Misplaced Fear

Regardless of your political leanings, last night's vote on health care was unquestionably an historic vote. We see this both in the excitement among those who supported the bill, as well as in the fear of its consequences so evident among those who were against it.

Russell Moore has a great post today though on what our response as Christians should be. His thoughts in it include the following:

Is it a problem that some of us who are tranquil as still water about biblical doctrine and ecclesial mission are red-faced about Nancy Pelosi and the talking heads on MSNBC? Is it a problem that some who haven’t shared the gospel with their neighbors in months or years are motivated to vent to strangers on the street about how scary national health care will be?

It’s not that I think Christians should be disengaged from issues of justice (God forbid!). It’s just that I wonder if we wouldn’t represent Christ and his kingdom better if we did it with a certain tranquility of Spirit, a tranquility that signals we’re not afraid of the rise and fall of temporal kingdoms and their policies.

He goes on to say:

So if what you’re afraid of is a politician or a policy or a culture or the future of Western civilization, don’t give up the conviction but give up the fear. Work for justice. Oppose evil. But do it so that your opponents will see not fear but trust, optimism, and affection.

Read the whole thing here.

The Gospel Roots of March Madness

The Wall Street Journal yesterday had an interesting article about Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Note the specifically gospel-directed emphasis of Naismith's work:

As a young Christian, Naismith received a master's degree from Montreal's Presbyterian Theological College. Convinced that he could better exemplify the Christian life through sports than in the pulpit, he moved to Springfield, Mass., to serve as a physical-education instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association's International Training School for Christian Workers (now Springfield College). Naismith's vision? "To win men for the Master through the gym."

Read the whole article here.

(HT: City Church)

Ten Books for Preachers to Read

In the most recent issue of Preaching Magazine, Al Mohler suggests the following 10 books for preachers to read in 2010. I've already gotten a little bit of a jump start on the list having read three of them (numbers 3, 4 and 5), and am looking forward to following his advice on a number of others.

1. Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice by Bryan Chapell (Baker Academic)
2. The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future by Robert Darnton (Public Affairs)
3. Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck (Moody Publishers)
4. Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church by Michael Horton (Baker Books)
5. The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne (Matthias Media)
6. Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches by Russell D. Moore (Crossway)
7. Ancient Word, Changing Worlds: The Doctrine of Scripture in a Modern Age by Stephen J. Nichols and Eric T. Brandt (Crossway)
8. Perspectives on Christian Worship: 5 Views edited by J. Matthew Pinson (B&H Academic)
9. Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults by Christian Smith with Patricia Snell (Oxford Univ. Press)
10. The Young and the Digital: What Migration to Social-Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future by S. Craig Watkins (Beacon Press)

(HT: Justin Taylor)

God, Election, and Mystery

If we truly have a God who is infinte and eternal, a God "who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20), wouldn't it only make sense that finite beings such as ourselves would not be able to completely comprehend everything about this God?

C.J. Mahaney has this to say about being comfortable with the mystery of God:

(HT: Zach Nielsen)

Christianity and Sports

Anyone who knows me more than just a little bit knows that I'm a big sports fan. Recently Christianity Today had a cover story by Shirl James Hoffman arguing that Christians have by and large succumbed to the sports culture and need to dramatically change their attitude toward (and emphasis on) sports.

This has spawned somewhat of a discussion on the topic lately, and my fellow Michigan resident and friend Ted Kluck was on the Al Mohler Radio Program Tuesday discussing the relationship between Christianity and sports.

If you're a Christian and a sports fan, I reccommend listening to his appearance (can you "appear" on the radio?) with Dr. Mohler. To an even greater degree though, I suggest taking a look at Ted's book, The Reason for Sports: A Christian Fanifesto. It's a smart, funny, interesting read that I greatly enjoyed.

Ted has also co-authored two other great books along with Kevin DeYoung: Why We're Not Emergent and Why We Love the Church.

Solus Christus

I never cease to be amazed at the insights of John Calvin. I was doing some sermon prep to preach on John 14:6 ("I am the way and the truth and the life") when I came across this little nugget from his commentary on John:

"The statement amounts to this, that whoever obtains Christ is in want of nothing; and, therefore, that whoever is not satisfied with Christ alone, strives after something beyond absolute perfection."

Ministry Idols

Last Sunday I got a call at 5:45 a.m. from our senior pastor's wife telling me that he was sick and asking if I'd be able to preach that morning (at 9:15 & 11:00). I was scheduled to teach a Sunday School class on the first commandment, so I spent a couple hours transforming it into a sermon and preached it. I survived and so did all of the congregation, so chalk another one up to the grace of God!

Having just dealt with the topic of having no other Gods, I've been thinking the last couple days about what idolatries I have in my life as a pastor. Low and behold, I was making my morning sprint through a number of blogs I follow and Justin Taylor has a post on that very topic. More specifically, he includes a Mark Driscoll sermon (posted below) in which he goes through a number of typical pastoral idols. Taylor summarizes them as follows:

1.Attendance idolatry: Does your joy change when your attendance does?
2.Gift idolatry: Do you feel that God needs you and uses you because you are so skilled?
3.Truth idolatry: Do you consider yourself more righteous than more simple Christians?
4.Fruit idolatry: Do you point to your success as evidence of God’s approval of you?
5.Method idolatry: Do you worship your method as your mediator?
6.Tradition idolatry: What traditions are you upholding that are thwarting the forward progress of the gospel?
7.Office idolatry: Are you motivated primarily by God’s glory or your title?
8.Success idolatry: Is winning what motivates you at the deepest level?
9.Ministry idolatry: Do you use the pressure of ministry to make you walk with God?
10.Innovative idolatry: Does it matter to you that your ministry be considered unique?
11.Leader idolatry: Who, other than Christ, are you imaging?

The Kingdom and the Church

Kevin DeYoung posts today on the relationship between the Kingdom and the Church. Though going somewhat against the grain of many of today's church trendsetters, he (as usual) provides wise insight.

But once we understand that the local church is the witness to and manifestation of the kingdom the Bible makes more practical sense. In the kingdom, possessions are shared so that no one has to suffer want. That’s why the needs of the covenant community are met through the deacons. In the kingdom, unrepentant sinners are barred from entering. That’s why we have membership and church discipline. In the kingdom there is relational harmony and everyone is accepted by God and delights in God through his Son Jesus Christ. This is not only the goal of the church, but only in the church could we ever expect to see these realities.

So yes, we desire to bring the heavenly kingdom down to earth. But the kingdom that comes, the one we are looking for and living in, shows up in the church.

Book Review: The Trellis and the Vine

The controlling metaphor of this book is that of the relationship between a trellis and a vine (hence the title). The function of the trellis is secondary. That is to say that it, in and of itself, is not important. Its importance, rather, is found in its ability to support the vine. It is the vine that is ultimately important.

Colin Marshall and Tony Payne suggest that the framework, structures and committees, of the church serve as the trellis to the vine of proclaiming and applying the Gospel to the lives of people. Far too often though, we spend all our time and efforts focussing on "trellis work" while not paying enough attention to the vine.

The answer to this problem, they suggest, comes through training disciples to train disciples. While this might not be quite as easy as they sometimes make it seem, there are any number of good suggestions in this book as to how it is practically done.

I personally feel that Marshall and Payne are on the right track and I highly reccommend this book to pastors, elders, and other ministry leaders. If you'd like to hear about this book from a far more authoritative source than myself though, check out what Mark Dever has to say below.



UPDATE...Click here to download a free discussion/study guide for The Trellis and the Vine.

We Aren't the World

Russell Moore is dead-on with his commentary on the uproar among some Christians regarding the new version of We Are the World, and the fact that it does not include the line Willie Nelson sang from the original: "As God has shown us, by turning stones to bread..."

I had always wondered when exactly it was that God had shown us that.

The Duty of Pastors

In doing some sermon prep I was reading Calvin's Commentary on John 10 and came upon this passage:

And he who is not the shepherd. Though Christ claims for himself alone the name of a shepherd, yet he indirectly states that, in some respects, he holds it in common with the agents by whom he acts. For we know that there have been many, since the time of Christ, who did not hesitate to shed their blood for the salvation of the Church; and even the prophets, before his coming, did not spare their own life. But in his own person he holds out a perfect example, so as to lay down a rule for his ministers. For how base and shameful is our indolence, if our life is more dear to us than the salvation of the Church, which Christ preferred to his own life!

What is here said about laying down life for the sheep, may be viewed as an undoubted and principal mark of paternal affection. Christ intended, first, to demonstrate what a remarkable proof he gave of his love toward us, and, next, to excite all his ministers to imitate his example. Yet we must attend to the difference between them and him. He laid down his life as the price of satisfaction, shed his blood to cleanse our souls, offered his body as a propitiatory sacrifice, to reconcile the Father to us. Nothing of all this can exist in the ministers of the Gospel, all of whom need to be cleansed, and receive atonement and reconciliation to God by that single sacrifice. But Christ does not argue here about the efficacy or benefit of his death, so as to compare himself to others, but to prove with what zeal and affection he is moved towards us, and, next, to invite others to follow his example. In short, as it belongs exclusively to Christ to procure life for us by his death, and to fulfill all that is contained in the Gospel, so it is the universal duty of all pastors or shepherds, to defend the doctrine which they proclaim, even at the expense of their life, and to seal the doctrine of the Gospel with their blood, and to show that it is not in vain that they teach that Christ has procured salvation for themselves and for others.

For those of us who are pastors, may we all exemplify this type of shepherd, willing to follow the example of our Savior. And for everyone else, pray for your pastors that this might indeed be true of them, and continue to keep them in your prayers.

Warnings on Self-Righteousness

Tullian Tchividjian had some real good thoughts on self-righteousness yesterday. In addition to the expected (and warranted) warnings for "conservative, buttoned-down, rule-keeping" types, he also included this observation about those who have reacted against such a view of things:

It’s simple: we can become self-righteous against those who are self-righteous. Many younger evangelicals today are reacting to their parents’ conservative, buttoned-down, rule-keeping flavor of “older brother religion” with a type of liberal, untucked, rule-breaking flavor of “younger brother irreligion” which screams, ”That’s right, I know I don’t have it all together and you think you do; I know I’m not good and you think you are. That makes me better than you.” See the irony?

In other words, they’re proud that they’re not self-righteous!

Free Audiobooks From Christianaudio.com

Every month Christianaudio.com offers the download of an audio book or two for free. This month Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship and John Piper’s Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die are available. Click here to take advantage of this great offer.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

The Goodness of God

I am re-reading the book Biblical Christian Ethics by David Clyde Jones in preparation for a Sunday School class I am teaching and it pointed me to these two great quotes on the great depth of the goodness of God and its sufficiency for our joy:

First, from John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion (3.25.10)...

If God contains the fullness of all good things in himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strive after the highest good and all the elements of happiness… If the Lord will share his glory, power, and righteousness with the elect – nay, will give himself to be enjoyed by them and, what is more excellent, will somehow make them to become one with humself, let us remember that every sort of happiness is included under this benefit.

Then this, from Augustine in The City of God (XXII.30)...

True peace shall be there, where no one shall suffer opposition either from himself or any other. God himself, who is the Author of virtue, shall there be its reward; for, as there is nothing greater or better, He has promised himself. What else was meant by His word through the prophet, “I will be your God, and ye shall be my people,” than, “I shall be their satisfaction, I shall be all that men honorably desire” – life, and health, and nourishment, and plenty, and glory, and honor, and peace, and all good things? This, too, is the right interpretation of the apostle, ‘That God may be in all.’ He shall be the end of our desires who shall be seen without end, loved without cloy, praised without weariness. This outgoing affection, this employment, shall certainly be, like eternal life itself, common to all.

And finally, from the Heidelberg Catechism (Q&A 58)...

What comfort do you derive from the article of the life everlasting?

That, since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, after this life I shall possess perfect bliss, such as eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man - therein to praise god forever.

May these truths increase in us a hunger for holiness today and a longing for the Lord's return. Come, Lord Jesus!

Congratulations to Wheaton College and to Dr. Philip Ryken

This past Sunday, Dr. Philip Ryken, the Senior Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, announced that he had accepted the position as the President of Wheaton College. Dr. Ryken was preceeded in the historic church’s pulpit by such notable pastors as Donald Gray Barnhouse and James Montgomery Boice.

I have been blesed greatly by the ministry of Dr. Ryken, hearing him at conferences, listening to his sermons via podcast, and reading his books. As I watched the webcast of Dr. Ryken’s announcement, I was further impressed by a number of things which clearly helped make him the wonderful pastor he has been at Tenth:

1) The way he tenderly cares for the flock that has been entrusted to his care. The love that he has for the members of Tenth was evident in the words he spoke and the way he spoke them. He made it clear that leaving them would be a hard experience, “so hard because it has been so good.” The mutual love and sorrow reminded me of Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.

2) The fact that he appropriately values his family was evident in a number of ways:

• His wife’s input was clearly a part of the decision he made
• His took steps to guard his children from being overwhelmed by a whirlwind of questions from those in the church
• One of the few prayer requests he made was for his family and the issues that they would have to deal with in their time transition

3) Even with these two priorities (his family and his church), Dr. Ryken made it clear that a kingdom perspective is required. This was apparent in his opening words which were a reminder to the congregation that the session had asked him to issue: “One of the things we’ve really tried to teach and to model as a congrgation…is to, with joy, to give up what we have for the wider work of the kingdom of God.” It was also apparent in the family prayer that he shared: “We are open to God severing every earthly tie of affection, as long as he will preserve that tie of affection with himself, and that we will go where Jesus calls us to go.”

May God bless Dr. Ryken, his family, and Tenth Church during this time of transition.

Congratulations to Jerram Barrs

Congrats to my former professor Jerram Barrs who recently was honored by Outreach Magazine. His excellent book, Learning Evangelism From Jesus was named the book of the year in the area of Evangelism.

This is a well deserved honor. I recently taught a Sunday School class on evangelism, and this book was one of my primary resources in preparation. Jerram epitomizes someone who has the heart of an evangelist and is truly one of the most Christ-like individuals I've ever had the privilege of meeting. It is no exaggeration to say that among the highlights of my seminary education was the opportunity to learn from him.

Kudos, Jerram! And thank you for your service to our Lord and to the Church.