The need of the church and its individual members is not to envelop Christ in our faithfulness but to be enveloped by Christ’s.
What’s the difference?
G.C. Berkouwer is helpful here in illustrating what I mean by showing contrasting responses by Peter to the Lord Jesus. One response reveals Peter being enveloped by Christ (our need), and the contrasting response is Peter seeking to envelope Christ (as if Christ needs us).
When Peter, stupefied by the wonderful catch of fish, confronts the goodness of his Master, he cries out: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord! (Luke 5:8). Surrounded by the radiance of the Master, Peter can only bow his head. This is Peter being enveloped by Christ(this is our need and the key to our growth in godliness).
Peter’s response in this latter account amounts to another religion altogether. Later those other words were to cut through the night: “If all shall be offended in thee, I will never be offended” (Matt 26:33). By these words Peter meant to envelop Christ with his (Peter’s) fidelity and love. Christ must here bathe in Peter’s glory, not Peter in Christ’s.
Berkouwer closes his thoughts on this with these sobering words: We know the outcome. Not these words, but rather those spoken over the bonanza of fish, is the need of the church and what glorifies Christ.
(Studies in Dogmatics: Faith and Sanctification, 67).
Showing posts with label Church Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church Life. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Front Porch Ecclesiology
"I don't know my neighbor." How many of us have said this in recent years? Sociologists give many reasons for the decline of community in neighborhoods, but perhaps the most interesting culprit of seclusion is air-conditioning! Before the mid-20th century, when the heat of the afternoon came, you would make some lemon aid, go to the porch, and sit with the rest of your neighbors in a sea of porches. Now, most of us live in a world where we can easily find artificial relief from the heat with just the flick of a thermostat. Thus, we never sit outside; we never know our neighbor; and we never enjoy the community our grandparents knew.
Do non-Christians notice the community found among Christians? They should! You see, the Christian was smothering in a house heated by his sin. And, after trying to fan himself with a cheap, paper fan made of good works, he realizes the only hope for relief was to be found outside of himself- outside of his house. So he leaves his house, feels the breeze of God's grace on his face, sucks in his lungs His mercy, and basks in the wide-open space of His glory. Once on the porch, he finds others around him who too have abandoned the doom of their houses, and while they came outside for the redeeming, cool air, they realize this delighting in God happens in a neighborhood, in a community, in a church. So remarks Hughes Oliphant Old, "Here we see that the true worship of God, which is always theocentric, nevertheless edifies the neighbor." One can no more know God and not be in His church than one can step out of their door and not be in their neighborhood.
We, just like a pre-AC neighborhood, all have one thing in common; we have found delight in something we could not provide ourselves. This delight creates a close community, and when others see this community from their windows, they are drawn out of the artificial air of pleasure and self-ambition, and in to the life-giving air God provides. Old develops his point, "True thanksgiving is also a witness. It is precisely in its being theocentric that it is most philanthropic. The praises that celebrate his mighty acts, the witness to his salvation, the celebration of his works, the confession of his truth, and dedication to this service are the end of the experience that begins with adoration." To not know our neighbor is sad, but to not know the fellowship of the redeemed because we never stepped in to the cooling grace of our Redeemer is tragic. So may we live in such harmony and fellowship that others will be drawn to the mercy of God found in Christ.
Do non-Christians notice the community found among Christians? They should! You see, the Christian was smothering in a house heated by his sin. And, after trying to fan himself with a cheap, paper fan made of good works, he realizes the only hope for relief was to be found outside of himself- outside of his house. So he leaves his house, feels the breeze of God's grace on his face, sucks in his lungs His mercy, and basks in the wide-open space of His glory. Once on the porch, he finds others around him who too have abandoned the doom of their houses, and while they came outside for the redeeming, cool air, they realize this delighting in God happens in a neighborhood, in a community, in a church. So remarks Hughes Oliphant Old, "Here we see that the true worship of God, which is always theocentric, nevertheless edifies the neighbor." One can no more know God and not be in His church than one can step out of their door and not be in their neighborhood.
We, just like a pre-AC neighborhood, all have one thing in common; we have found delight in something we could not provide ourselves. This delight creates a close community, and when others see this community from their windows, they are drawn out of the artificial air of pleasure and self-ambition, and in to the life-giving air God provides. Old develops his point, "True thanksgiving is also a witness. It is precisely in its being theocentric that it is most philanthropic. The praises that celebrate his mighty acts, the witness to his salvation, the celebration of his works, the confession of his truth, and dedication to this service are the end of the experience that begins with adoration." To not know our neighbor is sad, but to not know the fellowship of the redeemed because we never stepped in to the cooling grace of our Redeemer is tragic. So may we live in such harmony and fellowship that others will be drawn to the mercy of God found in Christ.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Our Methods Matter
Yesterday an article on the Huffington Post caught me off guard; and frankly, upset me. The title: "Church Embraces Bribery To Draw Easter Audience"
The article was first posted on Friday 04/22/11. Here is the full script:
One church in the Minneapolis area is taking an unconventional approach to recruiting new people to their services this Easter weekend -- bribery.
The Crossing, based in Elk River, Minn. is offering the chance to win a 3D television or a new Nintendo 3DS gaming system to those in attendance at the church's Easter worship service. The Crossing's pastor, Eric Dykstra, has no qualms about using the promise of prizes to attract a greater audience.
"I have no problem bribing people with crap in order to meet Christ," he says.
This is not the first time that The Crossing has used this method to attract people to its services. Last year, the church gave away cars to a few lucky attendees of their Easter service. So far the tactics seem to be working, as the church's attendance has steadily grown since its founding five years ago. This year, The Crossing expects more than 5,000 people on Easter Sunday.
As I think about the methodology of this church, it reminded me of a statement from the 19th century British pastor, Charles Spurgeon who said that "He who marries today's fashion is tomorrow's widow."
When the size of God has seized us more than the size of our attendance, only then will we be redemptively different and serve as God's new creation agents in a world longing for change.
What is ironic is that the more the church pursues worldly relevance, the more it will become more irrelevant to the world around it. There's an irrelevance to pursuing relevance, just as there is a relevance to practicing irrelevance. As Tullian Tchividjian has written (in "Unfashionable"), to be truly relevant you have to say things that are unfashionably eternal, not trendy. It's the timeless things that are most relevant to people, and we must not forget this in our pursuit of relevance.
This includes our methodology. This matters. It must match the message and the goal. As God told Moses numerous times in his building of the tabernacle: Build it according to the pattern on the Mount. The way Moses built the tabernacle mattered to God as much as the fact that Moses built the tabernacle. In our methodology, we should not be appealing to the very thing we are called to die to--the flesh.
Hear the timely words of a remarkable preacher of the early-mid 20th century, Martyn Lloyd-Jones on this very issue:
We seem to have a real horror of being different. Hence all our attempts and endeavors to popularize the church and make it appeal to people….But the world expects the Christian to be different and looks to him for something different, and therein it shows an insight into life that regular church-goers often lack…If a person feels at home in any church without believing in Christ as personal Savior, then that church is no church at all, but a place of entertainment or a social club (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The First Forty Years 1899-1939, 141-42.
The article was first posted on Friday 04/22/11. Here is the full script:
One church in the Minneapolis area is taking an unconventional approach to recruiting new people to their services this Easter weekend -- bribery.
The Crossing, based in Elk River, Minn. is offering the chance to win a 3D television or a new Nintendo 3DS gaming system to those in attendance at the church's Easter worship service. The Crossing's pastor, Eric Dykstra, has no qualms about using the promise of prizes to attract a greater audience.
"I have no problem bribing people with crap in order to meet Christ," he says.
This is not the first time that The Crossing has used this method to attract people to its services. Last year, the church gave away cars to a few lucky attendees of their Easter service. So far the tactics seem to be working, as the church's attendance has steadily grown since its founding five years ago. This year, The Crossing expects more than 5,000 people on Easter Sunday.
As I think about the methodology of this church, it reminded me of a statement from the 19th century British pastor, Charles Spurgeon who said that "He who marries today's fashion is tomorrow's widow."
When the size of God has seized us more than the size of our attendance, only then will we be redemptively different and serve as God's new creation agents in a world longing for change.
What is ironic is that the more the church pursues worldly relevance, the more it will become more irrelevant to the world around it. There's an irrelevance to pursuing relevance, just as there is a relevance to practicing irrelevance. As Tullian Tchividjian has written (in "Unfashionable"), to be truly relevant you have to say things that are unfashionably eternal, not trendy. It's the timeless things that are most relevant to people, and we must not forget this in our pursuit of relevance.
This includes our methodology. This matters. It must match the message and the goal. As God told Moses numerous times in his building of the tabernacle: Build it according to the pattern on the Mount. The way Moses built the tabernacle mattered to God as much as the fact that Moses built the tabernacle. In our methodology, we should not be appealing to the very thing we are called to die to--the flesh.
Hear the timely words of a remarkable preacher of the early-mid 20th century, Martyn Lloyd-Jones on this very issue:
We seem to have a real horror of being different. Hence all our attempts and endeavors to popularize the church and make it appeal to people….But the world expects the Christian to be different and looks to him for something different, and therein it shows an insight into life that regular church-goers often lack…If a person feels at home in any church without believing in Christ as personal Savior, then that church is no church at all, but a place of entertainment or a social club (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The First Forty Years 1899-1939, 141-42.
Spirit-People-Word
What is the place of Scripture in our church? John Stott helps:
"A living church is a learning church, a church submissive to the teaching authority of the apostles. Its pastors expound Scripture from the pulpit. Its parents teach their children out of the Scriptures at home, and its member read and reflect on the Scriptures every day in order to grow in Christian discipleship. The Spirit of God leads the people of God to honor the word of God. Fidelity to the teaching of the apostles is the first mark of an authentic and living church." -John Stott, The Living Church
"A living church is a learning church, a church submissive to the teaching authority of the apostles. Its pastors expound Scripture from the pulpit. Its parents teach their children out of the Scriptures at home, and its member read and reflect on the Scriptures every day in order to grow in Christian discipleship. The Spirit of God leads the people of God to honor the word of God. Fidelity to the teaching of the apostles is the first mark of an authentic and living church." -John Stott, The Living Church
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Mark of Revival: A Turning to and Warm Devotion to the Lord Jesus
How do we know when true revival has come, individually and corporately? One of my great influences, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, is perceptive here:
Revival, above everything else, is a glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is the restoration of him to the center of the life of the Church. In other words, when revival has come, individually and corporately (in the local church), You find this warm devotion, personal devotion, to him. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Revival, above everything else, is a glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is the restoration of him to the center of the life of the Church. In other words, when revival has come, individually and corporately (in the local church), You find this warm devotion, personal devotion, to him. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Saturday, February 26, 2011
6 Unbiblical Trends Concerning our View of the Church
R. Kent Hughes in his book Set Apart: Calling a worldly church to a Godly life says there are at least 6 trends that are common in American Christianity that undermine the picture of what the church is to be:
(1) Hitchhiker Christians—Evangelicalism is blanketed with a trend of conditional loyalty that has produced an army of church hitchhikers (you buy the car, pay for the repairs, insurance, and gas and I’ll ride with you. But if you have an accident, you are on your own and I might sue).
(2) Consumer Christians—What’s in it for me? Church shoppers attend one church for preaching, send their children to a second church for its youth program, and go to a third church’s small group.
(3) Spectator Christians—There are always those who hang at the church's fringes as spectators. They have bought that lie that virtue can come and grow merely through viewing and listening (Fans who cheer the players on while they themselves are in desperate need of engagement.
(4) Drive-through Christians—The nice things about drive through is that you can get what you want in a minimum of time with no more effort than turning your power steering. The result is a drive through nation of unfit people with an addiction to fast foods. Drive through Christians get their church fix out of the way either on Saturday nights or early Sunday services so there will be time for other activities. Of course, there is a high price to pay over time in the habits and spiritual arteries of a flabby soul--a family that is unfit for the battles of life and has no conception of being Christian soldiers in the great spiritual battle.
(5) Relationless Christians— The Bible pictures Christians as people who live in relationship to Christ and to one another by virtue of their being members of Christ's body, the church. But in this erroneous view, the best church is the one that knows you least and demands the least--that is, no accountability or demands.
(6) Churchless Christians--The current myth is that a life of worship is possible, even better, apart from the church. The loss of commitment to the church has naturally produced a casual observance of Sunday as the Lord's Day. What in the Old Testament is called a holy day has become for many professing Christians a holiday.
(1) Hitchhiker Christians—Evangelicalism is blanketed with a trend of conditional loyalty that has produced an army of church hitchhikers (you buy the car, pay for the repairs, insurance, and gas and I’ll ride with you. But if you have an accident, you are on your own and I might sue).
(2) Consumer Christians—What’s in it for me? Church shoppers attend one church for preaching, send their children to a second church for its youth program, and go to a third church’s small group.
(3) Spectator Christians—There are always those who hang at the church's fringes as spectators. They have bought that lie that virtue can come and grow merely through viewing and listening (Fans who cheer the players on while they themselves are in desperate need of engagement.
(4) Drive-through Christians—The nice things about drive through is that you can get what you want in a minimum of time with no more effort than turning your power steering. The result is a drive through nation of unfit people with an addiction to fast foods. Drive through Christians get their church fix out of the way either on Saturday nights or early Sunday services so there will be time for other activities. Of course, there is a high price to pay over time in the habits and spiritual arteries of a flabby soul--a family that is unfit for the battles of life and has no conception of being Christian soldiers in the great spiritual battle.
(5) Relationless Christians— The Bible pictures Christians as people who live in relationship to Christ and to one another by virtue of their being members of Christ's body, the church. But in this erroneous view, the best church is the one that knows you least and demands the least--that is, no accountability or demands.
(6) Churchless Christians--The current myth is that a life of worship is possible, even better, apart from the church. The loss of commitment to the church has naturally produced a casual observance of Sunday as the Lord's Day. What in the Old Testament is called a holy day has become for many professing Christians a holiday.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Church Membership and Church Attendance
Most local Rotary clubs will take a person's name off the membership roll if he fails to attend the meetings for an extended period of time. Yet many churches will allow a person to stay on the membership roll for years after he or she has stopped attending! Membership should mean more in the church than it does in a Rotary club....Biblically, if a member shows prolonged negligence in gathering with God's people, how can he say he loves them? And if he doesn't love them, how can he say he loves God (c.f. 1 John 4:20-21)...When we allow prolonged nonattenders to keep their names on the membership rolls, we actually help deceive them into thinking they are saved when their behavior is in fact calling their salvation into question (Mark Dever, The Deliberate Church, 47-48).
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Church as Foretaste
This is our role in our dying cultures--to be outposts of the heavenly people of God in the midst of the inhabitants of the earth. We are to be a taste of the kingdom (Mark Lauterbach, The Transforming Community, 43).
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Thankfulness for God's Grace
When you lose your sense of gratitude for your acceptance into God's Kingdom, you will lose your zeal for the work of that Kingdom. And you will live in daily pursuit and daily celebration of the purposes of some other kingdom (Paul Tripp, Broken Down House, 184).
Could it be that our frequent lack of zeal for ministry is due to the fact that we have lost our sense of awe, wonder, and thankfulness that God has mercifully and graciously saved us in Jesus Christ? But here is the kicker: we were created as the "image of God" to "celebrate" and "pursue." That is part of what makes us human and gives us the capacity to worship and glorify the living God. However, if Tripp is correct (and I think he is), when we fail to walk in light of God's grace, the default position is an idolatrous Babel Building project that in the end is vain, temporal, and under judgment (Rev 11:15).
Could it be that our frequent lack of zeal for ministry is due to the fact that we have lost our sense of awe, wonder, and thankfulness that God has mercifully and graciously saved us in Jesus Christ? But here is the kicker: we were created as the "image of God" to "celebrate" and "pursue." That is part of what makes us human and gives us the capacity to worship and glorify the living God. However, if Tripp is correct (and I think he is), when we fail to walk in light of God's grace, the default position is an idolatrous Babel Building project that in the end is vain, temporal, and under judgment (Rev 11:15).
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Christian Living
Do you know what I think is one of the most damaging trends in the 21st century Western church? "Privatism." One dictionary defines privatism as "being noncommittal to or uninvolved with anything other than one's own immediate interests and lifestyle."
What are some ways you think this mentality could weaken the impact and health of the local church?
What are some ways you think this mentality could weaken the impact and health of the local church?
Community
"When God saves sinners, he saves them 'as' individuals but 'to' community. Isolation from other Christians is not an option for a believer. The Bible nowhere says that one can have Christ the Head without Christ the body (the church). A real relationship with God shows itself in a real relationship with his people. To neglect the body of Christ is to neglect Christ; to be isolated from the body is to be isolated from Christ" (Tullian Tchividjian, "Unfashionable," p. 42).
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