A Joy Thief

My church recently started teaching through Philippians. We’ve just started a couple of weeks ago, but it’s been an incredible experience so far! Not only are my pastors excited about Philippians, but also the people are really excited about learning from Philippians! I’ve never experience such community effort and involvement in an expository book series. Its almost like Philippians is a fresh, new letter from the Apostle Paul to Sovereign Grace Church of Greenville, and we’re thrilled to learn from it!

The key to this community effort is the small groups throughout the week. I meet with my community group every Friday night from 7p-10:30p (SGM lingo “caregroup”). A lot happens during my community group such as cultivating relationships, accountability, confession, prayer, healing, and breaking the bread; but a central part of my community group is the 2 hours we spend together as believers praising God and discussing the biblical text we heard on Sunday. Our goal is to discern how God is speaking to us as we live our everyday lives in Greenville 2009 – some Fridays it’s encouraging; other Fridays it’s really messy (as sin always is); but always I leave with hope in the gospel and a deepened bond with the body of Christ.

This last Friday night at community group, the community group leader asked a similar question for discussion that was asked the previous Friday before. “What robs us of our joy, and how does understanding the gospel and who we are in Christ remedy this problem?” I remember thinking about this the previous week but not sharing it for various reasons, so this time a response was burning on my mind, and I had a rare opportunity of group silence to blurt out some weak jumble of words about what robs me personally of the joy I should experience in Christ. I feel that I’m a better writer than speaker, so let me share what is burning in my mind and what I was trying to say. This happens to me a lot at community group; but for various (usually selfish/prideful) reasons, I don’t share.

What robs me of my joy in Christ is selfishness. Various specific sins are involved in my selfishness such as greed, laziness, idolatry, lust, pride, fear of man, and ignorance; but it all points back to me. I love being the center of my universe. Paul lived a life that is antithetical to how I generally live. Philippians speaks of this selflessness over and over again. The point was made at community group that we are created for another. He ought to be the center of my universe. Paul says in Philippians 2:17 that he rejoices when he is poured out like a drink offering for their sake. Paul found joy when he was totally forgotten and taken advantage of. This is not a selfish sadistic pain in pleasure but a pleasure in reaching outside oneself for the glory and profit of another.

I know that my life does not reflect this reality. I’m always thinking about me: “How do I feel?”

”Why is my energy so low?”

“Why doesn’t so and so do this?”

“How can I receive God’s blessing?”

“Maybe if I say this then so and so will be impressed and think I’m such a grace-filled Christian.”

“Maybe God will know how much I love him if I do such and such.”

“My life is great because I haven’t done any serious sin and I read my Bible everyday and go to church and pray for the missionaries and witness to at least one person a week.”

I’ve been guilty of all the above multiple times. Even the pursuit of joy itself can be selfish. Joy is a result of pursuing hard after God. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is a product of totally living for another.

In reality, this is an anti-American lifestyle. Our pop culture teaches us that it’s all about me. Our churches teach that it’s is all about you pleasing a stern God or conversely you receiving some blessing from a loving God. Even forgiveness of sins can become selfish if we lose sight of why. It was mentioned at community group that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before him in glorifying the Father. It’s all about the Father. We suffer for the Father. We feel good for the Father. We breathe for the Father. We laugh for the Father. We are forgiven for the Father. We play for the Father. We serve for the Father. We love for the Father. We joy in the Father.

When we reach outside ourselves, then we experience true joy. As the Father reached out of Himself to us, so we must reach out of ourselves to Humanity. The Father loves the church, so I must reach outside myself to the church. The Father loves the world, so I must reach outside myself to the world. The Father loves me so I must live my life wisely and with stewardship and yet reach outside myself to others no matter how ugly, dirty, or beautiful. I am bad at this. I hate reaching out of myself, yet I can testify that I’ve experienced the greatest joy and growth when I stretched my limits of self-comfort.

I don’t fully understand selflessness because it almost seems like a logical contradiction. I don’t quite comprehend the fact that I am entirely God’s possession not my own. I don’t know how to live this fact out without erring on the side of selfishness whether legalism or passivity. This is where the gospel (God reaching out to me for his glory) comes into play every single day. But I do know that I’m called to reach outside myself for the Father. It is in this pursuit I find joy.

This is why I loved community group this last Friday. God is a relational being who has ordained a relational community to exist on earth bound by the gospel called the church whom I love as Paul loved. May we pour out ourselves as sacrifices in this modern world for the Father and thus experience joy.

Father Forgive Us

A new song from the brothers over at RESOUNDworship.org

Father, forgive us when we fail to hear your call
to share your perfect love with those outside these walls.
We have the greatest gift, the truth of Jesus Christ;
we’re sent to go and tell the world.

We believe in God the Father,
we believe he sent his Son,
we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
We believe he brings forgiveness
and his Spirit changes lives.
We will live this gospel in his name.

Faith without action is as lifeless as the grave,
so may our lives proclaim that Jesus Christ can save.
We are your hands and feet, your workers on the earth,
we’ll show our faith by what we do.

by Andy Irons

“With this song I wanted to write about how we as Christians are called to take our faith out of our church buildings, and into the world around us. The chorus is a simple creed, that reminds us of the fundamentals of our faith, and the verses are a challenge to live that faith out. The verses take their inspiration from Jesus’ great commission to his disciples at the end of Matthew; ‘go and make disciples of all nations’, and from James chapter 2, picking up on the powerful challenge that ‘faith without deeds is dead.’” – Andy Irons

Listen to song here

Living Faith

Mistaken souls that dream of Heaven
And make their empty boast
Of inwards joys and sins forgiven
While slaves to greed and lust
Vain is the will of mortal men
If faith is cold and dead
None but a living power unites
To Christ the living head

Pray for a living faith
That leads us to trust this grace
We cannot come to God on our own.
A faith that truly sees
That drives us to bended knee
Looking for hope in the cross of Christ alone.

True faith will purify the soul
And Faith will work by love
It forces sinful thoughts to go
And lifts our minds above
This faith will conquer earth and hell
By God’s celestial power
This is the grace that will prevail
In the decisive hour.

Pray for a living faith
That leads us to trust this grace
We cannot come to God on our own.
A faith that truly sees
That drives us to bended knee
Looking for hope in the cross of Christ alone.

Written by Brooks Ritter and Bobby Gilles
Adapted from “Hymn 140” by Isaac Watts

This song is from Sojourn Music’s newest cd Over the Grave (IMHO the best cd of 2009). I love that our faith is so simple yet so deep and complex. This deep, complex faith is a living faith, that is, a faith that brings life and vitality. This is probably one of my greatest struggles, having a faith that is not cold and factual but living!! Pray for a living faith! Only God alone can enliven the dead bones and give life to the lifeless flesh. How easy it is to boast in the inward joys and our sins forgiven yet still remain slaves of greed and lust! Pray for a living faith! Driven to bended knee, looking for hope in the cross of Christ alone!

Justified by His Grace

And [a voice] will call out unto them: “This is the paradise which you have inherited by virtue of your past deeds!” And the inmates of paradise will call out to the inmates of the fire: “Now we have found that what our Sustainer promised us has come true; have you, too, found that what your Sustainer promised you has come true?” [The others] will answer, “Yes!” – whereupon from their midst a voice will loudly proclaim: “God’s rejection is the due of the evildoers who turn others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked, and who refuse to acknowledge the truth of the life to come!” And between the two there will be a barrier. <Surah 7:43-45>

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. <Titus 3:5-7>

The vast chasm between Christianity and Islam is clearly seen above. Jesus offers grace to the undeserving, which is why we love Jesus so much. Jesus is why we sing songs for 45 minutes every Sunday morning. Jesus is the hope stored up in the future for us. No, we do not submit to God to earn his favor and hence paradise. We submit to God because of his vast love for evildoers manifest through Jesus! Rejoice in this hope and freedom! No longer a slave to bitter sin but an heir of God!

On Reading Systematic Theology

I’m baffled by the lack of interest by regular church members in systematic theology. Systematic theology is the ordering and relating of all the truths of Scripture. Christians who consider themselves people of the Book ought to regularly read the riches found in systematic theologies especially if we believe in a God who created the thinking mind, reflecting a part of His image in us.  And not just reading the ever so hip Wayne Grudem’s systematic (which is no doubt a great introductory systematic) but also Hodge, Shedd, Strong, Vanhoozer, Berkhof, Demarest, Erickson, Oden, Bloesch, Bavinck, and the list could go on and on. And these are all broadly evangelical authors, and No! they don’t all say the same things over and over again! I always smile when someone in my circles mentions Grudem as if he’s the great Evangelical pope and final authority of theology. Actually, Grudem really is a great systematic theologian; and I encourage everyone to read Grudem as some point in time; but please don’t stop with Grudem! Many men have gone before Grudem and said stuff that Grudem either repeats or fails to mention for one reason or another. The key with systematic theology is to read broadly because no systematic theology is without error since obviously the authors are not inspired. Systematic theologies are also prone to theological drift which is why the reader must always read critically and with an open Bible. This takes precious time and an immense amount of brain power if one is to read broadly, critically, and carefully; but the rewards are well worth the sweat and time.

I had someone ask me (I don’t remember who so I’m not thinking of you) “Why read systematic theology? Don’t just pastor’s need to read that stuff?” I near choked in surprise as such a ridiculous question! I strongly believe in the priesthood of the individual believer and the  right to studying and thus interpreting the Scripture as an individual before God (which causes me trouble from time to time). A grave danger in the church and world for that matter is being manipulated through wrong thinking and shoddy theology. The remedy to such a danger is prayer and the diligent and difficult study of theology both in the Holy Scriptures themselves (biblical theology) and as systematized throughout history (systematic theology and historical theology). Ignorance is not a virtue nor a mark of godliness. If you saw a lion while walking through the woods, you would not close your eyes and plug your ears while yelling, “I can’t see you, so you can’t see me!” This is foolish and childlike. The same lion, the devil, roams our world and we must not ignore the dangers lurking about by ignorantly shutting our eyes and plugging our ears but rather we must use every resource God has given us to resist.

Reasons to read:I think Charles Hodge gives several good reasons as to the necessity of systematic theology, so I’ll summarize what he says at the beginning of his 3 volume magnus opus:

1. Everyone constructs a system of theology. As humans, we intuitively systematize (that is automatically relate/connect and order) everything we come in contact with and our contact with the Holy Scriptures is no exception. The formation of denominations and movements is an example of the unavoidable propensity to systematizing everything. We all are part of some kind of system of theology whether it be Southern Baptist, independent baptist, Sovereign Grace, Presbyterian, and so on.
2. Systematic theology enables us to understand the “bigger picture” of who God is and what God is doing. It literally took the church centuries to understand the person of Christ and relate that in harmony with all the truths of Scripture. The person and divinity of Christ is something we take for granted today and find simple and perfectly clear, yet in the early centuries this was not so clearly understood.
3. Systematic theology must be understood if we are to teach, defend, and vindicate the truth of Christianity especially upon the minds of men. (1 Peter 3:15)
4. Systematic theology is the result of obeying God’s commands to study his works and study his Word.  As the stars are not isolated points but part of a large system of nature, so the truths of Scripture are not isolated truths but part of a larger system of truth.

Dangers:

1. We can study systematic theology in an academic manner with a cold, unmoved heart rather than studying theology as a “religious exercise” resulting in worship of the Living God. See Warfield’s excellent essay about this danger.
2. We can become calloused to the precious and deep truths about Christianity through much reading of theology.
3. Systematic theologies can breed theological drift, that is, drawing theological conclusions that the Bible does not teach.
4. God is not a system but a Being who is not a tame God as I was reminded recently by a fellow blogger.

Read them! Your faith will be immensely strengthened! Nothing gives boldness in witnessing and overcoming the fear of men than knowing what your talking about (a profound truth I know!) Your mind will be sharpened! Your relationship with Jesus deepened! We need normal church people who know how to think not just feel and argue! Reading systematic theology is one step in developing the Christian thinker.

On Reading the Qur’an

This summer I’ve been reading through the Qur’an. Whenever I mention that to someone, I always get a surprised look and the question, “Why are you reading the Koran?” After giving a big grin and trying to suppress laughter at their befuddled expression, I usually mumble some garbled answer off the top of my head. I guess I’m always surprised that I have to give a reason for why I’m reading the most important book in all of Islam, the world’s second largest religon with 1.3 billion adherents. I always want to say in the most sarcastic and unkind voice, “Is your faith so weak and unreasonable that your faith would fall apart if you actually used your brain and engaged the world around you?” But alas, that is unhelpfully and probably sinful to say to an individual.

I firmly believe that the Christian faith is not unreasonable. If that proposition is true, then we must seek to fully engage our minds in those ideas that seem to stand contrary to Christianity and work through the difficulties and challenges. This is a scary and fearful task, and very difficult as I also believe that we are finite beings who don’t understand everything around us. Because we are so finite and prone to deception, I believe we need to continually immerse ourselves in critical study both of the Holy Scriptures and systematic theology.

When I was an undergrad at NIU, I ordered a free Qur’an from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. I was expecting to get a small paperback Koran; but when I picked it up from the mail-room, I realized that Muslims were very serious about the Qur’an. The Qur’an I received was a nice oversized hardback edition with both the English interpretation next to the actually Arabic text. The Qur’an I received is on Amazon for about $50 new. This edition is supposed to be the best English translation of the Qur’an; and not only does it read wonderfully but it also contains commentary at the bottom of the page explaining the various Islamic interpretations throughout history for certain texts that are difficult to understand. You can still order a free copy of this English translation of the Qur’an but you now have to pay for shipping costs.

I had not read the Qur’an until this summer for various reasons, but I wanted to respect the Islamic community who sent me this Qur’an and actually read it myself. I also believe that Islam will play a larger role in the world community in the near future, so I wanted to educated myself on the actual teachings of this influential religion. Now I also believe that the simple gospel is all that a Christian needs when speaking about Christianity to a Muslim or any non-believer. In fact, only the gospel message alone by the enabling of the Spirit can save a Muslim. Nevertheless, if I’m to talk to a Muslim, I need to have some kind of understanding of his culture and beliefs and language. Isn’t that what relationships are all about? Relating ? Most Muslims care deeply about the Qur’an and its teachings, and most people talk/related deeply with those things they care about deeply. If I really care about people specifically Muslims, then I want to share with them and feel with them the things they care about. Of course, I care deeply about the gospel, and hopefully I can relate that deep care to my Muslim friends.

In my opinion there is nothing more disgusting than someone who says they care deeply about someone and then all they do is share the gospel with them without truly bearing the load and burden of gaining a friendship and relationship. Remember the gospel IS the most important and caring message we can share, but Jesus didn’t just preach repentance. He fed them; He healed them; He shared in their sorrows and burdens; and I’m sure he talked to them. What better way is there to respect a person and engage him than by accurately understanding what he believes? Yes, its hard work and yes, we must continually temper ourselves in the Holy Scriptures, but the church needs normal people who are salt on the earth who will engage the ideas of the World.

I have not read too far through the Qur’an. In fact, I just finished Surah 5. The Qur’an is composed of 114 surahs. The first several surahs are quite long, so I’ve actually read a lot of material. I am impressed with the reverence that Muslims have toward the Qur’an. A lesson and attitude many Christians could learn toward our Holy Scriptures. I’m fascinated how much the Qur’an speaks about Jesus Christ and most of it is in a positive light. I’ll just list briefly some teachings about Jesus that the Qur’an presents:

• Jesus was an inspired prophet like Moses (Surah 2:87)
• Jesus was born of a virgin (Surah 3:47, 56)
• Jesus is the Christ, “the anointed one” (Surah 3:45)
• Jesus was a wise and righteous man (Surah 3:46)
• Jesus called the disciples (Surah 3:52)
• Jesus was not a deciever (Surah 3:161)
• Jesus appeared to have been crucified (Surah 4:157)
• Jesus healed the blind and the lepers (Surah 5:110)
• Jesus raised the dead (Surah 5:110)
• Jesus was purely human and not divine (Surah 4:171)
• Jesus never taught he was divine (Surah 5:72; 116)

Only Your Blood Is Enough

I am ashamed conceived in sin I’ve always been.
Born in a world where Adam’s fall corrupts us
Rooted is the seed of death in life’s first breath
The law demands a perfect heart but I’m defiled in every part
For only your blood is enough to cover my sin                           For only your blood is enough to cover me.

All this guilt disturbs my peace I find no release.
Who will save me from my crime I’m helpless
Behold I fall before your face in need of grace
So speak to me in a gentle voice for in your mercies I rejoice
For only your blood is enough to cover my sin                           For only your blood is enough to cover me.

Lord, create my heart anew
Father, come and make us wise
Only you are pure and true
Lead us away from our demise                                                  Lord, you are the remedy
For only your blood can set us free                                                  For only your blood can set us free

No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast
No hyssop branch, no priest
No running brook, no flood, no sea
Can wash away this stain from me
For only your blood is enough to cover my sin
For only your blood is enough to cover me.

Words and Music Neil Robins, adapted from “Psalm 51 Part II” by Isaac Watts

I love it when musicians create fresh and Spirit-filled music for timeless truth. Sojourn Music, a ministry of Sojourn Community Church, has just released a new album comprised of some of the doctrinally rich hymns of Issac Watts set to creative and fresh tunes. Check out the song “Only Your Blood Is Enough” under the Music Player on the Sojourn Music Facebook page.

On Prayer

Prayer really has become a clique in Christianity. Since Next a couple of weeks ago, I’ve really been convicted about knowing Jesus more; and I’m not talking about just knowing more about him through the Scripture or  just acknowledging he’s preeminent over every situation in my daily life or just increasing my accountability with the body of Christ in my local church. These are all good and necessary, but can one do these things and still have the Lord say, “I never knew you”? Can conviction come to one’s conscience and the striving toward sanctification increase, yet one does not really know Him? May I increase my accountability and deepen my relationships with my fellow believers and yet still maintain a heart distant from Christ? “Lord!Lord! did we not do may things in your name?”

In community group, our pastor had us share how we can listen and apply the things we heard at Next. As Moses, I’m slow of speech; so under that conviction, I write. I generally awaken everyday with my affections cold toward Jesus, and if my affections are not cold in the morning, then they usually are cold by the afternoon or evening. I’m not necessarily talking about an emotional high all the time, but rather a deep seated desire for the presence of Christ, finding my self-confidence in my identity with him. Rather I’m speaking of a time in the day when my heart is “strangely warmed” by the presence and person of Jesus.

The only place my affections are warmed is when I encounter Jesus through private prayer. This praying is not for others, nor is this praying primarily about doing better in an area of my life. Instead, this prayer cries out to Jesus that unless I know him and he knows me, then all is vain and foolish striving. The one praying wholly cries out that he utter needs that God touch him. One must consciously set aside time to know Jesus in prayer, not bringing any needs save the need for a fresh vision of the Living King Jesus. This is the thoughtful celebration to Jesus of his Divine glory and the wonders of his Divine acts toward me and us. This is a quiet meditation of the King on the throne to the King on the throne. This prayer is a reveling in the creation and Creator to the Creator. This is amazement at the Beautiful to the Beautiful. All other acts of faith such as Bible meditation, supplication, intercession, accountability, worship, and fellowship must flow from this private prayer life. Then I know that I know him and he knows me! In order to guard against certain Mysticism, I must say that this vision of Jesus comes from the Diving writ, but O we need God to animate those words in our cognition and affections!

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

NEXT 2009

Meeting Jesus again was the theme of Next ‘09. I attended the Next conference in Baltimore this last weekend with about forty people from my home church. It was great to get to know the people from my church better over the weekend as well as meet believers from other local churches. Baltimore is a really cool city with an incredible harbor and really expensive seafood (the Rusty Scupper got me). I thoroughly enjoyed the trip!

The preaching and music were definitely the highlight of Next ‘09. I think I reach my overload point for the conference about 20 minutes into D.A. Carson’s teaching of John 1. Wow! The rest of the conference I’ll have to slowly absorb as I go back and listen to the mp3s. I’ve never had much exposure to this kind of true Christianity before, so it was incredible to see the awesome, holy, Living God we serve! The beauty of the conference is the sharing of community as the body of Christ. Each morning we gathered together in groups of about 100 and shared devotions with a community group leader who also was the pastor of a local church. Thanks Matt Rawlings, my pastor, for leading our community group! We then broken into smaller groups of about 8-10 people for about 30-40 minutes and shared how the Spirit was working in our hearts and seeking to make the messages applicable to our daily lives. The one truth that I learned from the whole conference and desire to apply is that theology/doctrine and passion/emotion should be inseparable. Josh Harris touched on this idea in his message about the preeminence of Christ on Saturday night, and the whole conference conveyed this reality both through the great music and the manner of preaching.

I don’t think I can properly summarize the teaching of God’s Word in one blog post, but Jesus was the person that all the preaching was focused upon. Josh Harris demanded that Christ be the rightfully preeminent God over all. D.A. Carson preached about the Word who encompasses all that God is in His incarnation, the revelation of God to us. Kevin DeYoung declared Jesus the Christ in contrast to pop Jesus. C.J. Mayheny powerfully proclaimed Jesus the crushed sacrifice, bearing the terrible wrath of God toward us. Sinclair Ferguson exposed the glories and weight of the resurrection and the overwhelming hope we have because Jesus, our 2nd Adam, inaugurated the new world order both now and in the future. Pastor Ferguson finished the conference by exhorting us to remember and eagerly await the triumphant, loud return of Jesus the Christ. He said that for believers to not daily remember the return of Christ is almost apostasy. Wow, I learned so much through each of these men about my Jesus!

Besides the worship through preaching and music, a couple of other highlights were the spontaneous prayer meetings throughout the conference. Prayer seemed like the air of Next ‘09. I can’t really describe it except to say that it was just as natural as taking a breath of air. I was really impacted and humbled when Josh Harris brought up on stage a group of about a dozen men and women who came to the conference just to pray for us. They didn’t attend any of the sessions, but they just prayed in a room for us the whole time. The leader of the group told us that when Josh interrupted them to come to the stage that they were praying in Ezekiel about God putting flesh on dead bones and the Spirit of God breathing life into dead bodies! A related highlight was after Kevin DeYoung’s powerful sermon about Jesus the Christ. Josh had all the pastors and their wives come to the front and invited all those who wanted prayer to come pray. As we sang, many came and many just sat in their chairs. My heart was really softened between songs when I heard a young man weeping aloud up front in response to the Word of God and the Spirit. After that night, it seemed that there was a different sense about the conference.

Thank you Jesus for meeting us and revealing your love to us. This song I sing at the top of my lungs from the bottom of my heart:

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

All I Have Is Christ By Jordan Kauflin

On Judges – A Glimpse of Christ

I started reading Judges yesterday as part of the bible reading plan my church is doing. As I read how the Israelites rejected God and embraced paganism, I was struck by the mercy and love of God reflected toward Israel, the covenant people of Yahweh. Generation after generation rejected God and God every-time allowed them to taste the true nature of paganism – bondage. Of course, each generation cried to God for deliverance from their bondage, and God listened and answered by raising up a judge to deliver the people from their bondage. Wow! The love and grace of God is clearly on display in the Old Testament. If I was a god, I would have crushed the first generation that rejected my authority as a god. It is simply amazing that God even has relations with sinful humans who are almost always guaranteed to reject his loving kindness! 

Today, we are a generation that has rejected God like every generation before us and traded the beauty of God for our pagan pursuits. God allows us to taste the true nature of our paganism, and we are forced to cryout to Yahweh for delieverence. God graciously has raised a judge to deliever us who were not his people from our bondage. The book of Judges illustrates the need of every generation for a perfect Judge. This Judge is Jesus the Christ. The OT judges were temporary and died with their generation, but the true Judge is permanent and lives to deliver every new generation from their bondage. May I look to the true Judge for deliverance from my bondage and point others to look to him as well. Thank you Jesus for being our Judge this year 2009.