There's a free David Powlison E-book that's a series of 35 questions, designed to help us figure out what we love more than God.
It can be a great resource to bring us to a deeper confession of sin - and thus a more impassioned clinging to the cross of Christ.
It could be a great way to spend a bit of this coming Lord's Day.
Here it is.
Showing posts with label The Commandments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Commandments. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Friday, October 17, 2008
Christians and Vulgarity, Part IV
This will be the last Scripture I talk about on this subject. After that, God willing, I’ll post a summary of what we’ve seen from his book. Some of you are just waiting for this long winded stuff to be over so you can read the summary. I know this, because as I re-read what I’ve written, I just want the quick summary too.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
More Shack-alicious and First Impressions of Blue Like Yazz...
I've taken it on myself to start reading pop-Christian literature. I usually don't because, well, there's a lot of really good Bible teaching stuff out there.
Take that as you will.
Anyway, I watched Driscoll on "The Shack" last night, and was pleasantly encouraged to see his analysis was very similar to my own. One verse he drew on that I forgot about was this:
God has said in Romans 1:22-23, "Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."
Whoops.
Whoops seems a light word when that 'mistake' results in the wrath of God, actually (from 1:18 and 2:1-11).
So I've started reading Blue Like Jazz. First impressions:
1) Miller has an amazing ability to write conversationally.
2) These conversations, so far, have done a great job pointing out the sin of man. He's done an excellent job showing how universal it is. He's done a great job showing how it's rooted in the self - in self-pleasure. He's done a great job showing that infects even the good things we do. He's done a great job in showing that everyone is sinful. Awesome.
3) He does a lot of needless ripping on nameless, descriptionless 'fundamentalists.' I'm not sure that's edifying or loving to certain people in the Church.
4) He makes a big deal out of being a political liberal. Eh, frustrating. I'd never say that being a Christian means you have to vote Republican (at least without some argument from Scripture), but at the same time, I don't like it. I think ALL Christians should have some sort of biblical political ethic - a biblical basis for what they think government should be and how we should interact with it - before engaging in such speech. Both Republicans and Democrats. Let's elevate God's words, not our unfounded opinions. Again, that goes for you all on both sides. Knock it off.
Take that as you will.
Anyway, I watched Driscoll on "The Shack" last night, and was pleasantly encouraged to see his analysis was very similar to my own. One verse he drew on that I forgot about was this:
God has said in Romans 1:22-23, "Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."
Whoops.
Whoops seems a light word when that 'mistake' results in the wrath of God, actually (from 1:18 and 2:1-11).
So I've started reading Blue Like Jazz. First impressions:
1) Miller has an amazing ability to write conversationally.
2) These conversations, so far, have done a great job pointing out the sin of man. He's done an excellent job showing how universal it is. He's done a great job showing how it's rooted in the self - in self-pleasure. He's done a great job showing that infects even the good things we do. He's done a great job in showing that everyone is sinful. Awesome.
3) He does a lot of needless ripping on nameless, descriptionless 'fundamentalists.' I'm not sure that's edifying or loving to certain people in the Church.
4) He makes a big deal out of being a political liberal. Eh, frustrating. I'd never say that being a Christian means you have to vote Republican (at least without some argument from Scripture), but at the same time, I don't like it. I think ALL Christians should have some sort of biblical political ethic - a biblical basis for what they think government should be and how we should interact with it - before engaging in such speech. Both Republicans and Democrats. Let's elevate God's words, not our unfounded opinions. Again, that goes for you all on both sides. Knock it off.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Legalism and "The Shack"
I love the Gospel. I love safeguarding the Gospel. And so when it comes to Gospel-attacking doctrines – those of Rome, some New Perspective on Paul ideas, the replacing of the Gospel with an experience of ‘personal relationship’ without doctrine in some of the emergent or seeker-oriented movements – I get mad.
And I think there’re two good reasons to get mad about that. First, those things are assaults on who the God of all glory has revealed himself to be. They’re attacks on God himself. Second, get the Gospel wrong, and you send people to hell. (Galatians 1:8, 9; Galatians 5:4; Romans 9:30-10:4; 1 John 4:1-3, etc.)
They just go a little more comfortably. And with a few more ‘spiritual experiences’ under their belt.
That said, people like me, including me, can often get really legalistic about doctrine. What I mean by that is this: we have a situation in which God has spoken into the world. We are to believe what he says. To refuse to believe what he has said is rebellion.
So wrong doctrine isn’t merely the result of poor exegesis – it’s the result of sin.
That said, some of us doctrine hounds expect the intensity and soundness of our arguments to change people . We want to shake their shoulders and shout, “Why don’t you GET it???”
We forget two things. 1) Assuming the person’s a Christian, they stand forgiven before God. 2) Again, assuming the person’s a Christian, we’re forgetting that the Holy Spirit is working on their hearts in varied degrees in different areas.
And so we can get legalistic. Expect perfection out of people, etc. That’s bad. We need to treat people in light of Jesus’ sovereignty. Sometimes I forget that.
So when I picked up the new book “The Shack,” having heard about it, I was ready to give it the benefit of the doubt. I was ready to find Scripturally sound, edifying ideas expressed in it. Did I?
If you don’t know the story, a man’s kid dies, and he gets an invitation from God to have a chat. And the first thing that we see is that this guy had gone to seminary, where he learned that God had stopped speaking with the Scriptures - which is CLEARLY wrong according to what the book says.
Now, I don’t know why that mention is even there. Why the need to rip on people who are trying to learn and teach God's word? Why is there a need to tear down those who know more about the Bible than we do?
And then why the need to take a pot-shot at people who believe the canon of Scripture is closed - and that it alone is authoritative and sufficient for Christian life? It’s not necessary in the plot. I’m confused.
Well, and mad. I do think the Bible is sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So does God, by the way.
So the dude goes to the shack and meets the Trinity. All three persons of which are manifested physically. God the Father’s a black woman, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman who reminds me of Lucy Liu.
So here’s the beginning of the big problem with the book – it’s an attack on the nature of God. John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12 both say “No one has ever seen God.” 1 Timothy 6:16 says that no one has ever seen – nor can they see – God the Father. That’s because, as Jesus said in John 4:24 – ‘God is Spirit.’
So first, The Shack represents God in a way that Scripture does not represent him. Not only does this strongly imply that the picture of God that Scripture gives isn’t good enough, it also paints a picture of God that isn’t Scriptural.
The second commandment of the ten is that there should be no images of God (Ex. 20:4). Paul preaches in Acts 17:29 that we should not think of God as something we could fashion or imagine. Remember: the ancient Israelites were punished in the desert not because they worshiped some random calf god – it was because they made an image and called it God – the LORD (Ex. 32:5). And God had not represented himself that way.
There were consequences from the hand of God the Almighty. How is creating a picture of God that Scripture does not give us not idolatry? This is serious business. Read Deuteronomy 4-5. Deuteronomy 9:12-14. Psalm 106:19-20 tells us why this is so significant – God has showed us how glorious he is by what he has spoken in his word (see also Deut 4) – to make an image is to rob him of his glory.
That’s kind of a ‘duh’ statement. Images exist to show off the things of which they are images!
So a false image results in false glory. And false glory is a false god, results in false worship, and is altogether a different religion.
And if God is physical, then we’re talking Mormonism - or a very similar heresy. Well, except for the Mormons’ (recently recanted) racism. And at least the Mormons get it right and refer to God as masculine since, well, the Bible does.
So yeah, there’s that. So then there was a discussion in the book of how limited human freedom really is – by circumstances, environment, experiences. Good insight. I was ready for good at this point...
And then – THEN – there was an orthodox definition of the Trinity in these pages! I was surprised! So pleasantly. I think I praised God.
And then the author proceeded to mock that definition as useless. I don’t know if he’s ignorant of the fact that my brothers and sisters in Christ of old died for that definition. I don’t know if he’s ignorant of the fact that that definition comes out of Scripture. And so he’s calling something Scripture teaches about who God is – useless.
I do hope this isn’t intentional.
Somewhere along the line, Jesus clumsily drops and ruins dinner. Whoops. Then the ‘Father’ and ‘Spirit’ make fun of him.
“And let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 10:28, 29)
Hm.
There’s something that’s really insidious that this book implies, though. Consider these Scriptures: John 1:14; John 1:18; John 14:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-3.
Jesus himself is the image of the Father. He is the full revelation of all of the glory of God. The New Testament is the record of his words and activities on earth, and as Hebrews says, the consummation of God revealing himself to humanity (until the end – 1 John 3:1-2).
To commend to us – to even suggest – another image of the Father – is an affront to the sufficiency of Jesus, an insult to the incarnation – and at the very least, a misunderstanding of who Jesus even is – and thus what knowing God is.
I’m sure the author didn’t intend this; but this book is destructive. It replaces the Father with an idol, true worship with false, and the sufficiency of Jesus with – the book "The Shack" itself. It is at best dangerous for our knowledge of God and true worship, and at worst, heresy.
I haven’t yet finished the book. My wife’s a little ahead of me in it. She tells me the author assaults the idea of hierarchy in the Trinity. No big surprise. Not heresy, but wrong.
I haven’t yet got to the author explaining the problem of evil, which is the purpose of the book. If his explanation is anything like his picture of God, then I fear it. Perhaps at a later date I’ll throw out there the Bible’s answers to the problem of evil.
This book raises the question – is Christian fiction okay? What about Pilgrim’s Progress? What about The Chronicles of Narnia?
There’s a big difference. Those two works are allegories. They do not purport to represent God as he actually is; but rather, give analogies for understanding things expressed explicitly in Scripture. They do not presume to speak for God.
Please, do not waste your time with this book. Spend your time with Scripture – and see how God reveals himself – and reveals himself fully – in the person, the man Jesus Christ. Know him thus, and worship him.
And I think there’re two good reasons to get mad about that. First, those things are assaults on who the God of all glory has revealed himself to be. They’re attacks on God himself. Second, get the Gospel wrong, and you send people to hell. (Galatians 1:8, 9; Galatians 5:4; Romans 9:30-10:4; 1 John 4:1-3, etc.)
They just go a little more comfortably. And with a few more ‘spiritual experiences’ under their belt.
That said, people like me, including me, can often get really legalistic about doctrine. What I mean by that is this: we have a situation in which God has spoken into the world. We are to believe what he says. To refuse to believe what he has said is rebellion.
So wrong doctrine isn’t merely the result of poor exegesis – it’s the result of sin.
That said, some of us doctrine hounds expect the intensity and soundness of our arguments to change people . We want to shake their shoulders and shout, “Why don’t you GET it???”
We forget two things. 1) Assuming the person’s a Christian, they stand forgiven before God. 2) Again, assuming the person’s a Christian, we’re forgetting that the Holy Spirit is working on their hearts in varied degrees in different areas.
And so we can get legalistic. Expect perfection out of people, etc. That’s bad. We need to treat people in light of Jesus’ sovereignty. Sometimes I forget that.
So when I picked up the new book “The Shack,” having heard about it, I was ready to give it the benefit of the doubt. I was ready to find Scripturally sound, edifying ideas expressed in it. Did I?
If you don’t know the story, a man’s kid dies, and he gets an invitation from God to have a chat. And the first thing that we see is that this guy had gone to seminary, where he learned that God had stopped speaking with the Scriptures - which is CLEARLY wrong according to what the book says.
Now, I don’t know why that mention is even there. Why the need to rip on people who are trying to learn and teach God's word? Why is there a need to tear down those who know more about the Bible than we do?
And then why the need to take a pot-shot at people who believe the canon of Scripture is closed - and that it alone is authoritative and sufficient for Christian life? It’s not necessary in the plot. I’m confused.
Well, and mad. I do think the Bible is sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So does God, by the way.
So the dude goes to the shack and meets the Trinity. All three persons of which are manifested physically. God the Father’s a black woman, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman who reminds me of Lucy Liu.
So here’s the beginning of the big problem with the book – it’s an attack on the nature of God. John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12 both say “No one has ever seen God.” 1 Timothy 6:16 says that no one has ever seen – nor can they see – God the Father. That’s because, as Jesus said in John 4:24 – ‘God is Spirit.’
So first, The Shack represents God in a way that Scripture does not represent him. Not only does this strongly imply that the picture of God that Scripture gives isn’t good enough, it also paints a picture of God that isn’t Scriptural.
The second commandment of the ten is that there should be no images of God (Ex. 20:4). Paul preaches in Acts 17:29 that we should not think of God as something we could fashion or imagine. Remember: the ancient Israelites were punished in the desert not because they worshiped some random calf god – it was because they made an image and called it God – the LORD (Ex. 32:5). And God had not represented himself that way.
There were consequences from the hand of God the Almighty. How is creating a picture of God that Scripture does not give us not idolatry? This is serious business. Read Deuteronomy 4-5. Deuteronomy 9:12-14. Psalm 106:19-20 tells us why this is so significant – God has showed us how glorious he is by what he has spoken in his word (see also Deut 4) – to make an image is to rob him of his glory.
That’s kind of a ‘duh’ statement. Images exist to show off the things of which they are images!
So a false image results in false glory. And false glory is a false god, results in false worship, and is altogether a different religion.
And if God is physical, then we’re talking Mormonism - or a very similar heresy. Well, except for the Mormons’ (recently recanted) racism. And at least the Mormons get it right and refer to God as masculine since, well, the Bible does.
So yeah, there’s that. So then there was a discussion in the book of how limited human freedom really is – by circumstances, environment, experiences. Good insight. I was ready for good at this point...
And then – THEN – there was an orthodox definition of the Trinity in these pages! I was surprised! So pleasantly. I think I praised God.
And then the author proceeded to mock that definition as useless. I don’t know if he’s ignorant of the fact that my brothers and sisters in Christ of old died for that definition. I don’t know if he’s ignorant of the fact that that definition comes out of Scripture. And so he’s calling something Scripture teaches about who God is – useless.
I do hope this isn’t intentional.
Somewhere along the line, Jesus clumsily drops and ruins dinner. Whoops. Then the ‘Father’ and ‘Spirit’ make fun of him.
“And let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 10:28, 29)
Hm.
There’s something that’s really insidious that this book implies, though. Consider these Scriptures: John 1:14; John 1:18; John 14:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-3.
Jesus himself is the image of the Father. He is the full revelation of all of the glory of God. The New Testament is the record of his words and activities on earth, and as Hebrews says, the consummation of God revealing himself to humanity (until the end – 1 John 3:1-2).
To commend to us – to even suggest – another image of the Father – is an affront to the sufficiency of Jesus, an insult to the incarnation – and at the very least, a misunderstanding of who Jesus even is – and thus what knowing God is.
I’m sure the author didn’t intend this; but this book is destructive. It replaces the Father with an idol, true worship with false, and the sufficiency of Jesus with – the book "The Shack" itself. It is at best dangerous for our knowledge of God and true worship, and at worst, heresy.
I haven’t yet finished the book. My wife’s a little ahead of me in it. She tells me the author assaults the idea of hierarchy in the Trinity. No big surprise. Not heresy, but wrong.
I haven’t yet got to the author explaining the problem of evil, which is the purpose of the book. If his explanation is anything like his picture of God, then I fear it. Perhaps at a later date I’ll throw out there the Bible’s answers to the problem of evil.
This book raises the question – is Christian fiction okay? What about Pilgrim’s Progress? What about The Chronicles of Narnia?
There’s a big difference. Those two works are allegories. They do not purport to represent God as he actually is; but rather, give analogies for understanding things expressed explicitly in Scripture. They do not presume to speak for God.
Please, do not waste your time with this book. Spend your time with Scripture – and see how God reveals himself – and reveals himself fully – in the person, the man Jesus Christ. Know him thus, and worship him.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Sabbath's for YOU, Christian!
Here are some observations about what the Scripture says about the Sabbath – the holy day of rest during the week. This isn’t a full out proof, per se, but is meant for a starting place for us to look at the Scriptures. I think the combined force of what follows shows us that the Sabbath is indeed for Christians. That said, some observations:
1) Jesus in talking about the Sabbath never canceled it.
2) The 10 commandments are viewed as a distinct unit and the unit that governs the rest of the Laws in the OT.
3) The 10 commandments are binding on our activity as believers, though we’re not judged by them.
4) The 10 commandments are what is written on the hearts of believers.
5) Keeping a day as separate for the Lord started with creation – not with the nation of Israel.
6) Sabbath worship is for worship of God (it’s holy), but it is also for the good of the people of God.
7) That’s because Sabbath worship is to entail communion with God through the means he’s established (preaching, worship, prayer, the sacraments, fellowship in the Church).
8) The Sabbath points to resting in Jesus. Though it’s true that this rest has entered history, it is a grave error to believe that it is fulfilled now in our world or experience. We look forward to a future rest, just as the Israelites did; we just view it as having begun in history.
9) The NT Church continued to meet together regularly on the first day of the week, putting worldly pursuits aside.
10) Though our whole lives are to be about worship, certain things are instituted so that we will worship apart from normal, daily activity – with all of who we are focused on God.
11) Nowhere in Scripture is the (weird!) notion that God removed the old commandments and completely put new commandments into effect. Jesus exposited the Law (itself an exposition of the first command ever given in Genesis 1) – he didn’t replace it!
1) Jesus in talking about the Sabbath never canceled it.
2) The 10 commandments are viewed as a distinct unit and the unit that governs the rest of the Laws in the OT.
3) The 10 commandments are binding on our activity as believers, though we’re not judged by them.
4) The 10 commandments are what is written on the hearts of believers.
5) Keeping a day as separate for the Lord started with creation – not with the nation of Israel.
6) Sabbath worship is for worship of God (it’s holy), but it is also for the good of the people of God.
7) That’s because Sabbath worship is to entail communion with God through the means he’s established (preaching, worship, prayer, the sacraments, fellowship in the Church).
8) The Sabbath points to resting in Jesus. Though it’s true that this rest has entered history, it is a grave error to believe that it is fulfilled now in our world or experience. We look forward to a future rest, just as the Israelites did; we just view it as having begun in history.
9) The NT Church continued to meet together regularly on the first day of the week, putting worldly pursuits aside.
10) Though our whole lives are to be about worship, certain things are instituted so that we will worship apart from normal, daily activity – with all of who we are focused on God.
11) Nowhere in Scripture is the (weird!) notion that God removed the old commandments and completely put new commandments into effect. Jesus exposited the Law (itself an exposition of the first command ever given in Genesis 1) – he didn’t replace it!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Ethics through Jesus-Colored Glasses
These are the notes from the talk I gave during the fifth week of summer project in New Zealand. The text is Colossians 2:20-3:17
Intro – Misconception re: Christianity – lifestyle that is about rules.
-it’s not, it’s about how Jesus brings every believer in him to his Kingdom!
-but sometimes even for us that believe that, we express a bunch of lifestyle stuff as if that’s Christianity – sometimes in preaching, in Bible studies, even in conversations, in how we try to live like Jesus wants. And being saved is almost an afterthought.
-That is subChristian thinking. In God’s word, any lifestyle stuff that Christians are commanded to do is always in light of and caused by The HS, through what Jesus’ cross purchased for us.
Series:
Our problem – we see commands in the Scriptures and try really hard to obey. And we fail.
MBI – What God wants us to see tonight is this: if you have trusted Jesus, he’s bringing you into his Kingdom – and nothing will stop him. Our lifestyle should – and by his power, will, reflect that. In other words: Jesus’ saving us results in change in our behavior.
4 Commands we break, and how Jesus fixes our sin problem:
Pray
-Don’t use man-made ways of trying to reach God - 2:20-33
-What was going on in Colassae?
-Command – don’t try to grow in spirituality or holiness like non-Christians!
-Examples of ways the world pursues spirituality:
-nature. Music. Books which teach things other than Scripture. Psychology. Obeying laws created by our feelings, candles, art, reason (atheism), prayer ‘creativity’, humanitarianism
-how we do similar things!
-ex: me and logic, as opposed to trusting the Spirit and the word
-Certainly nothing listed is all bad; but must be seen thru lens of SCRIPTURE
in dependence on Scripture and prayer – and nothing else!
-Result if not: a new law. Certain experiences ID-ed as godliness. Practices mandated and others get judged. God and his word cease being our authority, and experience is God – not Jesus.
-Example: music fight against the old school music people. Now, attack on old school music!
-Solution: We died with Jesus to the elemental spirits
-elemental spirits?
-God will judge the world for its rebellion
-we’ve been judged in Christ and are forgiven
-and so the old ways that humanity tries – and fails – to connect with God (even if they ‘feel’ stuff) don’t apply
-Therefore, know that because of Jesus death, we are no longer governed by the world’s futile philosophies. So trust that Jesus has reconciled you and stop making up stuff he didn’t command! And don’t tolerate it when other people are making stuff up either! (Duet 12:32!)
-Ever try to make a dead person do something?
3:1-4 – Seek Jesus’ Kingdom.
-Command – Seek what’s above! (3:1)
-What’s above? Christ’s Kingdom! Where what he wants goes. Everything that’s of value (Christ is our life) (3:1)
-How we fail – Failing to treat Jesus like King, worthy of obedience and honor. Failing to treat him as valuable. Questions to think about on your own: areas of your life you don’t treat Jesus like King in. Things you value more than Jesus – where do you seek pleasure? Maybe good to go home pray and journal about.
-Ex: The other night, I valued a burger more than Jesus.
-4 Solutions:
-Believe in the resurrection! (3:1)
-Believe that we’re in the new world in Christ (3:1) (Neo)
-Believe that you’re dead in this world (3:3)
-Believe that in the future, the reality of this new world in you will be revealed (3:4) (1 John 3:2)
3:5-11 – Kill what’s dead.
-Kill the things in you that belong to the old world
-sin list 1 – (3:5) – a bunch of stuff that we’d seek for pleasure
-what do you seek for pleasure? - functional savior. What do you think about? Spend time on? Money on? (Me and food!) (Calvin and waking up and falling asleep)
-sin list 2 – (3:8, 9) – a bunch of ways that we use words to hurt each other
-We do these things because we either are hurting or because we want to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. Words! (Jas. 1:19)
-Ex: my cheating ex
-4 Solutions
-We belong to the next world (v. 5 – the therefore) and will be glorified with Jesus
-v. 6 – the wrath of God falls on such things
-no fear of wrath
-hate what God hates – then you’ll kill it
-vv. 7, 9, 10 – we have a new self which God is renewing in knowledge
-v. 11 – Jesus is our prize and our power and our highest value
3:12-17 – Act like who God’s remade you to be.
-4 Commands
1-Love! (12-15)
-seeking others’ happiness
-what prevents us? Trying to get happiness here (rather than above)
-Ex. Of helping dudes with stuff after their church service vs. me sleeping/getting groceries
2-Let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts
-contra anxiety
-comes from trust in his being King and loving us, through prayer
-Phil. 4:6, 7
3-Let Christ’s word dwell among us richly (explain)
-results in…
-what prevents us? Lack of attentiveness. Like entertaining teaching/books. Not believing that the word is powerful. Not wanting to do the work of paying attention or serious study. Not enjoying God as he’s revealed in it, but enjoying other things…
-ex: my 5 minutes a day in high school
4-Always act for Jesus’ glory (part of which is giving thanks)
-what prevents us from doing that?
-not seeing Jesus’ glory (from Scripture)!
-not loving him; rather, loving our lives here
-ex: faith healers
-other ex: doing ministry stuff to impress opposite sex
-just apathy towards Jesus(!) - maybe humanitarianism?
-4 Ways God solves our problems
1 -v. 12 – ‘then’
-conclusion – we’re totally new because of Jesus – being renewed(!)
-stop beating the crap out of yourself! You are new and God is working if you have believed! Rather, trust and obey!
2 -v. 12 – ‘chosen, holy, and loved’
-You’re in Christ and guaranteed heaven because God loved you, not because of what you did. God started bringing you to heaven, he’s working in you – believe!
-Certain future = freedom to love because nothing here to gain!
3 -v. 13 – forgiven!
-forgiveness guarantees your eternity – free to forgive!
-Remember Christ’s Kingdom is guaranteed for you!
-persecutions, etc. – mean nothing!
-ex: Stephen
4 -v. 16 – the word of Christ given to us!
-2 Cor. 3:18
-seeing his glory is through the word!!!
-transforms us to glorify Christ!
-letters from a loved one (if Lace and I didn’t have phone calls – and even with them – those letters are a little bit of who she is – shows me her. Makes me enjoy and love her.)
So we’ve seen 4 commands…
And we as Christians obey them as a result of the gospel, through faith! (The POINT!)
The gospel is…
As we believe in the gospel, God works in us and causes us to obey for the sake of his glory.
Pray
Intro – Misconception re: Christianity – lifestyle that is about rules.
-it’s not, it’s about how Jesus brings every believer in him to his Kingdom!
-but sometimes even for us that believe that, we express a bunch of lifestyle stuff as if that’s Christianity – sometimes in preaching, in Bible studies, even in conversations, in how we try to live like Jesus wants. And being saved is almost an afterthought.
-That is subChristian thinking. In God’s word, any lifestyle stuff that Christians are commanded to do is always in light of and caused by The HS, through what Jesus’ cross purchased for us.
Series:
Our problem – we see commands in the Scriptures and try really hard to obey. And we fail.
MBI – What God wants us to see tonight is this: if you have trusted Jesus, he’s bringing you into his Kingdom – and nothing will stop him. Our lifestyle should – and by his power, will, reflect that. In other words: Jesus’ saving us results in change in our behavior.
4 Commands we break, and how Jesus fixes our sin problem:
Pray
-Don’t use man-made ways of trying to reach God - 2:20-33
-What was going on in Colassae?
-Command – don’t try to grow in spirituality or holiness like non-Christians!
-Examples of ways the world pursues spirituality:
-nature. Music. Books which teach things other than Scripture. Psychology. Obeying laws created by our feelings, candles, art, reason (atheism), prayer ‘creativity’, humanitarianism
-how we do similar things!
-ex: me and logic, as opposed to trusting the Spirit and the word
-Certainly nothing listed is all bad; but must be seen thru lens of SCRIPTURE
in dependence on Scripture and prayer – and nothing else!
-Result if not: a new law. Certain experiences ID-ed as godliness. Practices mandated and others get judged. God and his word cease being our authority, and experience is God – not Jesus.
-Example: music fight against the old school music people. Now, attack on old school music!
-Solution: We died with Jesus to the elemental spirits
-elemental spirits?
-God will judge the world for its rebellion
-we’ve been judged in Christ and are forgiven
-and so the old ways that humanity tries – and fails – to connect with God (even if they ‘feel’ stuff) don’t apply
-Therefore, know that because of Jesus death, we are no longer governed by the world’s futile philosophies. So trust that Jesus has reconciled you and stop making up stuff he didn’t command! And don’t tolerate it when other people are making stuff up either! (Duet 12:32!)
-Ever try to make a dead person do something?
3:1-4 – Seek Jesus’ Kingdom.
-Command – Seek what’s above! (3:1)
-What’s above? Christ’s Kingdom! Where what he wants goes. Everything that’s of value (Christ is our life) (3:1)
-How we fail – Failing to treat Jesus like King, worthy of obedience and honor. Failing to treat him as valuable. Questions to think about on your own: areas of your life you don’t treat Jesus like King in. Things you value more than Jesus – where do you seek pleasure? Maybe good to go home pray and journal about.
-Ex: The other night, I valued a burger more than Jesus.
-4 Solutions:
-Believe in the resurrection! (3:1)
-Believe that we’re in the new world in Christ (3:1) (Neo)
-Believe that you’re dead in this world (3:3)
-Believe that in the future, the reality of this new world in you will be revealed (3:4) (1 John 3:2)
3:5-11 – Kill what’s dead.
-Kill the things in you that belong to the old world
-sin list 1 – (3:5) – a bunch of stuff that we’d seek for pleasure
-what do you seek for pleasure? - functional savior. What do you think about? Spend time on? Money on? (Me and food!) (Calvin and waking up and falling asleep)
-sin list 2 – (3:8, 9) – a bunch of ways that we use words to hurt each other
-We do these things because we either are hurting or because we want to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. Words! (Jas. 1:19)
-Ex: my cheating ex
-4 Solutions
-We belong to the next world (v. 5 – the therefore) and will be glorified with Jesus
-v. 6 – the wrath of God falls on such things
-no fear of wrath
-hate what God hates – then you’ll kill it
-vv. 7, 9, 10 – we have a new self which God is renewing in knowledge
-v. 11 – Jesus is our prize and our power and our highest value
3:12-17 – Act like who God’s remade you to be.
-4 Commands
1-Love! (12-15)
-seeking others’ happiness
-what prevents us? Trying to get happiness here (rather than above)
-Ex. Of helping dudes with stuff after their church service vs. me sleeping/getting groceries
2-Let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts
-contra anxiety
-comes from trust in his being King and loving us, through prayer
-Phil. 4:6, 7
3-Let Christ’s word dwell among us richly (explain)
-results in…
-what prevents us? Lack of attentiveness. Like entertaining teaching/books. Not believing that the word is powerful. Not wanting to do the work of paying attention or serious study. Not enjoying God as he’s revealed in it, but enjoying other things…
-ex: my 5 minutes a day in high school
4-Always act for Jesus’ glory (part of which is giving thanks)
-what prevents us from doing that?
-not seeing Jesus’ glory (from Scripture)!
-not loving him; rather, loving our lives here
-ex: faith healers
-other ex: doing ministry stuff to impress opposite sex
-just apathy towards Jesus(!) - maybe humanitarianism?
-4 Ways God solves our problems
1 -v. 12 – ‘then’
-conclusion – we’re totally new because of Jesus – being renewed(!)
-stop beating the crap out of yourself! You are new and God is working if you have believed! Rather, trust and obey!
2 -v. 12 – ‘chosen, holy, and loved’
-You’re in Christ and guaranteed heaven because God loved you, not because of what you did. God started bringing you to heaven, he’s working in you – believe!
-Certain future = freedom to love because nothing here to gain!
3 -v. 13 – forgiven!
-forgiveness guarantees your eternity – free to forgive!
-Remember Christ’s Kingdom is guaranteed for you!
-persecutions, etc. – mean nothing!
-ex: Stephen
4 -v. 16 – the word of Christ given to us!
-2 Cor. 3:18
-seeing his glory is through the word!!!
-transforms us to glorify Christ!
-letters from a loved one (if Lace and I didn’t have phone calls – and even with them – those letters are a little bit of who she is – shows me her. Makes me enjoy and love her.)
So we’ve seen 4 commands…
And we as Christians obey them as a result of the gospel, through faith! (The POINT!)
The gospel is…
As we believe in the gospel, God works in us and causes us to obey for the sake of his glory.
Pray
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Illiteracy, Lying, and Theft
1) I'm thinking of doing a 'video blog.' Anyone know how to do that?
2) Part of the reason for that is because I firmly believe that our culture is not only biblically illiterate, but rather quickly becoming simply illiterate as well. And I'd like to help that process along.
3) One of the most frequently broken commandments today - and yes, the 10 commandments are binding on believers' consciences, is the command to not bear false witness. People in our culture take commitments as if they bore no weight at all.
One of the reasons I love the show 24 is because Jack Bauer is a real man - a man whose word means everything. Not so much in our culture anymore.
Oh - and not keeping commitments is also stealing - since you've given someone something and are taken it back. So that's two broken commandments of God's Holy Law.
Let's remember God's holy and live like it.
2) Part of the reason for that is because I firmly believe that our culture is not only biblically illiterate, but rather quickly becoming simply illiterate as well. And I'd like to help that process along.
3) One of the most frequently broken commandments today - and yes, the 10 commandments are binding on believers' consciences, is the command to not bear false witness. People in our culture take commitments as if they bore no weight at all.
One of the reasons I love the show 24 is because Jack Bauer is a real man - a man whose word means everything. Not so much in our culture anymore.
Oh - and not keeping commitments is also stealing - since you've given someone something and are taken it back. So that's two broken commandments of God's Holy Law.
Let's remember God's holy and live like it.
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