What Music Cannot Do

God has ordained music and singing for the purpose of His praise. The Scriptures are full of exhortations to God’s people to sing and make music for the Lord. This is a blessing. God was gracious when He gave us the means of music that we might use to honor Him. But Scripture is clear that music in our worship is for two purposes: to honor God and to edify our fellow believers. This is important to understand because in the contemporary church, music has been vested with powers that God never bestows upon it.

One example (and there are many) of this misunderstanding of the purpose of music specifically and worship in general comes from the flyer of a recent conference:
Join us for dynamic teaching to set you on the right path, and inspiring worship where you can meet God and receive the energy and love you need to be a mover and shaker in today’s world…Alongside our teaching program are worship events which put you in touch with the power and love of God.

Churches routinely advertise their “life-changing” or “dynamic” worship that will “bring you closer to God” or “change your life.” Certain worship CD’s promise that the music will “enable you to enter the presence of God.” These kinds of promises reveal a dangerous theological error. Worship, i.e. singing, is viewed as a means to facilitate an encounter with God; it will move us closer to God. This is, at best a sub-Christian view. At worst, it is heresy.

Jesus is the only way to God. He is the sole mediator between God and man. The popular but mistaken notions regarding worship music betray this foundational truth of the Christian faith. They offer music and “the worship experience” as an additional mediator between God and man. They would deny this by insisting that they believe Jesus to be the only way to salvation. But they would be hard pressed to find any biblical support for the idea that music mediates direct encounters or experiences with God. This is a common pagan notion. It is far from Christian.
Vaughan Roberts offers four consequences of viewing music as an encounter with God. I will summarize them.[1]

1. God’s Word is marginalized.
In many Churches and Christian gatherings it is not unusual for God’s Word to be shortchanged. Music gives people the elusive “liver quiver” while the Bible is more mundane. But faith does not come from music, dynamic experiences, or supposed encounters with God. Faith is birthed through the means of God’s Word (Rom 10:17).

2. Our assurance is threatened.
If we associate God’s presence with a particular experience or emotion, what happens when we no longer feel it? We search for churches whose praise band, orchestra, or pipe organ produce in us the feelings we are chasing after. But the reality of God in our lives depends on the mediation of Christ not on subjective experiences.

3. Musicians are given priestly status.
When music is seen as a means to encounter God, worship leaders and musicians are vested with a priestly role. They become the ones who bring us into the presence of God rather than Jesus Christ who alone has already fulfilled that role. Understandably, when a worship leader or band doesn’t help me experience God they have failed and must be replaced. On the other hand, when we believe that they have successfully moved us into God’s presence they will attain in our minds a status that is far too high for their own good.

4. Division is increased.
If we identify a feeling as an encounter with God, and only a particular kind of music produces that feeling, then we will insist that same music be played regularly in our church or gatherings. As long as everyone else shares our taste then there is no problem. But if others depend upon a different kind of music to produce the feeling that is important to them then division is cultivated. And because we routinely classify particular feelings as encounters with God our demands for what produce those feelings become very rigid. This is why so many churches succumb to offering multiple styles of worship services. By doing so, they unwittingly sanction division and self-centeredness among the people of God. Like a Burger King customer the church attendee is encouraged to “have it your way.”

[1] Roberts, Vaughn, True Worship (pp. 59ff).

The Baptist Standard on Calvinism

Tom Ascol over at Founders has a link to and commentary on recent articles from the Baptist Standard on the resurgence of Calvinism within the Southern Baptist Convention.

I Love the Discovery Channel

It's the weekend. I'm having fun.

I Hate Flying

Brian Regan is my favorite comic. Thanks to Justin Taylor for finding this gem.

What's so great about the sovereignty of God?

I found this link to a chapter from Richard Phillip's newest book over at Monergism. Check it out. For those of us who grew up not hearing much about the sovereignty of God it was truly a spiritual revolution to discover the time and attention that the Bible gives to this attribute. What a comfort and cause for praise is God's sovereignty!

Worship at Metro East (3)

There are four principles that guide Metro East as preparations are made for our corporate worship gatherings:

1. Worship must be guided by God’s Word.
“The Bible provides us with God’s directions for the form and content of Christian worship" (Duncan, 57). God never encourages us to worship Him in any way we happen to prefer. Unfortunately, many prominent pastors and church leaders today teach that the form and elements of our worship are neutral and can be changed to meet current cultural expectations. This idea carries with it two deeply flawed assumptions: 1) Form and content are completely unrelated and 2) God has no preferences regarding how He is to be worshiped.

The Old Testament says much more than the New Testament about structures of corporate worship. However, some have erroneously concluded that the New Testament is silent on issues of corporate worship. While it is true that the New Covenant in Christ brought radical changes, these changes did not cast away corporate worship as a mandate for God’s people. It is important to affirm this because of the presence of serious voices within evangelicalism that hold the opinion that all elements and structures of corporate worship were simply temporary arrangements under the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, they reason, worship has become strictly a lifestyle that defines how we approach our vocation, treat our neighbors and family, recreate, etc. and has nothing to do with corporate structures or meetings. The argument continues that the New Testament church does not gather for the purpose of worship at all but rather for fellowship, preaching, and prayer. And while those elements are certainly vital to the church’s life they are not separate from corporate worship but rather elements of it. Worship is indeed a lifestyle and should find expression in all of life. The New Testament explodes any notion that worship is confined to particular times and places. But nowhere does the New Testament call God’s people away from organized and thoughtful corporate worship.

"Worship is the supreme and only indispensable activity of the Christian Church. It alone will endure, like the love for God which it expresses, into heaven, when all other activities of the Church will have passed away. It must therefore, even more strictly than any of the less essential doings of the Church, come under the criticism and control of the revelation on which the Church is founded." - W. Nichols

Biblical elements of Christian worship:
· Music and singing
Psalm 95:1; 98:1; Acts 2:47; Eph 5:19-20; Col 3:16
· Prayer
Acts 2:42; 4:24-30; 12:5, 12
· Preaching and teaching God’s Word
Acts 2:42, 46; 5:20-21; 11:25-26; 18:11; 19:9-10; 20:7, 20-21
· The Lord’s Supper
Matt 26:17-30; Luke 22:19; I Cor 10:16-17; 11:17-34
· Edification
I Cor 14; Heb 10:24-25
· Orderliness
I Cor 12-14

2. Worship must engage the mind with biblical truth with an eye to increasing our affections for and devotion to God.
Worship is intellectual. That statement is taboo in a church culture that prizes subjective spiritual experience over matters of the mind. Don’t misunderstand, worship is not confined to the mind but it certainly must begin there. How can our hearts properly revel in what we do not understand? Worship begins with facts: Who God is, what God is like, what God has done. God reveals these things to us in the Bible. Worship therefore begins with the revelatory initiative of God and continues with our response of praise and thanks. God is not interested in outward forms of worship that do not engage the heart and result in glad obedience. “This people honors Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me” (Matt 15:8). “To obey is better than sacrifice” (I Sam 15:22). C.S. Lewis rightly observed that we do not properly honor that which we do not enjoy.

3. Songs must focus on God’s attributes and His redemptive plan accomplished in Jesus Christ.
Christian music is for and about God. True, worship is strongly edifying in that we are to encourage one another and spur each other on to greater love and obedience. But it is the proper honoring of God that provides the rationale for this edification. We encourage one another toward greater holiness because God is holy. We are to strive to be more loving because God is love. We are to forgive each other because God in Christ has forgiven us. All of the Christian virtues find their reason in the character of God. Therefore, our worship must be focused on God’s attributes as a means to both honor Him and exhort one another.

In addition to affirming the many attributes of God, Christian worship is incoherent if it does not include a strong Gospel orientation. How can a redeemed people not sing of their Redeemer and the means of their redemption? So worship is a grand rehearsal of the themes of the Gospel: the perfect obedience, atoning death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners.

4. Congregational singing is stressed above performance.
In His kindness God has given Metro East many gifted musicians and singers. Each Sunday we are blessed by brothers and sisters who lead us in singing God-exalting and edifying songs. Often times we are encouraged by vocal or instrumental solos that help us reflect on biblical truths concerning God and the Gospel. This is a good thing and will, by God’s grace, continue to be a part of the corporate gatherings of Metro East. However, the stress in our corporate worship will always weigh heavily toward congregational singing. God’s people must not be passive observers as they gather for worship. Neither should we allow our gatherings to breed a performance culture. Through music we love to confess God’s marvelous truth together.

Churches Should Train Pastors

Al Mohler has written a helpful article for Tabletalk on the role that churches should play in training pastors. Sadly this is not a vision that many churches have embraced.

Planned Parenthood and Liberal Compassion

I Found this posted at Steve Camp's blog. This is hitting the news ever so slowly. I have seen Fox News report on it but other than that it seems pretty quiet out there. Hmmmm.

All In The Family

The discouraging statistics regarding young people who leave the church after high school say more about the family, I believe, than about the church. I do think that entertainment/event driven youth ministry ultimately fails in its stated purpose. But, in the end, parents, particularly fathers must answer to the departure of their sons and daughters from the fellowship of God's people.

Worship at Metro East (2)

How we worship is not unimportant. It matters to God how His people worship Him. We are not welcome to bring to God whatever we please so long as our "hearts are in the right place." There are reasons behind the approach that Metro East takes to corporate worship.

In a chapter he wrote for "Give Praise to God" Ligon Duncan outlines a biblical framework of doctrines that form a foundation for Christian worship:

· The nature of God – Who God is, is the number one determining factor regarding how we worship. The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex 20:3) finds its rationale simply in the fact that God is and is worthy of worship. The second commandment’s prohibition against the use of images in worship flows directly from the fact that God cannot be adequately pictured (Deut 4:15-19; John 4:24). Our worship of God is to reinforce our knowledge of and love for God and therefore must be informed by what the Bible teaches about God.

· The Creator-creature distinction – God created all there is. We are not co-creators with God nor is He contained within what He has made (Ps 100:3). The Bible upholds and celebrates the distinction between God and His creation. God is wholly and holy other from man (Isaiah 6:1-3). Since God is entirely distinct from us and by nature transcendent and incomprehensible apart from His own self-disclosure, how can we properly worship Him unless guided by what He tells us in the Bible?

· The idea of revelation – This point builds directly upon the former. “Biblical worship inherently entails a response to revelation” (p. 54). We cannot know God unless He willingly reveals Himself to us. In this post-apostolic time God reveals Himself chiefly through His Word. General knowledge of God may be discerned from creation (Rom 1:20) but redemptive knowledge of God requires the revelation of Jesus Christ found in the Bible (Rom 10:14-17). Divine revelation is essential for worship to be proper and honoring to God. Worship embodies a kind of dialogue with God revealing and man responding. “God takes initiative in worship through revelation, promise, and blessing. His people respond in worship through hearing, believing, and praise/adoration/confession/thanksgiving” (p. 55).

· The unchanging moral law of God – The second commandment (Ex 20:4) forbids the use of any images of God in worship. The broader principle to be inferred in this commandment is that we must not introduce into worship anything that God forbids. It is also important to note that this command finds itself not in the temporary ceremonial laws of Israel but the eternal moral law of God. The sons of Aaron were struck dead by God for offering “strange fire” on the altar (Lev 10:1-2). Every indication from the passage is that they were trying to worship the right God but doing so in the wrong way.

· The nature of faith – John Owen, the greatest of the Puritan theologians stated quite convincingly “the argument of faith.” The idea is that since faith is necessary to true worship then right worship is conditioned upon the exercise of true faith. Faith is confident belief in what God has said (Heb 11:1). What is more, the Bible tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6) and “whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). God will not be honored by a worship that is not characterized by confidence in God and His Word.

· The doctrine of carefulness – The worship of God’s people described in the pages of Scripture was characterized by reverence and sometimes outright fear. Where God’s presence was rightly recognized and sin properly reckoned with the people responded in trembling and face-to-the-ground humility. How different this is from the “keep it casual” coffee shop approach to worship in the contemporary church. In Scripture, when God’s clear instructions were disregarded there was a high price to pay. Uzzah was struck dead for not treating the Ark of the Covenant as God had commanded (II Sam 6). The story of Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-2) referenced earlier seems odd, even cruel in a church culture that reveres creativity, “outside the box” thinking, and good intentions. “God is dangerous to those who are careless in worship, however sincere…The way of carefulness is the way of the Word” (p. 57).

· The church’s authority – The church’s authority is of a derivative nature. Jesus is the sole head of the church. Any authority that the church possesses is derived from her Lord and Savior. The officers of the church as defined by Scripture (Eph 4:11-13) have no power to make their own laws but must only serve to administer the rule of Christ as revealed in the Bible. The church has no authority to require obedience to its own commands or “participation in ordinances of its own making” (p. 57). The church is required however to hold forth the commands and ordinances of God as revealed in Scripture.

· The doctrine of Christian freedom – Only Scripture can truly protect Christian freedom. The Bible tells us that while we must act in sacrificial love toward one another our conscience is held captive to God alone (Rom 14:1-4; I Cor 10:23-30; Gal 4:8-11; Col 2:16-23). We must not submit to or require others to submit to man-made worship regulations. By showing us God’s priorities for worship the Bible guarantees our freedom from the bondage to human doctrines and practices. Christian freedom means that we are not required to render any act in corporate worship that God, in His Word, has not called for.

· The nature of personal holiness and obedience – Scripture tells us that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Sam 15:22). King Saul found this out the hard way. If we are to obey all that God has commanded then a deep and adoring knowledge of Scripture is essential for it is in the pages of God’s Word alone that we discover what He has commanded.

· The tendency of mankind toward idolatry – Worship must “not be according to the imaginations or devices of men.” Our hearts are idol factories as Calvin observed. Of idolatry, Luther wrote, “we are inclined to it by nature; and coming to us by inheritance, it seems pleasant.” It is clear in Romans 1:19-25 that fallen man is a degenerate truth twister. It is in our nature to distort whatever knowledge of God we receive. This is why Wesley observed that “every man born into this world is a rank idolater.” Our tendency toward idolatry extends not only to the potential objects of our worship but to the very way in which we worship. There were times in Israel’s history (and perhaps today?) when God’s people attempted to worship God in their own way or to adapt their worship practices to cultural norms. Scripture strictly forbids this (Deut 12:29-32).

Southern Baptists In Decline

The SBC's Annual Church Profile (ACP) for 2007 should remove all doubt: The Southern Baptist Convention is in decline. Tom Ascol has posted on this today.

I would like to know if anyone would dare to speculate on why the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is one of the fastest growing denominations?

Why I don't have GPS

Three Cheers for J.I. Packer

Justin Taylor has posted a letter that J.I. Packer and several of his fellow Anglican ministers sent to Bishop Michael Ingham. The bishop threatened to strip Packer and the others of their ordination. The reason, of course, is that these men are evangelical, that is they believe the Bible to truly be God's Word and are fully committed to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and a robust biblical faith.

When a church becomes apostate then genuine believers have no choice but to remove themselves.

Learning From Great Men

Check out this interview with Iain Murray from the Nine Marks Ministries interview series. Mr. Murray is one of my favorite writers. He is also one of the founders of one the most important evangelical publishing houses.

In particular I have benefited greatly from his books:

The Forgotten Spurgeon
D. Martyn Lloyd Jones (vol. 1 & vol. 2)
Revival and Revivalism
Evangelicalism Divided

I Spoke Too Soon

Rocket Man

This may be the best thing ever captured on film.

Worship at Metro East (1)

The Seven Pillars is a tool that Metro East uses to help keep us faithful to those things that are most important to our identity as the Body of Christ. The first of the Seven Pillars is worship. The statement reads:

Honor God with biblical and excellent worship that engages both mind and affections

The church’s highest priority is worship. While evangelism and missions are limited to our time in this fallen world, worship will reach into eternity ( I Peter 2:9ff; Ephesians 1:12). The Westminster Shorter Catechism rightly points out: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

The word worship comes from the old English word “worthscipe” which expressed the idea of attributing worth to something or someone. When we worship God we acknowledge that He is intrinsically valuable. In other words, we worship God for the simple fact that He is worthy.

Worship is the privilege and glad duty of every Christian. We worship God by seeking His glory alone in everything we do (Rom 12:1; I Cor 10:31). It is an offering not merely of words but of our very lives to God. William Temple offers this excellent definition:
Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.

In addition to the individual element, worship is also to be understood in strongly corporate terms (Col 3:16-17). We are to proclaim the greatness and glory of God to one another. Worship “is the covenant community engaging with God, gathering with his people to seek the face of God, to glorify and enjoy Him, to hear His Word, to revel in the glory of union and communion with Him, to respond to His Word, to render praise back to Him, to give unto Him the glory due His name”[1]

[1] Duncan, J.L. (editor) Give Praise to God (Phillipsburg: P&R) p. 63.

McLaren Speaks at Willow Creek

This story from Baptist Press shines a little light on Brian McLaren's slippery style of communication. He wants to deny the biblical doctrines of the Christian faith but he usually only has the courage to make ourtright denials in his books and even there he is a bit coy. I am sad that he is influencing so many young ministers. Once again, Willow Creek shows poor judgement.

Scaling Down

This post written by Noel Piper for DesiringGod.org really made me ask some questions about my lifestyle and the way that most of us American Christians choose to live. How much financial and chronological margin do we have in our lives? Do we have enough so that we are able to give of ourselves and our resources generously? What do my own spending habits teach my children about the necessity of generosity? Do I even think about shopping at a thrift store? How strong is my sense of entitlement? Do I demand the best? the newest? I wonder...

All the Scriptures Testify to Christ

"The inscripturated word centers its attention on Jesus Christ. He is the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent's head. He is the ark to rescue the people of God. He is the holy Angel of Yahweh. He is the seed of Abraham in whom all the families of the earth will be blessed. He is the passover lamb. He is the prophet greater than Moses. He is the pillar of fire in the wilderness. He is the rock struck by Moses. He is the heir to the Davidic throne. He is the thrice holy Lord of Isaiah six. He is the greater shepherd of Ezekiel 34. He is Mary's baby, Herod's enemy, and Simeon's joy. He is the twelve-year-old boy in the temple and the beloved Son to be baptized. He is the healer of the blind, provider for the hungry, and the friend of the outcast. He is the new temple, the source of living water, the manna that gives life, the light of the world, and the Father's true vine. He is the spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah. He is the ascended Lord, the ruler of the Church, and the returning Judge of all men. The sacred Scriptures are teh instrument by which the Spirit of the living God glorifies Jesus Christ."

Arturo Azurdia from "Spirit Empowered Preaching"

The Dishonesty of Caricatures

Tom Ascol has posted some important thoughts on pastor Steve Gaines recent chapel message at Criswell College. Caricature is the playground of the dishonest, intellectually lazy or both. Brothers in Christ ought to have the decency to not misrepresent the beliefs of others.

This is for Matt Redmond

Southern Baptist's Most Pressing Issue

Timmy Brister has written an excellent response to Nathan Finn's question, "What are the most pressing issues facing Southern Baptists?" Incidentally, I provide links to both of these gentlemen's blogs.

Together For The Gospel (6)

Here is an interesting article from ChristianityToday.com on Mark Dever's address at T4G.

Another great contribution from Crossway

If you are in the market for a study Bible then this is one you should check out. Also, the Reformation Study Bible and Literary Study Bible are outstanding!

Together For The Gospel (5)

We are back from Together For The Gospel. What a great conference! In addition to the wonderful addresses I enjoyed very much the fellowship of the other MEBC pastors. It was great to fellowship with former college mates and former youth pastor buddies. I will be adding some further comments on the messages that were delivered. Until then, check out the audio of those messages. Of special import were the addresses by Ligon Duncan, R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and C.J. Mahaney.

Together For The Gospel (4)

Ligon Duncan, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, MS was the conference's first speaker. The topic of his address was "Sound Doctrine: Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry." This was an important message given the fact that the necessity of doctrinal precision is always under attack from within the evangelical community. Well meaning men and women question and sometime even ridicule the notion that doctrine is of central import to the life of the Christian and the ministry of the church.

Dr. Duncan outlined three broad reasons why sound doctrine is essential for faithful pastoral ministry.
First, he pointed out that doctrine is held in great suspicion today.
Many of us have heard the calls for "deeds not creeds," and "Christianity is about life, not doctrine." These may sound attractive in a pluralistic culture but the testimony of Scripture condemns those sentiments to the trash heap. Dr. Duncan demonstrated from God's Word the importance of sound doctrine:
Truth is for joy (John 17:13-17).
Truth is for growth (John 17:17).
Truth is essential for discipleship (Matt. 28:18-20).
Bad theology must not be taught (I Tim. 1:3-5).
Right Doctrine has love in view (I Tim 1:3-5).
Life is inexricably tied to doctrine (I Tim. 1:8-11).
The Gospel (a message) is central to the Christian life (I Tim. 1:8-11).
Truth is unto godliness (Titus 1:1).
Dr. Duncan quoted the puritan William Perkins: "Theology is the science of living blessedly everafter."

Secondly, Dr. Duncan observed that it is impossible to avoid doctrine.
Everyone engages in theology. We all believe certain things are true about God. It is unavoidable. The question is whether or not we will bring out thoughts about God into submission to what He has revealed is true. God has revealed a great deal about Himself to us in the pages of Scripture. How arrogant therefore it is for pragmatists, postmoderns, and various other liberals to claim we simply cannot know for sure what is true. Has God not made much about Himself plain through the means of sixty six books of inspired writ? Has God not spoken volumes (literally) to the truth about mankind, sin, redemption, and the new world to come? Since this is true, does it not therefore follow that God's people ought to be very careful to make sure the content of their beliefs are faitful to what God has made clear?

The third point was in the form of a question: What is doctrine important for?
Doctrine is for God's glory (Romans 11:32-36).
Doctrine is for assurance (John 15:15).
Doctrine is for marriage (Ephesians 5:25ff).
Doctrine is for joy (Philippians 3:1-11).

It was a wonderful session. Ligon Duncan is a man who lives with feet in both church and academy. He pastors a church every week and serves as a professor at the Reformed Theological Seminary. I am thankful for men who help us rejoice in the truth of God and not just the feeling of God.

Together For The Gospel (3)

It has been a non-stop day and I am too tired to adequately post on the messages that were delivered this evening. I will try to do them some justice tomorrow. However, I will say that it has been encouraging to be among 5,000 men who differ in some secondary matters but are fully committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was blessed to meet two men for whom I hold a great deal of respect: Ligon Duncan and Tom Ascol. They were both very kind and gracious. I have links on this blog to Dr. Duncan's preaching ("audio") and Dr. Ascol's Founder's Ministry ("ministries"). Check them out.

Good night for now. Blessings to you.

Together For The Gospel (2)

Here are some video clips of some of the messages from the first T4G conference in 2006. Enjoy!

Together For The Gospel

The MEBC pastoral staff will be attending the Together For The Gospel conference in Louisville this week. I am so thankful to pastor a church that makes such trips possible. I am looking forward to being challenged and refreshed through great messages. My plan is to blog each day on the sessions.

The lineup of speakers is:
Mark Dever
Ligon Duncan
C.J. Mahaney
Al Mohler
John Piper
John MacArthur
R.C. Sproul

The overarching theme of the conference this year is the cross work of Christ, particularly the substitutionary element of the atonement. I continue to be perplexed that the Southern Baptist Convention (the world's largest Protestant denomination) is bereft of such conferences. The one exception I know of was last year's Building Bridges conference held at Ridgecrest. It seems that much of our elected leadership and mega-church pastors would rather talk about politics and church growth methodology than theology and biblical studies.

Created For Community

Great article by Paul Tripp from "By Faith" which is an online magazine from the PCA. It's a great resource. If you would like to read more there is a link under the "Bible and Theology" section of this blog.

Al Mohler on "The Shack"

Take time to listen to this edition of the Al Mohler program. Dr. Mohler discusses the phenominally successful novel "The Shack."

Worship on American Idol?

Bob Kauflin posts these thoughts over at "Worship Matters" concerning the singing of "Shout To The Lord" on American Idol.

Context and Concept

John Piper has some good thoughts on preaching as "concept creation".

When Kingdom Builders Marry

What made the marriage conference with Paul Tripp so helpful (and different) was its Bible-centeredness. Sadly, much of the marriage resources produced for Christians is technique driven. The result is that husbands and wives are told what they must do for their spouse in order to get what they want out of the marriage. It is manipulation rather than ministry.

Tripp outlined three principles concerning marriage that we rarely if ever hear. They are:

Principle 1: A marriage of unity, understanding, and love is not rooted in romance, but in worship.
Worship creates a healthy marriage. In fact, everything we do is somehow shaped by worship because we give allegiance to whomever or whatever we worship. If my life is an expression of worship to the Lord Jesus then my life will reflect His sacrificial love. Our problem is that we are born idolaters. In Romans one Paul writes that our natural tendency is to distort the truth of God and worship the creature rather than the Creator. Tripp defines idolatry as that which happens “when things rise in functional importance above God.”

Idolatry reduces our spouse (and everyone else for that matter) to a means by which we can attain that which we have made an idol (money, security, applause, sex, etc). So, the health of my marriage depends upon a right preoccupation with God (worship).

Principle 2: Sin causes us to shrink our lives to the size of our lives.
This is a profound point. Sin shrinks our lives. Sin makes my life all about a single person: me. My wants, my desires, my ambitions, my feelings drive me in sinful moments. I lose a vision for God’s glory and my neighbor’s good when I sin. In other words, sin shrinks my life to the size of my life.

Principle 3: Marriage, this side of heaven, is always a war between two kingdoms.
Each of us are busily building, advancing, and defending a kingdom. The problem is that I am born with a sinful bent to build, advance, and defend my own kingdom; a kingdom unto myself. My wife, because she is a sinner like me, was born with this same bent. Obviously, when two people who are each trying to rule their own kingdom marry, conflicts will occur.

The apostle James makes it clear that fights and quarrels are produced when desires come to compete with one another (James 4:1ff). Even good things that I desire become fuel for quarrels when they become too important to me. “A desire for a good thing becomes a bad thing when hat desire becomes a ruling thing.” I quarrel when I perceive that someone else’s kingdom is coming into conflict with my own.

Even after conversion we still struggle against our tendency to build our own kingdom. We get angry in traffic, at work, at home, in line for coffee, etc because we encounter people who are not obeying the laws of our kingdom. “God has not given me His grace to make my kingdom work.” One question that Tripp asked is still haunting me: “When was the last time you were angry because God’s kingdom was violated?”

I identified with Tripp’s words that our lives consist primarily of “little moments.” We seem to think that the most formative moments in our lives will be extraordinary ones. However, it is in the seeming ordinary, little moments where our character is formed. An athlete becomes great not in the game but in a courageous commitment to the repetitive and ordinary practices and workouts. Likewise, it is in the little moments when the character of our marriages is formed. It is not the vacations or romantic interludes that shape a marriage. It is in the seemingly mundane moments of helping to clean a room, speak encouraging words, choosing to converse rather than watch TV, and simple acts of service that shape the character of a marriage.

Challenging Ehrman

Craig Blomberg has written a helpful review of Timothy Paul Jones' fine book "Misquoting Truth." Ehrman gets a lot of press and sells a lot of books for challenging the reliability of the Bible. There is a chance that you have a neighbor or co-worker who has been misled. "Misquoting Truth" is a great corrective to Ehrman's errors.

More foolishness from a former president

Proving once again that there is not a third-world thug, communist dictator, or Islamic terrorist that he will not lend credibility, Jimmy Carter has scheduled a meeting with a Hammas leader in Syria. Read more about it.

Twin Lakes Fellowship

Great audio from the Twin Lakes Fellowship. Definitely check out the sermon by Derek Thomas (one of my favorite preachers) and the address on public prayer by Terry Johnson.

Refuting "Jesusanity"

Darrel Bock has written a very good article that helps correct the error that there was no functioning Christian orthodoxy during the early years of Christianity. This error often becomes the occasion for a kind of doctrinal ambivalence which separates the ethical teachings of Jesus from the doctrinal content of the New Testament.

The Bible Is Not Topical

As I have written in a previous post, the marriage seminar with Paul Tripp was outstanding. Having been familiar with Tripp’s writings and teaching, I was confident that what we would receive would be refreshingly biblical. I say “refreshingly” biblical because much of what it taught and written about marriage by and for Christians is stunningly unbiblical. It often sounds nice because Bible verses will be used. The problem is that those verses are merely sprinkled atop unbiblical presuppositions. The faulty and misleading teaching remains. From his opening words, Tripp established that God’s Word would form the foundation for all that was discussed during the seminar.

His opening remarks were important. He pointed out that “there is a reason the Bible is not arranged topically.” This is so because the Bible was not intended to be used as a compendium of wise sayings to be accessed when the need arises. The Bible is God’s grand narrative of redemption. It is Christ-centered and Gospel-driven. As a result, when we go searching for verses that speak to marriage specifically we are not only selling the Bible short, we are robbing ourselves of the Scripture’s vast wisdom in teaching us how to live as redeemed people.

In his book “Lost in the Middle” Tripp writes:

“Many Christians adopt a ‘Bible-for-the-religious-part-of-my-life” perspective on Scripture. They tend to seek the Bible’s help only where it has spoken clearly about certain topics. As a result they will tend to look elsewhere for the wisdom they need in the vast areas of life that are not directly addressed within the pages of Scripture.

“Or they may fall into another subtle error. If they are Christians, they know that the Bible is a book filled with stunning wisdom revealed by the God who is the source of all wisdom. They will be hungry to know his mind in every area of their lives. Driven by this zeal, they may bend, twist, and stretch Scripture to provide the information that they are seeking.

“Now, both groups of people have made the same mistake. Both view the Bible as God’s great encyclopedia, a topical index of human problems and divine solutions. The one person is a bit sad that the Bible doesn’t speak to more of life. The other person is growingly convinced that the Bible speaks to more topics than he first thought. Both have missed the genius, the core of what the Bible is really about…

“The Bible is a narrative, and because it is a narrative, it tells us everything we need to know about midlife concerns. The Bible is the great story of redemption that encompasses the stories of every human life. It is the overarching ‘everything’ story. It is comprehensive in scope without being exhaustive in content. It gives us wisdom for everything without directly discussing every particular thing.

“The great narrative of the Word of God gives me everything I need to know about God, about myself, about the purpose and meaning of life, and about what is true, good, and beautiful. The Bible is the lens through which I look at all of life. In it I find the truths, values, goals, and hopes that are meant to give shape and direction to my life. All of these things are cords woven into the fabric of one grand and amazing story. It is God’s story. He is the principal actor and the grand hero. Without his story, the doctrines, principles, commands, and promises make no sense whatsoever” (pp. 14-15).


Paul Tripp Ministries
CCEF
Paul Tripp’s newest book

Paul Tripp

What a great weekend we had at Metro East! God used Paul Tripp to bless us deeply. I will have more to say about the content of the weekend later on but for now take advantage of Dr. Tripp's Sunday evening preaching at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. You will find a link to his preaching under the "audio" section of this blog.

Ehrman vs. Wallace

It looks like Mr. Ehrman is biting off more than he can chew. Dr. Wallace is not among the legion of gullible readers that take in Ehrman's attacks on God and His Word.

Oprah 101

Old Heresy, New Faces

What is your only comfort?

Kim Riddlebarger on the opening question of the Heidelberg Catechism: "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" In addition to being an encouraging theological reflection, this article will help the reader apprectiate the wisdom of sound catechetical training.

Is the Church too democratic?

Greg Gilbert over at "Church Matters" has written a very good piece on voting in the church. He gives sound advice about the kinds of decisions that must be delegated by the congregation in order to keep the church from being bogged down and divided over petty issues.

What makes Christian music "Christian"?

Some interesting thoughts from Brent Thomas on Christian music and why so much junk is peddled under that banner.

The New Model for Pastoral Counseling

More on Amillenialism

Great links on amillenialism.

A Primer on Amillenialism

Check out this post by Kim Riddlebarger. He makes an excellent case for "amillenialsim." Actually, amillenialism is a poor name because it implies that those who hold to the historic doctrine do not believe in Christ's reign. Clearly, this is not true. However, it is a clear departure from what has been the majority view of preachers over the last 50 years or so (premillenial dispensationalism).

If you would like to learn more...
The Bible and the Future by Anthony Hoekema
A Case For Amillenialism by Kim Riddlebarger

"Punished with a baby"

With his latest comments Barack Obama has once again shown himself to be a true extremist when it comes to abortion. Check out this article by Michael Gerson entitled "Obama's Abortion Extremism."

Oprah the Theologian (2)

This video and commentary was posted by Thabiti over at "Pure Church." What saddens me most in all this is the number of nice "Christian" people who drink down this pleasant poison.

Why I Preach Expositionally (7)

Biblical exposition teaches biblical theology

Biblical theology is that branch of theological study which focuses on God’s progressive revelation through biblical history. As a discipline, Biblical Theology is vital for its focus on the big picture of the Bible. It guards the Christian from treating the Bible as a treasury of inspiring quotes, a collection of moral stories, or a guide for personal success. Biblical Theology reminds us that the Bible is one great story, God’s story of creation, corruption, redemption, and new creation. In this way, the Bible presents us with a unified and coherent view of reality. It is the lens by which we understand God, ourselves, salvation, and the world.

Graeme Goldsworthy writes:
“Biblical theology is the neglected handmaid of the preacher. While it would be facile and misleading to suggest that preaching can ever be an easy task, it is true to say that biblical theology enables the preacher to relate the various parts of the Bible in a way that prevents preaching on a text from becoming a formality or a springboard for a mass of moralizing exhortations.”

One of the primary failures of contemporary preaching within conservative churches is the lack of biblical theology in the pastor’s study and therefore in the pulpit. Preachers fail to make the connections for their flock. They preach biblical texts as if they were stories or bits of wisdom to be understood independently from the rest of biblical revelation. Promises made by God under the Old Covenant specifically to Israel concerning the Land are taken out of context and used to guarantee New Covenant people financial, familial, and emotional well-being. This is common because too many preachers do not understand the progressive nature of God’s revelation through Scripture. They do not understand that the arc of biblical history moves us inexorably toward the cross. As a result of this error, events such as David’s defeat of Goliath and Daniel in the lion’s den become mere spring boards to tell Christians how to defeat the giants they face or shut the mouths of the lions in their lives. I heard a preacher once who used Easter Sunday to tell the congregation how they can roll stones away in their lives. Biblical Theology guards against such nonsense.

Goldsworthy writes:
“The idea that evangelical pastors can be sent to have ministerial oversight of congregations without first having a solid grounding in biblical theology is one of the scandals of our time. Show me a church without a good appreciation of the Old Testament and biblical theology and I’ll show you a church with a weak understanding of the gospel.”

Without a sound grasp of Biblical Theology the preacher, and therefore his hearers, will not properly understand the law, the promises, or the Gospel. This failure is common as Christians frequently confuse law and Gospel and grasp for promises not made to them all the while missing the “yes” God has given them in Christ. Sound biblical exposition will always teach the nature of God’s self-revelation in Scripture. It will pass along to the hearer an understanding of the grand themes of the Bible and how they are connected. Most of all it will teach the hearer about the depth and grandeur of the Gospel.

Three excellent primers on Biblical Theology:
God's Big Picture by Vaughn Roberts
According to Plan by Graeme Goldsworthy
The Unfolding Mystery by Edmund Clowney

The Lord's Prayer

The Attorney General will NOT target Calvinists

This post from Tom Ascol made me laugh.

A Beautiful Bride

For all her flaws the church is the bride of Christ. What a beautiful metaphor. Every time I criticize the church I cannot help but be reminded of how much the Lord His bride. I think it's easy to love the idea of church but when it comes to the specific people who make up the congregation to which we belong it becomes a bit more challenging. But that is when love really matters. It is always easier to love a concept than it is to love fellow sinners.

Please take time to read this post by Tim Challies and be encouraged.

Oprah the Theologian

Oprah wants to change the world. Her pagan spirituality is often embraced by undiscerning Christians who drink up what she says. Make no mistake. Oprah's promotion of pagan writers and teachers like Wayne Dyer, Marrianne Williamson, and Eckhart Tolle has served to advance eastern mysticism among her audience. Check out this post from Apprising Ministries.

The Old Atheism

Check out this great article in the latest issue of Modern Reformation.

Jesus the Rock Star

This is an interesting article about the preaching of Tadd Grandstaff pastor of Pine Ridge Church. I think a lot about preaching, corporate worship, and the church. I hope we can agree that it matters what we say about Jesus.

Any thoughts about the rock star stuff?

Talking back to my inner Nimrod

Tomorrow I am preaching from Genesis 11:1-9. It’s the account of Nimrod, the people of Shinar, and their quest to build a great city with a tower reaching into heaven. They were building, we are told, in order to make a name for themselves. They were seeking to bridge the gap between man and God by their own power and ingenuity. They were seeking to erase the distinction between creature and Creator. The account tells us almost everything we need to know about mankind. We are a prideful lot. We seek lives of independence from God.

But I probably shouldn’t write in generalities. The fact is I am a prideful man. I love my independence. I am far too interested in my own name while not nearly as interested enough in God’s great name. I find God’s interests often competing with my own. It is in those times when my inner Nimrod rises up within me. My inner Nimrod wants recognition and respect. He wants to be served. In those moments the only voice that can adequately talk back is that of Jesus.

The person and words of Jesus are an open rebuke to my inner Nimrod. Paul tells us in Philippians that Jesus, though in very nature God, nevertheless put away His divine rights and became a servant. In His teaching ministry Jesus turned upside down the prevailing attitudes about greatness. In the kingdom of Christ greatness is not about who finishes first or gains the most but who serves in anonymity.

As He was explaining to His disciples that His time had come to offer up His life Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Obviously, Jesus is referencing His coming death which would bear the fruit of redemption. It makes sense that histories most significant death bore histories most significant fruit. But there is, it seems to me, an application to be had for all of us who know Jesus. Fruitfulness for God involves a kind of death.

Humility is hard to come by. Everything in us resists humility. We resist with all our might those things that make us humble. And so I have been thinking about Jesus’ metaphor of the grain of wheat. Seeds are put into dark, dank holes and covered over. They are drowned with water and then left to rot in the soil. Only then, after enough time has passed does the fruit come. It’s never pleasant but it’s good.

Jeremiah Wright and The Good Life

For an advocate of liberation theology Jeremiah Wright knows how to live in high style. As one who regularly decried the materialism of "rich white folks" Reverend Wright has certainly cashed in. Timmy Brister posts this report on the recently retired pastor's new digs.

As Timmy points out, this story raises some important questions about the call of Christ to deny self. It's not so much about Jeremiah Wright as it is about whether we will serve or insist on being served, whether we will seek to give or receive. It is about whether or not we are willing to follow the One who had no place to lay His head.

Redmond on Wright

Recently Al Mohler aired an interview he did with Eric Redmond, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church. The topic is black liberation theology and the state of theology among African American Christians. It is worth listening to.

One of my favorite writers

Sinclair Ferguson writes for the academy, the laity, and even children. He is also one of my favorite preachers.

Easter at Granger

This scene from Easter Sunday at Granger Community Church raises some interesting questions about the purpose of our corporate gatherings. Any thoughts?

Jesus and History

Craig Blomberg, one of our most important New Testament scholars, has written an excellent article entitled "Jesus of Nazareth: How Historians Can Know Him and Why It Matters." The article was posted by The Gospel Coalition.

If you would like to read more by Dr. Blomberg, here are just a few of his books:
The Historical Reliability of the Gospels
Jesus And The Gospels
Interpreting the Parables
Making Sense of the New Testament

Measuring Up

This was posted over at Pure Church. I so identify with these words that I had to post them. This is an excerpt are from Don Carson's excellent book Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor (pp. 92-93).

"So many aspects of ministry demand excellence, and there are not enough hours in the day to be excellent in all of them. When I was a young man, I heard D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones comment that he would not go across the street to hear himself preach. Now that I am close to the age he was when I heard him, I am beginning to understand. It is rare for me to finish a sermon without feeling somewhere between slightly discouraged and moderately depressed that I have not preached with more unction, that I have not articulated these glorious truths more powerfully and with greater insight, and so forth. But I cannot allow that to drive me to despair; rather, it must drive me to a greater grasp of the simple and profound truth that we preach and visit and serve under the gospel of grace, and God accepts us because of his Son. I must learn to accept myself not because of my putative successes but because of the merits of God’s Son. The ministry is so open-ended that one never feels that all possible work has been done, or done as well as one might like. There are always more people to visit, more studying to be done, more preparation to do. What Christians must do, what Christian leaders must do, is constantly remember that we serve our God and Maker and Redeemer under the gospelof grace."

T4G Highlights

God willing, in a few weeks the MEBC pastoral staff will pack up and go to Together For The Gospel. Here are some highlights from the 2006 conference. What a blessed time that was!

Soul Winning for Dummies

I found this posted over at Paleoevangelical. Mark Dever read this same passage at the Gospel Growth conference in October. It’s from C.S. Lovett’s little book “Soul Winning Made Easy.” It represents so much of what was wrong in evangelism training in the past. It also raises some important questions about the way many evangelicals understand regeneration and conversion.

“You have just said to your prospect . . . "Jesus is waiting to come into your heart. Will you open the door? Will you let Him come in?" He makes no reply. Great forces are at work inside him. His soul is a battlefield. The Holy Spirit and Satan want his decision. You wish you could jump into his heart and help him, but you can't. So you do the one thing you can do . . . press him to make a decision . . . one way or the other.

“CAUTION: You can't leave him in "no-man's land." The Longer you wait, Satan's advantage increases. So silently start your countdown . . . 5-4-3-2-1. That's it. You wait no longer. Lay your hand on his shoulder (or arm if a man is dealing with a woman) . . . and with a semi-commanding voice say . . . "Bow your head with me."

“Note: Do not look at him when you say this. He won't act if you do. Instead, bow your head first. The sight of your bowed head, the authority in your voice, the touch of your hand on his shoulder and the witness of the Spirit combine to exert terrific pressure. Out of the corner of your eye you will see him look at you with wonder. Then, as his resistance crumbles, his head will come down in jerks. When your hand feels the relaxation of his shoulder, you'll know his heart has yielded.

“Note: If your man is going to say, "NO," he has to do it now. You've brought him to the place of decision under terrific psychological pressure. If he can't bring himself to receive Christ, he'll say to you ... "I can't do it." Then deal with him as you would the person who says, ‘NO.’”

Many of us can’t help but laugh a little at Rev. Lovett’s instructions. However, we see this same sort of “regeneration by technique” repeated often in the church today. The corporate gatherings of God’s people have been transformed into variety shows for bored church shoppers. Evangelism is left up to the professionals on Sundays who, combined with cool stage lighting, props, and hip musicians will convince seekers to “pray the pray” whereupon they will immediately be assured of their eternal salvation. Been there, seen that, and, unfortunately, done that.

Eldredge and The Voice of God

Tim Challies offers this helpful review of John Eldredge's new book.

If you would like to learn more about the biblical teachings regarding God's guidance check out:

Discovering God's Will by Sinclair Ferguson
Finding The Will of God by Bruce Waltke

Ordination

The ordination service for Kris McGee was a blessed time. It was great to hear more about the church plant in Kansas City. I was also moved by the words of Kris' brother John. Thanks to all those who made it a special time for the McGees.

Confusing Christianity with Politics

Russell Moore has written a helpful article on the Jeremiah Wright (Obama's pastor) hubub.

Take and Read

Excellent introductions to Christian theology and living:

I love these books because of their biblical faithfulness and readability. You do not need a seminary degree to fully appreciate and benefit from these wonderful books. I would encourage you to add them to your personal library.

A Faith To Live By
by Donald MacLeod
The subtitle to the book is "Understanding Christian Doctrine." This readable book delivers! MacLeod, a Scottish theologian, takes the reader on a journey beginning with the inspiration of Scripture all the way through to Heaven and Hell. Faithfully biblical and grounded in historical orthodoxy, A Faith To Live By is an outstanding overview of Christian doctrine.

Concise Theology
by J.I. Packer
Dr. Packer, the dean of evangelical theologians, offers a basic theology in this accessable book. The approach of Concise Theology is to introduce the reader to the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith through a collection of essays based upon words like Trinity, Justification, Grace, Sin, Sanctification, etc.

The Christian Life
by Sinclair Ferguson
Dr. Ferguson writes books for seminarians, laypersons, and even children. The Christian Life is perhaps the best overview of the Scripture's teachings on Christian living I have ever read.

Jesus' Tomb?

Thomas Madden wrote a terrific response on National Review Online to last year's outrageous and now almost fully discredited "documentary" which aired on The Discovery Channel. If you recall there was much buzz about the supposed discovery of Jesus' ossuary (bone box).

Scientific Ethics?

In a field where the notion of God has been completely removed there is little room left for questions of right and wrong. Ethics become entirely utilitarian: if it can be done then it is good.
Check out this story from Reuters.

Victory Achieved

"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him."

- Colossians 2:13-15

"When the Christian looks at the cross, he sees two accusations nailed to it. Our Lord's own accusation is clearly displayed, and beside it, that terrible accusation against us that Christ himself nailed to his cross. Not only did he release us from the guilt and dominion of sin, but he led captive those powers of darkness that had held us in bondage, utterly defeating and humiliating them. That suffering and finally lifeless figure at Golgotha seemed to human eyes the epitome of weakness and failure. His enemies rejoiced. This self-styled king, they thought, would trouble them no more. Yet this was the moment of crisis for the world, the exact moment when Satan was cast out, mortally wounded, with his armies in full retreat."

- Frederick Leheay from The Victory of the Lamb

"He grappled with them and mastered them, stripping them of all the armor in which they trusted, and held them aloft in his mighty oustretched hands, displaying to the universe their helplessness and his own unvanquished strength...Had they but realized the truth, those 'rulers of this age'...'they would not have crucified the Lord of glory' (1 Cor 2:8). But now they are disabled and dethroned, and the shameful tree has become the victor's triumphal chariot, before which his captives are driven in humiliating procession, the involuntary and impotent confessors of their overcomer's superiority."

- F.F. Bruce from his commentary on Colossians

Between Friday and Sunday

John Piper offers some helpful insights about the oft repeated legend that Jesus went to hell for a time after He died.

Easter and Commercialism

This is a fascinating article from Slate on why Easter is more resistent to commercialism than Christmas.

Kansas City Church Plant

Check out the temporary website for Redeemer Fellowship in Kansas City. Redeemer Fellowship is the church that Kris McGee is planting with Kevin Cawley. We are excited about Kris' new ministry. What a privilege it was to ordain Kris into the gospel ministry on Sunday evening. I will post pictures of the event soon.

Man's Inability

The great Puritan Thomas Boston on the doctrine of man's inability. This is worth reading.

Our Modern Aversion to "Sin"

USA Today on whether or not we have lost the notion of sin.

Gloriously Ordinary

In the latest issue of Touchstone an article by Michael Horton levels a critical eye on the contemporary fad for churches to have extraordinary pastors. As an extraordinarily ordinary pastor I feel that pressure regularly. Many of the conferences marketed to pastors today are led by sparkling, muscular, dressed-to-the-nines mega-church pastors. The gist of these conferences is: “Come learn how to be an awesomely awesome leader! Learn how to grow your church so that it will be awesome!” Invariably, the only ones to take the stage at such events look like Abercrombie models and have thousands in their congregation.

Don’t misunderstand. I am in favor of churches growing. I don’t have anything against a pastor being good looking. I also don’t have anything against being in good shape and having nice teeth. What I have a problem with is the selling of an idea of pastoral ministry that departs from what God has commanded of the shepherds of His flock.

Horton writes:
“Never mind Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to submit to elders and pastors as official ambassadors of Christ. These days, even in more confessional denominations, it seems that instead of being the Lord’s servant, ambassador, and minister of reconciliation, a pastor is supposed to be the community’s quarterback, class president, or the one voted ‘most likely to succeed.

“It used to be that the pastor had an office and worked in his study, but today the pastor has a job and works in his office. Whereas Peter organized the diaconal office so that the apostles could devote themselves to the Word and to prayer, ideal ministers seem increasingly to be managers, therapists, entertainers, and entrepreneurial businesspeople…

“Perhaps, like the immature and sectarian Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:5-9), we celebrate the extraordinary minister more than the ordinary ministry of the gospel.”

We are seeing the rise of a fairly new phenomena: the super wealthy pastor/entrepreneur. Now, it used to be that only the prosperity preachers were in that category (Copeland, Roberts, Dollar). But now conservative evangelical pastors are rising to super-stardom. They are becoming kings of media mini-empires. Their bad to mediocre books sell well. I received a mass mailer yesterday from a rising star in the evangelical church. He pastors a meta-church in Houston (not Osteen). His is a typical pastor-driven, super cool, rock concert, awesomely awesome church/mall (Did I string together enough sarcastic rants in that description?). Their latest building project tops 30 million dollars. And guess what? He and his wife have written a book. The readers are challenged to take the 30 day journey through the book (less strenuous than 40 days) and improve their lives. In fact the advertisement guarantees that the authors will transform my life in 30 days. Believe me when I tell you that I am not jealous. I am fearful however. I am fearful that he (and others like him) is becoming the standard. “If I can have a church that big, a book deal, expensive clothes, and speaking invitations THEN I will have arrived.” What is lost in all the professional lusting is the ordinary and often unnoticed work of shepherding God’s people.

The greatest problem I have with many of these rising young stars is their lack of commitment to faithful biblical proclamation which, along with prayer is the hallmark of a faithful minister. But the ordinary means that God has given his under-shepherds has been abandoned for the trappings of extraordinary success. The call to be awesomely awesome has trumped the call to be men of the Word. In the end this will do great damage to the body of Christ. The biblical call for the churches pastor’s and elders to be shepherds is openly mocked by many of today’s super-pastors like Andy Stanley.

Horton writes,
“When churches abandon the ordinary ministry for extraordinary ‘excitements sufficient to induce conversion’ (Finney’s phrase), eventually the innovations become traditions and the insatiable craving for ever-new experiences of spontaneous expressivism, like a drug addiction, leads eventually to the spiritual equivalent of a heart attack…

“There are no easy answers to finding the right balance between caring for the flock already gathered and seeking those who are far off. However, the New Testament does, I believe, lead us to a crucial conclusion: namely, that the same ministry that leads us and our children to Christ, in an ever-deepening communion with him and his body, also reaches strangers, which most of us (as Gentiles) were ourselves. The church in its ever-widening and ever expanding circumference is always a creation of the Word” (emphasis mine).


If you are a pastor I would encourage you to read Don Carson’s new book Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor.

The Reason For God

Check out this website. "The Reason For God" is currently on the NY Times bestseller list. I recommend it not only as a means to equip believers for the work of evangelism but also as a tool to pass along to skeptical friends and family members.

Bob Dylan and Jesus

This is Dylan from 1980. Okay, so his voice is an aquired taste but the man wrote some amazing gospel songs back in the day.

Goldsworthy at Southern

Take time to listen to this important lecture by Graeme Goldsworthy from his time at Southern Seminary this week. Goldsworthy is one of the church's most important writers and teachers. His work on the centrality of the Gospel in biblical interpretation and preaching is desperately needed in the church today.

Thanks to the folks at "Said at Southern" for making so many wonderful resources available.

My Boys

These are from a year and a half ago when we spent some time at Lake of the Ozarks. My boys are pretty serious about their water sports.

Why I Preach Expositionally (6)

Biblical exposition teaches proper biblical interpretation.

So many theological errors today are the result of poor skills in biblical interpretation. Expositional preaching and teaching is a means not only to teach the content of the Bible but how to interpret it properly. Some of the best lessons we learn come by way of observing someone skilled perform a particular task or discipline. A church that preaches and teaches the Bible well will produce men and women who know how to read and understand the Bible properly.

It is common for men and women to view the Bible as a kind of guidebook for successful living precisely because that it how it is preached. The minister, not wanting to bore his flock with the grand narrative of God's redemptive plan in Christ, prefers instead to pluck from the Bible various principles that are guaranteed to produce for everyone who gives them a try.

Sound exposition, on the other hand, will teach a congregation that the Bible is God's revelation of creation, corruption, redemption, and new creation. The Bible is not a treasure book of inspirational principles. Exposition models a way to study the Bible which keeps Jesus and His gospel as the central matters of concern. Those who receive the faithful exposition of the Scriptures will see Jesus enlivening every page as all history moves to and then from the cross. The Old Testament will no longer simply be a collection of moral stories but part of the unfolding revelation of God's amazing grace in Jesus Christ. The New Testament will then affirm that what is most essential for man is not what he does for God but what God has already accomplished for him in the Savior.

Alone In The Garden

Take time to listen to this excellent discussion on The White Horse Inn. My experience in pastoral ministry for 20 years only confirms the observations of the panel. The American church is awash in neo-gnosticism. We have become as subjective in our approach to truth as non-believers. I know what it is like to challenge someone's spiritual experience or long held opinions about God. Too often professing Christians prefer to hold on to what they feel over what God has clearly revealed in His Word. "Don't confuse me with the Bible" is becoming the unspoken mantra of contemporary Christianity.

Increase Your Carbon Footprint

I thought this was hilarious! Is there anyone who could send this to Al Gore?

Protecting Children From The Gospel

Russell Moore has written a disturbing post on a decision made by a Christian children's curriculum publisher to leave out the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ because it is too scary for pre-schoolers.

This actually should come as no surprise. The sermons and lessons that people are regularly hearing in "evangelical" churches are able to stand alone without Jesus. They hear about a Jesus who helps them with their problems, makes their kids well-adjusted, fixes their marriage, and guarantees success. They are told about "biblical principles that will help them in their daily lives." In the process, the preacher is careful not to bore his hearers with too much information about Jesus or content from the Bible. Michael Horton has been sounding the alarm over this trend in recent years. In the latest issues of Modern Reformation Horton asserts that the modern evangelical church is actually helping to secularize our culture. He writes:

"Could evangelicalism grow and experience success even if God didn't exist? Sociologist Christian Smith has done extensive research revealing that the spirituality of America's teens is best described as 'moralistic therapeutic deism.' In fact, other sociologists have come to similar conclusions concerning older generations as well. So while evangelicals are often quick to launch public protests against 'secular humanists' for diminishing the role of God in American society, it would seem that the more likely source of secularization is the church itself. I am not claiming that evangelicalsm is 'atheistic' or even 'deistic' in principle, but that in practice it is losing its interest in God and the grand story of his saving work in Jesus Christ" (emphasis mine).

Instructing a Child's Heart

Tedd Tripp's new book looks great. It is the follow up to Shepherding a Child's Heart.

Moralism vs. Christ-Centered Exposition

This article by Tim Keller explains much about why I preach the way I do. I fear that most evangelicals hear therapeutic moralism on Sundays rather than a faithful Christ-centered exposition of Scripture. The difference is radical. In typical contemporary evangelicalism the gospel is something added on at the end of a sermon rather than being presented as the sole rationale for faith and obedience. As a result most Christians hear sermons that do not need Jesus in order to make sense. In this way the Christian comes to see Jesus in strictly utilitarian terms. He is not the One who, by his death and resurrection delivers us from God's wrath. Rather Jesus becomes a means to better one's life. Keller writes,

The main problem, then, in the Christian life is that we have not thought
out the deep implications of the gospel, we have not "used" the gospel in and on all parts of our life. Richard Lovelace says that most people's problems are just a failure to be oriented to the gospel--a failure to grasp and believe it through and through. Luther says, "The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine ...Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually." (on Gal.2:14f).

Tim Keller at UC Berkeley

Also, Keller's newest book "The Reason for God" is now on the New York Times bestseller list. That's a good thing!

Paul Tripp

Paul Tripp answers questions about his new book "A Quest for More."

I also highly recommend his books "Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands" and "How People Change" co-authored with Tim Lane.

Metro East is looking forward to hosting Paul Tripp on April 4th and 5th for his conference, "Marriage, There Really Is A Better Way."

How To Complain To God

I am preaching from Psalm 22 tomorrow. The Psalm provides profound insights into Jesus' sufferings on the cross. It is also a Psalm of complaint. David does more than cry out to God for help. He questions, even complains about God's seeming absence and slowness to respond. Ultimately the Psalmist finds God to be utterly faithful and praise worthy. But David's alternating between despair and hope, doubt and faith provide a helpful analogy of our own jumbled responses to God.

Doug Smith has written a helpful article on appropriate ways to "complain" to God.

Doctrinal Prioritizing

Al Mohler suggests a structure for "Theological Triage." This article from the latest edition of the 9 Marks Journal offers important insight on knowing how to distinguish between first order and second order doctrines.

Christians and the Old Testament

An excellent article by Graeme Goldsworthy on the Old Testament.

Goldsworthy's book According to Plan is essential reading for a better understanding of the Bible. Take and Read!

Obama's "Sounding Board"

Ronald Kessler at The Wall Street Journal has written an interesting article on Barack Obama's controversial pastor. I wonder if a Republican candidate would be advancing toward the White House if his pastor spewed forth such racist venom?

Preaching To The Choir

Trevin Wax offers this good reminder in the pages of Christianity Today.

Why I Preach Expositionally (5)

Biblical exposition protects the church from error.

It is always tempting for the preacher to tell people what they want to hear. Popularity has its advantages. Because of this, preaching is often more a reflection of popular fads than it is an exposition of Scripture. In his penetrating critique of the church growth movement Os Guinness writes,

The preacher, instead of looking out upon the world, looks out upon public opinion, trying to find out what the public would like to hear. Then he tries his best to duplicate that, and bring his finished product into a marketplace in which others are trying to do the same. The public, turning to our church culture to find out about the world, discovers there is nothing but its own reflection.

The ironic lack of clear biblical exposition in “conservative, Bible believing” churches has led to a tragic fulfillment of what the apostle Paul warned: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (II Tim 4:3-4).

Faithful exposition of the Scriptures from pulpit, in small groups, and at home is the only safeguard against an otherwise inevitable drift toward error. In his tender farewell to the Ephesian elders Paul told them, “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26). The Bible is being all but completely ignored from the pulpits and classrooms of too many churches. There is a famine of Scripture among God’s people which leaves them highly susceptible to error. Those entrusted with the duties of preaching and teaching must possess an unshakable commitment to biblical exposition “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14).

Wagner Vs. The Facts

Timmy Brister posts an effective rejoinder to Bill Wagner's assertions about Calvinists and evangelism.