Thoughts on the church today...

It's been a little while since I've written. So much has happened in the few short months since that last blog article. I've gotten married, (I can hear the congratulations....thank you, thank you), a good friends has been issued orders to move away, made some new friends, started a new Home group meeting in our home on Tuesdays. Oh, and we left the church we called home....That was very hard. Still is in a few ways. I could detail the events of our leaving further, but that may not be appropriate in this setting, and would side track the point of my thoughts on the church as a whole today.

Shortly before leaving I did however begin something--which I consider an amazing blessing from God--I began studying for future ministry. A resource I found in an unlikely place, YouTube.

My heart's desire was to attend The Masters Seminary (TMS) in Sun Valley, California. Under the leadership of Pastor John MacArthur. Though not only is it a long way away, but expensive, and most importantly, I share custody with my daughter here. I could not leave her, to begin to really hunker down and train for my calling. My brother just recently moved to Riverside, CA, ironically, which is about--according to iphone Maps--an hour and a half from Sun Valley, and Grace Community Church.......(sigh).

The blessing came when I stumbled upon a video when I was researching info for a Men's Group that I was leading at our churches Monday night small group. I watched the video but became intrigued when I saw the publisher was TMS. So I subscribed to their page and found that they offer ALL their lectures from each course, in full and even with questions from the men attending the course included. I am not provided with the course material nor do I get the powerpoint loaded onto my pc, but I can (and do) sit at my laptop and feverishly write down page after page after page of notes, that I am categorizing into folders for future reference, as I learn courses on Historical Theology, Greek, Hebrew, Theology I, II, III, IV, V, New Testament, Old Testament, Mechanics of Expository Preaching, etc..... Hundreds of hours of lectures, and I can even email the professor for course material according to the YouTube page video.

All this plus, all 50 + years of every John MacArthur sermon online, John Calvin commentaries online, and dozens of other great preachers material online. Spurgeon, Edwards, RC Sproul, Justin Peters, there's so many more, Steve Lawson, Allister Begg, Ligon Duncan, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, I'm sure, I'm forgetting many, but you get the point.

If I sound excited, I am. Look, I'm under no illusion, I know that I wont walk away from this with a degree, wont have the desired MDiv, that churches look for in a Pastor. I guess that's for me to worry about later, I personally am disinterested in having the degree. What I want is the information, and I will study until I'm blue in the face to get it.

As I prepare for future ministry of preaching Gods word, many things are coming to light about churches that I've experienced in the past and especially now since I have been studying for ministry. 

Someone told me recently, "there are no perfect churches," in an effort to keep us from leaving. I cannot go into detail here why or why I felt restrained to explain. I suppose this individual will not know the depths of my love and care for them or the others in the church, and while I agree with the sentiment mostly, I cannot say I'm willing to sit under authority of a church that is un-biblical.

Yes, churches are full of messy people, that will always be the case.

Messy does not always equal "Authentic." A natural church, as with natural relationships does not force natural behaviors, in unnatural ways. For example, you may plan a date, but you don't plan a time to hold hands "authentically," that would be forced and in no way, is there a natural flow to the relationship for it to grow. whatever relationship exists is purely superficial. Sure, a church is full of people, who make mistakes. But the rhetoric that says, we are "Authentic","living intentionally"& to just "Come as You Are," tells me one thing: you are trying to build a church. 

Harvest Pastor Greg Laurie has joked, "I sometimes hear people say, 'I don't go to church because they are all filled with hypocrites'.....I always answer them and say, 'Well, if you find one that isn't, don't go there, because you'll ruin it.'"

Some might argue that my studies are ruining me, ruining my sense of Christian unity with the church, or that even its the men I choose to follow and study under. They’re just too much doctrine and theology. 

RC Sproul made a wise observation once. While discussing a particular issue, he gestured to a chalk board with names of great theologians on one side and names of not so well known on the opposite side, concerning this particular issue. He said, "many of these guys are big names in the evangelical world, and while they disagree on MANY issues, but when they ALL agree on one issue........................I pay attention."

This week, my family attended a church that was new to us, which was probably what would be considered in lock step with most mainline evangelical christian churches. The lights went dark when the music came on, the band was half younger half older, semi modern music.After the preacher came out and read scripture and as he worked his way through his 4 points he concluded with information everyone might like to know: God loves us all and we just need realize that comfort is found in Him, and when we do Jesus will help us through the rough times if we just ask to be delivered and hold tight to Him.

Fairly typical, for most churches, these days.

Typical, though not scriptural, and definitely not the Gospel.

As I grow in my faith I am further seeing the importance of getting the gospel right. Thats the starting block. That's the point of the church. That was the reason Jesus pointed out over and over again in the Gospels (especially John--open your bible app and do a word search for "sent" and see how many times Jesus referred to being sent by God. The Gospel is the building block Jesus is the foundation for.

Though its not some fluffy thing we can just feel warm and cozy about while we struggle through our everyday lives. The grace of God is sufficient to sustain us until we are perfected in Heaven. The purpose of trials is a couple fold, one to let us know that we are His. As believers, sometimes we question our faith. The purpose in that sense then is to illuminate to us that we in fact are in Christ as believers. And that in God our future is secured by Him. Another reason for trials is to grow our faith in strength, which makes us come to lean solely on our God. As each trial endured progressively we learn to rush to and hold that much tighter to Him, relying on Him for our endurance. 

"Come to Jesus" needs to be explained from a gospel standpoint to a world that see Christians behaving much like they do. "Why sure I can be a Christian, if I don't have to give up XYZ....." To them we act just like they do. Watch the same nasty movies. Tell the same nasty jokes, indulge our hearts in the same as everyone else in the world. We just go to church on Sunday while they sleep in. And speaking of Sunday morning, often churches are tailoring their church to draw in unbelievers. So we change the style of music, or make it dark so people aren’t embarrassed to be seen singing to Jesus. The pastor tells funny stories and is a pretty cool guy. Sure they won’t mind coming to that. We are taking a place that is designed to be a place where “believers” gather to be strengthened and worship our God and changing it to fit people who don’t even believe God or that He even exists. Think about that.  

People won over by this kind of marketing technique will be some of the first people to find the door rushing on their way out when they hear Jesus talking about "I have not come to bring peace but a sword...." or to the rich young ruler who said "Teacher all these commandments I have kept from my youth..." Jesus said "then, sell all you have a follow me.", or how about this one, "Do you suppose I came to grant peace on the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division."

You see, the Gospel is a divisive message. and when its practiced by us in ministry when we "walk in the Spirit," we are doing it Gods way not in the flesh. The flesh says we need to sell this thing to get people in here to quote "save them." God says, "my word will not return to me void." So all we have to do is read it, preach it, and or listen to it being preached, absorb it, love it, cherish it, write it on ours hearts. And live it. Then pass it along to the next generation and others. 

We don't need funny stories, we don't need illustrations week by week of the pastors family or events at each trip to starbucks. Not that any or all of that is inherently bad, or wrong, just its not necessary to proclaim the words written in Gods book. He has illustrated it with plenty of Old Testament stories for our learning pleasure. Doesn’t Paul say the things written in the Old Testament are written for us. If you need an illustration seeks God’s word. 

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the Word."

God Sent (Part 1) A Scripture Study

God Sent (Part 1)

Here’s a neat little bible study I stumbled upon this morning. Just something I found while reading this one verse:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”  (John 3:17, NASB)

So the verses that follow tell the story of Jesus’ mission as he was “sent” by God. These are verse’s Jesus spoke about himself being sent by God. Not only do they tell the story through Jesus words, they tell of the gospel mission from being called to believe and our unbelief to salvation and our mission as a called believers. It’s really an amazing little journey through a handful of verses. I hope you’ll take a minute to go through them with me. 

When you get done reading them, tell me what stood out to you?! It’s interesting to me what the Spirit brings to our brain. I’d love to hear your thoughts about what these scriptures speak to you. 

To be clear; I don’t mean it’s “what does it mean to me? or us? but what does it mean....and how does that jump out at us. Be wary of studies that start like this....”so let’s go around the room and see what that scripture means to you!”

Let’s begin: 

(all scripture in Bold, my commentary is non emphasized)

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.  (John 3:34, NASB)

To those of us who are in Christ, we are filled with the Spirit. How can we know this....Galatians 5:24 solidly answers this question, “those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. (John 5:36, NASB)

Interesting, “that the Father has sent Me”.

The Greek word he uses here for “Me” is ego. The term is only used expressed when emphatic. 

Like in the stories of the houses built on sand and rock in Matthew 7:24, 26–“everyone then who hears these words of “mine” being the focal point of this verse....

Also in the story Jesus told about the Master of the Vineyard and the Tenants in Mark 12:7—“but those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir......” 

He is the object of our attention. 

He is the object of our affection.

We are called to this. The message is the same throughout the gospel. You must believe.

You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. (John 5:38, NASB)

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."  (John 6:29, NASB)

We are commanded to believe, but let’s go back to John 5 verse 36 he transitions from Johns testimony, into God’s own testimony concerning His Son. He says, “the works which the Father has given Me (notice emphatic again) to accomplish—the very works I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”  

Notice....the works authenticate the message of the messenger. This is the model of the only true testimony by which we are to believe. The “works” he describes here are his “signs and wonders.” We incorrectly call these today miracles, I believe. When the Jews asked him to validate himself, they asked for what.....? A sign, right. What is the sign. The sign points to something. That something again is the Christ. That’s what they were wanting to know. Are you He?  The long awaited Messiah?  

He moves is along to verse 38 saying, (paraphrasing) that these are the works of God. That God is authenticating the message of the “One” whom He has sent. To move you to a state of belief. This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (John 6:38, NASB)

Jesus as he speaks about being sent, also demonstrates what it means to be fully sanctified, being completely obedient and submissive to the Father’s will. 

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.  (John 6:57, NASB)

While the stomach turning analogy Jesus presents here may be hard to swallow....(thank you, thank you).....it is nearly the same testimony He gave to the Samaritan woman by the well. Another equally misunderstood analogy. She misunderstood his comments about “Living waters” while just having asked her about a drink of water. She wanted the physical manifestation of miracle that he could provide her with water that could quench her thirst for her lifetime. Same as this scripture where the act of eating flesh is not what saves anyone nor is anyone even required to do so. (This portion of scripture repeated among believers) actually circulated rumors to Greeks and Romans that “Christians were cannibals.”

But the saying is true. The water and flesh offer eternal life from the God who gives it to all who die to self and give our selves over to Christ as He gave himself over to the Father in complete submission. 

I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."  (John 7:29, NASB)

Christ testifying to His deity, as often is said that he does not say any such thing, clearly seen here that He makes himself equal with God