Leave It In The Car Next Time!

It has been my unpleasant experience to observe various pastors using their cellphones in a nonsensical fashion.  Things really need to change.

One pastor answered his cell phone in the middle of his sermon at a mid-week service.  Yes, he later apologized and attempted to explain why he did so, but he no longer had as good of reception with his audience as he did with his phone.  "The Word's important, folks, ... but, say... can you hang on just a sec'? I gotta take this.... Now, where were we?"

Another instance was at a burial service.  Scanning the crowd to see if everyone had finally arrived, I spied a pastor, standing not too great a distance from the coffin, on his cellphone chatting away. "Yep... Nope... At a cemetery... Should be done pretty soon... I don't know... Later..."

Guys, these things ought not to be.  Shut 'em  off or leave them in the car.  You are not married to your cellphone, nor is it a permanent appendage to your ear.  Shame on us for setting such examples to the flock. What do such behaviors tell the sheep (and the goats) about our priorities?

Suggested Prayers Regarding Sin

Thomas Manton (1620-1677) wrote regarding the relationship of prayer and sin in his commentary on James (Crossway Classic Commentaries, p.224):

Lord, if ever sin overcomes me, let it be a burden and not a pleasure. (p. 224)


Lord, deliver me from one evil person, and it will suffice." (p. 225)

We Bury One of Our Own Today

This afternoon we will participate in a funeral service for Stan, a dear friend, discipler, and church member. We gathered last evening at the funeral home in his hometown to express sympathy to his family, as is the custom of our region.

Stan farmed his entire life, but from the turnout at the funeral home, one would have thought a local dignitary of some sorts has passed away. A constant line of people, young and old, patiently waited to shake hands and exchange hugs with his wife and children.

Today we will seek to exalt Stan's God in the service.  I will be preaching (more than teaching) from John 8:31-59 on the nature of genuine faith. The Gospel was a precious matter to Stan.  He gospelized frequently during the last half of his earthly life.  He was born of God at the age of 40, and sought to share that same Good News with others till the day he died.

Following the indoor service, we will carry his body across the road to bury this man who fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the Faith.  His body will be laid  to rest among the remains of his great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and siblings. But as he would say, "Don't look for me here.  I've gone to be with Jesus."

He stood for Truth long after various pastors backpedaled. He challenged us all to be truthing in love. Well done, my friend. Till we meet again.

Isaiah Series Updated

Our church's web site was recently updated to include the latest notes from my series in the book of Isaiah.  I have completed chapters 40-43, which outlines can be found here. They form a basic outline for me to teach from, but by no means are a restrictive manuscript that I slavishly follow.

One of My Friends Died Today

Toward the end of a long 14+ hours day of work yesterday, a decades-long friend suffered a brain aneurysm while spreading manure to the glory of God while driving his old tractor. He was found unconscious on that tractor and taken by ambulance to a local hospital, and then air-lifted to the regional hospital. He entered his eternal home this morning just before 7 AM. Well done, and well run, my dear friend.

This man stimulated my life spiritually beyond most people in my circle of acquaintances.  He farmed to the glory of God.  He raised cattle to the glory of God. He raised hogs to the glory of God.  He cleaned hog barns to the glory of God. He climbed and repaired silos to the glory of God.  He handed out church bulletins on Sunday mornings to the glory of God.  He talked regularly with young children and teens at church to the glory of God.  He took people out to eat to the glory of God. He taught himself to play guitar and sang with his dear wife at numerous nursing homes to the glory of God. He ate deserts at church fellowship meals to the glory of God. He loved his wife to the glory of God.

He was in the the Word and prayer every morning, and allowed that Word to dwell richly within him. He consistently grew in Christ-likeness as few people I know. Perhaps this is in part because one of his most frequent early-morning prayers was, "Lord, give me wisdom.  Use me today for Your glory." When I grow up, I wanna be like Stan.

Where Are The Alert Elders?

Hebrews 13:17 is one of those texts found in the NT that gives to us what the ekklesia is commanded to do toward elders as well what elders are to be doing. We have here the shepherd-flock relationship precisely defined and described. Some time back here at Calvary I taught through this passage. During that study we learned the following:

1. God gives specific commands for the flock to obey--be persuaded by and yield to the elders (i.e. assent to their teaching and defer to their rule, even if, or especially if, your opinion is contrary.  Quite obviously, if your elder is teaching  something clearly unBiblical that is a different matter for a different post.)
2. God gives specific leaders for the flock to obey--the ones leading you (i.e. those who are leading through the teaching of the Word as the previous elders had done in 13:7)
3. God gives a specific reason why the flock is to obey these commands--because they are keeping alert on behalf of your souls as those who will give an account (i.e. the flock will not stay alert to surrounding dangers, but leaders must; see also Acts 20:28-31 for Paul's warning and personal example)
4. God gives a specific purpose for being persuadable and yieldable--in order that they may be doing this with joy and not with sighing, because this is unprofitable to you (i.e. recalcitrant sheep bring inner groaning to the shepherds, which is turn hinders the intended result)
   

Oh that God would enable us as shepherds as stay alert in these dangerous times.  Oh that God would enable our flocks to be persuadable and yieldable to the faithful teaching of His Word.

Belief in Plenary Inspiration of the Word of God

John Owen (1616-1683) addressed the religious enthusiasts of his day with A Defense of Sacred Scripture Against Modern Fanatacism [sic] written originally in Latin in 1659 (published by Soli Deo Gloria in 1994, though I have the 6th printing from 2007.)

On pp. 827-833 Owen lists 10 points referring to Scripture that refute "inner light" enthusiasts.

1. If the revelation of the divine mind which is made in the Scriptures is perfect and absolutely complete, then what need can there possibly be for new revelations, imagined or real, of inner light, spiritual irradiation, uncontrolled enthusiasm, heavenly inspiration, angelic colloquies, or what-not, to instruct us in the ways of God and our duty?  What aid is there to our salvation, or benefit to the greater glory of God?
2. The Bible operates in a unique way, having its own peculiar manner of operation and efficiency, working on the inner and moral nature, which is adapted to be effected by such a written revelation.
3. The Holy Spirit very seriously condemns and rejects all attempted additions to the words of the Bible, of whatever kind they be, and along with them necessarily all of these supposed ways and means to the knowledge of God and communion with Him of which these fanatics boast.
4. When God so frequently enjoins upon us and proclaims that we must pay diligent attention to the Scriptures (His Word), and that lest we be snatched from or turned aside from the true and correct knowledge of Him by the efforts of deceiving spirits, new revelations, groundless imaginings, false teachers, boasts of dreams or visions, angelic communications, or any such enthusiastic manifestations, then the rule which He proposes as antidote to all such must be perfect.
5. That to which we are nowhere, never, sent by God in order to learn the directions for our duty cannot be any rule, principle, canon, or (if I may so speak) directory of faith, knowledge, or teaching or obedience.
6. For all things which it is needful to examine and prove, we are required to do so by the touchstone of the Scripture, and the test of all is their agreement or otherwise with the written Word.  What fails to so agree cannot be considered, individually or collectively, as rules for faith, obedience, or the worship of God.
7. The great uncertainty of the teaching and practice of all these fanatics.  What is under every aspect confused, uncertain, and contradictory must be fallacious.
8. From our knowledge of the devices of Satan.  He is a stranger to all religion who has no insight into how that father of lies has, from the foundation of the world, used the mask of pretended revelations and interior inspiration to patch together his cunningly devised fables and false reasonings, for the sole purpose of training men in the paths of deceit, and so dragging them down to eternal destruction.
9. In praising their inner light we, in fact, see these fanatics dragging forth from darkness into the sunlight false doctrines, things heretical and contrary to the Word of God, matters pernicious and blasphemous.
10. It is evidence of no small importance to consider how these enthusiasts, following their leaders and acting out their principles in rejecting the rule of the written Word, are daily and in so many places impelled to destructive ways, to wicked idolatry, to fornication, blasphemy, and to wanton vandalism.

Looks like these things could also apply to some within the continuationist realm of our day.

Reminders for Shepherding Theologians

In Book 6, Chapter 9 of his book Biblical Theology, John Owen (1616-1683) concludes his chapter and book with six reminders to true theologians. (see pp. 699-703)

First, everyone who devotes himself to the study of holy literature should keep it firmly before his mind, in all of his reading and meditation, that the all-holy God is, in an [sic] special manner, close to him as he works....

Second, it is in the student's own interest that he carefully weigh up and monitor what progress he is making both (a) in all of the truth which he is busy digging out of the Word, and (b) in acceptable worship of God....

Third, the student of theology must demonstrate by his life the absolute authority of the Scriptures, and show himself devoutly submitting his own will and judgment to the authority of the Bible in all matters....

Fourth, a great help for the investigation of truth is the diligent study of the Holy Scriptures in those languages in which they were written by the Holy Spirit....

Fifth, all of these activities, and any others of similar nature, are always to be preceded, accompanied, and closed by continuous and heart-felt prayer....

In addition to his studies, let the student keep up a regular and godly connection with those who practice holiness and true religion as demonstrated by gospel standards.

Where are the Innocent Servants of Christ?

From 1523 to 1549, Martin Bucer (Butzer) ministered the Word of God in northeastern France in the city of Strasbourg. Fifteen years into that ministry Bucer wrote his helpful book, "Concerning the True Care of Souls." This book was translated for English readers in 2008 and has now been printed in 2009 by the good folks at The Banner of Truth Trust.

In Bucer's introduction, he asks the question found in the title of this post. The entire quote is this:

Where are the innocent servants of Christ who bring Christ's sheep nothing but the Lord's voice and word, who are zealous to seek all the Lord's lost sheep, to bring back those which have gone astray, to heal the injured, to strengthen the weak, to guard the strong and feed them aright? And also to shut out from the congregation of Christ all those who do not wish to listen to the Lord's word and mend their ways? (p. xxxii)

Perhaps this is one reason why Bucer had such an influence on another young Frenchman who eventually shepherded in Geneva. Ever heard of John Calvin?

The Christian's Use of the Old Testament

Allow me to quote a rather lengthy portion from Eugene Merrill's conclusion to his helpful Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament. On pp. 650-651 he writes:

Finally, of what use is a theology of the Old Testament to the Christian believer? Is not the Hebrew Bible irrelevant to the Christian faith, and if that be too extreme, is it not of only marginal interest and importance in the light of the finished work of Jesus Christ? To these and similar questions we offer the following observations in bring this work to a close.

1. The New Testament and the gospel never claim to have superseded the Old Testament in terms of its canonical status. Over and over again and until the end of the apostolic age, it is cited as the Word of God, inspired and authoritative in its parts and in the whole. The testimony of Jesus and the early church in the matter is sufficient proof that the Old Testament is not only the continuing Word of God, but it has lost nothing of its magisterial character for the Christian believer.

2. The Old Testament constitutes over 75 percent of the biblical text and therefore its denial as Christian Scripture or even its benign neglect as a work worthy of theological investigation constitutes a repudiation of a significant portion of divine revelation. Some central doctrines--for example, the nature and character of God--find scant treatment in the New Testament. Old Testament theology, then, is crucial to the full elaboration of this foundational truth as well as many (if not all) others.

3. The New Testament presupposes the Old at every point, so much so that one can say that the New Testament is largely meaningless apart from its Old Testament orientation. The life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus as well as apostolic preaching and pronouncements betray on every hand their indebtedness to the Old Testament which, after all, was their only Bible. It is as though one should begin reading any book three-quarters of the way through it and claim to have full understanding of its message and meaning. So it is with the Bible. The Christian who shuts himself up to the New Testament alone and who has no interest in or concern for the theology of the Old is hardly in step with Jesus on the road to Emmaus who, 'beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,... interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures' (Luke 24:27).

I have stated before, and will repeat myself here: you need to get and read this book.