Marketing the Gospel

Mark Galli, on the problems of marketing the gospel:

First, note three basic assumptions of marketing culture. First, people are basically in pretty good shape; they just need one more product or service to make their lives complete. Second, people just need an attractive offer to entice them to accept the deal. Third, life is fundamentally a deal, an exchange; companies offer goods and services, and we get them into our lives when we pay for them. As they say, there is no free lunch.

Note how the gospel's assumptions turn these ideas on their heads. First, people are "dead in their trespasses" (Eph. 2:1). That is, their situation is utterly hopeless. They don't need improvement as much as resurrection to new life.

Second, because they are dead, an attractive offer is not going to do any good. It would be like a salesman walking into a morgue to convince corpses to buy life insurance.

This is why Paul is so emphatic about how we come to faith in Christ. Replacing phrases like "plausible words of wisdom" with something contemporary, note how he describes his initial evangelistic visit to Corinth:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with persuasive marketing techniques. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not framed in marketing logic, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:1-5).

Only the Spirit can bring the dead back to life. As Paul told his protégé Titus:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).

Faith is pure gift, pure miracle, pure work of the Spirit. There is nothing we can do to bring this about. "Without any possibility on our side," wrote Karl Barth in his exposition of the Apostles' Creed, "God's great possibility comes into view, making possible what is impossible from our side. It is God's gift, God's free gift not prepared for by anything on our side."

It also is true that we can do nothing to prevent this from happening. No matter how hypocritical, uncool, or marketing inept a church is, the Spirit moves people to give their lives to Jesus and his church. If the Crusades, the Salem witch trials, and the Inquisition were not enough to sabotage the appeal of Christian faith, singing moribund hymns with a bunch of old ladies (or whatever else embarrasses us about the church today) will not stop the Holy Spirit.

Third, if the gospel is a transaction, it is a transaction that is offered and completed by the same party: God. God does not offer forgiveness on the condition that we repent. There is no quid pro quo, no this-for-that, no exchange. Instead, he offers forgiveness so that we might repent and enjoy abundant life! So there is, in fact, a free lunch.

Too Little

A.W. Pink:

Most Christians

expect little from God,

ask little

and therefore receive little

and are content with little.

Source

Heading to the DG Conference

This morning, several of our elders will be headed up to the Desiring God Conference for Pastors, taking along with us a few other men from our church and the pastor of the Chadwick Evangelical Free Church. Please pray for safe travel, good fellowship, and the work of God in our hearts.

This video will give you a taste of what we'll be experiencing.

What Faith Does

Colin Smith:

Hebrews 11 gives us a long list of the heroes of faith, men and women who are models or examples to us of what authentic faith looks like. Study this chapter and you will see that faith is always more than bare belief. Faith is active. It does things...

Faith Understands

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command." Hebrews 11:3

The Psalmist says, "I have more insight than all my teachers for I meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:99). The Holy Spirit gives wisdom that cannot be gained by the intellect alone. It is possible to have the most brilliant mind, and yet to live like a fool.

Faith Offers

"By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did."(11:4)

Faith will lead you to great sacrifices-denying yourself and costly commitment.

Faith Builds

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family." (11:7)

Faith initiates great projects that will be the means of advancing God's redeeming purpose in the world.

Faith Obeys

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (11:8)

Faith will lead you to embark on great ventures into the unknown.

Faith Longs

"They were longing for a better country--a heavenly one."(11:16)

Faith is a forward-looking grace. It will keep you fixed on heaven.

Faith Blesses

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future." (11:20)

What a blessing to have a father who is a man of faith, a mother who is a woman of faith. Faith leaves a legacy, bringing blessing to your children and all God places around you.

Faith Worships

"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff."(11:21)

Faith will lead you to worship. Here is this old man at the end of life. He is dying, but he looks up to God and he worships.

Why does faith do all these things?

Faith is like a living tree bursting with fruit! Where does all this life and energy come from? Why does faith understand, offer, build, obey, long, bless and worship? Faith unites us to Jesus Christ. Faith is the bond by which we become His, and faith is the way in which Christ, and all that is His, becomes ours.

Small-Town Churches in the EFCA

The latest "issue" of the digital magazine EFCA Today is all about "Small-Town Churches." Follow the link to read about several smaller congregations and the ways they are making a big impact in their communities and in the world for Christ.

The Bible Is a Book Like No Other

From Don't Call It a Comeback-- The Old Faith for a New Day:

How is the Bible a book like no other? It is

• A book that is God-breathed: Inspiration. God authored the Bible through humans. He did not dictate it as an executive would dictate do a secretary. If a musician plays the same tune through a variety of wind instruments, each will sound different although each is coming from the same breath. God produced the Bible through the different personalities of his “instruments.”
• A book that is entirely true: Inerrancy. The Bible is not only inerrant in matters of theology, but in every subject it addresses. This does not mean that there are no difficulties in scripture. We do not have all the necessary data (i.e. archeological findings) to perfectly interpret the Bible. As sinful creatures we are susceptible to misinterpretation.
• A book that is the boss of me: Authority. God is the supreme authority since he created the universe. It is the final authority for every domain of knowledge that it addresses.
• A book that is all you need: Sufficiency. In the Bible, God has given us all we need to know in order to trust and obey him. The Bible alone is sufficient. It is not to be equated with the Koran or Book or Mormon. Some believe that God continues to reveal himself through special words or guidance. We cannot place these things on par with the Bible.
• A book that is actually understandable: Clarity. Not everything in the Bible is clear. But the central message about God’s saving grace is easily understood. The debates that arise are not the fault of the Bible, but the faults of sinful and finite human nature.
• A book that is essential to know God: Necessity. You must hear the message of the Bible, either by reading it or hearing it from someone else, in order to have faith in Christ. It is essential to remain immersed in it throughout our Christian walks. Spiritual endurance needs the Bible like physical endurance needs food and water.

Source

The Believer Is a Pilgrim

Michael Horton:

I think that there’s a tendency in evangelical circles either to lionize or demonize “postmodernism” as if it (any more than modernity) were a monolithic movement. Postmodernism is reacting against genuine problems in modernity, but with no transcendent source either for its critique or for constructive solutions. I argue that the modern self is a “master,” demanding autonomy, dominance, and control, while the postmodern self is more like a “tourist.” If the modern person not only has a destination but imagines that he or she has already arrived, the postmodern person is more likely to drift from booth to booth at Vanity Fair without any real goal or destination: from nowhere to nowhere, but making things interesting in between. In contrast to both, the believer is a pilgrim: a clear destination, but we haven’t arrived.

Source

Are the NT manuscripts reliable?

Our modern translations of the Bible come from older copies, the earliest of which are described as manuscripts. We don't have the original copies from the hands of the apostles themselves, so can we be confident that what we have is accurate?

Links for Life

Today is the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States in 1973. Here are a variety of links on this topic:

The U.S. Abortion Capital 41% of pregnancies in New York City end in abortion

The Unborn Paradox Ironically, this country hates infertility but embraces abortion

The Lazy Slander of Pro-Lifers? Do pro-lifers care only for life inside the womb?

Pro-Life Apologetics for the Next Generation Four things to clarify

15 Reasons the Abortion Industry Is Losing Its Support

Pennsylvania Abortionist Charged with Eight Counts of Murder

Jesus' Words Came True

Tertullian (ca. 150-225):

It is our care for the helpless, our practice of lovingkindness, that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. ‘Only look,’ they say, ‘look how they love one another’ (they themselves being given over to mutual hatred). ‘Look how they are prepared to die for one another’ (they themselves being readier to kill each other). Thus had this saying become a fact, ‘Hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’

Source

Quiet Provisions

Dale Ralph Davis:

Clarence Macartney told the story about Dr. John Witherspoon . . . a signer of the Declaration of Independence and president of the (then) College of New Jersey. He lived a couple of miles away from the college at Rocky Hill and drove horse and rig each day to his office at the college.

“One day one of his neighbors burst into his office, exclaiming, ‘Dr. Witherspoon, you must join me in giving thanks to God for his extraordinary providence in saving my life, for as I was driving from Rocky Hill the horse ran away and the buggy was smashed to pieces on the rocks, but I escaped unharmed!’

“Witherspoon replied, ‘Why, I can tell you a far more remarkable providence than that. I have drive over that road hundreds of times. My horse never ran away, my buggy never was smashed, I was never hurt.’

“So we must beware of thinking that God is only in the earthquake, wind, and fire; of thinking that manna but not grain is God’s food. Most of God’s gifts to his people are not dazzling and gaudy but wrapped in simple brown paper. Quiet provisions of safety on the highway, health of children, picking up a paycheck, supper with the family—all in an ordinary day’s work for our God.

Source

Learning Evangelism from Jesus

Jerram Barrs, reflecting on the story of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4:1-45:

This encounter teaches several lessons that can be applied to our own evangelism efforts:

• Overcoming Barriers: Jesus dismantled all the cultural barriers that their societies had erected to prevent the two from interacting. Do we as Christians today categorize or avoid people according to race, class, religion, social standing, etc.?
• Setting Aside Custom and Christian Rules: What Christian rules about living a separated and godly life have we devised to keep ourselves at a distance from non-Christians? Jesus shows us how to maintain purity while also practicing love.
• Being Vulnerable and Receiving the Good Gifts of Unbelievers: Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a favor. We must acknowledge our need for the gifts, wisdom, or advice an unbeliever may give us, because it is encouraging and ennobling to those who may expect only scorn or condescension from Christians.
• Respectful Discussion: Are we prepared to follow Jesus’ example and to take people and their theology seriously and respectfully? Are we willing to have thoughtful discussions with them, even if we consider their ideas to be confused or heretical, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, or those who follow a “New Age” Jesus?
• Gentleness and Grace: Jesus gently and sweetly draws the Samaritan woman to himself—although he is fully aware of the moral disaster of her life. We must not express personal rejection or scorn when dealing with non-believers. Must must remember that we are all sinners and deserve to be outcasts, but Jesus meets each of us and leads us through our confusion to the knowledge of the truth, just as he brings this Samaritan woman to himself.
• Commissioned for Service: Just as he commissioned the Samaritan woman, Jesus also calls us to ministry, to take the message about him into our communities and out into the world.

Source, excerpted from Learning Evangelism from Jesus

It Takes Time, Labor, and Energy

R. C. Sproul:

We live in a culture that is a quick and dirty culture. We want to become mature Christians in five easy lessons. We want to become saints by fifteen minutes a day. We want to have flat stomachs and strong abs by three workouts a week. That may work over a given period of time for your abs, but it’s not going to work for your soul. Attending the school of God takes time and labor and energy and deeply committing oneself to prayer, to the study of Scripture, to fellowship with other believers, to ministry within the life of the church.

This is easy to agree with, yet so hard to live up to. What should encourage us in this is the hope of what God might do in our lives over the long haul as we walk with him faithfully over many years.

God Is Not Like Us

Jonathan Leeman, on why it is good news that God is not like us:

1) Moses told Pharaoh that “no one is like the LORD our God” (Ex. 8:10) because God’s plans cannot be thwarted. That’s good news because none of the God-opposing forces which you and I watch on movie screens or read about in newspapers will keep Christ from fulfilling his final victory.

2) David praised God saying “there is none like you” (2 Sam. 7:22) because God shakes up entire nations to redeem his people, all the while accounting for puny individuals like David by name. That’s good news because our God includes insignificant us in his grand plans for the universe.

3) Solomon also praises God with the words “there is no God like you” (1 Kings 8:23) because God alone is faithful to his Word. That’s good news because we can rely on his promises.

4) Finally, God himself tells us, “I am God, and there is none like me” (Is. 46:9) because he rules over eternity and has ordained the end from the beginning. That’s good news because it means that, through all the ups and downs of life, the end is certain and—for those who love him and are called according to his purpose—the end is good.

Source

History Is About Him

This is from an interview with Collin Hansen, related to his chapter in the book Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day.

What is one of the most important things many evangelicals don’t know about their own history?

I’m afraid that many evangelicals don’t know that their history is about God. We so often tell our history as a succession of famous leaders, writers, councils, and battles over doctrine. I do a lot of that in my chapter for Don’t Call It a Comeback. And to some degree it’s true: God has worked through great leaders, books, and councils to preserve his church and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But I fear that this way of telling the story leads us to draw the wrong conclusions for our own day. We think if we can just get our doctrine right and honor the right leaders, then God will bless us with tremendous church growth. But as I researched A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories That Stretch and Stir, I learned that’s not what history looks like. The most gifted, faithful Christians may toil in obscurity. God uses leaders with mixed motives to accomplish his purposes. And just when all hope seems lost, God sometimes revives his church with a tremendous outpouring of his presence through the Holy Spirit. This way God reminds us that history is about him, his story of salvation from first to last.

Where will we fit in this picture?

Lost

Watch this powerful video and pray for our missionaries-- especially those in Asia.

Lost from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

Source

Should a Concern for Unity Mean No Denominations?

This was part of the text I preached from yesterday. Below, I’ll try to answer a question that I mentioned in the sermon, but intentionally did not try to answer in that setting.

Ephesians 4:1-6
¹ I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

We focused on the issue of maintaining unity within a congregation, but someone might ask, “But what about all the Christian denominations? Should that kind of disunity exist?”

First, let me say that verse 6 makes clear that there is a spiritual unity among all true Christians, regardless of whether or not we belong to the same congregation or denomination. This is a beautiful thing, for it allows fellowship with other believers when we are attending a conference in another part of the country or doing a mission trip to another part of the world. Quite often this is one of the things you hear from someone who’s done short-term missions—“We felt a connection right away when we knew we worshiped the same Lord!”

Second, this passage makes clear that petty squabbles should not separate believers, especially when we serve the same Lord and are in the same family. However, the implication must be that the only thing that could cause a separation is if we do not share the same God and Savior.

Thus, we do not have any qualms about separation from Roman Catholics or Mormons who have vastly different definitions about Christ or the gospel. There is no genuine unity with them, so we need not worry that we have not “maintained” it.

On the other hand, there are many evangelical groups which whom we would agree on the central tenets of the faith. We often cooperate with other denominations, such as the Baptist General Conference or the Christian and Missionary Alliance, in missionary contexts.

Is it wrong then that we have not united to create some larger denomination? Remember, “denomination” is not a biblical concept per se, but it is a practical organization for the sake of mutual support, accountability, and missionary endeavors. Thus, we may work more closely with certain churches with whom we have a greater degree of agreement in doctrine for practical purposes, so long as we are not alienated from other faithful churches.

All this is another reason why I like the Evangelical Free Church of America’s doctrinal statement. When we conclude from the Scriptures 1) that doctrine matters, 2) that doctrine is what we are united around, and 3) that we must also be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit,” then it seems wise to be very clear in that statement on the essentials of the faith, while also leaving room for disagreement on issues that should not be grounds for separation.

At the end of the day, I’m glad to admit that denominations exist to some degree because we cannot finally work through all our doctrinal disagreement on this side of heaven. But, the good news is that there will be no need for them when we are united around the throne of God forever.

Free Audio Book - The Pursuit of Holiness

Visit ChristianAudio.com this month for their free download of the audio book version of a modern classic devotional book-- The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges.

"Be holy, for I am holy," commands God to His people. But holiness is something that is often missed in the Christian’s daily life. According to Jerry Bridges, that’s because we’re not exactly sure what our part in holiness is. In The Pursuit of Holiness, he helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do-and what we should accept responsibility for ourselves. Whether you’re continuing your pursuit of holiness or just beginning, the principles and guidelines in The Pursuit of Holiness will challenge you to obey God’s command of holiness.

Praying for the World

This video is produced by National Geographic, so it's not Christian in any way, but I post it here to help you to pray for the growing number people of our world. More and more of them do not know Christ. May 2011 be a year of growth, not only of earth's population, but of Christ's heavenly kingdom through the spread of the gospel.

[My apologies if there is an advertisement before the video.]

Source

Cynicism in Prayer

From an interview with Paul Miller:

Your book, A Praying Life, talks about cynicism in prayer. How would you describe the problem of cynicism, and what is your advice to those who are struggling with it?

Cynicism is my biggest struggle in prayer. It is a quiet, cold rationalism that dulls the soul and just kills your walk with God. It is hard to even identify or name our cynicism because it just feels like being realistic. It says things like, “What good does it [prayer] do?” or “It [the answer to prayer] would have happened anyway.”

I think we are particularly susceptible to cynicism in the Reformed world because we are an intellectual world. We are rightly concerned about our ideas being correct, but we don’t always pay attention to our heart being correct.

I think without a doubt that the principal cure for cynicism is to become a little child and learn to cry out for help—to realize that I am a lost coin, a lost sheep, and a lost son.

One other cure for cynicism is purity of life. Any time there is a miss between how we present ourselves as Christians and what we are really like when no one is watching, that opens up a door for cynicism. So a lifestyle of repentance and confession goes a long way to cure cynicism.

What Only God Can Do

Ray Ortlund:

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34

In Exodus 40:16-33, Moses assembles the tabernacle. He does so carefully and obediently. Seven times the text records that his work was “as the Lord commanded.” Then the paragraph concludes, “So Moses finished the work.”

The book doesn’t end there. I might have expected it to. But in fact, the book does not end with what Moses did. There is more. The final paragraph, verses 34-38, tells of what only God can do. God’s glory comes down on the completed tabernacle. After all, that was the whole point to begin with: “Let them make me a sanctuary,that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8).

Our aim as pastors is not only that our churches will be well assembled, thoughtfully and carefully and biblically obedient. That is important. But our desires don’t end there. We desire the dwelling of the risen Christ among us. We desire his felt presence. We desire him.

If we are not experiencing his glory coming down upon us, we need to ask if we have been disobedient in any aspect of what we have built or failed to build. Even if we have built well, we need to ask if we have settled for mere constructional obedience. The Lord has more for us than that. He has himself to give.

Lord Jesus, in this new year of grace, 2011, give us eyes to see where our churches need repair, hearts to desire the experience of your glory, and above all else, the sheer grace of your felt presence coming down on your imperfect but yearning churches!

The Primary Object of Pursuit

Charles Hodge (1797-1898):

To gain this world is not what we have promised to aim at. It must therefore never be the direct and primary object of pursuit. I have lately, in reading Bonaparte’s Russian Campaign, and the Life of Sheridan, been very much struck with the truth of the remark how little they really enjoy the world to whom the world is every thing. Bonaparte says the happiest part of his life was when he was a poor lieutenant. And Sheridan said the happiest part of his life was the short time he spent in a cottage. There is nothing lost, therefore, even as regards the present world, by seeking first the kingdom of God; that is, by making it the primary object of pursuit, seeing that godliness has the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Source

Bible Reading Plans for the New Year

The New Year is almost upon us! You may be thinking about starting up a Bible reading plan, which is a great idea. Though I sometimes chafe at a scheduled reading plan, I do know that I read more, and more often, when I have a plan of some kind.

I've written about Bible reading plans before (here and here), but these are a couple of quick links to get you started:

Bible Reading Plans at Discipleship Journal

Bible Reading Plans at ESV Online (see "devotions tab)

For the Love of God (an excellent devotional to go along with a Reading Plan)

Stephen Witmer gives some tips along with his Two-Year Plan:

If at all possible, read through the Bible using this plan together with other people. The fruit of reading through the Bible together as a church over the last couple years has been immense.

There will be some passages that you find boring and difficult. Remember 2 Timothy 3.16-17 as you read these passages: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be equipped for every good work.” Ask yourself why God breathed out this particular passage, and how it is profitable for you.

Do the whole reading for each day, but look for a “best thought” for each day—something you can meditate on throughout the rest of the day, perhaps a verse you can memorize, something that is particularly memorable. This way, you are left with more than a vague feeling of what you read in the morning.

As you come to the Word each morning, ask God to open your eyes to its splendor. Psalm 119.18: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119.36: “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Psalm 90.14: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

Let your prayers for others emerge out of what you read. Don’t choose between praying and reading Scripture—do both! After you read a passage, pray that passage for yourself and for those you love.

Some readings will be longer and others will be shorter. Take advantage of the shorter readings. Read them more carefully and meditatively. Don’t just read; reflect, ask questions, pray for answers, engage. In Psalm 119.48, the psalmist says that he meditates on the Lord’s statutes.

Look for ways in which you can practically live out what you’re reading. James 1.22: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Because God Is God

Leon Morris:

In the last resort forgiveness is always due to God’s being what he is, and not to anything that man may do. Because God is God, he must react in the strongest manner to man’s sin, and thus we reach the concept of the divine wrath. But because God is God, wrath cannot be the last word. ‘The Lord is good; his mercy endureth forever’ (Ps. 100:5).

Source

Eagerly Waiting

Did you notice this from this past Sunday’s closing hymn “Angels from the Realms of Glory”?

Saints before the altar bending,

Watching long in hope and fear,

Suddenly the Lord, descending

In His temple shall appear:

Come and worship, Come and worship;

Worship Christ, the newborn King.

I asked Lance to sing this because it’s the only carol I know that references Simeon and Anna directly (though “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” which I quoted at the end, is also deeply connected to their stories/words). But stop and think of what’s going on here. We hear lines 1 and 2 and can be comfortably located entirely within Luke 2, but though lines 3 and 4 speaks of his appearance in the temple, it uses words (“suddenly” and “descending”) that yank us out of Luke 2 and into Jesus’ second coming. Furthermore, it would not be incorrect to say that Jesus “appeared” to Simeon and Anna (remember the emphasis on seeing in 2:26, 30), but “appear” has so much greater eschatological resonance. For example:

Titus 2:13
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

2 Timothy 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Hebrews 9:28
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Were not Simeon and Anna and their “tribe”(“she began… to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem”) showing us what eagerly waiting for his appearing looks like? This song compels us to place ourselves in lines 1 and 2 of this carol’s verse, because we are to be like Simeon and Anna in this respect. Does the Bible ever tell us explicitly to emulate Simeon and Anna? Some would say no. We would say yes: not only because Luke and the Holy Spirit meant the narrative to be taken that way, but that this is corroborated by the fact that the rest of the NT tells us to be eager, faithful waiters, the kind of people who could sing/pray “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.”

We are more familiar with connections to the second coming being made with another “first arrival” to the temple—Jesus’ triumphal entry—but this carol brilliantly bookends his very first arrival in the temple with his last.

Christmas Isn't Ever Over

Elyse Fitzpatrick:

The incarnation tells us that Christmas isn’t ever over. When we’ve packed up all the decorations and taken back all the mistaken gifts, he’ll still be the God/Man, interceding for us, bearing our flesh. Christmas will never end for Jesus: He’s eternally transformed.

Source

In the First Light

Source

Sad News

Please pray for the president of Trinity International University, our denomination's college and seminary (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) in Deerfield, Illinois.

Update from the TIU communications team:

Trinity International University President Craig Williford and his wife Carolyn are grieving the death of their son Robb, who died unexpectedly from a rare and deadly strain of the flu on the morning of December 23, 2010. He was 35. Please join the Trinity community in prayer for the entire family, including Robb’s wife Tricia and their two young sons, Tucker (5) and Tyler (3). Craig and Carolyn are with their family in Colorado as they grieve this tragedy.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, December 30, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at South Fellowship Church, 6560 South Broadway, Littleton, Colorado 80121

Christmas and Easter

John Wilson, editor of Books & Culture, writing in the Wall Street Journal:

Christmas brings us face-to-face with the mystery of the Incarnation—the preposterous claim that the creator of the universe sent his son (but how could he have a "son"?) to be born of a virgin (what?), both fully man and fully God: "Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness," as we read in Paul's letter to the Philippians.

This claim we call the Incarnation—and celebrate at Christmas—can't be separated from "the paschal mystery of death and resurrection." The babe in swaddling clothes comes with a mission to fulfill. And as we sing carols for his birth, we see him taken down from the cross, wrapped in "a clean linen cloth," and laid in the tomb of a friend. That's the cloth that is left behind in the empty tomb on Resurrection morning.

Easter is implicit in Christmas, and Christmas is implicit in Easter. When we celebrate the one, we celebrate the other, looking forward to the restoration of all things.

Total Commitment

Revelation 3:15-16

¹⁵ I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

John Stott:

The idea of being on fire for Christ will strike some people as dangerous emotionalism. ‘Surely,’ they will say, ‘we are not meant to go to extremes? You are not asking us to become hot-gospel fanatics?’ Well, wait a minute. It depends what you mean. If by ‘fanaticism’ you really mean ‘wholeheartedness,’ then Christianity is a fanatical religion and every Christian should be a fanatic. But fanaticism is not wholeheartedness, nor is wholeheartedness fanaticism. Fanaticism is an unreasoning and unintelligent wholeheartedness. It is the running away of the heart with the head. At the end of a statement prepared for a conference on science, philosophy and religion at Princeton University in 1940 came these words: ‘Commitment without reflection is fanaticism in action; but reflection without commitment is the paralysis of all action.’ What Jesus Christ desires and deserves is the reflection which leads to commitment and the commitment which is born of reflection. This is the meaning of wholeheartedness, of being aflame for God.

One longs today to see robust and virile men and women bringing to Jesus Christ their thoughtful and their total commitment. Jesus Christ asks for this. He even says that if we will not be hot, he would prefer us cold to lukewarm. Better be frigid than tepid, he implies. His meaning is not far to seek. If he is true, if he is the Son of God who died for the sins of men, if Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Day are more than meaningless anniversaries, then nothing less than our wholehearted commitment to Christ will do. I must put him first in my private and public life, seeking his glory and obeying his will. Better be icy in my indifference or go into active opposition to him than insult him with an insipid compromise which nauseates him!

Source

Upgrading Your Christianity?

Colin Smith:

In our time, the Gospel has widely been repackaged and redefined as simply a decision to accept Jesus as Savior, but somehow it is disconnected from any meaningful change in a person’s life…

Rush Hour from The Orchard Evangelical Free Chu on Vimeo.

Music: Gift or God?

Bob Kauflin:

Music turns from a gift to a god when we look to it for the joy, comfort, power & satisfaction only God can give. Here are 5 indicators that might be happening.

1. We choose to attend a church or a meeting based on the music rather than the preaching of the gospel and God’s word.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told that the church is to gather around music. We gather around the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ. We gather to hear God’s Word in the Spirit’s power. Eph. 2:13-14 says the blood of Christ unites us, not music.

2. We can’t worship in song apart from a particular song, style, leader, or sound.
Anytime I say, I can’t worship unless X happens, or X is present, unless X is the death of our Savior on the cross for our sins or the power of his Spirit, we are engaging in idolatry. At that moment, X is more important to us than God’s command to love Him with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength. That doesn’t mean that there are no bad songs, lousy leaders, or inappropriate styles. But being discerning is different from being unable to worship God at all.

3. We think music leads us into or brings God’s presence.
Here’s what music can do. It can affect us emotionally. Create a mood. Soften our hearts so that we listen more intently. Help us hear words differently. Distract us from what’s going on. Help us focus on what’s going on. Help us remember words. And more.

Here’s what music can’t do. Make God more present. Bring God’s presence down. Bring us into God’s presence. Manipulate God. (Heb. 10:19-22; 1 Tim. 2:5). There is only one mediator, and it’s not a song, style, leader, or sound. It’s Jesus Christ.

4. Poor musical performance leads us to sin against other band members or the musicians leading us.
We’re hardly representing God’s heart when we get angry, frustrated, or impatient with musicians who don’t play up to our standards. God’s standards are perfection, and they’ve been met in Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life in our place and died as our substitute, enduring the wrath of God in our place. ALL our offerings, no matter how well or poorly offered, are perfected through the once and for all offering of the Savior. We can strive for excellence to serve others, while extended to others the same grace we’ve received.

5. A love for music has replaced a love for the things of God.
It’s possible to listen to music that’s destroying your soul and be completely dull to it. To become enslaved by an idol and you feel like you’re breaking free. In his confessions, Augustine said “For he loves thee too little who loves along with thee anything else that he does not love for thy sake.” I have no doubt we love music. But do we love music for God’s sake or for ours?

To sum up:
Music is useful, but not necessary.
Music is good. But Jesus is better.
Music is a gift, but not a god.
Music isn’t my life. Christ is.

The gifts of God are meant to deepen our relationship with God and create fresh affection for him. Not replace him.

May we enjoy and make music to the fullest of our abilities, all for the glory of the one who gave it to us to enjoy in the first place.

The Wonder of All Wonders

Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

No priest, no theologian stood at the manger of Bethlehem. And yet all Christian theology has its origin in the wonder of all wonders: that God became human. Holy theology arises from knees bent before the mystery of the divine child in the stable.

Without the holy night, there is no theology. "God is revealed in flesh," the God-human Jesus Christ—that is the holy mystery that theology came into being to protect and preserve. How we fail to understand when we think that the task of theology is to solve the mystery of God, to drag it down to the flat, ordinary wisdom of human experience and reason! Its sole office is to preserve the miracle as miracle, to comprehend, defend, and glorify God's mystery precisely as mystery. This and nothing else, therefore, is what the early church meant when, with never flagging zeal, it dealt with the mystery of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ … . If Christmas time cannot ignite within us again something like a love for holy theology, so that we—captured and compelled by the wonder of the manger of the Son of God—must reverently reflect on the mysteries of God, then it must be that the glow of the divine mysteries has also been extinguished in our heart and has died out.

Source

Christmas Isn't Just for the Healthy and Happy

In this past Sunday's sermon on Mary's song in Luke 1:46-55, I made the point that Christmas is for those who, like Mary, are servants of God in humble circumstances. It's not a holiday only for the prominent and prosperous.

Here's an article that makes the same point at greater length. Here's a portion, but you can click through the link to read it all.

Matt Redmond:

Not too long ago, I heard from someone about how difficult Christmas would be because of some heartbreak in their family. There was utter hopelessness and devastation. Christmas would be impossible to enjoy because of the freshness of this pain. It’s been a story very hard to forget.

I get it. I mean, it makes sense on the level of Christmas being a time in which there is a lot of heavily concentrated family time. The holidays can be tense in even the best of circumstances. Maneuvering through the landmines of various personalities can be hard even if there is no cancer, divorce or empty seat at the table. What makes it the most wonderful time of the year is also what makes it the most brutal time of the year. My own family has not been immune to this phenomenon.

But allow me to push back against this idea a little. Gently. I think we have it all backwards. We have it sunk deep into our collective cultural consciousness that Christmas is for the happy people. You know, those with idyllic family situations enjoyed around stocking-strewn hearth dreams. Christmas is for healthy people who laugh easily and at all the right times, right? The successful and the beautiful, who live in suburban bliss, can easily enjoy the holidays. They have not gotten lost on the way because of the GPS they got last year. They are beaming after watching a Christmas classic curled up on the couch as a family in front of their ginormous flat-screen. We live and act as if this is who should be enjoying Christmas.

But this is backwards. Christmas—the great story of the incarnation of the Rescuer—is for everyone, especially those who need a rescue. Jesus was born as a baby to know the pain and sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus was made to be like us so that in his resurrection we can be made like him; free from the fear of death and the pain of loss.

Not Just Shoeboxes

We participate in the Operation Christmas Child project through Samaritan's Purse, but did you know that it's about much more than gifts? There is a significant dimension of evangelism and discipleship in this ministry. You can read more here, and watch the video below.

A Different Nativity Scene

Tomorrow our church will take part in a "Living Nativity" in our town square during its second annual Christmas festival.

Here's a thought-provoking alternative:

The baby Jesus is in the manger to the left, but everyone else is huddled to the right-- around a TV. This was done by a Christian, not to mock the biblical story, but to make a point about how eagerly we ignore Jesus Christ at this time of year (or any other, for that matter).

I think we'll stick with the original, but I like the message here.

Source

A Gift Idea

C. J. Mahaney:

By using words that are carefully and skillfully chosen, we can give the gift of grace to others. And Christmas provides us with many opportunities for conversations with a variety of friends and family. But are you prepared?

The Apostle Paul writes, “let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

This promise is stunning! By carefully choosing my words I can give grace to those I care for.

*****

So what words fit a particular occasion? Consideration for one we are conversing with must inform our words. So before I speak I must observe and listen. I must ask questions. I must take an interest in them.

• If they are Christians, are there evidences of grace I can draw their attention to?
• If they are not Christians, are there evidences of common grace in their life?
• Is this person experiencing prosperity?
• Or is this person experiencing adversity?
• If they are suffering I want to give them comforting grace through my words.
• If they are weary, I want to give them sustaining grace through my words.
• And to all, when and where appropriate, I want to share the gospel, for that is the most effective way to give grace through my words.

So here is my point. Buying the appropriate Christmas gift for someone requires that we know and study them. But this is no less true of our conversations.

So as you consider certain individuals, and seek to buy meaningful gifts for them, also consider how you can give them grace through your words.

Preparing the Soil, Preparing the Soul

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Richard Sibbes:

Glory follows afflictions, not as the day follows the night but as the spring follows the winter; for the winter prepares the earth for the spring, so do afflictions sanctified prepare the soul for glory.

Source

Affliction

I spent some time in Psalm 119 this morning, and it was interesting to me to put together the verses that talk about affliction. I’ve assembled them in a sort of chronology of suffering.

In the middle of suffering, a cry for help

¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted;

give me life, O Lord, according to your word!

Our instinctive appeal for deliverance

¹⁵³ Look on my affliction and deliver me,

for I do not forget your law.

Reflecting on the sovereign goodness of God

⁷⁵ I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,

and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Finding comfort even as suffering continues

⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction,

that your promise gives me life.

Looking back at how God’s Word kept you going

⁹² If your law had not been my delight,

I would have perished in my affliction.

In hindsight, a learning experience

⁷¹ It is good for me that I was afflicted,

that I might learn your statutes.

Going forward, a new level of obedience and devotion

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray,

but now I keep your word.

An Irreconcilable War

William Gurnall:

The Christian is to proclaim and initiate an irreconcilable war against his choice sins. Those nearest his heart must now be trampled under his feet. This takes great courage and resolution. O how a lust will plead for itself! Satan pleads: ‘Is it not just a little one, O spare it!’ He will flatter the soul with the secrecy of it: ‘You can have it, and your honour also.’ If this does not work, Satan will try to get you to wait just a little while for its execution. Do not be deceived by this strategy. Most lusts that have received a delay in execution will eventually obtain a full pardon and regain full favor with your soul. It takes great resolution to break through such violent pleading and bring your lust to full execution. We must walk with a single purpose, without an eye on the world’s glitter. We must stand fixed to heaven’s principles and so prove our citizenship in heaven by our faithfulness to the truth.

Source

You Can Change #37 (Chapter 4)

From page 69 of You Can Change:

Human beings are always interpreters and always worshipers. We're interpreters who form explanations for what's happening to us. And we were made by God to worship him; so worship is hard-wired into our being.

There is a two-fold problem in the heart: what we think or trust and what we desire or worship. Sin happens when we don't trust God above everything (when we interpret in the wrong way) and when we don't desire God above everything (when we worship the wrong thing). Sin happens when we believe lies about God instead of God's Word and when we worship idols instead of worshiping God.

I love it when you can cover this much territory with a just a couple of simple categories. This really gets at a lot of what goes on in our heads and hearts that ends up as sin in our lives.

This can become a helpful diagnostic for when we are confused, perplexed, or even angry with God. How am I interpreting my circumstances? Am I making assumptions or jumping to conclusions about God and his purposes that are inconsistent with what he has revealed and promised in Scripture?

Or try this when you are fighting a particular temptation or struggling with contentment. What am I desiring here? What is it that I really want? The friction is probably the result of God's holy standard going against the grain of my sinful desires.

As Tim Chester concludes the chapter, he says the answer to the problem of bad interpretation is faith, and the answer to bad worship is repentance. Though he is going to elaborate on these in coming chapters, I think it will be practical for us to apply these right away.

Can you give an example of when you interpreted your circumstances poorly (not according to God's Word, his promises)?

Can you give an example of identifying an idols in your life by tracing in through your desires?

How can we help each other be better interpreters and worshipers?

Note: I'll be taking a break from blogging on You Can Change until mid-January, since our last small group meeting for this calendar year is this Sunday, December 5, with our next meeting with discussion on You Can Change being on January 30.

In the meantime the blog itself will continue with its regular irregularity.

Repentance Is Worship

Graham Kendrick:

We do not always think of repentance as worship, but it can be much easier to sing a rousing hymn than to turn away from our favorite sin. A sinful act involves worship of the wrong kind, submitting ourselves at that moment to serve the appetites of our pride or lust, and so repentance is literally a transfer of our worship back to the One who rightfully owns it. . . . . Worship has been misunderstood as something that arises from a feeling which “comes upon you,” but it is vital that we understand that it is rooted in a conscious act of the will, to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. The feelings, the joy of having been forgiven, follow on as a consequence of our reunion with him.

Note that Kendrick is not saying that love is a merely rational choice. When he says worship is "rooted in a conscious act of the will, to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ," he is saying that worship is deeply connected to discipleship. We cannot say we adore him if we have ignored his call to leave everything else to come and follow him.

Source

You Can Change #36 (Chapter 4)

Tim Chester, in You Can Change:

I used to think of myself as that calm, gentle person-- the 7:30 [devotional time] me-- and concluded I was pretty godly! If I'm provoked to sin, then the problem must be whatever provoked me. But I've come to realize that the real me is the person who is revealed when the sinful desires of my heart are exposed by trying circumstances and annoying people. The real me is revealed when I'm too tired to keep up the pretense. (68)

This section of chapter four is called "My Circumstances Trigger My Heart." That's a good way to put it. We need to recognize the factors that lead us into sin, but the bottom line is whether or not we respond in obedience and faith, or in disobedience and disbelief.

We'd much rather point to the external factors ("The woman you gave me..."), than point to our own responsibility and failure. We even convince ourselves that person who is a sinner is not the real me.

What are we afraid of? Facing the ugliness of our own hearts? The sad reality of our daily sins and shortcomings? Why should this be daunting if we have the gospel?

Ignoring the facts will not help us grow. Committing to daily habits of confession, repentance, and faith, all grounded in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ-- that makes it possible for us to be honest with ourselves and not go crazy.

What are the circumstances or times of day that reveal the best and worst of your heart?

Are there certain people that bring out the worst in you?

Can you identify what's wrong with you, not just with them?

Are these attitudes and responses the kinds of things that Jesus died for?

Bridge to Nowhere

From The Big Picture:

A partially illuminated bridge to nowhere sits in the middle of the the Yalu River, which separates the North Korean border town of Siniuju (opposite bank, in darkness) from Dandong in northeast China's Liaoning province on November 24, 2010 in Dandong. The Yalu River bridge, also known as the no-name bridge, remains standing reaching only halfway across the river after it was bombed by the U.S. in 1950 during the Korean War and eventually dismantled from its own side by North Korea shortly after the Korean War armistice.

What an illustration of broken relationships! One party damages the relationship in a fight, and then the other party just detaches themselves, leaving a partial structure that goes nowhere. The marriage, the family, the congregation is in ruins. Nice lights, though.

Matthew 5:23-24

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

You Can Change #35 (Chapter 4)

We're continuing in chapter 4 of You Can Change, called "When Do You Struggle?" The point is to consider how our circumstances affect us in as we try to live like Christ.

Before we go any further, Tim Chester wants to make sure that we understand that the root of all our actions is our own hearts, not outside circumstances. Thus, the next two sections (pp. 65-66) are "Our Struggles Reveal Our Hearts" and "My Behavior Comes from My Heart."

Chester:

Heart is shorthand for our thinking and desires. The root cause of my behavior is always my heart. What we see is behavior and emotions, and it's easy to focus on changing behavior and emotions. But lasting change is achieved only by tackling their source-- the heart. (66)

Now, if I had a problem yelling at my wife, it might do some good to work on my volume. I could come up with some techniques for moderating my response (count to 10, take a deep breath, etc.), but the noise level is only a symptom of the sickness in my heart.

In fact, if I were to figure out how to sweeten my tone of voice while remaining argumentative and/or manipulative, I'm not sure that I haven't taken a step backward.

I need to recognize what my thoughts and desires are that make me respond so violently. I need to own up to my selfishness and stubbornness. Later on, we'll talk about redirecting those desires.

How are you tempted to focus on behavior and emotions rather than thoughts and desires?

Can you give an example of trying to change the outward instead of the inward?