True Preaching

This summer our family traveled to Paris and London for our family vacation. Europe is easily one of my favorite destinations because of the history. You can find buildings and places that have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years. As a pastor though, I am especially interested in the church history. To walk the same streets that some of my heroes of the faith walked is a special blessing. However, much has changed in those two places.

            We walked the streets of Paris for a few days and not once did we come across a church. Now, there are grand cathedrals that are more like museums, but I’m talking about a local evangelical Biblical church. We didn’t see one. London, unfortunately, is not faring any better. Nowadays in London it is almost illegal to preach the gospel on the street. There are numerous accounts of pastors being arrested for proclaiming Christ as the only way of salvation. We have come a long way from Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, or Richard Baxter. England used to be the hub of the best preachers in the world. What happened?

            I have a theory. It has nothing to do with immigration and politics. It has to do with the drought of preaching. True preaching. Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, expositional, proclamation from the pulpit week in and week out. Coming out of seminary in 2008, we took a missions trip to central England because there was such a need for faithful pastors. Over 200 local churches met with no pastor and missionaries were seeking to fill those pulpits with preachers. In over 25 years I wonder how many of those churches have closed. I wonder how many pulpits are still empty. I would guess the same loss of preaching is why Paris is why it is and most of Europe as well.

            I write this not to bang the drum of negativity, but to issue a warning to the church of Jesus Christ in America. The same warning that was given to us in 2008 by a seasoned pastor of many years who was from England. He told us that he saw the USA heading down the same road as England: preachers that are not preaching the Word anymore.

            In the USA today, preaching has become a 30 minute Ted-talk, a motivational speech, meant to pander to man’s felt needs. I can tell right off the bat the state of a church’s preaching ministry when I look at their current sermon series. Less and less are books of the Bible preached and more and more are topical messages preached. This is how it works: the preacher wants to talk about some topic people will be interested in, so he must find a Bible verse or two that seems to discuss it. More than one church I’ve seen has done a series called “At the Movies.” This is a pathetic attempt to look cool and relevant to the community while desperately trying to find some spiritual ‘lesson’ in the movie. Is the Word of God not enough? Do we really need to look at Mario Bros to learn how to deal with generational trauma (yes, that is real)? Do these preachers really think Hollywood is trying to inform us of Biblical truth? Do these preachers believe that God is pleased with their efforts, while they readily ignore the 66 books of revelation He has given? Preachers should declare the Word of God verse by verse and let God speak through His word, not Hollywood or the personal fancies of the preacher.

            The sad state of preaching is most clearly seen in an Instagram account called Pastors with Props. Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like. The silliness and triviality of preaching is seen by men using things like ridiculous costumes, sports equipment, or even things like chainsaws and motorcycles to make a point and be more ‘real.’ Nothing could be more real than to open the inspired Word of God and declaring ‘thus says the Lord!’ It is a solemn responsibility and privilege to proclaim God’s Word to His people.

            This is me just talking from the heart this month. I commit to you that the pulpit of Congregational Bible Church will not be a place of entertainment, but serious exposition and instruction. And if I ever stray from that, I expect the leadership and the membership to correct and intervene. Church is not a joke. Lives are on the line. Souls are on the line. Eternity is on the line. And to play cute with the Bible is a grievous sin to God.

            My plea for you, the reader, is to come to church. Come to church ready to hear the Word of God. In some places in the world, you can’t find a Bible preaching church if you wanted to. You are blessed to be able to hear the Word week in and week out. No intake of the Word will have a negative effect on your spiritual state. Also, listen humbly. This is not Mark’s sermon; this is God’s Word. Pastor Mark is seeking to explain what God’s Word says, he is not crafting a speech each week. Listen humbly for the Word to speak to your soul because it is living and active (Heb 4:12). May God raise up faithful preachers of His Word in this place and throughout the world until the Lord returns!

Hypocrisy Health Check

When the average person thinks of Jesus, he may not think of Jesus as being a man of strong words or strong criticism. But Jesus did offer some intense criticism at times. The people He reserved His strongest words for were the religious hypocrites; people like the scribes and Pharisees. They looked the part, but true spirituality was lacking. Jesus exposed this with some of His most biting critiques. We want to make sure that we are not anything like the Pharisees, so this month, I am offering a hypocrisy health check. A self-evaluation to make sure you are not behaving like a Pharisee. Here are 3 evidences of spiritual hypocrisy to be alerted to.

            First, your religious exercises are only performed in front of others. When people can see you, you’ve got your Bible, you’re worshiping, you are talking about the Lord. But when you are not around church people, none of those things are present. Basically, this means you have no private devotional life with God. This was one of Jesus’ strongest critiques of the Pharisees. They gave, prayed, and fasted only when people could see them doing those things (Matt 6:2, 5, 16). This qualified them as ‘hypocrites’ in Jesus’ evaluation and Jesus told them they had no reward from God for this performance (see the same verses as above). That is why He told us to beware of this (Matt 6:1). Pastor Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and no more.” Your true spiritual condition is measured in your private devotions, not in your public performance.

            Second, you measure your spirituality in outward conformity only. This means you see holiness as only complying with certain rules about doing good or avoiding bad. Now, assuredly there is a place for that. If God says, ‘Do not murder,’ then we shouldn’t murder; and many other areas of obedience as well. But that is not the totality of holiness. True holiness is evidenced in heart change and heart desires, not just outward conformity. For example, the Pharisees tithed appropriately. They tithed their mint, dill, and cummin (Matt 23:23), the smallest of things. They were exacting in this behavior. However, Jesus condemned them because they neglected other things like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Those are matters of the heart. You can be careful in your obedience based on what you do and not do, but that is not the only marker of your holiness. You must take into consideration your heart motivations and desires as well.

            Third, you easily notice the sin in others but not in yourself. This comes from Jesus’ famous words about noticing specks in other people’s eyes but not noticing the log sticking out of your own (Matt 7:3). When we evaluate ourselves, we always grade on a curve: I didn’t mean it, it was an accident, that’s not who I really am. However, when we evaluate others, we don’t offer the same graciousness and latitude. We are usually quick to criticize the faults in others but not in ourselves. This is a sign of spiritual hypocrisy as well. We must be harder on ourselves than anyone else! This is how we will truly grow spiritually.

            Are any of these evidences present in you? If so, praise the Lord for Him revealing that to you! However, the true test is what we do with it now that we are exposed. If these evidences describe you, you can repent and change into the truly spiritual person the Lord wants you to be. If you see this and just ignore it, I’m afraid the spiritual hypocrisy will remain. May the Lord change any hypocrites, and may the church be filled with genuine spiritual people who love Him.

No Shortcuts

I was searching for a particular Christian book on Amazon the other day when I noticed that it was ranked #230 on their Christian books bestselling list. The thought of a bestsellers list piqued my interest, so I clicked on the list to see what are the top Christian books people are buying on Amazon? In the top 11, I noticed a trend, and I want to see if you notice it. Here are the titles of 5 of the top 11 books: The Bible in 52 Weeks, The Bible Recap, No More Boring Bible Study, The Bible Simplified, and the Lightning Fast Field Guide to the Bible.

            Now, some may look at those titles and be encouraged that there is so much interest in the Bible specifically. I saw it differently. It seems that the recurring theme of the books is some kind of shortcut or Cliff Notes approach to the Word of God. Can’t sit down and read your Bible? Here’s the recap. Bible study taking too long? Here is the lightning-fast way to know it! We live in such a fast-paced culture where everything is available to us right away, but we cannot approach Bible study like that. There is no quick fix to Bible study. Knowing your Bible is more like a crockpot and not like a microwave. Here are some helps to having profitable times of personal Bible study.

            First, you must love God’s Word. 4 times in Psalm 119, the writer says he ‘loves God’s law’ (119:97, 113, 163, 165). This is what should drive you to Bible study in the first place. But what if you don’t love it? How do you fix that? Well, you can’t think of God’s Word as a piece of literature to entertain you. When I was a teen, I read the book Jurassic Park, and it was incredible. I loved that book because it was so exciting and entertaining. But God’s Word is not like that, nor is it meant to be. God’s Word is meant to sanctify me, not thrill me. The psalm writer loves God’s Word because he knows it comes from the very mouth of God Himself and it is his daily bread and milk for his spiritual sustenance. That is how we begin to love His word.

            Second, you must discipline yourself to read God’s Word. Everyone starts with good intentions on January 1st but then fizzle out by the end of the month. But, the consistent, steady, reading of God’s Word takes personal discipline just like anything else. Maybe you’re committed to working out or accomplishing some personal goal; that takes discipline. Bible reading is no different. We must be like Ezra who ‘set his heart to study the law of the Lord’ (Ezra 7:10). He made a disciplined choice to make it a priority, and he wouldn’t let anything else interfere. If you can sit down every night to watch the news or your favorite show, you can discipline yourself to spend time in God’s Word.

            Third, you must meditate on what you read. Too many people say they stopped reading because they weren’t getting anything out of it. First off, they were probably approaching it like they were reading Jurassic Park, looking for the ‘wow’ moment. Secondly, they probably read it and forgot it. It went in one ear and out the other. Psalm 1 says that the righteous meditate on God’s law day and night (v 2). That means there is serious reflection, serious pondering of the truths contained within, purposeful thoughts of how the word influences my life. You must let the Word marinate in your heart a little bit. After you read ask yourself some critical questions: is there a command to follow, a lesson to learn, a behavior to avoid, a sin to forsake, a truth to believe, a principle to hold? That type of spiritual meditation will cause the Word to take root inside of you.

            There may be shortcuts to lots of things in life but there are no shortcuts to knowing God’s Word. It takes diligent discipline to get in it and stay in it. But that discipline begins before and continues after. Before, you must have the heart mindset of loving His word. And after, you must take a few moments to meditate on what you have read so that it permeates into your soul.

Artistic Expression

This summer my family and I are scheduled to visit a few museums to view some famous pieces of art. Last summer we visited a well-known museum too, but as we went through, we noticed one of our daughters lingering behind the rest of us as she was really taking in the paintings and pieces she was viewing. She wanted to consider all that was being expressed in those works of art. The artistic content of the different works really piqued her interest. The rest of us just quickly walked through without having that appreciation for what we were seeing, but she really enjoyed viewing them.

            Have you ever thought about God’s view of art or artistic expression? We believe that God does speak the truth and He declares things very clearly and propositionally, but that does not mean that God has no interest in artistic expression. Just look at the world around us. All the colors, smells, tastes, and beauty that we see is representative of the creative mind of God. And the creative mind of God is also seen in the book of Psalms.

            We are just beginning a series on the Psalms in our adult Sunday School class, and I am pretty amazed at the artistic and creative nature of the book. First, there are many varieties of Psalms. Second, there are many creative structures found in the book of Psalms. And thirdly, there are many figures of speech in the book of Psalms.

            Let’s consider first the sheer variety of Psalms that exist. There are Psalms of praise (150), psalms of prayer (51), psalms of lament (79), psalms of royalty (110), psalms of thanksgiving (118), psalms of pilgrimage (120-134), and even psalms of imprecation (58). In the first 6 psalms alone, there is a psalm of wisdom, royalty, trust, and a plea for mercy. This great variety tells us that there is no one way to talk to God. He does not demand that we all come to Him in the same static way. This tells us that the door is open for a variety of creative expression.

            Second, there is intentional structure found in the book of Psalms. Psalm 2 is split into 4 sections, each with 3 verses. Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem, with each section beginning with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet in order. It would be like talking to God in prose from A-Z. Psalm 136 repeats the line “for His lovingkindness is everlasting” after every line. It is like that is the chorus to the Psalm. Now, writing poetry for me does not come easy and I probably would not try. But the creative nature of such psalms leads us to conclude that these writers thought, planned, and produced such intricate works of art, while at the same time, communicating timeless truth about our God. And I believe this pleased God.

            Third, the language of the psalms is unmatched in its creative expression. Instead of saying ‘I’m really sad,’ the psalm writer says, “I drench my couch with tears” (6:6). Instead of asking God to protect him, the psalm writer says, “hide me in the shadow of Your wings” (6:6). And this type of language continues throughout the book, it is really what sets it apart from everything else in Scripture. These writers were artistic and imaginative as they thought of phrases and words to describe God. And the beauty of it all is that God accepted it. God was not critical, because He doesn’t have literal wings! God receives such figurative descriptions of His nature and His works.

            All of this to say, artistic expression has a place in the life of God’s people. Maybe you want to paint a picture of some Biblical scene, or maybe you want to write a song about some truth of God, or maybe you want to speak to God in creative language and not simply prose. Or, maybe you are like me, and you just appreciate those that do. The Psalms show us that God enjoys when His truth is expressed in artistic and unique ways. So, sing those songs to God, write those poems about God, and appreciate the art that does.

Resurrection

Every Spring our thoughts are centered on resurrection as we celebrate Easter. It is, for obvious reasons, one of the key moments in the ministry of Jesus and the life of the church. There are so many implications that come with the resurrection truth. But is the resurrection purely a New Testament thing? Are there clear statements in the Old Testament about the resurrection? The answer is a resounding ‘yes,’ going back longer than you think.

            The first allusion to resurrection is in the near sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham is told to slay his son, his only son, the son of the promise that God had made. Scripture tells us that Abraham believed the promise so deeply, that he thought God would have to resurrect Isaac from the dead for the promise to be fulfilled (Heb 11:19).

            There is a reference to resurrection in Psalm 16:10. It says there that God will not allow His ‘Holy One’ to undergo decay. A statement saying that the Messiah would not decay in the grave. He would go to the grave, but not decay there, hence, resurrection. A picture of resurrection is found in Ezekiel 37, when the prophet has a vision of dry bones coming to life and living again.

            The prophet Elisha raises a young man from the dead in 2 Kings 4 and in Daniel 12:1-2 there is a clear statement of future resurrection proclaimed as Daniel predicts that those who sleep in the dust of the ground will come to life! Of those resurrected, some go to everlasting life, and some go to everlasting judgment.

            But the reference to resurrection that I would like to highlight this month comes from the book of Job. This servant of God suffered more than any other person in history and when his friends come to ‘comfort’ him, they accuse him of wrongdoing and deserving of it. What they don’t know is that Job’s suffering had nothing to do with his sin or transgressions, it was a lesson on the sovereignty of God and the majority of the book is back and forth conversations between Job and his friends.

            In Job 19, he gives a statement about his view of resurrection. He says, 25 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. 26 “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another.” This statement of faith is rich with profound theological truth. Let’s consider what he believes in this statement.

            First, he knows that God is his redeemer. He believes in the Lord as being his Savior, and that his Savior is everlasting, living. He also believes that the Lord will judge the world in righteousness. This is what he means be saying that He will take His stand on the earth. But then notice what comes next. Job says that after his skin is destroyed, he will see God, in his flesh. Job believes that after he dies there will be a resurrection and in his flesh, he will see God with his own eyes! What clearer statement could there be in the Old Testament about resurrection than this?

            What makes this text so interesting is the historical position of the book of Job. You see, scholars think Job took place very early in the world’s history, during the time of the patriarchs. That means the book of Job is probably the oldest Bible book ever written. That means that a clear theology of resurrection was held by God’s people going all the way back to the earliest years! Resurrection is not simply a New Testament idea, invented by the New Testament writers to make the account of Jesus end with a fantastic conclusion. It is something God’s people have believed for centuries.

            Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is predicted in the Old Testament, it was illustrated in the Old Testament, and God’s work of resurrection was believed by God’s servants starting at the beginning. This year at Easter, celebrate the resurrecting power of God, knowing that it was found all throughout Scripture throughout all time.

Worship

Last month I attended a chapel service at a Christian college we were visiting. The worship was outstanding. Seeing 1,200 students raising their voices to God was so inspiring. Then, the message was about singing and worship. It was so moving, I decided to write my article on worship, learning from King David and his emphasis on worship as described in the book of 1 Chronicles.

Let us first notice David’s priority of worship. A king has a lot of things to worry about. He has to reign rightly, he has to defend his homeland, he has to train up his armies. Does a king make singing a priority? He does if he is David. When David becomes king, he begins to fill out his cabinet and establish his priorities. One of his first moves is to move the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chron 15:1-15). But, closely related to that is David’s priority to appoint musicians and singers. It tells us in v 16 that David spoke to the Levites to instruct them to appoint musicians and singers. This tells us that it was a priority for David to have people whose sole job was worship! They searched for them and assigned them this immense privilege.

            And this was no small matter. Chapter 25 is solely devoted to listing all the singers and musicians that David set apart for worship. They are named and forever inscribed in the Word of God. It tells us in v 7 that the total number of singers was 288! Imagine having that many people whose entire job is leading worship in Israel! And that does not include all the musicians. David saw worship as a priority. Do we?

            Let us next notice David’s variety of worship. His worship was not stale and unoriginal. 1 Chronicles 15 lists all the different musical instruments Israel had for worship. There were harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets. This list of instruments is also found in chapter 25. This was a whole band! And there are more instruments listed in Scripture that were used for worship such as tambourines, bells, and flutes.

            The variety is also seen in the fact that they didn’t do the same kinds of songs. 1 Chron 15:16 says they raised sounds of joy. Chapter 25 says they sang songs of thanksgiving and praise (v 3). In 16:42 it says they sang ‘songs of God.’ Their worship was all about God, directed to God, and in response to what God had done. And, with around 300 singers and many musical instruments, you can be sure the worship they gave to God was varied and unique. God has blessed us with such a variety of musical sound, we would be foolish to not use it all to praise His great name!

            Lastly, let us notice the intensity of David’s worship. The worship of God was not something quiet or restrained. 15:16 says they used ‘loud cymbals.’ In 15:28 it says they brought up the ark with ‘shouting.’ That is also the infamous passage where David was leaping and celebrating as he worshiped God (v 29). In 16:4 it says their worship was a ‘celebration.’ To go to one of David’s worship services was certainly not a hum-drum experience. The people shouted and passionately gave their worship to God. Do we?

            We don’t think of the Old Testament as a book about singing and worship, but we should! There are so many passages about songs and singing. And, right in the center of your Bible you can find a book with 150 chapters that is all about singing, the book of Psalms! And as we evaluate King David, we see his priority of worship, his variety of worship, and his intensity of worship. Tell me, what is your view of worship like? Do you love singing? Do you long to sing? Is the worship of God as important to you as it was to King David?

Meaningful Membership

As seminary students are nearing graduation, they begin candidating at churches to see where the Lord is going to take them in ministry. I remember during this time being given the advice that when you are inquiring about the size of a church, don’t ask how many members they have, but instead ask what their normal Sunday attendance is. The thought is that some churches have inflated membership roles of lots of people, but a significant portion of that membership does not actually attend the church. I always thought this was a local piece of advice from a professor who had seen this a few times.

            However, I read the same exact piece of advice in a nationally published book I was reading on small church ministry. The author states that there are many churches that have a membership list that is not reflective of their actual Sunday attendance. Some on the list have moved away, switched to other churches, or just walked away from the faith. But for some reason, they are still on the membership role of the church. This is how you can have a church with 300 members, but a consistent Sunday attendance of 100.

            With this in mind, I have written this month’s Voice article on what I call ‘Meaningful Membership.’ I do believe that if you find the right church, the place you want to stay, you should officially join that church and become a member. I’ve written about the necessity of membership elsewhere. But this month, I want to focus on what it means to be a member of a church. What are you committing to when you become a member of a church? Because it is a commitment. It is far more than just having your name on a list or gaining the right to vote on church matters. Let’s consider the definition of Meaningful Membership.

            First, meaningful membership means a commitment to your edifying presence. We know that the Scripture calls on God’s people to be at the Sunday services (Heb 10:25) for the purpose of worshiping God and growing in the faith. However, there is also another purpose of your presence and that is to have an edifying impact on the other members. 1 Thess 5:11 tells us to “encourage one another.” Ephesians 5:19 says, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” Part of the encouragement towards one another is singing. That as God’s people hear the saints all praising the Lord, their hearts are encouraged. This edifying presence at the church services and functions also can be just godly conversations. The Hebrews passage about attending services actually tells us to encourage one another as part of our presence. So, not being present at the church services is one problem, but a further problem is being there without having an impact on the others. We are to be present to have an edifying and encouraging influence on the other members.

            Second, meaningful membership means a commitment to selfless service. Believers are called on to build up the other members in the Body of Christ (Eph 4:12) and to use their spiritual gift (1 Pet 4:10). Again, this is a step further than merely your presence at services or church functions. Each member is to take an active role in assisting in the accomplishment of the ministries of the church. Every member cannot be involved in every ministry, but when you sign on as a member of a church, you are agreeing to work selflessly towards the vision and purpose of the church. Churches cannot afford to have a portion of their membership sitting on the sideline and watching. This is why it is important to choose a church carefully. Can you jump in and get behind their ministry efforts rather than just adding your name to a roster?

            Third, meaningful membership means a commitment to sacrificial giving. Multiple churches took offerings to assist other churches in the New Testament (see Phil 4:16) but each person in the church is to set aside and save for the purpose of a collection (1 Cor 16:1-2). People don’t like the church asking for money, but we shouldn’t see it as the church asking for money, instead the church calling on its people to do as Scripture instructs…which is the church’s solemn duty. To join a church is to commit to the financial establishment and continuance of that church.

            If you notice, I don’t take membership lightly. I don’t hurry to make people members right away. I want to talk to them and meet with them and make sure they understand the expectations of what their membership at CBC means. At the most basic level, they are committing to having an edifying presence, to selfless service, and to sacrificial giving.

            If you are reading this and you are one of those whose name is just on the church’s role but you aren’t present, aren’t serving, and aren’t giving, I would challenge you to renew your commitment. And if this isn’t the church where you can do that, then find one where you can. But all members of all churches should practice meaningful membership. Your name on the role means you are to have an impact towards the growth of the church.

The Plague of Casual Obedience

I like to take the opportunity in my Voice article to speak on current issues or current concerns I have regarding the church of Jesus Christ. This month I want to discuss what I see is a problem of ‘casual obedience.’ This is a term I use to describe a situation where believers see the commands and instructions of Scripture as suggestions not commands. Casual obedience tries once in a while to obey. Casual obedience just ignores difficult commands. Casual obedience obeys only when it is convenient or opportune. This type of response to God’s Word is completely unacceptable. There are 2 reasons why casual obedience is unacceptable.

            First, because God calls us to careful obedience. Over 20x in the book of Deuteronomy God calls on Israel to ‘careful’ obedience. For example, observe His statutes “carefully” (Deut 5:1); “listen and be careful to do it” (Deut 6:3); “carefully keep all these commandments” (Deut 11:22). There is absolutely no room for altering commandments, ignoring commandments, half-heartedly perusing commandments, or occasional obedience to commandments. God expects precise and continual obedience. 

            Second, because God deserves distinguished respect. God is not a pal, or a chum, or a companion. He is not our buddy that we consider him on equal footing as another person. He is glorious, high and exalted, the sovereign ruler of the universe, unmatched in holiness and purity, all-powerful, and therefore deserving of a high amount of honor and respect.

            In the book of Malachi, God chides Israel for their lack of respect given to Him. “Where is My respect?” He asks (Mal 1:6). The situation at the time was that Israel was obeying His command to sacrifice, but they were sacrificing the blind, the lame, and the sick (v 8) to God. Some were even bringing animals that they had stolen from others (v 13). This is improper for two reasons. First, God is not deserving of this kind of disrespect. As He says, “My name is great among the nations” (v 11) and He also says “I am a great King” (v 13) and deserve to be feared (v 14). This is who God is, He should never be disrespected.

            The second reason Malachi says this is improper is becasue this would not fly in the earthly realm. God makes this point: would this be ok if you gave this to your governor (v 8)? Would your local king or ruler accept this? If the answer is no, then why does God deserve any less? If your boss gave you an assignment, an order, would you do the job halfway? Would you present to your earthly boss or leader an almost completed task? The answer is no. If you did that a few times your boss would fire you and if you did that to your king, he might have you executed. The point is obvious: if this is not ok for your earthly rulers, then why is it ok for your heavenly ruler? God deserves our best efforts and our careful obedience.

            God says He wants us to ‘tremble at His Word’ (Isa 66:2). We tremble at His word because every time we encounter it, there is a change that we are called on to make. We are called to conform our lives to the specific instructions of Scripture. There is no room for glossing over God’s divine Word or picking and choosing what parts you will attempt to follow. If it says to pray, pray. If it says to raise up your kids, raise them. If it says to attend worship, then attend worship. True obedience must be all the time, in all areas, and regardless of the outcome. Read God’s Word, tremble before it, and carefully observe what it says all the time. Do not let casual obedience by a characteristic of your life.

Faithful Obedience

The name Joe Coute probably doesn’t mean anything to you but it means something to me. And, more importantly, it means something to God. You see, Joe was a faithful servant of God in a local church in Vallejo, California. You’ve never heard of him but I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to him and why I chose to write this article.

            I was raised in a nominally Catholic home. My parents took us to church and catechism class every week in the Catholic Church but the Lord meant nothing to us. We never opened a Bible in our home. Jesus was a concept not a person. We did our religious ‘duty’ every week because you were supposed to if you said you were Catholic.

            Joe Coute was a friend in the community. His daughter played softball with my sister so our families crossed paths multiple times per week. We didn’t know anything about the personal life of Joe or the fact that he knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior. We just knew him as a fellow softball parent. Until one day when Joe invited us to his church.

            Joe asked us to visit Community Bible Church in Vallejo where he attended. For us, church was church, so we went not expecting anything monumental or different. The service that Sunday was radical for me. The people sang songs, but they sang them passionately as if they cared and it meant something to them. The preacher got up and opened the Bible telling us what it said, what it meant, and what we had to do. It was so authoritative, God was speaking through this man. This was very different than a homily given by the priest. I was hooked, so was my sister, and I had to go back week after week to hear the Word of the Lord.

            Long story short, it was some time later that I came to know Jesus as my Savior and I understood Him the same way Joe did. My sister did the same. She married a godly man and has raised two boys who love the Lord and confess His name. By God’s grace, I married Angela and we have endeavored to bring up our children in the fear of the Lord as well. Who would have thought that the teenager known as Mark Scialabba would actually grow up to become a pastor leading a church? All this happened because of one man’s simple act: inviting people to church.

            You see Joe is not a pastor, he is not an elder, he is not a famous speaker. He is a faithful servant of Christ trying to do what the Lord wants him to do in his local church. He invites people to church because he knows that is the place where they will hear the gospel and hear of the salvation found in Christ. He wants other people to know Christ the way he does. Joe just passed away on January 29th, the day before this writing. Hearing of his passing made me want to write this article.

            Joe entered the joy of his Master with a resounding ‘well done’ spoken by the Lord. Why? Because he was faithful. He was faithful to obey Christ and follow the Great Commission mandate given to us in the simplest way he knew possible: just inviting people to church. And that one act of obedient faithfulness sent ripples through the ages that has had many glorious repercussions. My sister came to know Christ, her home was a Christ-centered home, and now her boys will lead Christ-centered homes. I’m grateful to be able to say the same thing. And then think of all the individuals the Lord has used me to impact throughout my years of pastoral ministry. All of that generational advance of the kingdom of Christ began with an invite to church. It makes me wonder, ‘how many other people did Joe invite to church?’ And what were the effects of that?

            Jesus didn’t call us to conquer the world or do the biggest things possible. He called us to be faithful. And one simple act of obedient faithfulness like inviting people to church has had profound effects on the kingdom of God. Do you wonder, how could the Lord use your faithfulness if you were to just invite someone to church? What would be the ripples in the kingdom of God of that one simple act? Are you excited to find out? You don’t have to be a ‘famous’ Christian to be great in the kingdom of God, you just have to be faithful. To the world, Joe Coute was a nobody, to the kingdom of God he was indispensable for his faithful obedience to the Great Commission. May the same be said of us as well. Maybe we can start with inviting someone to church.

Walking with God

We usually don’t look into the genealogies of Scripture to find significant spiritual truth, but every now and then an interesting detail is given about an individual that causes us to sit up and take notice. There is probably none more interesting than the person known as Enoch found in the genealogy of Adam in Genesis 5.

            Even though Enoch is not a major character in the Old Testament, most people have a knowledge of him because he is one of two people who did not die, but was raptured up to heaven by God, the other being Elijah. It says very simply of Enoch, “he was not for God took him” (Gen 5:24). That is affirmed also in Hebrews 11:5 saying that Enoch did not see death. While that is an interesting detail in and of itself, the other detail about Enoch is maybe more significant to us. It says very plainly that Enoch ‘walked with God.’ This piques my curiosity more than his rapture. What does it mean to walk with God and how can we apply this in the upcoming new year?

            First, walking with God involves closeness. The verse says he walked ‘with’ God. He didn’t walk towards God or walk apart from God, he walked with God. The idea here is that there is a familiarity with God that the believer has. When you hear about God or Jesus, is He a distant figure that you don’t really know? Or is He the one you know well? A Christian who is walking with God is in close fellowship with Him. This can be seen in the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life: mainly praying and Scripture reading. We commune with God through prayer and we hear from God in the Bible. As we regularly engage in those disciplines we are cultivating a closeness with God that helps in our walk.

            Second, walking with God involves progress. To walk with God means you are moving from one location to another. It is not ‘standing’ with God or ‘sitting’ with God, it is walking with God. The concept of sanctification in the New Testament is about growth and progress, not perfection. We are being transformed from one level of glory into another level of glory (2 Cor 3:18). That requires a continual progression towards the image of Christ in us. Even when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he admitted they were doing some things well, but he exhorted them to ‘excel still more’ (1 Thess 4:1). You can tell you are walking with God if you see spiritual progress over the past weeks, months, or years.

            Third, walking with God involves direction. The correct direction. Obviously God knows the destination and therefore the correct heading to get there. Only by walking with God can we know we are on the right track and headed on the right course. When we are not walking with God we are on our own, susceptible to all kinds of routes that are headed to locations we don’t want to go (Eph 4:14). Jesus said the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it (Matt 7:14). We can be sure we are on this narrow road if we are walking with God.

            As we enter into a new year and we make certain goals and have certain ambitions, make sure that at the top of your list is walking with God. Do everything you can to make sure your walk with Him is close and that you are progressing in your spiritual life as you walk with Him. You can know for certain that you are headed in the right direction if you are walking with God. Hebrews 11:5 also tells us this about Enoch: he was pleasing to God. A close walk with God is pleasing to Him, yet another reason to make this a priority in the new year.

Legalism

This month I’ve chosen to write about a serious issue in the lives of many Christians that maybe they are unaware of: the issue of legalism. The term is a familiar one in Christianity but many do not have an accurate understanding of what it is. Legalism is the attempt to gain favor with God by the keeping of external rules created by the individual. It is an attempt to define sanctification and holiness by a list of do’s and don’ts. Don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t watch that show, do support Christian businesses only, etc. Now, some of those things are good to have rules against, but where the legalist missteps is thinking that by adhering to that list they’ve accomplished true holiness and sanctification. In this article, I want to share with you 3 fatal flaws of legalism that should lead us to reject it as a process of sanctification.

            First, legalism exaggerates personal righteousness. When people implement rules of behavior that are not found in scripture, they imply that their level of righteousness is so high, they must add to what Scripture says. It is as if they are saying ‘I’m doing so well at obeying the Bible, I’ve added more to it!’ I want to ask the legalist: are you rejoicing always, are you praying without ceasing, are you giving thanks in everything (1 Thess 5:16-18)? Are you loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? If not, then maybe you need to work on those instead of manufacturing other commands to follow. We can learn a lot by looking at the apostle Paul. Just look at his self-description in Romans 7. He is arguably the greatest Christian of all time and he calls himself a ‘wretched man’ (v 24) and a person in which ‘no good dwells’ (v 18). And this is his self-assessment after he has come to Christ. Instead of congratulating himself on how he hasn’t touched a piece of meat from the idol’s temple, he weeps at his own putrid attempts at righteousness. The legalist can learn a lot from Paul.

            Second, legalism underestimates the seriousness of sin. The legalist would define sin as breaking one of the commands he/she has installed into their own life. Don’t curse, uh oh, I cursed therefore I sinned. I shouldn’t watch movies with witchcraft and I did, another sin. However, this reveals a view of sin that falls significantly short of how the Bible describes sin. 1 John 3:4 says that sin is ‘lawlessness.’ Sin is a heartfelt rebellion against a holy God. It is not a mistake or an accident, it is an act of defiance. Jesus said that sin comes from the heart (Matt 15:19) and the prophet Jeremiah says that the heart is ‘desperately sick’ (Jer 17:9). So, sin is rooted so much deeper than just a lapse in judgment here and there. Sin comes from a polluted heart that wants to disobey God and will find ways to. Imagine you had a nasty weed in the middle of your garden and once a week you came out and trimmed it with a clipper. Every week it is going to come back unless you root out the real problem and take care of it from the source. Sin is a state of the heart that manifests itself in behavior and the legalist underestimates this serious understanding of sin.

            Third, legalism depreciates true Biblical sanctification. The legalist is all about rules and regulations that must be kept rigidly. And, no doubt, there are strict rules and commands that the Bible orders us to obey. But do not be deceived, true Biblical sanctification is so much more than simplistic external rules like ‘don’t say the F-word’ and ‘don’t wear a hat in church.’ Is that the extent of what Biblical sanctification really is? I would submit to you that it is not. Biblical sanctification has a much higher and loftier goal. It is the conforming and transforming of the believer into the image of Christ. You find this explained in Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. Biblical sanctification is supposed to be you becoming an entirely new person; a person that looks like Jesus Christ. Biblical sanctification is not satisfied with a grumpy, impatient, unloving Christian who doesn’t watch rated R movies. That is not holiness. I have known too many Christians who have got the rule keeping or the ban on certain things locked down, but they fall woefully short of being transformed into the image of Christ. Do not depreciate Biblical sanctification by making it simply a list of do’s and don’ts.

            A life of fighting the sin in the heart and pursuing righteousness in all things is so much more than a checklist. Sometimes making rules can be helpful in installing boundaries in our lives, but make no mistake, Biblical sanctification is so much more. If you want to be truly holy be honest of your failures and keep correcting them, be aware of the sin in your heart and not just the sin in your actions, and evaluate yourself not on whether or not you’ve kept the rules but whether or not you look more like Christ today.

Sound Doctrine

One of the perceptions people have about pastors is that they sit around and study theology all day. That they are immersed in doctrine from 9-5. To some extent that is not a wrong perception as we are seeking to understand the theology and doctrine found in the passage we are teaching on that week. It is almost like pastors alone should care about doctrine. However, the church congregation should also see the importance of doctrine for both the church and their lives.

            There was an older professor who taught at a seminary and every week the professors would listen to young pastors preach sermons. This older professor was notorious for falling asleep midway through the sermons. Eventually, someone asked him about his constant dozing off. He rather humorously said, “I listen long enough to make sure he is sound and then I fall asleep.” What does he mean by ‘sound?’ It is a term used to describe Christian doctrine or theology that means stable, intact, thorough, and orthodox. We don’t want our doctrine incomplete, fluctuating, or wrong, we want our doctrine sound. Here are some reasons why sound doctrine is critical for the church and its members.

            First, sound doctrine defines what the church is. There are all kinds of organizations and clubs that are out there that a person can join, but the church is unique. The church is not like a gym where anyone who pays the monthly membership can join. The church is not like a social club where a group of citizens improve a community. The church is a gathering of God’s people, an assembly of born-again believers in Jesus Christ who have been called out of the world and given new life by God’s gracious salvation who gather to worship the Lord. It is this fundamental definition of the church that is a doctrinal/theological belief. We glean this from Scripture; this is our theology of the church. Those who want to join the church we ask to hear their testimony of this salvation and affirm their agreement with our doctrinal standards before we welcome them into fellowship. Sound doctrine keeps the church being the church.

            Second, sound doctrine defines what the church does. Ok, so we have this assembly of God’s people gathering together…so what should we be doing? Well, it is our doctrine that informs us of what kinds of actions the church should be doing. We learn from Scripture that the early church met on the Lord’s day (Sunday). In that meeting there was preaching, praying, worship, serving, fellowship, offerings, and the administering of the Lord’s Supper and baptism (see Acts 2:42-47). The church was known also for its ministry to the needy, for its evangelism of unbelievers, and its care for one another outside of the Sunday meeting. You see, sound doctrine is like the guardrails of the church, clarifying what the church should actually be doing.

            Third, sound doctrine defines how the church behaves. Or to put it another way, sound doctrine tells us how we should be living. Some people dismiss doctrine as unimportant to their Christian life, when in actuality, it is our doctrine that informs our behavior. It is our theology of holiness, theology of sin, and theology of love for one another that governs what our lives should look like. When the apostle Paul wrote letters he frequently explained the theology first before he got to the behaviors (see Romans, Colossians, Ephesians as examples of this). To attempt to live for Christ before knowing the theology behind it is like getting into a car and driving off fast with no destination in sight. We must know doctrine first before we can truly begin living for the Lord.

            Now, I know not everyone reading this will immediately jump into a 700 page theological volume. But I do hope there is some interest in doctrine considering how important it is for the church and for our lives. Without sound doctrine we don’t know what the church is, what the church should be doing, and how the church should be living.

The Importance of our Testimony

No doubt one of the greatest conversions in all of Christianity was the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, better known to us as the Apostle Paul. Saul was a blasphemer and a fierce persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ before his conversion. Once the Lord got a hold of him and brought him to salvation on the Damascus Road, Saul was a new man. In fact, he was such a new man that the Lord gave him a new name to emphasize how new he was.

            Paul’s conversion was such a dramatic moment in his life that he talks about it on multiple occasions in Scripture. Six different times in the New Testament we hear Paul giving the account of his conversion on the Damascus Road. One of those times is just a quick mention of the Lord appearing to him (1 Cor 15:8), so really there are five retellings of his salvation. Three are found in the book of Acts (9:1-19; 22:1-21; 26:4-20), including the account of the salvation itself, one is found in Galatians (1:13-16) and one in Philippians (3:4-11). A retelling of your salvation story is called your testimony, and Paul was not shy to share his testimony.

            We find a similar pattern in the texts that detail Paul’s testimony. First, there is an account of his prior life to salvation. He was breathing threats and murders against the church (Acts 9:1-2), he put men and women in prison (Acts 22:4), he forced them to blaspheme (Acts 26:11), he wanted to destroy the church (Gal 1:13), and he had much confidence in his flesh (Phil 3:4). Truly, the salvation of this man was remarkable.

            The second part of his testimony is the salvation experience itself. The Damascus Road experience was a pretty dramatic conversion. The Lord appeared to him on the road in a bright light where he was temporarily blinded (Acts 9:4-9) and there the Lord confronted him about his sin. Then he was led to a man named Ananias where, I believe, Ananias helped lead him to the Lord in repentance and faith.

            The third part of his testimony was his life after salvation. We find that after meeting with Ananias he was baptized in response to his faith in Christ (Acts 9:18; 22:16). The Lord communicated to him through Ananias that he would become a witness and a servant for Christ and Paul immediately began obeying that commission by proclaiming Jesus (Acts 9:20), calling on people to repent (Acts 26:20), and reflecting on his former life as being all rubbish (Phil 3:8).

            From this we learn how to give a testimony and what it is for. A testimony is your personal account of how you came to salvation. It essentially needs to have these three parts to it: a description of your life before salvation, how you came to know the Lord in salvation, and the state of your life after salvation. Every Christian has a testimony of salvation. Every salvation follows this pattern because the Bible says we are born dead in our sins and we need to be born again for salvation (John 3:3). This salvation in Christ produces a holy life and righteous desires for obeying the Lord.

            It does concern me how many Christians cannot articulate their own testimony of salvation. Some say things like “I’ve always been a Christian.” That cannot be true because you were born estranged from God and one becomes a Christian when salvation happens (Rom 10:9-10). Some say things like “I was baptized at 16.” That is the aftermath of salvation, not salvation itself. Granted, most people do not have an incredible experience like the Damascus Road but your testimony must adhere to the Biblical pattern of salvation: you didn’t know Jesus to start with, somehow you came to know Jesus, and now you are following Jesus. Maybe you came to Jesus as a young child believing the gospel at church, maybe you came to Jesus through a program like Awana or summer camp, or maybe after a while you just realized you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. All of those are real possibilities.

            Whenever we baptize a person we ask them to write out their own testimony to give at the time of their baptism. Once you write your testimony you have it with you to use whenever you need it. When would you need it? You might use it on 2 occasions. First, when you want to tell another person about what the Lord has done for you in order to lead this person to Christ. Sharing your testimony can be a great lead-in to the gospel message. Second, when you want to encourage fellow brothers and sisters. We ask people to share their testimony, not because we are skeptical of their story, but because we want to hear how the Lord brought them to salvation. Every testimony is different. And it shows the various ways the Lord brings a person to Christ. So, write out your testimony, share your testimony, and if you don’t have any testimony come and talk to me about what it means to be saved.

The Dangerous Path of Unrepentant Sin

Sin is a dangerous thing. When it is not confessed and repented of, it leads to more and more sin driving us further and further away from God. Scripture calls on us to confess our sin, repent of our sin, and to forsake our sin. But sometimes we do not do that. We end up acting like King Saul who was confronted with his sin, but instead of confessing it he traveled down a dangerous path of unrepentance leading to his removal of being king. Let’s look at the dangerous path of unrepentant sin in 4 steps.

            The first step is disobedience. Saul is given clear instructions about what to do with the enemies of Israel, the Amalekites. He is told to ‘utterly destroy,’ to ‘not spare’ and to ‘put to death’ all the people and animals (1 Sam 15:3). There is nothing unclear about these instructions which makes it all the more shocking that he does not obey. It says in v 9 that Saul spared Agag (the ruler of the Amalekites) and the best of the animals (v 9) in contrast to what God had told him.

Sin is easy to define: it is disobedience to God. Whether it is when we do not do what God says or when we do what God says to not do, sin is disobedience. And Saul has the opportunity to confess and repent when Samuel asks him about his disobedience. But instead of confessing or forsaking his sin, Saul continues down the dangerous path of unrepentant sin.

            The second step is denial. Samuel asks Saul pointedly in v 19, why did you not obey the voice of the Lord? This is the opportunity to confess and repent of his sin, but instead Saul chooses to deny. He denies his disobedience by highlighting his partial obedience. He says he did obey by going on the mission he was assigned and destroying some of the Amalekites (v 20). Technically, that is true, but it ignores the clear disobedience to the specific commands of God. We do this when we are caught in sin, too. Instead of admitting the wrong, we turn the focus to the areas where we did right. However, that is avoiding the issue. Obedience in one area does not excuse disobedience in another. Saul should have confessed instead of trying to make himself look good in front of Samuel. But it gets worse.

            The third step is defense. In a weird example of self-justification, Saul actually defends his disobedience as something he did for God. That by disobeying, he was able to do something even better for the Lord. Part of the disobedience was that Saul spared the animals that belonged to the Amalekites after God said to destroy them. Maybe he thought it was a strange command from God; why destroy such a useful resource? Imagine the church found an old chest filled with priceless coins on the church grounds but God told us without uncertainty to destroy them all. Why God? Couldn’t we use that for your kingdom? That’s Saul’s thinking. I spared these animals to sacrifice to you, God (v 15, 21). Somehow, in his mind, disobedience to God is necessary in some cases when you have good intentions. If we ever try to justify our sin by thinking about some other benefit that could come by our disobedience we’ve entered a dangerous realm.

            The fourth step is to deflect. This is the step where we blame others. Saul had originally blamed the people for being the ones who disobeyed (v 15) but when he was called out for his sin by Samuel, he blamed the people for pressuring him into sin. It does seem like he is on the way towards heartfelt confession in v 24 because he does admit the sin. But then he explains away the confession by saying it was the people that convinced him to disobey. Remember, he is the king, but he says he ‘feared’ the people (v 24). In his deflection, it was the people who caused me to sin. This is classic unrepentance: blame everyone else for your sin. Yes I did it, but it was you who caused me to! For example, we do this when we blame others for making us lose our temper or blame others by taking on the childish taunt, “you started it!” It is just another way to not take responsibility for our own disobedience.

            In contrast to Saul is King David. When he is confronted with his sin with Bathsheba he simply confesses his sin (2 Sam 12:13). He doesn’t try to deny his wrongdoing by listing all his other areas of obedience, he doesn’t defend himself or his behavior, and he doesn’t blame anyone else. He takes responsibility for his sin, confesses it and forsakes it. This is the path to dealing with your sin. Let us learn from the poor example of Saul of how to deal with sin when it is exposed to us, not wanting to follow the path of unrepentance that he went down.

What is a Church

Recently our church participated in a combined worship service with two other churches here in town, and in the same week, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club at the high school met with 25 or so high schoolers gathering to hang out and hear a devotional from a student. It got me thinking about this question: what is a church? How do we define when a gathering of believers is a church? When 3 churches meet together, is that a church in and of itself? When a bunch of Christian kids gather on their school campus is that a church? What are the necessary elements to have a Biblically defined church?

            Let’s assume for our discussion that we are talking about true believers. But I think you’ll be a bit surprised to find out what constitutes a church in the New Testament. Because in the eyes of God you do not need bylaws or a building in order to be a church.

            First, there needs to be Biblically defined leadership. Elders are the leaders of the church (1 Tim 3:5) and they are discussed in almost every book of the New Testament. They are gifted by the Lord to His church (Eph 4:11) and they need to be appointed in every church (Titus 1:5). You can’t have a church without Biblically defined leadership. With this necessary element, the three church meeting would qualify (since elders were leading) but the FCA meeting would not, since they have student leadership and not Biblically defined leadership. You can’t have a church without Biblical leadership.

            Second, there needs to be the preaching of the Word. New Testament ministers in the church are required to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12) and they are also commanded to preach the Word (2 Tim 4:2). Sound doctrine and Biblical exposition is the bedrock of the church and a non-negotiable. While FCA was disqualified for being considered a church for lack of Biblical leadership, they do teach God’s Word there regularly, and so they would pass this requirement as would the combined church meeting.

            The third necessary element is the conducting of the ordinances. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were both instituted by the Lord and the church is commanded to practice them. The administering of the ordinances would disqualify both the combined service and FCA from being considered a church because neither one engages in the keeping of the ordinances.

            The final element is what I would call accountability. There is an expectation amongst the people of a church to live a Christlike life and obey the Scripture. Why else would there be so many commands and instructions in the Bible about how to live and behave? Why else would we preach messages on how to live differently, if we weren’t to actually do it? To join a church is to agree to covenant with one another to pray for and challenge one another to be faithful to Scripture. This is also why the need for Biblical shepherds is so important, as they hold their members accountable too. I believe God’s people welcome this kind of accountability because they really do want to live rightly in God’s eyes. With this final element, both the combined service and FCA would not qualify as a church since they are gatherings without this level of further accountability outside of the meeting.

            Now, now one is saying that the combined service and the FCA meeting are trying to be churches, but with the Covid pandemic, the redefinition of church happened without us knowing it. Some people watch an online service of a church hundreds or even thousands of miles away and call that their ‘church.’ They’ve never set foot inside the church or even talked to the pastor. But that cannot be your church as you are not under the Biblical leadership, you are not participating in the ordinances, and there is no accountability to right living. That can be a helpful tool for your spiritual life, but it is not your church.

            The same can be said for those who attend one of these Christian meetings and assume it counts as their church. A club on campus cannot be your church, just like youth group cannot be your church, or even a community service cannot be your church...if they do not have these necessary elements.

            My sincere prayer is for a renewed passion and commitment to the church. To submit to Biblical leadership is God-honoring. To hear the Word is God-honoring. To regularly take the Lord’s Supper and observe baptisms is God-honoring. And to be held accountable for Christian behavior is God-honoring as well. They are all God-honoring because these are the necessary elements to have a church.

Developing Convictions

On March 10th 1528 a man named Balthasar Hubmaier was burned at the stake in Vienna, Austria by the Roman Catholic city authorities. His wife, for merely being associated with him, was drowned in the local river. For this serious punishment Hubmaier must have been guilty of a serious crime, wouldn’t you say? Since it was the church that executed him the crime must have been a religious one. Was it some heinous sin or act? No, the execution was for heresy. So, then it follows that the heresy he was promoting must have been something equally as heinous, right? Some type of teaching or doctrine that insults God or Christ, possibly? Denying fundamental truths of Christianity? Well, Hubmaier’s ‘crime’ was baptizing confessing believers.

            You see the theology of the Roman Catholic church was that baptism was for infants, not for adults. So, any baptisms that Hubmaier, and other Reformers, were conducting were then outside of the established teaching of the church, thus equaling heresy. They were accused of being ‘rebaptizers,’ baptizing people who had already been baptized. Hubmaier had actually been arrested on multiple occasions before for baptizing individuals but he had only been beaten, tortured, and forced to recant. This last time when he did not recant, he was executed.

            It is startling to think that a man and his wife (and many others as well) would be put to death by church authorities in such a gruesome way for dunking people in some water. What is the big deal? But also, it makes me think about Hubmaier’s commitment as well. Why would he perform such an act if he knew it would lead him to this type of suffering and death?

            The answer lies in the word ‘conviction.’ His conviction was that baptism was not something done to infants but to those who confess faith in Christ; baptism should come after belief, not before. And that conviction was so strong that he was willing to pay with his life to do it.

            I’ve come across multiple believers throughout my ministry who have a trivial view of baptism. They see it as unimportant, an option that they can consider or reject. But stories like Hubmaier come to mind and cause me to reflect on the fact that people literally died to conduct believer’s baptism because they were convinced that is what the Bible teaches. Not to mention the people getting baptized who were also putting their lives in danger. In fact, in Vienna it was outlawed to even attend a ‘rebaptizer’s’ preaching service!

            In the Muslim world, if a person comes to faith in Christ, sometimes the rest of the Muslim family doesn’t care…until the person gets baptized. Baptism becomes the ‘last straw’ and the person is excommunicated or worse. This makes me think of the importance of something like baptism: people literally have died to practice it.

            But this isn’t an article just about baptism. This is about developing Biblical convictions. Taking a stand on what you believe the Bible teaches. Now we should be humble enough to always consider opposing arguments, but at some point we have to come to a conclusion, and we have to stand firm on it.

            I think of myself: would I be so convicted about a subject even like baptism that if I was threatened with execution for me and my wife as well, would I stand firm for that belief or would I cower and recant? Hubmaier did recant on multiple occasions, but eventually his conscience was held captive by the Word of God. “This is what the Bible teaches and I will stand firm on it,” was what went through his head.

            Have you developed any Biblical convictions like this? As the persecution of the church of Jesus Christ heats up, what areas will you compromise and what areas will you hold fast? Areas like creation, homosexuality, and the exclusivity of Christ seem like the biggies of today. If the culture puts pressure on you because of what you believe the Bible teaches what are you going to do? Will you stand firm or will you shrug off that conviction for your own comfort? If the culture makes it illegal for you to attend a church where these things are preached, will you obey or will you resist?

            It is so important to be well-informed about the Scripture. To take a stand on various doctrines and teachings and hold fast to them no matter what the world may throw at you. It is said that ‘a man may hold convictions, but convictions hold the man.’ I pray that we would firmly trust and stand upon the truth of Scripture, never wavering from our beliefs. This high view of Scripture is necessary for living for Christ in the midst of a hostile world.

Lessons from Surgery Recovery

I write this Voice article from my kitchen table in my third week of recovery from spinal surgery. There is much gratitude in my heart for this church family and others in the community who have given us meals, cards, flowers, texts, calls, and even rides for our children. We couldn’t have done it without you and we thank you. I have another reason to be thankful and it is for the Lord teaching me some lessons during this whole process and I would like to share them with you.

            First, is the lesson of needing greater empathy towards others going through medical problems and issues. Overall, I’m a pretty healthy individual so my time in the hospital is pretty rare. When you are sitting up the night before a surgery, your mind racing, that text message or word of encouragement is really helpful. When you are in the hospital your thoughts go to feelings of missing home and the feelings of ‘woe is me.’ But then a person is wheeled into the room next to you and that person is not even conscious. You realize things could be much worse. For those who must deal with repeated medical issues and hospital stays, now that I have been in your shoes for a time, I hope to have greater empathy.

            Second, is the lesson how the Lord is near during our time of weakness. I brought my pocket Bible with me because I wanted to be close to the Psalms. I usually counsel others when they are in times of hardship and stress to go to the Psalms. There is a good chance that you will find a Psalm that expresses exactly what you are thinking. Since I counsel others with that, I figured I should take my own advice! Psalms like 2:12, 5:11, and 11:1 call on us to take refuge in the Lord because He is a refuge and strength (46:1). This truth was one that continually popped up to me in my Psalms reading. Since I couldn’t even get out of bed on my own, I felt like I was at my weakest, but all the while God is near calling me to take refuge in Him because He is a refuge. I seem to find that the Lord is always near in times of weakness.

            Third, is the lesson of the glorious creative work of God in the human body. It is another grace of God that He allowed the invention of surgery to fix these problems people have, but just marvel at the human body for a moment. There are 3 major incisions that the surgeons cut in my body and they are healing. These doctors literally cut me open and my body is fixing those cuts on its own. Also, after surgery there is a lot of swelling that builds up. Once again, your body deals with that on its own and goes back to normal. In both of these cases the body has to naturally be able to do this or else I wouldn’t survive. There is no way this type of self-healing that the body does could just develop naturally over a long period of time. It has to work correctly the first time or else disaster. The human body is a wonder of God’s creation.

            All in all the Lord is still shaping me and molding me, even in my time of recovery. I thank you again for all your help and well wishes and hope to be back to ministry soon.

The Abortion Ruling

Last week a monumental ruling came down from the Supreme Court of the United States regarding abortion. The decision will have reverberations for years to come. It is important to define exactly what the decision was since there is much confusion in the rhetoric about the case. First, the Court did not make any moral or ethical statement on the nature of abortion itself. So, it would be incorrect to say that the Supreme Court decided that abortion is wrong. Second, the Court did not make abortion illegal. The decision handed down by the Court said that the issue of abortion was not a constitutional right, but instead, should be decided by individual states. In essence, the Court sent the issue of abortion to the states for them to independently decide what to do. Some states might choose to make it illegal, some might keep it legal, and some might put restrictions.

            Such a decision has brought unmitigated joy from anti-abortion advocates like Christians and unrelenting fury from pro-choice proponents. But, how exactly do we look at this profound moment in our nation’s history from the perspective of being a born again Christian?

            First, a Christian’s opposition to abortion is grounded in the Word of God. The Bible speaks in multiple places about God’s hand and design over infants in the womb. Psalm 139:13 says, “You wove me in my mother’s womb.” In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” The prophecy about John the Baptist says he will be filled with the Holy Spirit “while in his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). Clearly God is designing, making, molding, and influencing babies in the womb. The Bible also talks about how God is the one who opens wombs or closes wombs (Gen 20:18, Gen 30:22), so pregnancies are His providential decision. So, I believe the Bible makes it clear that a Christian should be against abortion.

            Second, a Christian’s joy to this decision is understood. If we believe that fetuses in the womb are living beings and God is designing them, anything that limits abortion is a good thing. At the least this will probably result in thousands of less abortions as some states will begin to immediately pass strict anti-abortion laws in their legislatures. A Christian should see it as a good thing anytime lives can be saved, because human lives are precious in God’s sight, being made in His image.

            Third, a Christian’s celebration should be tempered. This move by the Supreme Court does not outlaw abortion, let’s get that straight. The only thing the Supreme Court decision did was turn the abortion issue over to the states to decide on their own. Reading the opinion of Samuel Alito, he said, “the authority on this matter is turned over to the people and their elected officials in their individual states.” Since there are a number of states that furiously defend abortion, we will probably see an even greater resolve there. Also, women that really want an abortion will probably be able to get one by just crossing state lines. If your neighboring state provides free confidential abortion, then why wouldn’t you just go there to get the procedure done? While this decision may limit the number of abortions, it doesn’t eradicate the practice altogether.

            Lastly, a Christian’s guard should be up now more than ever. Those that are outraged at this decision have begun to point the finger at religion. I have seen the tweets already: Keep your religion out of my health care! Once people identify the culprit as religion, the next step is to identify which religion. Since Christian principles are at the basis of the anti-abortion view, and since Satan’s world is always at odds with God’s people, the blame will be placed on Christians themselves. I fear a heated backlash coming against Christians in this country. Although that should not come as a shock as Jesus told us to not be surprised if the world hates you. Are you prepared to face this new kind of persecution?

            Overall, I would say I am happy with what transpired last week, but it is a restrained happiness. Abortions will still happen and the fight over the issue will become even more heated with the hottest fire reserved for Christians.

One Impactful Life

How much influence can one life have? We all have people in our lives that have been influential to us and maybe that person was to others as well, but can one person influence literally billions of people? If we are talking about Jesus, then the answer is a resounding ‘yes’! How much of an impact has Jesus had on the entire world? Let’s consider some areas.

            First, think of Jesus’ impact on the arts. In the disciplines of music, art, and even architecture, what other person has inspired more works than Jesus? When it comes to music, some of the most famous pieces of classical music by Bach and Handel have Jesus as the subject. In the area of music, some of the most famous pieces of classical music by composers like Bach and Handel have Jesus as their subject. Then you can think of the sheer amount of Christian music that has been produced over the years. But Jesus’ influence even pervades secular music as well. References to Him or songs about Him can be found in songs by artists like Elvis, Aretha Franklin, Carrie Underwood, and even Kanye West. Why does everyone want to talk about Jesus?

            Now if we turn our attention to famous paintings or sculptures Jesus’ influence is no less. Pieces like The Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel, the Pieta, or even the Christ Redeemer statue in Brazil all have the attention on Christ, and of course there are thousands more. You can look at some of the great cathedrals built all over the world, designed and constructed with Christ as the center of its activities. No other person in all history has been the subject of such artistic expression as Jesus.

            Second, think of Jesus’ impact in the areas of literacy and education. Although Christians are condescendingly thought of as unscientific and unlearned people of mystic beliefs, that couldn’t be further from the truth! If you have ever attended a university, you can thank Jesus’ followers since they were the ones who founded essentially what is the modern university. Some of the first colleges were in Bologna, Oxford, and Paris, and most other universities were modeled after those. Oh, and those three were begun as Christian universities. After them, some of the most prestigious universities in the world were founded by Christians for the purpose of teaching Christian principles like Princeton, Harvard, MIT, and Yale.

            When we think of the greatest minds in history we normally think of scientists. Well, it would probably surprise you to find out that most scientists throughout history were confessing followers of Jesus! Some examples include Galileo, Francis Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Isaac Newton. Space does not permit us to list all of these genius scientific minds but just think of this: 72% of those awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry were Christians! Nowadays, science and Christianity are purported to be at odds but in reality the original founders of what we know today as science believed that a man named Jesus of Nazareth rose from the grave.

            Jesus is of course followed by billions of Christians throughout the world, but does Jesus’ impact even reach to other religions? This is the third area I would like you to consider: religion itself. Jesus has a recognized place in some of the largest other religions in the world like Buddhism and Islam (and many others as well). Now, I’m not affirming what those religions teach about Jesus is correct, but you cannot deny He holds a respected place in their religions. All of that to say, a positive view of Jesus of Nazareth extends to every corner of the planet to billions of religious people! Is there any other figure who could claim this?

            When all is said and done, considering the profound impact Jesus has had on the world, it is really staggering to think of how unlikely that would have been. He was born in a small town, raised in a small town, in a relatively unknown family. The locals thought He was an illegitimate son and His own brothers were suspicious of him.

            He never had an expensive education, never married, never had children, never owned a home, never held political office, never ruled a nation, never led an army, never authored a book. He never even traveled more than 200 miles from His hometown.

            His work only lasted three years, His followers abandoned Him, one of His friends betrayed Him, and another denied Him. He was rejected by the powerful and those who wanted Him dead seemingly got their way with a very public brutal execution. And after all that, His remaining friends had to borrow a tomb to bury Him.

            And yet, no other person has so transformed the course of history than Jesus of Nazareth. What has He done in your life?

Gospel Preaching

Imagine a certain coach of a basketball team that had a specific strategy in his coaching repertoire that was both effective and unstoppable. This strategy was guaranteed to work and the opponent could not stop it in any way. Would the coach use this strategy? How often would he use it? Absolutely he would use it all the time!

            When it comes to being a preacher, there are many ideas about what to preach to see change occur. Some say we need to preach ‘how to’ sermons, some say we need to just explain the next verses, some say we need to find topics that are relevant to the outside world. I would submit to you that preachers should be known as gospel preachers because the gospel has the power to save and to transform.

            Now, just a quick reminder, the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is defined as Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and raised again, as the Scriptures testify (1 Cor 15:3-4). This truth has the power to save and to transform.

            Romans 1:16 says it like this, “for the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” It has the power to save a soul. 1 Corinthians 1 says something similar. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (v 18). In the Romans passage Paul goes on to explain the gospel in great detail for a number of chapters. In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul summarizes it as “Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:23). Both of these passages showcase the power of the gospel to save.

            We see the power of the gospel to save evidenced in the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. The man is reading but doesn’t understand the passage of the Bible he is reading. Philip explains to him what he is reading by “preaching Jesus to Him” (Acts 8:35). The man comes to faith and is baptized. But Philip made sure to preach Jesus to him which no doubt included the cross and the resurrection.

            Preachers, pastors, and evangelists look all around for different ideas and strategies in which to win people to Christ. But in reality, the power to save souls is not located within the preacher or the speaker or an event. The power to save souls is inherent to the gospel. As a preacher who preaches every Sunday morning, why would I not preach the gospel if I wanted to see souls saved? If I have no power to bring about salvation, but the gospel has all the power, how can I preach anything else? Pastors must be known as gospel preachers.

            But maybe someone reading this is thinking that they are already saved and therefore the gospel’s power to save has no application to them. I’m already saved, I don’t have to hear about how to be saved every Sunday! Fair question. Although, the gospel is also said to have the power to transform. The gospel has the power to make a person holy and sanctified.

            Paul tells the Romans he was eager to come to them to preach the gospel to them (Romans 1:15). That tells me he believed the gospel had a sanctifying effect on the people. Also, in 1 Corinthians 2:2 he says “he determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” That means the cross of Christ was the main focus of his preaching to this church. And if you know anything about this church, they had a lot of problems! Paul’s solution: preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified to them.

            How does the gospel transform? First, understanding what God has accomplished for us in the gospel is a powerful motivator for holiness. We pursue holiness not to earn a place before God but because we have been graciously given a place before God. My heart breaks for those who are trying to be good so that God will be happy with them. In Christ, your standing is eternally resolved. You can’t be any more accepted by God than you are in Christ! What freedom for holiness!

            Second, the gospel brings encouragement when we fail. As we realize our sins are forgiven and washed by Christ, we get back up on the horse and try again. We don’t have to live in discouragement and depression because of the cross of Christ!

            Third, the gospel teaches us to live a life of faith. It is faith in Christ that saves but the gospel spurs us on to continue that trust. If we believe that Christ took our sins and will grant heaven when we die, should we also believe that He will guide, direct, provide, care for, andlove us as well? The answer is ‘yes!’ Believing on Christ for salvation only begins a lifetime walk of faith. Believers need to hear the gospel too and their pastors need to be gospel preachers.

            So, you see how the gospel has the power to save a soul and the power to transform a believer into Christlikeness. Why would I preach anything else? Now, this does not mean that every Sunday I will be only teaching on the crucifixion. The Bible calls on me to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) so I am committed to preaching God’s Word verse by verse. But in every sermon, there has to be a connection to Christ and the gospel to really unleash the power of God. That is a power that is effective and the enemy cannot stop.