Taking Marriage from Good to Great
I know this is going to sound a lot like "the dog ate my homework" excuse but honestly I had planned a blog post for this week entitled "What Marriage is Really For" and it was meant to be a response to what appears to be a popular blog post that has been going around entitled "Marriage Isnt For You" by Seth Adam Smith.
I know this is going to sound a lot like "the dog ate my homework" excuse but honestly I had planned a blog post for this week entitled "What Marriage is Really For" and it was meant to be a response to what appears to be a popular blog post that has been going around entitled "Marriage Isnt For You" by Seth Adam Smith.
I found the post to be good. Good not great. It expresses a good idea of not seeing marriage as being about you but as a means of serving your spouse. The problem is it misses the great idea that marriage isnt about either of you but, in the life of the believer, it's about Jesus. As I was planning that post I was sent a link to someone who had the same reaction I had. There is a good response written by Benjamin Pontius at his blog "The Everlasting Fallout." It expresses the idea really well and I would encourage you to read it.
The only point I would add to his well written post is, since the "main reason that our King created marriage was to give the world an image of what his love for his people looks like", we can see the reason why God calls us to fidelity in our marriages and why Malachi says God "hates divorce" (Malachi 2:16) and why Christ paints a very narrow exception for divorce (Matthew 19:3-9). He is faithful to His church, He endures for His church and He provides for His church. We are called to do the same in our marriages.
Marriage isn't for either of us, it's for Jesus.
Where Wolves III: Eliminating Wolves
As I have been writing this blog series I am keenly aware of how rare it is that I have ever been taught or even heard this topic addressed in all my years of church attendance. Despite the fact that there are two prominent passages quoting both Christ and Paul on the topic of wolves and despite the fact that there are dozens of passages warning us against false teachers, rarely, if ever, do I remember a sermon dedicated to these warnings. And even more rare is the message on what to do if and when we do come upon a wolf. It is truly fascinating to me when I consider that it seems one of the only passages on the topic I have heard taught, or should I say mis-taught (more on that later), is taken from Philippians 1 where Paul makes the declaration,
The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition… What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:17-18)
I know I have been taught repeatedly something along the lines of “well, as long as they are preaching Jesus, let it go.”
When I think about this reality I can’t help but be reminded of the popular series of commercials from Chik-fil-a where the cows are ardent advocates for the consumption of chicken. Some how it feels like there might be a “hidden” agenda. Doesn’t it seem odd that most in the church are well versed on the couple of times in the New Testament that deal with the tithe but don’t seem to know what to do when confronted with wolves? This is true despite the fact that there are more then a dozen passages that address this threat to Christ’s church. The problem seems to be If the wolves we are warned against are most likely teachers in the church (and I think the Bible reveals this to be true) where will the flock go to learn about how to avoid and eliminate the wolves that threaten them? This is one of the reasons, I believe, Paul in particular is so adamant in his condemnation of wolves. Wolves are a very real and insidious threat. The very people the church turns to for teaching on what the bible says about spiritual matters are the people using their position to take advantage of the church. As a result it is important to look to God’s word, inspired and illuminated by the Holy Spirit, as the source of our direction when dealing with the existential threat to our spiritual well-being. Doesn’t that seem to be exactly what John is saying in 1 John 2:
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (1 John 2:26)
He’s not eliminating the need for teachers but he’s saying when these teachers are trying to deceive you the ultimate source of teaching is the Holy Spirit and obviously by extension the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. This practice reflects the noble practice of the Bereans in Acts 17:
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11)
Diligently studying God’s word and in concert being led by the Holy Spirit will always be the starting point when getting prepared to face down the wolves that threaten the flock.
I’ve discovered in my years of church experience that quite often before we can learn what God’s word is calling us to do we have to unlearn what God is not calling us to do and if ever there was a case that this was needed it’s in this case. I referenced earlier the passage in Philippians that is used far too often in a way that the verse does not allow and in a way that provides cover to false teachers. When you look at the full passage and it’s context you discover that Paul is not saying that the way to deal with wolves/false teachers is to simply say “as long as they preach Jesus let it go”.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:15-18)
The first reason that this interpretation, or teaching, from this passage is false is that when you read this you discover there is a very specific type of conflict with which Paul is dealing. The conflict is about personal rivalry with fellow ministers who are taking a position that is critical of Paul himself. Paul identifies two preaching factions and their motivations; one faction preaches from envy and rivalry and the other from goodwill. The determining factor for both is their view on Paul’s imprisonment. “The latter do it out of love, knowing that I AM here for the defense of the Gospel” and “the former proclaim Christ… not sincerely but thinking to afflict ME in my imprisonment”.
The people Paul has issue with are not wolves, they are simply brothers who have found a point of contention with Paul himself. D.A. Carson explains it like this:
They think that Paul has done damage to the Christian cause by getting himself arrested. Probably they magnify their own ministry by putting Paul down. We can imagine their pompous reflections: “It really is sad that so great a man as Paul has frittered away his gospel opportunities simply because he is so inflexible. After all, I and many others manage to remain at large and preach the gospel. One must assume that Paul has a deep character flaw that puts him in the path of trouble. My ministry is being blessed, while he languishes in prison.”
Paul’s expression here is an example of how ministers need to behave when they personally come under criticism, when they personally are being criticized for issues that are not biblically supported. Paul is simply maintaining the position that he has always had, acknowledging he as messenger is irrelevant in light of the message (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Paul was saying he was not going to create division over his position or ministry. He was not saying that when a minister’s lifestyle and message are counter to the Gospel don’t oppose them as long they “preach Jesus”. This position is incompatible with the context of the passage and incompatible with everything else we see about Paul’s life and teachings.
And that ultimately is the second reason this is a wrong interpretation of this passage, everything we see from Paul reveals a man who is not afraid to confront publicly and emphatically those who live and teach counter to the Gospel.
People don’t seem to realize there are many passages in which Paul, Peter, John, James are specifically critical of the integrity and message brought by other teachers, other leaders, and they are not vague and they’re not hidden and they’re not even private. Just in Paul’s writings to Timothy there are about twelve incidences where he calls out a warning about false teachers and teachings and on 2 two of these occasions he names them:
Some have rejected these (faith and good conscience) and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymanaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme... (I Timothy 1:19-20)
and again in 2 Timothy 2:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. (2 Timothy 2:15-18)
He’s confronting by NAME false teachers and there are at least a half dozen other places in scripture where dozens of names are mentioned. And think about this; How do we know that there was a conflict/confrontation between Peter and Paul? We know because we can read in it in a passage of scripture written by Paul:
But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to (Peter) before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:11-14)
He calls him a hypocrite, publicly, in a letter that is going to be passed from church meeting to church meeting, where it would be read aloud and that, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was included in the canon of scripture and would be read for generations. When Paul saw Peter behaving in a manner that was inconsistent with the message of Jesus Christ he called him out, publicly. Does anyone doubt that Peter was “preaching Jesus”? No, of course not, but Paul saw an inconsistency with the Gospel in his public behavior and out of compassion for both the people being led astray and for Peter himself he publicly brought correction.
And so in this we begin to see an indication of one of the patterns for response to those who may be wolves. We can not be afraid of identifying and responding to false teachers.*
I believe there are two reasonable responses to the threat of a wolf and each is dictated by the role we have in God’s kingdom.
The first is the least glamorous and the most effective; flee. It seems reasonable to assume the best thing for sheep to do when confronted by a wolf is run. As “cowardly” as that might seem it appears to be the best advice for the preservation of the flock and the neutering of the wolf. This approach does seem to carry with it a natural logic. It is probably the rare occasion in the animal kingdom when some “ninja sheep” finds the courage to stand his ground and fight the marauding wolf and my assumption is even when that happens the outcome is probably not what the lamb was looking for.
As in the animal kingdom, it appears fleeing is the first prescription in the church world. In Romans 16 Paul instructs the church to “avoid” those who “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites” who “by smooth talk and flattery… deceive the hearts of the naive.” In Colossians 2 he tells us to make sure “no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit” and in 1 Timothy Paul extensively describes the mark of false teachers and then gives a simple instruction in regards to our response:
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, FLEE these things. (1 Timothy 6:3-11)
And all of these admonishments reflect Christ’s own statement in John 10;
“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:2-5)
When leaders speak in a “voice” other than that of Christ Himself the reasonable response from the flock is to flee.
Beyond the obvious analogous image of sheep fleeing wolves the truth is that this response by members of God’s community will most efficiently eliminate the threat of wolves to the church. When you understand that the primary focus of the wolf is to satisfy his ravenous hunger with the blood of the sheep it becomes clear that when the wolf lacks access to the sheep he will ultimately die. A false teacher will not deceive with un-Christlike teaching where there is no audience and he will not have his greed satisfied where there are no offerings. A church populated by vigilant people committed to a Gospel message and Gospel leadership, who are willing to walk away when it becomes clear that the teaching and lifestyle of “pastors” do not match the pattern of Christ will effectively remove the power of false teachers to profit from peddling the Gospel and from victimizing the flock.
Secondarily the Bible calls pastors in their role as (under)shepherds to fight against wolves for the protection of the flock. Again the analogy of sheep, (under) shepherds and wolves lends itself towards the concept of pastors engaging the fight for the good of the flock, but additionally, the Bible charges pastors with this responsibility as a part of their pastoral function. Read Paul’s instruction the the elders, pastors, of Ephesus in Acts 20. Before he warns them of the threat of wolves he provides them this instruction:
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert.. (Acts 20:28-31a)
The call to the elders is to protect the flock from wolves.
In 1 Timothy 4 we see Paul encouraging Timothy to expose the fallacies being taught by in the church:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared... If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:1-2, 6)
Notice he says “if you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus.” It seems clear it is the role of a good (under)shepherd to make it clear to the church when there is error being taught. But this tactic of protection reaches it’s fullest potential when the pastor couples it with a commitment to sound teaching:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
The role of an effective pastor is not simply to attack wolves but to diligently feed your flock. It’s in this principle that I fear too often well intentioned “wolf hunters” get into trouble. The truth is I don’t see a biblical role for a “wolf hunter.” I only see faithful (under)shepherds, who in the context of their duties, are required, on occasion, to set their sights on wolves. We see in the modern church culture a proliferation of guys who feel it is their responsibility to take shots at every perceived wolf on the radar screen. Anybody with a blog and bad attitude can be on the attack. I’m not sure this is helpful or beneficial. I tend to think this is a problem because it is disconnected from what I believe is the proper church function that has been established by God in His word for the Church’s fight against wolves. He hasn’t left us defenseless. If we as the Church do what he is instructing us to do we won’t need the individual disconnected from the ecclesiastical structure stepping into the ring of conflict.
If sheep flee, as a result of their diligent examination of God’s word and the leading of the Holy Spirit when they observe pastors who are not living and teaching as a reflection of Christ’s Gospel but their own greed, and if true pastors teach their congregation the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ that courageously exposes wolves within their sphere of responsibility, there will be sufficient defense to keep the church pure.
Unfortunately, this is not happening nearly as much as it should. Lay people are too willing to accept teachings and lifestyles exhibited by pastors because it is more convenient and self serving. They sit and watch fellow christians being mistreated and devoured, they observe their pastors living in luxury and teaching a message that accommodates their greed because they like the comfort of their community and the approval of their own self serving lifestyle. Too often pastors are unwilling to call out the wolves in our midst because it is difficult and not without consequence. Many will refrain because of a misguided sense of fraternity with anyone who claims the mantle of Christ, while others realize that in doing so it might highlight their own failings, empowering people to confront them, and might even prevent them from some day building their own self serving kingdom.
This is a dangerous game the church is playing. When we permit the “peddling of the Word of God for profit,” abiding the prostitution of the Gospel for the purpose of self aggrandizement we are collectively leading the church down a destructive path. If God judges this nation it will not be because our society has tolerated gay marriage as much as it will be because our churches have tolerated pimps masquerading as pastors.
*Note: I am not calling Peter a wolf here. The marks of a wolf I clearly dealt with in the last 2 blog posts and Peter doesn’t rise to the level on either point. What I am saying is, if Paul is willing to confront those who are in the wrong, even someone as “right” as Peter, how can we be unwilling to confront those who are wolves.
Where Wolves II: Identifying the Wolf - Part 2
The most conclusive identifier of a wolf is revealed in the very imagery of the term wolf as it is used by Christ and repeated by Paul.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
As Christ makes this declaration he is painting a picture of the motivations and actions of wolves. He describes the wolf as being ravenous. The greek word that is translated here is harpax and the word has a multi-layered definition. When you look at Thayer’s greek lexicon it defines this word first as rapacious, ravenous and then the second definition is an extortioner and a robber. When you take the totality of the meaning of the word it is very telling the declaration Christ is making.
Rapacious means aggressively greedy and ravenous means hungry. The second definition extortioner becomes important especially when you consider that the four other times the word harpax appears in the New Testament it is translated as extortioner. So in this one word you get both the motivation and the action of the wolves to which Christ is referring. Jesus is saying that, disguised as sheep, there will be wolves who, motivated by their aggressively greedy hunger, will extort and rob. Now the victim of these greedy extortioners is clearly the sheep. The wolves feed on the sheep to satisfy their own hunger.
This becomes even more identifying when you begin to work your way through all the warnings against false teachers found in the New Testament. What you will discover is that virtually all of them resolve with people who are looking to their own self gratification.
Look at Paul’s warning again in Acts:
I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
What does he say will reveal the wolf? They will “twist things to draw away the disciples after them”. It’s the image that these “pastors” are looking to build a following after themselves. Is it possible that this is what we are seeing with the now too common practice of “territorial protectionism” we see with pastors? Or the new phenomenon of “no-compete clauses” demanded by pastors of new staff hires? Could this be what is reflected in the declarations of pastors who insist “these are my people” as they discourage others from infringing on their claim to portions of God’s flock?
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. (Romans 16:17-18)
Notice how through “smooth talk” they deceive the naive to feed their own appetites, and he declares unequivocally that they DO NOT serve Jesus.
Paul’s final warning in I Timothy about false teachers identifies clearly their theology of self indulgence:
Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:2-5)
Remember this passage is about wolves. Paul is wrapping up this letter to Timothy by revisiting the warning against false teachers with which he opened this letter. He says these frauds “teach a different doctrine” that is not in accordance with the words, the teaching and the godliness of Christ (the Gospel) and they “imagine that godliness is a means of (financial) gain”. This is a direct indictment against the theology that godliness or righteousness will result in financial wealth but, it seems, this passage is indicating that it is the false teacher who is teaching, leading people in all kinds of false ideas and that he sees his “godliness”, or his position of ministry, will be his means of financial gain. Adam Clarke in his commentary on this passage describes these teachers as;
Professing religion only for the sake of secular profit; defending their own cause for the emoluments (profit from employment) it produced;
And the passage culminates in describing these folks as being driven by the destructive desire to be rich.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:9)
Peter in his second book addresses false prophets and says:
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
In this passage we see the culmination of the definition of wolf. They are motivated by their greedy hunger and will exploit/extort God’s people by using false teaching. And after making this declaration Peter gets serious:
But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,
Peter emphasises in this passage the almost animalistic desire for self gratification that controls the wolves in the church. He reveals the deceptive relationship that these wolves have with the flock when he states they sit and eat with them in fellowship all the while seeing the sheep as simply the means of satisfying their sinful greed. And then he brilliantly reveals why it is so difficult to identify the wolf among us. He illustrates beautifully the progressive self deception that forms these wolves and at the same time camouflages them.
Look at the model he uses for the wolf he is identifying. He references Balaam. Now Balaam was a prophet of God. Balaam was a man that God had spoken to and a man that God had called. He had served God and the people of Israel. But he was willing to compromise the message of God for the appeasement of the corrupt in exchange for his own personal gratification. Albert Barnes describes Peter’s reference to Balaam;
(Balaam) was supremely influenced by the love of gain, and was capable of being employed, for a price, in a wicked design; thus prostituting his high office, as a professed prophet of the Most High, to base and ignoble ends. That Balaam, though he professed to be influenced by a supreme regard to the will of God was really influenced by the desire of reward, and was willing to prostitute his great office to secure such a reward...
Balaam starts out as a prophet of God, as a messenger of God. He even, at times, speaks God’s word and God’s truth and as a result he is perceived as a man of God. But over time the allure of personal profit and gain entices him to bend and twist his words, his calling for personal reward. This progression, this evolution, from the calling of God’s service to self gratification is what forms the essence of wolves and it is what makes the identification of wolves so difficult. They seem like good guys but their lives will reveal “that their belly is their god.” I’ve seen it repeatedly first hand in ministry.
There was a pastor I knew well. He was someone with whom I was always impressed. He exhibited great humility and I always felt he was a man of integrity. He came to the Lord in his late teens, early twenties and as such he always seemed very moved by God’s grace and it was reflected in his ministry. He was a church planter and I remember visiting with him shortly after he launched his church. It had been a highly “successful” launch and from the beginning there were lots of people and lots of resources. As he and I were driving to his very modest home on the outskirts of town I noticed a dealer tag on the key chain. I asked him if he had just purchased the van. He replied, almost embarrassingly, that it was a used car that the church had given to him and his family because the car he had been driving was on it’s last legs. He said he argued with the board over it, not wanting to be a burden, but they insisted that he take it. I remember the impression that made on me. I remember thinking how he maintained his humility and servant’s heart even as he experienced such ministry success. Over time his church continued to grow and became a “mega-church”.
I didn’t have much contact with him over the years, a moment here or there, but even in those limited interactions there seemed to be a change. He seemed “bigger” some how. He carried himself as more important with more influence. I lost touch with him years ago and it wasn’t until recently he returned to my radar. Someone told me he had fallen. He had an affair with a young intern at his church. He lost his position, he lost his influence and he lost his ministry. Shortly after I received the news someone sent me a link to the real estate listing for the house he was selling. In a community whose average home price is $137,000 he was selling his $1.1 million mansion. It was a home that was dripping with excess. He had used his position to acquire a home that far exceeded his needs, purchased with the emoluments of ministry and furnished with offerings of his flock. In a community with roughly a quarter of a million people living below the poverty level this “minister of the gospel” believed he honored the name of Christ by living in such excess. I do not mourn the sin that saw him lose his ministry, I pray the same for all wolves because only in that is there hope for their repentance, but I mourn the man he once was, because that transformation fooled many and put his own soul in jeopardy.
I know of another mega-church pastor who in his youth professed a call to India to work on the streets with orphans and lepers. A young man humble in his mission and his calling wanting to work amongst the least of these. Over time and circumstance he turned his back on that calling choosing instead to minister amongst the wealth of suburban America. Now he lives in a mini-mansion furnished with his church’s money, driving expensive luxury cars, wearing designer clothes and being whisked around the globe flying first class, all the while he is teaching the nonsense that to reach the rich people in his community he has to live himself in wealth.
Consider for a moment how that philosophy of ministry is so counter to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It may carry with it the weight of a “fine sounding argument” but does it at all reflect the ministry, the message, the nature of Jesus Christ. This isn’t an idea that needs deep speculation. Jesus ministered to the wealthy. Jesus brought his message to the rich. Did he ever feel the need to assume their status to effectively convey the truth? Was his failure in converting the rich young ruler a result of his not assuming the posture of rich young ruler or was it the result of that man’s deep affection for the offerings of the this world? How is it that this peasant preacher, who couldn’t afford to pay his taxes without divine intervention, was able to enter the extravagant home of Zaccheus in his dusty rags and yet bring salvation and repentance to this rich man’s household? We are admonished in scripture as ministers to follow the example of Paul. When he entered the courts of royalty to bring the truth of Jesus he did not wear the gold chains of wealth but the dull steel chains of a prisoner. To teach that wealth must be embraced in order to effectively reach the wealthy, especially in a culture whose greatest idols are wealth and consumerism, is to teach a gospel that has no resemblance to Christ’s Gospel.
And ultimately this is where the first mark of a wolf finds its convergence with the second mark; wolves propagate false teachings that defy the Gospel as a means of facilitating the satiation of their greed. The bringing together of these two realities is what most clearly reveals a wolf.
You have to understand people do teach wrong things. People make mistakes and these errors do not in and of themselves become marks of a wolf but when those errors in teaching, those ideas counter to the Gospel, reflect and facilitate self gratification I can almost guarantee, you have come upon a wolf. When the feeding of the flock the pure beauty of the Gospel takes a back seat to a gospel message that helps satisfy a “shepherds” rapaciousness you can know with near certainty it’s time to either run or fight.
Where Wolves II: Identifying the Wolf - Part 1
I went deer hunting. Once. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Before I tried it I always thought, “It can’t be that hard.” Deer are docile and non-threatening and honestly they seem a little… slow. Not slow as in they can’t run fast (because I know they can) but more like they’re not real quick on the uptake. I mean, they see headlights from an oncoming vehicle and just stand there. How smart can they be? And so I figured finding one and shooting one shouldn’t be that tough. I was wrong.
I went hunting with my father in law, who is such an accomplished deer hunter I am quite certain that at halloween many of the teenage deer dress up like him in much the same manner teens in the human world dress up like Jason from the “Friday the 13th” franchise. I figured being with him afforded me an advantage. And to a degree I was right as I found two deer.
The first one I found while sitting in a tree stand alone and since I couldn’t get a good shot, and he was a little ways off, I jumped down to try to get closer. As I approached him he started to run. I started to chase him. Not surprisingly he won. This is how I know they’re not slow.
The second deer I found provided me a much better opportunity. My father in law brought me to a clearing that was about 180 yards across, surrounded completely by trees and full of clover. We settled down amongst the brush and waited to see if a deer would venture out into the clearing where we could get a good shot. Sure enough, in no time a small buck tentatively worked his way out to the edge of the clearing and provided me an inviting target. I lined up the shot and pulled the trigger. The crack of the gun echoed through the forest and, as my shot was high by about 3 feet, it simply scared the deer back into the woods. We figured he would be long gone and so I thought it might be time to pack it in but in just a few moments he began to work his way back out of the woods and into the clearing. He was tentative but continued into the open. I lined up my shot. I figured I had to compensate for going high the last time and so as I pulled the trigger I felt confident that this time it would hit the mark. I was wrong. I came up about 4 ft short and the deer scurried to the edge of the woods and, to my surprise, stopped. He looked around and then worked his way back to the the clover. I took another shot and missed right. The young buck flinched and jumped back but didn’t head for the woods. He ate more clover. I took another shot and this time he just lifted up his head and then went back to eating. There is nothing quite as emasculating as standing there with a high powered rifle and knowing a deer doesn’t fear you because your shots are so far off the mark that he’s not convinced you’re even trying to hit him.
I tell you this story because hunting in general isn’t always easy and when hunting “wolves” the challenge appears even greater. Think for a moment about Christ’s description in Matthew:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
He is telling us that those who are the greatest threat to the well being of the sheep will look like the sheep. That it will be difficult to distinguish the ravenous wolves from those that we cherish and call family. That creates a unique challenge. As difficult as it was for me to hunt deer at least I could identify what a deer looked like. And I am certain, even if the deer attempted to hide amongst my children, my family and those that I cherish, I would be able to make the distinction. Because I know how to identify deer. I know their characteristics, I know what they look like, I know how they behave.
If we are going to work to eliminate the threat of wolves in the kingdom of God we are going to have to know how to identify them. Fortunately, there is much in God’s word that reveals the characteristics of ravenous wolves.
As I stated in my first post in this series the identity of wolves seems to always be that of those in leadership (elders, pastors, teachers, prophets) and as such one of the first identifiers is their teaching. Christ, in the Matthew passage, says there will be prophets and therefore the implication is that they will make declarations, they will teach ideas. This concept is reinforced by Peter:
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… (2 Peter 2:1)
And in Romans Paul says:
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; (Romans 16:17)
In this passage you see the divisions and obstacles are created by wrong doctrinal teaching. Again, it seems he’s not talking about divisions created by “unruly” sheep but by the purveyors of false teaching. In 1 Timothy 4, following his teaching on overseers and deacons, Paul warns:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared… (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
And in 2 Timothy he says:
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions… (2 Timothy 4:3)
It is clear that the first (but not only) way to identify wolves is by what they teach. So what do they teach that marks them as wolves? I think the easiest way to categorize false teaching is any teaching that is contrary to the Gospel.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)
What a strong admonition. If you don’t teach the Gospel of Christ, Paul says, you should be cursed. This is why understanding what the Gospel is is so important.
Now I know this might seem elementary. Your response may be “who doesn’t know the Gospel, especially teachers in the church.” But the truth is, unfortunately, many don’t. Many are fixated on the Gospel as simply the means of conversion. When asked, “what is the Gospel?” many pastors and teachers respond with, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, rose again and if we believe on Him you will be saved” and although this is central and important to the Gospel message it is not ultimately THE Gospel message. Again, notice I said it’s CENTRAL to the Gospel message. I am not meaning to diminish the great truth of Christ’s work and how it is a gift to us but we need to understand that the Gospel message moves beyond our conversion experience to our entire Christian experience.
Far too often what is taught is the Gospel as the means of salvation and then it is put on a shelf in exchange for “good advice”. The Gospel is meant to encompass the entire life, teaching, work, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ. It is on the image, the message, the ministry of Christ which all sound teaching is supposed to be focused. When we move away from the nature of Christ embodied in His existence and proclaimed in His preaching we begin to exchange the Truth of Christ for the ideas of man. This is Paul’s warning in Colossians:
My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments…. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Colossians 2:2-4, 6-9)
Sound doctrine, the Gospel, that builds up the church and believer is not “fine sounding arguments” and “deceptive philosophy” but it is the full riches of completely understanding God’s mystery, which is Christ. It’s why when there is division in the church Paul doesn’t call for a “mediation session” but he points to the image of Christ and says emulate His humility:
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:4-8)
When Paul offers marriage advice he doesn’t turn to “7 Steps to Happy Husbandry” he simply looks to the work of Jesus and says imitate His Gospel work:
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-28)
It’s why we are told to forgive as He forgave, love as He loved, sacrifice as He sacrificed, serve as He served, suffer as He suffered. The sound doctrine of Gospel teaching leads us to Christ’s example of humility, Christ’s example of love, Christ’s example of sacrifice, Christ’s example of mercy, Christ’s example of holiness, Christ’s example of community, Christ’s example of truth and on and on and on. What this leaves us with is any teaching that does not reflect His nature is simply not sound teaching.
This is why we get pastors that espouse ideas like “we don’t have to practice unconditional love” or we should should stop “walking with turkeys ‘cause otherwise we won’t be able to fly like eagles” or “God wants you to have comfort and prosperity in this life” or “leaders need to be make tough decisions and sometimes that means removing people who aren’t pulling their weight” All of these are teachings I have heard from “reputable” teachers and they are all counter to the Gospel and they are all false teachings. These may (or may not) be good advice but they are absent the Gospel. Christ exhibited unconditional love, Christ “walked with turkeys”, Christ didn’t seek nor find comfort and prosperity in this life and he never “removed” people that didn’t unify behind some vision, he cared for them and ultimately sacrificed for them, providing a way for them. Any teaching that does not reveal the nature of Christ is not a teaching that reflects the Gospel.
This is the first identifying marker of wolves but it is not the only one. In fact the first marker most often will/must be combined with the second to truly produce the biblical image of a wolf.
Where Wolves I: Who Are The Wolves
Pastor’s conferences are kinda weird. Over my years of ministry I have been to a lot of these conferences and I have noticed an odd dynamic. Quite often these events consist of pastors telling pastors how pastors are really important or how pastors are underappreciated or how pastors need to be respected or how pastors have a hard job. The whole thing, at times, can seem self serving. Don’t get me wrong, I understand there are unique challenges to a pastor’s life and spending time talking, sharing and even, on occasion, commiserating can be deeply beneficial but at times this exercise can move from being supportive and affirming to misguided and destructive. (If you’re not a pastor keep reading, this is ultimately about church-goers not pastors)
On more than one occasion I have seen this conversation move to the issue of “wolf hunting.” I’m not talking about hunting real wolves, (I wouldn’t have an issue with that ‘cause that sounds cool) I’m talking about the metaphorical process of identifying, confronting and eradicating “wolves in sheep clothing” in your church. Usually this conversation begins with some story about some church member that created “dissention” or was “rebellious” or, worst of all, didn’t submit to the “vision of the senior pastor” and it ends with an encouragement to be courageous and “protect the flock” from these threats.
While the basic elements of this admonition match biblical metaphors I fear that the dynamic at play amongst pastors leads to a mis-application of the concept in the life of the church. If you really want to step into the role of wolf killer (a role I believe pastors are charged with in the bible) you have to understand who a wolf is, what characteristics identify a wolf and how wolves are eliminated according to God’s word. You can’t simply apply that title to anyone you want because ultimately you end up shooting sheep and protecting wolves.
So first, who are the wolves?
As I stated earlier, one of the ideas that is expressed often is that you have to beware of “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and this phrase is drawn directly from the words of Christ:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matt 7:15)
Although this is a direct quote from the Gospel of Matthew and are the words of Jesus, you have to understand the context if you are going to use this passage as a starting point to find wolves.
Whenever Christ uses the analogy of sheep it is always with the understanding that He is the Shepherd. It is in this context that He uses it when He paints a picture of the end time judgement and the separating of goats and sheep (Matt 25), it’s in this context that he quotes the prophecy from Zachariah 13 about the shepherd being struck and the sheep scattered (Matt 26, Mark 14), and it’s in this context when he speaks of the Good Shepherd in John 10. Every sheep analogy implies the followers of Christ are sheep and HE is the Shepherd. This is important because when pastors co-opt Jesus’ terminology “ravenous wolves” in “sheep’s clothing” we are creating a subtle but profound shift from Christ’s intent. Pastors are assuming the role of shepherd in this description and the members of their congregation as the false sheep. It is implying, that if we are going to “go on a wolf hunt” we, as the overseers of the flock, have to look in the sheep pen. The problem with this is Christ is putting us, the pastors, in the sheep pen. He is saying there are those amongst the sheep that purport to be leaders, teachers, prophets who are false, who are the wolves.
Christ begins the proper identification of wolves not pretending to be simply members of Christ’s fold but leaders among Christ’s fold. And this identification is consistent with the other occasion in scripture where we are warned against the threat of wolves in Acts 20.
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert…
When you look at the story behind this declaration it provides significant insight into the identification of wolves. Paul has just called together the elders from the church of Ephesus. This will be the last time he meets with them and gives them instruction. As you read this it is so important to remember that Paul started this church, spent years with this church and he appointed the elders in this church. He knows them, he loves them and he has raised them up. And he warns them to look out for wolves who will arise from among your own selves. The indication seems to be that Paul is warning the elders/pastors of Ephesus to look at themselves first when beginning their “wolf hunt.” In Calvin’s commentary on Acts he explains this passage like this:
This amplifieth the grievousness of the evil, because there be some wolves within, and so hiding themselves under the title of pastors (elders), [which] do wait for some opportunity wherein they may do hurt. Also, he declareth what danger these wolves do threaten, to wit, the scattering abroad of the flock, when the Church is drawn away from the unity of faith, and is divided into sects. Neither are all those wolves who do not their duty as they ought, but there be oftentimes hirelings, a kind of men not so hurtful as the other.
Paul is saying the ravenous wolves that pretend to be Christ’s sheep are the people who are leading the flock. That we pastors, when looking for wolves, should first look in the mirror. It’s easy to see this is true when you realize that many of the most dire warnings in scripture about threats to the church revolve around false teachers, false leaders, false prophets. (2 Peter 2:1-3, Romans 17:17, 1 John 4:1-4, 2 John 1:7-11, 1 Timothy 4:1-5, 2 Timothy 4:3). It is NOT about bad sheep, it’s about bad (under)shepherds.
Yes, there are trouble makers in the pews. Yes, there are those who don’t follow well. Yes, there are those who make the jobs of pastors more difficult. But this is what sheep do. They bite each other. They wander away. They resist the leading of the shepherd. But the answer isn’t to shoot them or to throw them into the woods where they might starve or be devoured simply because that would make the shepherds job easier. Unruly sheep need to be shepherded not shot. They need to be cared for and pastored. They need to be nurtured and developed. It’s not fun, it’s not easy, it’s not glamorous, it’s not macho but it is the work of the Gospel to which pastors are called.
In fact, the truth is, when we begin to treat the sheep as threats to OUR roles as shepherd we begin to display the traits of the wolf which we are called to eliminate.
Next: Identifying the Wolf
Fervent Prayer Week: Led to Repentance
Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:3-4
Seeing Jesus
The book of 1 John opens with the testimony of John's personal relationship with Christ:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us...
John wants people to know he met Jesus and really knew him. It is the testimony of his personal experience but it's the change in his life as a result of this meeting on which he focuses. He says, "I met Jesus and because of that I need to proclaim Him to you. I want you to know that you can know this same Jesus and in knowing him we will have fellowship together, we will have fellowship with God and we will be cleansed of our sins finding joy, complete joy". I point this out because it is so instructive how when John saw Jesus it compelled him to show Jesus to others.
To experience Christ, to see Jesus, inevitably leads us to want others to experience Him and the more we know Him the more we want others to know Him. I believe one of the reasons we in the church move away from showing others Christ is because we have moved away from seeing Christ. Often times when we first come to know Jesus we are excited for others to see Him too but over time we move from the central focus of Christ onto other things. We get too caught up in actions and practice and methods and turn from the face of Christ. We abandon the central focus of Christ and His Gospel life embracing behavior modification and good advice and as such lose an enthusiasm for others to see Him too.
John had that every day experience with Jesus, he walked with Him daily, talked with Him daily, gave his life to the pursuit of a relationship with Him and as a result his central desire was that others would know Him too. His focus wasnt on building a bigger church or better life but helping others see Jesus.
If we keep our focus on the face of Jesus, if we approach His word with the intention of having Christ's image daily impressed on us we will not only see Him more clearly but we will help others to do the same.
Powerful Humility
This last week's message was on the 6th prayer in the series "Dear Father... Pastoral Prayers for Mercy Hill" and it was the prayer of humility:
Dear Father, we pray this morning that we would turn away from spiritual pride. That we would be convinced of the destructive nature of arrogance in the heart of the believer and the life of the Church. May the image of Christ's humble Gospel inspire us daily to emulate his service and sacrifice. Father, may our deepening love for Christ produce a true love for others.
As we were studing the foundational importance of humility in the life of the believer and community of Christ that is expressed in Philippians 2 I was struck by Paul's emphasis on the depths of Christ's example of humility.
When you look at verses 1-4 Paul aggresively is calling the church to unity. He says if you have "any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy," then be unified. He is essentially saying if you get this "Christian thing" at all, be unified. Now, when you look at the state of most churches in this day and age, with the commonality of division and politics, you are immediately struck with what a large challenge this calling is for us as Christ followers. But as is often the case, Paul provides the means by which this is acheived; humility through a Gospel call that empowers us.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Paul is saying look to the example of Christ's Gospel humility, be conformed to that image and the church will find unity. But look at the intensity of humility to which we are called; "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS." It's like humility that causes death isnt enough, he has to remind us that it was a death on the cross. For many of us, 2000 years removed from the ancient image of the cross, we might not understand the significance of that emphasis but I believe Paul is trying to call the church to a humility that is so counter to our humanity. You see, Paul is emphasizing the unfair brutality of Christ's humbling. A death on the cross was reserved for criminals, for those who's punishement was well deserved. It was brutal and painful and was meant for those who earned it. Christ humbled himself, preferred others, sacrificed his rights even when he didnt deserve it, even when they didnt earn it.
I can't tell you how many times I have been called into the middle of disputes between brothers and sisters in Christ and heard the defense, "I didnt deserve to be treated that way. I was nice and generous and he took advantage and mistreated me. He's the one at fault not me!" We as human beings, especially as Americans, are great defenders of our personal rights, advocates of personal fairness but when we are only willing to reconcile, to exercise humility, to prefer others when it fits into our sense of justice we will not find the unity to which Paul is calling us.
May we be conformed to the image of a humbled Christ, even Christ on the cross.
One Generation to the Next
This last week in our wrap up of the series "Shepherd, Soldier, King: The Life of David in Song" we looked at David's final admonition to the assembled people of Israel and the Psalm that was inspired by that event, Psalms 145. We saw buried in the middle of that song a call for one generation to the next to pass on the greatness of God.
As we studied this scripture I was reminded of a passage from the journal of Jim Elliot. At age 22, Jim Elliot had a promising ministry in front of him in the United States. He probably could have been a very successful pastor or evangelist or teacher. His parents were not very excited about his call to go to the Quichuas in South America. They wrote and told him so. He answered bluntly.
"I do not wonder that you were saddened at the word of my going to South America," he replied on August 8. "This is nothing else than what the Lord Jesus warned us of when He told the disciples that they must become so infatuated with the kingdom and following Him that all other allegiances must become as though they were not. And He never excluded the family tie. In fact, those loves that we regard as closest, He told us must become as hate in comparison with our desires to uphold His cause. Grieve not, then, if your sons seem to desert you, but rejoice, rather, seeing the will of God done gladly. Remember how the Psalmist described children? He said that they were as an heritage from the Lord, and that every man should be happy who had his quiver full of them. And what is a quiver full of but arrows? And what are arrows for but to shoot? So, with the strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly - all of them, straight at the Enemy's hosts.
"Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious, Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way, Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious, And all thou spendest Jesus will repay."
May we at Mercy Hill, as parents and as a church, so exult the greatness of God to the next generation that we see young men and young women with this devotion sent into the world to exult God to the next generation.
Gift of God's Guidance
For me, the most fascinating element of David's story that we looked at this last Sunday in 1 Samuel 30 was his immediate inclination to seek God's guidance in his desperate situation. With his home burned to the ground and his family carted off by the Amalakites he didnt simply turn to his sword and his army to avenge his loss. He turned to the revelation of God.
And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”. (1 Samuel 30:7-8)
As I explained this last week, the ephod mentioned in this passage references the breastplate of the high priest upon which precious stones were affixed. Two of the stones, attached above the high priest's heart, were known as the Urim and the Thummim and they were used to determine God's direction. There is great mystery surrounding how these worked but with Urim and Thummim meaning "light" and "perfection" the implication was clear; God was perfectly illuminating the path of His people. The paths of His people who turn to Him for guidance.
In the age of the New Covenant, in our time following the redemptive work of Christ, God has continued His commitment to providing direction to His people. He has graciously given the Church the gift of guidance by His Word and His Spirit and these two work in conjunction one with another. God's Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reveals God's way for His people, a way that is revealed to our hearts by His Spirit at work in us. In addition Christ sent the Holy Spirit after His departure from this world to serve as comforter and counselor, "guiding us into all truth". This is the interactive role of God's Spirit giving personal direction to the believer always in concert with His Word. Seek after the wisdom of God's Word and inspiration of God's Spirit and you will be amazed at where they will lead you.
As mysterious as the Urim and Thummim, God's inspired Word and His powerful Holy Spirit hold God's direction for the believers life. May we be as committed to seeking God's guidance in the midst of turmoil as David.
What Does it Mean to be "Yoked"?
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
2Corinthians 6
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers." What does that mean?
I know if you've spent any time in church at all you have probably heard someone say, "don't be unequally yoked with an unbeliever," and almost exclusively that reference is made in the context of dating or marrying a "non-Christian". But is that it? Although I think that it is Godly wisdom to avoid such relationships and that this concept is included in Paul's admonition I think when we limit it to this application we miss so much of what God's Word is trying to teach us.
As is often the case context is everything. The historical context is that Paul is writing to the Corinthian church and he's not trying to confront some rash of devotionally "mixed marriages". He is writing to a church that has struggled with being sucked into ideas and practices that are counter to sound Gospel teaching. They are connecting with and adopting the belief systems of those around them who don't know Christ and have not conformed to Christ-like principles. As David Guzik says in his commentary on 2 Corinthians it is about influence:
It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking. When we are being conformed to this world and are not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we are joining together with unbelievers in an ungodly way. This speaks especially to the issue of influence. Paul is not suggesting that Christians never associate with unbelievers (he makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The principle is that we are to be in the world, but not of the world, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn't be in the ship! But if the world is influencing us, it is clear we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
There is another interesting contextual note that leads us to an understanding that Paul is confronting the adoption of anti-Christian philosophy as the real issue. When Paul chooses the word "yoke" it carries with it, in a first century mindset, the idea of philosophical teaching. You see, as young Jewish men would come of age they would tend to find teachers, or rabbi's, who's interpretations of the Torah they would follow. Each rabbi had their own added commandments and regulations and a rabbi's own particular interpretation of the Torah was called that rabbi's "yoke." When Paul makes this reference he's saying "you can't yoke the teachings of Christ to the teachings of those who are driven by a worldly philosophy, they are incompatible."
This teaching is not simply about being married to an unbeliever but it is a warning to all Christians to make sure we are not melding our Christ given "yoke" with a "yoke" born of worldly values. A Gospel born philosophy of selfless love and sacrifice with a "yoke" of greed, pride, self pleasure and preservation. This is a warning that I think is particularly poignent in our American church culture. May we adopt Christ's "easy yoke" and reject the corrupting influences of worldly philosophy that is found far too often in the hearts and churches of American Christians.
Living Hope in the Resurrection
This is the meaning of the words by St. Paul: "Christ was raised for our justification." Here Paul turns my eyes away from my sins and directs them to Christ, for if I look at my sins, they will destroy me. Therefore I must look unto Christ who has taken my sins upon himself, crushed the head of the serpent and become the blessing. Now they no longer burden my conscience, but rest upon Christ, whom they desire to destroy. Let us see how they treat him. They hurl him to the ground and kill him. 0 God; where is now my Christ and my Saviour? But then God appears, delivers Christ and makes him alive; and not only does he make him alive, but he translates him into heaven and lets him rule over all. What has now become of sin? There it lies under his feet. If I then cling to this, I have a cheerful conscience like Christ, because I am without sin. Now I can defy death, the devil, sin and hell to do me any harm. As I am a child of Adam, they can indeed accomplish it that I must die. But since Christ has taken my sins upon himself, has died for them, has suffered himself to be slain on account of my sins, they can no longer harm me.
Martin Luther 1520
A living hope. This last Sunday we looked at that phrase as written in 1 Peter 1, he caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we discovered that this living hope is intended to be a practical daily benefit to the follower of Christ. The phrase in the greek indicates a current, alive hope. A living, breathing daily sustenance that carries us in our walk. And that is what the lesson of the resurrection should be to us.
See, we as Christians, face challenges everyday. Challenges in our relationships, in our finances, we face temptations of the flesh that work to undermine our faith and the response to the challenges are not discovered in "good advice" but in reflecting on and applying the lessons of Christ's Gospel.
Christ's resurrection teaches us the temporal nature of this life, that we have an eternal life to which we are called and therefore the trials of the life can be endured. It shows us that we have been adopted as sons and daughters of the Most High King and therefore we have an eternal inheritance secure in our walk with him empowering us to run to him in all circumstances not having to live in fear or shame. And Luther identifies, in his sermon on the resurrection, the living hope that our sins are crushed under the foot of the risen Savior and this hope allows us to "have a cheerful conscience" empowering us to defy the allure of sin in our lives.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ holds for us the Spirit empowered answer to all of the struggles of life, may we this week reflect on His resurrection for strength to overcome.
Partakers in Suffering
Jan Hus was bound to the stake with a sooty chain wrapped around his neck. Wood was piled to his chin. Hundereds of men, women and children thronged restlessly.
Hus was given one final chance to save his life by recanting all his "error and heresies". A pause fell over the meadow, then Hu's voice could be heard clearly: "God is my witness that... the principal intenion of my preaching and all of my other acts or writings was solely that I might turn men from sin. And in that truth of the Gospel that I wrote, taught and preached in accordance with the sayings and expositions of the holy doctors, I am willing gladly to die today."
An audible murmur rippled. The signal was given. The executioner set the pyre ablaze. From the smoke and flames that shot upward into the summer sky, Hus's voice could be heard once more, this time in song; "Jesus, son of the living God, have mercy on me."
In the midst of the billowing flames, witnessed by an incredulous crowd, Master Jan Hus sang these words three times. He died singing
Hus is one of the many leaders in the great history of God's great church whose willingness to follow Christ into the blaze of suffering should stand as an inspiration to all Christ followers, especially as we contemplate this the most holiest of weeks. As our hearts and minds are turned toward the Passion of Christ and Good Friday it seems right that we contemplate our own relationships to the call to "co-sufferer" that is so prevalent in God's instruction to the church found in His word.
It's interesting to note the conversation in Matthew 20 between Jesus and the sons of Zebedee, James and John when they expressed their desire to be given places of honor next to Christ in Heaven. He clarified that those positions were not His to give but responded to their request by asking; "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" This question carries with it significant implications of suffering when you look at it in light of Christ's words to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane found in Matthew 26:
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
It's clear from this reference that he was calling his followers to the "cup of suffering" that he would endure and it becomes even clearer when we view the instructions to the church from Peter (1 Peter 2, 3, 4), Paul (Romans 5 and 8, 2 Corinthians 1, Philippians 3, and others) and James (James 5). And in this regard they were not disappointed as each of the disciples endured persecution and even martyrdom save John the Beloved.
The call to suffering as followers of Christ is nothing more then the call to follow Christ. We see clearly in His life and His work the spiritual responsibility to endure hardship for the sake of the glory of God and the salvation of His people. This is the road Christ walked and to follow Him requires us also to trod that path. Fortunately for us in the United States, thus far, we have not been called to the level of suffering endured by Jesus, the disciples or Jan Hus but that does not mean we are exempt from the responsibility of sacrifice for the glory of our King. The needs of others require us to endure at times heartache, mistreatment and sacrifice so that the face and heart of Christ will be revealed through our lives. At times we are led down the path of pain and suffering so that we may show others the grace given to God's children to endure brokenness and yet not deny Christ.
This holy season graciously calls us to examine not simply the suffering face of our Savior but to reflect on our own willingness to endure for the sake of Christ. It provides us the opportunity to ask ourselves the questions posed by Oswald Chambers:
Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”
Devoted to Teaching
When we use the phrase "being the church" at Mercy Hill the model for that "being" is discovered in Acts 2. It's that amazing story of the birth of the church following Pentecost and the description of the church's functioning moving forward. "They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching...." is the first hint at where the church's head and heart was as it launched out as the front runner on mission for Christ.
As we said in the last blog the passage in Acts 2 provides insight into 5 essential functions of the church,
1. Devotion to sound doctrinal teaching. (v. 42a)
2. Deep communal fellowship (v. 42b, v. 46)
3. Generous giving and benelovance (v. 44, v. 45, v. 46b)
4. Powerful devotional experience (v.42c, v. 43, v. 47a)
5. Growth through evanglism (v. 47b)
As you can see the first essential function mentioned is a devotion to sound doctrinal teaching. That placement, the first among the five, I think gives indication that sound doctrine is the starting point for everything else the church does. That's not to say that it is the most important, I believe a healthy church is found in a healthy balance between all five, but it is to say that from sound doctrine comes the proper approach for all the others. The manner in which we fellowship, the way in which we give, understanding properly the approach to devotional experience and even the proper process of evangelism are all revealed in the sound doctrine taught through God's revelation to the apostles and handed down to us through His word. When we look through the New Testament epistles we find teaching on each of these elements. There is teaching on communal fellowship (I John 1), giving and benevolance (James 2), powerful devotional experiences (1 Corinthians 12) and evangelism (1 Corinthians 3) just to name a few.
The second truth that strikes me from this passage is "they" seems to indicate not simply leaders but also laity. In other words it wasnt simply the apostles and teachers that were devoted to the apostles teaching but the whole church. This is a particularly important point to visit in the church culture we currently find ourselves. It is common to hear church goers in American church clamoring for a church that isnt "too doctrinally deep" and far to common to hear pastors catering to this sentiment. A devotion to teaching sound doctrince is essential to produce a church that reflects, glorifies and honors God and when we as leaders and laity abandon this devotion we begin to create a church that lacks the image of God and the glory of the cross. We must be devoted to the apostles teaching and therefore striving to see that manifested in our local faith communities.
May this devotion to the apostles teaching at MHC help us produce not simply sound doctrine but also beautiful communal fellowship, a generous heart of giving, a powerful commitment to devotional disciplines and a move of the Spirit that moves hearts towards salvation and devotion to God.
BEING THE CHURCH
If you are around Mercy Hill for any period of time you're going to hear me say, "We're not interested in building a church, we're interested in being the church." That phrase to many might seem like a simple tag line or platitude but from our perspective it is not, this for me is a governing value. See, I have been around the American church enough to know that when we get fixated on "building the church", (usually this refers to more people, more money and a bigger building) we lose sight of the very purpose of church. This is why I think we need to turn our focus to "being" the church. So the big question is what does it mean to BE the church?
Fortunately for us I believe the bible provides the big answer to this big question. When we look at the inception of the church as described in Acts 2 we see a beautiful picture of the primary elements that make up a properly functioning church:
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
When you look at this passage there are five essential elements that provide a pretty good test for whether we are being the church:
1. Devotion to sound doctrinal teaching. (v. 42a)
2. Deep communal fellowship (v. 42b, v. 46)
3. Generous giving and benelovance (v. 44, v. 45, v. 46b)
4. Powerful devotional experience (v.42c, v. 43, v. 47a)
5. Growth through evanglism (v. 47b)
When each of these elements are in proper balance and evidenced in the church we begin to operate powerfully as the church was meant to function. Unfortunately, we often time become focused on one or two of the elements at the detriment of the others and returning back to balance will allow us to BE the church.
Over the next couple of weeks I am going to go through these elements to give us a better understanding of how this should be playing out in the local community.
A Father's Will
A loving father's will for his children is always for their best. I think that statement is pretty easily acceptable. I know there are dads and for that matter moms out there who can become self absorbed and therefore neglect the best for their kids but by and large loving parents desire the best for their children. I know that when I think about my three boys I want nothing but good for them. It's in the truth of this statement that we can find our greatest strength to yield our will and embrace God's.
See, God is the great heavenly father. His love for His children is perfect and he only wants what will work out for our good. This is at the heart of Christ's declaration in Luke 11:
11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
God is revealing the perfect love motivation of the Father towards His children, and in this, gives us the confidence to trust His guidance and gifts in our lives. Now this doesn't mean that His will will always appear to us to be "what's best" (kinda how my kids don't always think when we make them go to bed early is for their best) but He knows so much better for us then we ever will. Since He is our good, heavenly Father we can let go of our will and and rest in His. Sometimes that means hard times and struggles but in the end we know His heart of grace towards us will produce a life of grace that brings glory to God. FB Meyer beautifully expresses this reality:
MANY PEOPLE shrink from God's will. They think that it always means pain, or sorrow, or bereavement. They always feel melancholy when you speak of doing the Will of God. Alas! how the devil has libeled God. The will of God is the will of a Father. It is the Fatherhood of God going out in action.
When we yield our will to our loving Father's we will begin to mature into our highest purpose.
The Gospel Community
The phrase "gospel community" clearly consists of two concepts; gospel and community. Now as un-profound as that observation is, realizing the impact of each concept can produce a profound change in the life of the believer, the life of the local church and the community at large. I take the time to point this out because too often we embrace one without the other and in so doing we don't sufficiently serve either.
Many of us in the church profess in strong terms the "Gospel of Christ". We rightfully believe that the focus of God's Word is the Gospel, God's plan of salvation for man revealed in Christ's life and work, and we insist that the emphasis of the church reflect this focus in God's Word. While this is an admirable commitment many times we promote the message without engaging the community that the Gospel of Christ established. Others in the church are committed to community, "doing life together", while having only a passing interest in a sound Gospel message. Too often that interest is only piqued when it intersects with our desire to emphasize relationships. And while this desire for community lived out in compassion and service is beautiful it can never replace the true source of hope and salvation that the Gospel provides.
We cannot be sucked into the trap of choosing one over the other. Steve Timmis rightly describes the challenge that we face:
Evangelicals are called to a dual fidelity: faithfulness to the gospel word and faithfulness to the gospel community. The gospel word creates the gospel community; the gospel community displays and declares the gospel word. In the contemporary scene, people and movements tend towards polarization on this issue. It's often those who are solid on the gospel word who are flabby on gospel community. Likewise, those who elevate community tend to downplay the word.
The beauty of a gospel community is realized when both elements are equally vibrant in our lives as we participate in our local church as an expression of the universal church. It is then that the church becomes an instrument of of salvation, a beacon of truth, a tool of reconciliation and an expression of compassion into the lives of the needy and hurting.
Forgive.
"Not to forgive is to be imprisoned by the past, by old grievances that do not permit life to proceed with new business. Not to forgive is to yield oneself to another's control... to be locked into a sequence of act and response, of outrage and revenge, tit for tat, escalating always. The present is endlessly overwhelmed and devoured by the past. Forgiveness frees the forgiver. It extracts the forgiver from someone else's nightmare." - Lanny Morrow
This quote captures the concept that truly struck me last week as I prepared my Sunday message. If you were there you know we talked about the uniting power of the Gospel. I stated, and firmly believe, that the most powerful instrument of reconciliation is the Gospel when it is empowered by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers. And the greatest tool of reconciliation expressed in the Gospel is the power to forgive. God the Father, through Jesus Christ, provided the vehicle by which He could forgive us the sinner. He initiated it and did not require us to earn it. This example shows the path forward for us to live in forgiveness towards those around us. That's whey we are continually instructed in God's word to forgive as we have been forgiven.
But what struck me so clearly was that the ability to forgive puts in our hands the ability to live in peace. That when we refuse to forgive, unless the offending party does this or that, we empower that person who hurt us to continue to be in control over us. But when we freely and willingly release anger or bitterness towards another we take the initiative and the control of our own spiritual and emotional well being.
Forgiveness is a powerful tool of reconciliation and personal well being embodied in the Gospel life and work of Jesus Christ given to us by the Holy Spirit. May we begin today to use that tool to both discover and reveal God's peace.
Before and After
This last Sunday I talked about the incredible before and after picture the apostle Paul painted for us in Ephesians 2. I have seen some pretty dramatic before and after shots but Ephesians 2 was probably the most impressive. Paul vividly describes the state of man before the redemptive work of Christ and then the amazing state we find ourselves after His work is applied to our hearts. I had pointed out that there were three real distinct befores that Christ turns into powerful afters: Death to life, a lifestyle of sin to being raised up to holiness and from objects of wrath to objects of grace. While all three of these represent an amazing work of Christ the one I have been focused on in my own heart since Sunday is our being moved from spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
The idea that our "spirit man" is dead until the Spirit of Christ inhabits us is heart shattering for me. When I read Romans 8 it blows my mind to realize the great blessing that we in Christ now enjoy:
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
To think that without Christ in me my spirit is dead to the beautiful Spirit of God is sobering to me. It is a tremendous point of rejoicing in my life and a significant piece of insight as we reach out to others. See, Romans makes it clear earlier in the passage that those who have not been enlightened to God's Spirit can't comprehend and obey God's truth:
7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
And therefore we have to realize peoples lives only be changed in conjunction with a work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It's not by sound reasoning, shame, guilt or pursuasion, it is by His Spirit.
This truth should lead us to gratefully "bath" in the Spirit of God and dilligently pray for the Spirit's working in others. The transformation of the heart of man is a Holy Spirit work, may we seek the Spirit in all we do.
The Perfect Church
The perfect church is obviously as illusive as the LochNess monster. Attempting to find in a congregation of broken people a "whole" church is quite a daunting task. There will always be conflict, there will always be hurt feelings and there will always be issues with which the church will have to deal. But the Bible does give incredible hope for a beautiful, unified church if we as a people commit to the formula.
Now Ephesians 5 does describe a "radiant church without spot or wrinkle" that Christ has washed to present to himself but this description is one of the redemptive work of Christ, not of the practical operating nature of the church here on earth. It speaks to the cleansing done by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross that has made His people pure and perfect in the eyes of the Father. And although this amazing work has established us as children of the most high God it doesn't preclude us from somes times acting here on earth like rotten, spoiled kids. So it is an antidote to this behavior that we need so that we can live as the unified body of Christ.
Fortunately we have been given the simple prescription Peter's pastoral epistle to the church in 1 Peter 4:
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
The antidote to the inevitable offense that we will suffer at the hands of our brothers and sisters in the church is to love others deeply and serve them faithfully. When we find ourselves offended, especially to the point of breaking fellowship, Peter brilliantly calls us to examine not the offense of others but the degree of our love and service to the offender. This is a love that is not found in us but is provided by the Holy Spirit (in fact is a Fruit of the Spirit) to those who have been regenerated by the Spirit. "Love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sin". May that be the heart of all who attend Mercy Hill. It may not make us a perfect church but it will make us a perfectly loving church which is the most we can hope and strive for this side of heaven.