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Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 20

July 24, 2024

July 23, 2024

July 22, 2024

A Brick in the Wall

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

This passage starts by addressing the people as citizens and saints, members of a household. That is the language of human rights, responsibility, relationship, and family. But then Paul changes the imagery and begins describing a structure being built. He is not describing a physical church building, but rather the body of believers who are the structure…This church, with Christ as the cornerstone, is designed and built by God. He is the architect and builder. No one else can take credit for the life of the church, the success of the church, the sustaining of the church, or the growth of the church. It grows “in the Lord.” This is not mechanical growth, but rather the powerful presence of God bringing spiritual life to this body of believers.

When we read “growth” we almost inevitably think of size or numbers. We have an entire industry built around “church growth,” after all. But that is not the way that growth is depicted here. We are “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” This supernatural structure that God is building us into, and building up through us, is dwelled in by his Spirit. He is making his home with his people in his Church. Growth, then, should be defined as an increase of the reality and presence of God in our midst.

To be part of the church means to be part of this structure, a brick in the wall of the dwelling-place of God. It means we, along with all the other bricks and joists and studs and rafters, rest on the foundation of God’s word fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We belong to the house of God.

An excerpt from my book Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another (The Good Book Company, 2023). 

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Published on July 22, 2024 04:54

July 19, 2024

3 Things I Like This Week – July 19

Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

1. Libby

I love audiobooks. I grew up in a home where my mom read books to us often and introduced to books on cassette early. I listen to dozens of audiobooks every year, mostly stories of one kind or another. It is a great way to survive a workout or add enjoyment to a long drive. That said, paying for audiobooks is the pits. I have, at various times, subscribed to Audible, but that is mostly a rip off in my estimation. So when I discovered Libby a few years ago I was thrilled. It is an app through which you can check out audiobooks (and ebooks, if that’s your jam) from any library where you have a current card. I barely ever go to an actual library these days, but I check out items all the time. And since there is no cost it is a great way to try various books I’m curious about with no risk. If they stink, I just return them. Just like a library, they will put items on hold for you and notify you when they are available too. All in all, it’s a listener/reader’s catnip.

 

2. David’s Jumbo Sunflower Seeds

I developed a mild addiction to sunflower seeds as a little league baseball player and I have never stopped. These days I play no ball, but I always have bag in my car and a spit cup for the shells. I have tried many different brands. I have roasted my own. And in my estimation, David’s Jumbo are consistently the best. They are slaty and delicious. They are almost never burned. And they make the ideal car snack because they offer all the activity of eating without much of the actual caloric intake. There is a proper technique for eating sunflower seeds, but I lack the space here to explain it. I’m sure there is a YouTube video to help any of you out who are novices seeking to improve.

 

3. Hydration Backpack

I enjoy hiking a lot. I live in a place that get’s hotter than the devil’s armpit every summer. Those two things are often at odds when it comes to comfort and safety. So I depend greatly on my compact hydration backpack. I have a Coleman that I bought at Target a few years ago, but really any low cost option does the trick (no need to go in for the $100+ camelbacks). They are small enough to be convenient but still hold some snacks/essentials. They usually hold between 1.5-2.5 liters of water (enough for most moderate hikes). You can even put ice in the water bladder to keep your drinks refreshing and your back cooler.

 

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Published on July 19, 2024 11:29

July 18, 2024

You Were Made to Belong

Belonging is never discovered in isolation. Even the most introverted among us yearns to belong with others. We may not love crowds, but no one loves constant isolation.

This is the way God made us; it was his idea. From the beginning, he intended us to be in unhindered relationship with him and with each other. Sin fouled all that up, and continues to do so, but it’s still God’s intent that we belong with one another.

God’s Story Is Full of Belonging

The Old Testament is essentially the story of God forming a people, a nation, for himself. It was supposed to be a community following God and walking closely with him. But it’s also the story of how they repeatedly broke relationship with God and with one another and the devastation unleashed each time. This story sets up the coming of Jesus, showing us our profound and undeniable need for a Savior, Redeemer, and Restorer.

We know Jesus came to die for our sins, to save us from judgment, and to restore our relationship with God. Western Christians can easily come to think of that relationship individually—as in, Jesus saves me from my sins to restore my relationship with God.

What we sometimes overlook is Jesus also came to establish a kingdom, a community of believers who collectively follow him and represent him to the world. This is the kingdom to which all Christians belong. It’s a kingdom of souls transformed from death to life, from bondage to sin to freedom in Christ. It’s Christ’s church, across the globe.

True Belonging Is a Moral Reality

True belonging is both a moral reality and a comforting reality. Belonging to a church is a morally good thing—something God smiles on—and it brings comfort and joy because it draws us closer to the heart of God.

If something is morally good, we have an obligation to act in obedience. So part of belonging is being purposeful and committed.

Our tendency is always toward inertia, toward ease and passivity, but Hebrews 10:23–25 offers a clear call to take intentional action as part of the church—to stir one another up to love and good deeds, to not neglect meeting, and to encourage one another. But the tone isn’t heavy-handed. It’s not “do this, or else.” Such pressure would make church a place of burden rather than belonging. Instead, we discover a warm urging to build one another up, a command that makes belonging both easier and richer.

True Belonging Is a Comforting Reality

God has given us a clear direction, and by following it we find a clear reward. We’re participating in welcoming others into belonging and finding belonging ourselves.

Belonging is defined by obedience to God’s summons (moral reality) and by the promise and heart of Jesus (comforting reality). In John 17, Jesus prays what is often known as the “High Priestly Prayer,” in which he speaks to his Father on behalf of his disciples and the church through the ages—all those who would one day believe in him through the preaching of the gospel. (That’s right, Jesus prayed for you!) In verses 20–26 he lays out his desires for his people through the ages: for us to be one, unified in him in the same way he’s unified with his Father.

This isn’t something we can just commit to and make happen with the best intentions and good hustle. But Jesus wouldn’t desire something for us that he doesn’t also make available to us. So there’s a built-in promise.

This is a supernatural kind of togetherness, given to believers by the Holy Spirit. It isn’t defined by how we’re similar to one another but rather by how we overcome the differences the world around us might see as insurmountable barriers. (Ephesians 2:11–22 explains and portrays this magnificently.)

Jesus is promising his Spirit will reside in his church and be our unifying, defining reality.

Jesus also makes clear he wants us to know and show his love; he wants us to be with him. He’s offering and promising a context of absolute, unhindered belonging in and through himself. And it’s not self-serving belonging, only existing so we as individuals can have our needs met and find a place of comfort. Yes, the church provides deep comfort, but it’s upward-pointing belonging “so that the world may know that [God] sent [Jesus]” (John 17:23).

Ministry of Belonging

Our togetherness, our belonging, is to be a public evidence and invitation to the transforming, freeing, life-giving, comforting presence of Jesus Christ.

To belong as God created us to belong is so much more than finding a place of commonality or a comfort zone with those who share interests or oddities. It’s more than gaining a level of comfort and familiarity. Certainly, those are wonderful discoveries and can spark significant friendships. But God made you and me for something greater.

He made us to be members of his kingdom—of his church. Specifically, he made you to be part of a local body of believers. This is where and with whom you’re meant to find belonging.

So we’re to belong to a church because it’s a command. And we’re to belong to a church because it’s good

This article is adapted from Belong by Barnabas Piper and was published in partnership with The Good Book Company.

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Published on July 18, 2024 05:10

July 17, 2024

Kindle Deals for July 17

Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:

Forever: Why You Can’t Live Without It by Paul Tripp – $1.99

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter – $3.99

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell – $2.99

Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage by Edith Belle Gelles – $2.99

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick – $2.99

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett Graff – $3.99

American Assassin: A Thriller (Mitch Rapp Book 1) by Vince Flynn – $2.99

The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn & Hal Iggulden – $2.99

MY BOOKS:

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99

These links are Amazon affiliate links.

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Published on July 17, 2024 06:48

July 16, 2024