A Fool for Christ

A pall lies over the church. Like a thick blanket of winter fog, spiritual coolness hovers above the people of God, freezing right to the bone.

Where is passion? Where is heat? Where are spiritual vigor and zeal? Who is there among the saints who is truly devoted, who has counted all things as loss that he may gain Christ? Who is there that has forsaken all to follow in the way of the cross: forsaken pleasures as well as sin, left behind earthly comforts and passing joys for superior and lasting glory of a heavenly sort?

I confess that I myself am not such a man. Always distractions on every side; always laziness presses in on my soul; always does hesitancy slow my steps and timidity hinder my path when I would run hard after my God! O Lord! May I not be the man choked by the concerns of the world and the desire for other things! Let me rather die today in flames of fervent love for you and others than live ten thousand days in this spiritual desolation!

O my people, my people! My brothers and my sisters bought by Majesty’s blood! Will we not together be done with lesser things and do all for Jesus, sparing not our comfort or our very lives? Awake! Arise! Let us tread this day the path He walked: after Golgotha waits Glory!

Who were the Puritans?

Who were the Puritans? While I am no expert, I think this sums things up in essence:

“Puritan” is a word that is notoriously difficult to nail down in terms of whom it applies to and to whom it does not. In general, though, to be a Puritan meant to be part of that body of English believers and ministers (on both sides of the pond) who sought to “purify” the Church in the period of about 1560-1700, to bring it into greater conformity to the mind of Christ as revealed in Scripture. But this was more than merely an attempt at institutional reform. The Puritans were concerned that true Gospel holiness pervaded all spheres of life: church life, family life, community life and, of course, personal life. So great was their concern for holiness that they have come to us as having the reputation of being somewhat gloomy- killjoys we might say. But the truth is something different: the Puritans, for all of their “precision” in both doctrine and conduct, are examples of Gospel-centered joy and devotion, as anyone who has read their works can testify. Yes, they are rigorous and disciplined, but that cannot be confused with being rough and depressed. Rather, the Puritans should be considered as models of spiritual depth and maturity. In fact, spiritual maturity may be their greatest legacy. Hear J.I. Packer:

“What could these zealots [i.e. the Puritans] give us that we need, it is asked.
The answer, in one word, is maturity. Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity. The Puritans exemplified maturity; we don’t. We are spiritual dwarfs.”

There you have it: spiritual maturity displayed. That is the legacy of the Puritans to those who have eyes to see, and their great gift to us today. 

Let me, therefore, encourage you: Would you grow strong in Gospel-faith and deep in the true Christian religion? Read the Puritans. Insofar as mere men, with all their imperfections, may help us, these will do so. 

Reading with you,
aaron

The Reason for Christ's Death

“…and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:15

Why did Christ die? What was God’s purpose in his bloody, awful crucifixion? For what reason was the Son of God crushed on the cross? Certainly the Christian may rejoice in that Christ died to secure the forgiveness of our sins and our reconciliation to the Godhead. No other fount we know to provide such cleansing and restoration. But here, Paul fixes our attention on something else that our Lord’s death accomplished. Namely, by virtue of his cross-work, Christ not only redirects the eternal destiny of every believer, but also radically transforms the believer’s daily focus. In what way? The essence is this: Christ’s death makes it possible that believers “might no longer live for themselves but for him.” That is, Christ’s death makes it possible for a saint to live for and be preoccupied with those things that concern Christ and his Kingdom. We may now be “done with lesser things,” as the old hymn teaches. Even further, not only does it make it possible for a Christian to live in this way, it makes it a certainty. For, we died with Christ and have “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

What glorious liberation is this effect of the cross! How many pains are at root the results of a self-centered lifestyle? How many sins are in essence the bitter fruit of pursuing the kingdom of me rather than the Kingdom of I Am? But, thanks be to God, what a Savior we have who provides for us (and at so great a price it should be added) freedom from the vanity we are born to and toward which we tend!

So, may it be that today, Christian, you see clearly the connection between the death of your Lord and the death of your self, and may such awareness encourage you to live for him who for your sake died and was raised!

Finished!

Today I finished reading Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor. Never have I read as incisive and as helpful a book as this on ministry. A bit like facing the surgeon's scalpel, only Baxter cuts deeper.

Here are five takeaways for me relative to pastoral ministry, without any elaboration whatsoever:

1. The necessity of caring for the WHOLE flock of god.
2. The diligence required for such care.
3. The means available for such care (particularly, personal instruction of all those in the church).
4. The dangers of avoiding such care.
5. The blessing of attending to such care.

Also, just to give you a little taste of Baxter's vision of a pastor's duty, here is a longer excerpt. He bases it all on Paul's discourse to the Ephesian elders found in Acts 20.

"O brethren! write it on you study doors- set it in capital letters as your copy, that it may be ever before your eyes. Could we but well learn two or three lines of it, what preachers should we be!

[a] Our general business- SERVING THE LORD WITH ALL HUMILITY OF MIND, AND WITH MANY TEARS.

[b] Our special work- TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES AND TO ALL THE FLOCK.

[c] Our doctrine- REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, AND FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

[d] The place and manner of teaching- I HAVE TAUGHT YOU PUBLICLY, AND FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE.

[e] His diligence, earnestness, and affection- I CEASED NOT TO WARN EVERY ONE NIGHT AND DAY WITH TEARS. This is what must win souls, and preserve them.

[f] His faithfulness- I KEPT BACK NOTHING THAT WAS PROFITABLE UNTO YOU, AND HAVE NOT SHUNNED TO DECLARE UNTO YOU ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD.

[g] His disinterestedness and self-denial for the sake of the gospel- I HAVE COVETED NO MAN'S SILVER OR GOLD OR APPAREL: YEA, THESE HANDS HAVE MINISTERED UNTO MY NECESSITIES, AND TO THEM THAT WERE WITH ME, REMEMBERING THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS, HOW HE SAID, IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

[h] His patience and perseverance- NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME, NEITHER COUNT I MY LIFE DEAR UNTO ME, SO THAT I MIGHT FINISH MY COURSE WITH JOY, AND THE MINISTRY WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED OF THE LORD JESUS.

[i] His prayerfulness- I COMMEND YOU TO GOD AND TO THE WORD OF HIS GRACE, WHICH IS ABLE TO BUILD YOU UP, AND TO GIVE YOU AN INHERITANCE AMONG ALL THEM WHICH ARE SANCTIFIED.

[j] His purity of conscience- WHEREFORE I TAKE YOU TO RECORD THIS DAY, THAT I AM PURE FROM THE BLOOD OF ALL MEN."

Lord, give us such men as Baxter in our churches, and may I be such a one.

On my "to read list"

This looks like an excellent resource for pastors- indeed for all Christians. From two men I respect greatly...

http://www.crossway.org/books/1-and-2-timothy-and-titus-hcj-1/

Note to self...

1 Timothy 1:5 "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

What charge is Paul referring to here? Looking at verse 1:3, we see that it was the charge that "certain persons not teach any different doctrine" in the church, that is, doctrine that is outside of true Gospel orthodoxy. Thus, while some perceive the practice of guarding doctrine both divisive and pedantic, Paul saw it as the pathway to love and purity, to "a good conscience and a sincere faith."

Note to self then: doctrine and love are not incompatible.

The Pastor's Books

Some helpful words:

"The pastor’s work and the pastor’s books are inseparable. Since dialogue with scripture and tradition is so central to pastoral care, it is to be expected that the life of the pastor will be deeply enmeshed in the meditative reading, thoughtful study, and care of good books. Since the pastor’s time is limited, selection of excellent books is a consequential pastoral decision."

Oden, T. C. (1987). Becoming a Minister. Classic Pastoral Care (159). New York: Crossroad.

Interviewing the Apostle

One of the most helpful things for me in terms of studying a text in preparation for preaching is simply to ask questions of it. I liken it to "interviewing" the biblical author.

Thus, in preparation for preaching 1 Peter 2:9-10 in a couple months, here are some of the questions I'm asking Peter. The list is not exhaustive (and is in no particular order).

1.     Who is Peter addressing? Jewish Christians? Gentile Christians? Does it matter?

2.     What can I determine about the original recipients’ situation and how is it relevant to the meaning and exposition of the text?

3.     From what OT texts does Peter quote? Why does he use these quotes? How does he apply them? What were the original OT contexts and how does that influence the meaning of the quotes in 1 Peter?

4.     What is the meaning and purpose of 1 Peter as a whole?

5.     Why does Peter say the things he says at this particular point in the epistle? How does this section contribute to the meaning and purpose of 1 Peter as a whole?

6.     How does Peter’s identity and history influence his writing?

7.     What is the purpose of this particular text?

8.     Is there anything to learn from the Greek text that is not obvious in the English that I would have to explain?

9.     How is the Gospel present in this text?

10. How can I preach Christ clearly from this text?

11. How does the text “divide up” exegetically? Does it “divide up” differently homiletically?

12. How does this text apply to believers? To unbelievers? To UWSP students?

13. Are there other relevant biblical texts that shed light upon 1 Peter 2:9-10?

14. What is the tone of Peter’s epistle and of this section in particular? Encouraging? Rebuking? Instructing? Warning? Other?

15. How does the genre of 1 Peter (epistle) influence its meaning?

16. What are the main themes of 1 Peter as a whole?

17. Where does 1 Peter fit into the overarching biblical storyline?

18. What are some possible wrong interpretations and conclusions to be drawn from this text?

A Great Pastor's Greatest Weakness

I was profoundly helped this evening by a quote from R.C. Sproul. It's his answer to the question "What is your greatest weakness as a pastor?" Both encouraging and convicting...

"My biggest weakness is that I am profoundly shy. I am not quick to make friends, nor even to interact with the friends I have been blessed with. Though I am confident in the depth of the love I have for the sheep under my care, I likewise understand why that love may not seem so evident to the sheep. My shyness is, I suspect, a corollary to a deeper problem, that I want to be liked. My reputation matters far more to me than it should."

Read the whole thing at http://www.ligonier.org/blog/10-important-things-ask-potential-pastor/

Sermon outline draft

In October I will be doing one of my favorite things: speaking at the InterVarsity large group meeting at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, my alma mater.

I will be preaching on the theme of "belonging" from 1 Peter 2:9-10. Below is the first stage of my outline draft. Please pray for the time, that the saints would be built up and unbelievers called.

Purpose: to answer the question "Where do I belong?" from a biblical perspective.

Text: 1Peter 2:9-10

Thesis: God calls us in Christ to belong...

1. To Himself.
2. To His People.
3. To His Purpose.

Again, please pray!

Follow-up on anxiety

Dr. Robert Kellemen, who is a wonderful teacher, posted recently this interview regarding his book on anxiety. Here is the link: http://www.rpmministries.org/2012/08/anxiety-anatomy-and-cure-2/

Here, too, is a fantastic excerpt: “Anxiety is vigilance out of control—hyper-vigilance, stuck vigilance. You scan…and scan…and scan your environment worried about the ‘what ifs’ of life. Anxiety is toxic scanning. Anxiety is also vigilance trying to maintain control in a self-protective and self-sufficient way. Anxiety is vigilance minus faith in God.”

Anxiety and Ministry

Anxiety and depression in the ministry are real. I recall Alistair Begg saying once that his session on “Pastoral Depression” at a conference he spoke at was overwhelmingly attended, a fact that only hints at the serious and widespread nature of the issue. Without becoming unduly autobiographical myself, I have sensed over the years (increasingly so as I’ve moved more and more into ministry) that this will be an issue that I personally will need to wrestle through in the grace and strength of God for the sake of a fruitful ministry.

As part of that wrestling, here are a few brief thoughts on the matter that I find helpful.

1.     Relentlessly seek to identify the root of your anxiety.

The nature of anxiety is that it tends to be blinding. We feel as if we are in a fog and unable to discern what it is that is causing us to feel the way we feel. Often, there are a number of contributing factors to our worry, which only makes it harder to isolate the source. Isolate, however, we must. Without spinning ourselves in circles, we must attempt to pinpoint the leak in our joy that we may plug it with the promises of God. Hopefully, as time goes on, we will be able to move from saying, “I feel anxious,” to a more concrete expression of worry such as, “I fear I won’t be accepted by those I minister to,” or “I’m distressed regarding this choice I must make.”

2.     Courageously seek to communicate with others about your anxiety.

Again, the nature of anxiety is such that it tends to isolate us from others. A dear friend may be calling on the phone, but you feel unable to even begin to answer. A loved one may perceptively ask how you are, but a strange reluctance to articulate the truth resides upon your tongue. What are we to do in such situations? Silence can be deadly to our progress out of the valley, and so we must courageously confide in a trusted soul. A detailed explanation is unnecessary to begin- a brief statement will do: “I could use prayer for anxiety” or “I’m lacking in peace as of the moment.” From there, God will best direct the course of the conversation in order to bring the needed care.

3.     Ruthlessly seek to comfort yourself with the promises of God.

Finally, though we are grateful for the fellowship and encouragement of other believers, the ultimate source of our comfort must be our God, who “comforts the depressed,” is “near to the broken-hearted,” and who “a bruised reed he will not break.” Recollect that Christ, who has known untold sorrow, has offered- even guaranteed- to never leave you or forsake you. Remind yourself, even if in the moment it seems to do no good to you, that no depth of despair can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Let these and the other promises of God be the rain that waters your desert soul, refusing to obtain comfort from the world or the things of it. Surely our Adversary knows that when we are weak his enticements hold great allure, and so he will seek to tempt us in these moments. By faith, however, hold on the promises of the Faithful One.

Following the Method of Christ

This is perhaps one of the most helpful quotes on preaching I know of, from one of the most helpful resource books I know of:

"Jesus' debates with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the leaders of this nation were mainly concerned with the interpretation of the Bible. Their interpretations were wrong and as a result they did not believe in him.
Jesus not only told them that they were wrong, but on many occasions told them why they were wrong. He frequently prefaced his explanation of their error with the question 'Have you not read?' On one level this was simply a way of reminding them of the content  of Scripture, and of pointing out to them that the truth would be found in the Scripture. On another level the question, 'Have you not read?' challenged then to question their understanding of the meaning of Scripture. If they had read it carefully, and understood it as God intended, then they would believe in Jesus, not oppose him. Even his own disciples were 'foolish', and 'slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken'; Jesus had to open both their minds and the Scriptures for them to believe in him and understand the OT [Old Testament] revelation (Luke 24:25-27).
Christian preachers should make sure that they teach the same biblical theology as Jesus taught. His interpretation of the OT, and his summary of his own teaching is found in Luke 24:44-47: 'This is what I told you when I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms...The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations...' Jesus attempted to teach true biblical theology; that is, to interpret the OT as pointing to him."

P.J.H. Adams, "Preaching and biblical theology," from The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

A Plea for Diligent, Undistracted Pastors

2 Timothy 2:4 "No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him."

Richard Baxter, on the importance of a pastor giving himself wholly to the work of training and teaching of each member of his congregation:

"It will do good to many ministers, who are too apt to be idle, and to mis-pend their time in unnecessary discourse, business, journeys, or recreations. It will let them see that they have no time to spare for such things; and thus, when they are engaged in so much pressing employment of so high a nature, it will be the best cure for all that idleness, and loss of time. Besides, it will cut off that scandal, which usually [attends such idleness]; for people are apt to say, 'Such a minister can spend his time at [sporting events, or games], or [in] vain discourse; and why may not we do so as well as he?' Let us all set diligently to this part of our work, and then see what time we can find to spare to live idly, or in a way of voluptuousness, or worldliness, if we can."

May God grant me, and all involved in ministry, to do the work with all our might!

The Message and the Method of the Cross

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (ESV)

¹And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.

²For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

³And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,

⁴and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

⁵so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Here we see that not only was the cross at the center of Paul’s message, but it was also at the center of his method. That is, the cross not only determined what he said, but also how he said it.

And how did he, in fact, say it? Verse three tells us: “…in weakness and in fear and much trembling.” Astonishing! The Apostle Paul! The Mighty Apostle! The Great Missionary, Preacher, and Evangelist! In weakness and in fear?!? Surely not?!

Indeed. The apostle Paul was afraid. He trembled. He was weak. And this was his method of proclaiming the message of the cross. And God through this weakness worked mightily.

Just like at Calvary. On the cross, that symbol of helplessness, that “emblem of suff’ring and shame,” God’s might was unveiled most majestically and decisively. The ultimate contradiction: power through weakness. God’s chosen method to bring his salvation.

And also Paul’s chosen method to bring the message of salvation.

Surely we are confronted here with a convicting truth: Why, given God’s and Paul’s approach, do we set ourselves so earnestly upon the path of power and prestige as the method by which we will proclaim the message? Is it not, to reference Martin Luther (thanks Carl Trueman: http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2011/11/the-forgotten-insight.php) because we have a theology of the cross but are not ourselves theologians of the cross?

God help me and us to be such theologians.

 

More on online education...

I've posted in the past about the place of online education. Here is a thought-provoking link:

http://www.alexchediak.com/2012/08/dont-confuse-technology-with-college-teaching.php

Seminaries, Churches, and Spiritual Formation

I enjoyed tonight a series of posts dealing with the connections between the church, seminaries, and spiritual formation/development. You'll have to navigate a little bit to get to the first post, but this link will get you started: http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2012/08/seminaries-and-spiritual-forma.php

David's strength and ours

As I prepare for ministry, I am struck by how often I am looking to the Lord for strength. Or to put it another way, I am struck by just how weak I am.

Thankfully, the Lord has much to say in his Word about “strength.” One particular place I have been turning to much lately is Psalm 18, where the opening verse reads: “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” In what sense did David mean that the LORD is his strength? There are three senses in which he means this.

1.     David recognized that all his talents, gifts, and strengths were from his LORD.

David was a mighty warrior, a great king. He won many victories through his prowess, even slaying his ten-thousands versus Saul’s mere thousands, as the local lyric went. But David recognized that anything he possessed by way of might- either of a military kind or of another- was from God. So he says in Psalm 18:32 that God is “the God who equipped me with strength.” God had indeed imparted to David- and has imparted to each of us- strengths and talents. It is not wrong to identify and use these, but we must do so in the knowledge that we did not gain them on our own, but were given them by the one who made us.

2.     David recognized that all his talents, gifts, and strengths were nothing apart from his LORD.

This is, as it were, the next step in acknowledging the Lord as your strength. Not only did David recognize that everything was from the LORD, he also knew that is was only by his God that he would be able to employ his strengths with any success. So, in 18:29, David declares, “by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. Notice, David did not say, “by the gifts and talents God has given me I can do this and that.” No! It was by God that he could do these things. All of our gifts and talents count for nothing unless energized and supported by the LORD who gave them to us.

3.     David recognized that all his talents, abilities, and strengths were not his LORD.

Finally, David understood that at some point it is not about his gifts or talents, even gifts and talents employed using God’s enablement. At some point, we are completely out of the picture, and our gifts are out of it with us. All that is left is the LORD himself. We see this in verses 4-19. The picture is not one in which David wins the victory by using the gifts God has given him in the strength that God supplies. Rather, the picture is one in which David is totally helpless and weak, with “the cords of death encompassed” about him. He is in deep “distress” and in need of being “rescued.” God alone can act in such a time, and indeed he does. Verses 6-15 record a rather terrifying- though somehow comforting- vision of God coming forth from his temple in furious might, a might bent in the direction of the destruction of David’s enemies, a might bent in the direction of the salvation of David himself. In those moments, David’s gifts and talents- even those empowered by God- would not suffice. Only David’s God himself could rescue. The LORD alone was his strength.

And, of course, where does this line of thought ultimately end, biblically-speaking? Surely it leads our eyes through biblical history to that ultimate demonstration of God’s strength and deliverance on our behalf: the cross of Jesus Christ. There our God did what we could not do, cannot do, and will never be able to do. There he won the victory for his people, apart from them completely- we helped him none at all. He alone suffered that day. He alone, “while we were still weak, at the right time…died for the ungodly.” Let us say together, then, as ones this side of Calvary, “I love you, Jesus, my strength.”

Do we need the original languages?

I'm re-reading some portions of John Piper's Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. It's a solid assault on the professionalization of the pastoral office, one that I'm sure I will turn to again and again to beat back the temptations that seek to turn the ministry into mere management.

Of note today was Piper's chapter, "Brothers, Bitzer Was a Banker." In it, Piper makes a plea for pastors to become well-versed in the original languages of Scripture- Greek and Hebrew. He tells of a man named Heinrich Bitzer, who was ardently committed to knowing the original languages of the Bible. And the kicker was this: Bitzer was a banker. Not a pastor. Not an Old Testament professor. A banker. How much more, Piper contends, should pastors be committed to Greek and Hebrew, seeing as it is the nature of their office to expound the Word of God with accuracy and power!

Piper goes on, then, to show some of the reasons pastors need to know the original languages. I thought it perhaps helpful to give them here...

1. Without the original languages, "the confidence of pastors to determine the precise meaning of the Biblical text diminishes" (82).
2. "...the uncertainty of having to depend on differing translations- which always involve much interpretations- will tend to discourage careful textual analysis in sermon preparation" (82).
3. As a result of all of this, "[expository] preaching...falls into disuse and disfavor" (83).
4. "Another result when pastors do not study the Bible in Greek and Hebrew is that they, and their churches with them, tend to become second-handers. The harder it is for us to get at the original meaning of the Bible, the more we will revert to the secondary literature" (83).
5. "Weakness in Greek and Hebrew also gives rise to exegetical imprecision and carelesseness. And exegetical imprecision is the mother of liberal theology."
6. "...when we fail to stress the use of Greek and Hebrew as valuable in the pastoral office, we create an eldership of professional academicians" (84). By this Piper means that it is no longer pastors who are the masters of the Word, but only those outside the church, those in seminaries and universities.
7. As a result of number 7, then, Piper contends there results a "depreciation of the pastoral office" (84).
8. Finally, in quoting Martin Luther, Piper warns that "if we neglect the literature [i.e. the Scriptures in the original languages] we shall eventually lose the gospel" (87).

What think you? Is Piper off course? Are the original languages that necessary?

Jesus our Life

Jesus compares his ministry at one point to a doctor working with the sick. It is really a wonderful illustration. But it only goes so far. You see, a doctor gives to his patients something outside of himself- some medicine or something- to make them well. But Jesus - he gives us himself. He himself is our cure, our life.