Soldiers who died serving in Afghanistan
9/30 Name Not Yet Released
9/30 Name Not Yet Released
9/28 Name Not Yet Released
9/26 Jordan Chrobot, 24, Frederick, Maryland
9/26 Kevin Graham, 27, Benton, Kentucky
9/24 John Malone, 24, Yonkers, New York
9/24 Name Not Yet Released
9/24 Titus Reynolds, 23, Columbus, Ohio
9/24 Edward Smith, 30, Homestead, Florida
9/24 Joseph White, 21, Bellevue, Washington
9/21 William Meredith, 26, Virginia Beach, Virginia
9/20 Corey Kowall, 20, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
9/20 Damon Winkleman, 23, Lakeville, Ohio
9/19 David Davis, 28, Dalhart, Texas
9/17 Jeremiah Monroe, 31, Niskayuna, New York
9/16 Robert Gordon II, 22, River Falls, Alabama
9/16 Bradley Bohle, 29, Glen Burnie, Maryland
9/16 Shawn McCloskey, 33, Peachtree, Georgia
9/16 Joshua Mills, 24, El Paso, Texas
9/15 Demetrius Void, 20, Orange, South Carolina
9/14 David Wright II, 26, Moore, Oklahoma
9/14 Andrew McConnell, 24, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
9/12 Tyler Juden, 23, Winfield, Kansas
9/12 Daniel Cox, 23, Parsons, Kansas
9/12 Allen Nekl, 29, Rochester, New Tork
9/12 Bryan Berky, 25, Melrose, Florida
9/12 Daniel Cox, 23, Parsons, Kansas
9/12 James Hornbarger, 33, Castle Rock, Washington
9/11 Matthew Martinek, 20, DeKalb, Illinois
9/10 Christopher Fowlkes, 20, Gaffney, South Carolina
9/10 Tyler Parten, 24, Town not reported, Arkansas
I am working on a doctorate in Education, emphasizing in the area of Youth Development. My passion for working with youth and their families ultimately led me to pursue two graduate degrees within this field, but as a Christian I have always felt a tension between the philosophy which largely guides the my field and the truth taught in the Bible about the state of the human condition and the process by which are people changed.
Within the story of the tragic events that led to the death of Derrion Albert, a 16 year old from Chicago, you can find an example of the dangerous and deadly lie that guides the field of Youth Development (or Youth Work, as I prefer to call it ... and there are big differences between the two terms). Here is a quote from a youth worker reflecting on the murder of Derrion:
"Misguided youth need leadership in their life. This is learned behavior," said Tio Hardiman of CeaseFire Illinois, an anti-violence group. "You can put all the police in the world in the city, but that's not enough," he said. CeaseFire intervenes in conflicts and negotiates treaties between rival groups, he said, and is working to prevent a violent reaction to Albert's slaying. Dwayne Overstreet, a minister, went to Fenger to pray for peace. "It's not that these young people don't understand the value of life," he said. "They haven't been taught the value of life."
Most people would probably agree with this quote and it's common to hear such things after teens are caught participating in criminal activities that cause us to wonder "what's wrong with youth today." Depending on which area within the field of Youth Development a particular advocate or youth worker is situated (i.e., mentoring, youth services, prevention education, character education, etc.), you'll hear a different prescription for what youth need in order to change and become productive citizens - but nearly all of the prescriptions point toward education as the means of creating change.
What's interesting to note here is that history of the field of Youth Development (well, actually Youth Work. Again, it's difficult to not use the language of 'Youth Development' or 'Positive Youth Development,' because the field of Youth Work has been so hijacked, in my opinion, by the fields of Psychology and Social Work in United States. For a more detailed explanation of the differences between Youth Development and Youth Work, click here) is largely rooted within the Christian Church and Christian sponsored organizations (i.e., YMCA, YWCA, Boys' Brigade, Sunday School Movement, etc.) which, by design, emphasized community-building and informal education, along with Biblical instruction, as a means to come alongside young people. That was the means of communicating, relating, and interacting with youth, but not the means of change, which the Bible teaches is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Today, with the exception of the church itself, we have eliminated God from most of our work with youth, and instead rely on education to create change. We use things like the Six Pillars of Character and the 40 Developmental Assets as a means of helping youth and educating them about what we (adults, society) believe that they need in order to be complete individuals and healthy adults. But if you're a Christian, you see what a deadly lie this is. You know that it's impossible for any man-made method to change the heart of anyone and that without Christ we are all dead in our trespasses (see Ephesians 2:1-9). I don't argue with the means, there's nothing wrong with mentoring, etc., to the contrary these efforts can be very helpful; but what I have to argue against, as a Christian, is the end point toward which we are aiming. Most are aiming at educating for the purpose of teaching youth how to behave (or in my opinion, how to live according to the rules of the world), but this is the path toward death, or more accurately, it is the path away from life.
I don't know the heart of the young men who allegedly murdered Derrion Albert, but I do know that it won't help any of us to be "taught the value of life" if we're dead. And it won't help to have a mentor, coach, teacher, social worker, or youth worker come alongside a young person if that "helper" doesn't know Jesus as their Savior and can't communicate the gospel, both through words and actions. Would you take a young person with a life-threatening gun shot wound bowling or out to a park to shoot hoops? Of course not, they need medical attention, without which they are moving fast toward death. But that's what we're doing in the field of Youth Development in this country. We're committing a vast amount of resources to the effort to teach our youth that "character counts, " helping connect them with mentors, and educating them about what it means to live a good life on Earth; and all the while our youth are dead in the trespasses and moving fast toward an eternity separated from their Creator.
As the t-shirts that Derrion's relatives wore at his funeral proclaim, indeed he is "Gone too soon, too young." All the more reason for having a greater sense of urgency of reaching out to people of all ages with the truth of the gospel. Please pray for Derrion, his family, his classmates, and that somehow this situation would glorify God.
Today Jews around the world are celebrating Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is considered the holiest and most solemn day of the year in modern Jewish practice. What relevance does this Jewish celebration have for Christians? Biblically, quite a lot.
Lust has terrifying power. Normally you’d ask yourself, ‘What about the repercussions of this? What if I go ahead and do the thing I shouldn’t?’ But when lust is fanned into flame, all rational thoughts vanish. Gone are the concerns, ‘What about my wife, my children, my career, my relationship with God, this woman’s husband, her reputation?’ These things no longer matter. Lust crashes in like a great tidal wave and sweeps all responsible thinking aside. It fills the emotions and emotions rob the mind of its control. Suddenly you must have satisfaction – now. Lust urges you to live for now. It forces your mind to yield and compels your will to obey. The wave knocks you off your feet. All resolutions to live a godly life are swept aside. David, a man who loved God, was overwhelmed as lust prevailed.
David: A Product of His Generation?
But you need not fall. You have the power to overcome this enemy. God would urge you, ‘Live a clean life, young man, young woman. I want you free of those unclean habits. I don’t want you away from the battle, lying in bed, letting your imagination run wild and then finding yourself overwhelmed with passion.’ Young Christian couples, what standards are you settling for? Boyfriend, girlfriend – perhaps not engaged, but very fond of one another – what are your standards? How do you conduct yourselves when nobody else is around? Does God approve of what you are doing?
Some people have argued in defence of David. ‘We mustn’t be too hard on him,’ they say. ‘He was in a unique position. He was a despotic king in an oriental society. Other kings living at that time wouldn’t have thought twice about taking a woman. Bathsheba was not particularly at fault, either. How could she be expected to resist the will of this great monarch? Surely he could have whatever he wanted, so if he wanted Bathsheba, he would have her. We must make allowances for the culture of the day. David was, to some degree, a product of his age, and we must understand that before we judge him for his conduct.'
David: A Man After God’s Heart
But David was not a mere product of his generation, he was the ‘man after God’s heart’. I once read an alarming Gallup survey indicating that 52% of regular churchgoers between the ages of thirteen and eighteen didn’t consider premarital sex wrong. The poll pointed out that this was 10% below the national average. But you are not called to be 10% better than the world. You are meant to be as different as light and darkness!
God sees the moral landslide that’s taken place in the last few decades. He watches as young people are seduced, abused, corrupted. They carry the guilt and shame around with them, yet many young Christians argue, ‘Everyone’s doing it.’ They accept the world’s standard that as soon as they have been going out for a short time they should give rein to their sexual impulses.
‘All the other oriental kings did it,’ say David’s defenders. ‘Everyone else does it’ – is that your excuse? Do you adopt worldly standards and merely follow everybody else? Does God’s Word tell you that you are free to play around like this? Never! David was not just another oriental king, a product of his age. He was God’s chosen man. All the other kings, in their ungodliness, could do whatever they liked, but David had much higher standards to keep. So have you.
[This is an extract from Bible Insight Study 91. Click here for the full study.
Pastor Mark Driscoll's series on spiritual disciplines explores the Scriptures to help us live in pursuit of God. Here are quick links to all the posts in the Spiritual Disciplines series:
Though Jesus allows questions from his disciples, he doesn't follow the pattern so common today that says "there is no such thing as a stupid question." In fact, there definitely is such thing as a stupid question.
What should I know?
People want stupid questions answered because it makes them feel better, or it gives them a sense of power. We want to know the answer to every question, and we are quite uncomfortable with ambiguities. Both the Pharisees and the disciples ask questions that don't have meaningful answers, and Jesus often replies to them by answering a different question that does have a meaningful answer. The questioners probably felt like they were receiving an insincere answer—but they forgot who it was talking to them. They are not God and therefore should be saying, "I'm not worthy to know what to ask—what should I know?"
The Pharisees try to to trick Jesus by giving him difficult quandaries, like with the woman caught in adultery, or the Jews accusing him of lying about coming from heaven. Jesus sidesteps these questions and points to the accusers' sin, Jesus' righteousness, and the Father's sovereign hand.
This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.
Man who was nailed to a plank for saying how nice it would be if everyone was nice to each other. Had his message misinterpreted by millions who now think it is their job to persecute certain groups of people (Christians).
Jesus' refrain in John 5:30-47is "not me, but God." He baffles the expectations and confronts the comforts of fallen humanity by being a Messiah who comes not in his own name, seeking his own praise, but by coming in his Father's name and pursuing his Father's praise.
In verses 37-47, Jesus issues a seemingly relentless string of indictments against self-seeking humans:
Verse 38: You don't have God's word in you. You don't believe the one whom he has sent.
Verse 40: You don't want to come to me.
Verse 42: You don't have the love of God in you.
Verse 43: You don't believe me.
Verse 44: You cannot believe.
Verse 45: You don't believe Moses, and you don't believe me.
I have to confess to a certain annoyance with buzz words–warm fuzzy jargon words like “dialogue” and “inclusion.” I’m sure at times the annoyance has been of my own creation. They can be perfectly good words after all. But at some point on the I’m-ok-you’re-ok train these words picked up some unwanted baggage.
Take the word “dialogue” for example (or “conversation” if you like). It’s a fine Christian word if it simply indicates a willingness to take others seriously, speak to them humbly, and consider their ideas responsibly. But “dialogue,” in contemporary parlance, usually means far more. It implies a disdain for monologue. One-way proclamation is just too self-assured, too settled, and too propositional. For many postmoderns, truth is a journey. Consequently, we are suspicious of those who claim to have arrived at some destination. No one is supposed to know anything for certain and certainly no one knows they’re right. So, of course, dialogue is the only way to truth. Dialogue, in the end, may be truth itself.
The call for dialogue among Christians often comes from those with inter-faith sensibilities. Now, hopefully, it is obvious that talking respectfully and intelligently with people of other religions is a good thing. It may not be as obvious, however, that in many circles dialogue serves as an antidote to evangelism. Instead of hoped for conversion, the goal is open-minded conversation. In fact, believing too strongly in the rightness of one’s convictions is considered dangerously closed-minded and a barrier to genuine dialogue.
If our goal is persuasion–which ought to be at least one of the goals for Christians talking to non-Christians–I’m simply not convinced that dialogue is the way to go. For starters, the doctrinal edges of Christianity are often smoothed over in inter-faith dialogue so as to be non-distinct. In the book Buddhists Talk about Jesus–Christians Talk about the Buddha, Grace Burford, a practicing Buddhist scholar wonders aloud about her Christian counterparts in the book. She asks, “If they were so taken by Buddhism, why did they hang on to Christianity?” Sadly, the Christianity presented in inter-faith dialogue is rarely historic orthodoxy, and more frequently a secularized, syncretized version of Jesus-appreciation plus Western-style tolerance. Maybe this explains Burford’s title to her chapter: “If the Buddha is So Great, Why are These People Christians?” (quoted in Timothy C. Tennent, Christianity at the Religious Roundtable, 9-10).
Even for the committed Christian who holds to historic Christian orthodoxy and is a little less enthusiastic about the Buddha, dialogue, sometimes a good foot in the door, can only go so far. A few years ago I asked a retired missionary who spent many of his years in ministry facilitating Christian-Muslim dialogue how many Muslims he saw come to know Jesus from their inter-faith dialogue. “None,” he told me. Then I asked if he ever saw any Christians convert to Islam. “Sure,” he said, “a few.” Hardly a ringing endorsement for reaching the unreached by dialogue.
Intra-Christian debates are just as overrun by dialogue–the tool of choice for resolving (read: delaying) denominational conflicts, especially those having to do with homosexuality. The plea is always for more talking. But do we ever call an end to the meeting of the minds and simply make up our minds? Do we ever declare, ala Martin Luther, “Here we stand”? Are there any issues so clear and so important that to spend time in dialogue would not be a sign of patient discernment but of cowardly equivocation? Does there come a time when the need to rest on the side of truth means we resign ourselves to the fact that there are going to be “winners” and “losers”? When do we swallow hard and admit that it’s fruitless to dialogue for the sake of unity when both sides don’t agree on anything except the most nebulous, ambivalent, watered-down expressions of Christianity?
I think the Apostle Paul would be truly exasperated by our endless conversation. No doubt, he was willing to continue teaching and “dialoguing” with people who wanted to know more about Jesus. But for deserters and false teachers, he had little patience. He called them out by name–Alexander, Hymenaeus, Philetus, Demas, Phygellus, Hermogenes–and warned his fledgling flocks, “Be on your guard against them.” So much for dialogue.
And then there’s the word “inclusion.” Another fine word in its own right. Considering the church’s spotted past in excluding people for the wrong reasons–too poor, too black, too awkward–inclusion can sound awfully good. And it is, when by “inclusion” we mean something like “welcome.” The church, of all places, should be an inviting haven for any sinner-come-lately and any socio-category that treasures Jesus in faith and repentance, or is simply looking for spiritual guidance.
So what’s the problem? The problem is one of boundaries. I am convinced that most of our wrangling in churches and denominations is over where to put up fences. What are the boundaries for fellowship? Membership? Leadership? What does one have to believe, say, or do in order to be counted as one of us? Where inclusionists have gone wrong is in removing theological and ethical boundaries that are essential in defining what it means to be Christian.
Picture a wide open field with a fenced-in square in the middle. The fence posts are doctrines, behaviors, and affections. The area inside the fence is Christianity. Outside the fence is not Christianity. If we put the fence somewhere else or remove it entirely, we no longer have anything definably Christian. If we take down all, or most, of the key fence posts in the name of inclusion, we may have included more people, but not in any meaningful way. In all the hubbub about inclusion, the irony is that it cannot exist without exclusion. Caroline Westerhoff writes:
If anyone and everyone are too easily included, we are saying in effect that anything goes. We are disclaiming boundaries. And as our membership is more and more made up of those who will not or cannot confirm some measure of adherence to the core practices and values of the defined community, that community as we have known it will disappear…if even initial membership is without qualification, then we stand for little other than being nonsensically “inclusive.” If belonging is without obligation and accountability, then we finally have not joined much of anything at all, and any significance that community might have held for us evaporates like mist (“Good Fences: The Boundaries of Hospitality,” 29).
It should be commonsense when you stop and think about it. What is the great humanitarian feat in having all kinds of people join some inclusive institution, when the institution itself has no boundaries to define what it means to be a member? It’s kind of silly to speak of joining a group that doesn’t stand for anything and doesn’t turn anyone away. What, then, have you really joined?
Of course, in the end, inclusive churches and other institutions do have boundaries. Even the most wildly accepting community draws the line somewhere and excludes some people, usually those who are less wildly accepting of the same things they are.
In other words, every institution, if it is any kind of discernible community, has its own creed and convictions. Some are published, publicly recited, and rooted in Scripture. Others are unwritten, but no less powerful. Every group that can be meaningfully joined stands against some other group. Inclusive churches are inclusive of gays, lesbians, and doctrinal innovation. But they are exclusive (though it won’t be written down in any by-laws) toward those who cannot tolerate homosexuality in the church and advocate doctrinal standards. For inclusionists, nonjudgmentalism does not usually extend to those who put up their fences a little closer in.
If inclusionists—be they emergents, inter-faith gurus, or social gospel acolytes—draw their boundaries to exclude evangelicals, fundamentalists, traditional Catholics, and others they deem theological nit-picks, that is their perfect right. It would be nice, however, if they realized they were exclusive like the rest of us.
Who knows, with a little dialogue, maybe they will.
As a way of illustrating “the sharper quality of Augustine’s mind,” Peter Brown (Augustine of Hippo: A Biography) considers Augustine’s “long-drawn-out correspondence” with Jerome. According to Brown, this document is unique in the Early Church for “it shows two highly-civilized men conducting with studied courtesy, a singularly rancorous correspondence.”
The following section is a good reminder from church history that “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) is no child’s play:
And when at last Jerome offered to bury the hatchet, and proposed (with considerable restraint, given his taste for invective), that they should “play together harmlessly in the fields of the Scriptures,” Augustine was not amused: “As for me, I prefer to do things in earnest, not to ‘play.’ If you chose the word to imply that what we do is easy exercise, then let me tell you, frankly, that I expected more of you….It is your business to help those engaged in great and exacting investigations–as if studying the Scriptures were a matter of romping around on level ground, not puffing and panting up a steep mountain-face.
[All quotes taken from pp. 271-72 of the revised edition, University of California Press: 2000.]
“By becoming a Christian, I belong to God and I belong to my brothers and sisters. It is not that I belong to God and then make a decision to join a local church. My being in Christ means being in Christ with those others who are in Christ. This is my identity. This is our identity. . . . If the church is the body of Christ, then we should not live as disembodied Christians.”
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church (Wheaton, Ill, Crossway Books, 2008), 41.
Proverbs' portrait of the sluggard is extreme, even comical. Nevertheless, laziness, in all its subtle forms, has serious consequences. You can listen to a sermon I preached on the subject. And the following is a poem by Isaac Watts based on Proverbs 24:30-34.
'Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain, "You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again." As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed, Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.
"A little more sleep, and a little more slumber;" Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number, And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands, Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.
I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier, The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher; The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags; And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find That he took better care for improving his mind: He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking; But scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.
Said I then to my heart, "Here's a lesson for me," This man's but a picture of what I might be: But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding, Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.
Our parenting conference this past weekend was wonderful. We were blessed to have Rev. Stephen Smallman join us for the weekend and encourage us from God's Word. His final message to us was, in my opinion, the best and most challenging of all. You can download his sermon, Preaching & Teaching the Kingdom to Our Children, for free here. If you're parent, pastor, or Christian Education leader, you will want to hear this message.
Later in the week I will post my notes from the conference; and in the coming weeks I hope to add a review Steve's newest book, The Walk, which is available now and has received high praise from early readers, including Tim Keller.
In this short video Matt highlights two main elements of a personal walk with God:
1. Answer the questions "how will I do this?" and "when will I do this?" when it comes to Bible reading, prayer, & solitude. Most men never get that far, never make a plan, and their walk with Jesus is sporadic at best.
2. Keep a watch on what stirs or stifles your affections for Jesus. Matt carefully watches his heart to see what increases his affection for Jesus - and he makes more room for these things (for example, getting up early and going to bed early are personally important for him). He also looks for those things that steal his affection from Christ or deaden it, and intentionally removes those from his life (his example was that he has to not follow sports closely because he starts caring too much).
You can also watch Matt talk about his conversion here. HT: Acts 29
Paul refers to himself numerous times as worth "imitating" when it comes to spiritual growth and maturity (1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1; Phil. 3:17, 4:19; 1 Thess. 1:6; and 2 Thess. 3:7, 9). What do we see when we look to Paul as an example?
He makes three significant statements about himself throughout his years in ministry that are helpful insights into his view of spiritual growth. The least of the Apostles
Early in Paul's ministry, during his three missionary journeys, he wrote six major epistles: Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Romans. In one of them, Paul makes a very humble statement about himself—"I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Cor. 15:9).
Paul does not put himself on par with the other apostles, as if he were equal to them. Rather, he calls himself "the least of the apostles." That's a decent dose of humility worth noticing. The least of all the saints
Toward the middle of his ministry, during his first Roman imprisonment, Paul wrote Philippians, Colossian, Philemon, and Ephesians. In Ephesians 3:8, his humility deepens—"I am the very least of all the saints."
Paul goes from "least of the apostles" to "least of all the saints." What's happening here? The foremost sinner
At the end of his ministry and during his second Roman imprisonment, Paul writes Titus and 1 and 2 Timothy. Early in his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Tim 1:15). Some translations say "chief of sinners."
Paul sounds like a spiritual failure, like he is regressing spiritually, not making spiritual progress.
The disciple-making imperative of the Great Commission needs to drive fresh thinking about our Sunday meetings, and the place of training in congregational life.
It's common to worry about the future and stress about the decisions of life. For Christians, the question is, "What is God's will for my life?" Without question God's Word tells us that God wants the best of us! His will for our lives:
1. It is God's Will For You to be Holy 2. It is God's Will For You to be Wise 3. It is God's Will For You to be Faithful 4. It is God's Will For You to be Satisfied
When making decisions, it may be helpful to ask yourself:
1. Is an option I'm considering a sin? 2. Is an option unwise or conducive to sin? 3. Has God clearly told me not to choose a particular option? (If you're not sure, then He hasn't.) 4. If your answers are "no" to all three, do what you want.
There's one sure way to listen for God's guidance, that's by reading His word; and there's one sure way to talk directly to God, that's through prayer.
With typical evocative succinctness, C. S. Lewis orients us to our world:
The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.
"Missional Christology" focuses on aspects of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ which are central to the mission he fulfilled, by the ordination of the Father, in the power of the Spirit. Christology is relevant to the mission of the church because we are called to express and extend the mission of Christ. His mission is now ours.
The Father's Plan
Understanding the Person and Work of Christ as missional is crucial and central to understanding Jesus and his work correctly. The mission of the Son began long before his going to the cross, or his baptism, or even his incarnation. The mission of the Son began in eternity past when the Father devised his plan by which the Son would be preeminent over the created world the Father designed, planned, and willed to create.
As the Father chose the Son to be his Agent by which creation would come into being, so the Father chose the Son to be his Agent by which re-creation also would come to pass. The Son's mission, then, was from eternity past the mission of one thing—he sought in all that he thought and felt and said and did to do the will of his Father.
Divine Empowerment
But to accomplish this mission, the Son had to take on human nature and live as one of us. While he was fully God, he also was fully man. And as man, he needed divine empowerment to obey the Father, resist temptation, and fulfill the mission the Father sent him to carry out. The Spirit's indwelling presence and power on the Son was necessary for the Son to accomplish what he did. Only as the Spirit-anointed Messiah could this Christ be our Savior.
To see the mission of the Son correctly requires that we see him in Trinitarian context. Both the Person and the Work of the Son are fully inexplicable apart from seeing the Son's relation to the Father and the Spirit. Getting the Trinity right is crucial to getting the mission of the Son right.
Christ's Mission
So, the Son was sent by the Father and empowered by the Spirit—but to do what? Here we realize that the Son's mission was about regaining the lost creation through the salvation of the elect and his victory over the powers of darkness. At the core of the Son's accomplishment are the dual biblical themes of penal substitution and Christus Victor. His payment for sin and victory over sin constitute the basis for the fulfillment of all that the Father sent the Son to do.
Spirit-Empowered Disciples
Amazingly, the mission of the Son does not end, though, with his efficacious death for sin or his victorious resurrection from the dead. Rather, this is where the mission of the Son moves more clearly from "singular" to "plural." His singular sinless life and singular substitutionary death now give way to plural ministry as he now completes his mission with, and only with, the joint-work of his followers. Jesus' last words to his disciples instruct them to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father has promised. They will be granted the very same Holy Spirit invading their lives as had been indwelling and empowering Christ throughout his life and ministry. They will proclaim his message, display his character, perform his deeds, and further his mission only as they are Spirit-empowered followers of the Son.
The Great Drama
In the end, he will return to complete his mission of remaking everything such that it becomes more glorious and magnificent than it was originally. Just as the second Adam surpasses the first, the new Eden surpasses the original. Christ will take his rightful place as Supreme Victor over all, and we, his saved followers and friends, will reign with him forever and ever.
What a story this "missional Christology" is! What drama. What majesty. What glory. To see the mission of the Son as his-mission-become-ours should result in stirring within us the longing to do as Christ did. As his mission was the mission of one thing—to do the will of his Father in the power of the Spirit—so ours likewise should be the mission of one thing—to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit, doing all we do in obedience to him, to the praise and glory of the Father.
It's a common trap of the Christian life to cut one's self off from the world; to distrust all that the world has to offer. But by doing this we're potentially cutting ourselves off from God's revealed truth. How?
In the same way that Paul quote a pagan prophet in Titus and then pronounce, “This testimony is true”. Or in the way that he can quote the Greek poet Aratus on Mars Hill, “We are his offspring,” as part of Paul's own argument against idolatry (Acts 17:28). As well as in the way that he can quote the Greek playwright Menander, “Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Cor 15:33). Or as Solomon and the other authors of Proverbs place in Scripture certain maxims that have parallels in the wisdom sayings of Mesopotamia and Egypt. And how Paul appeals to the pagan standards of family ethics to indict an incestuous couple in the Corinthian church, stating that such immorality would not be tolerated among unbelievers (1 Cor. 5:1).
How can this be? How can Christians, by cutting themselves off from the world, actually be missing out on God's revealed truth? The answer is found in the corresponding truths of God's common grace and of human inconsistency. God's common grace not only bestows rainfall and sunshine on the rebel as well as the righteous.
Apart from the Spirit's regenerating work, our father is the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning. Were it not for the restraining power of God's common grace, we would so consistently follow the nature of our father the devil that we would destroy the human race in a generation. Our father the devil is also a liar, and fallen humanity “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25). But even the children of the father of lies don't speak lies in every sentence they utter.
God can use the non-believer for good and He can certainly reveal His Truth by his lips. We do ourselves a disservice when we cut ourselves off from the world. Be different. Use a Biblical lens to discern what is God's Truth and what is the world's lie. But do not be isolated.
Come & Live! is an expression of what we're all called to be as Christians (radical generosity, risk taking love, making others glad in God, missions, living simply for the sake of giving, etc). The basic idea is that the label is like a missions agency, the musicians are like missionaries, and you do not have to pay for the music. I am encouraged by how God calls men and women in different industries and cultures to find ways to make others glad in God within their context.
You can download for free without registration their first music sampler I Am Living Vol. 01. If you enjoy indie rock, hardcore, and alternative music styles you will appreciate some of these tracks (there is a great variety). Also included is a sermon excerpt from John Piper.
Tim Keller recently taught on the Parable of the Lost Sons ... that's right, sons. If you've read his most recent book, The Prodigal God, you already know where he's coming from here, but in this sermon Keller suggests some indicators that that can help all if us assess our motivation for pursuing God.
What are the marks that you don't really want God?
1. Getting incredibly angry when your life doesn't go well. Disappointment and sadness, fine, but when things don't go well ... , (you) get furious with life and God, which shows (you) believe God owes them.
2. How do you respond to criticism? When (you) get criticized, (you) either melt down or melt down the critics; (you) viciously counter-attack or get demolished.
3. (You) pray--but by and large, petitions. When things are going bad, you do a lot of praying; when things aren't, you almost stop. (You) don't enjoy God. There's not much contemplation, adoration, intimacy with God.
4. It's impossible for (you) not to be constantly loathing people. You've got to look down on others who seem lazy, if your self-image is based on (a) having the right doctrine or (b) working hard.
5. (You) can't forgive. If you stay angry and bitter, it's because you feel superior to them. "I would never do anything like that." You have to have a fair amount of pride to have bitterness.
Friday September 18th // 6:30 to 8 p.m. "Understanding Our Own Conversion Experience and the Place of Christian Community" (Matthew 18:3)
Saturday September 19th // 9 a.m. to 12 (Noon) "How Our Children Come to Faith: Regeneration and Conversion" (Matthew 19:14a)
Sunday September 20th // 10:30 a.m. to 12 (Noon) "For of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven: Teaching and Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to Our Children" (Matthew 19:14b)
This conference is free of charge and child care will be provided. For more details please visit westkirk.org or if you would like to register, click here.
Stephen will be speaking at our church September 18-20, 2009 on the topic of how children come to faith. The conference is free and if you are interested in attending please click here.
Work is ordained by God. It was His creative invention from the beginning. The Bible declares that God worked (Gen. 1-2). By working we resemble God. Like God, you have the ability to work, make plans, implement them, and be creative. Additionally, God gave us the task of ruling over and taking care of His creation (Gen. 1:28, 2:15).
Work is for a lifetime.By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground (Gen. 3:19). God intends that humans are to work as long as they live. Meaningful activity plays a critical role in being a human being - whether paid or volunteer. The magical age of 65 shouldn't end meaningful, purposeful work.
Work is not a punishment. God did not create work as drudgery, but as a gift of fulfillment to life. A human being can do nothing better than...find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment (Ecc. 2:24-25)?
Work has three purposes: to provide money or resources to supply the necessities of life; to provide for a quality of life in the satisfaction of doing a job well; and to serve God.
Work calls for obedience. Even when the boss isn't looking, a good worker is consistent and diligent to the task and loyal to the organization (Col. 3:22, 24). The real boss is Jesus Christ. See your job as service to Him - not simply your employer. Employers should treat employees with respect and fairness.
Work should be done with excellence. You are to render service, as to the Lord, and not to men (Eph. 6:6-7); not to be men-pleasers but God-pleasers. God's standard of excellence needs to be the human standard.
Work is honorable. All professions and all kinds of work, assuming they are legal and biblically ethical, are honorable before the Lord. There is no dichotomy between sacred and secular work. All work brings glory to God and fulfillment to you, if it is done to God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31).
Work provides an opportunity for witness. You manifest a powerful message, both verbal and nonverbal, of a supernatural approach to work. The world today needs this powerful witness.
The New Testament is full of practical instructions of how to gospel one another: love one another (John 13:34,1 John 3:11), fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7), forgive one another (Eph. 4:32), accept one another (Rom. 15:7), serve one another (1 Peter 4:10), teach one another (Col. 3:16), be patient with one another (Eph. 4:2), bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), pray for one another (James 5:16), submit to one another (Eph. 5:21), encourage one another, and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11).
What if we do not see these instructions merely as commands to follow, but rather reflections of how we as a gospel community display the work of Christ? We gospel because we’ve been gospeled:
What if we do not see these instructions merely as commands to follow, but rather reflections of how we as a gospel community display the work of Christ? We gospel because we’ve been gospeled:
We fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7) because of the Trinitarian fellowship of our God (2 Cor. 13:14)
We forgive one another (Eph. 4:32) as God in Christ forgave us (Eph. 4:32).
We accept one another (Rom. 15:7) because we’re accepted by God in Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
We serve one another (1 Peter 4:10) as Jesus came to serve and give his life as our ransom (Mark 10:45).
We teach one another (Col. 3:16) because Jesus is the true word of God incarnate (John 1:14).
We are patient with one another (Eph. 4:2) because God’s kindness and patience leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4).
We bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2) as Christ Jesus bore our griefs and transgressions (Is. 53:4).
We pray for one another (James 5:16) as Christ did for us (John 17) and continues to do (Rom. 8:34).
We submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) as Jesus submitted to the will of the Father (Phil. 2).
We encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11) just as Jesus builds his church (Matt. 16:18).
Do we see the gospel as something we do or as something we expect others to do for us? Do we understand that to gospel we must first be gospeled? May we be obedient to gospel one another as a display of Christ Jesus’ gospeling of us.
Please pray for the following men and their families. They bravely sacrificed their lives for us this month.
