This article brings up some interesting (and likely accurate) struggles in children's ministry. I have been wrestling a lot lately with the best approach to children/youth ministry as I am burdened with the problems discussed in the article, fearful that 80% of our youth aren't actually regenerate and will walk away after high school, and dedicated to learning the most godly way to raise my own children to fear God.
What is the best way to solve this?
I am becoming more convinced that the church has bought too much into the American cultural standards of education. We simply take the K-12 model of education, add Bible topics, and cram it all in on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Throughout Scripture and much of history, children were trained to be responsible adults and committed Christians through hands-on mentor relationships; the primary being the parent-child relationships. Children learned responsibility through working hard. They picked up language, math, and science through interaction with people and the world around them; not from a sterile classroom environment.
As I am learning much lately, the church isn't simply about a building and doctrines; it is a community of redeemed sinners who God placed in relationships for our benefit to grow in godliness. Many of the adults seem to understand that, but for some reason we don't include the children in the group. We send them back to the classrooms and nurseries to figure out mature relationships in a pig sty of immaturity.
The linked article continues to spur my thinking to find the most biblical, godly way to point children to a relationship with Christ that results in fruitful lives, not a program of songs and stories that builds knowledge with little action.
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Friday, February 13, 2009
Totally Unqualified
Having a newborn in the house has been very exciting and challenging; both at the same time. It is something I have dreamed of for years and now I am so thankful to God for such a wonderful gift. I have been planning for a while now what I want to accomplish as a parent while understanding my primary responsibility is to point my beautiful daughter to Christ to find righteousness.
Knowing that I certainly do not understand all there is to parenting I have undertaken much study on the subject. I have been reading books, magazines, and web articles and also comparing the methods of parents I see throughout the day. I have learned many principles to keep in mind and am reminded to keep Christ as the focus. There have also been many practical ideas discovered that will be very helpful in accomplishing our goals.
I must read to my children and teach them the importance of discerning truth while learning. I must bring alive the Scriptures to help them better understand its message. I must be a good example of godliness in their lives and not fall back on the attitude of “do what I say, not what I do.” I must admit my limitations and apologize when I fail. I must teach them how to respect others, how to be polite, how to properly handle money, how to be a good husband or wife, to be a diligent worker, to eat their vegetables, to respect the creation, to exercise enough, to be a safe driver, to study hard in school, to properly clean themselves and a thousand other things. On top of all that, they are born like us with a sinful heart that will rebel against authority and resist obedience, so it will take patient, loving consistency over a lifetime to teach only a few of these things.
I think of all that goes on in my life, what I have prioritized, what I believe to be important, what makes me happy, and I wonder where I am to find the time and resources to tackle this monumental task; especially in our culture where time is money and having a family, instead of being a blessing, is more of a burden on our career and entertainment goals. At one time moms were respected as the primary influence on the family and now they are chided for choosing to accept this God-given challenge as keeper of the home (Titus 2:3-5) instead of pursuing a career. I have much sympathy for the single parent who desires much more time to raise their children but cannot afford to. Even as one who’s wife is home caring for our baby, I am afraid we will come far short of addressing all that our child needs.
With this massive list of responsibilities laid in front of me the thing that weighs heavy on my mind is that despite all of this preparation and study, I am totally unqualified to be a godly father. I am not even capable of properly taking care of myself, let alone an entire family. Most of us have some history of personal sin (actions or thoughts) that, if widely publicized, would cast serious doubt on our ability to be a parent or likely even a functioning member of a civilized society.
But here I am with a daughter. Granted the authority by Almighty God to guide a human soul in the ways our Creator. Given the responsibility of caring for another sinful person.
As I learn more and more about my responsibilities, more and more about my own sin, more and more about the holiness of our God, I come to the realization that we are created to be wholly dependent upon Him. We can do nothing of ourselves, but we have been commanded to be perfect. That by no means implies that we have the ability to be so, but calls us to trust in Christ with our entire lives. Only He can accomplish in us that which we are called to do. Only He can uphold us, sustain us, preserve us to the end. I pray that He does exactly that in our home.
Praise God that He can do it all by the power of his voice!
Knowing that I certainly do not understand all there is to parenting I have undertaken much study on the subject. I have been reading books, magazines, and web articles and also comparing the methods of parents I see throughout the day. I have learned many principles to keep in mind and am reminded to keep Christ as the focus. There have also been many practical ideas discovered that will be very helpful in accomplishing our goals.
I must read to my children and teach them the importance of discerning truth while learning. I must bring alive the Scriptures to help them better understand its message. I must be a good example of godliness in their lives and not fall back on the attitude of “do what I say, not what I do.” I must admit my limitations and apologize when I fail. I must teach them how to respect others, how to be polite, how to properly handle money, how to be a good husband or wife, to be a diligent worker, to eat their vegetables, to respect the creation, to exercise enough, to be a safe driver, to study hard in school, to properly clean themselves and a thousand other things. On top of all that, they are born like us with a sinful heart that will rebel against authority and resist obedience, so it will take patient, loving consistency over a lifetime to teach only a few of these things.
I think of all that goes on in my life, what I have prioritized, what I believe to be important, what makes me happy, and I wonder where I am to find the time and resources to tackle this monumental task; especially in our culture where time is money and having a family, instead of being a blessing, is more of a burden on our career and entertainment goals. At one time moms were respected as the primary influence on the family and now they are chided for choosing to accept this God-given challenge as keeper of the home (Titus 2:3-5) instead of pursuing a career. I have much sympathy for the single parent who desires much more time to raise their children but cannot afford to. Even as one who’s wife is home caring for our baby, I am afraid we will come far short of addressing all that our child needs.
With this massive list of responsibilities laid in front of me the thing that weighs heavy on my mind is that despite all of this preparation and study, I am totally unqualified to be a godly father. I am not even capable of properly taking care of myself, let alone an entire family. Most of us have some history of personal sin (actions or thoughts) that, if widely publicized, would cast serious doubt on our ability to be a parent or likely even a functioning member of a civilized society.
But here I am with a daughter. Granted the authority by Almighty God to guide a human soul in the ways our Creator. Given the responsibility of caring for another sinful person.
As I learn more and more about my responsibilities, more and more about my own sin, more and more about the holiness of our God, I come to the realization that we are created to be wholly dependent upon Him. We can do nothing of ourselves, but we have been commanded to be perfect. That by no means implies that we have the ability to be so, but calls us to trust in Christ with our entire lives. Only He can accomplish in us that which we are called to do. Only He can uphold us, sustain us, preserve us to the end. I pray that He does exactly that in our home.
Praise God that He can do it all by the power of his voice!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
What's My Motive?
As I have worked through the first few joyous weeks of my baby girl’s life, I have been doing a lot of self-examination and reflection on life. I have often struggled to find out what I wanted to become in life. I have been a graphic artist, obtained an education and employment in civil engineering, and even begun taking seminary courses. Each month I spend some time looking through job postings looking for something that might be a more fulfilling career. I have been blessed with multiple talents and could choose from quite a variety of interests, but nothing gives me the desire to work at and be the best at it. Except for one thing; my family.For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a husband and a dad. When I was little and helped take care of my brothers and sister, my parents often told me how great I was doing and what a good dad I would become. All through school I saw people dating each other for no apparent reason. I couldn’t understand why people were dating without serious consideration about whether that person was to be the one they would pledge their life to. I was determined to find that special girl and love her like no one has loved his wife before and become the best dad the world has ever seen.
All of this history brings me to today. I have been married to Molly for a couple weeks over three years; after dating for 5 ½ years. We were just blessed seven weeks ago with a beautiful baby girl who is now starting to smile at her daddy. I find myself, without much thought at all, sacrificing the things I once enjoyed to make sure my little girl taken care of. My pile of books to be read has been temporarily set aside for reading on biblical parenting.
Which has led me to great conviction. I suddenly realize more than before that as the head of this family, I bear the responsibility to lead my wife and children in godliness; to model Christ and teach His word to my family regularly. To me, it’s not as overwhelming as it is for some people because this is something I always wanted and prepared for. However, I am now asking myself why I wanted these things.
When I was a child, I wanted children to be a good dad and get praise from my parents. When I was a teenager, I wanted a girlfriend to fulfill my own personal longings and to make all the other girls jealous that they weren’t with me (trust me, nobody in high school was ever jealous of me). I wanted a wife who would be proud to boast of her great husband and children who thought the world of their dad. I wanted people to ask me for advice on marriage and parenting asking me, “How do you do it?”
When I now ask myself “why,” I see that on the surface I may have looked polished, respectable, kind, and loving. On the inside, it was all for selfish motives. While many others benefited, I looked for personal gratification and praise. It was all
me-centered. The One who created marriage, who gives the blessing of children, who established the family, did it for His glory and His honor and His praise.God created marriage to be a reflection of the love between Him and His church. God created families to share the love He has for His creation and to make more people to worship Him. He gives us roles in the family to understand love through submission to each other. He teaches through the family to respect authority even when we sometimes disagree so that we learn to respect and surrender to His ultimate authority. It is all designed for us to see Him through it all.
Today, as I learn (some by studying, some by trial and error) to be a husband and daddy, I must continue to ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” Why do I want children? Why do I send my children to school? Why do I teach them to say “Please” and “Thank You”? Why do I want them to eat their vegetables, brush their teeth, and go to bed at night?
While I do benefit from godliness, the ultimate purpose of my family is to glorify Christ in our love for each other and our obedience to Him; and to guide our children to become worshippers of the Most High God.
What motives do you have for pursuing the things that consume your time? Is it for your own fulfillment or for God’s glory?
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Holiness of God - Review
Isaiah (chapter 6) once got a glimpse of God's holiness and immediately cried out, "Woe is me. I am undone." Moses (Exodus 33) asked to see God's face and He replied, "No man can see God's face and live." The disciples trembled in fear after witnessing Christ's display of control over nature (Mark 4:35-41). These men instantly understood their place in the universe when they were confronted with the awesome holiness of their Creator.
In The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul unfolds the incredible nature of the mysterious attribute called God's holiness. Of all God's characteristics described in the Scriptures, none is so beyond our understanding as His holiness. When we think of God we often consider His love, grace, or kindness, but Sproul notes an interesting emphasis placed in Scripture. "The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, that the whole earth is full of His glory." (pg. 26)
The book describes God's holiness as being separate, high above what we are. To be holy is to be of supreme and absolute greatness. Holiness is not just another attribute in a list of what God is like; it is all that God is. Holiness encompasses everything we understand about God and far beyond. God's love, grace, justice, mercy, wrath, kindness, righteousness, power, perfection, deity are all expressed as part of God's holiness. "When we call things holy when they are not holy, we commit the sin of idolatry. We give to common things the respect, awe, worship, and adoration that belong only to God." (pg. 40)
R.C. Sproul throughout the book discusses aspects of God's holiness and the effect it has on the lives of His creatures. He expounds on Biblical examples of the LORD's holiness revealed. He takes a look at how great men of God in history, Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards, were transformed and proclaimed holiness. Luther went from a Catholic monk who feared the holiness of God, to understanding faith in Christ and longing for His holiness. Edwards was a man who did not falter in preaching every aspect of God including His wrath, justice, love, and mercy, in his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."
It is wise for us to study the holiness of our God and Savior. The more we understand who God is, the better we grasp our true place in creation. We recognize how utterly sinful we are and how righteous God is; how helpless we are and how powerful God is; how empty we are and how wonderful God is. "We may dislike giving our attention to God's wrath and justice, but until we incline ourselves to these aspects of God's nature, we will never appreciate what has been wrought for us by grace" (pg. 183). We should, at the same time, both fear His holiness and
yearn for it; knowing that only His holiness can save us from the consequences of our unholiness.
The lives of many professed Christians seem so tiresome and dull. They see nothing exciting about being a Christian and worshipping the sovereign King of the universe. Often these people fall away, revealing they never truly knew who God is (1 John 2:19). "It is difficult for many people to find worship a thrilling and moving experience. We note here, when God appeared in the temple, the doors and the thresholds were moved. The inert matter of doorposts, the inanimate thresholds, the wood and metal that could neither hear nor speak had the good sense to be moved by the presence of God." (pg. 26) "People do not normally feel [overwhelmed] in church. There is no sense of awe, no sense of being in the presence of One who makes us tremble. People in awe never complain that church is boring." (pg. 137) The Holiness of God will be a book that will bring a sense of awe into your relationship with your Savior.
In The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul unfolds the incredible nature of the mysterious attribute called God's holiness. Of all God's characteristics described in the Scriptures, none is so beyond our understanding as His holiness. When we think of God we often consider His love, grace, or kindness, but Sproul notes an interesting emphasis placed in Scripture. "The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, that the whole earth is full of His glory." (pg. 26)
The book describes God's holiness as being separate, high above what we are. To be holy is to be of supreme and absolute greatness. Holiness is not just another attribute in a list of what God is like; it is all that God is. Holiness encompasses everything we understand about God and far beyond. God's love, grace, justice, mercy, wrath, kindness, righteousness, power, perfection, deity are all expressed as part of God's holiness. "When we call things holy when they are not holy, we commit the sin of idolatry. We give to common things the respect, awe, worship, and adoration that belong only to God." (pg. 40)
R.C. Sproul throughout the book discusses aspects of God's holiness and the effect it has on the lives of His creatures. He expounds on Biblical examples of the LORD's holiness revealed. He takes a look at how great men of God in history, Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards, were transformed and proclaimed holiness. Luther went from a Catholic monk who feared the holiness of God, to understanding faith in Christ and longing for His holiness. Edwards was a man who did not falter in preaching every aspect of God including His wrath, justice, love, and mercy, in his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."
It is wise for us to study the holiness of our God and Savior. The more we understand who God is, the better we grasp our true place in creation. We recognize how utterly sinful we are and how righteous God is; how helpless we are and how powerful God is; how empty we are and how wonderful God is. "We may dislike giving our attention to God's wrath and justice, but until we incline ourselves to these aspects of God's nature, we will never appreciate what has been wrought for us by grace" (pg. 183). We should, at the same time, both fear His holiness and
yearn for it; knowing that only His holiness can save us from the consequences of our unholiness.
The lives of many professed Christians seem so tiresome and dull. They see nothing exciting about being a Christian and worshipping the sovereign King of the universe. Often these people fall away, revealing they never truly knew who God is (1 John 2:19). "It is difficult for many people to find worship a thrilling and moving experience. We note here, when God appeared in the temple, the doors and the thresholds were moved. The inert matter of doorposts, the inanimate thresholds, the wood and metal that could neither hear nor speak had the good sense to be moved by the presence of God." (pg. 26) "People do not normally feel [overwhelmed] in church. There is no sense of awe, no sense of being in the presence of One who makes us tremble. People in awe never complain that church is boring." (pg. 137) The Holiness of God will be a book that will bring a sense of awe into your relationship with your Savior.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
God is a Just Judge
Proverbs
Listening to a sermon on justification I was presented with this verse and asked the question: How can God be just and at the same time justify the wicked? Scripture says explicitly that a person that simply forgives a guilty person is an abomination. This is quite a heavy thought that is misunderstood by most of the world, and sadly by many who call themselves Christian.
When sharing the gospel with people I often am able to get them to admit that they have broken God’s laws. They have no problem saying that they would be guilty just like everyone else; after all, nobody’s perfect. But an interesting thing occurs when I ask how they believe they will make it into heaven. They say, “Because God is forgiving.” While this is a true statement, if this is what they are putting their hope in they will hear those frightening words from Christ, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”
Think about it this way: you broken many laws, are arrested and brought to court. A large fine (more money than you can imagine) or jail time is your punishment and you say to the judge, “I know you are a good man and very forgiving, so I feel you will let me go.” If the judge were to let the guilty lawbreaker go, he would be a corrupt judge, not a good man. Similarly, God is not corrupt and must punish sin wherever it is found.
Take a look into the mirror of God’s law. How will you answer to God for your lies, for the things you have taken that didn’t belong to you, for the hateful and lustful thoughts that He sees as murder and adultery? How will you respond to God when He asks you why you didn’t thank Him for every gift in your life, when you didn’t honor His name above all things? Will you say, “God, I know you are forgiving and you will let me go.”? That won’t satisfy justice. Neither will he be bribed by your supposed good works. God doesn’t simply forgive us, He does something even more remarkable.
God became a man (Jesus Christ), lived a perfect life, and was killed on the cross taking the punishment for our sins. This is how we have been set free; an innocent person paid the fine for our sins. This however made me wonder about the second phrase in the Proverb; he who condemns the righteous is also an abomination. This is getting confusing now! But that is why the term imputed is so important. It simply means that all of our sins were laid on Christ and all of His righteousness was given to us. Not that we are righteous, but that at the judgment, God sees us as righteous. Not that Christ is sinful, but paying for our sins, God saw Him as sinful.
We are allowed to enter heaven because God sees Christ’s perfect righteousness and not a drop of our wickedness. All that is required is that we recognize how filthy we are, call upon God for 
mercy to change us, and trust in Christ for righteousness. What an amazing gift! We deserve eternal punishment in Hell apart from the Holiness of God, but he takes the punishment for us, gives us His righteousness, transforms our hearts to follow Him, and welcomes us into His kingdom forever.
Consider what all other religions offer. Perhaps if you pray enough times in one day, or keep the Sabbath day and other ordinances, obey certain rules, meditate, or “be a good person” you will be able to bribe God into letting you into heaven. On the other hand, only true Christianity answers the question of how God can be just while justifying the wicked. The gods of all other religions are corrupt if they let lawbreakers go free without penalty. Thank God for His goodness, mercy, and His justice.
Acts 17:30,31 says that God is being patient, giving us all time to repent and trust Him, because He has set aside a day of judgment to judge in righteousness. Hebrews
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Jude Study, Part 3
Jude 14-16
Quotes Book of Enoch
° Enoch (seventh from Adam) prophesied judgment on the ungodly in his
generation.
° The false teachers are just the same
o Grumbling
o Complaining (pride rejecting authority or complaining about minor
issues, not addressing essential doctrine as the point of this
letter is to guard against such error)
o Following their own passions
o Proud
o Flattering
Jude 17-19
These people were prophesied.
° They are worldly people, who don’t have the Spirit, and cause division
based on error.
° Acts 20:29 – wolves among the sheep
° 1 Timothy 4:1 – those departing from sound teaching will come.
° 2 Timothy 3:1-5 – Perilous times and perilous men to come.
° 2 Timothy 4:3-5 – People will not endure sound doctrine, teachers who teach only
what pleases others, turning from the truth and telling stories.
° 2 Peter 3:3 – Scoffers will come walking after their own lusts.
Jude 20-23
What should Christians do?
° Jude 20: Build up your faith. Read and study your Bibles!
° Jude 20: Pray in the Holy Spirit. Pray according to God’s will trusting His
Spirit to guide you into truth.
° Jude 21: Keep yourself in the love of God. Stay away from sin. Sin upsets
God and he will chasten you if he must to purify his children.
° Jude 21: Wait for the mercy of Jesus. Look forward to the return of Christ
when the tares will be separated from the wheat, the wolves will be removed
from the sheep, and truth will ultimately triumph.
What do we do with the false teaching?
° Jude 22: “Convince some who doubt.” Some people are just being confused by
the teachers. Simply answer the questions they have.
° Jude 23: “Save some, pulling from the fire.” Be stern with some. They are
getting deep in the bad teaching and need to be told outright that they are
wandering from the truth and headed for hell.
° Jude 23: “Have mercy with fear, hating the garment…” There are some who are
so entrenched in the false teaching that what you say probably won’t help
them. Have mercy on them (don’t go burning them at the stake), but have fear
of them (stay away). If you get too close you may be influenced too much by
their smooth talking.
Jude 24,25
Conclusion
° God is in control despite the deceiving wolves among the church. He is able to
keep you from falling into error and present you blameless at the judgment.
o When you repent and trust in Christ, he guides you through temptation,
sin, persecution and bad teaching.
o At the judgment, despite the vast number of sins you committed that
offend an infinite, holy God, Jesus presents you without blemish
(Gr. Anomas, meaning apart from the law). You have broken every law
of God, but you are presented as if you have kept it perfectly.
° Jude 25: All credit is God’s. He has all power and authority, glory and
majesty, now and forever.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Jude Study, Part 2
The following are the notes that I compiled from my studies in the book of Jude that we are now discussing in our Tuesday night Bible study. It isn't put together in an easy read format and are simply posted here for you to take into your study and compare. Feel free to leave some comments for discussion of specific topics.
Jude 8-13
These are the sins of these false teachers.
Jude 8: defiling the flesh, rejecting authority, reviling the glorious ones.
Examples:
o Jude 9,10: reviling the glorious ones.
-Assumption of Moses book
-Michael the angel fought with Satan over Moses’ body.
-Michael didn’t take Satan lightly but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
o Jude 11: Pattern of rebellion growing to rejecting authority
-Cain showed his selfishness by killing his brother
-In the story of Balaam, he showed his own greed and pride. For riches he taught Israel to sin
by introducing pagan women to seduce them and brought idols to worship.
-Korah rebelled against Aaron and Moses' God given authority. God separated them and
the earth swallowed up Korah and his followers.
o Jude 12,13: defiling the flesh
-Love feasts (pot lucks) became more about themselves than about sharing with the body of Christ.
-Imagery describing the uselessness of these people.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Stewardship of Souls - Consider Your Own
I really enjoyed Kevin’s sermon on Sunday on the Stewardship of Souls. It was both convicting and encouraging. Afterwards, Molly (my wife) and I were talking for a while on the application and impact of such thoughts. If you were in attendance, you will remember a couple of points he made that I have been pondering on a bit lately: we don’t really care about lost souls the way we should, and a person must understand their sin before they can understand God’s love.
I simply want to emphasize the importance of these two points. First, we must really understand our sin before we understand God’s love. Everyone knows John 3:16, “God loved the world in this way; He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.” Consider also Romans 5:8, “God showed His love toward is, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And look at 1 John 3:16a and 1 John 4:9, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us”; “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” Our love has nothing to do with God liking something so much in us that He just had to do something to help us. He loves us because He is love, despite the fact that we are the complete opposite. We have done nothing in our lives to merit His attention, yet he pours His grace on us by the second. Scripture says that He doesn't show His love by giving us a warm fuzzy feeling or by giving us better lives now, but He showed His love for us by dying on the cross in our place, rising from the dead, and offering us eternal life in His presence if we turn from our sin and trust in His sacrifice for righteousness.
The more you understand how desperately wicked your heart is, the more you will praise God for saving you despite your heart. My brother once told me he is uncomfortable at churches where people hold their hands up in the air while they sing with their eyes closed. He said he thinks it’s weird and doesn’t understand why they do it. I told him that many of those people are so full of joy because they have been redeemed so much. I said to him that these are people who know they deserve eternal punishment for their sin, but instead have been given eternal life, and they are exceedingly joyful. He didn’t think his sin was that bad (if we are honest we must all admit we don’t see our sin as God does), so he had no reason to see how wonderful God’s love is.
Many people today misunderstand the love of God (shown in much of contemporary Christian music), and believe that God sees some great potential in us and He wants to give us a hug to make us feel better. While the love of God does give us joy, it doesn’t solve all problems in this life (Jesus actually promised that it will cause division and bring persecution) and our immediate happiness isn't the reason Christ died for us. We must understand that when Scripture speaks of the love of God, it always refers to sending a Savior to people who don’t deserve it (who actually deserve the condemnation they stand under).
This I believe is the root of why we don’t care about lost souls enough to be more faithful in reaching them with the gospel. We don’t see our own sin as so evil and wicked that it angers God, that it deserves a just punishment of hell. We aren’t weeping over the sin in our own lives, so why would we care about the sin in other peoples lives. We should see how sin has dismantled God’s creation and have great sorrow, causing us to reach out to sinners in pity. They (as we once were) are in bondage to sin and sit under the wrath of God. All they know how to do is sin and they are so blind to it they don’t want to know how to get out of it. This should move our hearts (if not our eyes) to tears and our feet to action.
Listen to this testimony from a man named Paul Washer. Listen to him weep as he agnoizes over his sin and praises God for saving him from it.
He weeps over his sin because he knows how much God saved him from it. He gives God all the glory for pulling him from the wreck that was called his life. Is your testimony like this? When you tell others about what Christ did to you, do you tell them about the wickedness that God saved you from? Do you tell them Christ transformed you and made you a new creature that desires holiness and righteousness? Is your testimony about the love of Christ changing your sinful heart or about some guy named Jesus who makes your life more fun?
When you look at your life, do you see it as littered with sin that offends an infinite, holy God. Maybe you prayed a prayer and admitted, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” but do you know that your lies deserve punishment. Your lustful thoughts are adultery and deserve hell. Thoughts of hate are seen by God as murder. When you say, “Well I don’t think God is that way. I think God is this way,” you are making an idol in your mind. Sure we may say that we understand that the Bible says we are sinners, but do we truly believe it? Do you hate sin? Is it an ugly stain on your soul that tears you apart inside knowing that it offends God?
Why aren’t we better at evangelism? Because we don’t hate our own sin enough and we don’t weep over others who are caught in sin. May God make us weep over our own sin and make us humble in our evangelism because we recognize how much we have been saved from the wickedness of our own hearts.
I simply want to emphasize the importance of these two points. First, we must really understand our sin before we understand God’s love. Everyone knows John 3:16, “God loved the world in this way; He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.” Consider also Romans 5:8, “God showed His love toward is, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And look at 1 John 3:16a and 1 John 4:9, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us”; “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” Our love has nothing to do with God liking something so much in us that He just had to do something to help us. He loves us because He is love, despite the fact that we are the complete opposite. We have done nothing in our lives to merit His attention, yet he pours His grace on us by the second. Scripture says that He doesn't show His love by giving us a warm fuzzy feeling or by giving us better lives now, but He showed His love for us by dying on the cross in our place, rising from the dead, and offering us eternal life in His presence if we turn from our sin and trust in His sacrifice for righteousness.
The more you understand how desperately wicked your heart is, the more you will praise God for saving you despite your heart. My brother once told me he is uncomfortable at churches where people hold their hands up in the air while they sing with their eyes closed. He said he thinks it’s weird and doesn’t understand why they do it. I told him that many of those people are so full of joy because they have been redeemed so much. I said to him that these are people who know they deserve eternal punishment for their sin, but instead have been given eternal life, and they are exceedingly joyful. He didn’t think his sin was that bad (if we are honest we must all admit we don’t see our sin as God does), so he had no reason to see how wonderful God’s love is.
Many people today misunderstand the love of God (shown in much of contemporary Christian music), and believe that God sees some great potential in us and He wants to give us a hug to make us feel better. While the love of God does give us joy, it doesn’t solve all problems in this life (Jesus actually promised that it will cause division and bring persecution) and our immediate happiness isn't the reason Christ died for us. We must understand that when Scripture speaks of the love of God, it always refers to sending a Savior to people who don’t deserve it (who actually deserve the condemnation they stand under).
This I believe is the root of why we don’t care about lost souls enough to be more faithful in reaching them with the gospel. We don’t see our own sin as so evil and wicked that it angers God, that it deserves a just punishment of hell. We aren’t weeping over the sin in our own lives, so why would we care about the sin in other peoples lives. We should see how sin has dismantled God’s creation and have great sorrow, causing us to reach out to sinners in pity. They (as we once were) are in bondage to sin and sit under the wrath of God. All they know how to do is sin and they are so blind to it they don’t want to know how to get out of it. This should move our hearts (if not our eyes) to tears and our feet to action.
Listen to this testimony from a man named Paul Washer. Listen to him weep as he agnoizes over his sin and praises God for saving him from it.
He weeps over his sin because he knows how much God saved him from it. He gives God all the glory for pulling him from the wreck that was called his life. Is your testimony like this? When you tell others about what Christ did to you, do you tell them about the wickedness that God saved you from? Do you tell them Christ transformed you and made you a new creature that desires holiness and righteousness? Is your testimony about the love of Christ changing your sinful heart or about some guy named Jesus who makes your life more fun?
When you look at your life, do you see it as littered with sin that offends an infinite, holy God. Maybe you prayed a prayer and admitted, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” but do you know that your lies deserve punishment. Your lustful thoughts are adultery and deserve hell. Thoughts of hate are seen by God as murder. When you say, “Well I don’t think God is that way. I think God is this way,” you are making an idol in your mind. Sure we may say that we understand that the Bible says we are sinners, but do we truly believe it? Do you hate sin? Is it an ugly stain on your soul that tears you apart inside knowing that it offends God?
Why aren’t we better at evangelism? Because we don’t hate our own sin enough and we don’t weep over others who are caught in sin. May God make us weep over our own sin and make us humble in our evangelism because we recognize how much we have been saved from the wickedness of our own hearts.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Jude Study, Part 1
The following are the notes that I compiled from my studies in the book of Jude that we are now discussing in our Tuesday night Bible study. It isn't put together in an easy read format and are simply posted here for you to take into your study and compare. Feel free to leave some comments for discussion of specific topics.
Introduction
The name Jude is rendered from “Judah” in Hebrew and “Judas” in Greek.
In the New Testament, there are a few people mentioned with the same name. Some may be the same person and some are obviously different.
° Luke 6:16, John 14:22, Acts 1:13, brother of James (some versions say son of) also called Thaddaeus the apostle.
° Matthew 26:14 the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
° Acts 5:37 a troublemaker from Galilee
° Matthew 13:55 brother of James, half-brother of Jesus
° Acts 9:11 a person who lived with Paul.
° Acts 15:22 ambassador of church in Jerusalem who traveled with Silas.
It is Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, brother of James (author of book of James) who wrote this book. These brothers did not actually become disciples of Jesus until after Christ’s resurrection.
Based on indications in the text and on quoted texts, it is thought to be written around 68 AD.
As the news of Christ spread throughout the world, Jude wanted to write to some believers to encourage them in the faith. The church was under heavy attack from Roman persecution and spiritual infiltration from false teachers. This book is meant to warn believers to keep an eye out for false teaching and to encourage them to stay strong in the faith.
Jude 1:1
Greeting
Brother of James:
° Not offended to be identified as brother of… That is usually a hit to our pride because we want to be known as our own person.
° Doesn’t identify himself as Jesus’ brother
Jude 1:3,4
Purpose for the letter
He wanted to write about the common faith they shared, but a more pressing need was at hand.
He felt he needed to defend the faith, once for all delivered to the saints.
° It is important to be discerning, understanding right and wrong, truth and error.
° Our faith was not manufactured, but delivered by the Holy Spirit.
° The faith was delivered once for all, we don’t need to look to more secret revelation, prophecy or dreams to know what God wants us to do with our lives. The Bible is all that is needed for life and godliness.
° Saints are believers, not some higher status of Christians. The Bible was delivered to all Christians, not all “super-Christians.”
Professed Christians are teaching false doctrine.
° People have made their way into the church who are ungodly, who pervert God’s grace, and deny who Jesus is.
° They snuck in. They weren’t obvious haters of God, otherwise they wouldn’t have made it into the church. They were subtle in their teaching, which had quite a bit of truth.
° John Murray: “The difference between truth and error is not a chasm but a razor’s edge.”
° Charles Spurgeon: “Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather, it is the difference between right and almost right.”
° False Teaching
o Changing the grace of God into a license to sin. Since God is so forgiving, we can sin more so He can forgive more.
o They would also say that as long as your spirit is right, it doesn’t matter what you do with your body (similar to people today saying, “as long as you love someone, it doesn’t matter what you do.”).
Jude 5-7
Though they are allowed to continue in their sin now, they will be judged.
3 Examples
° Jude 5: Israel saved out of Egypt.
o Judged naturally by dying in the wilderness, not being allowed into Promised Land.
° Jude 6: Angels thrown from heaven.
o Judgment reserved for future great day of judgment.
° Jude 7: Sodom and Gomorrah
o Judged immediately by destruction of the city.
Introduction
The name Jude is rendered from “Judah” in Hebrew and “Judas” in Greek.
In the New Testament, there are a few people mentioned with the same name. Some may be the same person and some are obviously different.
° Luke 6:16, John 14:22, Acts 1:13, brother of James (some versions say son of) also called Thaddaeus the apostle.
° Matthew 26:14 the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
° Acts 5:37 a troublemaker from Galilee
° Matthew 13:55 brother of James, half-brother of Jesus
° Acts 9:11 a person who lived with Paul.
° Acts 15:22 ambassador of church in Jerusalem who traveled with Silas.
It is Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, brother of James (author of book of James) who wrote this book. These brothers did not actually become disciples of Jesus until after Christ’s resurrection.
Based on indications in the text and on quoted texts, it is thought to be written around 68 AD.
As the news of Christ spread throughout the world, Jude wanted to write to some believers to encourage them in the faith. The church was under heavy attack from Roman persecution and spiritual infiltration from false teachers. This book is meant to warn believers to keep an eye out for false teaching and to encourage them to stay strong in the faith.
Jude 1:1
Greeting
Brother of James:
° Not offended to be identified as brother of… That is usually a hit to our pride because we want to be known as our own person.
° Doesn’t identify himself as Jesus’ brother
Jude 1:3,4
Purpose for the letter
He wanted to write about the common faith they shared, but a more pressing need was at hand.
He felt he needed to defend the faith, once for all delivered to the saints.
° It is important to be discerning, understanding right and wrong, truth and error.
° Our faith was not manufactured, but delivered by the Holy Spirit.
° The faith was delivered once for all, we don’t need to look to more secret revelation, prophecy or dreams to know what God wants us to do with our lives. The Bible is all that is needed for life and godliness.
° Saints are believers, not some higher status of Christians. The Bible was delivered to all Christians, not all “super-Christians.”
Professed Christians are teaching false doctrine.
° People have made their way into the church who are ungodly, who pervert God’s grace, and deny who Jesus is.
° They snuck in. They weren’t obvious haters of God, otherwise they wouldn’t have made it into the church. They were subtle in their teaching, which had quite a bit of truth.
° John Murray: “The difference between truth and error is not a chasm but a razor’s edge.”
° Charles Spurgeon: “Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather, it is the difference between right and almost right.”
° False Teaching
o Changing the grace of God into a license to sin. Since God is so forgiving, we can sin more so He can forgive more.
o They would also say that as long as your spirit is right, it doesn’t matter what you do with your body (similar to people today saying, “as long as you love someone, it doesn’t matter what you do.”).
Jude 5-7
Though they are allowed to continue in their sin now, they will be judged.
3 Examples
° Jude 5: Israel saved out of Egypt.
o Judged naturally by dying in the wilderness, not being allowed into Promised Land.
° Jude 6: Angels thrown from heaven.
o Judgment reserved for future great day of judgment.
° Jude 7: Sodom and Gomorrah
o Judged immediately by destruction of the city.
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