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Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think my children are yet believers. As much as my heart aches for that to be true, I just don’t think it is yet. But every once in a while, every so often, God provides me with glimpses of the Kingdom through my children.
Our oldest son was given a special gift. We don’t often give gifts to just one, but Miles has been having a difficult time with the move and all of the transition. He likes to look at books as he goes to bed (something I personally will not discourage!), so we bought him his own special book light, you know, the kind that clips on to the book and shines directly on to the page. Anyways, this special book light disappeared as do many things in our household. It has been missing for a couple of weeks now.
This evening, as we were putting the boys to bed, Miles came into the room that Owen and Carson share and said that he had great news: he had found his special book light! Not only that, he wanted Owen (our second boy) to be able to use/sleep with it.
Earlier in the day, the two older boys were riding their scooters and Carson was following on his trike. Carson fell over and the other two stopped and came back to make sure he OK. In case you’re wondering, this is not typical. But it is profound.
Life with four boys often breaks my heart, providing reminder after reminder of the power and depth of our slavery to sin (Genesis 6:5, Romans 3:23, 6, etc.). We are constantly fighting selfishness, pride, anger, disrespect, quarrelsome spirits and as any parent knows, the list could go on. Yet, God, in His sovereign grace, every once in a while, provides glimpses of the Kingdom, even through my children. Some of the verses we continually try to teach our boys are Philippians 2:3-4:
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
It doesn’t take long to realize that this is not natural to any of us. And yet, one day, it will be the norm. I am thankful to our gracious God that He provides glimpses into the age to come.
The other night we had a dinner party with some old friends. In the midst of talking, the conversation turned to the topic of preaching. We began talking about the aspect of standing in front of a group of people and having them listen to your every word (hopefully listening). A friend commented on the idea of standing in front of people and having them listen might be a bit of a “power trip.” Without even thinking, I agreed.
The next day, my wife called me on this: something I had not even given a second thought to; that there’s an aspect of danger to the soul to the pastoral calling. I worry that we (I) don’t often give enough weight to the fact that James says (James 3:1):
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness
What I took to be a passing comment at a dinner party, my wife reminded me was a glimpse into the “condemnation of the devil” Paul warns against in 1 Timothy 3. How true it is that “every intention of the thoughts of my heart are evil only continually” (Genesis 6:5) and that “pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18).
James recognizes the weight of the pastoral calling, not only because of the weight of keeping the Gospel pure, but because there is something very tempting about pride. Every pastor must be wary of succumbing to the temptation of pride. Even if people are listening to you, they are not listening to you but to God’s Word. Our authority is only in place as long as we point people to another; namely Christ.
Please hold me accountable, that Church of the Cross is never about me, but always about Christ.
I don’t often post the texts from sermons, especially my own. They’re quite often too long and just don’t work at blog posts. However, I wanted to share with you the basic structure of a sermon I’ve preached twice now, creatively titled: “It’s All About Jesus.” Please forgive the length. Trust me, it works better as a sermon (at least I hope it does!):
Apparently, there’s a huge market of books for idiots and dummies. I’m not being mean, that’s what they’re called! I’m sure you’ve seen them: you take something technical and you put it in normal people terms. There’s a couple of ways to evaluate this: 1) lament the continued dumbing down of America, arguing American culture appeals to the lowest common denominator. Some point here to so-called study aids like Cliffs Notes that enable students to get by without actually reading a book!
But another way to evaluate this is a bit more positive: some things are honestly difficult to understand, especially if you’re not trained in certain jargon and technical terms and the people reading the for “idiots” and “dummies” seem to really be trying to understand an otherwise a difficult concept.
Either way, these books seek to take difficult and complex topics and boil them down, much like Cliff’s Notes do for works of literature. They center in on the main themes and characters in a way the “average” reader might otherwise miss. These books tend to draw from scholarly consensus and then distill that into palatable forms. But what if there is no scholarly consensus for a work?
The Bible is the most widely translated and best-selling book of all time. It is part of the cultural literacy of our world. Allusions to it appear in many of our favoriate movies, songs and works of literature. Polls continue to show that Americans generally say they believe the Bible, but it is rare if not impossible to find consensus about what the Bible actually says, much less what it means. It is rarer still to find people whose lives are demonstrably different because of the Bible. And the truth is that the Bible is probably more purchased than actually read. Mark Dever, citing pollster George Gallup:
Americans revere the Bible, but they don’t read it. And because they don’t read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates. Four Americans in five believe the Bible is the literal or inspired Word of God, and yet only 4 in 10 could tell you that it was Jesus who gave the Sermon on the Mount and fewer than that can name the Four Gospels . . . The cycle of biblical illiteracy seems likely to continue – today’s teenagers know even less about the Bible than do adults. The celebration of Easter . . . is central to the faith, yet 3 teenagers in 10 – 30% of regular churchgoing teens – do not even know why Easter is celebrated.
So is there any way to know what the Bible is all about, especially when so few people actually read it and the ones who do don’t agree on a central theme? The Bible is made up of 66 different books written by around 40 different authors over 1,500 years. And yet, there is indeed an overarching theme, message and character to this collection; a theme that make is more than a collection but a coherent whole. At least this seems to be what Jesus Himself taught on at least two separate occasions:
John 5:39-40: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Luke 24:25-27: And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Do you see the power of what Jesus is saying: the Bible, the whole Bible, Jesus says, is about Him. He tells the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day that they don’t even understand how to read their Bibles (this would have just about the entire OT as we now it) because they refuse to see that they are all about Jesus. Then, after His resurrection, Jesus interprets for the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus just how it is that the OT is about Him. Jesus says the Bible is about Him. But how can this be? How can Jesus say that the whole Bible is about Him? Is He exaggerating? No, he’s not. The Bible opens telling us that In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. John 1 not only tells us that Jesus was there:
John 1:3: All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created through him and for him. The Bible begins with Jesus and ends with Jesus:
Revelation 22:20-21: He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
From the beginning to end, the Bible is about Jesus. This is perhaps a bit easier for us to accept when we’re considering the NT. We can see how the NT is about Jesus. After all, it begins with four different accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry that we call the Gospels. That sets the stage for everything else. But how can I say that the entire Bible, including the OT is about Jesus?
1) The Bible is About Jesus
Jesus in the OT
1) Prophetic Promises
i. Though bruised on the heel, Jesus crushed the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15)
ii. Jesus established the eternal throne of David (2 Samuel 7)
iii. Jesus fulfilled the Promised New Covenant in His blood (Jeremiah 31)
2) Christophonies
a. Jesus walks with Abraham
b. Jesus wrestles with Jacob
c. Jesus appeared to Moses
d. Jesus joined Daniel, Rack, Shack and Benny
e. Jesus called Isaiah into ministry (John 12:41)
f. THE Angel of the Lord in the OT
3) Types
a. Events, people, institutions that foreshadow Jesus
i. Jesus is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45)
ii. Jesus is the prophet, priest, king
iii. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice (1 Cor 5:9, etc.)
iv. The temple, the presence of God on earth (John 1) – 1 Peter 5
There are “Like Ministries” that point to Jesus
b. Unlike the first Adam, Jesus is the last Adam who passed His test in the Garden
c. Jesus is the true and better Abel who, although He was innocent, was slain and whose blood cries out for acquittal
d. Jesus is the true and better Abraham, leaving His father’s home
e. Jesus is the true and better Isaac, carrying His own wood and laying down His own life to be sacrificed at the hand of His father
f. Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled with God in Gethsemane, and, though wounded and limping, walked away from his grave blessed
g. Jesus is the true and better Joseph who serves at the right hand of the king, extending forgiveness and provision to those who have betrayed Him, using His power to save us and bring reconciliation
h. Jesus is the true and better Moses, standing as a mediator between God and us bringing us the New Covenant
i. Jesus is the true and better Job, though innocent, suffered and was tormented by the devil so that God might be glorified while His dumb friends are of no encouragement or help
j. Jesus is the true and better David, slaying our giants of sin, satan and death, although in the eyes of this world, He was sure to face a crushing defeat at their hands
k. Jesus is the true and better Jonah, spending three days in the grave to save a multitude greater than Nineveh
l. Jesus is the true and better Boaz, redeeming his kinsmen, bringing them into community with God
m. Jesus is the true and better Nehemiah, who is building for us the New Jerusalem as our eternal home
n. Jesus is the true and better Hosea, marrying an unfaithful and whoring wife that He continues to pursue and love
4) Jesus is seen in OT events
a. In the Exodus, God liberates His people crushing His enemies
b. The Passover – unless you were covered by blood
c. The Day of Atonement – propitiation AND expiation (scapegoat)
i. Jesus cleanses from all unrighteousness
5) Titles for God
a. Daniel 7 – Son of Man – favorite title of self 80x
b. He is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53
c. The first and the last, the light, the rock, bridegroom, shepherd, redeemer, savior, Lord of glory
But let’s be clear, by saying that all of these things are ultimately about Jesus, we are not saying that they weren’t real, that they didn’t really happen, that these people didn’t really exist and these events take place. What we are saying is that God infused them with a deeper significance and used them to teach His people about Christ; Who is He is and what He came to do. Jesus is the interpretive key to understanding all of Scripture.
2) Everything is About Jesus
Colossians 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
He is before all things. He is chronologically before, He is preeminent, He is above, He is more important, He is more valuable; He is the pearl of great price. The is the source and the goal of all life, such that Paul can say:
1Corinthians 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
In the NT, about 12 times, Paul says: “I want to remind you of something . . . “ Every time, he reminds them about Jesus – sometimes we forget.
Artist, He is the Altogether Lovely One
Builder, He is the Chief Cornerstone
Chef, He is the Bread of Life
Doctor, He is the Great Physician
Educator, He is the Master Teacher
Florist, He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley
Geologist, He is the Rock of Ages
Horticulturist, He is the True Vine
Intellectual, He is the Wisdom of God
Jeweler, he is the Head of the Church, the Pearl of Great Price
King, He is the Prince of Peace
Lawyer, He is the Judge of all the Earth
Manufacturer, He is the Creator of All things
Newsman, He is the Glad Tidings of Great Joy
Oculist, He is the Light of the World
Philanthropist, He is the Gift of God
Queen, He is the King of Kings
Rabbi, He is the Messiah
Scholar, He is the Truth
Theologian, He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith
Undertaker, He is the Resurrection and the Life
Visionary, He is the Revelation of God
Waiter, He is the One Who Came to Serve, Not to Be Served
X-Ray Technician, he is the Word of God Before Whom All Things Are Open and Naked
Youth, He is the Life
Zealot, He is the One Worthy of Presenting Your Body to as a Living Sacrifice
———————————————–
NOTE: the list of “like ministries” was adapted from Tim Keller and the “alphabet of praise” comes from Randy Patten.
If you were unable to attend, are interested or were there and can’t remember, here is the 07/27/08 order of worship:
Welcome/Call to Worship/Prayer
Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Come Lord Jesus Refrain
Not To Us
Nothing But the Blood
Jesus Paid It All
Message: “It’s All About Jesus” (selected texts)
You Are Jesus
Agnus Dei
Doxology
Benediction/Dismissal
Though you might think he’s overstating his case a bit, Albert Hsu says in his book The Suburban Christian that: “The suburban life is a spiritual quest.” He goes on to clarify:
We’re all here looking for something. People live in suburbia for any number of reasons. We may have come here because of a job change for for a relationship. We come in search of affordable housing, good schools or safe communities.
Hsu argues that suburbia embodies the quest for an “ideal life” and that:
Whenever people describe suburbia, invariably they use phrases like ‘a good place to raise kids’ or ‘where people settle down and start a family.’ Inherent in these comments is an aspiration of hope for their future and a dream of a good life for their children. In other words, suburbia is the context and the settign for the fulfillment of people’s hopes and dreams.
The suburbs are the embodiment of much of the “American dream.” Single family homes surrounded by parks, schools and endless choices for consumerism (even if these choices are actually quite sterile because they are nothing more than chain stores and restaurants therefore nearly every suburb, no matter where you are, feels a bit the same).
The ideal accompaniment to suburban living seems to be the shopping mall. A collection of consumerism under one giant air-conditioned roof surrounded by fast food. So you can exercise walking around the mall, pick up the newest Tommy Hilfiger duds and wash it down with an Orange Julius, all within a comfortable driving distance from your McMansion. And yet, what, on the surface seems to be a myriad of choices is really not all that wide. After all, nearly every suburb and nearly every mall is populated by the same products. So the “dream” of the fulfilled life in the suburbs often amounts to little more than being made a clone in the consumer army.
The ideal accompaniment to the suburban shopping mall seems to be the (typical) megachurch. A collection of “family friendly” programs under one giant air-conditioned roof surrounded by fast-food preaching. Granted, I am painted with very b r o a d strokes here, but stereotypes often have at least a kernel of truth and many, if not most large churches are large because they tickle people’s ears while appealing to the inborn (or is that inbred) “American” consumer in each of us.
It is not far too common to find churches with their own bowling alleys, roller-skating rinks (it’s retro now, you know), soccer teams and program after program to attract people, all the while, giving them the illusion of choice and even fulfillment. But we all know from experience that consumerism is quite shallow. We thrive on the desire for the next big purchase (or program) and when we have it, we want the next one, and on it goes.
How then, does one effectively glorify God and create disciples of Jesus Christ in the suburbs? By their very nature, these areas which often pride themselves on being “family friendly,” create an overwhelming amount of isolation. There are no longer city centers, homes no longer have front porches, closed garages are now the most prominent feature of most homes, nestled nicely next to (closed) designer blinds. All the while, we have a myriad of choices, as long as it fits with the prescribed HOA guidelines and color schemes and we become slaves to our commute because our mortgage just went up. In other words, the dream of “fulfillment” is quite shallow. The dream of the suburban dream is a mirage.
I wonder how many suburban churches actually preach and live the liberating power of the Gospel?! Suburbs are indeed a mission-field. More Americans now live in suburbs than in urban and rural areas combined, but I wonder if it might also be said that American suburbs contain some of the largest and yet weakest churches anywhere in the world? How can this be? Because we have come to import and practice consumerism into every area of life and churches have been all too willing to capitulate.
What if a church bucked this trend? Not just to be contrarian but Gospel-saturated, Christ-glorifying? What if a church did not offer tennis courts but the Word preached and opportunities for discipleship and growth? What if people marinated in such an environment until they understood that the water cooler is the new version of the town well and God prepares divine appointments, even there? What if people saw their “work” as ministry and their possessions as tools?
Please join me in praying that Church of the Cross might have just such an impact. Please pray that we would have the wisdom and discernment, humility and boldness to preach the Gospel in the midst of a consumer-centered suburban environment.
I recently finished reading Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger’s book Simple Church. While not necessarily groundbreaking, it has been both challenging and edifying to see research substantiate what many of us already suspected: too many churches have too many “programs” and the churches with a more “simple” approach are often more effective at making disciples.
You don’t have to name names, but would you say that your church has a clear, straightforward, unified process of making disciples (i.e., moving people through various stages of spiritual growth?)? If you attend a church with A LOT of programs, as I know some of you do, how many of those programs are essential and are the existing programs unified? Would you be upset if some programs were cut with the understanding that leadership is doing so with the hopes of becoming more effective?
So many questions swirling around in my mind about how to implement some of these things, so I thought, today I’d just open it up for discussion. What do you think? What have you seen? What has impressed you? What has not? Do churches need to simplify? If so, how? What does this mean for a brand new church (besides focus and being willing to say no to some ideas that might be good but not essential)?
You might not think so, and my wife might beg to differ, but I’m still a fairly young man. Though I’ve been a Believer for nearly 15 years, attained a seminary degree and served in paid ministry positions for almost six years, it is still tempting for some to look down upon my youth, in spite of Paul’s admonition to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12).
This has often created an internal tension of sorts. Once I came to grips with the “call to ministry,” my wife and I spent three years in Louisville, KY at “the” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Though I had a terrific seminary experience, it often came with “Southern Baptist” trappings I didn’t necessarily sign up for. I was often presented with ideals of what a minister should look like that I didn’t necessarily feel I felt.
This experience created in me a running inner dialogue of trying to understand exactly what Paul meant when he said that he had become “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Is it possible to truly be yourself, understanding that nearly everyone has a different expectation and presupposition of what a pastor should be?
The pastors I’ve often found to be most effective have also been the most authentic. What I mean by that is that there is no aura about them of trying to fit an image or be someone they are not. Yet, it seems that churches are often not interested in “authenticity,” but a fixed image of what a “pastor should be.” Or, on the other end of the extreme, “authenticity” trumps accountability and we have “pastors” flaunting their liberty and “individuality” to the detriment of others. Surely there must be a balance!
The reality is that established churches often have a pre-formed mold into which they expect new pastoral candidates to fit. If they don’t, it’s sometimes viewed as a question of maturity when it should be viewed as an issue of personal (even if its corporate) preference. In opposition to this, some young men have opted to plant churches, so that they could “be themselves” without any preconceptions. But churches should rarely if ever be planted out of opposition to something (so please hold me accountable if you sense this spirit in me).
I once heard a pastor urging young(er) pastors to seek to be a sanctified version of themselves rather than a watered-down version of someone or something (including just an image) else. Indeed, this is a balance not easy to achieve. The issue seems to be one of understanding the culture into which you have been called to minister, honoring the Gospel, and when acceptable, that culture’s expectations and understanding when (and asking forgiveness) for when you might infringe upon another’s conscience. Pastors of all people should strive to consider others as more significant than themselves (Philippians 2:1-3).
It would be both naive and foolish of me to believe that I could find this balance between authenticity and accessibility by myself. Left to myself, I will always defer to my own personal preferences. That is why it is utterly important to stop and listen and to be willing to understand and bridge gaps that might otherwise be present. For example, left to myself, I have no interest in sports. But if I am going to strive to be “all things to all people,” it seems to me that I should at least seek to be conversational in a topic that otherwise wouldn’t interest me. After all, this does not negate or diminish my own interests or personality, but it it is a practical way that I can be all things to people whose interests might not otherwise interest me.
It doesn’t seem to me that this means that I need to import the conscience-levels of others, but that I do need to learn to be discerning and respect these issues when possible, all the while using them as teaching opportunities, pointing to the truly radically freeing nature of the Gospel (though not to licentiousness). Complicated issues indeed. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
See the order of worship for Church of the Cross’ 07/20/08 corporate worship here.
Yes. It’s true. I wear Argyle socks nearly all of the time, even with shorts. I am not ashamed of this fact. I have done so for nearly 20 years and I am not about to change the habit any time soon.
It interests me to know end that people think this habit of mine odd, even “dorky” as I have recently been told. What this really tells me is that it is not what the “average” person does. Now please don’t get me wrong, by that statement I am not in the slightest claiming to be “above average” in any way, shape or form. Instead, what I am saying is that many people find my choice of socks odd to say the least.
I find this odd. Why not wear socks that, at least to a small degree, compliment (or is that complement) the rest of your outfit? After all, we wear clothes, not just to cover our nakedness, but to be noticed, right? When we’re completely honest, we must admit that even our most “tasteful” clothing is designed to draw attention. Even “understated” outfits are still making a statement. They’re just making it a bit quieter. But it’s still loud and clear.
Some of you will certainly cry foul here and say that I am making a mountain out of a molehill here. You are certainly entitled to your opinion (even though you’re wrong). However, I think the real issue here is that we are often made uncomfortable by people who do not find their approval in other people. Again, just for clarification’s sake, I’m not really putting myself in that category, just noting that such category exists. Every once in a while, we meet people who are so unmoved by peer pressure that it creates in us a disquiet; an uneasiness. Who knew Argyle socks with shorts could create such meditations, right?
The comments I get when I wear Argyle socks with shorts (and believe me, I do get comments) remind me that it is not ultimately man that I am to fear. As Jesus Himself reminds me (and you) in Matthew 10:28, I should not “not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
If i seems that my sock choice makes people sometimes uncomfortable, I wonder if its not because those people would never wear such a fashion choice. This, of course, leads me to wonder why they would not wear such a thing. It is certainly possible that my choices are simply universal bad taste, but is it not also possible that my socks reveal a weakness of soul in others? Is it not possible that my choice of socks reminds people that our ultimate judge is not man but God?
Then again there’s the possibility that I’m just looking to defend my socks.
