Key Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29
There are many famous structures around the world:
1. Statue of Liberty, New York
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris
3. Great Wall of China
4. Taj Mahal, India
5. Burj al Arab Hotel, Dubai
6. Neushawanstein, Bavaria
7. Jin Mao & SWFC, Shanghai
8. Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Standing at an incredible 828 metres tall, (2717 feet) it towers above Dubai, UAE. It has 160 floors and was officially opened in 2010.
Structures like Burj Khalifa depend on their foundations. The purpose of a foundation is to spread the weight of the structure over a wide area.
There are a few kinds of foundations:
Shallow foundations – at least 3 feet below the surface of the ground; for small, light buildings such as residential homes
Deep foundations – 60 to 200 feet below the top of the ground; usually use piles (long cylinders of strong material like concrete pushed deep into the ground); used where there are layers of weak soil at the surface; for large, heavy buildings such as high-rise structures
Every building structure needs to built on a firm foundation.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its unique structure. Construction began in 1173 and by the time the workers had finished the second floor it was already leaning. This is because it was built 0.2 degrees north of vertical. After completing the seventh floor it was leaning 1 degree to the south. Today is it leaning 4 degrees from vertical which is about 13 feet. At one time it was leaning 5.5 degrees after restoration attempts. The tower was built on soft group composed mostly of clay, fine sand, and shells. The foundation was only 3 meters deep for a 14,500 ton tower. Contrast this to the Burj Khalifa with a foundation that uses piles and goes 50 meters deep (164 feet).
Again, it is very, very crucial to build on a solid foundation.
What can happen if something is not built on a firm foundation?
1. Cracks in the foundation walls
2. Walls fall apart
3. Structure settles
4. Structure tips over
5. Structure sinks (sink hole)
6. Structure is blown away by a storm, tornado, or hurricane
7. Structure is swept away by a flood
8. Structure crumbles by an earthquake
Showing posts with label Closer Look. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Closer Look. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
“Persistence”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop
You may have heard the famous saying: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” When I think of that phrase, I think of persistence.
Persistence is defined as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.”
Jesus told a story in Luke, just after He taught the disciples to pray that speaks of persistence.
Luke 11.5-8 (KJV):
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Again, this story is just after Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer in order to drive home the concept of persistence.
In this parable, a villager is in bed with his family at midnight and a neighbor comes to his door to get bread. Hospitality was a strictly observed custom in the Middle East, and a man caught without bread for a visitor would be in a shameful and desperately needy position. Only such a need would drive a man to his neighbor’s house at midnight. And only such a need would drive the man to this level of persistence.
There is a word in verse 8 that we need to understand. The word is importunity. Importunity is when you beg someone to do something. The adjective, importunate, describes a plea that is persistent or demanding that becomes annoying. And that is what is happening here.
The Greek word translated “boldness” in the NIV and “persistence” in the NASB implies impudence and audacity. This is what Jesus is saying should be our attitude as we approach the throne of grace—a confident boldness that persists in pursuing God until he grants us mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16), which says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
So in this parable, if this man would give his neighbor what he wanted not out of friendship, but because of shamelessness, how much more will God who loves us, give us when we come to Him?
Just before this in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said to pray, “Your will be done.” So putting this with Matthew 7.7, ask and keep asking, we are to be persistent in asking God to work in our lives and answer our prayers according to His will.
As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are to “pray without ceasing.” Having confidence in God, we experience his goodness and love.
So, I encourage you to “A.S.K.” – that is, Ask, Seek, and Knock. And be persistent in prayer!
Persistence is defined as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.”
Jesus told a story in Luke, just after He taught the disciples to pray that speaks of persistence.
Luke 11.5-8 (KJV):
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Again, this story is just after Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer in order to drive home the concept of persistence.
In this parable, a villager is in bed with his family at midnight and a neighbor comes to his door to get bread. Hospitality was a strictly observed custom in the Middle East, and a man caught without bread for a visitor would be in a shameful and desperately needy position. Only such a need would drive a man to his neighbor’s house at midnight. And only such a need would drive the man to this level of persistence.
There is a word in verse 8 that we need to understand. The word is importunity. Importunity is when you beg someone to do something. The adjective, importunate, describes a plea that is persistent or demanding that becomes annoying. And that is what is happening here.
The Greek word translated “boldness” in the NIV and “persistence” in the NASB implies impudence and audacity. This is what Jesus is saying should be our attitude as we approach the throne of grace—a confident boldness that persists in pursuing God until he grants us mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16), which says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
So in this parable, if this man would give his neighbor what he wanted not out of friendship, but because of shamelessness, how much more will God who loves us, give us when we come to Him?
Just before this in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said to pray, “Your will be done.” So putting this with Matthew 7.7, ask and keep asking, we are to be persistent in asking God to work in our lives and answer our prayers according to His will.
As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are to “pray without ceasing.” Having confidence in God, we experience his goodness and love.
So, I encourage you to “A.S.K.” – that is, Ask, Seek, and Knock. And be persistent in prayer!
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
“Forgiveness”, A Closer Look by Mike Lewis
Forgiveness...the act of forgiving. This is a concept we all know. It is a concept we all know we should practice. Why is it so hard? I’ve struggled with this many times in my life. I struggle with it even today. I’m sure I’ll struggle with it in the future but I’m better at it today than I was ten years ago, five years ago, a year ago, and even better than I was yesterday.
How many times is forgiveness mentioned in the Bible? The word “forgiveness” is mentioned in the NIV bible fourteen times. Once in the Old Testament and thirteen times in the New Testament.
The concept of forgiveness is mentioned more frequently. For example, the word “forgive” appears forty-two times in the Old Testament and thirty-three times in the New Testament. The word “forgiven” appears seventeen times in the Old Testament and twenty-eight times in the New Testament. The word “forgiving” appears six times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament.
The word “forgiveness” appears in the NIV in the following verses:
Matthew 6:14-15 reads, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
According to Jesus (these are the “red” words), forgiving someone is essential for our own salvation in God’s eyes. Who are we to question Jesus? We must release the other person from blame, give it up to God, and move on. This does not mean we have to forget. As a matter of fact, that is probably impossible. Just don’t take it back from God. Make it His to keep.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of forgiving someone. It is a feeling of freedom. When we refuse to forgive someone, we are chained to the anger and resentment that will eventually consume us. It truly is like a cancer that eats us from the inside out. Lewis Smedes wrote this about forgiveness in his book Forgive and Forget, “When you release the wrongdoer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumor out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself.”
I’ve hopefully given you some things to think about but I want to ask again, what is forgiveness? The Bible points us to Jesus and His desire, if not need, to save us from our sins. Peter said in Acts 10:39-43, “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Matthew 18:21-22 records, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not just seven times but seventy-seven times!’” We must continue to forgive to receive God’s blessing. It is His will.
As we get closer to Easter, we need to remember that Jesus died on the Cross to forgive us of our sins. In the last moments of His life, He called out to God. Do you remember what he said? He said, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do?” God forgave them and He still forgives us because of that one moment. Can you do the same?
How many times is forgiveness mentioned in the Bible? The word “forgiveness” is mentioned in the NIV bible fourteen times. Once in the Old Testament and thirteen times in the New Testament.
The concept of forgiveness is mentioned more frequently. For example, the word “forgive” appears forty-two times in the Old Testament and thirty-three times in the New Testament. The word “forgiven” appears seventeen times in the Old Testament and twenty-eight times in the New Testament. The word “forgiving” appears six times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament.
The word “forgiveness” appears in the NIV in the following verses:
- “But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.” (Psalms 130:4)
- “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
- “And so John came, baptising in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4)
- “to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,” (Luke 1:77)
- “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:3)
- “and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47)
- “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38)
- “God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.” (Acts 5:31)
- “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43)
- “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” (Acts 13:38)
- “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:18)
- “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
- “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14)
- “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)
Matthew 6:14-15 reads, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
According to Jesus (these are the “red” words), forgiving someone is essential for our own salvation in God’s eyes. Who are we to question Jesus? We must release the other person from blame, give it up to God, and move on. This does not mean we have to forget. As a matter of fact, that is probably impossible. Just don’t take it back from God. Make it His to keep.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of forgiving someone. It is a feeling of freedom. When we refuse to forgive someone, we are chained to the anger and resentment that will eventually consume us. It truly is like a cancer that eats us from the inside out. Lewis Smedes wrote this about forgiveness in his book Forgive and Forget, “When you release the wrongdoer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumor out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself.”
I’ve hopefully given you some things to think about but I want to ask again, what is forgiveness? The Bible points us to Jesus and His desire, if not need, to save us from our sins. Peter said in Acts 10:39-43, “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Matthew 18:21-22 records, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not just seven times but seventy-seven times!’” We must continue to forgive to receive God’s blessing. It is His will.
As we get closer to Easter, we need to remember that Jesus died on the Cross to forgive us of our sins. In the last moments of His life, He called out to God. Do you remember what he said? He said, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do?” God forgave them and He still forgives us because of that one moment. Can you do the same?
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
“Giving”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
“If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” Typically, this expression means: If you have a great body, don’t hide it under modest attire. Show yourself off for the world to see. If you have a brilliant mind, don’t be humble and unassuming. Expose the genius within. If you have money, spend it so that people know you’re loaded. My favorite is, “If you are going to make a scene, be seen.”
It seems that many Christians assume that this expression is valid in the spiritual realm. It’s common for Christians to brag about how much they give, how much they pray, how much they serve, and how spiritual they are.
So what does it mean to give to the church? We hear complaints from Christians and church members who say, “Churches today only care about money.” “There is too much abuse and misuse of church funds. Why should I give?” “How do I know the money will go to a good cause?”
First and foremost giving means we are giving to God alone. Not to the church and not to the pastor. In fact, the Bible teaches us to give for our own good and for our own blessing, from a cheerful heart. The Bible also says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
Everything we own and everything we have comes from God. So, when we give, we simply offer him a small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God. It comes from a heart of worship that recognizes that everything we give already belongs to the Lord. God instructed Old Testament believers to give a tithe, or a tenth, because this ten percent represented the first or most important portion of all they had. The New Testament does not suggest a certain percentage for giving, but simply says for each to give “in keeping with his income.”
We are blessed when we give. Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). God wants us to give because he knows how blessed we will be as we give generously to him and to others. Giving is an act commanded by God; it brings more blessing to the giver than to the recipient.
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks of ways that enable us to give in the right way.
Give without fanfare (6:1–4). Jesus urges you and I to give with pure motives that please God. Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” The word, “beware,” always warns of danger ahead. Jesus warns you to beware of seeking to impress people. He doesn’t say that you can’t be impressive. Jesus focuses on the topic of financial giving. He says in 6:2, “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Jesus also says “when” you give. The word, “when,” is a key word throughout this entire passage. Jesus does not say, “if,” but, “when.” Jesus says in verses 3 and 4, “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Don’t give with your right hand while you wave your left hand in the air. Instead, just drop your check in the offering or send it in the mail, without drawing attention to yourself. Fold the check. Keep the envelope sealed. Give in a spirit of humility and simplicity, as an act of worship. Try giving anonymously sometimes, even if it means that you do not receive a tax deduction. “So that our giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
There is a story of Billy Graham, when he was first in the ministry and he and his wife Ruth were struggling to keep afloat. Billy and Ruth went to church and Billy had a 5-dollar bill and a 10-dollar bill in his pocket. The 5 was for the offering and the 10 was for them to live on for the week. During the service, Billy grabbed the wrong bill by mistake and placed the 10 in the plate. The story goes on to say that when he got home and told Ruth of his mistake, she said to him, “God only gave you credit for the 5 anyway.” God sees our intent not our actions. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, and merry givers.
Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a “cheerful giver”?
It seems that many Christians assume that this expression is valid in the spiritual realm. It’s common for Christians to brag about how much they give, how much they pray, how much they serve, and how spiritual they are.
So what does it mean to give to the church? We hear complaints from Christians and church members who say, “Churches today only care about money.” “There is too much abuse and misuse of church funds. Why should I give?” “How do I know the money will go to a good cause?”
First and foremost giving means we are giving to God alone. Not to the church and not to the pastor. In fact, the Bible teaches us to give for our own good and for our own blessing, from a cheerful heart. The Bible also says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
Everything we own and everything we have comes from God. So, when we give, we simply offer him a small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God. It comes from a heart of worship that recognizes that everything we give already belongs to the Lord. God instructed Old Testament believers to give a tithe, or a tenth, because this ten percent represented the first or most important portion of all they had. The New Testament does not suggest a certain percentage for giving, but simply says for each to give “in keeping with his income.”
We are blessed when we give. Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). God wants us to give because he knows how blessed we will be as we give generously to him and to others. Giving is an act commanded by God; it brings more blessing to the giver than to the recipient.
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks of ways that enable us to give in the right way.
Give without fanfare (6:1–4). Jesus urges you and I to give with pure motives that please God. Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” The word, “beware,” always warns of danger ahead. Jesus warns you to beware of seeking to impress people. He doesn’t say that you can’t be impressive. Jesus focuses on the topic of financial giving. He says in 6:2, “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Jesus also says “when” you give. The word, “when,” is a key word throughout this entire passage. Jesus does not say, “if,” but, “when.” Jesus says in verses 3 and 4, “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Don’t give with your right hand while you wave your left hand in the air. Instead, just drop your check in the offering or send it in the mail, without drawing attention to yourself. Fold the check. Keep the envelope sealed. Give in a spirit of humility and simplicity, as an act of worship. Try giving anonymously sometimes, even if it means that you do not receive a tax deduction. “So that our giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
There is a story of Billy Graham, when he was first in the ministry and he and his wife Ruth were struggling to keep afloat. Billy and Ruth went to church and Billy had a 5-dollar bill and a 10-dollar bill in his pocket. The 5 was for the offering and the 10 was for them to live on for the week. During the service, Billy grabbed the wrong bill by mistake and placed the 10 in the plate. The story goes on to say that when he got home and told Ruth of his mistake, she said to him, “God only gave you credit for the 5 anyway.” God sees our intent not our actions. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, and merry givers.
Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a “cheerful giver”?
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
“Revenge and Loving Your Enemies”, A Closer Look by Ann Martin
Jesus’ saying “You have heard it said an eye for an eye” is the fifth illustration of becoming righteous. He is referring to the law of retaliation mentioned in Exodus 21:23-24, “But if there be any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
This law obligated the offender to suffer the same injury he had committed. Jesus is saying that rather than avenging injury or insult, one must be ready to suffer patiently a repetition of the same injury. He was referring to those who suffered for righteousness’ sake. It was not intended to permit men to take vengeance into one’s own hands especially for personal affronts.
Revenge often leads to irrational behavior including seeking revenge against a person when that person may not have been at fault. Looking at 1 Kings 3, we understand this passage usually refers to the wisdom given to Solomon to judge his people – a kind a wisdom that can only come from God.
In this story, two women come before Solomon, each claiming a child as their own. These two women were prostitutes (according to one commentary, this might have been referring to tavern keepers because prostitutes would not have dared appear before the king and prostitution was not permitted under the laws of the land at that time.) We know these women made their living in the same manner, lived in the same house alone, and each had a baby within 3 days of each other.
When one baby died during the night, its mother switched it with the living baby before dawn. In the morning, each woman claimed the living child as her own before Solomon. His solution was to set a trap to determine the true mother. He ordered someone to divide the baby into two parts and give half to each woman. The real mother said, “Oh no. Let her have the child so it might live.” The mother of the child who had died offered the baby to Solomon saying, “The child will be neither mine nor yours.” In other words, she was saying through misguided thinking that life is not fair and if I cannot have the child then neither can you.
The second mother’s reaction to dividing the child told Solomon she was not the true mother and the other one was awarded the child. As is often the case, retaliation can lead to that irrational behavior I mentioned earlier, causing even more pain.
The law from Leviticus 19:18 says “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of my people, but shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” This is the direction Jesus went next in His teaching: love our enemies.
Think about these two women returning home to the house they shared with all this conflict between them. These women had to learn to trust and care again. God granted Solomon the gift of wisdom that can only come from Him. This idea of loving our enemies too must come from God. It is the most noble piece of morality ever given to man. But who can obey it? No one can but the one that has the mind of Christ. Only God knows the full truth and can correct any situation or overcome our irrational thinking if we ask Him to do so.
In our world today, retaliation is more the norm than loving our enemies. This is often learned as children. “He hit me so I hit him back.” It continues in some people who avenge themselves for perceived injustices with a weapon. And it escalates to the point on the world stage of people groups against people groups.
Follow the link to read a powerful story about a young Palestinian that chose a different direction concerning retaliation after he came to know Christ: https://chosenpeople.com/site/sami-abbasi/
This law obligated the offender to suffer the same injury he had committed. Jesus is saying that rather than avenging injury or insult, one must be ready to suffer patiently a repetition of the same injury. He was referring to those who suffered for righteousness’ sake. It was not intended to permit men to take vengeance into one’s own hands especially for personal affronts.
Revenge often leads to irrational behavior including seeking revenge against a person when that person may not have been at fault. Looking at 1 Kings 3, we understand this passage usually refers to the wisdom given to Solomon to judge his people – a kind a wisdom that can only come from God.
In this story, two women come before Solomon, each claiming a child as their own. These two women were prostitutes (according to one commentary, this might have been referring to tavern keepers because prostitutes would not have dared appear before the king and prostitution was not permitted under the laws of the land at that time.) We know these women made their living in the same manner, lived in the same house alone, and each had a baby within 3 days of each other.
When one baby died during the night, its mother switched it with the living baby before dawn. In the morning, each woman claimed the living child as her own before Solomon. His solution was to set a trap to determine the true mother. He ordered someone to divide the baby into two parts and give half to each woman. The real mother said, “Oh no. Let her have the child so it might live.” The mother of the child who had died offered the baby to Solomon saying, “The child will be neither mine nor yours.” In other words, she was saying through misguided thinking that life is not fair and if I cannot have the child then neither can you.
The second mother’s reaction to dividing the child told Solomon she was not the true mother and the other one was awarded the child. As is often the case, retaliation can lead to that irrational behavior I mentioned earlier, causing even more pain.
The law from Leviticus 19:18 says “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of my people, but shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” This is the direction Jesus went next in His teaching: love our enemies.
Think about these two women returning home to the house they shared with all this conflict between them. These women had to learn to trust and care again. God granted Solomon the gift of wisdom that can only come from Him. This idea of loving our enemies too must come from God. It is the most noble piece of morality ever given to man. But who can obey it? No one can but the one that has the mind of Christ. Only God knows the full truth and can correct any situation or overcome our irrational thinking if we ask Him to do so.
In our world today, retaliation is more the norm than loving our enemies. This is often learned as children. “He hit me so I hit him back.” It continues in some people who avenge themselves for perceived injustices with a weapon. And it escalates to the point on the world stage of people groups against people groups.
Follow the link to read a powerful story about a young Palestinian that chose a different direction concerning retaliation after he came to know Christ: https://chosenpeople.com/site/sami-abbasi/
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
“Divorce and Oaths”, A Closer Look by Roger Martin
This week’s passage (Matthew 5.31-37) covers oaths and divorce which fit together because a divorce signifies a broken oath. Our passage begins,
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of marital unfaithfulness, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” – Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus speaks again about divorce in Mark 10:1-12:
“And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.” What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’”
When Jesus was questioned about the idea of divorce, He referred back to the writings in Genesis. It is evident from the Scriptures that God’s design for marriage was one man and one woman for a lifetime. As with most of God’s commands, people fail and deviate from God’s ideal. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin but the failure of a marriage relationship seldom affects only the couple involved. Children, family, and friends feel the tension from such situations.
In Jesus’ day, exercising divorce proceedings was normally done by the man, possibly for very petty reasons. Jesus was addressing a Jewish audience which contained at least two schools of thought about divorce. The School of Shammai held that “something indecent” meant “marital unfaithfulness or sexual immorality” – the only allowable cause for divorce. The Hillel interpretation refers to an account beginning in Deuteronomy 24:1: “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house,....” Hillel emphasized the preceding clause, “who becomes displeasing to him” or “finds no favor in his eyes.” He would allow a man to divorce his wife if she did anything he disliked – even if she burned his food while cooking it. Jesus clearly took the side of Shammai but only after first pointing back to God’s original ideal for marriage in Genesis 1:27 and 2:24.
Physical and/or mental abuse in a marriage is unacceptable and there may come a time when the only remedy is a divorce. It takes two to make a marriage, but only one to dissolve it. The causes of divorce may be hidden or obvious but once the step is taken, the sin is treated like all sins – forgivable by a loving Lord to a penitent child.
The phrase, “‘Have you ever considered divorce?’ ‘Divorce never, murder frequently.’” has been attributed to Jack Benny, Jessica Tandy, Dr. Joyce Brothers, and the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, Ruth Bell Graham. The statement was probably made a bit “tongue in cheek” but it does point to the fact that some “ideal” marriages may have a bit of discord. After nearly 50 years, Ann and I have enjoyed a mostly harmonious relationship. We do not espouse to be experts on marriage but as the years march on, perhaps we have more credibility. When our team introduced ourselves in Kenya, we told them we were a husband to one wife. That statement said much in a country where polygamy is common place. When I announced at one village that we had been married nearly fifty years, an older man said that was not possible and that I was lying. I was more cautious about it when I made the statement after that.
Two secrets to longevity in marriage are principles Jesus lived by – put the feelings and desires of others first and be forgiving or your mate when you think they are not. There have been ups and downs but it is amazing how when we stick to God’s ideal, we reflect on the good times and enjoy the companionship of each other.
As with divorce, there are numerous references to oaths in the Bible. For example, our passage:
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” – Matthew 5:33-37
The Wycliffe commentary suggests that Jesus was addressing the Jewish abuse of oath taking, whereby they swore by everything under the sun, literally. In these verses, Jesus indicated that we should not swear an oath at all but if we do swear an oath to the Lord we should keep it. Jesus taught in these verses that we should not be swearing by things that are not ours or over things of which we have no control. As far as Jesus was concerned, all we should have to say is “yes” or “no”.
An additional idea suggests that swearing an oath would indicate someone is not in the habit of telling the truth so the swearing of an oath was necessary to assure the legitimacy of one’s statements. I hardly think that most couples enter into marriage and require an oath of allegiance because they doubt the truthfulness of one another. We do, however, enter into marriages with promises to love, honor, and cherish each other and keep ourselves pure. The fulfillment of those vows may be very difficult.
Looking at the rest of Scripture, in Genesis 14:22-23, Abram swore to the king of Sodom about his honesty “he wouldn’t take a thread or a thong of a sandal from the king.” In Genesis 25:33, Esau swore to Jacob that he would give up his birthright for a bit of stew. In Judges 11:10, the elders of Gilead swore to Jephthah, an outcast of questionable birth, to elevate him to the head of those in Gilead. In Matthew 26:71-74, Peter denied with an oath three times that he had any knowledge of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 1:23, Paul testified, “I call God as my witness” that he was not dealing unjustly, unfairly, or untruthfully about his change of plans to visit the believers again at Corinth. In Galatians 1:20, Paul assured believers before God that his account of his calling by God to preach to the Gentiles was indeed accurate. The account in Hebrews 6:13-18 recalls God’s promise to Abraham to “bless you and give you many descendants.” God swore by Himself, making His Word in itself absolutely trustworthy and doubly dependable.
It would seem from these accounts that the oaths given were for man’s benefit, not God’s. Men often find it necessary to add extra emphasis to statements or proclamations to be more assured of their authenticity. In our country, “lying under oath” results in a greater penalty then just lying. Curious don’t you think?
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of marital unfaithfulness, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” – Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus speaks again about divorce in Mark 10:1-12:
“And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.” What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’”
When Jesus was questioned about the idea of divorce, He referred back to the writings in Genesis. It is evident from the Scriptures that God’s design for marriage was one man and one woman for a lifetime. As with most of God’s commands, people fail and deviate from God’s ideal. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin but the failure of a marriage relationship seldom affects only the couple involved. Children, family, and friends feel the tension from such situations.
In Jesus’ day, exercising divorce proceedings was normally done by the man, possibly for very petty reasons. Jesus was addressing a Jewish audience which contained at least two schools of thought about divorce. The School of Shammai held that “something indecent” meant “marital unfaithfulness or sexual immorality” – the only allowable cause for divorce. The Hillel interpretation refers to an account beginning in Deuteronomy 24:1: “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house,....” Hillel emphasized the preceding clause, “who becomes displeasing to him” or “finds no favor in his eyes.” He would allow a man to divorce his wife if she did anything he disliked – even if she burned his food while cooking it. Jesus clearly took the side of Shammai but only after first pointing back to God’s original ideal for marriage in Genesis 1:27 and 2:24.
Physical and/or mental abuse in a marriage is unacceptable and there may come a time when the only remedy is a divorce. It takes two to make a marriage, but only one to dissolve it. The causes of divorce may be hidden or obvious but once the step is taken, the sin is treated like all sins – forgivable by a loving Lord to a penitent child.
The phrase, “‘Have you ever considered divorce?’ ‘Divorce never, murder frequently.’” has been attributed to Jack Benny, Jessica Tandy, Dr. Joyce Brothers, and the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, Ruth Bell Graham. The statement was probably made a bit “tongue in cheek” but it does point to the fact that some “ideal” marriages may have a bit of discord. After nearly 50 years, Ann and I have enjoyed a mostly harmonious relationship. We do not espouse to be experts on marriage but as the years march on, perhaps we have more credibility. When our team introduced ourselves in Kenya, we told them we were a husband to one wife. That statement said much in a country where polygamy is common place. When I announced at one village that we had been married nearly fifty years, an older man said that was not possible and that I was lying. I was more cautious about it when I made the statement after that.
Two secrets to longevity in marriage are principles Jesus lived by – put the feelings and desires of others first and be forgiving or your mate when you think they are not. There have been ups and downs but it is amazing how when we stick to God’s ideal, we reflect on the good times and enjoy the companionship of each other.
As with divorce, there are numerous references to oaths in the Bible. For example, our passage:
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” – Matthew 5:33-37
The Wycliffe commentary suggests that Jesus was addressing the Jewish abuse of oath taking, whereby they swore by everything under the sun, literally. In these verses, Jesus indicated that we should not swear an oath at all but if we do swear an oath to the Lord we should keep it. Jesus taught in these verses that we should not be swearing by things that are not ours or over things of which we have no control. As far as Jesus was concerned, all we should have to say is “yes” or “no”.
An additional idea suggests that swearing an oath would indicate someone is not in the habit of telling the truth so the swearing of an oath was necessary to assure the legitimacy of one’s statements. I hardly think that most couples enter into marriage and require an oath of allegiance because they doubt the truthfulness of one another. We do, however, enter into marriages with promises to love, honor, and cherish each other and keep ourselves pure. The fulfillment of those vows may be very difficult.
Looking at the rest of Scripture, in Genesis 14:22-23, Abram swore to the king of Sodom about his honesty “he wouldn’t take a thread or a thong of a sandal from the king.” In Genesis 25:33, Esau swore to Jacob that he would give up his birthright for a bit of stew. In Judges 11:10, the elders of Gilead swore to Jephthah, an outcast of questionable birth, to elevate him to the head of those in Gilead. In Matthew 26:71-74, Peter denied with an oath three times that he had any knowledge of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 1:23, Paul testified, “I call God as my witness” that he was not dealing unjustly, unfairly, or untruthfully about his change of plans to visit the believers again at Corinth. In Galatians 1:20, Paul assured believers before God that his account of his calling by God to preach to the Gentiles was indeed accurate. The account in Hebrews 6:13-18 recalls God’s promise to Abraham to “bless you and give you many descendants.” God swore by Himself, making His Word in itself absolutely trustworthy and doubly dependable.
It would seem from these accounts that the oaths given were for man’s benefit, not God’s. Men often find it necessary to add extra emphasis to statements or proclamations to be more assured of their authenticity. In our country, “lying under oath” results in a greater penalty then just lying. Curious don’t you think?
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
“Anger and Lust”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop
There is a saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” The devil often tempts us to do, watch, or think about something we shouldn’t. We might apply this thought to King David.
King David was walking around on top of his palace. He should have been out with his men fighting a battle but was at home with idle time. While walking around, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. At that point he committed a sin, coveting and lusting after her. She belonged to someone else and he should have looked away.
The sins snowballed from there. Next King David committed adultery. Bathsheba was not his wife and she had David’s child. To cover it up, David had her husband killed (another sin) and then he took her as his wife.
In 2 Samuel 12, God sends Nathan to confront David about his sins. Nathan begins to tell a story which David thinks is true. We know this because verse 5 says that David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said the man deserves to die. David’s anger was not necessarily sin but if he had acted on it it would have been.
God sent Nathan to confront King David because he committed these sins, thinking no one knew. We can be the same way, thinking no one knows about or sees our sin. But God does.
In the Bible, David is described as a man after God’s own heart. David consulted with God on what he was to do before making decisions. A key response of David was repentance and worship. God mercifully forgave David when he acknowledged his sin. His transgression was not without consequences but David still worshipped the Lord through those consequences.
Just like David, we must repent of our sin when God pierces our hearts. We must worship God when we are disciplined.
King David was walking around on top of his palace. He should have been out with his men fighting a battle but was at home with idle time. While walking around, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. At that point he committed a sin, coveting and lusting after her. She belonged to someone else and he should have looked away.
The sins snowballed from there. Next King David committed adultery. Bathsheba was not his wife and she had David’s child. To cover it up, David had her husband killed (another sin) and then he took her as his wife.
In 2 Samuel 12, God sends Nathan to confront David about his sins. Nathan begins to tell a story which David thinks is true. We know this because verse 5 says that David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said the man deserves to die. David’s anger was not necessarily sin but if he had acted on it it would have been.
God sent Nathan to confront King David because he committed these sins, thinking no one knew. We can be the same way, thinking no one knows about or sees our sin. But God does.
In the Bible, David is described as a man after God’s own heart. David consulted with God on what he was to do before making decisions. A key response of David was repentance and worship. God mercifully forgave David when he acknowledged his sin. His transgression was not without consequences but David still worshipped the Lord through those consequences.
Just like David, we must repent of our sin when God pierces our hearts. We must worship God when we are disciplined.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
“Music and the Reformation and Johann Sebastian Bach”, A Closer Look by Susan Braams
“Music I have always loved. He who knows music has a good nature. Necessity demands that music be kept in the schools. A schoolmaster must be able to sing; otherwise I will not look at him. And before a young man is ordained into the ministry, he should practise music in school.” (1)
Martin Luther (1483-1546) held music in exceptionally high esteem. His experience of music at home, as a boy in school, in the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt, and as a priest had a profound and lasting effect on him. He became a passionate music lover and, as a singer and lute player, a fine amateur musician. (2)
Luther’s writings on music are few, mostly ad hoc, and scattered widely throughout his works. Nowhere did he attempt anything akin to a systematic theology of music. What he does say about music comes in the context of very practical, pragmatic interests. (3)
Luther was resolute in working out his convictions about music in corporate worship. Church music as he first knew it was largely limited to vocal polyphony (in the Renaissance tradition), Gregorian chant, and hymnody in Latin and the vernacular. As is well known, Luther was determined that the Word of God was to be engrained in congregations and – against much medieval tradition – that the whole congregation should sing (though not to the exclusion of a choir) and, ideally, sing in their own language so that all could participate with understanding (though not to the exclusion of Latin in the choral liturgy). He saw congregational hymn-singing in the vernacular as an especially valuable tool for fixing God’s Word in people’s hearts. (4) One of the timeless hymns of the Christian faith, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” was written by Luther.
Luther believed the most sophisticated form of music of his day should be taught to the young and sung in churches along with plainer and more straightforward songs (including sacred folk songs). (5)
Carl Schalk goes to the heart of the matter: “The Lutheran Reformation, proceeding from Luther’s basic understanding of music as a creation and a gift of God, successfully encouraged the reciprocal interaction of art music of the most highly developed kind together with simple congregational song.” (6)
This both-and approach to music (not the same as “anything goes”), along with the variety of music it generated, is undoubtedly one of Luther’s greatest legacies. Luther and the tradition he initiated drew on a huge range of material – including Gregorian chant, polyphony, sacred folk songs, and simple unison line singing – and led to an immense wealth of choral and instrumental music, including Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom we will now turn our focus. (7)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) spent all his adult life as a professional, practicing musician. (8)
He served as organist at Arnstadt and Muhlhausen, court organist and concertmaster in the chapel of the Duke of Weimar, music director at the court of the prince of Cothen, and then finally, from 1723, as cantor at the St. Thomas School and director of music in Leipzig. (9)
What makes his music so intriguing are its theological resonances – the witness it provides to the Christian gospel and to the created world as perceived through the lens of that gospel. (10)
Bach was a Lutheran. His schooling was in Lutheran settings. He attended the same Eisenach school as Luther himself. Much of his music was written for the Lutheran liturgies of the day and takes account of the principles of worship commended by Luther. As a church musician, [Bach] gave formal and written assent to the doctrines enshrined in the Book of Concord (1850) – an anthology of documents embracing fundamental Lutheran teaching. An inventory of [Bach’s] library at his death reveals that he owned two sets of Luther’s complete works as well as numerous volumes by Lutheran theologians. (11)
[The five solas were] basic to the Lutheran outlook of Bach’s day and these themes recur across the full range of Bach’s works, [as evidenced in the initials “S.D.G” (Soli Deo Gloria) that are found in his church compositions and some of his secular pieces]. (12)
The cross is the culmination and focal point of the Mass in B Minor. The frequent calls to Christ-centered faith [is present] in all the mature vocal works. The contrast between law and gospel is basic to the structure of many of the cantatas. (13)
The characteristic Lutheran stress on proclamation of the gospel pervades Bach’s music; indeed, Michael Marissen sums up Bach’s Leipzig ministry in this way: “It was Bach’s job as Cantor of the St. Thomas School of Leipzig to be a musical preacher for the city’s main churches.” (14)
Bach’s music still exemplifies a theological engagement with music that has probably never been surpassed. It was the result not only of a technical prowess rarely equaled in Western music but also of an extraordinarily sensitive Christian intelligence, rooted in Scripture, indebted to the Lutheran tradition, and nourished by regular worship. He may not have left us with a theological tome. He was not a professional theologian, and his primary skills were not in words but in tones – melodies and cadences, fugues, trios, arias, and chaconnes. But the fact remains that he was well-informed Biblically and theologically, and his musical output shows he could penetrate the most demanding theological issues with a remarkable acuity. (15)
(1) Martin Luther, D. Martin Luthers Werke: Kritische Gesamtausgabe, vol. 30.2 (Weimer: H. Bohlau, 1909, 557, no. 6248.
(2) Jeremy Begbie, Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), 98.
(3) Begbie, 98.
(4) Begbie, 104.
(5) Begbie, 105.
(6) Carl Schalk, Luther on Music, 35. Cf. Herl, Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism, chap. 1.
(7) Begbie, 105.
(8) Begbie, 120-121.
(9) Malcolm Boyd, Bach (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000); Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician (New York: Norton, 2000); Peter F. Williams, The Life of Bach (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).
(10) Begbie, 121.
(11) Begbie, 122-123.
(12) Begbie, 123, 122.
(13) Begbie, 123.
(14) Michael Marissen, Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach’s St. John Passion: With an Annotated Literal Translation of the Libretto (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 7.
(15) Michael Marissen, Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach’s St. John Passion: With an Annotated Literal Translation of the Libretto (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 5.
– Martin Luther
Martin Luther (1483-1546) held music in exceptionally high esteem. His experience of music at home, as a boy in school, in the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt, and as a priest had a profound and lasting effect on him. He became a passionate music lover and, as a singer and lute player, a fine amateur musician. (2)
Luther’s writings on music are few, mostly ad hoc, and scattered widely throughout his works. Nowhere did he attempt anything akin to a systematic theology of music. What he does say about music comes in the context of very practical, pragmatic interests. (3)
Luther was resolute in working out his convictions about music in corporate worship. Church music as he first knew it was largely limited to vocal polyphony (in the Renaissance tradition), Gregorian chant, and hymnody in Latin and the vernacular. As is well known, Luther was determined that the Word of God was to be engrained in congregations and – against much medieval tradition – that the whole congregation should sing (though not to the exclusion of a choir) and, ideally, sing in their own language so that all could participate with understanding (though not to the exclusion of Latin in the choral liturgy). He saw congregational hymn-singing in the vernacular as an especially valuable tool for fixing God’s Word in people’s hearts. (4) One of the timeless hymns of the Christian faith, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” was written by Luther.
Luther believed the most sophisticated form of music of his day should be taught to the young and sung in churches along with plainer and more straightforward songs (including sacred folk songs). (5)
Carl Schalk goes to the heart of the matter: “The Lutheran Reformation, proceeding from Luther’s basic understanding of music as a creation and a gift of God, successfully encouraged the reciprocal interaction of art music of the most highly developed kind together with simple congregational song.” (6)
This both-and approach to music (not the same as “anything goes”), along with the variety of music it generated, is undoubtedly one of Luther’s greatest legacies. Luther and the tradition he initiated drew on a huge range of material – including Gregorian chant, polyphony, sacred folk songs, and simple unison line singing – and led to an immense wealth of choral and instrumental music, including Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom we will now turn our focus. (7)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) spent all his adult life as a professional, practicing musician. (8)
He served as organist at Arnstadt and Muhlhausen, court organist and concertmaster in the chapel of the Duke of Weimar, music director at the court of the prince of Cothen, and then finally, from 1723, as cantor at the St. Thomas School and director of music in Leipzig. (9)
What makes his music so intriguing are its theological resonances – the witness it provides to the Christian gospel and to the created world as perceived through the lens of that gospel. (10)
Bach was a Lutheran. His schooling was in Lutheran settings. He attended the same Eisenach school as Luther himself. Much of his music was written for the Lutheran liturgies of the day and takes account of the principles of worship commended by Luther. As a church musician, [Bach] gave formal and written assent to the doctrines enshrined in the Book of Concord (1850) – an anthology of documents embracing fundamental Lutheran teaching. An inventory of [Bach’s] library at his death reveals that he owned two sets of Luther’s complete works as well as numerous volumes by Lutheran theologians. (11)
[The five solas were] basic to the Lutheran outlook of Bach’s day and these themes recur across the full range of Bach’s works, [as evidenced in the initials “S.D.G” (Soli Deo Gloria) that are found in his church compositions and some of his secular pieces]. (12)
The cross is the culmination and focal point of the Mass in B Minor. The frequent calls to Christ-centered faith [is present] in all the mature vocal works. The contrast between law and gospel is basic to the structure of many of the cantatas. (13)
The characteristic Lutheran stress on proclamation of the gospel pervades Bach’s music; indeed, Michael Marissen sums up Bach’s Leipzig ministry in this way: “It was Bach’s job as Cantor of the St. Thomas School of Leipzig to be a musical preacher for the city’s main churches.” (14)
Bach’s music still exemplifies a theological engagement with music that has probably never been surpassed. It was the result not only of a technical prowess rarely equaled in Western music but also of an extraordinarily sensitive Christian intelligence, rooted in Scripture, indebted to the Lutheran tradition, and nourished by regular worship. He may not have left us with a theological tome. He was not a professional theologian, and his primary skills were not in words but in tones – melodies and cadences, fugues, trios, arias, and chaconnes. But the fact remains that he was well-informed Biblically and theologically, and his musical output shows he could penetrate the most demanding theological issues with a remarkable acuity. (15)
(1) Martin Luther, D. Martin Luthers Werke: Kritische Gesamtausgabe, vol. 30.2 (Weimer: H. Bohlau, 1909, 557, no. 6248.
(2) Jeremy Begbie, Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), 98.
(3) Begbie, 98.
(4) Begbie, 104.
(5) Begbie, 105.
(6) Carl Schalk, Luther on Music, 35. Cf. Herl, Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism, chap. 1.
(7) Begbie, 105.
(8) Begbie, 120-121.
(9) Malcolm Boyd, Bach (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000); Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician (New York: Norton, 2000); Peter F. Williams, The Life of Bach (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).
(10) Begbie, 121.
(11) Begbie, 122-123.
(12) Begbie, 123, 122.
(13) Begbie, 123.
(14) Michael Marissen, Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach’s St. John Passion: With an Annotated Literal Translation of the Libretto (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 7.
(15) Michael Marissen, Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach’s St. John Passion: With an Annotated Literal Translation of the Libretto (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 5.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
“John Knox,” A Closer Look by Reggie Koop
Knox’s Early Years In Scotland
Knox Ministers In England
Knox Flees Persecution and Ministers in Europe
Knox’s Last Years In Scotland
John Knox is regarded as the “Father of the Scottish Reformation” and the “Founder of the Scottish Protestant Church.” It has been said if Martin Luther was the “Hammer” of the Reformation and John Calvin the “Pen,” John Knox was the “Trumpet.”
At the beginning of the sixteenth century, spiritual darkness covered Scotland. The religious superstitions of Rome gripped the nation. The Bible was essentially a closed book and the belief was that righteousness come by works, not by grace. The religious leaders did nothing to spur spiritual growth but were ignorant of it. There was a great loss of hearing the Word of God which left the nation impoverished and very, very weak. This is the condition of Scotland that John Knox entered.
John Knox was born in Haddington, Scotland (15 miles East of Edinburgh) to Roman Catholic parents. He enrolled in the University of St. Andrew’s at age fifteen and graduated with an M.A. degree at age nineteen. Later that same year, he was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Unable to find a parish to serve in, he became a papal notary who authenticated documents. He also served as a tutor for well-to-do families that held Protestant beliefs. This is where he was exposed to Protestant doctrine.
Then in 1543, Knox converted to the Christian faith under a Dominican friar and chaplain who went deep into Reformation doctrine with him. Seeing how corrupt and contaminated the Catholic system was, Knox spent the next two years devoted to in-depth study of Scripture. Knox was given even more intense exposure to Reformation doctrine by becoming a bodyguard to George Wishart, a very powerful Reformed preacher. Knox learned boldness courage, and faithfulness in ministry.
In 1545, religious persecution reached a fever pitch and Wishart was arrested and taken to St. Andrew’s Castle where he was burned at the stake in 1546. This is when and where the torch was passed on to Knox. Previously a Catholic stronghold, the St. Andrew’s Castle became a rallying point for those who embraced Reformation teaching.
From Knox’s inital preaching in 1547, he daringly upheld the truth of Sola Fide – justification by faith in Christ alone. He was a staunch defender of salvation by grace alone. Here Knox denounced Rome’s teaching on purchased indulgences, holy pilgrimages, forced fasts, and clerical celibacy. He declared them to be blasphemous and openly pronounced the Pope to be an antichrist. He went on to assert that the Catholic ceremonies went beyond the commands and instructions of Scripture, insisted that mass was idolatrous, and decried the church’s teaching on Purgatory.
In June of 1547, St. Andrew’s Castle came under siege. Knox and 120 defenders were captured and made to row in the hull of a Frnech battleship for nineteen months. They were released but could not return to Scotland at this time because of severe persecution. Knox went to London for the next five years and established reform in the Church of England. Knox traveled throughout England preaching at various churches and spreading the Reformation doctrine.
This Protestant cause came to an abrupt halt in 1553 when Queen Mary I (known as “Bloody Mary”) was crowned. 288 reformers, including women, children, and other prominent spiritual leaders, would be burned at the stake. This caused Knox to flee and go to Europe for the next five years for safety. Knox traveled to England, France, and Switzerland, preaching and upholding Reformation doctrine and denouncing the Catholic Church. In Switzerland, Knox traveled to Geneva where he sat under the teaching of Calvin. Then he traveled to Frankfurt, Germany establishing an English-speaking congregation in 1554.
One achievement that stands out is in 1558. Knox worked on an English version of the Bible known as the Geneva Bible. This translation would be the Bible of choice for the Reformers and Puritans. It would be the Bible the Pilgrims took to the New World in 1620.
John Knox finally returns to Scotland in 1559 after twelve tumultuous years in England and Eurpoe. By now his goal was to uproot Roman Catholicism and plant biblical Christianity in its place.
Another achievement came in 1560. The Parliament passed legislation that abolished Catholic religion in Scotland and adopted a document, the “Scots Confession.” It states the infallible Word of God is to be the exclusive authority of the Church – Solus Scriptura.
After his return to Scotland, Knox continued his preaching until his death in 1572. He continued to denounce the Roman Catholic Church’s practices and even went before the Queen many times to argue about Catholic practices and explain Reformation doctrine. Knox died in 1572, having been anchored to Jesus Christ by faith alone.
- 1514 – born in Haddington
- 1536 – graduates from St. Andrew’s University; ordained as a priest
- 1540 – becomes a notary (a legal official) and a tutor
- 1543 – converted to Christ and embraces the Reformed faith
- 1545 – becomes follower of and bodyguard to George Wishart
- 1546 – Wishart martyred in St. Andrew’s; Cardinal Beaton murdered; Protestants besieged in St. Andrew’s Castle
- 1547 – takes refuge in the castle; preaches first sermon; castle falls; Knox becomes galley slave in France for 19 months
Knox Ministers In England
- 1549 – Berwick, England; preaches with much power and success
- 1550 – meets Mrs. Elizabeth Bowes and her Daughter Marjory
- 1552 – London; disputes practice of kneeling at Communion; refuses Bishopric of Rochester
- 1553 – forced into hiding when Catholic Mary Tudor is crowned
Knox Flees Persecution and Ministers in Europe
- 1554 – flees France, then Zurich and Calvin’s Geneva; pastors an English congregation in Frankfurt
- 1555 – liturgical dispute forces him out; goes back to Geneva and pastors an English congregation there; returns to Scotland secretly; marries Marjory Bowes and preaches idely
- 1556 – condemned for heresy in Scotland; returns to Geneva with wife and mother-in-law
- 1558 – writes The First Blast of The Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (advocates rebellion against ungodly rulers)
Knox’s Last Years In Scotland
- 1559 – returns to Scotland; preaches sermon condemning idolatry; leads rebellion
- 1560 – Reformation Parliament adopts Protestant Scots Confession; Marjory Dies
- 1561 – Knox helps write First Book Of Discipline; Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots returns; Knox preaches at St. Gile’s in Edinburgh; first interview with Mary, Queen of Scots
- 1564 – marries Margaret Stewart
- 1566 – writes much of his History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland
- 1572 – dies in Edinburgh; buried at St. Gile’s Church
John Knox is regarded as the “Father of the Scottish Reformation” and the “Founder of the Scottish Protestant Church.” It has been said if Martin Luther was the “Hammer” of the Reformation and John Calvin the “Pen,” John Knox was the “Trumpet.”
At the beginning of the sixteenth century, spiritual darkness covered Scotland. The religious superstitions of Rome gripped the nation. The Bible was essentially a closed book and the belief was that righteousness come by works, not by grace. The religious leaders did nothing to spur spiritual growth but were ignorant of it. There was a great loss of hearing the Word of God which left the nation impoverished and very, very weak. This is the condition of Scotland that John Knox entered.
John Knox was born in Haddington, Scotland (15 miles East of Edinburgh) to Roman Catholic parents. He enrolled in the University of St. Andrew’s at age fifteen and graduated with an M.A. degree at age nineteen. Later that same year, he was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Unable to find a parish to serve in, he became a papal notary who authenticated documents. He also served as a tutor for well-to-do families that held Protestant beliefs. This is where he was exposed to Protestant doctrine.
Then in 1543, Knox converted to the Christian faith under a Dominican friar and chaplain who went deep into Reformation doctrine with him. Seeing how corrupt and contaminated the Catholic system was, Knox spent the next two years devoted to in-depth study of Scripture. Knox was given even more intense exposure to Reformation doctrine by becoming a bodyguard to George Wishart, a very powerful Reformed preacher. Knox learned boldness courage, and faithfulness in ministry.
In 1545, religious persecution reached a fever pitch and Wishart was arrested and taken to St. Andrew’s Castle where he was burned at the stake in 1546. This is when and where the torch was passed on to Knox. Previously a Catholic stronghold, the St. Andrew’s Castle became a rallying point for those who embraced Reformation teaching.
From Knox’s inital preaching in 1547, he daringly upheld the truth of Sola Fide – justification by faith in Christ alone. He was a staunch defender of salvation by grace alone. Here Knox denounced Rome’s teaching on purchased indulgences, holy pilgrimages, forced fasts, and clerical celibacy. He declared them to be blasphemous and openly pronounced the Pope to be an antichrist. He went on to assert that the Catholic ceremonies went beyond the commands and instructions of Scripture, insisted that mass was idolatrous, and decried the church’s teaching on Purgatory.
In June of 1547, St. Andrew’s Castle came under siege. Knox and 120 defenders were captured and made to row in the hull of a Frnech battleship for nineteen months. They were released but could not return to Scotland at this time because of severe persecution. Knox went to London for the next five years and established reform in the Church of England. Knox traveled throughout England preaching at various churches and spreading the Reformation doctrine.
This Protestant cause came to an abrupt halt in 1553 when Queen Mary I (known as “Bloody Mary”) was crowned. 288 reformers, including women, children, and other prominent spiritual leaders, would be burned at the stake. This caused Knox to flee and go to Europe for the next five years for safety. Knox traveled to England, France, and Switzerland, preaching and upholding Reformation doctrine and denouncing the Catholic Church. In Switzerland, Knox traveled to Geneva where he sat under the teaching of Calvin. Then he traveled to Frankfurt, Germany establishing an English-speaking congregation in 1554.
One achievement that stands out is in 1558. Knox worked on an English version of the Bible known as the Geneva Bible. This translation would be the Bible of choice for the Reformers and Puritans. It would be the Bible the Pilgrims took to the New World in 1620.
John Knox finally returns to Scotland in 1559 after twelve tumultuous years in England and Eurpoe. By now his goal was to uproot Roman Catholicism and plant biblical Christianity in its place.
Another achievement came in 1560. The Parliament passed legislation that abolished Catholic religion in Scotland and adopted a document, the “Scots Confession.” It states the infallible Word of God is to be the exclusive authority of the Church – Solus Scriptura.
After his return to Scotland, Knox continued his preaching until his death in 1572. He continued to denounce the Roman Catholic Church’s practices and even went before the Queen many times to argue about Catholic practices and explain Reformation doctrine. Knox died in 1572, having been anchored to Jesus Christ by faith alone.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
“The Lord’s Supper,” A Closer Look By Andy Braams
This week’s primary message was on Solus Christus – in Christ alone. Even if one agrees with in Christ alone (over in Christ), the application for that understanding may differ. For centuries, the Catholic Church celebrated the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper) with a primary understanding that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ. At the time of the Reformation, three new ideas were put forth. The following information provides a brief insight into these four distinct understandings.
Catholic (Transubstantiation)
Bread and wine “really and substantially” become the body and blood (cf John 6.53-55)
Luther (Consubstantiation)
Zwingli (Remembrance)
Calvin (Promise)
While these four understandings are presented here briefly, I encourage you to research each further. Ultimately, what matters is your understanding of what Christ did on the cross, not how the Lord’s Supper should be understood. However, theology and application are important, so how we apply our beliefs does matter. Therefore, it is important to consider what we truly believe.
Catholic (Transubstantiation)
Bread and wine “really and substantially” become the body and blood (cf John 6.53-55)
- The church and the priests had the power to make this happen
- The church had the power to give grace to the people
Luther (Consubstantiation)
- Presence of Jesus is at Lord’s Table in a virtual sense, but not a literal sense
- Luther objected to the idea of mass being offered by the priests as a sacrifice to God (a part of the idea of sacerdotalism)
Zwingli (Remembrance)
- Do this in remembrance of me – THIS points the person to Christ, it is not Christ
- Jesus is present spiritually, not physically.
- The Lord’s Supper is a testimony of faith in Christ, not a way to receive Him
Calvin (Promise)
- Jesus is indeed in the elements by the operation of the Holy Spirit – connecting us in a mysterious way.
- God is the agent, not the elements!
While these four understandings are presented here briefly, I encourage you to research each further. Ultimately, what matters is your understanding of what Christ did on the cross, not how the Lord’s Supper should be understood. However, theology and application are important, so how we apply our beliefs does matter. Therefore, it is important to consider what we truly believe.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
“Church Vision”, A Closer Look by Rick Sons
Jambo (Hello!)
Nina maono (I have a vision.)
Kanisa letu lina maono (Our church has a vision.)
Maonoi yako ni nini (What is your vision?)
No organization will survive without vision. Apart from vision, individuals will wander forever without direction. Without vision our children, communities, churches and societies will be lost. Without vision, lost souls will suffer eternal death. Without vision, the sick and the elderly would lose hope and die. Without vision, the incarcerated would see no avenue for freedom. Without vision, we as a people will surely perish.
Let’s take a look at our world today. Our world has gone wild; it is a reflection of a people who are without vision. Someone has said that vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.
A man named George Barna, the Executive Director of the American Culture & Faith Institute said, “vision for ministry is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through you to build His Kingdom” (not your kingdom).
John Maxwell defines vision as: the ability to see, (awareness). The ability to believe, (attitude). The ability to do, (action). A true vision from God is not self-seeking, but praises God and brings glory to Jesus Christ.
Vision is essential to a church. Unlike the values, mission, and purpose, the vision is more subject to change. It is in constant motion and never stands still. Over time, the vision must be renewed, adapted, and adjusted to the culture of the congregation. The core of the church vision, the Great Commission, does not change. The details of the vision and the words used to convey them will change. The vision provides us with a picture of what the mission will look like as it is realized in the church.
The idea of a vision for the church is not new to the Scriptures. You will find visions sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. For example, God caught Abraham’s attention with his vision for him in Genesis 12:1–3 (the covenant He made with Abraham). God used Moses to communicate His vision for His people, Israel, in Exodus 3:7–8 and Deuteronomy 8:7–10. It is possible that the “joy” that Jesus looked forward to while enduring the cross was the vision of His return to the presence of His Father in heaven (Heb. 12:2).
Let’s look at the meaning of vision. Webster says:
1. The act or power of seeing the special sense by which the qualities of an object are perceived.
2. Something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation
3. The act or power of imagination or insight.
Nothing starts happening until somebody starts dreaming. Every accomplishment begins as an idea in somebody’s mind. It starts as a dream. It starts as a vision or a goal. If you don’t have a goal for your church, your default goal is to remain the same. If you aim at nothing, you’re definitely going to hit nothing.
Not to step on the toes of the pastor or the deacons but a church without a vision is never going to grow and a church’s vision will never be larger than the vision of its pastor or its leaders. So we as leaders and as pastors must have God’s vision for our church.
The vision of Fairfax Baptist Church is to be A large church in a small town.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16
In this passage, Jesus issues two examples to motivate us to fulfill this calling. First, Jesus says that disciples play a valuable role in their culture. He begins by declaring, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” To discover the meaning of the salt metaphor, we need to understand the function of salt as it would be understood by Jesus and his audience. Salt had so many uses that it was highly valued. It was used as a seasoning, as a preservative, and as an antiseptic. In fact, salt was so valuable that the Romans sometimes paid their soldiers with it. If a soldier did not carry out his duties others would say, “He is not worth his salt.” That’s where we get the expression, “worth his salt.” The question is, are we here at Fairfax Baptist Church worth our salt? As disciples we are called to season the earth. This requires us to recognize our value and fulfill our calling.
Second, Jesus declares that his followers are called to shine the light of Christ. He begins by stating: “You are the light of the world.” People often get very disturbed because the world is dark. This is because the world and its sin has no light. What else can a sinful place be but dark? The world is lost and without any direction because the world is not light. As I stated in the beginning, we are a world without vision.
But Jesus is the Light and we are to reflect Him. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is not enough to have private personal holiness; we must also have public exposure. Which brings us to, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” In Jesus’ day, cities were set on a hill for a number of reasons. It was cooler on a hill. In that arid, middle–eastern land, the only air conditioning they had was a breeze. Cities were also situated on hilltops for protection against attack. A city set on a hill was easier to defend. Jesus concludes this passage with a powerful statement, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” This verse is a command, not a suggestion. Jesus is saying, “Since you are light, SHINE!” We are not here to get used to the dark but to shine as lights. The light of Christ is to shine in and through us “before men.” In other words, this is a public exhibition of light.
The following are things we need to know to help get our vision out to the world:
So what do we need to do at Fairfax Baptist Church? As Maxwell stated, we have the ability to see, the ability to believe, and the ability to do. Visions have taken men to the stars and to the bottom of the seas. It has led men to be the father of nations and led nations out of bondage. Vision led Jesus to pay a price for us all. Where will our vision take us?
Nina maono (I have a vision.)
Kanisa letu lina maono (Our church has a vision.)
Maonoi yako ni nini (What is your vision?)
No organization will survive without vision. Apart from vision, individuals will wander forever without direction. Without vision our children, communities, churches and societies will be lost. Without vision, lost souls will suffer eternal death. Without vision, the sick and the elderly would lose hope and die. Without vision, the incarcerated would see no avenue for freedom. Without vision, we as a people will surely perish.
Let’s take a look at our world today. Our world has gone wild; it is a reflection of a people who are without vision. Someone has said that vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.
A man named George Barna, the Executive Director of the American Culture & Faith Institute said, “vision for ministry is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through you to build His Kingdom” (not your kingdom).
John Maxwell defines vision as: the ability to see, (awareness). The ability to believe, (attitude). The ability to do, (action). A true vision from God is not self-seeking, but praises God and brings glory to Jesus Christ.
Vision is essential to a church. Unlike the values, mission, and purpose, the vision is more subject to change. It is in constant motion and never stands still. Over time, the vision must be renewed, adapted, and adjusted to the culture of the congregation. The core of the church vision, the Great Commission, does not change. The details of the vision and the words used to convey them will change. The vision provides us with a picture of what the mission will look like as it is realized in the church.
The idea of a vision for the church is not new to the Scriptures. You will find visions sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. For example, God caught Abraham’s attention with his vision for him in Genesis 12:1–3 (the covenant He made with Abraham). God used Moses to communicate His vision for His people, Israel, in Exodus 3:7–8 and Deuteronomy 8:7–10. It is possible that the “joy” that Jesus looked forward to while enduring the cross was the vision of His return to the presence of His Father in heaven (Heb. 12:2).
Let’s look at the meaning of vision. Webster says:
1. The act or power of seeing the special sense by which the qualities of an object are perceived.
2. Something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation
3. The act or power of imagination or insight.
Nothing starts happening until somebody starts dreaming. Every accomplishment begins as an idea in somebody’s mind. It starts as a dream. It starts as a vision or a goal. If you don’t have a goal for your church, your default goal is to remain the same. If you aim at nothing, you’re definitely going to hit nothing.
Not to step on the toes of the pastor or the deacons but a church without a vision is never going to grow and a church’s vision will never be larger than the vision of its pastor or its leaders. So we as leaders and as pastors must have God’s vision for our church.
The vision of Fairfax Baptist Church is to be A large church in a small town.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16
In this passage, Jesus issues two examples to motivate us to fulfill this calling. First, Jesus says that disciples play a valuable role in their culture. He begins by declaring, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” To discover the meaning of the salt metaphor, we need to understand the function of salt as it would be understood by Jesus and his audience. Salt had so many uses that it was highly valued. It was used as a seasoning, as a preservative, and as an antiseptic. In fact, salt was so valuable that the Romans sometimes paid their soldiers with it. If a soldier did not carry out his duties others would say, “He is not worth his salt.” That’s where we get the expression, “worth his salt.” The question is, are we here at Fairfax Baptist Church worth our salt? As disciples we are called to season the earth. This requires us to recognize our value and fulfill our calling.
Second, Jesus declares that his followers are called to shine the light of Christ. He begins by stating: “You are the light of the world.” People often get very disturbed because the world is dark. This is because the world and its sin has no light. What else can a sinful place be but dark? The world is lost and without any direction because the world is not light. As I stated in the beginning, we are a world without vision.
But Jesus is the Light and we are to reflect Him. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is not enough to have private personal holiness; we must also have public exposure. Which brings us to, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” In Jesus’ day, cities were set on a hill for a number of reasons. It was cooler on a hill. In that arid, middle–eastern land, the only air conditioning they had was a breeze. Cities were also situated on hilltops for protection against attack. A city set on a hill was easier to defend. Jesus concludes this passage with a powerful statement, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” This verse is a command, not a suggestion. Jesus is saying, “Since you are light, SHINE!” We are not here to get used to the dark but to shine as lights. The light of Christ is to shine in and through us “before men.” In other words, this is a public exhibition of light.
The following are things we need to know to help get our vision out to the world:
- Understand the vision. If you don’t understand our vision ask the pastor to explain it to you and keep asking until you understand.
- Who we are. What’s our church about? Every church should fulfill the five biblical purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. But how we fulfill the purposes depends upon the nature of our church. What makes our church unique?
- Where we are going. Besides communicating our identity, we need to communicate the church’s direction and goals. Leadership is influence and the quickest way to tell if you are a leader is to look over your shoulder. If somebody’s following you, you’re a leader. If nobody’s following you, you’re not the leader. It’s that simple.
- Why we are going there. Once we’ve communicated where we’re going, we’ve got to tell our congregations why we’re going there.
- What it feels like to be going there. People want to be in on the fun and they want to be fulfilled. No one wants to be left out of the excitement. To get people behind our vision, we need to communicate to people how fulfilling it will be to join God in what he’s doing through our church.
- What people can do in the vision? As a part of vision, we need to help individuals in our church see what they can do. Everybody will need to play his or her part in realizing the vision of the church.
- How we are going to do it. We need to share with our congregation how we are going to move forward. As soon as we share our vision for our church, people will want to know how we are going to do it. Let them in on the strategy. (I think we do this very well.)
- What the rewards will be. As leaders we need to tell our church what the benefits will be for fulfilling the vision that God has for us. What are the spiritual and emotional benefits? What will it be like when Jesus tells you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23)
So what do we need to do at Fairfax Baptist Church? As Maxwell stated, we have the ability to see, the ability to believe, and the ability to do. Visions have taken men to the stars and to the bottom of the seas. It has led men to be the father of nations and led nations out of bondage. Vision led Jesus to pay a price for us all. Where will our vision take us?
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
“Evangelize the Sinner”, A Closer Look by Roger Martin
Let us first define the subject:
Evangelize – “to convert or seek to convert [someone] to Christianity” (Google definition), to teach the gospel. The word “evangelize” is an action word.
Sinner – a person who transgresses against divine law by committing immoral acts. KJV – one that has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed divine precept or neglected any known duty.
The idea of “evangelizing” will often bring up thoughts of having an evangelistic crusade and asking a professional evangelist to come and assist a church in presenting the gospel. The evangelist is, in some ways, a performer on a stage seeking to convince others of the error of their present lifestyle. In years past, we have had “revivals” to stimulate the church and community by introducing the gospel from the perspective of a fresh voice in the church. Revivals are great and many people can point to such an event as the catalyst for their Christian faith but I am not sure we can depend upon such grand galas as the primary source for sharing the gospel.
The “who” of our evangelistic endeavors may be very close to home. James 5:19 says, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” The “wanderer” is either a professing Christian whose faith is not genuine or a sinning Christian who needs to be restored.
The results are no different, but evangelism on a personal level often takes much more time and the development of a relationship with the person being witnessed to. These persons may or may not have affiliation with the church of any kind. The most influential evangelists often have a story to tell about coming to the Lord; we are no different. Again, evangelism should strive to convince others of the error of their present lifestyle and point them to the answer – Christ Jesus. The very real result is the promise of eternal salvation and presence with the Lord.
Many times in our minds we justify our inaction by thinking potential followers would never believe because of their present lifestyle. But remember, we did, I did, you did.
Jesus preached to the average man and woman, boy and girl. They weren’t special people with preferential treatment (although some were more willing to receive than others).
1 John 4:19-21 says, “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
While on a mission trip to Huatulco, Mexico I asked if there would be greater effect if the money spent on the mission trip was just sent to the missionary. The reply was that those native to the area needed to know that we came because we had an interest in them and were willing to invest time and energy in them. The personal contact has a greater effect than the money.
This idea is no less true for those across the world than those close at hand.
Evangelize – “to convert or seek to convert [someone] to Christianity” (Google definition), to teach the gospel. The word “evangelize” is an action word.
Sinner – a person who transgresses against divine law by committing immoral acts. KJV – one that has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed divine precept or neglected any known duty.
The idea of “evangelizing” will often bring up thoughts of having an evangelistic crusade and asking a professional evangelist to come and assist a church in presenting the gospel. The evangelist is, in some ways, a performer on a stage seeking to convince others of the error of their present lifestyle. In years past, we have had “revivals” to stimulate the church and community by introducing the gospel from the perspective of a fresh voice in the church. Revivals are great and many people can point to such an event as the catalyst for their Christian faith but I am not sure we can depend upon such grand galas as the primary source for sharing the gospel.
The “who” of our evangelistic endeavors may be very close to home. James 5:19 says, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” The “wanderer” is either a professing Christian whose faith is not genuine or a sinning Christian who needs to be restored.
The results are no different, but evangelism on a personal level often takes much more time and the development of a relationship with the person being witnessed to. These persons may or may not have affiliation with the church of any kind. The most influential evangelists often have a story to tell about coming to the Lord; we are no different. Again, evangelism should strive to convince others of the error of their present lifestyle and point them to the answer – Christ Jesus. The very real result is the promise of eternal salvation and presence with the Lord.
Many times in our minds we justify our inaction by thinking potential followers would never believe because of their present lifestyle. But remember, we did, I did, you did.
Jesus preached to the average man and woman, boy and girl. They weren’t special people with preferential treatment (although some were more willing to receive than others).
1 John 4:19-21 says, “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
While on a mission trip to Huatulco, Mexico I asked if there would be greater effect if the money spent on the mission trip was just sent to the missionary. The reply was that those native to the area needed to know that we came because we had an interest in them and were willing to invest time and energy in them. The personal contact has a greater effect than the money.
This idea is no less true for those across the world than those close at hand.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
“Equip the Saint”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” – Ephesians 4.11-13 (KJV)
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” – Ephesians 4.11-13 (ESV)
Upon Christ’s ascension He gave gifts to men and He gave gifted men to the church for building it up. The first are apostles. This is the official title given to the twelve disciples.
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not” – Matthew 10.1-5
Apostles are to preach the word, be ambassadors for Christ, be witnesses to all nations, and make disciples.
The second group of called men are prophets. These men were both foretellers and forthtellers. They receive their message from God and deliver it for God to man. They have deep insight into spiritual truths as they interpret God’s message under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Next are evangelists. They travel from place to place preaching the gospel.
The final group is pastors and teachers (KJV) or shepherds and teachers (ESV). Some Bible scholars look at these as one office and others look at them as two distinct offices. Pastors are to guide, instruct, and feed the church and teachers are to also preach the gospel and to instruct the people by way of exhortation.
Breaking down the rest of the passage,
“For the perfecting of the saints” – equipping Christians for service. The purpose of Christ’s gifts is to completely prepare them to be vessels unto honor, sanctified and satisfying to be used by God.
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” – 2 Timothy 2.23
“For the work of the ministry” – preparing Christians to do their work, not doing the work for them. “The work” is spiritual service. One commentary said it this way, “The church is not a spiritual rest home but a barracks for training soldiers of the cross.”
“For the edifying of the body of Christ” – this is a view of building up of the whole body of Christ. All Christians are to be equipped for the work of edification and then be engaged in the work of edification (building up).
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith” – this refers to the whole body of Christ; no one should be neglected. Our goal is to attain unity, not uniformity. This work is far from being accomplished.
“And of the knowledge of the Son of God” – as Christians we are to have a true, accurate, and full knowledge of God so that we are able to work together to work out God’s plans and purposes.
“Unto a perfect man” – we can never be mature Christians if our faith in Christ is imperfect.
“Unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” – the goal here is to become a full-grown person in Christ. To achieve Christlikeness.
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:29
If the church is divided, broken, or immature, it will do little in the way of evangelizing the world, as we are commanded by Jesus to do.
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” – Ephesians 4.11-13 (ESV)
Upon Christ’s ascension He gave gifts to men and He gave gifted men to the church for building it up. The first are apostles. This is the official title given to the twelve disciples.
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not” – Matthew 10.1-5
Apostles are to preach the word, be ambassadors for Christ, be witnesses to all nations, and make disciples.
The second group of called men are prophets. These men were both foretellers and forthtellers. They receive their message from God and deliver it for God to man. They have deep insight into spiritual truths as they interpret God’s message under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Next are evangelists. They travel from place to place preaching the gospel.
The final group is pastors and teachers (KJV) or shepherds and teachers (ESV). Some Bible scholars look at these as one office and others look at them as two distinct offices. Pastors are to guide, instruct, and feed the church and teachers are to also preach the gospel and to instruct the people by way of exhortation.
Breaking down the rest of the passage,
“For the perfecting of the saints” – equipping Christians for service. The purpose of Christ’s gifts is to completely prepare them to be vessels unto honor, sanctified and satisfying to be used by God.
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” – 2 Timothy 2.23
“For the work of the ministry” – preparing Christians to do their work, not doing the work for them. “The work” is spiritual service. One commentary said it this way, “The church is not a spiritual rest home but a barracks for training soldiers of the cross.”
“For the edifying of the body of Christ” – this is a view of building up of the whole body of Christ. All Christians are to be equipped for the work of edification and then be engaged in the work of edification (building up).
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith” – this refers to the whole body of Christ; no one should be neglected. Our goal is to attain unity, not uniformity. This work is far from being accomplished.
“And of the knowledge of the Son of God” – as Christians we are to have a true, accurate, and full knowledge of God so that we are able to work together to work out God’s plans and purposes.
“Unto a perfect man” – we can never be mature Christians if our faith in Christ is imperfect.
“Unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” – the goal here is to become a full-grown person in Christ. To achieve Christlikeness.
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:29
If the church is divided, broken, or immature, it will do little in the way of evangelizing the world, as we are commanded by Jesus to do.
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