The Spirit and Preaching

Without the eyes of the Spirit, the preacher cannot see the truth of the Word.

Without the heart of the Spirit, the preacher cannot feel the value of the Word.

Without the passion of the Spirit, the preacher cannot long for the impact of the Word.

Without the wisdom of the Spirit the preacher cannot trace the unity of the Word

Without the guidance of the Spirit the preacher cannot summarize the point of the Word.

Without the Spirit—the Word will not be preached, but only a man’s thoughts, worthless as a mist against a mountain.

But When the Spirit moves, the mountains may be throne into the sea.

Hope for Preaching

Hope for a Biblical message does not lie in rhetorical power, or vocabulary, or theological insight, or dramatic delivery, or brilliant illustration, or effective timing, or clear organization, or pastoral experience, or even empathy and discernment in connecting to the listeners, or in the ethos of internalization and the integrity of personal application.  The only hope for the success of a message is the Spirit of God.  Without the Spirit’s work, even the diamonds of preaching will easily be swept off the porch of our listeners’ minds as accumulating verbal dust or bothersome ideological cobwebs.  Worse, the listeners may be impressed only with the preaching.  But when the Spirit moves, our words of dust convey the light of eternal glory, shining undimmed into darkened souls.   The Spirit alone can reveal the diamond treasure of the glory of Christ. 

So, let us denounce false hope or false despair in looking at our words, and cry out with desperate confidence in the Spirit of God.  

Spirit of God, speak the glory of the Word of Christ to us.

Don't Canonize Your Structure

I love strategizing church ministry structures--deciding the most effective way to apply Biblical principles in our current church situation and cultural context.  However, a danger lurks in this expression of Biblical leadership.  Pastors can sometimes decide that their ministry structure--not the goals, the principles, or the practices mandated by the Bible--but their particular church schedule or emphasis, is as Biblical as the Bible itself.  We canonize our structure. 

Here's how it works:
Teaching is crucial to the people of God. People need to hear more of God's Word.  A church that doesn't provide mutliple teaching contexts a week is being unbiblical. 

Christians of every maturity need to evangelize.  Our teenage Christians need to evangelize.  A church that doesn't prioritize evangelism in their youth ministry structure is unbiblical. 

 Christians need to grow in their study of the Word. Non Christians should not be burdened with deep Biblical studies, they need to focus on the simple gospel.  Allowing non-Christians or young Christians to attend a discipleship meetings undermines transparency and sanctification or burdens unbelievers and is therefore unbiblical.  

Christian singles have extra time and energy to focus on discipleship.  Singles should experience the full life of the church.  A singles ministry that does not provide every aspect of the christian life is unbiblical. 

God created families. The gospel is for every generation.  A Church that creates ministries focused on specific seasons of life is unbiblical. 

Of course the examples could be numerous.  The tricky part is that we might never actually verbalize the italicized conclusion, even to ourselves. But functionally, relationally, we hold that conclusion with a grip that should be reserved for the Bible itself.  For a given church, in a given time in its own history and culture, to structure their ministries in accordance with the italicized accent could just be wise, discerning leadership.  But the leaders must carefully inform their own hearts and their people of the difference between a choice of accent and a Biblical structure.  Such as...

Biblical teaching is crucial for God's people. We've chosen to accent that priority by providing multiple teaching contexts in our church schedule.

Christians of every age need to evangelize. To highlight that truth, we've chosen to accent evangelism in our youth ministry.  

Christians need to grow in their study of the Word. Non-Christians should not be burdened with deep Biblical studies, they need to focus on the simple gospel.  We've chosen to provide ministries that focus on rigorous Bible study, better for mature Christians, and others that focus on the basic truths of the faith, better for non-Christians.

Christian singles have extra time and energy to focus on discipleship.  Singles should experience the fullness of the Christian life.  We've chosen to create a singles ministry that provides many of the aspects of church life with a schedule that conforms to Singles' typical availability.

God created families. The gospel is for every generation.  We've chosen to eliminate age-specific ministries to highlight the value of families worshiping and learning together. 

Of course, a wise pastor will recognize that every ministry structure is a choice to emphasize one accent rather than another.  There may come a day when a different accent may be needed in his church and in order to reach his culture. In that moment, the pastor that differentiated between legitimate accents and canonizing his structure will find it easier to lead his church toward a transition.

It's also important to recognize that some practices do receive priority in the Bible. We should make sure that those practices receive priority in our structure.  But we should be honest with ourselves. All of us have particular burdens and gifts and our structures (and Bible references!) normally tend in those directions.  This is part of God's sovereign care for his church.  But in order to serve the next generation and the next leader in his Biblical gifts and burdens, we should distinguish between accents and the Bible. We should not canonize our structure.








 

The Shuttered Window

If only experiencing spiritual joy were as easy as opening the window shutters.

One moment the room is gloomy, the next it is cheerful and bright.  But then again,  window shutters are a good reminder that my experience of gloom is not the same experience I would have if the sun suddenly disappeared. I may feel a certain darkness inside the house of my soul, I may not even have the strength to open the shutters, but the earth is still spinning in its orbit and I have not frozen to death in the darkness of a sunless space.  The Sun is still doing its job even when my soul is shuttered. 

And God is doing his job as well, however I may be feeling today. Shine on, Lord God, and sustain us by your grace, and forgive me for how often I define you by my current feelings.

Content To Be A Brick

Have you looked at a brick wall recently?  Very few individual characteristics stand out about each brick. You tend to notice the wall, the strength, the solidarity, the togetherness, and not each individual brick.

The Bible says that we are like living stones, built into a spiritual house for the Lord.  May we be content to be just one of those bricks, leaving to the Lord our individual reputation or our individual accomplishments, and glad to be a part of the larger whole of his Spirit indwelt church, his holy temple on earth. 

Of course, you would notice a gap, where a brick should be. 

Cain, Abel, Jealousy, and Jesus

The Cain and Abel story reveals the progression of sin in Genesis.  Sin, initiated by Adam and Eve's desire to contend for supremacy with God, progresses outward as human beings contend for supremacy with one another. Cain is angry because God has regard for Abel's offering, but not for his own.  Genesis 4 is a living parable of James' words in James 4:1, " What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder." 


Abel had God's regard, a commendation from the Lord, and Cain wanted it.  Of course to want such a regard was not a bad thing!  (There is even a place in the Bible for a godly jealousy that longs for righteousness and is angered when sin, Satan, or the world, consumes what should bring glory to God.)  But rather than produce humble self-reflection and an active mortification of his own sinful jealousy and hardheartedness,  Cain turned this passion toward his brother in a murderous rage.  The logic of his own heart seemed to be: "unless I can have what you have, I will destroy you."
Countless quarrels and fights in our own lives are reflected in the story of Cain and Abel.

"You took my parking space, so I mutter or scream at you."
"You took away the relaxing evening I wanted, so I withdraw from you in sullen anger."
"You received the recognition that I want, so I internally meditate on all of your failures."

All of our quarrels, internal and external, reveal that we haven't gotten something we desperately wanted--wanted enough to fight for it.   In some of these conflicts,  the other person has simply thwarted our desires.  In other fights, the other person has received (or taken!) the very thing we want so badly, and jealousy arises out of the heart.  "You have what I wanted!"--is the heart cry of the jealous person. Perhaps this is why jealousy conflicts are so full of rage, so emotionally charged, and why jealous people are willing to go to such lengths to punish the person or take back what they demand.

The objects of jealousy are legion--they could be attention, prominence, position, possessions, relationships, recognition, legacy, intimacy, and a host of other desires-become-idols.  In all fights of jealousy, the fundamental craving is the same:  "You have what I should have and I demand to have it back, or, if that is impossible, I demand that you not have it anymore."   The jealous person will fight to have their idol restored, and if denied, will simply begin to fight against the person who has it, looking to destroy anything, including the person, the object of the desire, and anyone else who gets in their way.  This is what happened to Cain.  This is also the story of the two women who came to Solomon for judgment--the jealous woman would rather the surviving baby be destroyed than that the other woman have what she could not have.  This is the story of the high priests and Jesus--they were willing to destroy him, willing for the people be deprived of his ministry, rather than see him have the popularity they wanted.  Jealousy is seen even in the original desire of Satan. Wanting to attain to God's throne,  he would rather destroy God's world and everything in it than that God receive the glory that he wanted.  Lets us be sobered by this: Fighting because of  sinful jealousy is acting just like Cain, just like that murderous mother before Solomon, just like the high priests, just like Satan.

Jealousy is so powerful the Proverbs writer even uses the danger of jealousy as an incentive against sin toward others: For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation;he will refuse though you multiply gifts. Proverbs 6:34-35 In other words,  don't be foolish enough to make a person jealous against you because of sinfully wronging them!

Proverbs also says this about the power of jealousy: Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4

Sinful jealousy burns like a fire. We must quench even the smallest flames of it in our heart lest it build into the conflagration that consumes us.  How do we do this?

Let us take our jealousy to the cross of Jesus Christ.  On the cross, Jesus gave up what he rightfully deserved to bear the punishment that we should have received.  Jesus suffered from the jealousy of others in order to pay for the jealousy in our hearts.  Even as he died for the raging, wrath-deserving jealousy of his people, he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  The blood of Christ speaks a better word than the blood of Abel: Abel's blood cried condemnation for jealous Cain, but Jesus' blood speaks forgiveness for the jealousy in our hearts.  Our Lord is indeed faithful to forgive us and cleans us of all unrighteousness.  Let us go to Him, and consider his death on our behalf. Views of the cross, with a heart watered by the Spirit, quench the flames of jealousy.

Let us see and tremble at the spirit of Cain within our hearts, and let us return in faith to the blood of Christ that has cleansed us from such sin, and pray continually for His Spirit to produce within us the humble, God-trusting, patient, enduring, servanthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Tribute to My Love on Our Anniversary

Eleven years ago today,  my wife and I were married.  On that day we celebrated the grace of God in providing us to each other.  Today, after a decade + 1 of marriage, I am even more astounded at God's generosity to me in her.  Here are a few reasons why:

1.  Lory loves the grace of God.  One thing I know for certain about my wife:  she has no confidence in herself, and gladly declares that her salvation and her preservation, and every in between moment of loving her husband and family is a testimony of God's grace. 

2.  Lory is passionate about God's kingdom.  Lory has crossed the country with me three times, from Texas to Maryland to Arizona and back to Texas.  She does not consider this world her home, and she wants to invest our family in eternity.

3.  Lory is committed to building God's church.  She loves Biblical preaching, energetic worship, Biblical community, hospitality, ministry times, and testimonies of God using his people in the lives of one another.

4.  Lory is a conduit of God's Word to me.  She has spent 11 years bringing me Biblical truth--encouraging, challenging,  envisioning, motivating, convicting, reminding truth--in which I hear the echoes of God's Word hidden in her heart and his voice calling me to honor Him with my life.

5. Lory is a fun wife.  The Bible says that its possible for a wife to be like a"constant dripping"--so I am so grateful for how much fun Lory infuses into our marriage! She is funny and laughs hardest at herself; she notices the goofy moments that happen around us every day; she still loves watching Disney cartoons; she loves the childish sayings of our children; she celebrates the joy in the normal memories of being a family and being a couple. 

6.  Lory is a romantic wife.  Lory has never been satisfied with seasons in which we are partnering in our home more than loving each other.  She always notices when our attention has drifted to our responsibilities as parents and away from our affection as husband and wife.  She loves little tokens of affection and big romantic surprises. She would gladly get away together for three days or spend a quiet evening at home when all the kids are asleep. 

7.  Lory is a transparent wife.  She is determined to tell me her hopes and joys and struggles and needs and expects me to provide leadership and care and direction and protection.  She knows that I will need God to be a faithful husband to all that she is, she counts on it, and holds nothing back.

8.  Lory is an interesting wife.  She loves history and horses and food and cinema and travel and exercise and conversation and parties and culture.  My life could never be boring married to her!

9.  Lory is a fantastic mother.  She loves the kids, schedules the kids, reminds them, teaches them, trains them, corrects them, feeds them, cleans them, prays for them, envisions them, encourages them, plans for them, hopes for them, cries for them, warns them, waits for them, surprises them, comforts them, and faithfully releases them to the hand of the Lord. 

10.  Lory is my friend.  In heaven, (don't quite know how to anticipate this yet),  Lory and I will not be married, but she will always be my best friend.  There is no one I would rather walk through this pilgrimage with than you, love. 

11.  Lory is patient with me.  I'm putting this last, because as I look at the years of marriage ahead of us until death do us part, I am deeply aware of my need for God's patience to flow through her to me.  I will sin, forget, be critical, be harsh, fail to love, fail to protect, fail to honor, neglect, again and again, despite my best intentions to do the opposite.  I am so grateful that Lory is patient--that God's love is patient, and that Lory allows the patient love of God to flow from her to me.

To you my love, with all my gratefulness and affection.  I love you.