' does 'evil' exist?
This is the question "The Shack" seeks to answer. I don't know how it answers it yet. But I figured I'd give you four answers God gives.
1) Shut up. (That is, don't question God. He's God, and you're not.) (Job 38 through the end and Romans 9)
2) Evil exists to show the glory of God in his love (Romans 9, Romans 5:12-21, John 9:2-3, Matthew 11:25-26).
3) Wait - God's going to fix it! (Which is a good thing for those he's forgiven - bad for those he hasn't.) (ALL over the prophets, psalms, etc.)
4) Suffering exists as the beginning of punishment for unbelievers, and as holiness-producing discipline for believers (Luke 13:1 and following; 1 Peter 4:12 and following; Hebrews 12:1-10 ish).
If you want more ref's, I can grab 'em.
It's too bad that people aren't willing to just say - 'hey, what's the Bible say on this?' I shouldn't ask my pastor or someone to explain what the bible says - I should read some stupid book that denigrates God. But hey, it's written well and makes me feel good.
A friend of mine coined the term 'spiritual masturbation' to refer to such things. He's right. And I'd apologize for the ugliness of the term, except for the fact that what is being done in creating and worshiping an idol is worse.
This is the question "The Shack" seeks to answer. I don't know how it answers it yet. But I figured I'd give you four answers God gives.
1) Shut up. (That is, don't question God. He's God, and you're not.) (Job 38 through the end and Romans 9)
2) Evil exists to show the glory of God in his love (Romans 9, Romans 5:12-21, John 9:2-3, Matthew 11:25-26).
3) Wait - God's going to fix it! (Which is a good thing for those he's forgiven - bad for those he hasn't.) (ALL over the prophets, psalms, etc.)
4) Suffering exists as the beginning of punishment for unbelievers, and as holiness-producing discipline for believers (Luke 13:1 and following; 1 Peter 4:12 and following; Hebrews 12:1-10 ish).
If you want more ref's, I can grab 'em.
It's too bad that people aren't willing to just say - 'hey, what's the Bible say on this?' I shouldn't ask my pastor or someone to explain what the bible says - I should read some stupid book that denigrates God. But hey, it's written well and makes me feel good.
A friend of mine coined the term 'spiritual masturbation' to refer to such things. He's right. And I'd apologize for the ugliness of the term, except for the fact that what is being done in creating and worshiping an idol is worse.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Believe in hell.
I've been thinking about hell a lot, recently. I don't really know why; I just have.
I mean, it is a good thing to think about. It's quite real, and quite a lot of people are on their way there.
Perhaps it's because of a sermon I was listening to about missions - about how every single individual in literally hundreds if not thousands of unreached people groups are going there. Yeah. Every individual. Because you need to believe to be saved and hear to believe.
So for instance, every individual that's part of the Nung people, who live in the highlands of Vietnam - every one of them is on their way to hell.
Sobering, isn't it? And yet we've got things like 'Red Letter Christians' now. "We've got to pay attention to all these commands to take care of the poor," they say. True, true. Of course they're forgetting why those commands are there to begin with... to point us to our world's dire need for a Rescuer...
Or the emergents, who say we have to 'reach' the culture by getting them to 'experience' God - always of course outside of the means he's told us to use. And beyond that, reach them with what? So they can have a spiritual experience... and still go to hell?
Or the doctrine hounds, who attack everyone 'til there's no one left to attack, then turn on their own - if not for a trifle of bad doctrine, then for a trifle of bad ministry philosophy. I think forgetting that their own philosophies and preaching is imperfect...
And then there's me - am I moved to love the people who surround me? Who scan my food at the grocery store? Who I see at the gym? Who I'll sit next to on a plane ride? Who I pass on the way to the parking lot of my apartment complex? Am I moved by the fact that they'll get - save for God's intervention in Jesus - precisely what I deserve... forever?
Am I praying? Am I speaking? Am I loving?
Am I forgetting that it's insanely unloving to help take care of what someone feels like they need without trying to help them escape hell?
Am I moved by a love for God that longs for his name to be adored in every corner of the world?
Do I think, live, and feel like he deserves that? And that that is the great goal of all creation?
God showed us what love is by rescuing us. Now he calls us to fill his role as lovers of this hellbound humanity.
O my God - that we would honor you and show your love to a rebellious world! Not simply because it's right - but because you're worth it and have caused us to desire that all glory be given to your name!
I mean, it is a good thing to think about. It's quite real, and quite a lot of people are on their way there.
Perhaps it's because of a sermon I was listening to about missions - about how every single individual in literally hundreds if not thousands of unreached people groups are going there. Yeah. Every individual. Because you need to believe to be saved and hear to believe.
So for instance, every individual that's part of the Nung people, who live in the highlands of Vietnam - every one of them is on their way to hell.
Sobering, isn't it? And yet we've got things like 'Red Letter Christians' now. "We've got to pay attention to all these commands to take care of the poor," they say. True, true. Of course they're forgetting why those commands are there to begin with... to point us to our world's dire need for a Rescuer...
Or the emergents, who say we have to 'reach' the culture by getting them to 'experience' God - always of course outside of the means he's told us to use. And beyond that, reach them with what? So they can have a spiritual experience... and still go to hell?
Or the doctrine hounds, who attack everyone 'til there's no one left to attack, then turn on their own - if not for a trifle of bad doctrine, then for a trifle of bad ministry philosophy. I think forgetting that their own philosophies and preaching is imperfect...
And then there's me - am I moved to love the people who surround me? Who scan my food at the grocery store? Who I see at the gym? Who I'll sit next to on a plane ride? Who I pass on the way to the parking lot of my apartment complex? Am I moved by the fact that they'll get - save for God's intervention in Jesus - precisely what I deserve... forever?
Am I praying? Am I speaking? Am I loving?
Am I forgetting that it's insanely unloving to help take care of what someone feels like they need without trying to help them escape hell?
Am I moved by a love for God that longs for his name to be adored in every corner of the world?
Do I think, live, and feel like he deserves that? And that that is the great goal of all creation?
God showed us what love is by rescuing us. Now he calls us to fill his role as lovers of this hellbound humanity.
O my God - that we would honor you and show your love to a rebellious world! Not simply because it's right - but because you're worth it and have caused us to desire that all glory be given to your name!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
College Students: They're Geniuses.
A good friend recently sent me a link to this article that was published in my alma mater's newspaper.
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/04/28/OpinionColumns/Science.Religion.And.New.Internationalism-3352144.shtml
Fun stuff. I love how college students think they're so smart and novel. *grin*
Anyway, here's my brief response:
First, what I'm interested in in this article is that this is one of the few opinions I've read from a totally modernistic outlook in a long time. The celebration of science, reason and accomplishments for a positive and growing future are all very modernistic concepts that postmoderns, despite their own issues, have rejected as fallacious, empty, and failing to satisfy the deep longings of the human soul. I'm interested about the fact that he is celebrating a position which is quickly becoming a minority position.
Second, his big presupposition is that all religions are false. He makes unhistoric and untrue claims about Christianity, and interprets facts through his atheistic/naturalistic lens. (i.e. - tribal origins of monotheism to him means tribes made it up. To us it means that, well, duh, there is one God who's revelaed himself to different extents - of course monotheistic practice will be a reality.)
Third, because of his presupposition, he drives an unnecessary wedge between science (drawing conclusions from repeated, controlled observations) and religion (which says that whatever God says is of highest epistemological value.)
Fourth, this author, because of his naturalism, cannot define 'progress' or even what is 'good.' (Or logic for that matter.) But he employs those things, and thus assumes a Christian worldview though he decries Christianity.
http://media.www.dailyillini
Fun stuff. I love how college students think they're so smart and novel. *grin*
Anyway, here's my brief response:
First, what I'm interested in in this article is that this is one of the few opinions I've read from a totally modernistic outlook in a long time. The celebration of science, reason and accomplishments for a positive and growing future are all very modernistic concepts that postmoderns, despite their own issues, have rejected as fallacious, empty, and failing to satisfy the deep longings of the human soul. I'm interested about the fact that he is celebrating a position which is quickly becoming a minority position.
Second, his big presupposition is that all religions are false. He makes unhistoric and untrue claims about Christianity, and interprets facts through his atheistic/naturalistic lens. (i.e. - tribal origins of monotheism to him means tribes made it up. To us it means that, well, duh, there is one God who's revelaed himself to different extents - of course monotheistic practice will be a reality.)
Third, because of his presupposition, he drives an unnecessary wedge between science (drawing conclusions from repeated, controlled observations) and religion (which says that whatever God says is of highest epistemological value.)
Fourth, this author, because of his naturalism, cannot define 'progress' or even what is 'good.' (Or logic for that matter.) But he employs those things, and thus assumes a Christian worldview though he decries Christianity.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Cross Training MP3's
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Discipleship_Lesson_1.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Discipleship_Lesson_2.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Evangelism_Training_Lesson_2.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Evangelism_Training_Lesson_3.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Evangelism_Training_Lesson_4.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Theology_Lesson_1.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Theology_Lesson_2.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Theology_Lesson_3.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member/derek/Theology_Lesson_4.wma
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
http://www.niucru.com/member
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Natural Mode Evangelism
Cross Training IV –Natural Mode Evangelism
Natural mode – Taking the initiative in already established relationships to tell people the gospel.
Successful Evangelism is…
1) Presenting the gospel
2) in the Spirit
3) leaving the results to God
Implications – you won’t screw up their salvation; you need to be ok with them not being saved, you don’t have to answer all their objections – sin’s their problem
Tips
1. Be excited about Jesus/the gospel
by being in the means of grace
2. Be bold about your activities
3. Let invitations lead to conversations
4. Ask about their backgrounds , experiences , and current beliefs
5. If they ask a why question, say something like well, it’s kind of involved with what I believe – so to explain why, I have to explain what I believe. Is that okay?
6. Ask for their permission
7. Tell them that spiritual things are important to you and ask if you can have a conversation about those things
8. Use the Kennedy Questions (1 - If you were to die today, and God said, "Why should I let you into heaven?" What would you say? 2 - Based on your answer, how sure are you, 0-100%, that he'd let you in?)
9. Learn to draw the Two Ways to Live and memorize the verses
10. Learn to share your testimony
Natural mode – Taking the initiative in already established relationships to tell people the gospel.
Successful Evangelism is…
1) Presenting the gospel
2) in the Spirit
3) leaving the results to God
Implications – you won’t screw up their salvation; you need to be ok with them not being saved, you don’t have to answer all their objections – sin’s their problem
Tips
1. Be excited about Jesus/the gospel
by being in the means of grace
2. Be bold about your activities
3. Let invitations lead to conversations
4. Ask about their backgrounds , experiences , and current beliefs
5. If they ask a why question, say something like well, it’s kind of involved with what I believe – so to explain why, I have to explain what I believe. Is that okay?
6. Ask for their permission
7. Tell them that spiritual things are important to you and ask if you can have a conversation about those things
8. Use the Kennedy Questions (1 - If you were to die today, and God said, "Why should I let you into heaven?" What would you say? 2 - Based on your answer, how sure are you, 0-100%, that he'd let you in?)
9. Learn to draw the Two Ways to Live and memorize the verses
10. Learn to share your testimony
Monday, December 17, 2007
Body Mode Evangelism
Successful Evangelism is
1) Presenting the gospel
2) in the Spirit
3) and leaving the results to God
The body of Christ (the Church) works to rescue people from sin.
-The body does work (John 10 – Jesus bringing in his flock)
-spiritual gifts (Eph. 4) – evangelists and equipping all the saints
-speech (col 4:6, eph 5:16)
-love for each other (john 17:20, 21)
-being enjoyable and culturally sensitive to outsiders so that the doctrine looks good (Tit. 2:1-10)
-grace present in the Church through the Spirit’s working (Heb. 6)
-suffering (1 peter 4:13-; Col. 1:24-)
-the word spoken! (eph 4:15, 2 tim 4:1-4)
Practical Application
-parties(!)
-invitiation (including in ministry mode!)
-bible studies/cru/church
-how we lead and teach bible studies(!)
1) Presenting the gospel
2) in the Spirit
3) and leaving the results to God
The body of Christ (the Church) works to rescue people from sin.
-The body does work (John 10 – Jesus bringing in his flock)
-spiritual gifts (Eph. 4) – evangelists and equipping all the saints
-speech (col 4:6, eph 5:16)
-love for each other (john 17:20, 21)
-being enjoyable and culturally sensitive to outsiders so that the doctrine looks good (Tit. 2:1-10)
-grace present in the Church through the Spirit’s working (Heb. 6)
-suffering (1 peter 4:13-; Col. 1:24-)
-the word spoken! (eph 4:15, 2 tim 4:1-4)
Practical Application
-parties(!)
-invitiation (including in ministry mode!)
-bible studies/cru/church
-how we lead and teach bible studies(!)
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