Free to Serve

Love and the Cross

This Summer, on Wednesday nights, several of us at MVBC are walking verse by verse through 1 Corinthians 13. Next up, verses 4-6, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."

If words were paint, these verses wod be a picture of the cross of Christ.

Just how patient was Christ with us? He endured the cross. Just how kind was Christ toward us? He suffered in our place. Just how humble was Christ? He humbled himself and became obedient to death. Christ did not insist on his own way, but submitted himself to his Father in heaven. And Christ did it all willingly. He did not begrudge his death for the believer, but he embraced it. He did not rejoice at wrongdoing, he mourned the sin that nailed him to a tree. But when it was done, and he sat at the right hand of God the Father, he knew the joy of a job perfectly done, a Father wholly pleased, and a people completely saved. 

Thinking Theologically Together

There is a book that I'm trying to get every teacher at MVBC to read. It's Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church by Michael Lawrence. It is crucial for pastors in particular and Christians in general to approach their lives with a passion for thinking theologically about everything. Lawrence put it this way:

If we are to faithfully give witness to Christ, the Lord of life, in this age, then we must recover not simply the ability to think theologically, but the commitment to do so together in the life of the local church. Until we recover theological vision in the church, the nerve that gives rich and profound biblical life to our worship and mission will remain cut. Our public worship will remain shallow and entertainment-driven. Our mission will either be indistinguishable from the methods and goals of any sales organization, or it will be co-opted by the agenda of an untimely hostile culture. This culture will encourage us to do good things like caring for the poor, but it will only applaud us if we agree to leave Christ out of it.

It is not just that we must think theologically but the fact that we must do so together. So, instead of shying away from theology with the misguided notion that it divides, it is the calling of the church to come together with a biblical theology at the center of all we do. Instead of simply asking, "What do we want?" we need to ask one another, "What does God's Word say?"

The Need for Prayer

C. H. Spurgeon pastored roughly 5,500 souls. He was overwhelmed, "I find I have enough upon me to crush me unless heaven sustains me," he said. He loved to preach and to teach, but it was hard.

Very few of us are called to shepherd that many folks. But everyone from the pastor to the Sunday school teacher knows what it is like to stand before a group of people, feed them the Word of God, and feel responsibility for their souls. Whether it is a class of 5 or a church of 500, teachers need the prayers of the people they serve. For those of us who teach, much of our "success" is dependent upon our faithfulness and our preparation. But so much more is dependent upon prayer. Spurgeon felt this acutely:

You must uphold me by your prayers. If I have useful to you in any measure, pray for me; it is the greatest kindness you can do me. If the word as spoken by these lips has been a means of grace to your children, plead for me that others of the young may be brought to Jesus by my teaching. If you would find my ministry more profitable to your souls, pray for me still more; and let it not be said of your minister that you do not profit by his preaching, and that you have not, becasue you ask not. Beloved, let us wrestle in prayer; for untold blessings are to be had for the asking.

Sunday is for Everyday

In his great book, Engaging with God, David Peterson writes: The preaching of the gospel is designed to bring about a consecrated lifestye that will enable believers to glorify God, by word and deed, wherever and whenever they can. This view of worship highlights the importance of the family, the workplace and leisure activities as the sphere in which to work out the implications of a genuine relationship with God." 

In other words, Sunday is for everyday. As we gather as one people to hear God's Word, the Lord equips us to scatter and live that Word. It would be foolish to forsake that time. It's like saying, "I don't need food this week." But it woud be just as foolish come and let the good teaching you receive on Sunday go in one ear and out the other. What did Jesus say? "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Sunday is around the corner. Let's ready our hearts not only to receive teaching, but to live that teaching out, by God's grace, the rest of the week.

Are you squandering your life away?

Warning his audience about the coming Day of Judgment, Jesus said, "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day will come upon you suddenly like a trap" (Luke 21:34, ESV).

A dissipated life is a life squandered by the pursuit of pleasure. Pleasure, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. But dissipation takes place when your primary committment, your first love, is to "make merry" as they used to say. So Jesus is telling us, "Beware, don't let your life be marked by squandering your time with pleasure and drink and anxiety over all that won't last because a day is coming when it will be obvious these things don't matter."

How can you tell if you are obeying Christ's command to "watch yourselves" or if you are squandering your life away? Take some time to answer the following questions:

1. Is personal pleasure (food, drink, entertainment, sports) more important to you than private devotion (disciplines of grace: Bible reading, prayer)?
2. Do you regularly confess your sins to the Lord, admitting your need for Christ to both forgive you for the ways you squander time and empower you to watch your life closely?
3. How often do you long for heaven, either because you feel weighed down by the sin in your own life or the sin in the world around you?
4. How often do you weep for the lost, burdened by the fact that without Christ they are pursuing worthless, dissipated lives?
5. Do you lean on the body of Christ to help you love the Lord (and not the world) with zeal?

My friend, Jesus died on the cross for sinners like us and he rose from the dead so that we could be confident that he is the Savior of all who repent and believe. Take his words to heart. Watch yourself. Pursue Christ prayerfully and passionately. Live for his glory and this day will most certainly not be squandered.

The Unremarkables

Petula Dvorak, writing for The Washington Post last week asked the question, "What do you think kids want most in life today? Money? Marriage? Adventure? A cool job? Spiritual fulfillment?" The answer is "none of the above." Utilizing a study from the University of California, Dvorak noted that what kids want more than anything else is fame. Yes, fame. This shouldn't be a surprise. We live in an age where 15 minutes of fame are a dime a dozen. Never in human history has it been so easy to be known by so many. 

How does Christianity address this lust for fame? 

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul addressed a church of unremarkable people. "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth" (1:26). Paul makes this observation to prove that Christianity is not dependent upon human wisdom or power but upon the wisdom and power of God (see 1:18-25)--the Cross.

Ironically, in God's eyes the Corinthians were now anything but unremarkable. They had the remarkable privilege of being recipients of grace (1:4); enriched in Christ (1:5); not lacking any spiritual gift (1:7); guiltess (1:8); and part of the fellowship of Christ (1:9). But all of these salvation riches came because of the wisdom and power of the Cross and not because of their own, inherent worthiness.

By emphasizing the humble state of these believers Paul made the point that unremarkable saints are unique trophies of God's grace. In other words, it is most obvious that God is the source of profound change in our lives when there is nothing in our lives to explain the profound change. This is a theme found throughout the Scriptures. Abram was an unknown resident from the land of Ur until God called him. Jacob had nothing to commend himself to God. Moses was found wanting in leadership skills. Ruth was a Moabite. David a shepherd . . . you get the point. So it was for the Corinthians, "not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth."

Paul does not say that every convert in Corinth was unremarkable! "Not many" he repeats three times. Obviously God saves people who are remarkable in the eyes of the world. Nonetheless, God's penchant for choosing the least to enter the Kingdom of Heaven plus Jesus' commendation of the meek and poor in spirit, plus Paul's point right here in 1 Cor. 1:26 leads me to the following three points of application.

First, strive to be unremarkable.

By all means, be aware of the skills and gifts that God has given you and use them to the fullest of your ability. But strive to use these gifts without drawing undue attention to yourself. Remember the exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, "aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands." And notice Proverbs 25:6-7, "Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower in the presence of a noble." These statements fit well with the humble tenor of the Christian life.

Very practically, consider how you dress. Is it your goal to be cool or even sexy? If so, your interest is unhelpfully geared to meeting the standards set by the world. Second, consider how you speak about your work. Are you trying to draw attention to your own accomplishments? This is self-glorifying behavior. Finally, consider whether you take a genuine interest in others. When you enter into a conversation, are you simply waiting for your friends to ask about you, how or what you are doing? Or are you eager to know how they are doing, what is going on in their life, and how you can serve them?

Second, look out for the unremarkable.

Let me first apply this to my own life, as a pastor. I believe that the estimation (that is, the value) of a pastor is not how he treats the elite, but how he treats the obscure, the unremarkable. Many years ago, a Christian wisely noted, "When a minister is not only willing to preach in great assemblies, but also to small; when he habitually instructs his people in spiritual things at their firesides; when he often enters the dwelling of the poor and obscure to warn or console . . . then he is a good pastor." I think this is true. 

I pastor in Sandy Springs, GA, one of the wealthiest cities in the country. Part of my stewardship of this congregation, and part of our stewardship as a congregation, is to bring the Gospel to the business leaders that live in our community. But what about the apartment complexes down the road? What about the immigrants in our neighborhood? Gospel faithfulness would have us remember that unremarkable saints are unique trophies of God's grace.

Very practically, consider the people you approach on a weekly basis. First, visit the homebound. Here are individuals that society says have very little to offer. The Gospel would have us care for them. Second, minister to the elderly in our neighborhoods and in our congregation. Society would say their day is passed. The Gospel would have us honor them. Third, remember the children in our congregations. When they pass by, drop down to greet them and offer a word of encouragement. Better yet, devote a few Sundays each year to serving them in nursery. Fourth, initiate with the quiet in the congregation; those least likely to make conversation. Speak to them out of love for them, and a genuine desire to get to know them.

Third, praise the unremarkable Savior.

Paul told the believers in Corinth, "not many of you were wise according to wordly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth." His statement reminds me a lot of Isaiah 53:2-3, "He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

In every earthly sense, Jesus was unremarkable.

That's my Lord, Savior of the unremarkables. Praise Him!

A Church Legacy

"I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant." -- Joshua 24:13

God spoke these words to Joshua and the people of Israel as they gathered to marvel at their ownership of the Promised Land. On that day the people were able to look in the rearview mirror and remember all that God had done for them. Not only had he redeemed their forefathers from the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt, not only had he kept the nation alive for a generation wandering in a hostile wilderness, but God gave them just what he had promised Abraham centuries earlier: the land of Canaan. The land was move-in ready, too. They had homes already built to shelter their kids, and farms already planted to feed their families. The main point is clear: God takes good care of his children.

Israel's occupation of the Promised Land is, for us, ancient history. But God has not changed. He still takes good care of his children. Consider, for example, his gift of the local church. Most of you who are part of a local church are dwelling in a home that you did not build and you are eating of fruit that you did not plant. The congregation with which you gather each and every week was probably planted years, decades, maybe over a century ago by believers convinced that your area would be helped by a gospel-centered church.

Looking back at the history of MVBC, I can see the faces of founding members who shared pies and the gospel with their neighbors and invited them to church. I know how they devoted their time to setting up chairs every Lord's Day and bringing food to church-wide potlucks. I have heard how they sacrificed so the church would have a place to meet, and so that overseas missionaries would be able to go. And as the years went on, more people came, and they faithfully gave and faithfully served so that we might meet on Mount Vernon Highway today.

I am very thankful for the new work taking place at Mount Vernon. I'm grateful to God for new classes, for new faces, for new evidences of God's grace to me and to the church I serve. But I am also thankful to those who went before me--the pastors and deacons and church members that the Lord used to build this church. I'm reminded every week that the Lord has truly given me, in this local church, a land on which I had not labored, and a city that I did not build, and he has given me orchards that I did not plant. Yes, God still takes good care of his children.

Why We Need the Prophets

This past Sunday, I began a short series through Malachi. He is what bible scholars like to call, a post-exilic prophet. That simply means that he spoke to Israel after the nation had spent a season in Babylonian captivity. By Malachi's day the Temple had been rebuilt and God's people were back home. But it was far from a golden era. They lived under Persian rule, the land was drought-dry, and the economy was in shambles. 

As a pastor, I have the privilege of opening up this ancient book (we think Malachi prophesied in 450 BC) to a contemporary audience. But why does a crowd with 2013 concerns care about such an old, old book? If I had more time on Sunday morning, I would have offered these ten reasons to drive home the point that we need the Prophets today. Why do we need the Prophets?

1. Because the Prophets spoke the Word of God. Paul included the Old Testament Prophets when he wrote to Timothy, "All Scriputre is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God might be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16). In light of this, the Christian has no right to disregard the words of the Prophets. God intends them for our spiritual growth.

2. Because the Prophets spoke in times of crisis. It can certainly be said that every age is an age in crisis. But some ages are worse than others. The prophetic books cover a 300 year span of Israel's history where the dominant theme was exile and judgment. The Prophets prepared a nation for desolation, they ministered to a people that had been deported, and they spoke to a nation struggling to be home again. Everyone who struggles will be helped by the prophets who ministered in a season of great pain for God's people. 

3. Because the Prophets preserved a historical faith. The world today is full of those who deny that God is at work in history. If there is a God, they say, he certainly doesn't have his hand in the fall of nations, the death of kings, and the spread of famine. But try telling that to Isaiah, and Joel, and Jeremiah! The God they worshipped is at work in the nitty-gritty details of everyday life. He is at work bringing history to a point. A careful study of the Prophets is, inevitably, a study of history. More specifically, a study of God at work in history.

4. Because the Prophets knew how to stand up for Truth. Even when Israel's kings were silent, the prophets spoke for the Lord. They knew there was much more at stake than the geographic borders of a nation. Their messages concerned an eternal kingdom, a kingdom home only to those who follow the King. It is not easy to stand up for absolute Truth in a world that denies its very existence. The church today needs courage, the type of courage the prophets powerfully displayed.

5. Because the Prophets weren't impressed by power or prestige. The excesses of earthly kings and the hypocrisy of Israelite priests were both targets of the prophets' outrage. It's one thing to speak truth. It's another thing altogether to speak truth to power. Of course, the One for whom these prophets spoke is more powerful than any king. He is holier than any priest. The Prophets learned to be impressed by the Lord.

6. Because the Prophets predicted the future. Amos and Hosea predicted the fall of Israel. Ezekiel predicted the defeat of neighboring nations. God gave them insight into tomorrow because he wanted Israel to repent today. Alec Motyer put it this way, "To predict what was about to happen was to them an essential consequence of their fellowship with the Lord of history (e.g. Amos 3:7). When in his presence they felt obliged to ask the vital question 'How long?' (Isaiah 6:11) and to wait to hear the answer. But when they proclaimed the answer it was not in order to satisfy men's curiosity about the future; it was to use their certainty about what was to come as a lever to bring people to repentance here and now." The prophets were reliable guides to the history of Israel and they remain reliable guides to the history of humanity.

7. Because the Prophets minced no words. They spoke with cutting clarity. Their words were designed to shake the spiritual lethargy out of their listeners. There is no mistaking God's anger when he says through Malachi, "Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it" (Malachi 2:3). These are sharp, coarse words. They should not be easily ignored. They are the words of a God who hates sin. They are there to point out our sin. We need honest words because our hearts can be hardened.

8. Because the Prophets are honest about coming judgment. Our good God is a just God. He does not tolerate sin. Throughout history there have been men and women who thought they could hide their wickedness. They cannot. It will either be laid bare under the light of Christ's cross in this life or it will be revealed under the stunning brightness of God's wrath in the next. The words of the Prophets are clear, "Let all the inhabitents of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!" (Joel 2:1-2).

9. Because the Prophets cast a vision of a beautiful future for God's people. I love the words of Isaiah when he spoke of the New Jersualem, "No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days" (65:20). Not only will there be everlasting life but there will be perfect communion with God: "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear" (65:24). To go to the prophets is to learn about the glorious inheritance of the saints.

10. Because the Prophets point to Christ. Luke describes the Savior explaining how the writings of Moses and the Prophets are all about him (Luke 24:27, 44). As the Prophets disclose our sin, they point to Jesus who bore it. As the Prophets describe heaven, they point to Jesus who bought it. From Isaiah's promise of a Suffering Servant to Malachi's promise of a messenger who will prepare the way for God--Christ is promised by the Prophets. 

The Prophets are too neglected by God's people today. We dismiss these books too easily as messages of gloom and doom that will simply bring us down. It's true, the Prophets boldly reveal our sin. If you can read the Prophets without being reminded of your own hypocrisy, then you aren't reading them rightly. But isn't it when our sin becomes clearest that our appreciation for Christ is at its highest? So read the Prophets with joy because their words are for our good--even today.

And if you are at Mount Vernon the next few weeks, start with Malachi!

 

 

Incarnation Booklet

For this month's newsletter at MVBC, we published a short article, "25 Lessons from the Incarnation." Here it is in downloadable booklet form.

Merry Christmas!

What is a Gospel-Centered Conversation?

A few weeks ago, at a church members meeting, I was sharing a little bit about the small group ministry we are about to start. We haven't had small groups here, at least officially, for quite a while. I mentioned that the groups tended to be informal conversations about a Scripture passage, sermon, or even a good Christian book. We are aiming, I said, to have kind of gospel-centered conversations we hope you are having around your kitchen table. In other words, we want to model--in a small group format--the types of discussion that should be a part of our daily lives.

After I finished the presentation, a faithful member raised his hand and asked, "Aaron, what is a gospel-centered conversation?" I have to admit that his question took me aback. 

My reading and thinking has been so awashed in the vernacular of "gospel-centered" that I took it for granted everyone know what I was talking about. After all, there are books on gospel-centered parenting, the gospel-centered family, gospel-centered discipleship, gospel-centered hermeneutics, gospel-centered funerals, the gospel-centered life, and of course, a book that argues the gospel is so central to everything that it's title is simply, The Gospel as Center. Perhaps it should be no surprise that the phrase, "gospel-centered conversations" flowed so easily out of my mouth.

So, what is a gospel-centered conversation? It is the attempt by a Christian to speak words of grace and truth into the life of another person.

Two passages are particulary instructive. First, Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Paul is encouraging gospel-centered conversations in the sense that he's exhorting believers--men and women whose lives have already been transformed by the gospel. Those who have "put away falsehood" (v. 25) are those who have been born again; they have put on a new self (v. 24). If the gospel has changed your life, you must now be eager to see your words improve and edify those with whom you speak. To "give grace" to another person may simply mean to bless them. But it could mean that God chooses to work in your friend through the words you speak. 

Second, Hebrews 3:13, "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Our words are used by God to protect our brothers and sisters from the deceitfulness of sin. Clearly, human wisdom cannot accomplish this. We need words saturated with gospel-truth. By encouraging others to pursue Christ, we are helping them grow in godliness; we are helping them live the gospel.

We should aim, every day, to have gospel-centered conversations that encourage other people to follow Jesus. What could this mean for you while you sit down over chicken and green beans with family or friends? Instead of limiting conversation to the rainy day, your team's missed field goal, the plot of the latest movie you saw, or the temperature of the mashed potatoes, consider asking some questions that will stimulate gospel-centered conversation:

1. What have you found espeically interesting as you've been reading the Word recently?
2. Did anything strike you from last week's sermon?
3. What are you thankful for this week?
4. Are you facing any challenges to your faith that I can be praying about?
5. Where have you seen spiritual growth in your life this past month?
6. Have you made any opportunities to share the gospel recently?
7. Who are some of the people in you life that you are investing in the most right now?
8. Have you grown recently in what means to rest in Christ?
9. How has Christian truth helped you at work lately?
10. What suffering are you enduring as a Christian?

My fear is that many Christians just are not used to answering questions like this. They expect them in Sunday school, but they don't expect to actually have to answer them. They see these questions are kind of like foreign currency--interesting to look at but not much use. But think about how much good could come by peppering your daily conversations with questions like this. Your friends and family will come to see that you really care about their souls. They will come to expect this kind of conversation--which may spur them to grow in Christ when you aren't even with them. 

Please don't misunderstand me. There is a time to talk about the weather, your favorite team, and a show you particularly enjoy. As Christians, we can receive all things with thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4:3-4). But may our conversations--in and out of small groups--be increasingly marked by the gospel at work in our lives.