Ethics and Value

A famous scientist – Richard Dawkins – has made a reputation opposing any ethical system that even remotely takes the time to consider theistic arguments as providing grounds for belief. He has been quoted as saying "There is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference. … We are machines for propagating DNA. … It is every living object's sole reason for being."

If we understand Dawkins correctly, he believes there is only one reason for living: to pass along DNA to the next generation. Essentially, we are merely here to pass along DNA to the next generation so they can be merely here to pass it along to the next generation, and so on, and so on, and so on.

It is obvious that Dawkins, and a whole host of naturalistic scientists and philosophers believe that reducing all reality to that which is natural rather than supernatural offers the very best explanation of reality as well as the very best foundation for determining how we should live. But herein lies a massive problem.

The whole study of ethics – the recognition of best practices when it comes to living as a human being – is based on the idea of value. In some sense ethics are the way we preserve the value of life by recognizing the mutually beneficial patterns of living that not only preserve it, but improve it for all concerned. Laws come into being in order to protect life and property; rules help maintain an orderly society; personal ethics such as courtesy, honesty, sacrifice and perseverance all have as their goal the preservation of something considered valuable.

But, if we reduce human existence to the level of sperm and egg donation, we had better understand that such reductionism will, necessarily, subvert our ethical foundations. Where value is lost, ethics erode. As humanity is minimized down from being the pinnacle of creation so also the ethical standards understood as protecting and preserving humanity’s honor will erode and finally dissolve into a puddle of pragmatic selfishness that favors the strong and wealthy. At this point, do we really believe that the survival of the fittest, in terms of physical power, should determine the way ahead for civilized society?

We are already seeing this erosion and its consequences. Under the banner of reproductive rights, women are funding a largely male-dominated abortion industry despite the fact that it was often unrestrained male sexual desire that brought on the pregnancy in the first place. The pragmatic and selfish motives behind abortion have overruled the idea that conceived human life is both honorable and of great value, and the result is the national horror of 55 million abortions since 1973.

But, if the only purpose life is to pass on DNA, then abortion shouldn’t really bother us. After all, there are certainly enough sperm and egg donors left. But it should leave the naturalistic community wondering if they have selfishly done away with some of the better opportunities for society to progress. Can anyone really justify throwing out 55 million chances for another Einstein, Bach, Marshall, or any of number of world-changing human lives?

The fact is, while many may verbally subscribe to the idea of naturalism, and the belief that we are here only to give life to the next generation, no one really lives that way. We still honor heroes, still want to “make a difference”, and still pray our children will find purpose and honor in their lives. We still want our neighbors to live honestly, justly, and ethically, following norms that are found in every society.

As a theist who believes that every human being is endowed by the Creator with an inalienable right to life from the moment of conception, I contend that our need is for a more honorable view of humanity, not one that is being eroded. If, as the Bible declares, every human bears the image of God, and is capable of displaying his communicable attributes, then the ethics of a society will only be as strong as that society’s appreciation of the value and honor of every beating heart. A society’s ethical commitment will, of necessity, mirror their collective appreciation of the unique nature of human life.  

Ethical standards will only be as high as the honor afforded to human life by society.

Hope this helps,

David 

Are You Better Off?

You can tell that we are in the throes of the election season when everywhere you go you hear the same question being thrown at us by the politicos and their surrogates. Are you better off now than you were four years ago?

It seems to me that this question is grounded on several erroneous presuppositions. First, it begins from the position that someone other than myself is responsible for either my progress or failure to progress over the past few years. It treats me as a ball that has either been kicked into the goal, or out of bounds. Either way, it is the boot that is responsible, not the ball. If I am better today than I was, I am therefore supposed to appreciate the boot. If not, then I should go looking for a different boot. But in either case, I am not responsible. The truth is my being better off has much more to do with the choices I have made and the perseverance I have demonstrated than anything some elected boot has done.

The second problem with the question is that it assumes a homogeneous answer among the masses. It suggests that most people will answer in the way that pleases those asking the question. But let’s take a closer look. Suppose for a moment that two men with the same job, same pay, same station in life, are asked the question. It is possible that they will answer differently based on other criteria in their lives. It is also possible that someone who today is making less money than four years ago still believes she is “better off” simply because now she is doing something she enjoys through which she believes she is making a significant impact in her community. The idea that the question can be answered definitively, the same way, and for the same reasons, by a majority of the population is simply naïve.

And that brings us to the third and most important problem with this question. It presupposes that the only criteria people will use to measure their progress over the past four years is economic. Of course, we’ve all heard that elections are supposed to be about the economy. And certainly the amount of money in our pockets is important. But this also underlies the basic decay of our society which this question seeks to exploit. The question of whether or not we are better off now than four years ago presupposes that our economic situation is the only important measurement of our quality of life. It cynically demands that we consider money to be what most makes life worthwhile.

Someone has said that money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does let you look for it in more places. The trouble here is, if you have to go looking for happiness, you probably don’t have a proper definition of it. Happiness, or better yet, a personal sense of well-being, must never be dependent upon money. The stories of multi-millionaires whose lives are horribly sad tell us that. A casual reading of the entertainment pages confirms that many, if not most, of those we so admire for their fame and corresponding wealth lead lives largely devoid of true, long-term happiness.

Despite my disdain for the question about being better now than before, I do think it is a question everyone should answer for themselves, and honestly. I also believe that the criteria must not be purely economic. Think about your relationships, your character, your ethics. Are your relationships with the important people in your life – your family and close friends – stronger, more satisfying now than before? Have you improved in areas of character weakness, and grown in areas that used to cause you trouble? Are you more courageous in your beliefs, more winsome in times of conflict, and more a person of virtue and value? And are you more involved in serving your family and those in your community? Money can’t buy happiness, and money doesn’t make your life better.

And what about the most important measurement: Are you more in love with Christ, more delighted in the Word, and more diligent in your pursuit of holiness? I greatly fear that too many Christ-followers are engaged in the political cat chase that is all about economics and ideology, considering that this election is uberimportant when the reality is that America's problems are not political, they are theological and anthropological. The only hope for real change is the Gospel.

The best things in life aren’t things, and the best things are still free. Invest in your soul, and in the lives around you, and then you’ll find that elected officials don’t create happiness. That’s our job as individual, responsible citizens, and that’s what has always been the real strength of America.

Hope this helps,

David

Worried About Worship

Part of my problem is that I passionately believe words mean something. I also agree with those who say that how we use words will either promote or dilute a proper perception of reality. What we call something, and how we describe it will often shape the reality of that thing in the minds of people. If we start calling cats "dogs," and are consistent in it, soon our kids will start believing that cats are really dogs. Worse, they'll pass the misconception on to their kids, and so on.

My problem here isn't with cats or dogs. It's with the extremely important concept of worship. Let me be clear: Worship is intentional engagement with Almighty God for the purpose of understanding and extolling his greatness. It is relational as well as cerebral. It is an activity that centers on a connection between my maker and me. Worship can - indeed must - take place anywhere, anytime, everywhere, all the time. Someone has correctly likened it to breathing in that it is a constant exercise whereby we inhale something that is true about God and exhale the proper response back to God. And this brings us to the second point.

Worship is responsive. Worship is our response to God, to his truth as revealed to us in his word and his works. Again, someone has likened worship to the "rent we pay to God in appreciation of his greatness and goodness to us." Worship is an activity primarily interested in engaging with God in response to who he is and what he has done. It is intentional, responsive, relational, cerebral, and required.

And we're losing it. We're losing it in the very place we ought most to find it. In our church services. And here's why:

First, we have caged it, and domesticated it by consigning it to the hour and fifteen that we are gathered in the room known as the Worship Center. It has become an event rather than than a 24/7 experience.

Secondly, and most damaging, we have defined "worship" as music. It is common to hear music leaders refer to their portion of the service as "worship." "Okay, we'll have about 25 minutes of worship and then David will preach." And this enormously destructive idea that worship equals music and music equals worship has become the common nomenclature of the church. People everywhere talk about how good the "worship" was today. They don't mean that the spirit of engagement with God was pervasive, or that their own individual response to the holiness, justice, love, and truth of God was especially poignant and moving. What they mean is that the music set was well planned, the instruments were well played, and the flow of the songs made the whole thing quite enjoyable and entertaining.

And this is slowly syphoning true worship out of the church. We are willingly calling cats dogs and are even now losing our ability to recognize the reality of cats and dogs. Let me explain using a little parable.

A man bought a hammer and took it to a meeting of his neighbors. He held it up proudly and said "friends, look at my new house." They looked at him, confused. "Friend, that's not a house. That's a hammer."  "Oh no," he replied. "This is a house, I'm sure of it." Things started getting a bit crazy as the neighbors began to laugh, until one of them stood up and went to the man and put his arm around him and gently said, "Friend, that is a hammer. It is a tool that you can use to build a house, but it isn't a house, anymore than a saw, or nails, or glue, or any of the other tools you might use are houses. Never confuse the tools with the product."

And that's the point. Listen carefully. Music, like prayer, preaching, meditation, poetry, conversation, fasting, art, and a whole host of other things are tools that can, if used well, help us engage with God. But none of them is worship. You cannot say that music is worship. You can say that music provides a means whereby we may engage with God, but it is not the engagement it self. To equate music with worship is to over glorify music and erode a biblical sense of response by the human mind to the revealed attributes of God. Worship is that response. Worship is not the tool that may evoke the response. The hammer isn't the house, and music isn't worship.

Finally, the effect of equating music with worship also downplays other worship "tools." It teaches us, and passes on to our kids, that praying, preaching, art, literature, and myriad other tools are not really part of the worship conversation, since music is worship. Can anyone else see how this confusion has vaulted music into a position of dominance in the church today, while prayer and preaching are asked to play a subordinate role? Jesus declared that his mission was one of preaching. In Mark 1:38, after a time of intense healing ministry, he declared "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also for that is why I came out." Paul declares that God chose the "folly of what we preach" to save those who believe.

I know what you're thinking. You think that my being a preacher has jaundiced my vision, and that I'm just jealous of the place music has in the church. Actually, I am jealous for worship. I am jealous for people to engage with God, in proper response to who and what he really is. Music can be a tool that tells us about God, and offers us a vehicle for worship. But music is not worship. Neither is it a better tool than prayer, and certainly it is not more necessary to stirring the heart to true worship than preaching.

What should we do? First, call music music. Love it, appreciate it, strive to understand its beauty and usefulness as a way to engage with God, but do not equate the tool with the house. Second, recognize that there are many tools that help us worship, and consider how each of them can be used profitably to find engagement with God in all our hours and activities. Lastly, understand that corporate worship - the coming together of individual Christ-followers to engage with God - is really the icing on the cake. It is a joining together to do what we've been doing individually since the last time we met. Make your home a worship center, your car, your very mind and heart. And if you and I do this, maybe we can start a movement that will bring Christ-followers and the church back to a proper understanding of what worship is all about.

Hope this helps,

David

Noah, the Rainbow, and Evil

Perhaps the most prevalent question I'm asked these days concerns the fact that righteousness isn't always rewarded, and evil goes unpunished. We preach that walking the paths of wisdom and faith, in obedience to God, will bring about the blessing of God. Yet, that's not what we see. We don't see the righteous always prospering and we often see the wicked flourishing. And it has always been that way according to David in Psalm 73:

  Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!  2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped.  3 For I was envious of the arrogant [As] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  4 For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat.  5 They are not in trouble [as other] men, Nor are they plagued like mankind.  6 Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them.  7 Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of [their] heart run riot.  8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.  9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. 10   Therefore his people return to this place, And waters of abundance are drunk by them.  11 They say,  “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?”  12 Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased [in] wealth.  13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence;  14 For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning. 


I have to admit that I often feel like David felt. People ask me "how come God doesn't reward our righteousness or punish the wicked for their sin consistently?"  The answer has everything to do with recognizing and understanding how God is working in His world today, and has since the days of Noah.


We learn so much from the biblical episode of the flood in Genesis 6-9. First, we see what sin actually deserves. Second, we see what grace looks like. In this first great example of God's wrath we see that millions got justice, and came under His wrath.  We also see that eight folks in the Ark got mercy, and undeservedly so. What we don't see is anyone being treated unjustly, which grounds the truth of the statement "There is no injustice with God" (Romans 9:14). 


But there is also a grand truth to be learned from the way God saw the flood. He meant it to be an indication of the what sin deserved, and it was a colossal example of God handing down judgement with immediacy. He looked and saw the comprehensive wickedness of mankind (Genesis 6:5) and brought about justice. If our desire for wickedness to be punished consistently and uniformly was actually God's desire as well we would be seeing cataclysmic judgments everyday, or at least every few months. And these judgments would be comprehensive, world-wide, reducing the population down to those protected by God's mercy. But, turns out, that has not been God's desire as noted in His post-flood speeches. To these we need to pay particular attention. 


In Genesis 8:20-22 and 9: 8-17 we read this:

8:20-22: Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself,  “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.  22  “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.” 

9:8-17: Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,  9  “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you;  10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.  11  “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”  12 God said,  “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations;  13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.  14  “It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,  15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.  16  “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”  17 And God said to Noah,  “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”


Notice what God is saying. He is promising that He is not going to hand out judgment whenever and wherever it is deserved. He declares that the intent of man's heart is evil, and if He desired to run His universe on the model of quid pro quo, chaos and catastrophe would be comprehensive and continual. If every sin got what it deserved no one would live. But that is not how God has determined to rule during the era of human history.


After the flood we find that God withholds the immediacy of his just wrath. He determines, through what we call "common grace" since it is common to all who live, that He will hold back what the wrath sin deserves. Paul seems to make mention of this in his speech to the Athenians in Acts 17:30 when he speaks of God having "passed over the sins done in ignorance." This restraint of God is also described in terms of His sending the rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45). This is apparently what God is declaring to Noah. He is going to allow history to proceed, season after season. He is going to allow man and animals to continue living despite their wickedness. He is not going to order human life according to the principle of cause and effect. Consequently, it will look like sin goes unpunished and righteousness unrewarded. 


This is not to say that God has backed away from personal interaction with His creation. He hasn't. In fact, it may be that He invades history bringing judgement from time to time just to make us aware that our brokenness deserves His wrath. But overall, God allows human history to proceed on with wickedness seemingly going unpunished. 


In the history of redemption there is another time when God punished sin conclusively and comprehensively. He did so at the cross. As with the flood, some received God's mercy through the cross even as He bore God's wrath for their sin. God punished our sin in Christ even as He displayed His mercy to those who had been chosen in Him. Judgment and salvation, wrath and mercy, both operating from the hand of God in the same event. The flood was a preview of the cross.


What do we learn from all this? Two very important things. First, we learn that God is not now bringing judgment to bear on every sin. If He did, human history would be one comprehensive catastrophe after another. Rather, God's plan is to allow sinners to live on so that through the gospel some may be brought to faith and thus, glorify Him as trophies of His grace. When we see the wicked continuing to have life and breath we should understand that this is the common grace of God allowing them time to hear the gospel and repent. But it also means that we can't fault God when we don't see wickedness being punished. We must remember His ways are best.


Secondly we learn that God will not always restrain His wrath. Both the flood and the cross remind us that our sin deserves the catastrophic judgment of God. Just because He hasn't punished us doesn't mean He never will. One day He will settle all the counts for eternity. No one should take God's patience for granted. As Psalm 2:11, 12 reminds us  


Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.   Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! 


Hope this helps,


David

Teaching Our Children Well

A favorite song carries the line" teach your children well; their father's hell did slowly go by." And while I don't know the author's intentions here, it seems that he feels the deep passion to improve his children's lives. To teach them to avoid the pitfalls he experienced, the mistakes he made. I think we all feel the same way. That's why it is maddening that too often what we teach our kids in church is both untrue, and unfair to the biblical text.

Several months ago I sat and listened to the President of a national organization whose primary mission is the religious education of children through the church. He spent several minutes detailing the fact that, statistically, 50% of all those who profess faith in Christ during their youth leave the church once they leave home for college.

Unfortunately he only explored one reason for this statistic and I think it was the wrong one. He used the stat as a springboard into a motivational message designed to get us on board with doing a better job discipling children and students so that they will be strong in their faith, and not fall away when they go away. The problem, at least in his mind, was that we didn't "grow" the kids' faith while they were still in the church.

My view is different. First, it is a myth that you can grow faith that isn't present in the first place. No amount of discipleship can make a disciple out of a sinner. Unless the Spirit of God has entered the life, riding in on the Gospel bringing true repentance and saving faith, no amount of training or teaching can increase the amount of "saved-ness" in the person. You can't make an omelette without eggs no matter how good you are in the kitchen.

Second,  the problem isn't a lack of discipleship, it is a lack of gospel. The problem isn't that we don't train our Christian kids well enough. It is that we don't tell them the truth well enough. It is that we do a great job telling they're the focus of God's love, that he loves them and cares for them and is here to protect and provide. He forgives them and basically, is around to make sure they are happy, healthy, and nice little Christians. The problem is they were all born in sin, and we're too afraid to tell them.

I have recently been appalled and angered at the drivel some curriculum companies are offering us as training material for our childrens' ministry. I am almost mad enough to name names, but in order to keep this blog aimed at the right target I'll refrain.

What I have found is that much of the curriculum today gives our children what Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton first termed "moralistic therapeutic deism" in their book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. The term refers to the idea that God is here for us, to teach us to live better lives, and to bring about our happiness. He is moral. His ways are therapeutic. And he is God so we are better off following him than other options. This is what religious education has become. We're giving our kids "Jesus as life coach." With Jesus you can be safe, make great decisions, ward off fear and sadness, and always walk in joy! The only problem with this is it isn't true. If it were, there would be no need for the Cross. But alas, sin is real, and it comes pre-installed on every little hard drive in every little child. 


In more practical terms moralistic therapeutic deism looks like this. In the first lesson of one publisher's 2012 Vacation Bible School curriculum the story of Jesus stilling the storm from Mark 4 is taught. And the focus? That Jesus is powerful and comes to give the children peace. He is here for them (therapeutic). His "god-ness" will help them respond the right way when afraid (moralistic and deistic). Really? That's what Mark wanted to impress on his readers? Then why did he end the story with the disciples saying "What kind of man is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?"


Here's the problem. We start our children's religious education with the idea that God is here for them. He is loving and powerful and wants to protect them, help them, give them peace, and even will forgive their "mistakes" ("sin" is such a scary word!). What child doesn't want this? So they jump on the Bible Bus and away we go, with impressive numbers of children who profess, get baptized, and earn new Bibles and patches and badges and other spiritual ornaments. 


But along comes middle school and high school and circumstances and the chaos of this sin-drenched, broken world. Moms get cancer. Dads lose jobs. Kids mock and are mean. Life gets hard. So, where is this God who is here to give me peace? How come now I'm being told that I have all these rules to keep? What changed? First you tell me I'm the focus of God's love, and now you tell me I have to earn it? What kind of a bait and switch is this? And besides, I look around at my parents and the adults in the church and none of them have answers to the real stuff of life either! You've been lying to me! As soon as I leave this house, I'm leaving church too, and good riddance.


Okay, so maybe I've gone a bit too far, been a bit too general, and even harsh. But remember, I'm mad. I'm mad that we don't think the stories in the Bible have the same meaning for kids as they do for parents. The story of Jesus and the storm isn't about the disciples or their peace. It isn't about Jesus being there for us, or that "with Jesus in the boat we can sail through the storms of life." It is about the deity of Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation. It is about us being completely dependent upon him. It is about a demonstration of the divine power that will be necessary to bring about the renewal of creation at the end of the age. Its about the disciples realizing that what they really deserved was to drown, and that only the power and undeserved love of Jesus Christ can save them from the wrath of the sea. 


If it is true that Jesus loves children, then we should as well. And if it is true that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, then we should love the children enough to give them the gospel. And if there isn't a curriculum out there that presents the gospel (yes, I know there are some!) then we should write one. And if some get mad about not having the glossy booklets, full-color pictures, or inane stories and crafts, just tell them we're doing what we can to improve the statistics so our ministry can look better. Better yet, just tell them we're concerned about how we look in God's eyes. After all, these children are his gifts in the first place. 


If we began our children's religious education with the truth about almighty God, and their sin, and the absolute necessity of repentance and faith, maybe we could make the gospel clear enough for the non-elect to reject it. And that would sure help the statistic.


Hope this makes you think,


David

A Little Allegory for Such a Time as This

Once there was a little boy who very much wanted to be a doctor. He knew that doctors helped people, were very well respected, and made enough money to live as they pleased. He had been told that it was hard to become a doctor since it took lots of study and work and intelligence. But even knowing that it might be hard, he still thought it was the right and best thing for him to do. He really wanted to become a doctor, and spend his life doctoring. He was passionate.

One day this boy, now grown to be a young man, entered college and began his first class in preparation for medical school. He sat through a lecture in which the teacher used many big words, and spoke of many complex things that the boy just didn't understand. This made him quite sad, and even mad. But his passion led him on and he returned the next day determined to become a doctor. But the same thing happened that day, and the next, and all that week. He was very sad, and now more than a little mad.

On Friday he stayed after class and spoke with the teacher.

"Sir" he began, "I am passionate about being a doctor. I know it is what I must do with my life. I am committed to it. But you, sir, are in the way. You are making it very hard if not impossible for me to become a doctor by using big words, and talking about things that are very hard for me to understand. You need to make it simpler for me, and for everyone else in the class. The world needs more doctors, and very few of us will make it if you don't make it easier for us."

The teacher just looked at the boy, seemingly unmoved by his passion. After a long and awkward silence the teacher made his reply.

"Young man, being a doctor takes more than passion. It also takes a desire to do whatever it takes to be a doctor. And that begins with being willing to look up words so you know what they mean, go over and over the concepts and ideas they explain, and pursue whatever needs pursuing in order to master them. The things a doctor needs to know are not simple, and cannot be explained in simple words. The things a doctor needs to know will mean the difference between life and death for the patient. If you want to be a doctor you'll have to take up the challenge of listening and learning, of deep contemplation and study, of enlarging the capacity of your brain and the sphere of your knowledge. If you want to be a doctor, you have to learn doctor words, doctor ideas, doctor concepts, and doctor ways. If you want to be a doctor you'll need to give up the idea that great learning comes easily, that depth of thought can be accomplished through shallow means, and that intellectual maturity can be attained through childish games."

With that the teacher turned on his heel, gathered his materials, and walked to the door.

"If you ever decide you not only want to be a doctor, but that you actually want to doctor, you're welcome to begin this course of study all over again."

And closing the door behind him, the teacher left the boy alone in the room with his thoughts.

"I guess I'll just find another passion" he thought. "One that still makes me feel good, and useful, but won't make any hard demands on me. Yes, that's what I'll do!"

Sadly, the boy not only left the room, but the college, and ultimately, all of his dreams and passions behind, never to be heard again. What he needed was always more than what he wanted, and no one seemed willing to give him big ideas and important concepts in little words and little ways.

I write this story as one who is too often asked by well-meaning Christ-followers to make the Bible accessible and simple, easy to know and understand. They want their theology "to go", their biblical knowledge packaged in Cliff Note form, and the deep things of God easily defined and understood in three simple sentences or less.

"Pastor, I just don't like it when you say 'propitiation.' I know you explained it, but why do you have to use such big words in the first place? My wife and I just want the simple truth, like Jesus taught it. Remember, he said we should come to him as a child, right?"

"Pastor you are being much too academic with us. Always remember that none of the disciples ever went to Seminary. We need you to put the cookies on the bottom shelf!"

I will admit that it is wrong to speak in ways that go over people's heads. Not everyone has had the advantage of going to bible classes, or attending a bible college or graduate school. Not everyone has been in church growing up, or spent time reading and studying the Bible.

But that isn't really the problem today. I don't know of any pastors who prepare their sermons for the bible college graduate or seminarian. We left that level behind years ago. Today we aim at the high school level of biblical knowledge and the travesty is that even this is now over the heads of some. But it doesn't have to be!

The problem isn't ability, it's desire. It isn't that some people today can't understand biblical themes and theological vocabulary; it's that they don't want to because they believe it isn't important. More, they believe that anything worth knowing about God shouldn't take any work on their part.

I find it very distressing  that some Christ-followers are content not to learn what is necessary to  plumb the depths of God, the nature and work of Christ, the ministry of the Spirit, and a whole host of other doctrinal truths that once were considered elementary things taught to children through the catechisms.

We have a great problem today. There is an intellectual boycott against deep thinking. There is a quasi-pious reaction against words like justification, propitiation, sanctification, redemption, regeneration and a whole host of other significant and essential theological and biblical terms. The great problem is not only do folks want the cookies put on the bottom shelf but that they are actually satisfied with cookies.

Who was it that  thought the meat and potatoes of the Bible and theological understanding could be made into cookies in the first place? They can't. The things a mature Christ-follower needs to know are not simple and cannot be explained using only simple words. If you want to be a Christ-follower you need to learn God words, God concepts, God ideas, and God ways. If you want to be a Christ-follower you'll need to give up the idea that great learning comes easily, that depth of thought can be accomplished through shallow means, and that spiritual maturity can be attained through childish games.

The deep things of God are deep. The complexities of God's redemptive plan are complex, and attempts to turn them into cookies for childish Christians to taste has not only minimized the truth but it has largely marginalized the God of the truth.

But, alas, this problem is really not new. The writer of Hebrews let his frustration show when, after several chapters of solid theological and historical instruction he exclaimed "for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food" (Hebrews 5:12). Turns out he was not only unwilling to put the cookies on the bottom shelf, he was at least making them drink their milk!

But milk, while necessary for infants will never be the stuff of maturity and Christian usefulness. And it isn't enough to be passionate about maturity. You also have to diligently pursue it. And that will mean thinking beyond your present capacity, learning and contemplating and questioning, and searching to find the answers, and then digging deeper again. It will mean listening to sermons actively, demanding as much of yourself as you do of the preacher. It will mean reading and re-reading great classical Christian literature, and dialoguing with others on the journey so that iron can sharpen iron. And all this is for the grand purpose of falling deeper and deeper in love with Jesus Christ so that our lives can be useful to him, through the Church, until he comes again.

If you want to be a doctor, you have to commit yourself to doing and learning all that it takes to be a doctor. If you want to be a mature, vibrant, useable Christ-follower, you have to commit yourself to doing and learning all that it takes to be such a person. And here's the good news: this is exactly what Jesus calls us to! And whatever he asks of us, he is faithful to enable in us.

Just depend on him every day,
      and live for him in every way,
           and pursue his glory until you hear him say
                                                                 "well done."

Hope this helps,

David

A Bait and Switch Resurrection Weekend? No Thanks!

I am amazed. Actually, I am astounded, disappointed, and greatly saddened by those who believe that the way to draw a crowd for their Resurrection Sunday celebrations is to advertise that the Easter Bunny will be in attendance, and that an Easter Egg hunt will be part of the day's celebration.

Do the leaders of these churches really believe the Easter Bunny and hidden eggs prepare the heart for the entrance of the gospel message? or is this really a "bait and switch" tactic? I think it is the latter, plainly.

"Come for the eggs and the bunny, and stay for Jesus!" Wow, who knew that the gospel needed to be propped up. Sure is too bad that the power of the cross and the empty grave aren't enough of a message today. But if drawing the crowd is the measure of success, then we certainly have to surround that old message with some eggs and bunnies. And why not throw in a pancake breakfast while we're at it!

I'm not sure who said it but there is an absolutely dynamite statement that goes like this: "What you win them by is what you win them to." It speaks directly to the means by which we gain a hearing becoming the basis for ongoing attention. If we gain an entrance into people's lives with a syncretistic message that combines a little gospel wrapped in the cultural preferences of the day, then what happens when we throw the wrapping away later? What happens when we finally tell them that the gospel of Jesus Christ requires them to "deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow him?"

Nothing speaks louder than hypocrisy. And it is sheer hypocrisy for a church to appear in support of the Easter trappings of eggs and bunnies, when they they call their congregation to swim upstream against the myths of culture the other weeks of the year. Do we really think our neighbors don't see through this? Do we really think the unbelieving world is saying "wow, they have eggs and bunnies! They must be right about Jesus too!" This is not only silly but just plain ignorant.

The problem with the bait and switch approach to church is that we've forgotten that the message isn't ours in the first place. We don't get to spin it, or wrap it, paint it, or edit it. The message of the gospel began in the mind of God before time began. It was intellectually complete at that point. It came into our world through the prophets and finally was revealed in all its splendor and glory in the person of Jesus Christ. He has all the star power the gospel needs. Trying to add to the story of the Resurrection is like trying to add light to the sun. It is pure folly.

But there is another reason eggs and bunnies as incentives to Resurrection Sunday attendance is silly. It completely dismisses the fact that those who come to Jesus Christ are drawn by the Father, through the gospel. Jesus said as much in John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Do we really thing that the promise of bunnies and eggs has a more powerful "drawing" effect that the Father? Why are we so willing to add some fluff to the message in an attempt to increase our numbers? Don't we trust the gospel to be compelling enough?

No, I am not saying there should be no attempt to make our neighbors feel more comfortable at our services. Of course we want to minimize the obstacles to faith. But this is really my point! Eggs and bunnies don't tear down obstacles; they actually build them! They tell the unbelieving world that the church is willing to dabble in untruth in order to gain an audience for God's truth. And the sad part is this: it doesn't work! All this kind of marketing does is dilute the distinctiveness of the church and the gospel to the place where we hardly have anything to offer the unbelieving world that it can't find elsewhere.

So, to my fellow pastors around the country: Don't do it! Cancel the eggs and bunnies! Spend the time you'd give to those ridiculous events in prayer and preparation to preach the gospel in the power of the Spirit. Stick to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Don't confuse your audience with a quilted message made up of some squares of Bible and some squares of myth. Give the world a message we alone can give them. Give them Jesus, and don't let the eggs and bunnies take up space in your churches, or cloud the gospel message in the hearts and minds of your listeners. Let's join Paul in declaring that we're not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. We don't need the eggs and bunnies. What we need is the courage and humility to preach the truth, in the power of the Spirit, and leave the results up to God.

This Resurrection Sunday let's make faithfulness to the message of Christ be the measure of our success. The world can have the trappings of Easter. We'll stand fast in the power of the resurrection.

Hope this helps,

David

The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: 18 Uses of the Gospel

The ways in which the gospel can be used in our lives as Christ-followers probably number in the thousands. It would be a worthy discipline for us all to make our own list and in this way keep mindful of the ongoing power of the gospel in the life of the believer.

The following thoughts may be helpful in beginning your own list. I have compiled a compact set of things the gospel tells us about our God, ourselves, and the mission of the church.

The Gospel tells us about the God we serve

1) It Demonstrates the Nature of God: The Gospel teaches us about the nature of the God we proclaim: His sovereignty, His generosity, His sensitivity, His great love, and His eternal faithfulness.

2) It Declares the Redemptive Plan of God: The Gospel continually reminds us of God’s greatness in perfectly superintending his redemptive plan. It is right on time and will absolutely reach its intended goal.

3) It Focuses on the Glory of God: The Gospel will keep us ever mindful that God’s glory alone is the grand purpose and goal of all creation. We are saved from the wrath of God, by the grace of God, for the glory of God.

The Gospel Tells Us about Ourselves:

1) It Declares Our Natural Depravity: The Gospel reminds us daily that we were once enemies of God, without hope, destined for wrath, with no power in ourselves to change our condition or our eternal destination. But, now we are beloved children because of His great love and the redeeming power found in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2) It Defines Our New Identity: The Gospel continually reminds us that the greatest and most important thing about us is that we are in Christ! This is our identity. This means that Christ-esteem has forever replaced self-esteem as the primary variable in our well-being.

3) It Describes Our New Position as Servants: The Gospel calls us daily to deny ourselves, identify with Christ in our cross-bearing, and follow Him as joyful servants. In the Gospel we are reminded that Jesus is the both our Savior from sin, and the Lord Master of our new life. 

4) It Reminds Us Of Our New Citizenship: The Gospel is a constant reminder that this world is not our home, its success is not our goal, and its demise will not be our end. The Gospel grabs our chins and forces us to focus on eternity’s promised rewards.

5) It Demands Our Progress: The Gospel reminds us that there is no separation between our justification and our sanctification. Whom God saves, He sanctifies. We are called to grow in the grace, knowledge, and love of Christ.

The Gospel Tells Us About The Mission of the Church

1) It Determines Our Message: The Gospel keeps us planted in the biblical story, and not in the changing whims of culture. It is the Gospel that holds the Scriptures together, allowing them to make sense, and allowing the Church to have a meaningful message to the world.

2) It Clarifies Our Perspective on the World Around Us: The Gospel clarifies the chaos around us, reminding us that the world’s greatest need is not physical or emotional, but spiritual. Sinners are blinded to the truth and alive to their depraved wills, and that salvation only happens when the Spirit rides in on the Gospel, granting regeneration, repentance, and saving faith.

3) It Sets Forth Our Privilege: The Gospel reminds us that, since the Spirit uses the Gospel to change lives, we have the privilege of partnering with the Spirit by putting the gospel in play in the lives of those around us.

4) It Defines Our Measure of Success: The Gospel reminds us that the job of transforming souls is completely accomplished by God, and not by us. Our call is simply to be faithful in sowing the seed, purely, consistently, and lovingly.

5) It Assures Our Confidence: The Gospel reminds us that God is the One we serve, that God is the One that saves, that His plan is right on time, and that when we are on the side of the Gospel, those who reject us are actually rejecting God.

6) It Clarifies Our Doctrine: The Gospel reminds us that not all have been chosen unto salvation. Many will neither understand the truth, nor see the light. This allows us to understand why some will never accept the free offer of salvation.

7) It Defines Our Attitude in Ministry: The Gospel reminds us that God is patient and longsuffering to unruly children, helping us remember to lead and minister with grace and love as well as truth.

8) It Determines Our Philosophy in Ministry: The Gospel reminds us that the mission is to grow the Kingdom, not merely increase attendance. That success is first and foremost faithfulness to Christ and His Word.

9) It Restricts The Programs of Our Ministry: The Gospel keeps us from designing and delivering programs or sermons or devotional talks aimed at the will of man rather than the conscience, that produce emotional decisions rather than true saving faith, and that allow unbelievers to feel better about their lives without Christ.

10) It Rejuvenates Our Hearts for Ongoing Ministry: The Gospel is a spring of fresh, life-giving water every day. We ignore it at our own peril. Whatever fatigue or disillusionment or disappointment you may face, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, the Gospel can be to you Heaven’s great refreshment for your soul. Drink often, and drink deeply.

Hope this helps,

David

What the Gospel Meant to Paul: 2 Timothy 1:11,12(

2 Timothy 1:11,12: for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.  For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.


Paul had responded to Timothy's spiritual fatigue and timidity from a place of personal experience. The obstacles, challenges, and failures Timothy had met face-to-face were not unique. Paul knew them all, inside and out, front and back. Paul was a veteran of the spiritual wars that continually swirled around those champions of Christ who, clothed in his righteousness, were roaming the darkness as agents of light and life. Yes, he had been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God's dear Son, in whom he had redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13, 14). But now, outfitted with the armor of God and the Gospel, Paul had been commissioned back into the realm of brokenness as an agent of rescue. And that commission was the stuff of life-long commitment.

Timothy was at the front end of such a commitment, and the inner cry to quit and run was increasingly powerful. For whatever reason, he was losing his courage, and could not see the honor of suffering for a gospel of which he was increasingly ashamed. But not so the Apostle. Paul believed he had a divine appointment. Having been rescued by the Gospel he was now convinced both of its power and his charge to be its messenger. You can hear his voice fill with honor as he shouts "of this Gospel I have been appointed a preacher, and an apostle and a teacher." In great contrast to Timothy's increasing desire to throw off the obligations of such a calling, Paul stands tall and declares the nobility of being a spokesman for Jesus Christ.

Paul knew no greater honor that to be a preacher, a spokesman, a herald. The Greek word translated preacher (kerux) denoted a man employed by a government or military official to whom was entrusted the task of taking official news out to those in the surrounding territory. This herald had a very simple task: take the message of his master, and deliver it without compromise in the authority of the master.

Paul revelled in the fact that, though he considered himself of all men most sinful, he had been called not only to life in Christ, but to a position as Christ's herald. He now spoke for the King who had rescued him from the sin and wrath he deserved. He was now a highly placed recruiter for the very beliefs he once persecuted to the death.

Unlike Timothy Paul saw suffering as part of the package. Did his call as a herald put him in situations where the audience would not appreciate his message? So be it! Paul was neither ashamed of his master, nor the message entrusted to him. Did it invite reprisals and even persecution? Bring it on! No amount of suffering could dissuade him from his absolute commitment to the One whose grace had eternally changed the trajectory of his life. Once bound for God's wrath, he was now saved by God's grace, and was passionate about being used for God's glory.

But there was one more thing Paul wanted Timothy to chew on. The message  Timothy was increasingly ashamed of was the very one in which he had placed his eternal hope. Jesus Christ was the safe into which Paul and Timothy had deposited their lives. And despite all the challenges and heartache and suffering connected with the gospel ministry, Paul needed Timothy to understand one thing: the Jesus they preached was also the Jesus in whom they had invested everything. Is he able to fulfill the promise of eternal life? Is he trustworthy? or was Timothy thinking that maybe another offer held more promise?

Paul finishes the argument with a solid declaration: Jesus Christ can and must be trusted! Paul knew Christ. He didn't just know about him; he knew him. And what he had come to know and experience gave him a rock solid assurance that Jesus Christ was able to keep all his promises. No need to be ashamed of Jesus. No need to look elsewhere for salvation. No need to abandon the gospel to avoid suffering. Jesus Christ, the Lord of All, had their lives firmly in his hands. He is the Able One. And we are to find our rest in him.

And so ends Paul's brief but powerful admonition to young Timothy. From here the letter goes on to encourage the young pastor to be strong, an unashamed workman that cuts the Scriptures straight, fully prepared to stand firm during the bad times which are just around the corner. But all of this was predicated on the renewal of Timothy's soul. To do this, Paul took his cue from the God of Elijah, in 1 Kings 18 and 19.

You'll remember that Elijah came on the scene when the northern kingdom of Israel was at its lowest, most wicked point. The culture had been taken over by idolatry and paganism. God's people had forsaken him for Baal. They had come to worship what Baal allowed them and had left their God behind. To demonstrate their folly, and the validity of Yahweh Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to an amazing duel (1 Kings 18) on top of Mt. Carmel. When God sent fire from heaven Elijah considered that he had won the biggest battle of his life. He had just watched his God accomplish the greatest miracle of the day. It was to be Elijah's finest hour.

But the next day found Elijah running south, all the way to the Negev, afraid for his life. God found him there, and listened to his pathetic wishes to die since he felt he was no better than his fathers. He had failed to unite the tribes. He had failed to rid the land of idolaters. He had failed to incite the people to throw off the wicked reign of Ahab and Jezebel. But God had other plans.

In an amazing demonstration, God took Elijah back to the basics. He took him to Sinai. It was on Sinai that God first revealed to Moses his glory and his truth. It was on Sinai that Moses really came to know God, to see him in all his glory, and power, and grace. It was on Sinai that Moses was transformed from a goat herder to God's leader, the great prophet who would communicate the law of God to the people of God. And so it was on Sinai that God brought Elijah back to the basics, back to a reliance on his power and a commitment to his plan.

In a similar way Paul took Timothy back to the mountain. In this case, the mountain of beginnings was the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is in the gospel that we first see God revealed in all his glory and truth. It is in the gospel that we really come to know God and his Son Jesus. It is through the gospel that our blind eyes are opened and we come to see the reality of our sin and the unimaginable beauty of grace. It is through the gospel that God's life is imparted and our souls are set on the path of transformation. The gospel is the mountain that clarifies everything. Paul took Timothy to the mountain, and like Elijah, he heard the still small voice of God calling him back to trust, back to diligence, back to the vitality needed to accomplish the mission.

The mountain of the gospel is still standing, still powerful, still available. Take your weary soul up the mountain, and find rest in the garden of grace that is the gospel.

Hope this helps,

David