Assurance and the Gospel: A Post in Celebration of Reformation Day

October 30, 2007 | 2 Comments

It’s no coincidence that Reformation Day, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 theses, falls on All Hallows Eve. Luther’s 95 theses was a protest primarily against the Catholic Church’s system of indulgences, and there were few bigger days for indulgences than All Saints Day itself. On this day faithful pilgrims would visit the relics of the saints in hopes of earning an indulgence (remission from purgatory) for loved ones in purgatory. Even today the Catholic Church promises special indulgences in connection with All Saints Day.

At the heart of the indulgence debate was the question of who could ultimately forgive sin. Could a person buy a letter of forgiveness from the pope (an indulgence) and then be certain of forgiveness? Luther said this idea was “madness” (theses 75). He instead insisted, “We say, on the contrary, that papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as guilt is concerned” (theses 76). Ultimately, Luther argued that the practice of issuing indulgences for the forgiveness of sins deceives the people (theses 24) and any assurance of salvation by a letter of pardon is vain, “even though the pope himself were to stake his soul upon it” (theses 52).

Although the Protestant Reformation sprang from a number of people, ideas, and movements, Luther’s posting of the 95 theses is considered its beginning. In reading through his theses it is obvious that nothing less than the gospel of Christ was at stake, and in the years following the true, biblical gospel was once again made plain to the masses. Thankfully, the Reformation reminded Christians once again of the supremacy of Christ, the true nature of saving faith, the glory of Christ’s righteousness imputed to the believer, and the sovereignty of God over all of life. Eventually, “after darkness, light” came to be the slogan that represented the recovery of the great Reformation truths.

Time, however, can dim even the greatest of lights.

Today, even among many evangelical churches, assurance of faith is too frequently peddled to the masses in the guise of a gospel that is just as inadequate as the gospel Luther struggled against. Too often the gospel is promoted as a pathway to wholeness, and not forgiveness. Too often the gospel is marketed as a product to be purchased, when it is in reality a truth to be obeyed. Too often people are urged to merely have faith, while Christ, the proper object of true faith, is ignored. Too often God is presented as a helpless, would-be guest knocking on the doors of our hearts, when he is actually the sovereign Lord and Judge over all. Too often the cross is presented merely as an example of love, and not as the place where both God’s mercy and justice meet. Too often the gospel is viewed as a means to wealth and happiness, and not as a call to holiness. Too often the gospel is grounded on our works, and not on the finished work of Christ.

Today you need not buy an indulgence to receive false assurance, you need only believe any number of the false gospels available. Another Reformation, another recovery of the biblical gospel, the old gospel, is desperately needed. J.I. Packer describes the “old” gospel of the reformers in the following way, “It was always and essentially a proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its center of reference was unambiguously God.”

On this Reformation Day, pray that the biblical gospel, the old gospel, would be recovered. And after you’ve prayed – proclaim!

Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

Note: This blog post is part of a Reformation Day symposium sponsored by challies.com. Be sure to check out all of the Reformation Day blogging there!

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Theology 

Some Good Reading

October 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment

One of the great benefits of my labors as a pastor is the time I am able to devote to study and reading. Here’s a glimpse of a few of the books I’ve been enjoying lately, some for personal growth, and some for preaching and teaching.

For Personal Growth:

The Cross He Bore: Meditations on the Sufferings of the Redeemer, by Frederick S. Leahy

This great little book has been food for my soul. Leahy takes the reader deep into Christ’s suffering and powerfully drives home the significance of the cross for the believer. The first chapter, “Man of Sorrows,” ends with this powerful paragraph:

‘Jesus wept,’ but never like this. No previous sorrow of his could match this. At the time of his arrest he declared, ‘Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?’ (John 18:11). That cup was constantly in view as he prayed in Gethsemane. What cup? ‘THIS CUP’ - not some future cup. The cup that was symbolized in the feat (Matt. 26:27,28) was now actual: God was placing it in the Saviour’s hands and it carried the stench of hell. But stop! Schilder is right. ‘Gethsemane is not a field of study for our intellect. It is a sanctuary of our faith.’ Lord, forgive us for the times we have read about Gethsemane with dry eyes.

The Daily Reading Bible (ESV)

A great deal of my week is spent studying God’s Word, a task edifying and challenging in and of itself. But at times I need to remind myself of the importance of reading God’s Word, not merely for study, but as a treasure to be cherished. This great little Bible is organized into daily readings guiding the reader through the OT once, and the Psalms and NT twice over the course of a year. For anyone who needs some guidance and motivation in reading Scripture, this Bible is a great help.

George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Revival (Vols. 1,2), by Arnold A. Dallimore

Few books have been as influential in my Christian life as Christian biographies, and among the biographies I’ve read none surpass this biography of Whitefield. Whitefield was a man larger than life, zealous in preaching the gospel, generous in mercy, and gracious to all. Although far from perfect, I have learned much from Whitefield who sought out every opportunity he possibly could to proclaim the glories of the gospel. Indeed, his life was literally spent accomplishing this great task.

For Preaching and Teaching:

God’s Unfaithful Wife: A Biblical Theology of Spiritual Adultery, by Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.

This book is part of a tremendously helpful series called New Studies in Biblical Theology, edited by D.A. Carson. One of the things this series does is examine how certain biblical themes play out through the entire scope of God’s Word. This book in particular examines “spiritual adultery” as presented throughout the Old and New Testaments. I have used this book before, when preaching through Judges, but my most thorough reading of this book came just a few weeks ago when I preached on Luke 5:33-39 in which Jesus calls himself the bridegroom of God’s people. In this book (and in this series) we see how serious study of God’s Word inevitably leads to serious praise and growth. Ortlund says in his closing remarks:

Pastorally, the biblical story lifts up before us a vision of God as our Lover. The gospel is not an imperialistic human philosophy making overrated universal claims; the gospel sounds the voice of our Husband who has proven his love for us and who calls for our undivided love in return…. The gospel tells the story of God’s pursuing, faithful, wounded, angry, overruling, transforming, triumphant love. And it calls us to answer him with a love which cleanses our lives of all spiritual whoredom.

Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road, by Timothy J. Keller

This Sunday I’ll be preaching on how Jesus showed mercy to a man with a withered hand and healed him (Luke 6:6-11). Because this happened on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were infuriated, and in their anger they ultimately show that not only do they not have a proper grasp of the Sabbath, they also are far removed from the biblical idea of mercy. For all who are tempted to neglect our God-given mercy mandate to “do justice and righteousness” (Jer. 22:3), this book is a powerful call to care for all in need.

The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, by O. Palmer Robertson

Few theologians have articulated the practical significance of covenant theology as well as Robertson (see also his The Christ of the Covenants), and this book is a tremendous resource for any who are confused or have been mislead regarding the modern state of Israel. I’ve been teaching on covenant theology on Wednesday evenings, and Robertson’s powerful exegesis of Romans 11 will inform much of what we discuss in our next class.

The Christ of the Prophets, by O. Palmer Robertson

On Sunday evenings I’ve started preaching through the book of Zechariah. This book has been a tremendous help in understanding Zechariah within a larger prophetic, biblical, and Christ-centered context. Again, Robertson brings his expertise in covenant theology to bear as he reveals Zechariah’s Messianic message with clarity and power.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books 

Key Factors for Good Theology

October 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post commenting on the suggestion that good beer and good theology are related. That post is here. It seems, however, that there may be other, less than desirable factors that lead to good theology, like ugliness. Get the full scoop at this blog post from Team Tominthebox News Network.

The great thing about satire is there’s always at least a little truth behind it.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Humor, Theology 

Book Review – “Selling Out the Church”

October 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Selling Out the Church: The Dangers of Church Marketing by Philip D. Kenneson & James L. Street

It’s tough to argue with success, especially the kind of success that countless churches across America have experienced as they have adopted deliberate marketing strategies and then seen their attendance grow into the thousands. For much of evangelical Christianity in America, church marketing is becoming more and more of a standard practice grounded in a very pragmatic ideal, “If it works, why not do it?” Phillip Kenneson and James Street have written Selling Out the Church: The Dangers of Church Marketing, with a bigger question in mind, however. They ask, “Can the market-driven church remain Christ’s church?”

One may argue that Kenneson and Street face a danger of their own in writing such a book, the danger of theological nit-picking. Sometimes, critiques of enormously successful ventures are driven by something other than sincerity. But it seems that the authors have guarded against this danger by offering a sincere, thoughtful, and gracious book that ultimately demands a serious re-thinking of the church marketing movement.

In asking questions about the nature of church marketing Kenneson and Street have looked beyond marketing practices (slogans, image, advertising, market research, etc.) to marketing philosophy. Ultimately they convincingly argue that the philosophy that drives church marketing is often times directly contrary to the very nature of the church. A couple of examples are worth noting.

First, the authors point out that marketing philosophy is predominantly driven by the idea of “exchange.” This exchange is, in essence, two parties giving something of value to one another to satisfy felt needs. Church marketers would see the exchange play out like this: We give you the gospel, you give us your attendance; We give you programs, you give us your money; We give you new friendships, you give us your time.

Kenneson and Street argue that this “exchange” philosophy destroys the idea of “gift” that is central to Scripture. God, after all, does not need anything from his creatures. This is why we speak of the gospel, eternal life, and even faith as being gifts from God, not transactions or exchanges between God and man. In light of Romans 6:20-23 the authors argue that an exchange does take place when someone becomes a Christian, but it is not the exchange that church marketers have in mind. They write:

What Christians have exchanged, then, is one master for another. One master’s gift was the gift of death; the other master’s gift was the gift of eternal life. We have, by God’s grace, been placed in a position to receive God’s free gift; we have not exchanged something for it in the economic sense.

A second example, and perhaps the most damaging argument deals with the role of “felt needs” in church marketing philosophy. Church marketers primarily work to address felt needs. Many of these felt needs seem innocent enough, such as a need to fit in, or feel encouraged, or to learn how to “rise above it all.” But Kenneson and Street comment:

The heavy emphasis on felt needs all but drowns out the central teaching that the Christian life calls for a radical transformation and reorientation of one’s whole way of thinking and behaving. Instead of assuming that membership in the Body of Christ entails far-reaching claims on our lives, church marketers assume that, at least in principle, the church can be made relevant and desirable to almost anyone if we simply know how to market it effectively. But what if one must be given eyes to see the “relevance” of the church? What if the “point” of the church is not accessible by means of human wisdom?

They later comment, “Central to the gospel is the news that God has graciously provided something that humanity didn’t even know it needed.”

Although this book is relatively brief, their critique of church marketing is far reaching, challenging the very philosophy upon which church marketers build their case, and reminding the reader of the biblical standard for what the church is called to be. As a pastor I know the pressures to adopt a church marketing mindset can be quite strong. If it’s succesful in getting people through the doors, why not do it? Thankfully, what Kenneson and Street remind us is that our very method of “doing church” is inextricably linked to the gospel message we proclaim. A less-than-biblical method will indeed lead to a less-than-biblical gospel. The apostle Paul says that “the word of the cross if folly…” (1 Cor. 1:18). Can the folly of the cross really be transformed into a marketable, attractive product without distorting its very essence?

POSTSCRIPT:

Interestingly, I recently read a blog post at “Out of Ur” that describes a fundamental change in philosophy at Willow Creek, one of the nations largest and most heavily marketed churches. Essentially, after a thorough in-house study they discovered that much of the philosophy that drives how their church is run was simply not working.

Greg Hawkins, an executive pastor at Willow Creek, speaking about Willow Creek’s long-standing ministry philosophy said, “Participation is a big deal. We believe the more people participating in these sets of activities, with higher levels of frequency, it will produce disciples of Christ…. I know it might sound crazy but that’s how we do it in churches. We measure levels of participation.” What Willow Creek found after their multi-year study was that “increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more.”

The significance of Willow Creek’s finding cannot be underestimated. Kenneson and Street point out that the primary means of measuring success under the church marketing model is through participation and attendance. They write:

Barna insists that a church evaluate its effectiveness by polling its consumers regarding customer satisfaction. Yet such a process is dangerously circular, for in the marketing done by service industries (which Barna takes the church to be) there is no standard of effectiveness other than customer satisfaction (which presumably is measurable, at least in part, by attendance). In other words, to be an effective market-driven church is nothing other than to keep your consumers happy (and, therefore, present).

Apparently, Willow Creek has discovered that although they may have been wildly successful at keeping their thousands of participants happy and involved, they have not been wildly successful in what ultimately matters, making true disciples of Christ.

Maybe arguing with success is not that tough after all.

 

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog 

Pray for Zimbabwe

October 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Lacey and I have friends from Zimbabwe - a country in a desperate situation largely due to an unjust government. Please pray for the people of this country, the witness of the church in Zimbabwe in these difficult times, and for both mercy and justice. Below is their most recent email update describing their situation…

Dearest Friends and Family,

 

Well it has been two long months since our last news to you all on what has been happening in Zimbabwe and we apologize for the silence. The last two months here have probably been two of the worst economically that we have ever seen. We have literally watched a nation already struggling, been dealt the final blows. The most frightening thing about this, is that these ‘blows’ have been dealt by non other than our own government! In every other nation it seems that the president and his cabinet and other officials spend their time trying to avoid national disasters and crises, but in Zimbabwe it seems that these are the very people who spend their time creating them! We could not even begin to describe to you what we have seen and heard of taking place within our nation in the last few months. I dare say that there probably is not even one Zimbabwean who has not been affected by the situation.

 

I believe that Zimbabweans no longer understand or know what a normal lifestyle looks like anymore. Our water is extremely short especially in Matableleland (the region in which we live) and we are now down to about 12 hours of water from a tap (faucet) in every four days. The rest of the time we are taking water from containers or boreholes (underground water). People who live in the high density suburbs of our city have bowsers that are allocated to their areas. People may then line up sometimes for hours on end and get a maximum of 20 liters (5 gallons) of water per household per day! Schools are having to buy water in bowsers in order to keep their plumbing systems going and to try and maintain some form of hygiene. This has affected our public health dramatically and already we are having very severe outbreaks of Diahorea and gastric problems of huge proportions.

 

Food is still chronically short. Vegetables and some locally produced fruit is still readily available but the two main staple foods, mealie meal (ground corn) and bread are hard to come by, even on the black market. The other basic commodities are non existent and probably 80% of our supermarkets may well be closed within the next two weeks. Many families now need to travel out of the country on average once a month or more to buy even the very basics such as flour, oil, sugar, bread etc. While there still remain the vast majority of people who are unable to make trips out of the country and have to manage on what they can find.

 

About 10 days ago all the butcheries were told that they would get their slaughter house licenses back. People were jubilant, until they got them back with a list of regulations that go something along the lines of:

  • You will be paid out at Z$ 360 000/kg for the beast you slaughter and you can buy it back at Z$580 000/kg.
  • You may send you animals in for slaughter and 1% of all you slaughter will be given to the army.
  • 30% of all you slaughter will be sold to government -at cost.
  • The balance of meat that you remain with is then to be shared between X, Yand Z butcheries.

 

How does a business survive that? Hence there is still no meat on
the shelves….

 

Petrol and Diesel can only be found on the black market now and it has to be paid in foreign currency. Since the governments ‘price freeze’ three months ago fuel has gone from an average of 90c (US) a liter to $1.20 /liter. So much for controlling inflation!! At the beginning of September the Zim dollar was about Z$150 000: US$1. Today the rate was Z$500 000:US$1 and the rate is still climbing…….they are estimating that it will be up to $700 000:1 by the end of this week.

 

The government is in the process of passing a “indiginisation bill”. In this bill they are stating that every foreign or non black owned company has to relinquish 51% of it’s share holding to a local non white Zimbabwean. If they refuse to do this it seems that there business will be taken over much like the commercial farms were, and still are.

 

Even as I write this, there have been more farm invasions and more productive commercial farmers have been forcibly removed from their farms in the last few days.This week 10 commercial farmers were taken to court for growing crops on their land?!! What a time we are living in. Chaos is the only word that I have to describe it.

 

In the last two weeks I was able to read an updated report on Zimbabwe and quite honestly the statistics are frightening. Not only are we top of the charts for the highest inflation in the world (approximately 15000% per annum) the next highest in the world is Myanmar(Burma) at 70% and Iraq 40% , we have the fastest declining economy, the lowest life expectancy thanks to HIV/Aids, poverty and lack of even basic medical assistance. The highest child mortality rate (which has doubled since 1985), but also one of the highest and greatest needs for food aid in the world. The list goes on and on. Do you know that Zimbabwe has a higher death rate than Darfor? But we are neither at war or have a drought, and all of this could have been prevented.

 

When people come to Zimbabwe they do not see child soldiers, or children with kwashiorkor bellies, we have no car bombs and people are not being shot dead on the streets, blown up by land-mines, or raped. But they are simply fading away. The combined impact of HIV/Aids, poverty, lack of even the most basic medical assistance and food shortages is taking a huge humanitarian toll on the people of Zimbabwe. The only evidence that there is are of the headstones and number of fresh graves that are being dug on a daily basis in our cemeteries. Many of them are very young people, some who have had no chance at life at all…..3500 people die in Zimbabwe every week totaling 600 000 people since 2003. A very frightening statistic considering that Darfor even with all its trouble has 400 000 people die in the same period. What a very sad and drastic state our nation is in.

 

For C. and I, life has continued on. It has certainly not been fun, in fact quite simply life here is pretty stressful right now. But knowing that this is where God has called us is a great comfort and God has really continued to provide our every need. We feel quite overwhelmed by the vast sea of need and desperation that we see around us on a daily basis. But what a joy to know that we stand here and are able to be a part of the greatest hope that we can give people and the most important hope of showing people Christ and the hope that He gives. Pray that we would be bold in proclaiming this truth and training others to do the same.

 

Thank you for your continued love, prayers and support. To know that you stand with us means more to us that you may ever know. We look forward to hearing all your news and please keep in touch.

 

Standing Firm In The Arms of Our Everlasting Father,

 

M.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Missions 

Michael Horton to appear on CBS’s 60 Minutes

October 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Michael Horton will be appearing on the Sunday, October 14th airing of 60 Minutes (7 p.m), commenting on the popular televangelist Joel Osteen. So, set your recorders and watch when you return from evening worship!

For more information, see the White Horse Inn website.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture 

The Good Old Days?

October 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Often times I find myself thinking that in years past, the world was a better, more civil place… A place more hospitable to the gospel and the Christian faith. As I’ve been slowly reading through the 2 volume biography of George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore, this mindset has largely persisted within me, causing me to think things like, “If only our age was similar to Whitefield’s age (mid 1700’s), then maybe we would also see such significant revival and renewal.” Whitefield was the instrument of the conversion of untold thousands, and frequently preached to many thousands daily.

Reading last night, however, my eyes were finally opened to see the truth that Whitefield’s age and our own age are far more similar than I generally perceive. As Whitefield began his preaching career, both England and America were in serious spiritual decline. One of the very tangible ways this evidenced itself in Whitefield’s life was the simple fact that he constantly faced persecution and threats, both from the world and from the established church.

In 1742 Whitefield found himself preaching one Monday at an annual carnival in London. As he preached, many were indeed cut to the heart, but others hated Whitefield’s preaching. Whitefield writes, “I was honoured with having a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs and pieces of dead cats thrown at me… My soul was indeed among lions.” One man got on another man’s shoulders and attempted to slash Whitefield with a whip while he was in his pulpit. The next day Whitefield ventured out again to preach and a man tried to stab him. The next day Whitefield went out to preach again and he writes, “After they found that pelting, noise and threatenings would not do, one of the merry Andrews got up into a tree very near the pulpit, and shamefully exposed his nakedness….”

Having read this I finally understood that there really is no such thing as “the good old days” when it comes to the Christian faith. Often, the greatest revivals and spiritual awakenings took place when society was at its most depraved (as in Whitefield’s day) - and the greatest times of spiritual apathy occurred when society was most civil.

Ultimately, what I realized last night while reading about Whitefield was that there truly is no excuse for working and praying and preaching and teaching and living to the end that the gospel advance in profound ways throughout our own land. I may be tempted to think, “If only we lived in the good old days, then we’d see some real evangelism and growth,” but that way of thinking is at best an error and most likely a sin.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books, Church and Culture, Missions 

The Lowdown

October 3, 2007 | 1 Comment

Here it is once again - another installment of The Lowdown, your periodic update on pretty much everything the evening news didn’t give you. This time around we’re featuring music and videos, among other things. Kick off your shoes, grab a cold one, and enjoy!

Watch the trailer to the Bibleman video game and see for yourself why it’s almost always a bad idea to “Christianize” popular culture.

Read the Bibleman video game review from “Christ Centered Game Review” ccgr.org - 4 out of 5 stars.

From the BBC, read about the big business of idol worship in Thailand - and then consider the biblical story of Demetrius, the idol maker in Ephesus who lost business as the gospel advanced (Acts 19) - and then read the Henry’s blog and pray for these missionaries to Thailand.

Consider the words of “outlaw” country musician Billy Joe Shaver, “Where do you want it?” just before he shot a man in the face outside a bar in Texas - and then listen to him sing “Get Thee Behind Me Satan” or “If You Don’t Love Jesus (go to hell)” on his latest gospel based album, “Everybody’s Brother.”

Watch the Tom Waits music video, “God’s Away on Business.” Disturbing, unsettling, and a pretty good picture of life devoid of God.

Read the lyrics to Over the Rhine’s song, “The Trumpet Child.” The first stanza reads, ” The trumpet child will blow his horn,Will blast the sky till it’s reborn, With Gabriel’s power and Satchmo’s grace, He will surprise the human race.” While you’re at it, listen to a little Over the Rhine at ilike.com (ilike.com/artist/Over+The+Rhine/most_played_songs) and ask yourself why more Christians aren’t trying to produce good art/music like OTR.

Visit the websites of other Christians making excellent music - not Christian music - Pierce Pettis; The Innocence Mission; Jason Harrod; Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love; Christopher Williams; Claire Holley; Bach.

If you know him, ask Satch why the sky is falling.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Lowdown 

“Tsunami” Hits PCUSA: Dramatic Changes Ahead

October 1, 2007 | 1 Comment

According to this article in the Christian Post, the PCUSA has finally come to a point where they know something needs to change.

 http://www.christianpost.com/article/200…

Messing with the organizational structure might help a little, but we can only hope and pray that they figure out what needs to change - preaching the gospel.

Posted by BrianM | Filed Under Blog, guestblogger