Rehearsing the Gospel

There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and the Devil than to overwhelm such things with daily rehearsings of the gospel.

Milton Vincent from A Gospel Primer (p. 14)

Adam and the Gospel

Al Mohler led a helpful discussion on the importance of an historical Adam to the Gospel narrative. In addition to Dr. Mohler, the panelists were Jim Hamilton, Tom Schreiner, Chad Brand, and Steve Wellum. Download it audio HERE and video HERE.

On saying "No."

The Church of our day needs above all else men who can say "No"; for it is only men who can say "No," men who are brave enough to take a stand against sin and error in the Church—it is only such men who can really say "Yea and amen" to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

- J. Gresham Machen

HT: Dan Phillips

Sunday's Sermon

On Sunday I preached part 4 in our current series The Mission. The sermon is entitled "Our Gospel Imperative" and is based on Matthew 28:16-19a. You can listen to or download it HERE.

Enns, Evolution, and Al Mohler

Dr. Jim Hamilton has written two helpful posts (here and here) responding to some recent comments from Peter Enns on evolution and the reliability of the Bible. Along the way Dr. Enns takes issue with Al Mohler's commitment to the reliability of the biblical record of origins.

Luther and the Word

An outstanding address from Dr. Timothy George (a Southern Baptist) on Martin Luther's life and legacy. Excellent...


HT: Justin Taylor

Nine Marks Journal

The latest edition of the Nine Marks Journal is outstanding. The theme is church revitalization and will be particularly helpful for those who help to lead churches struggling with a significant need for greater health or even reform.

on-line version

PDF

Sunday's Sermon

October 30 was Reformation Sunday. In light of that I preached a message entitled "Justified" which explores the doctrine of justification by faith from Romans 1:16-17. You can listen to or download it HERE.

A Cup of Joy and Sorrow

I have started re-reading Douglas Kelley's wonderful exposition of 2 Corinthians, New Life in the Wasteland. Dr. Kelley pays special attention to Paul's insights on the pains and joys of Christian ministry.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

- 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Dr. Kelley writes:

Paul writes about the value of difficulties, pain, and suffering that God may call us to endure from time to time in our Christian service. The Lord mingles our cup very tenderly and graciously with joy and sorrow, testing and pleasure. But from time to time he does call every true servant of his to go through dark places; it is especially this situation that seems to be in view in 2 Corinthians...

Normally the apostle dwells on God's blessing to the church, as he does in 1 Corinthians and 1 Thessalonians; here he does not dwell on what God has done in the lives of the Corinthians, but on what God had done in his own life. Now why does he take this tack in the introduction? The reason is that in verses 3-7 Paul is giving thanks for what God has done in his life in precise connection with the pain that these Corinthians had caused him. He is saying, "You've hurt me but I can even thank God for the hurt that you caused me because good has come out of it." It is a word of grace and forgiveness to this church; it takes a generous and big-hearted man to utter such a word. "You hurt me but God enlarged me through this and further blessings will come to the church through this." (p. 24)

The Gospel is for Pastors Too...

I am looking forward to reading Tullian's new book Jesus + Nothing = Everything. In it he tells of the tumultuous first years of his ministry [beginning in 2009] as the new pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Following D. James Kennedy's death, Coral Ridge began pursuing Tchividjian to become their new senior pastor. Tullian however was committed to the church he had planted. After much prayer and planning the decision was made to merge the two churches. And then the proverbial shoe dropped.

With the merger and the leadership transition, a small but vocal group of long-time Coral Ridge members immediately began voicing opposition to practically any and every change we initiated or even considered at the church. Blogs were posted, notes and letters were circulated—some anonymously—with false accusations about me. Just three months after I arrived, a vigorous petition drive was started to get me removed, and it gained steam. Some people began lamenting the huge mistake they’d made in agreeing to the merger, and they grumbled that the whole thing had turned into a “hostile takeover.” Their tone was frequently heated and vicious. Battle lines were drawn, rumors raced, and the spirits of those who supported me sagged. There was a crescendo of misunderstandings, frustration, and pain.

I continued in my determination to bring about what we believed were needed changes at the church, but the virulence of the opposition to them was almost more than I could bear. I was undergoing the shelling of my life—and I was plenty ready to quit and escape elsewhere. I was informed of possible other job offers from around the country, and believe me, they were tempting. It would have been so easy just to walk away from the turmoil I was in and never look back (pp. 21-22).

Church leadership is dangerous. In our context, the danger is usually not physical. Rather, it is dangerous spiritually and emotionally. It is dangerous for a pastor's wife who must help her husband to carry the load. She feels the sting of criticisms leveled against her beloved. In some unfortunate cases, the pastor's wife will be treated poorly by those who oppose her husband's leadership. It is dangerous for a pastor's children who, depending on their age, are able to see their father struggling. Imagine what it must do to a child's love for the body of Christ when they perceive it to be the very thing that makes their father sad.

This is why pastors must regularly, daily, even moment-by-moment declare to themselves gospel truth. Because of the nature of pastoral leadership, the pastor will regularly face the disapproval and even anger of those he is called to lead. There are times when he will respond sinfully which will add the weight of guilt to his already burdened heart. In those times (and many others) the pastor needs the liberating truth of the free grace of God mediated through the Lord Jesus. He needs to learn to take comfort in the acceptance of his crucified Savior, the love of his Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This the pastor needs, for there will be many days when the costly acceptance of Jesus will be the only acceptance he knows.

Yes, the Reformation still matters

From an article entitled "Abandon the Reformation, Abandon the Gospel" Matthew Barrett:

Does Reformation theology matter today? Absolutely. It is tempting to think of the Reformation as a mere political or social movement. In reality, however, the Reformation was a fight over the gospel itself. The reformers argued that God's free and gracious acceptance of guilty sinners on the basis of the work of Christ alone is at the heart of the gospel. While the political and social context has changed since the 16th century, nevertheless, this issue remains at the forefront. Much could be said as to why, but here are two reasons as to why the Reformation matters today.

First, for Luther justification by faith alone is the article by which the church stands or falls. Today, however, many question and outright reject the centrality of justification. Take the late Clark Pinnock, for example, who attributes Luther and subsequent Protestants' hangup with justification to fear of a wrathful God. Consequently, Pinnock says, "the legal dimension has dominated our thinking about salvation" (Flame of Love, 155). While the legal dimension is important, it is "not necessarily the central motif." Justification is just one step on the way to transformation. Therefore, it "is not the principal article of all Christian doctrine, as Luther claimed."

What is Pinnock's alternative proposal then? "Being saved is more like falling in love with God." In fact, Pinnock says, "legal thinking and the doctrine of justification are not as prominent in the Bible as we have made them." And here is the kicker: "Luther's rediscovery of justification was important for himself and for 16th-century reforms, but it is not as central for us, and not even for an astute interpretation of Paul's theology."

But God's justification of the ungodly is at the very center of Paul theology (Rom. 4:5). This is why the gospel is such good news! The news is so good because not only has Christ died and risen again (Acts 2:22-36), but now we have the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). No wonder Paul can say that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for "in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" Therefore, Luther's awakening after reading Romans 1:17 was essentially a gospel awakening. To divorce justification from the gospel is to ignore our basic human predicament: how are we, as guilty sinners, to find favor before a holy God? Clearly this was the question in Paul's mind when he concluded, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).

Second, there is a strong push in our present day either to return or join with Rome. The most notable example of returning in our present day is Francis J. Beckwith, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, who resigned from his presidency in 2007. While stating that he hopes his Catholic brothers will resist triumphalism, he unequivocally stated, "I, of course, believe that Catholicism is in fact true in all its dogmatic theology, including its views of scripture, ethics, church authority, ecumenical councils, etc." (Return to Rome, 12).

Others argue that evangelicals and Catholics, while remaining distinct, can now join together in light of Evangelicals and Catholics Together, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the Joint Declaration on Justification. Many believe the rift between Protestants and Catholics has been at least substantially resolved. Hence Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom's book, Is the Reformation Over?. (See Scott M. Mantesch, "Is the Reformation Over? John Calvin, Roman Catholicism, and Contemporary Ecumenical Conversations" Themelios, August 2011.)

But as Michael Horton has recently argued (and R. C. Sproul before him), the Reformation is far from over. "There has been no material change in the Roman Catholic position on the issues that led to the excommunication of the Reformers. Even the Joint Declaration overcame the central doctrine of controversy only by embracing a Roman Catholic definition of justification as forgiveness and actual transformation (i.e., sanctification)." Rome continues to reject the evangelical affirmation of justification by grace alone through faith alone. I agree with Horton when he states that it is not about Luther; it is about the gospel.

While many other challenges to Reformation theology could be identified, these two examples sufficiently demonstrate that Reformation theology continues to be at the center of discussion. Many younger evangelicals are embracing Reformation theology today. But the challenge we will face lies in how to defend Reformation theology to light of new ideologies that seek to undermine its credibility. I believe that the linchpin in the effort to defend and apply Reformation theology today can be found in the simple truth made so clear by Luther himself---namely, that the gospel itself is at stake, just as it was in the 16th century. To abandon Reformation theology is to abandon the gospel.

DeYoung on preaching...

Kevin DeYoung was the keynote speaker this year at Westminster's annual preaching conference. The addresses were excellent.

Tuesday, October 25:
Burnt to a Crisp - Rev. Kevin DeYoung

Wednesday, October 26:
How Can a Biblical Sermon Be So Boring? The Case for Clarity, Specificity, and Authenticity - Rev. Kevin DeYoung

How Can a Biblical Sermon Be So Boring?: The Case for Ingenuity, Spontaneity, and Authority - Rev. Kevin DeYoung

Does the Trinity Change the Way We Preach? - Rev. Dr. Carl Trueman

I.C.B.I. Again? The Living Word and the Lively Pulpit - Rev. Dr. David B. Garner

The King's Speech: Seeing Preaching as Kingdom Leadership - Rev. John Currie

Bearing our Shame - Rev. Kevin DeYoung

Also, if you attend Church of the Saviour, you will recognize some of the attendees from the pictures.

Church discipline is the gospel in action...

From an article by Bobby Jamieson:

Church discipline is not a dirty chore—it’s an imitation of the Father’s own relentless pursuit of us. It’s the gospel in action.

The Father did not leave us in our sin, but came to us, and through the gospel rebuked our sin and freely forgave us. So we should not leave others to fester and ultimately perish in their sin, but instead search them out, chase them down, and do everything in our power to bring them back to God’s grace and forgiveness.

When we confront a sinning brother, we should have in hand not only a rebuke but also a blank check of forgiveness. If the brother repents, the check gets quickly written and handed over, and we’ve both won (v. 15).

Without church discipline, sin wins. It fractures fellowship. It sows bitterness and division. It chokes the life out of churches. But God, in the gospel, doesn’t let sin win. He forgives its penalty. He breaks its power. He restores what it stole and heals what it broke.

To rebuke sin and extend forgiveness is to push back the darkness that threatens to extinguish the light of the gospel in someone’s heart. It’s to hack at the roots of evil which try to strangle the life out of the church.

Read the whole thing HERE.

Jesus Plus Nothing...

Tullian Tchividjian's new book, "Jesus + Nothing = Everything" is now available.

He was recently interviewed about the stormy first few years of his ministry at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. I identified with much of what he said although I have never had to face things like petitions for my dismissal and vandalism to my car. Of course, there is still time. I was also moved by his comments regarding the toll those trials took on his wife. But through it all it was the indellible beauty of the Gospel that sustained him.

I’d never realized how dependent I’d become on human approval and acceptance until so much of it was taken away in the roiling controversy at Coral Ridge. In every church I’d been a part of, I was widely accepted and approved and appreciated. I’d always felt loved in church. Now, for the first time, I found myself in the uncomfortable position of being deeply disliked and distrusted, and by more than a few people. Now I realized just how much I’d been relying on something other than the approval and acceptance and love that were already mine in Jesus. I was realizing in a fresh way the now-power of the gospel—that the gospel doesn’t simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance. Through my pain, I was being convinced all over again that the power of the gospel is just as necessary and relevant after you become a Christian as it is before.

Love and Discipline Within The Church

The following are excellent resources on the meaning of membership and discipline within the church.

Sermons by Jonathan Leeman:

Church Membership and Love

Church Discipline and Love

Jonathan's outstanding book The Surprising Offense of God's Love.

Video - A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership

Video - A Biblical Understanding of Church Discipline

HT: 9Marks

This book has me interested...

Phillip Carey, professor of philosophy and director of the philosophy program at Eastern University, has written a book that has peaked my interest. This is not a recommendation yet because I have just started reading it. But so far I like what I am reading.


The book is entitled Good News for Anxious Christians: 10 Practical Things You Don't Have to Do. I must admit, I love the subtitle.


In the preface (the only part I have read so far) Dr. Carey writes:

[It] is Christ who redeems us, makes us new, and transforms us. Our practical efforts to transform ourselves - our good works - are just not relevant to this task. Our good works are for our neighbors and provide various outward disciplines that are needed to give order to our lives. The inward transformation of our hearts, however, happens not through anything we try to do but through faith in the gospel, because that's how we receive Christ. He is the One who really changes us.

"The new evangelical theology," which I criticize at length in this book, is my name for a set of supposedly practical ideas about transforming your life that get in the way of believing the gospel. They are the result of a long history of trying to be "practical" in evangelical theology, which has now thoroughly adapted itself to consumer society...

[The new evangelical theology] is essentially a set of interconnected techniques or ritual practices for making God real in your life, establishing a relationship with God, and so on - as if all that kind of thing really depended on you. The techniques all have the characteristic that they turn you away from external things like the word of God, Christ in the flesh, and the life of the church, in order to seek God in your heart, your life, and your experience. Underneath a lot of talk about being personal with God, it's a spirituality that actually leaves you alone with yourself...

[The] best way to change our lives is to hear Christ preached, learn who he is, and put our whole trust in him. The alternative not only leads us away from Christian faith over time, but in the present it has the drawback that it's really boring. Here I think is where pastors have been most seriously misled by the new evangelical theology. Of course, they want to be "practical," to change people and transform their lives, but they preach all about our lives, our experiences, and our hearts - as if the only reason we came to church was to hear about ourselves. The secret about this, which would be really liberating for pastors to learn, is that hearing about ourselves rather Christ all the time is dreary and disheartening.

The table of contents also gets me interested:
1. Why you don't have to hear God's voice in your heart
Or, How God really speaks today

2. Why you don't have to believe your intuitions are the Holy Spirit
Or, How the Spirit shapes our hearts

3. Why you don't have to 'Let God take control"
Or, How obedience is for responsible adults

4. Why you don't have to 'find God's will for your life'
Or, How faith seeks wisdom

5. Why you don't have to be sure you have the right motivations
Or, How love seeks the good

6. Why you don't have to worry about splitting head from heart
Or, How thinking welcomes feeling

7. Why you don't have to keep getting transformed all the time
Or, How virtues make a lasting change in us

8. Why you don't always have to experience joy
Or, How God vindicates the afflicted

9. Why "applying it to your life" is boring
Or, How the gospel is beautiful

10. Why basing faith on experience leads to a post-Christian future
Or, How Christian faith needs Christian teaching

If you know me at all, or ever listen to me preach then you will not be surprised that I was refreshed and delighted just by reading those chapter headings. This evening I will read chapter one and let you know what I think.

Church, Change, and Conflict

In 2009 Tullian Tchividjian was called to be the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. It made headlines not only because Tullian is the grandson of Billy Graham but because Coral Ridge had been led by only one pastor during her history: D. James Kennedy. Another dynamic made the situation unique. Tchividjian's church would merge with Coral Ridge. The opportunity raised exciting possibilities but also myriad problems. And the problems came. And they came quickly.

Recently, Tullian was interviewed by Christianity Today about the challenges, wounds, and heartbreaks he experienced as the new pastor of Coral Ridge. While the situation is unique, the things Tullian experienced are, sadly, not unusual for a pastor called to lead change.

Some of the reasons you were opposed seem trivial. You didn't wear a robe, like Dr. Kennedy did. You weren't political enough from the pulpit. Was there something beneath those objections?

Not preaching politics was a big one. But yes, I'm sure there was something underlying those complaints. Part of it may have been an old-fashioned power struggle. There were people who had been in places of power under Kennedy who felt that this was their church, and they should be in charge of running it. I think some of them probably saw in me a young guy who would be wide-eyed by coming here and would basically do whatever they said. What they underestimated was that we had prayed and thought hard about what God wanted this church to be, and we were very determined to get there.

What was your initial reaction to the resistance?

Well, we expected it. But it's one thing to talk about war and another to be a soldier on the ground when the bullets are flying. It was hard. It was the first time in my life where I was leading a church where I knew many people didn't like me.

Things started blowing up pretty quickly because there were things that had to change immediately. There were issues on staff that had to be addressed immediately, dangerous things. Yet if you're not in the know, all you see are these changes taking place. To some it looked like we were just being disrespectful, that we were bulls in a china shop. We were coming in as the guest and taking over. So there were a lot of those kinds of accusations. They weren't accurate, but we couldn't disclose all the reasons we had to make the changes.

It was tremendously uncomfortable coming to worship every Sunday morning during that time not knowing who liked you and who hated you. There were people in the choir who, when I would stand up to preach, would get up and walk out. People would sit in the front row and just stare me down as I preached. It was extremely uncomfortable. People would grab me in the hallway between services and say, "You're ruining this church, and I'm going to do everything I can to stop you." I would come out to my car and it would be keyed. Some people would stop at nothing to intimidate.

They put petitions on car windows during the worship service. They started an anonymous blog, which was very painful. Here we were trying to build consensus and there's this anonymous blog fueling rumors and lies. The blog almost ruined my wife's life. Anonymous letters were sent out to the entire congregation with accusations and character assassinations. It was absolutely terrible.

Did you ever question yourself and think, Was I really called here?

Oh, definitely. The shelling got so bad I thought to myself this was a huge mistake. Two churches are ruined now. I could hardly eat, had trouble sleeping, and was continually battling nausea. I felt at the absolute end of myself. In the summer of 2009 when we were in the midst of this, my family and I left to go on vacation. On the first day of vacation, I went out on the balcony of a cabin we rent, looking over the Gulf of Mexico. And I finally just unleashed all of my fury on God. What have you done? I've been trying to keep a stiff upper lip and play the role of martyr for truth. But bottom line is, I'm mad. I've done everything you asked me to do. I put my baby, the church that I planted, on the altar. I didn't want to do this in the first place but I submitted and did it. And this is the payment I get from you?

But then I started thinking, why does this bother me so much? Yes, I have people writing nasty things about me, lying about me, spreading rumors about my team. They're after power. And they're not getting it, and these are the tactics they're using. But why does that bother me so much? I remember saying to God in that moment, "Just give me my old life back." And he said, "It's not your old life you want back. It's your old idols you want back. And I love you too much to give them to you."

I opened up my Bible. In the reading plan I was following, it so happened that the day's passages included the first chapter of Colossians. As I read those verses, my eyes were opened. My true situation came into focus. I'd never realized how dependent I'd become on human approval and acceptance until so much of it was taken away in the roiling controversy at Coral Ridge.

In every church I'd been a part of, I was widely accepted and approved and appreciated. I'd always felt loved in church. Now, for the first time, I found myself in the uncomfortable position of being deeply disliked and distrusted, and by more than a few people. Now I realized just how much I'd been relying on something other than the approval and acceptance and love that were already mine in Jesus.

I was realizing in a fresh way the now-power of the gospel—that the gospel doesn't simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance. Through my pain, I was being convinced all over again that the power of the gospel is just as necessary and relevant after you become a Christian as it is before.

When that biblical reality gripped my heart, I was free like I had never felt before in my life. It gives you the backbone to walk into a room full of church leaders and say "this is what we're going to do and this is why we're going to do it, even if it gets me thrown into the street."

There is a fresh I-don't-care-ness that accompanies belief in the gospel. Whether you like me or not doesn't matter, because my worth and my dignity and my identity are anchored in God's approval. Christ won all of the approval and acceptance I need.

Read the whole interview HERE.

On becoming less...

"Rejoice in the good of others, though it eclipses your light, though it makes your parts, your abilities, and your excellencies dimmer in the eyes of others. Were it not for the eminence of some above you, your parts perhaps would shine more brightly and be of high esteem. Yet to rejoice in this from the heart, to bless God from the soul for His gifts and graces in others, that His name may be glorified more by others than I can glorify it myself; to be able to truly say, ‘Though I can do little, yet blessed be God there are some who can do more for God than I, and in this I do and will rejoice’—this is indeed to be able to do much more than others. This shows a great eminence of spirit."
- Jeremiah Burroughs from Excellency of a Gracious Spirit

Lessons from and questions for the seeker church

Kevin DeYoung has written a thoughtful reflection on James Emory White's new book, What They Didn't Teach You In Seminary. Dr. White is a mega-church pastor who happens to be in sympathy with seeker church movement. He is certainly an intelligent man who no doubt cares deeply about the church of Jesus Christ. DeYoung lists a number of lessons that we can learn from the seeker church. He also includes some vital questions for those within the seeker movement to ask themselves.

In his conclusion, DeYoung writes:

I’m not sure how to move forward with the impasse between the YRR [Young, Restless, and Reformed] world and the church growth world. No doubt, there are unfortunate stereotypes on both sides. For our part, we could learn from our seeker church brethren when it comes to administration, strategy, being honest about stagnation and lack of evangelism, and being sensitive to the way we are perceived by outsiders. We can be intellectually snobbish and blissfully unconcerned about whether the church grows, reproduces, or multiplies.

As for those on the seeker church side: I encourage you to read ten theological books for every business book. I encourage you trust in the word of God to do the work of God. I encourage you to listen not just to this culture of Christians, but to the centuries of Christians that have come before. I encourage you to explicitly, unapologetically love theology and teach your people to do the same. I encourage you to worship in such a way that it won’t be out of date in five years. I encourage you to use the language of Zion instead of the language of Collins. I encourage you to proclaim, not just to communicate.

And lastly, I encourage all of us to take a hard look at all the deep theological things we learned in seminary (or should have learned) and consider whether their seeming irrelevance is owing to the them, to our people, or to us.

New Christmas Music

Keith and Kristyn Getty have released a Christmas CD - Joy: An Irish Christmas.