Free to Serve

The Nature of Christian Community

Mark Seifred is a New Testament Professor at Southern Seminary. In the follow quotation, he explains what we all need to understand when we gather as the church. Namely, church is more than growing closer to one another; it is about growing closer to Christ:

The church thrives and grows, then, not by binding individuals ever more tightly to its earthly form, as if they existed only in order to come to our meetings and carry out our programs. We must not confuse the present, visible manifestation of the church with our eternal rest. Rather, the community thrives by binding each one more closely to Christ and to his will for her or him. We gather to worship and serve Christ, who sends each forth to different deeds of discipleship and witness in the world, and who will continue to do so until he comes again. In tasks such as these the life of the community is strengthened. Since it is Christ alone who is the basis of our fellowship, our participation in gathered community will depend on how firmly each of us is intent on Christ's purposes and not our own (Phil. 2:2-4).

Culture Change

We talk a lot about culture change at MVBC. That's what we want to see. We want to be a community that can both articulate the Gospel and model the Gospel. We want to both contend for the faith (Jude) and live a life of faith (1 Thess 2:8). 

This doesn't happen through organization. Organization is hugely important, but you can't organize conviction and love. Both are works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The book to read on this is The Trellis and the Vine. The video below, by Timothy Lane, is helpful, too. He argues that before programs work, there needs to be a climate (i.e., culture) of godly communication, redemptive love, and practical burden-bearing.

So if you want to see community lived out the first thing to do is pray that you and your brothers and sisters are so gripped by the Gospel that you just can't help but model it.

 

Together for the Gospel, Reflections

Last Tuesday through Thursday I was in Louisville, KY for the biannual pastors conference called "Together for the Gospel." It was started by four Christian leaders: Mark Dever, Al Mohler, Ligon Duncan, and CJ Mahaney. Mark was my pastor in Washington, DC for a few years. In 2006, several hundred showed up in the ballroom of the Galt House Hotel to attend the first conference. Last week, approximately 8,000 pastors, laymen, and ladies filled the Yum! Center.

The pastoral staff of MVBC was able to attend. This was the highlight of the trip for me. Over meals we were able to reflect upon the sermons we heard, as well as simply engage in the types of conversations that don't happen as often as they should during the weekly bustle of pastoral ministry. But it wasn't just pastoral staff who were there. A few members of MVBC came, too. One of them told me it was helpful to be a the conference for three reasons: First, the sermons affected him, personally. Second, he better understands the temptations pastors face. Third, he was encouraged to see MVBC pastoral staff spending time together.  

The conference is becoming a bit of a reunion as brothers and sisters I've known for nearly twenty years descend upon Louisville for a few days. 

The sermons fed my soul. Especially this one on suffering preached by Ligon Duncan:

 

More on the Resurrection

In his essay, "Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?" Christian philosopher William Lane Craig helpfully points out that the resurrection made (and makes) all the difference:

It is difficult to exaggerate what a devastating effect the crucifixion must have had on the disciples. They had no conception of a dying, much less a rising, Messiah, for the Messiah would reign forever (cf. John 12:34). Without prior belief in the resurrection, belief in Jesus as Messiah would have been impossible in light of his death. The resurrection turned catastrophe into victory. Because God raised Jesus from the dead, he could be proclaimed as Messiah after all (Acts 2:32, 36).

It is good to remember the importance of the resurrection, not just on Easter Sunday, but every day. Now, may we have the grace necessary to live in light of it.

He is Risen

 

Great Friday

Today is Good Friday. It's a special opportunity to reflect upon the death of Christ and especially the meaning of his death for the believer. It is hard to reflect upon Jesus' death without meditating on the idea of debt. 

Consider the refrain from the song, "Amazing Love.” It goes like this: "Amazing love, oh, what sacrifice;The Son of God given for me. My debt He pays and my death He dies, that I might live. To understand what happened to the Son of God the day he died, we have to understand the idea that we are indebted to God.

"I'm a Sinner Saved" -- Gerry Chatham

A few weeks ago, one of our elders at MVBC was diagnosed with Leukemia. He immediately went on a round of chemotherapy in the hospital, and now visits a clinic each day for several hours for treatment. In a few days he will get the results of a test to see if he is improving or if the cancer is having its way.

Gerry is 73 years old. He grew up in Georgia, played baseball at Georgia Tech before majoring in journalism at Georgia State. After working as a reporter for what was then the Atlanta Journal newspaper, Gerry spent most of his life in publishing.

He married Carolyn in 1962 and they are getting ready to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Gerry came to Christ as a young man, and has been a member of Mount Vernon since 1999. In my brief time here, he has been a real encouragement. He is hungry to know the Word better, has organized evangelistic bible studies, and poured himself into dozens of boys through children's basketball. He has labored to see relationships built between younger and older members in the body. He is a faithful shepherd, one of our first elders.

At least for now, Gerry can't come to church--too many people carrying too many infections for his weakened immune system to tolerate. So at our last Church in Conference (a members' meeting) we decided to show a brief recording. In the following, three-minute video, Gerry says how he's doing, talks about the sufficiency of God's grace through this trial, the beauty of marriage, and the call for believers to rejoice in suffering. After all, as he put it, "I'm a sinner saved."

Gerry Chatham Interview from Mount Vernon Baptist Church on Vimeo.

 

 

"The suffering of Christ has become so mighty and strong" -- Martin Luther

Last Sunday I preached from 1 Timothy 6 on contentment. Paul tells Timothy that godliness with contentment is great gain. It is hardest to be content in the midst of suffering. That's why I think this call to contentment is also a call to receive suffering; to treat our trials as a temporary treasure. They are temporary because, for the believer, they will not last. They are treasures since they magnify in our lives the magnifence of God and prepare us, through pain, for the glory of heaven. 

Suffering is, therefore, a temporary treasure.

On April 16, 1530, Martin Luther preached a sermon on the cross and suffering. It was the Saturday before Easter, and he wanted the congregation to understand that the believer can receive suffering as a temporary treasure. This is possible because, through faith, we share in Christ's suffering, a suffering that conquered sin and death and brings everlasting life, the true and lasting treasure:

If you are willing to suffer, very well, then the treasure and consolation which is promised and given to you is so great that you ought to suffer willingly and joyfully because Christ and his suffering is being bestowed upon you and made your own. And if you cn believe this, then in time of great fear and trouble, you will be able to say: Even though I suffer long, very well then, what is that compared with the great treasure which my God has given to me, that I shall live eternally with him?

Look what happens then: the suffering would be sweet and easy and no longer an eternal suffering, but only a modicum which lasts only a short time and soon passes away, as St. Paul [II Cor. 4:17], and St. Peter [1 Pet. 1:6], and also Christ himself says in the Gospels [John 16:16-22]. For they look to that great, immeasurable gift, which is that Christ with his suffering and merit has become altogether ours. Thus the suffering of Christ has become so mighty and strong that it fills heaven and earth and breaks the power and might of the devil and hell, of death and sin. And then if you compare this treasure with your affliction and suffering, you will consider it but small loss to lose a little property, honor, health, wife, child, and even your own life. But if you refuse to regard this treasure and to suffer for it, so be it; go on and let it lie. He who does not believe will also receive none of these unspeakable goods and gifts.

I don't want to suffer. But I know that when it comes, from the tiniest inconvenience to the deepest pain, it can be welcomed as a temporary treasure preparing me for "these unspeakable goods and gits."