Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Getting the Gospel right

I have had many conversations over the years with people about the gospel. And I am often surprised at how people define the gospel. One church did an interview on a Christian College campus asking the students one question.... If someone asked you, “What is the gospel?” what would you tell them? I don’t know what college it was, but the answers to the question were disappointing. Here’s a sampling:

“It’s the word of Christ...”

“The writings of men that have been inspired by God... I guess it’s the Word of God? I don’t know.”

“I don’t think that is a question we know how to answer anymore... I don’t think it’s the most important question, probably...”

“That’s a hard question.”

“It’s what Jesus came here to do... it’s just to show us how much God loves us and how much we should love Him.”

“Good news to a bad world”


I have had similar encounters. When I’ve asked believers, “What is the gospel?” often the responses are inadequate. There may be some truths of the gospel message, but the heart of the message is often insufficiently defined or even lost. So, answers like, “asking Jesus into your heart,” or “believing in Jesus” may have some element of the gospel message in it, but it is not the gospel defined according to Scripture.

As people who love and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, we should know the gospel message well and be sure we get it right when asked. This will aid us immensely, both for our assurance and for our proclamation.

Mark Dever provides an excellent summary of the gospel message in his book, The Deliberate Church. He sums it up in four key words: God, man, Christ, and response. Here is his biblical definition:

God is our holy Creator and righteous Judge. He created us to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever (Genesis 2:7, 16-17; Matthew 25:31-33). But mankind has rebelled against God by sinning against His holy character and law (Genesis 3:1-7). We’ve all participated in this sinful rebellion, both in Adam as our representative head and in our individual actions (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:23; 5:12, 19; Ephesians 2:1-3). As a result, we have alienated ourselves from God and have exposed ourselves to His righteous wrath, which will banish us eternally to hell if we are not forgiven (Ephesians 2:12; John 3:36; Romans 1:18; Matthew 13:50). But God sent Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, to die the death that we deserved for our sins – the righteous for the unrighteous – so that God might both punish our sin in Christ and forgive it in us (John 1:14; Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:4-6). The only saving response to this Good News is repentance and belief (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 3:7-9; John 20:31). We must repent of our sins (turn from them and to God) and believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation to God.”

My hope is that the gospel becomes so known and precious to us, that we must share it; but when we do call sinners to repentance, we get the gospel right. God, man, Christ, and response – these are essentials to understand and communicate as we tell others of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Potty humor

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.

Once there was a little boy that lived in the country. They had to use an outhouse, and the little boy hated it because it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter and stank all the time. The outhouse was sitting on the bank of a creek and the boy determined that one day he would push that outhouse into the creek.

One day after a spring rain, the creek was swollen so the little boy decided today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek. So he got a large stick and started pushing. Finally, the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated away. That night his dad told him they were going to the woodshed
after supper.

Knowing that meant a spanking, the little boy asked why. The dad replied, "Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today. It was you, wasn't it son?"

The boy answered yes. Then he thought a moment and said, "Dad, I read in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and didn't get into trouble because he told the truth."

The dad replied, "Well, son, George Washington's father wasn't in the cherry tree."

(HT: Jollyblogger)

Thursday, August 17, 2006

An early morning gospel reflection

I’m not one who can go day after day on little sleep. My father can. My older brother can. I think both of them get by on about 6 hours of sleep a night. I can’t do that. A couple of weeks ago, I was up late on both Friday and Saturday and was up early the following mornings. By Sunday morning I was exhausted and felt terrible. I peeled myself out of bed, labored to get ready for the day, and ended up feeling so awful that I laid down on the couch.

I fell asleep immediately (which is a dangerous thing for me to do on a Sunday morning – picture a pastor coming in late for church with bed head because he was napping on the couch). Providentially I was awakened by a fly after just a few minutes. And as I was mustering the strength I needed to get going, I looked out the window and saw the sun rising just over the horizon.

This was God’s kindness to me. Not because of the beauty of the sunrise (which it was stunning), but the visual reminder of God’s mercy. I was reminded of the wretchedness of this world and how we deserve the pouring out of God’s fierce wrath on us. We did not deserve another day of God’s loving kindness. Yet, there I was, tired and somewhat haggard, and still a beneficiary of God’s mercy along with six and a half billion others.

On a more personal level, I also thought of God’s direct grace and mercy to my life. You have to understand my Sunday morning struggles. I am very aware of my short comings, sins, and inadequacies; yet I have the heavy responsibility to shepherd the people who gather at my church and passionately unpack God’s truth’s to them each Sunday. And as I was weary and feeling (yet again) so unable and unworthy to do such a task, reflecting on my sinful heart and my obvious lack of gift and ability, there was the rising sun.

As the sun was reminding me of God’s mercy, my mind was led to Lamentations – “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” My sins, which are many, are serious and should be dealt with as I confess them and turn from them in repentance. But God does not accept me on the basis of my goodness. I am accepted purely by the righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been credited to me by faith. And so, when I stand up to proclaim the Word of God, my confidence is in Christ, not my goodness.

It was a good day. All because of the great love of God poured out on me because I am acceptable to Him through Jesus Christ.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.


Thursday, August 10, 2006

Quote - 03

These quotes come from one of my favorite Puritan writers/preachers, Thomas Watson (1620-1686).


"Christ is the most bountiful physician. Other patients do enrich their physicians, but here the physician doth enrich the patient. Christ elevates all his patients: he doth not only cure them but crown them (Rev. 2:10). Christ doth not only raise them from the bed, but to the throne; he gives the sick man not only health but also heaven."

"Christ is the most cheap physician, he takes no fee. He desires us to bring nothing to him but broken hearts; and when he has cured us he desires us to bestow nothing on him but our love."

"Christ is the most tender-hearted physician. He hath ended his passion but not his compassion. He is not more full of skill than sympathy, 'He healed the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds' (Psalm 147:3). Every groan of the patient goes to the heart of the physician."

AND, FINALLY,
"How soon are we broken on the soft pillow of ease! Adam in paradise was overcome, when Job on the dunghill was a conqueror."

For more excellent quotes (and where I found these), go here.

A little bit of humor...


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Thursday, August 03, 2006

Fun Day


We spent the day at Bay Beach in Green Bay yesterday. We had such a good time that I would rank it in one of the top ten family days we have been graced with. It was a beautiful day. The kids were kind to each other, eager to serve, and helpful. We rode rides together, had a picnic together, splashed in the kiddie pool together, watched ice cream bars drip down each others arms, and finished the day in the air conditioned Olive Garden.

On the way home I enjoyed hearing the kids sing along with the iPod. One of the songs we listened to was a song by Stuart Townend called "Grace". Lukey was trying to get the chorus down and I hope he does...

The chorus goes like this...
"Cause it's grace, there's nothing I can do, to make You love me more, to make You love me less than You do. And by faith, I'm standing on the stone of Christ and Christ alone, Your righteousness is all that I need. 'Cause it's grace."

(NOTE: if you have iTunes, you can get the song for a buck in the Music Store - Artist = Stuart Townend; Album = Lord of Every Heart; Song = Grace)

Yesterday was a day of God's amazing grace. Yet again, He suprises me with His kindness.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Turn off the TV fast - part 4

As I have considered what some good reasons for my family to fast from television for the month of August would be, a couple of questions have been meandering through my mind.

When August is done, what will we do then?? I don't want a temporary fix to some legitmate concerns. And that leads to my next question:

What would be good and healthy television habits for my family?? I ask that, assuming that it is "lawful" to watch television, but what parameters should be in place? What accountability should I seek? What questions should I continually be asking??

I guess I'll have some extra time this month to consider the answers to those questions. Until then, let me share my fourth reason for not watching television during the month of August.

The New Testament strongly promotes relationship. We who once were far off have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13), and we now (unbelievably!) live in an intimate Father/child relationship with Him. And that relationship spills over into intimate and loving relationships among believers in the church. We are to actively be cultivating relationships with one another (I'll footnote this with a slew of Scriptures in a comment to this post).

With that exhortation, one thing that can be an obstacle to that is television viewing habits. Television viewing is rarely beneficial to cultivating relationships (if at all).

T. S. Elliot said, “Television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome.”Granted, there should be some good conversations that come out of watching certain television programs, but in reality, I don’t need to spend an hour in front of the television as an introduction to that conversation. We are hard pressed to find time to spend adequately with family and friends and fellow believers... imagine how deep relationships could be if we invested the amount of time we do on television into those relationships.

What this means for me is that during the month of August, I should be freed up to cultivate relationships. I should have more time to spend with my wife and kids, to make phone calls and write letters and emails, to invite others over and intentionally visit with people. This is one of the reasons my family is fasting from television for the month of August. May that time be well spent and not hijacked into some other far lesser priority!!

I trust that it is understood that the four reasons I have stated for not watching television in the month of August are for me and my family. Every family unit has its own struggles and temptations they are facing, and for some, television may not be one of them. Yet, growing up in this culture, and knowing the predominance of television in most people's lives, and knowing that the average American spends 170 minutes watching television and movies every day (which is nine times more than the number of minutes spent on all other leisure activities combined), I believe it is an appropriate topic for most to consider. And I trust that for the two or three people who read this blog (my mom is one of the few... thanks mom!), that these posts have been beneficial in some small way.


UPDATE: I was given this link that you might find beneficial. It is an entire list of alternative things to do rather than watching television (HT: Carl & Peggy).

Turn off the TV fast - part 3

We are people who live out of our hearts. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). The heart is what guides and motivates and leads us into action. It has a sway over our will and intellect and emotion. It tells us how to act, what to believe, what to say, how to think, and what to feel.

That puts urgency on what we feed our hearts. The wise sage urged us to, "keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23). Phil Johnson said, "The heart is the wellspring of life itself, and if you pollute the fountain, you defile all of life." And this is reason number 3 on why our family is not watching television for at least the month of August.

My proposition would be this: the influence of television, on the whole, is not wholesome or beneficial. Here are some questions that might prove this proposition:
Where do we mostly get exposed to profanity, sex, murder, immodesty, and dirty humor?
What worldview does television promote incessently?
Does not the marketing the drives television encourage coveteousness and greed and discontenment?

We could even ask positive questions:
How often have I been edified in my walk with God in watching television?
Does television teach sacrificial love?
Does your heart get admonished and motivated to love God with all your heart through the watching of television?
Do you find yourself having greater motivation and courage to proclaim the gospel more in the time you are watching television?

My point (and one reason we shut off the television for the month) is this: the influence of television on the heart of my family is not, on the whole, wholesome or beneficial. As one who is responsible for my wife and children's hearts (and my own), I find that the potential for the wellspring of their hearts to be polluted is increased when the television is on.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Turn off the TV fast - part 2

Today is the first day of our television fast. I have unhooked the antenna and plan on putting the TV in the basement later on today.

Over the last few years I have watched less and less television, and I welcome a complete reprieve from any lure to "numb my mind" and relax in front of the television. I hope to enjoy better time with the family and read more.

I hope that in every decision I make, that the wisdom that guides is biblical wisdom. And that goes for what decisions I have concerning television and even why we are getting rid of it for a month.

I believe that is what has guided my second reason for fasting from television during the month of August. Ephesians 5:16 exhorts me to "make the best use of the time" (ESV). That means that I must always be seeking ways to improve my time (Jonathan Edwards has a great sermon on Ephesians 5:16 - check it out!!). I must be a good steward of the time God gives me and so I must be actively striving to make the most of the brief time I have here on earth.

I am quite certain that at the end of my life I will not be boasting of the hours I spent watching Lost or AFV or whatever program or movie. Quite the contrary, I believe those will be considered hours that the locust ate (Joel 2:25) and there will be regret and even shame. When I stand before God someday, my joy will be in reflecting on the time I spent in His presence or in active service to Him, my sorrow will be in how I wasted my precious moments in fluff and selfish ambitions.

And so, for the month of August at least, we will refrain from television because I am quite certain that watching television is not the best usage of my time.

Jonathan Edwards: Resolution #5
"Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can."