1 Thessalonians 3:8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.
8 ὅτι νῦν ζῶμεν ἐὰν ὑμεῖς στήκετε ἐν κυρίῳ.
Paul is writing about how he was concerned for the Thessalonians. He was afraid that they had fallen to the temptation that Satan threw at them. This is how he sums it all up. The word he uses in hope is στήκετε. This word is derived from a word derived from ἵστημι, which indicates strength. That is why it has the sense of standing firm or persevering. In other words, the Thessalonians' perseverance was life to Paul.
I had a hard time relating to this until I got involved in a church plant. The more I interact with people the more I appreciate this. I didn't go to seminary for my sake. I went to seminary so that I could more accurately preach and teach God's Word and help people. I do not exist for myself either. No Christian does. My job is to die to myself daily to help others live. There is nothing so encouraging as trying to help someone and see the good effects of that help.
Of course, this also means that we need to be ready for the converse. There will be times when people do not stand fast and that will be like a slow death to us. Sometimes it will be like a punch in the stomach. You can't have the good without the bad. Nevertheless, I think that Paul clearly emphasizes the positive here. Seeing the Thessalonians live served as a great encouragement to him.
Hopefully anyone out there reading this loves his pastor and wants to serve him. We cannot manufacture obedience to the Word, but when it is manifested in our lives it most certainly is an encouragement to your pastor.
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, July 08, 2011
"Our" Ministry
2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
1 Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν
This verse picks up where we left off in the previous post. The verb in the first clause is ἠλεήθημεν, which is in the aorist passive. This means that Paul is telling them that God gave them ministry at some point in the past. It doesn't tell us how it happened, but it does tell us that it was given to them. Also, the verse does not expressly state that it comes from the mercy of God, but it does say that it came by mercy. It's pretty safe to infer that God is the one who granted them mercy.
As someone who is in the middle of planting a church, I find this to be an encouragement. I think it is safe to extrapolate this verse to describe ministry in general. Really the word is τὴν διακονίαν, which is the word from which we get "deacon." It refers to ministry or service. What I get out of this is that any ministry or service we get to do for God's people comes from the mercy of God. This verse starts with the phrase Διὰ τοῦτο, which literally means "therefore this." This explains the phrase at the end. Why don't we give up hope? We don't give up hope because we received ministry from the mercy of God.
This gives me hope because that I trust God to do His will. I enjoy the blessing of being an instrument in His hands, but really it is His ministry. If we assemble a fellowship it will be because God in His mercy brought a fellowship to us. My concern is my personal holiness. Although God can use anyone at anytime to do His will, I also know that it will be a lot easier for me if I am walking closely with Him. I've often heard it said that if you want to know God's will you need to think the way He thinks. How do you do that? You walk in close fellowship with Him through prayer, time in the Word, fellowship, worship, etc.
The point of all this is that I find great encouragement knowing that this is God's ministry and that it is enabled by His mercy. That takes the pressure off of me to make it succeed. I certainly must do my part as well as God has gifted me to do it, but I don't need to think that it is all about me. As with all of life, it is all about Him.
As someone who is in the middle of planting a church, I find this to be an encouragement. I think it is safe to extrapolate this verse to describe ministry in general. Really the word is τὴν διακονίαν, which is the word from which we get "deacon." It refers to ministry or service. What I get out of this is that any ministry or service we get to do for God's people comes from the mercy of God. This verse starts with the phrase Διὰ τοῦτο, which literally means "therefore this." This explains the phrase at the end. Why don't we give up hope? We don't give up hope because we received ministry from the mercy of God.
This gives me hope because that I trust God to do His will. I enjoy the blessing of being an instrument in His hands, but really it is His ministry. If we assemble a fellowship it will be because God in His mercy brought a fellowship to us. My concern is my personal holiness. Although God can use anyone at anytime to do His will, I also know that it will be a lot easier for me if I am walking closely with Him. I've often heard it said that if you want to know God's will you need to think the way He thinks. How do you do that? You walk in close fellowship with Him through prayer, time in the Word, fellowship, worship, etc.
The point of all this is that I find great encouragement knowing that this is God's ministry and that it is enabled by His mercy. That takes the pressure off of me to make it succeed. I certainly must do my part as well as God has gifted me to do it, but I don't need to think that it is all about me. As with all of life, it is all about Him.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Word Became Flesh
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
14 Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.
Now that I've finished slogging through Luke's Greek in Luke-Acts it's time to go back through John. As a preview of what is to come, I plan to go through John, 1-3 John, and Revelation. Then I'll go back to Paul. I believe that John wrote those five books, so I want to get a sense of how it all ties together. Plus, I think it's good to mix things up once in a while.
If you've been around church for any length of time you're probably familiar with at least the clause Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. This is a clause that maybe gets a little bit overpreached, but let's break it down a little bit. The verb ἐγένετο is an aorist. That means that at some point in time the Word became flesh. Aorist doesn't necessarily mean puncticular as some older preachers may have learned, but what we do know is that at some undefined past time the Word became flesh.
The word ἐσκήνωσεν is also an aorist. This has the idea of putting up a tent to settle down. You may have heard it preached as "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us." I think that may be overtranslating it a bit, besides the fact that "tabernacle" is not a great expression to use in 21st century America. Basically, I think that we can understand this as saying that Jesus became flesh and for a time made His dwelling with us people.
What can we use to illustrate this? Let's say that you felt called to help the homeless. Since you're reading this on a computer I'm going to assume that you are not too badly off in your personal finances, even though you probably don't feel particularly rich. Would you be willing to grab a tent and live with the homeless in the woods near the highway? Let's take it a step further. I have a great box that we got from our new mattress. Would you be willing to take that and live with the homeless on the grates in the city?
To be honest, I wouldn't do either for various reasons. One big one is that it would be really inconvenient. I have a wife and children to love. I have work to do. I have schoolwork to complete. I have grass that needs mowing. I can't spare the time from what I consider to be really important.
Another is fear. Generally-speaking, the folks who are homeless are there for a reason. It's not always true, but there are often stories of addiction or other problematic behaviors. You're telling me to live with these people? I can't sleep with one eye open.
That leads to perhaps the greatest, but most shallow. It would be uncomfortable. These people stink. They aren't pleasant to be around. Camping in the woods would be great yesterday and today. The weather is beautiful. What about two weeks ago when it was raining sideways? I think you get the idea.
Now take all of those reasons and look at Christ and what He did by leaving heaven and coming to earth to be with us. I don't want to leave my comfortable house in Cary. He left heaven. I don't want to endanger my body. He came to die on a cross. I don't want to leave the comfortable sights, smells, and relationships I have at home. He left perfect fellowship with the Trinity to spend time with people who would all leave Him at His most difficult hour. We truly worship and awesome Savior.
14 Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.
Now that I've finished slogging through Luke's Greek in Luke-Acts it's time to go back through John. As a preview of what is to come, I plan to go through John, 1-3 John, and Revelation. Then I'll go back to Paul. I believe that John wrote those five books, so I want to get a sense of how it all ties together. Plus, I think it's good to mix things up once in a while.
If you've been around church for any length of time you're probably familiar with at least the clause Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. This is a clause that maybe gets a little bit overpreached, but let's break it down a little bit. The verb ἐγένετο is an aorist. That means that at some point in time the Word became flesh. Aorist doesn't necessarily mean puncticular as some older preachers may have learned, but what we do know is that at some undefined past time the Word became flesh.
The word ἐσκήνωσεν is also an aorist. This has the idea of putting up a tent to settle down. You may have heard it preached as "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us." I think that may be overtranslating it a bit, besides the fact that "tabernacle" is not a great expression to use in 21st century America. Basically, I think that we can understand this as saying that Jesus became flesh and for a time made His dwelling with us people.
What can we use to illustrate this? Let's say that you felt called to help the homeless. Since you're reading this on a computer I'm going to assume that you are not too badly off in your personal finances, even though you probably don't feel particularly rich. Would you be willing to grab a tent and live with the homeless in the woods near the highway? Let's take it a step further. I have a great box that we got from our new mattress. Would you be willing to take that and live with the homeless on the grates in the city?
To be honest, I wouldn't do either for various reasons. One big one is that it would be really inconvenient. I have a wife and children to love. I have work to do. I have schoolwork to complete. I have grass that needs mowing. I can't spare the time from what I consider to be really important.
Another is fear. Generally-speaking, the folks who are homeless are there for a reason. It's not always true, but there are often stories of addiction or other problematic behaviors. You're telling me to live with these people? I can't sleep with one eye open.
That leads to perhaps the greatest, but most shallow. It would be uncomfortable. These people stink. They aren't pleasant to be around. Camping in the woods would be great yesterday and today. The weather is beautiful. What about two weeks ago when it was raining sideways? I think you get the idea.
Now take all of those reasons and look at Christ and what He did by leaving heaven and coming to earth to be with us. I don't want to leave my comfortable house in Cary. He left heaven. I don't want to endanger my body. He came to die on a cross. I don't want to leave the comfortable sights, smells, and relationships I have at home. He left perfect fellowship with the Trinity to spend time with people who would all leave Him at His most difficult hour. We truly worship and awesome Savior.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Earning Credibility
Acts 9:28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
28 καὶ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰσπορευόμενος καὶ ἐκπορευόμενος εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, παρρησιαζόμενος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου,
Paul had a pretty rough time fitting in with the disciples at first. After all, he actively persecuted them and did everything he could to stop the church. After his conversion he was as excited about helping the church as he previously was to persecute it. The problem is, the church wasn't sure what to make of him.
I don't think that we can blame them for this. In fact, it seems wise to have a season of watching before completely trusting someone. Anyone can call himself a Christian. How does he live? What does he say? Is there any evidence in his life of God's work? Or is he simply one in name only?
Paul did prove himself. He had Barnabas' endorsement, which was obviously very important. After this verse we learn that he debated with the Hellenists, who were the Greek-speaking Jews. It soon became clear to the church that he was for real. I suppose he could have done a big double agent turnaround, but of course he really was converted. The church eventually trusted him.
I think that there is a lesson in this for us as members of churches. We should probably not be too quick to give anyone any kind of teaching authority. Someone's current passion does not always translate into long-term consistency. Just as an elder should not be a recent convert I think that anyone who teaches or has any kind of authority in the church should go through something of a vetting period. That will not prevent every problem, but it will certainly eliminate many problems before they start.
28 καὶ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰσπορευόμενος καὶ ἐκπορευόμενος εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, παρρησιαζόμενος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου,
Paul had a pretty rough time fitting in with the disciples at first. After all, he actively persecuted them and did everything he could to stop the church. After his conversion he was as excited about helping the church as he previously was to persecute it. The problem is, the church wasn't sure what to make of him.
I don't think that we can blame them for this. In fact, it seems wise to have a season of watching before completely trusting someone. Anyone can call himself a Christian. How does he live? What does he say? Is there any evidence in his life of God's work? Or is he simply one in name only?
Paul did prove himself. He had Barnabas' endorsement, which was obviously very important. After this verse we learn that he debated with the Hellenists, who were the Greek-speaking Jews. It soon became clear to the church that he was for real. I suppose he could have done a big double agent turnaround, but of course he really was converted. The church eventually trusted him.
I think that there is a lesson in this for us as members of churches. We should probably not be too quick to give anyone any kind of teaching authority. Someone's current passion does not always translate into long-term consistency. Just as an elder should not be a recent convert I think that anyone who teaches or has any kind of authority in the church should go through something of a vetting period. That will not prevent every problem, but it will certainly eliminate many problems before they start.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Orthopraxy
1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
18 Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
As I go through the system of ten chapters a day I am fascinated by the contrast in the style of writing throughout Scripture. John's writing is notoriously simple. But simplicity does indicate a lack of profundity. There are several penetrating truths in 1 John if we pay attention. This is a fairly obvious one.
John spends a lot of time talking about love. This is particularly true in chapters 3 and 4. Here he tells us what real love looks like. We are not simply to love in word or talk but ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. He uses the strong adversative ἀλλὰ here too. There is a stark contrast between simply talking about love and actually showing love.
This is an area where I think that many conservative folks like me really come up short. At least I know that I do. I'm pretty good at getting my theology straight, but does that spill over into action? How often do I help someone who has less than I do? More importantly, how often do I share the gospel with someone who needs to hear it? Not very often.
I see the book of 1 John as a reality check. We can talk about what we believe, but how we live is a much stronger indicator. This relatively simple book is beating me up yet again. But I still have to ask myself what I'm going to do about it.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A Noble Goal
1 Timothy 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος. Εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ.
This is a sobering verse as I consider what I'm going to do after finishing seminary. If I were to get involved in a church I see that it is indeed a noble thing I seek. But then we have the rest of 1 Timothy 3 to deal with.
Paul gets into the qualifications of an elder. They are not trivial. Am I "beyond reproach?" Well, I'm pretty good. However, to say that I'm "beyond reproach" stretches it a bit. Go through all of them and it is easy to find shortcomings. They may not be immediately obvious, but they are there and God certainly knows them.
But I'm encouraged by a couple of things. One is that I am not the only one. Ask any pastor (or better yet - his wife) if he has any sins in his life and the honest ones will tell you that they do. They likely go beyond the petty to fairly serious too. While I am no longer enslaved to pornography I am certainly tempted and have times when I still go down roads I know I shouldn't. I am hardly beyond reproach.
The second source of encouragement is much greater. Jesus lived a life beyond reproach. When I die I am going to be judged by His righteousness. While I strive to "be holy as [He is] holy," I will always fall short. But thankfully I do not have to be perfect. I need to be faithful. And even that will waver at times, but He is always faithful even when I'm faithless.
This is just one more amazing thing about the cross. What an awesome Savior!
1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος. Εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ.
This is a sobering verse as I consider what I'm going to do after finishing seminary. If I were to get involved in a church I see that it is indeed a noble thing I seek. But then we have the rest of 1 Timothy 3 to deal with.
Paul gets into the qualifications of an elder. They are not trivial. Am I "beyond reproach?" Well, I'm pretty good. However, to say that I'm "beyond reproach" stretches it a bit. Go through all of them and it is easy to find shortcomings. They may not be immediately obvious, but they are there and God certainly knows them.
But I'm encouraged by a couple of things. One is that I am not the only one. Ask any pastor (or better yet - his wife) if he has any sins in his life and the honest ones will tell you that they do. They likely go beyond the petty to fairly serious too. While I am no longer enslaved to pornography I am certainly tempted and have times when I still go down roads I know I shouldn't. I am hardly beyond reproach.
The second source of encouragement is much greater. Jesus lived a life beyond reproach. When I die I am going to be judged by His righteousness. While I strive to "be holy as [He is] holy," I will always fall short. But thankfully I do not have to be perfect. I need to be faithful. And even that will waver at times, but He is always faithful even when I'm faithless.
This is just one more amazing thing about the cross. What an awesome Savior!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Gates of Hell
Matthew 16:17-18
(17) And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
(18) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(17) And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
(18) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(17) ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
(18) κἀγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς.
I am not a big fan of word studies as a general rule. I think that the scholars who translated our English texts are very good at capturing the semantic meaning of various words that we have in Scripture. However, there are times when the English construction of a passage may be accurate, but does not quite capture the sense of the Greek. I think that this may be one of them given some of the confusion over this passage.
Here is the Thayer entry:
κατισχύω
katischuō
Thayer Definition:
1) to be strong to another’s detriment, to prevail against
2) to be superior in strength
3) to overcome
4) to prevail
You can see that the ESV translators chose this first definition. But note that it has something of a passive sense. This passage is sometimes mistakenly read as the church having to withstand the assault of hell. However, gates are defensive rather than offensive. Rather, this passage is saying that hell cannot stand the assault of the church.
How are you living your life? If you are part of the church (I mean that with a little "c" as I am not Roman Catholic) what are you doing to storm the gates of hell? We all have seasons of offense and defense with sin. In fact, there is always an element of defense involved. But going beyond sin what are you doing? Are you sharing the good news with people? Are you serving God's people? Are you serving those who do not know God? Are you serving your spouse if you have one? If you're living at home are you honoring your father and mother?
As I consider these I am fairly convicted. I'm not sure that the gates of hell have a lot to worry about with me sometimes. How about you?
Monday, February 09, 2009
Getting Answers
Joshua 22:10-20
(10) And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.
(11) And the people of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel."
(12) And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
(13) Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
(14) and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel.
(15) And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them,
(16) "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD?
(17) Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD,
(18) that you too must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you too rebel against the LORD today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
(19) But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.
(20) Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'"
This makes me think of the big brouhaha that goes around the Internet regarding Mark Driscoll. People hear bits and pieces of what goes on from his pulpit and they freak out. Verse 12 in this passage shows us that the people were ready to go to war against their brothers over this altar. This was good if their suspicions were correct. God made it very clear that there was a specific way for them to worship and if they were breaking that then there had to be consequences.
However, before they started swinging swords they asked questions. They got the facts. The passage continues:
Joshua 22:21-31
(21) Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel,
(22) "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today
(23) for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance.
(24) No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?
(25) For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD.
(26) Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
(27) but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."'
(28) And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.'
(29) Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!"
(30) When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes.
(31) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD."
Amanda thought I was crazy for wanting to name a son Phineas, but this is one more example of why it is such a good name. Phineas listened to reason. He heard why the Reubenites and Gadites built the altar he was satisfied. He took them at their word and let it go. Oh that we should have such measured sense today in Christendom! Of course, Proverbs puts this more succinctly than I can:
Proverbs 18:13-17
(13) If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
(14) A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
(15) An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
(16) A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
(17) The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
(10) And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.
(11) And the people of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel."
(12) And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
(13) Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
(14) and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel.
(15) And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them,
(16) "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD?
(17) Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD,
(18) that you too must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you too rebel against the LORD today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
(19) But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.
(20) Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'"
This makes me think of the big brouhaha that goes around the Internet regarding Mark Driscoll. People hear bits and pieces of what goes on from his pulpit and they freak out. Verse 12 in this passage shows us that the people were ready to go to war against their brothers over this altar. This was good if their suspicions were correct. God made it very clear that there was a specific way for them to worship and if they were breaking that then there had to be consequences.
However, before they started swinging swords they asked questions. They got the facts. The passage continues:
Joshua 22:21-31
(21) Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel,
(22) "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today
(23) for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance.
(24) No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?
(25) For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD.
(26) Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
(27) but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."'
(28) And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.'
(29) Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!"
(30) When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes.
(31) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD."
Amanda thought I was crazy for wanting to name a son Phineas, but this is one more example of why it is such a good name. Phineas listened to reason. He heard why the Reubenites and Gadites built the altar he was satisfied. He took them at their word and let it go. Oh that we should have such measured sense today in Christendom! Of course, Proverbs puts this more succinctly than I can:
Proverbs 18:13-17
(13) If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
(14) A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
(15) An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
(16) A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
(17) The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
Friday, December 05, 2008
The Faithful Worker
I just finished reading 2 Timothy as part of my Bible in a year plan. The whole book serves as a manual for how to be a preacher. It is an encouragement for those of us who plan to be faithful to the Word and not worry so much about stepping on toes when necessary.
What impressed me is that Paul does not paint a particularly rosy picture. He writes of those who deserted him and those who caused him much harm. It is easy for me to think that I will simply have to be faithful and the Lord will take care of me. That is certainly true, but not necessarily in the sense that I want for it to be. I have no guarantee against the arguments and the backstabbing that come with being a pastor. I have no guarantee against the temptations that are sure to come. I have no guarantee against the pain in my gut when I do make a mistake and I need the Lord to fix it.
I have heard it said that you should not go into ministry if there is any way you can get out of it. Right now I don't see an alternative. Sure, I could pour myself into learning more about the stuff I do at work and quit seminary. However, I'm not sure that is such a good idea. I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to do. I can't imagine any better life than the one of ministry, despite the trouble that is sure to come. Therefore, I plan to stick it out with 2 Timothy as a guide.
What impressed me is that Paul does not paint a particularly rosy picture. He writes of those who deserted him and those who caused him much harm. It is easy for me to think that I will simply have to be faithful and the Lord will take care of me. That is certainly true, but not necessarily in the sense that I want for it to be. I have no guarantee against the arguments and the backstabbing that come with being a pastor. I have no guarantee against the temptations that are sure to come. I have no guarantee against the pain in my gut when I do make a mistake and I need the Lord to fix it.
I have heard it said that you should not go into ministry if there is any way you can get out of it. Right now I don't see an alternative. Sure, I could pour myself into learning more about the stuff I do at work and quit seminary. However, I'm not sure that is such a good idea. I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to do. I can't imagine any better life than the one of ministry, despite the trouble that is sure to come. Therefore, I plan to stick it out with 2 Timothy as a guide.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Continued Discontent
I'm trying to fight the malaise at work, but I'm afraid it's a losing battle right now. As I came in from the parking lot I was thinking about how I look so forward to lunch each day. It's certainly not because of the haute cuisine that I pack. I think it's because lunch is the time of day when I can do what I care about and not feel guilty about it.
I spend too much time on SCF email and reading various blogs and news items. I get enough work done, but I know I could do more. I just lack any fire for it these days. I want so much more to be in ministry where I am thinking about how I can help people grow to be more like Jesus. I also would like to spend more time thinking about how I could be more like Him.
I suppose part of that is shutting up and just doing my job like a good solidier. This is definitely a work of grace in my life. I'd better not let up on the prayers.
I realize that this is not the first such post I've written. Sorry for the recurring theme, but I guess that's what journaling is all about.
I spend too much time on SCF email and reading various blogs and news items. I get enough work done, but I know I could do more. I just lack any fire for it these days. I want so much more to be in ministry where I am thinking about how I can help people grow to be more like Jesus. I also would like to spend more time thinking about how I could be more like Him.
I suppose part of that is shutting up and just doing my job like a good solidier. This is definitely a work of grace in my life. I'd better not let up on the prayers.
I realize that this is not the first such post I've written. Sorry for the recurring theme, but I guess that's what journaling is all about.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Cry of My Heart
Psa 66:16-20 ESV
(16) Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
(17) I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
(18) If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
(19) But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
(20) Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
This is my heart's cry and why I want to go into full-time ministry. I want to tell people what God has done for my soul. I want to tell them the story of how crying to Him with earnestness set me free from bondage to sin. I want to tell about the victorious life that I have in Christ for the glory of His name.
It is an incredible thing to have the privilege of worshiping the living God. I would do well to remember this.
(16) Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
(17) I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
(18) If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
(19) But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
(20) Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
This is my heart's cry and why I want to go into full-time ministry. I want to tell people what God has done for my soul. I want to tell them the story of how crying to Him with earnestness set me free from bondage to sin. I want to tell about the victorious life that I have in Christ for the glory of His name.
It is an incredible thing to have the privilege of worshiping the living God. I would do well to remember this.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Being a Pastor
Check this out from today's Tozer:
Pastoral Ministry: In Need of a Physician
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in
green pastures; He leads my beside the still waters. He restores my
soul....
--Psalm 23:1-3
Human nature being what it is, the man of God may soon adopt an air
of constant piety and try to appear what the public thinks he is.
The fixed smile and hollow tones of the professional cleric are too
well known to require further mention.
All this show of godliness, by the squeeze of circumstances and
through no fault of the man himself, may become a front behind
which the man hides, a plaintive, secretly discouraged and lonely
soul. Here is no hypocrisy, no intentional double living, no actual
desire to deceive. The man has been mastered by the circumstances.
He has been made the keeper of other people's vineyards but his own
vineyard has not been kept. So many demands have been made upon him
that they have long ago exhausted his supply. He has been compelled
to minister to others while he himself is in desperate need of a
physician. God Tells the Man Who Cares, 115.
"Lord, I pray for pastors everywhere today who are indeed exhausted
and depleted. The task is so overwhelming and the demands so
extreme. Come today with a fresh breath of Your Spirit to refresh,
renew, and restore. Amen."
We just had a banquet for STS yesterday. It was pretty good, all things considered. The speaker told some stories about how he had been hurt in ministry. What's interesting is that Amanda was also sharing her concerns about being a pastor's wife. Frankly, I haven't thought through all of those implications yet. Apparently life moves into a fishbowl. I don't have too many secrets, but I can imagine how that would get old. This is especially true since our daughter is notoriously strong-willed.
All of this is a good reminder to me. Yes, we need to be faithful and preach the Word. We need to press on in hope and we need to rely on Jesus to get us through the inevitable trials. That all sounds great right now, but I suspect that it is much easier said than done when in the midst of them.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Being Missional
We have some good friends who are serving as missionaries in Hungary. I highly recommend checking out their ministry. They are doing a great thing there as they are slowly chipping away at all the spiritual walls that are built up around most Hungarians.
I exchanged emails with Mark today and he paid me a nice compliment about the discipline that it takes to keep up with school and everything else I have going on. I suppose that it does take some discipline, but it got me to thinking about how I do it.
I spend a lot of my day trying to "redeem the time." I listen to podcasts of sermons while I drive and while I work out. I work in a large building and go through my Greek vocab flash cards any time I have to walk from one side to the other. I do a lot of reading and writing during my lunch hour. I also do my Scripture memory review for my Biblical Counseling class during my lunch hour. This opens up my evenings a little bit, which has been nice. I've been working on a game I've had for a long time but never got around to.
What is the cost? I am pretty sure that most of my team does not love Jesus. While I don't claim to know their hearts, the external fruit does not indicate a sincere love for the Lord with most of them. Do I spend time breaking bread with them, getting to know them, and looking for ways to talk about the gospel? No, I spend time with my nose in a book.
I was thinking about this and my motivation for going to seminary. The obvious goal is to learn how to rightly handle the Word of God. Why is that important? Ultimately it is so that more people come to know and love Jesus, right? Here I am waiting for full-time ministry when I have a mission field all around me.
I'm not going to stop doing homework at lunchtime. However, maybe I need to find ways to spend a bit more time with my team.
I exchanged emails with Mark today and he paid me a nice compliment about the discipline that it takes to keep up with school and everything else I have going on. I suppose that it does take some discipline, but it got me to thinking about how I do it.
I spend a lot of my day trying to "redeem the time." I listen to podcasts of sermons while I drive and while I work out. I work in a large building and go through my Greek vocab flash cards any time I have to walk from one side to the other. I do a lot of reading and writing during my lunch hour. I also do my Scripture memory review for my Biblical Counseling class during my lunch hour. This opens up my evenings a little bit, which has been nice. I've been working on a game I've had for a long time but never got around to.
What is the cost? I am pretty sure that most of my team does not love Jesus. While I don't claim to know their hearts, the external fruit does not indicate a sincere love for the Lord with most of them. Do I spend time breaking bread with them, getting to know them, and looking for ways to talk about the gospel? No, I spend time with my nose in a book.
I was thinking about this and my motivation for going to seminary. The obvious goal is to learn how to rightly handle the Word of God. Why is that important? Ultimately it is so that more people come to know and love Jesus, right? Here I am waiting for full-time ministry when I have a mission field all around me.
I'm not going to stop doing homework at lunchtime. However, maybe I need to find ways to spend a bit more time with my team.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Unplugging
I support the blackberry environment at my company. Some people refer to these little devices as "crackberries" because they are almost as addictive as crack. People like to stay connected and some families have had problems because mom and dad can't put the things down. They just feel compelled to keep doing email. I often laugh with the people in my company who are like that. Then I get smug and think about how I'm not like them.
A good friend of mine hosts my email. The ISP that hosts his mail relay was down for 32 hours, so I wasn't getting any email. I get a LOT of email every day and this was starting to bother me last night. It was OK during the day since I probably shouldn't be doing a lot of personal email during work hours anyway, but it stopped being funny as I went to bed last night. It just started working again in the last hour and my old messages are trickling in.
I've come to realize that I am no different than my workaholic team lead. I am no better than those salespeople who like to think that the Bank will shut down without them. I think this email outage was a good reminder to me that I am not Setting Captives Free. I'm just someone who helps out by grace alone. God is in charge of all this and I'm just a tool in His hands. I need to remember that.
This also reminds me that I need to be careful when I do get into full-time ministry. I could see how it can take over someone's life if they aren't careful.
A good friend of mine hosts my email. The ISP that hosts his mail relay was down for 32 hours, so I wasn't getting any email. I get a LOT of email every day and this was starting to bother me last night. It was OK during the day since I probably shouldn't be doing a lot of personal email during work hours anyway, but it stopped being funny as I went to bed last night. It just started working again in the last hour and my old messages are trickling in.
I've come to realize that I am no different than my workaholic team lead. I am no better than those salespeople who like to think that the Bank will shut down without them. I think this email outage was a good reminder to me that I am not Setting Captives Free. I'm just someone who helps out by grace alone. God is in charge of all this and I'm just a tool in His hands. I need to remember that.
This also reminds me that I need to be careful when I do get into full-time ministry. I could see how it can take over someone's life if they aren't careful.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
More Tozer
I got this one today and I think that it speaks volumes about where things are in the church today:
I certainly don't think I have the market cornered on personal holiness. I've been down that road and have realized the futility of it. I have my stumbles that remind me of the battle that wages in me. However, I also know that despite all my counseling, teaching, and learning I do not rely on the Word of God as much as I'd like. I certainly preach better than I live.
In other words, I think that a lot of us in the Reformed blogosphere talk a good talk and make sure that none of our Reformed brethren would accuse us of heresy, but are we walking the walk?
1Co 4:19-20 ESV
(19) But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.
(20) For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
Revival: Don't Substitute Praying for ObeyingI think about some of the blogs I read that are very strong on orthodoxy, but I wonder how much practice there is? I recall all the "amens" about John MacArthur's stance on using the Word of God to relieve stress and the scoffing at Doug Pagitt's scoffing. But how many of those people are going to pornography to relieve stress? Or maybe even more telling, how many are going to food to relieve stress?
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."
--1 Samuel 15:22
Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of
late-and how little revival has resulted?
Considering the volume of prayer that is ascending these days, rivers
of revival should be flowing in blessing throughout the land. That
no such results are in evidence should not discourage us; rather it
should stir us to find out why our prayers are not answered....
I believe our problem is that we have been trying to substitute
praying for obeying; and it simply will not work....
Prayer is never an acceptable substitute for obedience. The sovereign
Lord accepts no offering from His creatures that is not accompanied
by obedience. To pray for revival while ignoring or actually flouting
the plain precept laid down in the Scriptures is to waste a lot of
words and get nothing for our trouble. Of God and Men, 55-57.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; show me any wicked way that
needs to be corrected in my own life before revival can come. I'm
praying for revival; help me to also be obeying. Amen."
I certainly don't think I have the market cornered on personal holiness. I've been down that road and have realized the futility of it. I have my stumbles that remind me of the battle that wages in me. However, I also know that despite all my counseling, teaching, and learning I do not rely on the Word of God as much as I'd like. I certainly preach better than I live.
In other words, I think that a lot of us in the Reformed blogosphere talk a good talk and make sure that none of our Reformed brethren would accuse us of heresy, but are we walking the walk?
1Co 4:19-20 ESV
(19) But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.
(20) For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Tightly Packed
It occurred to me last night that my life is a lot like how it was when I was a Chemical Engineering Major at OSU. I remember one quarter when I had 4 classes, but was busy just about every waking moment. Now I only have 2 classes, but a lot more going on, including a full-time job. I stay pretty busy.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm really bringing glory to God with my life. I am reminded of Charles Spurgeon who said that he'd rather burn really intensely for the gospel for a short while rather than take it easy and live an extra 10-20 years. I doubt that Spurgeon slept much more than I did. On top of that he was certainly gluttonous and he suffered from gout. I guess in some ways I have it easier than he did.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm really bringing glory to God with my life. I am reminded of Charles Spurgeon who said that he'd rather burn really intensely for the gospel for a short while rather than take it easy and live an extra 10-20 years. I doubt that Spurgeon slept much more than I did. On top of that he was certainly gluttonous and he suffered from gout. I guess in some ways I have it easier than he did.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Making Sense of Minneapolis
John Piper wrote some of his usually great stuff in the midst of tragedy. Check it out here.
I plan to talk about this tonight at my small group. I hope that it helps.
I plan to talk about this tonight at my small group. I hope that it helps.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Career Transitions
I'm in a training class this week to learn more about Sharepoint 2007. I see how this will benefit the Bank if I can get anyone to buy into it. I hope that we use it for more than just document management.
Our instructor is from Boston and it shows through every fiber of his being. He has the stereotypical Yankee edginess about him. He also has a very thick accent. What's interesting is that he went to OSU as well and he attended some of the same football games I did.
As a class we got into a conversation during a lab about how we ended up in IT. I was asked the inevitable question of how one gets from a degree in Chemical Engineering to IT work. I told my story and then made the statement that I'm trying very hard to get out of it. I also added that I'm trying to cut my salary in half. That of course got a reaction and I could explain that I wanted to go into ministry.
The cool part was that a guy behind me made the comment that he would like to do the same thing. The instructor was really surprised that two of us wanted to do this. Then he asked if anyone else wanted to and a lady near the back raised her hand. It's kind of cool to see that so many of us want to break out of this to do something more meaningful.
Our instructor is from Boston and it shows through every fiber of his being. He has the stereotypical Yankee edginess about him. He also has a very thick accent. What's interesting is that he went to OSU as well and he attended some of the same football games I did.
As a class we got into a conversation during a lab about how we ended up in IT. I was asked the inevitable question of how one gets from a degree in Chemical Engineering to IT work. I told my story and then made the statement that I'm trying very hard to get out of it. I also added that I'm trying to cut my salary in half. That of course got a reaction and I could explain that I wanted to go into ministry.
The cool part was that a guy behind me made the comment that he would like to do the same thing. The instructor was really surprised that two of us wanted to do this. Then he asked if anyone else wanted to and a lady near the back raised her hand. It's kind of cool to see that so many of us want to break out of this to do something more meaningful.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Now I Know
Friday, May 25, 2007
How Big is the Box?
We discussed 1 Corinthians 15 last night in my small group. We had a great discussion over this statement:
1 Corinthians 15:3 ESV
(3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
We discussed what "first importance" means and got back to the centrality of the cross. This lead to a great discussion about denominations. One member comes from a Southern Baptist background, but he doesn't like being identified as a Baptist. He'd rather be identified as a Christian. I agree with him there. Another member bemoaned all the denominations. He has a point.
The problem is in how big we draw our "box". The "box" includes what we consider to be orthodox Christianity. An Independent Baptist would have a very tiny box. A Southern Baptist would probably have a larger one. Many Episcopalians would likely have a very large one. And so on.
My struggle is with doctrine. I'm all for sound doctrine. I believe it is incumbent upon every believer to form opinions about what Scripture means. Obviously Scripture can only mean one thing, though it can have many applications. However, as I've written before, I'd rather have an unsaved friend attend a Methodist church than no church at all. That wouldn't be my first choice, but as long as the gospel gets preached I don't really care if it is a lesbian preaching it. I trust the power of God's Word and, if someone reads it, he will realize that a lesbian couple really shouldn't be pastoring a church.
I guess what I've learned is that I need to form my opinions about doctrine. Systematic Theology is all about that and I really appreciate what I learned there (though it wasn't as fun as I'd hoped it would be). As a small group leader and eventual pastor or professor I need to teach what I believe the Bible says and means. However, I also need to respect differing opinions in areas that aren't clear. We talked a little bit about eschatology last night and someone asked me what I believe and I honesty answered that I don't know. I don't have a strong opinion on the matter. Frankly, this is out of laziness in not wrestling with the text on my own.
My church tends to err on the side of grace. My impression is that the church with which my seminary is affiliated tends to err on the side of legalism. I guess the trick is to walk the line.
1 Corinthians 15:3 ESV
(3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
We discussed what "first importance" means and got back to the centrality of the cross. This lead to a great discussion about denominations. One member comes from a Southern Baptist background, but he doesn't like being identified as a Baptist. He'd rather be identified as a Christian. I agree with him there. Another member bemoaned all the denominations. He has a point.
The problem is in how big we draw our "box". The "box" includes what we consider to be orthodox Christianity. An Independent Baptist would have a very tiny box. A Southern Baptist would probably have a larger one. Many Episcopalians would likely have a very large one. And so on.
My struggle is with doctrine. I'm all for sound doctrine. I believe it is incumbent upon every believer to form opinions about what Scripture means. Obviously Scripture can only mean one thing, though it can have many applications. However, as I've written before, I'd rather have an unsaved friend attend a Methodist church than no church at all. That wouldn't be my first choice, but as long as the gospel gets preached I don't really care if it is a lesbian preaching it. I trust the power of God's Word and, if someone reads it, he will realize that a lesbian couple really shouldn't be pastoring a church.
I guess what I've learned is that I need to form my opinions about doctrine. Systematic Theology is all about that and I really appreciate what I learned there (though it wasn't as fun as I'd hoped it would be). As a small group leader and eventual pastor or professor I need to teach what I believe the Bible says and means. However, I also need to respect differing opinions in areas that aren't clear. We talked a little bit about eschatology last night and someone asked me what I believe and I honesty answered that I don't know. I don't have a strong opinion on the matter. Frankly, this is out of laziness in not wrestling with the text on my own.
My church tends to err on the side of grace. My impression is that the church with which my seminary is affiliated tends to err on the side of legalism. I guess the trick is to walk the line.
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