Mike Abendroth's Blog, page 4

Andy Stanley’s Unbiblical Ecclesiology

It was during my academic tenure at Dallas Theological Seminary in the early 1990’s when Charles Stanley sat with some of us in the living room area of our dorm to have a heart to heart talk and Q & A about ministry. His son Andy, fellow graduate of DTS, has been stirring up some waves lately, and not for the right reasons.

It is very important that a pastor has a solid biblical ecclesiology(doctrine of the church) for a number of reasons. First of all, the church he shepherds is not his, but it is Christ’s. Christ Himself said, “I will build My church.”(Matthew 16:18, emphasis added) I recall one of my professors, Howie Hendricks, who was affectionately know as “Prof” by both faculty and students, used to say that when he would visit churches and the pastors of those churches would refer to the church as “my” church he would want to wring their neck. Secondly, Jesus loved the church that He gave Himself up for her.(Ephesians 5:25). Furthermore, pastors are held accountable by God for the flock whose souls they are watching over(Hebrews 13:17).

So what about Andy Stanley’s ecclesiology? In a recent message he gave he made it clear that if you do not go to a large church you are selfish and do not care for your kids. Excuse me while I take a break from this blog to tell my kids I really don’t care for them because of my selfishness to not go to a large church. In response to those who say they do not like large churches, Andy goes on the following tirade while pointing his finger.

“You are so stinking selfish. You care nothing about the next generation. All you care about is you and your five friends. You don’t care about your kids, anyone else’s kids. If you don’t go to a church large enough where you can have enough middle schoolers and high schoolers to separate them so they can have small groups, you are a selfish adult. Get over it. Find yourself a big ole’ church where your kids can connect with a bunch of people and grow up and love the local church. I mean I’m so sick of this. I hear this all the time. Well I just don’t like a big church.”

Andy Stanley

So his ecclesiology consists only of large churches. So much for those faithful pastors who have served their small churches. I wonder if Jesus, the Head of the Church, will consign His words “Well done thou good and faithful servant” to only pastors of large churches. And did you notice that the reason to love the church is only if it is a large church? But the Bible says we are to love the church because Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for her(Ephesians 5:25). After all, true believes love what Jesus loves!

Furthermore, his 2012 book reveals so much about Andy’s unbiblical ecclesiology. Its title: Deep and Wide. Its subtitle: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend. That ought to give it away. The church is a called out community consisting of those who have repented and are devoted to teaching, fellowship, prayer(Acts 2:37-42).

“These first gatherings of the church were designed primarily for edifying believers, not for evangelizing unbelievers. Of course, they were reaching out to the unsaved, for ‘the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.’(Acts 2:47) But this ‘evangelism explosion’ was the result of their teaching, not the stated purpose of it. They gathered for edification; they scattered for evangelism. The primary focus of their corporate worship gatherings was for building up the believers, not for reaching seekers. When this priority becomes reversed and the church meets primarily to save the lost, the apostles’ teaching soon becomes compromised and diluted.”

Steve Lawson(Famine in the Land)

Myths About Election(Part 2)

 

Once when asked how to reconcile divine sovereignty with human responsibility Spurgeon said there was no need to reconcile friends.

MYTH #3: Divine sovereignty is in direct conflict with human responsibility.

Jesus Himself, while teaching divine sovereignty, at the same time called for a response.

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Matthew 11:27

According to the very words of Christ Himself “no one knows the Father except …anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” The sovereign choice is Christ’s as He chooses to whom He will reveal the Father. Apart from that there is no way anyone can know the Father. And the reason Christ has the authority to do that is because all things have been handed over to Him by the Father.

Immediately following His sovereign authority, Jesus gives the oft-quoted invitation.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

If I were to ask you who killed Jesus what would your answer be? Here is the apostle Peter’s answer on the Day of Pentecost.

“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men”

Acts 2:23(emphasis added)

Peter said that that God the Father was responsible for the death of Christ as it was “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” But he also held the people accountable for Christ’s death, “YOU crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”(emphasis added) Peter was not delusional but confident that what God had foreordained in eternity past, namely the death of Christ, humans would be the instrument God would use to bring it to pass.

The early church in Jerusalem knew divine sovereignty and human responsibility in the death of Christ as revealed in the following prayer.

“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

26 The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

Acts 4:24-28(emphasis added)

Humans were responsible as they plotted. Twice they said that the people were “gathered together against” Jesus. Who were the people gathered in unanimity against Jesus? They were enemies, Herod and Pontius Pilate(Luke 23:12), Jews and Gentiles(Acts 10:28; 11:2-3). How could that be? Only by divine sovereignty because they did whatever God’s hand and plan had predestined to take place!

Myth #4: Election inhibits evangelism.

Romans 9 is the apostle Paul’s magnus opus on election.

“And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

Romans 9:10-16(emphasis added)

And he bookends his magnus opus on election with this.

“For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Romans 9:3

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

Romans 10:1

That does not sound like someone who is inhibited in evangelism but rather someone who is burdened for the lost. That is why later on he writes the following.

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:13-17

And don’t forget this was written by the apostle Paul who himself went on three missionary journeys as recorded in the book of Acts.

Election does not inhibit evangelism but rather emboldens evangelism because you can rest assured with confidence that all who are appointed to eternal life…WILL believe(Acts 13:48). God has not only ordained the end, who will be saved(election), but also the means, how they will be saved, namely the preaching of the gospel because only the gospel is the power of God for salvation(Romans 1:16).

“Before this period I had been much opposed to the doctrines of election. I called election a devilish doctrine. In the course of time it pleased God then to show me the doctrines of grace in a way in which I had not seen before. At first I hated them. If this were true, I could do nothing at all in the conversion of sinners, as all would depend on God and on the working of His Spirit. But when it pleased God to reveal these truths to me, and my heart was brought to such a state that I could say, “I am not only content simply to be a hammer, an axe, or a saw, in God’s hands; but I shall count it an honor to be taken up and used by Him in any way; and if sinners are converted through my instrumentality, from my inmost soul I will give Him all the glory.” The Lord gave me to see fruit; the Lord gave me to see fruit in abundance; sinners were converted by scores; and ever since God has used me in one way or other in His service.”

George Mueller(1832), Ashley Down orphanage, Bristol, England

Myths About Election(Part 1)

We hear the word “election” and suddenly the hairs on our neck stand up as we think to ourselves, “That’s not fair. It is unjust of God.”(Romans 9:14)

“The fallen human mind tends to think it is unjust for God to choose some but not everyone – as if we had a right to demand His grace. That’s not fair! is the typical response. But it’s not supposed to be fair. We wouldn’t want it to be fair. “Fair” would mean everyone is eternally condemned.”

John MacArthur, Ashamed of the Gospel

Or we read about God’s sovereignty in salvation and immediately our knee jerk reaction is to cry “What about human free will? After all we are not robots.” I believe the reason we react in this manner is due to a basic misunderstanding of the biblical truth of election due to myths and outright lies that have been perpetrated.

MYTH #1: It is unloving of God to elect some and not others.

God makes it very clear that the reason He chose Israel over other nations was not because of anything in them but simply because He sovereignly chose to love them.

“The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you”

Deuteronomy 7:6-8(emphasis added)

In writing to the church in Ephesus, the apostle Paul wrote unequivocally that God’s motive that He predestined us to adoption as sons was love.

“even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

Ephesians 1:4-6(emphasis added)

“If you reject divine election, you undermine His love.”

Mike Abendroth, Things That Go Bump in the Church(p. 116)

MYTH #2: Election is a debate for the ivory towers of seminary and thus has no practical implications for life.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Christians Peter was writing to were under severe persecution. Nero burned Rome because he wanted to rebuild it so as to bring fame, glory and majesty to his name. The persecution the Christians were facing intensified when Nero blamed them for the burning of Rome including its cultural and religious artifacts.

So Peter’s purpose in writing to them was to encourage them in the midst of their trials and suffering. And the very first thing he brings to their attention is election.

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,…”

1 Peter 1:1-2

So how does election encourage suffering Christians? Peter is using an argument from the greater to the lesser. Since God is sovereign over salvation, in choosing you according to His foreknowledge, His predetermined plan and purpose, then surely He is sovereign over any trials. Stuff for real life not for ivory towers.

“I know of nothing that is so strengthening to faith, nothing which so builds up my assurance, nothing which gives me such certainty about the blessed hope for which I am destined, as the understanding of Christian doctrine, the understanding of the way, yes, the mechanism of salvation. And that is why I personally ‘bother’ with it. It is not an intellectual interest, although it is entrancingly interesting from the standpoint of intellect, but I confess frankly that I am concerned about it primarily for a most practical reason: it is so comforting, so strengthening, so upbuilding.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

Theology For Family Worship

“You know people who go around raising other people from the dead?”

This was my comment to one of my daughters when during our family worship time she said that Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead showed the humanity of Christ.

We have been studying theology in our family worship time. Many unfortunately relegate theology to the ivory towers of seminary and to pastors and theologians. After all, theology is not for family worship time, right? Wrong. Theology for the children can be fun and exciting with a little creativity.

Let me offer an example from our own family worship. This past Sunday night I drew two columns on a small white eraser board. The left column heading was “Jesus Christ was completely human/The Humanity of Christ” and the right column heading was “Jesus Christ was completely God/The Deity of Christ”.

I then read from different portions of the Gospels. After each of the passages was read, they were to tell me under which of the 2 columns that passage would go, depending on whether the humanity or the Deity of Christ was on display.

I began with the healing of the paralytic who was let down through the roof because the crowd was so great as Jesus was preaching that there was no room even at the door(Mark 2:1-12). But my question to them was not specifically about the healing, but about what happened after.

“Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that he is blaspheming who can forgive sins but God alone and immediately Jesus perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves said to them, Why do you question these things in your hearts?”

Mark 2:1-12

This was obviously under the deity of Christ for only God knows what we’re thinking.

Next passage was the calming of the storm when Jesus was asleep in the boat with the disciples(Mark 4:35-40). My oldest daughter said that it falls under both headings. When I asked why, she said His humanity is seen by His being so tired that He was asleep on the boat even in the midst of a storm that was causing the boat to be filled(Mark 4:37-38). She said His deity is seen by His making the winds and waves stop. I said isn’t that amazing that He is Lord over nature.

“And they were filled with great fear and said to one another who then is this that even the wind in the sea obey Him?”

Mark 4:40

The last passage was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. We all chuckled and had a good laugh when I made that comment and my daughter caught herself and said no it is the deity of Christ.(John 11:38-44)

So teach theology to your kids during family worship. Be creative. Try the 2 column chart that I used to teach that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Use other passages as well. Make it fun and exciting. You are building a foundation for them.

Forgiveness

It can leave you a lonely, grumpy old man. It can take away your love, joy and peace. It can keep you enslaved. It can be like being behind bars in a jail cell, separated and cut off from the rest of the world. What is it? Bitterness. Sounds like a grim reality for many. I know of persons who have gone to their grave like this and it is a sad and tragic story. But there is a solution. It is called forgiveness.

And that is why the Bible so closely links the two together. We are commanded to put away all bitterness and we are commanded to forgive as God in Christ forgave us(Ephesians 4:31-32).

So how did God in Christ forgive us? Let’s look at some word pictures the Old Testament writers paint for us to help us understand how God in Christ forgave us.

1) God has cast all our sins behind his back(Isaiah 38:17). Note that is not just some of our sins, but all our sins, which includes the most heinous sins. Note also that it is God’s initiative to cast them behind his back. And he doesn’t turn His head as we would every so often to look at them behind His back.

2) God remembers our sins no more(Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12).

“Forgetting is passive and is something that we as human beings, not being omniscient, do. Not remembering is active; it is a promise whereby one person, in this case God, determines not to remember the sins of another against Him. To not remember is simply a graphic way of saying, “I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future.””

-Jay Adams(From Forgiven to Forgiving)

3) God has hurled all our sins into depths of the sea(Micah 7:19). They did not accidentally fall over. He intentionally hurled them. And they are not on the surface of the water, but in the depths of the sea, where they cannot be seen.

Despite our obstinance and rebellion, God is ready to forgive, because He is gracious and merciful.

“They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.”

Nehemiah 9:17

I mean, think about it for a moment, if God were to keep a record of our sins, we would be doomed.

“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”

Psalm 130:3-4

In the parable of the unforgiving servant(Matthew 18:21-35), Jesus shows us the stark contrast between how large a debt we owe God, yet in His mercy He has granted forgiveness, and how small a debt others owe us, yet we refuse to grant forgiveness. To understand the weight of Jesus’ argument here, you must understand the 10,000 talents the first servant owed to his master. One talent was equal to 20 years of wages. So this servant owed 20 years times 10,000, namely 200,000 years worth of work. Furthermore, to give you some more perspective on this, the total revenue collected by the Roman government every year was 900 talents. Yet his master was merciful and cancelled his debt, one that he owed but clearly could never pay. The other servant owed 100 denarii, equivalent to 3 months of wages. Yet the first servant who was forgiven such an incalculable debt, hardened his heart and withheld forgiveness.

Only when we see the gravity of our sin before the holiness of God and consider how much we’ve been forgiven do we then realize that any offense someone else has caused us is like a drop in the bucket compared to how we’ve offended a thrice holy God.

I say to the glory of God and in utter humility that whenever I see myself before God and realize even something of what my blessed Lord has done for me, I am ready to forgive anybody anything.”

Martin Lloyd-Jones

You see, the axiom is true, forgiven people forgive. Are you forgiven by God? You can be and you can know that you are forgiven, but only through Jesus Christ. God is so holy, so pure, so righteous, without sin, stain or blemish, that He requires sinless perfection. So much so that he will hold you accountable for breaking his entire law and commandments even if you just disobey once(James 2:10). Today, won’t you turn to Jesus Christ alone who died to pay the penalty for sin and in whom there is redemption, the forgiveness of sin(Ephesian 1:7)? If you believe on Christ, God will forgive you all your sins by cancelling the record of debt that stands against you(Colossians 2:13-14).

“To be forgiven is such sweetness that honey is tasteless in comparison with it. But there is one thing sweeter still and that is to forgive.”

-Charles Spurgeon

 

 

 

How Would God Start a Church?(Part 2)

Their hearts were pierced to the very core. They had to respond to the message. They cried out asking what they ought to do.

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?””

Acts 2:37

After hearing the Gospel message from Peter concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection(Acts 2:22-36; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). these Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem from every nation(Acts 2:5) on the day of Pentecost(Acts 2:1), repented and received the Word.(Acts 2:38, 41).

But why? Was it because of Paul’s eloquence? No. Was it because of the seeker-sensitive service? No. was it because their felt needs were addressed? No. Was it because they were told what they wanted to hear rather than what they needed to hear?(2 Timothy 4:3-4) No.

It was not because of any human means or method, but it was because of divine calling. God had called them to Himself(Acts 2:39).

One Puritan explains this divine call.

“The sublime and irresistible influences of the holy God upon the heart, by which He inclines, bows, and subjects the stubborn and rebellious will to believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Benjamin Keach

So what are the implications for ministry, whether you are a missionary, a church-planting pastor, or a pastor of an already established church? How would YOU start a church? Grow a church?

Knowing that God started His church and grew His church by calling people to Himself, then there is only one thing to do, and that is what is delineated in the Scriptures.

Preach the Word, in season and out of season.(2 Timothy 4:2)
Reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.(2 Timothy 4:2)
Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.(1 Timothy 4:13)
Take sin seriously enough to practice church discipline for the sake of the church’s purity.(Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Ephesians 5:25-27)
Proclaim Christ.(Colossians 1:28-29)
Care for the flock by warning them and by exposing false teachers.(Acts 20:28-31; Titus 1:9)
Shepherd the flock.(1 Peter 5:2-3)
Declare the whole counsel of God.(Acts 20:27)

Are you doing these things, or have you succumb to the pressures of the market-driven church? Are you preaching God’s Word or are you preaching your own words? Are you entertaining the goats, or are you shepherding the sheep? Are you putting on a show, or are you proclaiming Christ? Are you stroking people’s self-esteem, or are you confronting their sin? Are you trying to grow the church by your innovative methods, or do you realize that only God causes the growth(1 Corinthians 3:7).

After all, this is not your church, but “the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood”.(Acts 20:28). Your divine charge and calling are a solemn and sacred thing in light of who Jesus Christ is, the Judge of the living and the dead.(2 Timothy 4:1) Whose approval are you seeking, God’s or man’s?

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Galatians 1:8-10

 

 

 

How Would God Start a Church?

What a ridiculous question? Everyone knows that church planting is not something God does, but what pastors and evangelists and missionaries do. What kind of blog title is that? The kind you get from a ministry like No Compromise Radio whose tag line is: “Always biblical, always provocative; always in that order.”

When I moved from New York to Boston in 2001 to church plant, I met monthly with other church plant pastors in the area for prayer and encouragement. Invariably the question I was constantly asked by these other men was if I was going to follow the PDC model for church planting. They were referring to Rick Warren’s book “Purpose Driven Church.”

When I would answer their query with a resounding “No”, their looks of astonishment were as if to say well what other models are there if you want to be successful here in the spiritual wasteland known as New England.

They had succumb to the non-biblical, market-driven, consumer-friendly approach to ministry. During that time I picked up a book by John MacArthur, “Hard to Believe”, that highlighted this worldly approach to ministry.

The first role of successful merchandising is to give consumers what they want. You’ve got to modify your product and your message to meet their needs if you want to build a market and get ahead of the competition. Today this same consumer mind-set has invaded Christianity. It’s Christianity for consumers: Christisnity Lite, the redirection, watering down, and misinterpretation of the biblical gospel in an attempt to make it more palatable and popular. It tastes great going down and settles light. It seems to salve your feelings and scratch your itch: it’s custom-tailored to your preferences.”

John MacArthur

If you think the onslaught of the market-driven church is something exclusive to our generation, then you don’t understand church history. Listen to the voices from the past. First from the Prince of Preachers.

“The churches have now conceived the idea that it is their duty to amuse the people. Others may regard this as a matter of no consequence; but we view it as breaking forth of a leprosy.”

Charles Spurgeon(19th century)

And now from “The Doctor”.

“The church is no longer distinct from the world, for instead of the church going out into the world we have allowed the world to capture the church from the inside.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones(20th century)

If man starts a church by taking a survey asking people what they are looking for in a church and then coming up with a profile like “Saddleback Sam”(Saddleback Community Church, pastor Rick Warren), then the question still remains, “How does God start a church?” Or better yet. “How did God start His Church?” For the answer we need to go to the birthday of the church on Pentecost.

The people in attendance that day…

…heard Peter proclaim, Jesus(Acts 2:22), His foreordained crucifixion(Acts 2:23), His resurrection(Acts  2:24-32), and His exaltation(Acts 2:33-35).

…were confronted with the Lordship of Jesus Christ(Acts 2:36)

…were convicted by the Holy Spirit(Acts 2:37)

…were commanded to repent(Acts 2:38)

…received the word and were baptized(Acts 2:41).

The text tells us that the Lord saved 3000 souls that day(Acts 2:41).

So how did God start His church?

“For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Acts 2:39

By his effectual and irresistible call.

“‘What’, you say, can God make me become a Christian?’ I tell you yes, for herein lies the power of the gospel. It does not ask your consent; but gets it. It does not say, will you have it? but makes you willing in the day of God’s power…The gospel wants not your consent, it gets it. It knocks the enmity out of your heart. You say, ‘I do not want to be saved.’; Christ says you shall be. He makes your will turn around, and then you cry, ‘Lord, save, or I perish.'”…If Jesus Christ were to stand on this platform tonight, what would many people do with Him? If He were to come and say, ‘Here I am, I love you, will you be saved by Me?’ not one of you would consent if you were left to your will. He Himself said, ‘No man can come to Me except the Father who hath sent me draw him.’ …They shall come! And nought in heaven, nor on earth, nor in hell, can stop them from coming.”

Charles Spurgeon

 

 

 

Facebook or Face in the Book

Like. Comment. Share. Poke. Save link.

You got it. These are things you can do with Facebook. Aaahh. Social media.

Read. Study. Memorize. Meditate. Obey.

These are things you can do with the Bible.

But it takes some diligence and discipline. I remember one of my seminary professors used to say that Scripture does not yield its fruit to the lazy.

Now there is nothing intrinsically wrong with Facebook. But as with anything else, it can consume much of your time. So my question is: “Is Facebook preventing you from having your face in the Book?”

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation”

1 Peter 2:2

Here the apostle Peter gives us 3 keys to help us get into the Word.

1) Attitude

Peter says our attitude toward the Word should be “like newborn infants”. As a newborn’s cries are satisfied only when he gets the bottle, so you ought only to be satisfied when you get in the Word. As a newborn grabs the bottle, you are to grab the Book.

I recall when my children were newborns. They would cry and cry until they got that bottle of milk. And how their little eyes would gleam when they saw that bottle coming. Is that your attitude when it comes to the Bible?

2) Appetite

Peter here gives a command to “long for the pure spiritual milk”. It is not a suggestion. It is an imperative. We are to crave and earnestly desire the pure milk of the Word.

My wife loves to tease me that I have an unquenchable appetite when it comes to food. But of course you would never guess from the lean frame that I carry. Do you have such an unquenchable appetite when it comes to the Bible? Do you crave for it and earnestly desire it? Is it to you, as it was to the prophet Jeremiah, the joy and delight of your heart?(Jeremiah 15:16)

3) Aim

Peter concludes with a purpose clause “that by it you may grow up in your in your salvation”. The aim of having the attitude of a newborn and the purpose of having an appetite for the Word is your spiritual growth.

Now you cannot grow if you do not know the Bible, but you surely can know the Bible and not grow. Biblical knowledge does not necessarily and automatically equate with spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is directly proportionate to your intake of the Word.

Earlier in his epistle Peter described the Word as the imperishable, living and eternal seed by which we are born again(1 Peter 1:23-25). And it is this same Word by which we grow spiritually. The Word is essential not only for our salvation, but also for our sanctification(John 17:17). It alone is living and active(Hebrews 4:12). After all, it is breathed out by God(2 Timothy 3:16).

How much time will you spend on Facebook today? This week? How much time will you spend in the Word today? This week?

What will motivate you to have this attitude and appetite for the Word for the aim of growing up into salvation? Peter says your motivation should be in light of what God has done in graciously saving you, “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”(1 Peter 2:3)

Facebook or face in the Book?

 

 

 

 

Theocentric or Anthropocentric Hermeneutics?

Some years ago my wife and 2 daughters were attending a Christian summer camp. One particular morning the main speaker was taking us through the account of Jesus’ feeding of the 5000(John 6:1-15). By focusing our attention on the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish(John 6:8), the speaker made his main point by saying that if even if we have little to offer, like this boy, God can take that little and multiply it.

By focusing on the boy, he missed the whole point of the passage because his art and skill of interpreting the Scripture(hermeneutics) was man-centered(anthropocentric) rather than God-centered(theocentric). I mean, after all, the Bible, the Word of God, is about God.

Just from a reading of the immediate context, the peoples’ response to Christ’s miraculous sign makes it clear that the passage is about who Christ is(John 6:14). And furthermore, the purpose for which John wrote this Gospel he makes plainly clear.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

John 20:30-31

John’s clear purpose statement is two-fold, introduced by the term “that”. His first purpose for writing was that his readers might believe who Jesus is, namely the Christ(the prophesied Messiah) and God in the flesh(“the Son of God”). Then his second purpose was that by believing in Christ his readers may have life in His name. As John wrote concerning Christ in his first epistle, “He is the true God and eternal life.”(1 John 5:20)

The 8 miraculous signs that the apostle John recorded was to accomplish this very purpose. And one of those signs to point people to who Christ is and thus to believe in Him was this account of the feeding of the 5000.

Recently someone was telling me they never understood why the story of David and Goliath was in the Bible. In other words, they could not understand the true meaning behind it. The person said they finally understood it when they heard a preacher explain that the story is there to help us fight the battles against our own Goliaths of fear, anxiety, anger, etc.

So let me ask you: Was that interpretation based upon a theocentric or anthropocentric hermeneutic? If you said anthropocentric, you are correct. But the reason it is anthropocentric is because the preacher spiritualised the passage rather than getting to the main point of this historical narrative.

So what’s the main point of David and Goliath? It’s about God fulfilling his promise that the Messiah, Jesus, would come through the seed of David.(2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32; Acts 13:22-23). And for that very reason God preserved David’s life when he fought Goliath. Humanly speaking, Goliath should have killed David(1 Samuel 17). But divinely speaking, he could not lay a finger on him.

Oh, and by the way, did you know that the book of Ruth was not about a love story between Ruth and Boaz? If your interpretation is based upon anthropocentric hermeneutics, then sure, it was a love story. But a proper biblical interpretation based upon theocentric hermeneutics says that the book of Ruth is once again about…Jesus Christ. Note how the book ends.

“Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”

Ruth 4:18-21

So Boaz was the great grandfather of David, through whom the kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus Christ, was promised to come. And that is why after David defeated Goliath, Saul inquired whose son David was, only to find out that he was the son of Jesse(1 Samuel 17:55-58), who just so happened to be the grandson of Boaz. What a coincidence, right? Not at all. Divine providence wonderfully orchestrating everything for God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ!

Pastor, preacher, Christian: Is your hermeneutic of God’s Word anthropocentric or theocentric? If anthropocentric, then you are misinterpreting. But if theocentric, you are accurately handling the word of truth.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15

 

 

New Year Resolutions

It’s the second week of January and you cannot find a bench or machine in the gym to work out on because it’s so crowded with people you have never seen before who have made new year resolutions to lose weight or get in better shape. By the end of the month, there will be more availability of benches and machines because many have given up on their resolutions mainly because other things in their life have taken up their time.

Working in the health industry as a personal trainer and as a retail manager who sells vitamins and supplements, I am all for people taking the bull by the horns and setting goals to reach concerning their health. But the main reason those do not last is because other priorities take over.

As much as it is important and wise to maintain one’s physical health, it is much more important to keep one’s spiritual health. Note the words of the apostle Paul to his son in the faith, young pastor Timothy.

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

1 Timothy 4:7-8

Is there value and profit in bodily training? Paul says there is some value. However, training yourself for godliness is more profitable because it is beneficial not only for this life but also for the life to come.

So what are some of the priorities and commitments necessary to “train yourself for godliness”?

A priority and commitment to spiritual growth(2 Peter 3:18)
A priority and commitment to the Word(1 Peter 2:2)
A priority and commitment to prayer(Romans 12:12)
A priority and commitment to serve the Lord in His church.(Romans 12:4-5, 11)
A priority and commitment to invest in someone of the same gender in a discipleship relationship(2 Timothy 2:2)
A priority and commitment to preach the Gospel to those around you that God has providentially placed in your life, whether it’s your co-workers, classmates, or neighbors(Romans 1:14-16)
A priority and commitment as a man to shepherd your wife and children.(Ephesians 5:25-27; 6:4)

So, come the end of January, 2016, will you still be training yourself in godliness? Will you prioritize your own spiritual growth by your commitment to spend time in the Word and in prayer? Will you take up the mantle of discipling another? Will you serve the the Lord in His church? Will you be a messenger and herald of the King’s gospel? And will you pastor and shepherd your wife and children?

Will you step up to the plate in 2016?