BibleDriven

A little more on the “Deeper” studies …

A while back, we had out on our church sign this simple but deeply crucial invitation: “Come find your place in God’s story.” That is, in the plainest way, the heart of the Bible’ s truth and call.

See, there is a story—there really is a “way things are,” history is full of meaning, your life in history is momentous in the most far-reaching ways—and that story is God’s, the God of

the Christian Scriptures. There is no way to live as you should, to live in a way “pleasing to the Lord” that meets the end of your existence, apart from finding your place in God’s story; and there’s no way to “find your place” in God’s story if you don’t know God’s story, as he’s told it to us in his Word.

So, the purpose of this series during our Wednesday evening study time is to put “the big story” in place—to help you know what you believe and why you believe it in a way that works itself out in greater wonder, greater worship, and greater good works than we’ve known before as we love and serve our great God!

Let me encourage you to make the commitment—re-order, re-prioritize, re-think, revise your whole schedule, if necessary—to fill your seat in this study and find your place in God’s story!

“We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1.9-10)

Christ the Sum and Centre

“Christ Jesus the Lord, is the sum and centre of all divine revealed truth; neither is any thing to be preached unto men,

as an object of their faith, or necessary element of their salvation, which does not, in some way or other, either meet in him, or refer unto him. All truths, especially divine, are of a noble and precious nature; and, t herefore, whatsoever mysteries of his counsel God has been pleased in his Word to reveal, the church is bound in

her ministry to declare unto men.

And St. Paul professes his faithfulness therein, ‘I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God’ (Acts 20.27): but yet all this counsel (which elsewhere he calls the testimony of God) he gathers together into one conclusion, ‘I determined not to know any thing amongst you’ (1 Corinthians 2.1-2), that is, in my preaching unto you to make discovery of any other knowledge, as matter of consequence or faith, but only of Jesus Christ and him crucified (2 Corinthians 4.5). And therefore preaching of the Word, is called preaching of Christ,—and ministers of the Word, ministers of Christ (1 Corinthians 4.1-2; 2 Corinthians 3.6, 14),—and learning of the Word, learning of Christ (Ephesians 4.20); because our faith, our works, and our worship (which are the three essential elements of a Christian, the whole duty of man, the whole will of God,) have all their foundation, growth, end, and virtue, only in and from Christ crucified.”

—Edward Reynolds (1599-1676)
An Explication of the Hundred and Tenth Psalm

“A manner worthy of the calling …”

“I call you my brothers, and count it my privilege and joy to serve with you. And to you and this common cause in which we stand I give my life. I will go anywhere with you, and face anything, to the end of finishing the mission we’ve been given—faithfully, fully, courageously, and honorably, so help me God.”

As I listened to these words—from my Platoon Sergeant to her soldiers—I longed for them to be the words and the heart found in our churches. Alas, that it’s so rare.

Let’s commit ourselves altogether again to “walk in a manner worthy of [fitting, proper, of comparable value to] the calling” to which we’ve been called (Ephesians 4.1).

“The culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer.

Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because

love covers a multitude of sins.

Show hospitality to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God. Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4.7-11, NET).

Tags: Church, Ministry, Personal, Unity

Great question from D. A. Carson

Carson began the devotional with this true observation: “When people know little about the God who has actually disclosed himself, it is terribly easy for them to sink into some perverted view of this God, until the image held of him has very little to do with the reality.”

He concluded with this troubling illustration: “Yesterday I received in the mail a letter from one of America’s premier television preachers, inviting me to send money and offering me in return a Christmas tree ornament of an ‘angel’ with a trumpet, to remind me that God had commanded the angel looking after

me to blow a trumpet

to celebrate me.

What kind of pared-down and domesticated image of God do such leaders hold that they should utter such nonsense?” (D. A. Carson, from the August 14 Devotional, For the Love of God)

Indeed!

Tags: Church, Ministry, Truth

Finally … some vindication

Please read the article entitled “The day the circus came to church” written by Pastor Don Hattaway (Tabernacle Baptist Church, Cartersville) and appearing in The Christian Index (July 30, 2009). In case there’s not a copy of The Christian Index at hand, the article can be read online HERE. More and more voices are beginning to cry in this ecclesiastical wilderness,

and my hope is that the Lord is about to do great and mighty things for his church in our place and time.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts …” (Hebrews 3:15; 4:7).

Tags: Church, Culture, Ministry, Truth

Pastoral ministry is hard …

Harder than most people know. Much harder than I ever suspected, I think.

Oh, it’s not the study that’s difficult. It can be demanding, yes, but it’s also very rich and rewarding — intellectually stimulating and spiritually satisfying. And it’s not the teaching and preaching that take a toll at last. Any pastor worth his salt loves to teach his people and loves to preach God’s Word. It’s not the long hours that are exhausting, or the many things that have to be done — meetings attended, visits made, calls returned, emails answered, folks counseled, problems solved, friends walked with, and so on. None of that is what makes ministry hard, at last.

No, what makes it hard are the responses to the work, which (with seemingly few exceptions) are generally things like indifference, boredom, persistent disapproval, criticism, disrespect, insult.

Some of the latest figures I can find indicate that 80% of pastors (and 84% of pastors’ spouses) live in a relentless state of discouragement. There was a time in our country, not too long ago, when the pastoral profession was held in some esteem, both in the church and in the community. Now pastors are among the least honorable, and 70% or more of pastors surveyed say that pastoral ministry has depleted their sense of self-worth and confidence. Fifty percent of pastors say they would leave the ministry tomorrow, if they could, but they have no other way to make a living. The majority of pastors’ wives surveyed said the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry!

I wonder what the symptoms of burn-out are. Some days I just weep, and I don’t know why. Sometimes I fantasize about running away, and I wonder if it would even matter. I feel exhausted. I never sleep too well. My blood pressure is elevated. And I just may be self-medicating on caffeine!

Pray for my family, and for me. Pastoral ministry is hard!

Tags: Ministry

Only what needs to be done!

In M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Village, one of the characters, Lucius Hunt, is asked by another why he is so fearless. His reply is remarkable: “I don’t worry about what will happen, only what needs to be done.”

While here and there one finds notable exceptions, the Church-at-large in our culture seems to be of quite the opposite mind: “Don’t worry about what needs to be done, only what will happen if you do it.” In other words, look out for yourself, your interests, your investments, your future. Choose selfishly, not sacrificially.

If it comes to a choice, better to look good (image) than be right (character), better popular than prophetic, better culturally successful than fearlessly faithful!

God’s call to Ezekiel stands in stark contrast to such thinking. The Lord’s first words to him were: “I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day” (2:3). Okay, not quite the comfortable little position to ride out until retirement.

In fact, not only are they rebels and habitual transgressors, but they are “impudent and stubborn” as well, i.e. shameless and hard-hearted. Is it up to Ezekiel to make a career decision here, put together a list of pros and cons and opt for a more promising path? No! He is being “sent” and the heart of his commission is summed up in these words: “you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD…’” (2:4). And before Ezekiel can voice the slightest concern, the Lord adds: “And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them” (2:5). In other words, Ezekiel is not to worry about what will happen. “Be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words … nor be dismayed at their looks” (2:6). His only concern is what needs to be done. “You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear” (2:7).

Here is the crying need of the hour, in the midst of our dying culture: for the church to be the church—called and sent by God, taking a sacrificial stand if necessary, but always speaking the word of God into the midst of the rebellion, chaos and confusion of our day.

We truly don’t need to worry about what will happen when God calls and sends, only what needs to be done!

Tags: Church, Ministry, Spiritual Warfare