Wherever Your Church Is, It Is Where It Has Been Led and Where You Have Allowed It to Be Led

Is your church growing? Is it shrinking? Is it maintaining the status quo? Wherever it is, it has been led there by the pastor, the staff and the lay leaders.

If your church is growing, give praise to the Lord for leadership that knows where it is going and knows how to get there.

If it is shrinking, pray that the Lord will inspire the pastor, staff and lay leaders to have an awakening as to what has to be done to turn it around.

If your church is maintaining the status quo, it is stagnant. It is Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22).

A church might well remain "small" and not be stagnant. If it is baptizing many and spawning a lot of new works, it is being the church God wants it to be.

God has given us a blueprint for growth in His Word. His blueprint is organization and order.

The Word of God is filled with organization and order. In Genesis He organized the order of creation. In the universe He organized atoms, molecules, moons, planets and stars. In Numbers He organized the tents of Israel in the shape of a cross, such that Balaam could not curse them. In Kings He organized the building of the temple. In Nehemiah He organized the building of the wall of Jerusalem.

The fact of Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection for the salvation of those who would place their faith in, and only in, his finished work at the cross of Calvary was ordered and organized from before the beginning of time.

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. God is a God of order and organization. If you follow some other kind of God, you don't follow God at all.

Evangelical, Missional or What?

There is a whole “arm” of the Christian church that believes today’s church has to be “missional,” “trendy” and that “evangelicalism” is passé, or at least not the main issue.

As if you care what I think, let me tell you. I think the church must focus on, and only on, Christ and His finished work at the cross of Calvary. If He is not enough, nothing else will be.

I think the church should be evangelical, ministerial, missional and relevant. By “relevant,” I mean gospel oriented. There never has been, is not now and never will be anything irrelevant about the gospel. The gospel message is the only one the church has. It will “attract” those whom the Holy Spirit stirs.

I believe the church should spread the good news, minister to its members, serve the community in Christ’s name, and preach the eternal relevance of the gospel.

That’s it.

New Covenant Theology?

Jesus is the New Covenant personified. About that there can be no doubt. He is so identified in Scripture, especially in Hebrews (a book written to Jews to help them understand that Jesus is the Messiah fulfilled).

So, what is New Covenant Theology?

New Covenant Theology is a technical term referring to a theological view of redemptive history. It is often contrasted with Covenant theology and Dispensationalism.

Proponents of New Covenant Theology maintain that the primary thrust of the New Covenant is the recognition of a promise-fulfillment understanding of Scripture. The Mosaic economy is viewed as a temporal, conditional covenant that has been forever replaced by the glory of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3).

New Covenant Theology dates back to just after the so-called “reformation.” The last twenty-five years have seen a great resurgence of Reformed theology in Baptist circles. As a result, many within this camp have sought to develop a more clarified system of the covenants that relate back to older thought. John Reisinger, Jon Zens, Peter Ditzel, Fred Zaspel, Tom Wells, Gary Long, Geoff Volker and Steve Lehrer are parts of this camp. The writings of Douglas Moo,Tom Schreiner, andD.A. Carson on the relation of the Christian to the law reveal their sympathies with NCT. However they have not wanted themselves to be so labeled. John Piper also has many points of contact with this movement, but an article at Desiring God carefully distinguishes his position from the Covenant, New Covenant and Dispensational theological systems.

Frankly, I have some issues with some of the teachings of New Covenant Theology. I do not believe that the church is “spiritual Israel.” Nor do I consider myself “Calvanistic,” as many New Covenant theologians do. (Neither am I Armenian, by the way). Like NCT, I do believe that the Mosaic Law is fulfilled with the advent of Christ and the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 9:21). New Covenant believers consider themselves to be under the Law of Christ, which is a law written on the heart, not on tablets of stone. I agree with that.

The traditional Reformed hermeneutic of the law argues that whatever is not abolished in Christ continues. New Covenant Theology says that the entire Law of Moses has passed away and only remains in so far as it passes through the hands of Christ.

Personally, I would think of  it differently. I believe that the Law is as pure and holy as ever, that I am totally incapable of keeping any aspect of it and that Christ has fulfilled the Law on my behalf through his grace and mercy. Therefore, I am no longer accountable to the Law.

That is not license to sin. As Paul wrote, “God forbid!” It is license to follow what Christ has written on my heart in all areas of my life. It is total followship of Him. It is the recognition that it is not about me, it is not about you, it is ALL about Him.

You might disagree with me, and that’s alright. This is America. You have the right to be wrong.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Refiner's Fire-Brian Doerksen

A Study in Proverbs: The Social Graces

Chapter 20

By the time we get to chapter 20, Solomon’s son is a young person and it is time to speak with him about the issues he will be facing at this age.

Verse 1-3 – These verses are related to each other. Although it seems like there is no relationship between alcoholic beverage and a king’s wrath, there really is. Many killings, injuries, accidents and arguments are caused by alcoholic beverage. Even (maybe especially) those in high places make unfortunate decisions while under the influence of alcohol. Its use is almost always the result of peer or social pressure. Solomon’s son is advised to avoid its use.

Verse 4-17 – Once again Solomon addresses laziness, the inner being and faithfulness, this time in more depth and on a more serious level. He reiterates his call for righteousness and purity of heart. He deals with behavior and how ours should change as we mature. He also gives a deeper insight into riches, possessions and living a life of integrity.

Verses 18-23 – Here we hear Solomon’s advice regarding the various uses of the tongue: gossip, cursing, lying and cheating.

Verses 24-27 – Emphasizing the need to know God and to trust Him alone is a lesson a maturing person needs to learn. His reference to the lamp of the Lord (27) speaks of the light of the world, Jesus.

Verses 28-30 – Solomon teaches his son about love (again). He also contrasts youth with age and reveals that a maturing man is in control of himself, under God’s leadership.

Chapter 23 is directed toward his son as a young adult. Much of the same material is reiterated, as usual, in more depth as the son is more able to absorb and implement what he is instructed to do and to be. Having been taught to choose a wife carefully, he is now told how to raise his own children. He is again admonished not to imbibe in alcoholic drink. He is reminded to listen to his father’s recommendations born of experience. He speaks of faithfulness, a proper understanding of interpersonal relationships, good vs. bad company. Then he reiterates his advice about strong drink.

Temper, pride, covetousness, child rearing, discipline, following God, controlling one’s anger honesty and not doing things for the sake of recognition are all part of what chapter 29 of Proverbs addresses.

Chapter 31 was written, not by Solomon, but by an unknown oracle named Lemuel (Devoted to God). Some Scholars think the name is Solomon’s mother’s pet name for him. They think this was written to him by his mother. If so, she was giving him advice about women, wine and wise choices.

Generally speaking, a  man does not want his mother to speak to him on this matter of wine, women, and song. She starts out with the consequences of over imbibing. Kings are ruined, the way the poor drink to “drown their sorrows,” and that temperance will enable one to guide others and judge fairly.

She then turns the emphasis toward the marks of a woman worthy of being a wife. What a list it is! In fact, the list is so long and intense that one might be tempted to conclude that they are impossible to live up to.  One would be correct.

The only righteous we have, whether we are male or female, is the righteousness imputed to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus, Christ.

Real Giving

Any Christian who would let a Jew under the Law give more than the Christian under grace is a disgrace to grace (a paraphrase of a statement by the late Dr. Adrian Rogers).

The Law required three tithes, or up to 30% of one’s income. Under grace, Christ demands 100%.

The poor widow was not commended for giving 10% of what she had; she was commended for giving ALL she had (that’s 100%, by the way).

The rich young ruler was not told by Jesus to go sell 10% of what he had, give it to the poor and to follow Jesus. That would not have bothered any Jew. He was told to sell ALL that he had, give it to the poor and follow Jesus (that’s 100%, by the way).

Every single one of the New Testament references to giving puts it in the context of giving what God has laid on one’s heart. That’s because the New Covenant (as revealed in the New Testament) is 100% a matter of the heart.

Why would any preacher ask a Christian to cut back to giving only 10% (or 30%, as the case might be)? Why would any church be so short-sighted as to teach giving 10% instead of 100%? Why would a church require anyone in leadership to cut back to giving only 10%? How spiritually ignorant is that?

If every person tithing would remove the financial burdens of a church, how much more would every person giving as the New Covenant instructs yield?

“Well, what about Malachi?” I hear you ask. First of all, Malachi is under the Old Covenant(s). Secondly, the grain silos in Malachi are not analogous to the church (where on earth did THAT idea ever come from? There is nothing anywhere in Scripture that even HINTS of that.). Thirdly, Malachi is about Israel, not about Christianity.

The Christians of the New Covenant (as recorded in the New Testament) pooled all of their available resources to make absolutely certain that anybody who had need was provided for. (For those of you tempted to equate that with Communism, remember, giving was voluntary, not required; and it had nothing to do with the government).

It is so sad that so many have been told so long that Christians should tithe because the Bible says we should, that they have come to believe it. The Bible absolutely, positively does NOT teach that Christians should tithe. It just does not. It teaches that Jews under the Old Covenant(s) should tithe, but not Christians.

Christians are directly instructed to give what God lays on their hearts to give, cheerfully and enthusiastically, up to and including 100% of everything they are, do and have.

Parenthetically, there are those who think they are Christians who are so shallow that they think the New Testament “builds” on the Old Testament. IT DOES NOT. The New Testament is the revelation of the New Covenant, which is built on and lived out on a totally different basis from the Old Covenant(s). The New Testament is the record of the coming of Messiah, who fulfilled every aspect of the Old Covenant(s') Law.

Christians should not give ‘till it hurts. They should give until it feels real good!

A Study On the Resurrection

This study is in the form of a quiz. The correct answers are below the quiz.

1. Why did God choose Israel?
    A. Because the people of Israel were steady in their faith and dependable
    B. Because He is God and He gets to choose
    C. Because the rest of the world was so much worse than Israel
    D. Because the Jews were people of great character

2. What did God choose Israel to do?
    A. Show the world how to follow God
    B. Write the laws that would make people acceptable in God’s eyes
    C. Establish the appropriate hierarchy for religious structure
    D. To establish the line through which Messiah would be born

3. Why did Jesus “perform” miracles?
    A. To demonstrate that He was God in the flesh
    B. To impress the people so they would straighten out
    C. To show the Jews that He was smarter than they were
    D. To show people that their faith would be honored

4. How did the Pharisees respond to Jesus’ miracles?
    A. They were amazed and wanted to follow Him
    B. They were happy for the people whose lives had been touched
    C. They knew the Scriptures and recognized that Jesus was claiming to be the fulfillment of the prophesies.
    D. They were confused and wanted to know more

5. Why did the Pharisees want Jesus executed?
    A. Because they were afraid of losing their power
    B. Because they were generally nasty people
    C. Because they knew he claimed to be God and considered that blasphemy
    D. Because they were led by the Holy Spirit to have Jesus executed

6. What made the Pharisees think Jesus was committing blasphemy?
    A. Jesus made it clear that He claimed to be God
    B. Jesus behaved in an immoral fashion
    C. Jesus broke the Law of Moses
    D. Jesus was just too religious for their tastes

7. What characterized the trials Jesus went through before Herod, Pilate, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees?
    A. They were fair and just
    B. They were open to the public
    C. They adhered to the letter of the Law
    D. They were illegal.

8. Who did Jesus look like after He was scourged by Pilate
    A. He looked tired and sad
    B. He looked bruised and cut
    C. He was unrecognizable
    D. He was strong and unaffected

9. Why was Jesus placed in a borrowed tomb?
    A. His family was too poor to afford a decent burial
    B. It all happened so fast that the family had not had time to buy a tomb for Him
    C. Joseph of Arimathia expected to live a long time and didn’t need it.
    D. He was only going to need it for three days

10. What did Mary find when she got to the tomb?
    A. The stone rolled away
    B. An empty tomb
    C. An angel
    D. The grave clothes folded
    E. Jesus

11. What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to you?
    A. It is a great story and I like to hear it
    B. It seems pretty fanciful
    C. It stirs my emotions and makes me cry
    D. It is the most exciting story I have ever heard or read and it thrills me to know that Jesus’ resurrection proves          that His death provided me with eternal life, just like God promised from the very beginning.

Trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary, His resurrection and His soon return. That’s the only way to life abundant, free and eternal!

Answers

1-B
2-D
3-A
4-C
5-C
6-A
7-D
8-C
9-D
10-All of them
11-I sincerely pray that your answer is D

A Study in Proverbs: Maturity Learned

The book of Proverbs is about growing in faith. Soloman addresses his son with a pattern for growth from being a babe in faith to becoming mature. It is a narrative, not a chopped up mess of “wise” sayings. No verse can be applied out of its contex and order without missing its point and drawing false conclusions.

Proverbs Chapters 10 – The young boy is about the age of a grammar school student. He is told   about his relationship with his father (1), the value of money (2),  God’s righteous character (3), the importance of hard work (4), the need to practice God’s will (6), that you don’t need a good memory if you are honest (7), the importance of integrity (9), the importance of clean conversation (11),  and many other things, including the importance of love (12)

Proverbs Chapter 11 – The growing child is introduced to the principles of business (1). He is also given more intense instruction about pride (2), integrity (3), wealth (4), walking uprightly (5-6), the fate of the wicked as opposed to the righteous (7-8), the importance of clean conversation (9) and many other things, including learning to be kind to others (17)

Proverbs Chapter 13 – Here the young teenager is taught about following his father’s instruction (1 – against which young teens are apt to rebel), avoiding violence (3), being industrious (4), being truthful (5), growing in integrity, being responsible with money (11), following instructions (13), gaining knowledge (16), and running with the right crowd.

Proverbs Chapter 15 – Instructions and wisdom continue to be afforded the young man as Solomon reinforces the concepts of  being kind when he speaks (1-4),  the omnipresence of God (3), not spurning his father’s discipline (5), teaching others (6), the persuit of righteousness (8-11),  the importance of cheerfulness (15), understanding that fearing the Lord leads to knowledge and wisdom (16) and how love is better than hatred every time.

Notice the repitition of themes as the young man grows. Each time a subject is addressed, it is covered a little more thoroughly.

Proverbs Chapter 16 – Solomon goes over the same territory with his son, now a young man, this time spending a little more time on each subject and covering it more deeply. This young man is about to be ready for the MEAT of learning. He addresses love again (1, 6, & 9). He goes into more detail about wisdom coming from the Lord (16). Solomon addresses honesty and integrity (11), taking charge of one’s own conversation (21, 23, & 24). He speaks of the importance of self control. As a young man, he is going to have to exercise it more and more.

Proverbs Chapter 17 – Now Solomon begins to put the pressure on about peacefulness, wisdom, coveteousness, finances, arrogance, avoiding meaningless arguing (14, 19), being a good friend (17). He warns the young man not to be tempted with bribes (23),and once again, he tells the young man to control his mouth (28)

Proverbs Chapter 18 – The young man is schooled in the importance of selflessness and careful with his mouth (1-8), He teaches him about the strength of the Lord (10). He teaches him about humility, integrity, discernment, giving, tactfulness (19-21). He counsels him about making wise choices in a mate. He encourages him to be a friend to his friends.

Proverbs Chapters 20,22,25 & 26 – The lessons of self control are emphasized. Again Solomon speaks of honesty, riches, controlling the tongue, the character of God and His omniscience. He encourages faithfulness in love (6).  Our young man is almost grown (probably in his 20s or so).
Solomon begins to realy press all of the various issues. The young man is about to be on his own. He needs to learn the lessons of knowledge and wisdom through the fear of the Lord.

Again he instructs him about choosing his friends wisely (22:24-25). By the time we get to chapter 26, Solomon’s son has become a mature man. He is still in need of instruction, because we never reach a state of perfect maturity.

So, how are you doing in your growth with the Lord? Have you learned the lessons of Proverbs? Have you come to know the one who imparts maturity and wisdom, Christ, the Lord? As a church, are we helping people grow in the Lord?

A Little about the Law

If we are Christians, we are in the age of grace. If we are Christians, we are under a New Covenant with God.

Does that mean that for Christians the Law means nothing?

It does not mean that at all.

So what does it mean?

Let’s find out.

The first of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  There has never been a person (other than Jesus) who has kept that Law…never.

Under grace, has that Law been abolished?

The answer is, “No, it has been fulfilled in Christ.”

Does that mean we can have other gods before God?

No!

If we are Christians, we have recognized that Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9 & 10), and we have turned to Him in faith, trusting in, and only in, His finished work at the cross of Calvary. If we are Christians, we know Him. If we truly know Him, why would we want to put ANYTHING or ANYBODY ahead of Him? After what He has done for us, why would we want to give him second place or lower in our lives?

We wouldn’t.

If we want to give anything or anybody else first place in our lives, we need to reevaluate our relationship to God through Jesus.

Do you remember the song that went, “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him and I do”? Well, that’s the way it must be with Christ. To know Him is to love Him. Conversely, NOT to love Him is not to know Him.

If you don’t know Him (and therefore love Him), you aren’t saved.

Meanwhile, back at the Law, Jesus proclaimed that He had fulfilled the Law. That means He has paid the price for our inability to keep the Law in-and-of ourselves. Our response to His fulfilling the Law, if we really realize what He has done for us, is to keep it in our hearts, just as Scripture tells us to.

Heaven Is for Real

Christians are often characterized as ignorant, “right-wing” red-necks who live in an imaginary world. The sad thing is, many who call themselves Christians are exactly that. They have been so steeped in the selective use of Scripture for legalistic lifestyles that they fall for anything.

In recent years they have manifested that tendency by falling for Hollywood’s portrayal of Biblical events. They have fallen for The Passion of the Christ. They have fallen for Noah. Now they are poised to fall for another, more insidious movie, Heaven Is for Real.

Come to think of it, this penchant for all things Hollywood is not really new. The Ten Commandments was so well accepted as to cause people to think Charlton Heston really was Moses. Biblically, it was not all that accurate. At best it was marginally more accurate than many others.

At any rate, this new movie (based on the book of the same name) propagates the absurd idea that someone has been to Heaven and returned to report on the experience. This is nothing more than superstitious nonsense built on spiritual mysticism and vain imaginations.

If anyone actually HAD gone to Heaven and returned, their only reports would be of the majesty, excellence and glory of Christ. Instead they report about their good feelings, their happiness and how comforted they were. They report about having had fun, received special treatment, and how much more they understand than they ever did before. That would not be the focus of one who had entered Christ’s presence.

What does the Bible have to say on the subject?

John 3:13 says, ““No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” And John 1:18 says, “No one has seen God at any time.”

Some of the Bible’s writers had visions of Heaven. None had near-death experiences. Paul and John fall into this category. Micaiah and Stephen had what seemed to be glimpses of Heaven, but neither described their experiences.

Lazarus died and John spent a chapter about the event without a word about Heaven, even after Jesus resurrected Lazarus. Both Elijah and Eutychus died and came back, but neither gave any description of their experiences, either.

Only three men wrote about what they saw when they glimpsed Heaven—and the details they gave were comparatively sparse (Isaiah 6:1–4; Ezekiel 1, 10; Revelation 4–6). All of them focused properly on God’s glory. None of them reported anything except fear and shame in the presence of God’s glory.

The issue is that “Christians” are far too unsatisfied with Christ and continually seek to add to or somehow verify their Christian experience. They soak themselves in superstition, secularism, spiritual mysticism and vain imaginations instead of focusing on the Christ of the Bible.

One who is saved will have a personal relationship with God through Christ and will need nothing more to confirm it.

The Proper Use of Scripture

IJohn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Many people have that verse as their favorite Scripture. They may use it as a source of comfort. They might consider it some sort of release to sin; being assured that there is forgiveness for them. For some people, every time they sin they “claim” this verse to soothe their conscience.

God does forgive. He has forgiven us in Christ. He sees us as perfect through the shed blood of Christ. But this is not the proper application of this verse. (The idea that there is only one interpretation but many applications is born of ignorance and is untrue. Scripture is not intended to be “applied” randomly and “as needed.”) The statement in John 1:9 is true, of course, but it is meant to be applied to the context of the entire book, not as a stand alone passage.

The verse in question is a part of a great dissertation by John, one who had seen Jesus with his own eyes as the one who created the entire universe, including mankind. It is not about us, it is about Him. It is John’s message about Him to us. In this book John is proclaiming what he has seen (Jesus) and what he has heard (Jesus message of the Kingdom of God).

Because the Scripture has been chopped up into chapters and verses (using the excuse that it is therefore easier to “find one’s way around in the Bible”), there is a tendency to ascribe to short parts of it that which is not a part of the whole. That’s an eternal mistake.

The book of John is about the magnificent salvation that has been made available to any person. In keeping with Paul’s message in Romans, John recognizes that we all sin. He also tells us repeatedly that in Christ, God has provided forgiveness for our sin because He is our atoning sacrifice. It is about the evidence God has placed in our hearts under the New Covenant (Christ) of that salvation.

He tells us in no uncertain terms that there is only one Christ. He says there will be others who claim to be Messiah (and some who just think they are Jesus, not even knowing who Jesus is), but that they are imposters. Those who are in Christ will immediately recognize the imposters because we have the Holy Spirit who gives us discernment. He tells us we can know teachers of false doctrine by the power of the Holy Spirit so we can test them.

John is concerned about teachers of false doctrine. He warns us about those who would lead us down the paths of heresy, legalism and religious behaviorism. He implores us to keep our focus on Christ alone. He tells us that the love of God for us causes us to love one another. That reflects what Christ said when asked about the greatest commandment (love God and love your neighbor as yourself).

He says, “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,” a reminder that the New Covenant is written, not in stone or on paper, but in our hearts.

John concludes by telling us why he wrote the book. It was not to give us platitudes to live by, but to assure us of the nature of the one who was from the beginning: Christ, our Lord and Savior. He proclaims that if we continue to focus on sin instead of Christ, we are not saved and need to take a look at our eternal condition before God. But, he says, if we are saved, we will recognize and run from sin, keeping our focus on no other but Jesus. Jesus is the one true God and everything else is just an idol.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-In Christ Alone-Travis Cottrell

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 1-31

The book of Proverbs is about growing in faith. Soloman addresses his son with a pattern for growth from being a babe in faith to becoming mature. It is a narrative, not a chopped up mess of “wise” sayings. No verse can be applied out of its contex and order without missing its point and drawing false conclusions.

For instance, if you take Proverbs 16:16; 22:1-2; 23:4-5; 28:20; 30:7-9; 15:27; 21:6; 22:16;28:6, 8 and 24; 3:9010; 11:28 and 16:8 and conclude that they speak about general financial responsibility, you will being a disservice to the verses, the chapter they’re in, the book of Proverbs, the Old Testament, the Old Covenant and the Bible. Do you want to do such a disservice? All of those verses DO speak about financial matters, but they are neither designed nor intended to be dealt with apart from theit context.

Just because a Scripture verse contains a word that goes along with what the reader is trying to prove, does not mean that’s what the verse means. Without the flow of the narrative, not one single verse of Scripture can be properly understood, interpreted or applied.

Those verses are where they are because they are part of a narrative that reveals the stages of growth that occur when one fears the Lord: knowledge and Wisdom. Wisdom, in proverbs, is a picture (type) of Christ. The verses are where they are to be a part of the consecutive growth of a person’s walk of faith.

When you realize that the chapters used above (3, 11, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29), you begin to understand that they are grouped in such a way as to show the growth stages of Solomon’s son.

Does that mean that Proverbs does NOT encourage us to exercise financial responsibility? Absolutely not!

But Proverbe does so much more than that. Proverbs gives us a PROGRESSIVE look at HOW a person grows in wisdom. Proverbs starts off with the way a young boy (or young Christian) would look at the various elements of his stage of life. Then it proceeds to cover the same topics the way an older boy (perhaps a Christian with some years of Sunday School under his belt) would deal with the same issues. After that, Proverbs reveals the development level a young man (growing Christian) would deal with the temptations and issues of life. It then shows the same things for a young adult, then a maturing adult and finally an elder (mature person).

There are five indications of Christ in Proverbs: 1. Proverbs is Wisdom personified in Christ.
2. Proverbs is Wisdom fulfilled in Christ. 3. Proverbs is Wisdom exemplified in Christ.
4. Proverbs is Wisdom provided in Christ.  5. Every verse in Proverbs is about wisdom and righteousness as revealed in the life of the Lord Jesus.

Proverbs progresses like this: How someone young in the faith starts out life in the home (church). How someone young in the faith begins to grow up and moves beyond the circle of the home(church). How someone young in the faith listens to God’s law of mercy and grace, as he turns to his family in the faith (church). How someone growing in the faith remembers  the instruction of his father (church family) How someone growing in the faith. is counseled to live a pure life for the sake of his home(church family). How someone growing in the faith deals with conflicting world view. The characteristics of someone maturing in the faith.

In chapter 30, we find an oracle by an unknown sage (not Solomon, Agur) who warns the person young in the faith to subscribe to sound doctrine and not to go to ridiculous extremes or to grow weary in the faith. He warns the growing young adult that the world will pull at him from all sides. He encourages the one growing in the faith to recognize God above all others.

Proverbs wraps up in chapter 31 with a mother counseling her son (a young adult in the faith) to choose a life partner after he has matured enough to recognize what’s important in choosing a mate. He does not really want her to tell him what to do (isn’t that just like us), but she persists. The mother lays out what he should look for in a wife. She also lays out the things he must do and be in order to demonstrate integrity.

Do You Pray for Your Pastor?

If you do (and you should), what do you pray for? Do you pray that he will be your personal chaplain or do you see him as your shepherd? A chaplain is duty bound to serve the rotating needs of a specific class of people.

Shepherding runs in the opposite direction from a chaplain. It takes all the unique needs of various people at various stages of life and leads them to one ultimate solution… Jesus Christ.

This post begins a series of posts about how to pray for your pastor.

The absolute most important prayer for your pastor is that his sermons are redundant.

What? Pray that his sermons are redundant? Why?

Still stinging from his fiasco at Athens, where he tried to match philosophical wits with the Athenian philosophers, Paul wrote that he “…resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2)

He had made the mistake of preaching something other than the gospel. But the gospel is absolutely the ONLY message we have. If you get tired of that message, you need to check your relationship to God through Christ.

So, pray that you pastor will be able to proclaim one overarching message from every text he preaches. Whatever principle or wisdom is put forward, pray that every message you hear from this pulpit is the wrapped around the same redundant theme: the glory of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Pray that his sermons hold high the sacred jewel of redemption so that you may marvel at it. With every turn and refraction of light there is a new glory revealed but it always the same jewel.

Pray he is a record scratched exactly at the sacrifice of Christ. Pray that he never gets over, gets past, gets to the bottom of or never gets tired of the glorious news of the accomplishment of God in Christ.

Pray that he hears you singing the refrain, “Tell me the story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious; sweetest that ever was heard.”

Pray your preacher aids you in the constant re-discovery of the absolute, unending spectrum of glorious truth that is within the Word of God and its singular message spanning from Genesis to Revelation.

This is not a story about what man does for God. This is not a message about how man gets to God. This is not a story about how man sought God. This is a story about how God got to man, how God satisfied His own requirements on man’s behalf and for his own glory.

Pray this message never ceases to amaze this man who is your pastor.

(Thanks and a hat tip to Church Pastor for the inspiration for and much of the content of this post).

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Glorious-Brenton Brown

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 10-29

Proverbs is all about growth

The book of Proverbs is not about various topics. The book of Proverbs USES various topics to demonstrate the characteristics of GROWTH IN THE LORD. It is the story of that growth in a person from infancy to maturity. A so-called “topical” study of Proverbs will always miss the point of what Solomon is saying.

Here is the way the story of the young man’s growth (and ours, as Christians) progresses:

I. Chapters 1-9 of Proverbs illustrates the growth in Wisdom (Christ) and contrasts it with a growth built on folly (the ways of the world – the world system).

Newborn humans and new Christians (babes in Christ) begin by learning about the world around them. Those new in the Lord learn about the basic tenants of the faith. They move beyond the circle of the home. They begin acquiring knowledge, by the fear of the Lord. (Wisdom comes later – in chapter 9).

The young man learns about God and His character, hopefully by hearing what his parents teach him. He makes friends and enters the big, bad world. He is counseled to remember what his parents taught him. He learns that there are no secrets from the Lord. He learns about relationships and the value of hard work. Morality will be a part of his learning,

The growing young man (and the growing Christian) prepares himself to the next stage of his life. He begins to understand that not only does the fear of the Lord lead to knowledge, it leads to Wisdom (Christ).  Some growing up (in Christ) learn wisely, others foolishly.

II. In chapters 10 – 24, we see the growth of the young man as he learns about the order of things.
(As Christians grow, they, too, become aware of the sound doctrines of the faith). He learns more and more about the Lord. Business, commitments, what’s more important than beauty, how to choose a wife, when to speak and when to keep quiet and how to face obstacles are all part of his training.

He learns that God is always present, that he needs to learn to think correctly and how not to rationalize his conduct. He learns integrity in thought and how to think straightly.  He learns about friendship and the importance of choosing friends wisely. He learns to be a friend. He learns that there are eternal consequences to his choices.

As our young man grows up, he learns how to overcome life’s obstacles and how to exercise his faith. He learns about attitudes and motives for both right and wrong.  Selflessness is among the lessons he must learn. He must also learn self-control.


III. In chapters 25-29, the young man learns to study God’s precepts and examples. He learns the importance of proper study. He learns that he will be in trouble if he answers a fool. The fool is in trouble if he doesn't answer the wiser young man. The fool will think he is smart.

The young man will learn, as he grows, that the wicked live in fear, regardless of what he might claim. At the very least, he fears death. The young man does not fear death, he fears God, the source of wisdom. He will discover the importance of not just asking God for things, but of listening to God. He will know that someday God’s Word will be written on his heart.

What a tragic mistake it is to study Proverbs as a bunch of chopped up wise sayings about this or that. How much more insight into Solomon’s wisdom and the wisdom of God is gained by seeing the book as a presentation of the progression of growth.

Take note that almost all of Proverbs’ subjects are repeated at least four times. Each time each subject is brought up, Proverbs presents it in more detail and understanding. This is how we are to grow. As we mature, we should learn more and more about Wisdom. We should learn more and more about controlling our tongues and why. We should learn more and more about the importance of diligence, integrity and life.

Wisdom will ultimately lead us to Christ and His saving grace. All else is folly.

Bible Study and Preaching

What passes for Bible study and “Bible based sermons” today is dismal. It is little more than pick-and-choose magnified to imitate Bible truth.

Bible study has been reduced to chopping the Bible up into little pieces to serve a particular topic of interest to the Bible study leader or the ones responsible for his “teaching manual.” This is the method used by every heretical cult that has ever been and is fraught with danger.

A case in point is the way the book of Proverbs is used to address certain topics, for instance, “Watching your words.”

Being careful about what you say is important. Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words can be neutral. But using some “proverbs” about words from one section of Proverbs and some from another completely misses the point of the book. Proverbs, in the Bible, is about growth. As we grow in Wisdom (Christ), we will understand how to use words better. That’s why the subject of how we use words is progressive in the book of Proverbs. Each time it is brought up, a little more of the subject is revealed and a proper response expanded.

Each section of Proverbs deals with the same group of topics, each time a little more in depth and a little more detailed. The topics are: Wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the company we keep, the value of money and things, and the results of choosing wrongly. Wisdom is a type of Christ in Proverbs and the point is that as we know Christ better we will exhibit more and more of His characteristics.

Sermons have been reduced to modified legalism. Most evangelical pastors would deny that they are legalistic, but then go right on preaching about lists of things that are right and things that are wrong. That IS legalism. And it is NOT what the Bible is about, no matter how many passages or verses are quoted.

The Bible is about the gospel of Christ. That’s its message from cover to cover. The gospel is the Good News that Christ has paid the penalty for sin and that if we repent and turn to Him in faith, trusting in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary, we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

Whether we are preaching from Exodus, Leviticus, Malachi the Gospels, or wherever, the message is the same: God is of the highest character; He loves His creation and has a wonderful plan for its redemption.

The Bible is not about how we behave (although if you need a behavioral guide, it is the best there is). It is not a history book (although if you need to know the history of Israel or of God’s movement in history, it is the best history there is). The Bible is not a psychology book (although it contains the best psychology that ever has been, is now or ever will be). Nor is the Bible a philosophy book (although it contains the only relevant philosophy in the universe).

The Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

Every Bible study leader should look for those three things. If he cannot find them in what he is preparing to teach, he should go back and study some more or he will be teaching the wrong thing.

Every preacher should look for those three things. If he cannot find them in what he is preparing to preach, he should go back and study some more or he will be preaching heresy.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-The Prayer-Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams

A Study in Proverbs

Proverbs Chapters 17

There is a temptation in “Bible Study” to use a series of Scriptures from here and there in the Bible to “examine” a particular topic. The danger with this type of “study” is that it easily  missuses, misapplies and/or misinterprets verses of Scripture. Every cult, false religion and heresy starts with this method.

A recent study, for instance, use several passages from Proverbs to prove the importance of guarding one’s speech. Guarding one’s speech may very well be very important, but it is not what Proverbs is talking about in chapter 17. As we will see, the reference to speech is really a part of a dissertation about the person who is to be the Messiah.

Verses 1-6 – Like an algebraic equation, putting the right value for “x” (the unknown) will reveal the correct solution to the problem. In verse 1, think of the peace that comes from the “Bread of Life,’ who is Jesus, as opposed to the noise and clutter of the world. Verse 3 emphasizes that God looks on the heart. Verse 4 is about one’s character. In verse 5 we see that there is evidence when one loves God’s creation. Verse 5 is reminiscent of the way children of the New Covenant would be led to share with those in need. As revealed in verse 6, we are a family. Some of us are elders in the faith, others are less mature. We should be supportive of one another.

Verses 7-8 – All atheists are fools, for the fool has said in his heart that there is no God. He should recognize his folly, but he won’t. Fools in places of service, especially in the Body of Christ, are worse than infidels. Even in churches, leaders are sometimes bribable. You might “get ahead” with a bribe (offering something to God’s children that God will not really give them), but your success will be shallow.

Verses 9-14 – God has set the example of forgiveness in Christ. We are all siners and we have no right to sit in eternal judgement over others. Verse 10 refers to our young man who has much to learn. He should open his mind to learning God’s ways. Heretics are wolves (or bears) in sheeps’ clothing. Sound doctrine is essential for a growing Christian. Lead them not to be argumentative, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.

Verses 15-20 – One day we will be judged for what we did with God’s Son (either accepting Him or rejecting Him). God is a good judge. He hates those who are judgmental. Those who don’t want Christ are fools. Jesus is a friend who is closer than a brother. The unsaved have a debt they owe to God. We cannot pay that debt for them, and we have no business trying. They need to turn to Christ for payment of their debt.  When the Holy Spirit prods his heart, a man is foolish to argue with Him. In the end, he will die eternally.

Verses 21-25 – Sometimes even God’s children behave as though they are fools. God is not happy about that kind of behavior. In Christ we find joy and can rejoice in Him always. Judges are judges because they get to judge. Worldly judges, even if they are Christians, will always misjudge God’s character. A wise man seeks the right way: Christ. A fool pays Him no mind.

Verses 26-28 – We do not get to punish sinners, whether they are honest or not. If we are wise (know Christ), we are careful about what we say because His love, mercy, grace and word is written on our hearts. Sometimes our incessant, incoherent babble make people think we Christians are nuts. We are wise to be subtle, not overly aggressive about our Christian faith.

ADDENDUM: When I last taught this lesson, some years ago, I was asked, “Joe, do you REALLY see Jesus in all of these proverbs? I thought they were just sayings and instructions.” I answered, “Yes, I really DO see Jesus in all of these proverbs. Each of them is true, in its own right, but each also represents the characteristics of those who have Jesus in their hearts. The truth of Proverbs is verified in the life of a Christian. See, God has established a New Covenant; one which fulfills the Old Covenant and supersedes it.”

What about Teaching the Bible?

In the first place, let me be clear that I don’t care what you call it. You can call it Sunday School, Bible Study, Bible Study Groups, Small Groups, Family Groups, Life Groups or anything else you want to call it as long as its purpose is to find the actual meaning of God’s Word.

The text book for Bible study is…wait for it…the Bible. It is not some denominational publication, some bestselling book or some opinion session about God. The text book is the plenary, inspired, literal, infallible Word of God, the Bible. Use it and you will NEVER run out of relevant material and its message is 100% as current as it was in the eternity God first thought of it.

In order to properly teach the Bible, Bible study leaders must be steeped in it themselves. They must know the perfect context of every word of it, in terms of the words used, the verse in which they are used, the chapter they’re found in, the book of the Bible they’re in, the testament they’re in and the Bible as a whole.

They must realize that the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. They must not deviate from this revelation.

If you teach the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter or from beginning to end, you will not miss any topic ever conceived in the mind of man. That is why exegetical teaching is superior to topical teaching.

Topical teaching carries with it the danger of becoming a philosophy study backed up by random verses that may or may not genuinely apply to the topic. Thousands of cults, sects, and heresies are formed just this way, and you are not smart enough to resist allowing Satan to lead you in the same direction.

The Bible does not exist to support your spiritual philosophy, your mind set or your ideology. It exists to reveal to you the mind of God and to conform you to it. It exists to reveal to you His plan of salvation. Its theme is the gospel. It has no other. Its objective is to bring people to God through Christ.

A Bible study leader/teacher would do well to understand those truths before beginning any Bible study session.

While college and seminary education has some value, any priest can properly interpret the Bible if he sets his mind to discovering its truths in their context. By the way, if you are a Christian you ARE a priest, and thus can rightly divide the Word of God if you use the proper approach.

Every Bible study teacher should have and make use of a good concordance, such as Strong's or Young's. He should also have a good Bible dictionary, Internet access (although you have to be careful on the Internet. There's a lot of very bad misinformation out there) and maybe a Greek/English, English/Greek lexicon (again, be careful. These can easily be misused and misunderstood). A really well put together lesson plan book can be helpful if it is not used as a substitute for the real text (the Bible).

Bible study can be as shallow or as deep as you want it to be. It can be geared to preschoolers, grammar school students, teens, young adults, middle adults and any age groups in between. And it should be. Every Bible study lesson should be targeted to the group studying it. More mature Christians require a different approach from those younger in the Lord, as well as in age.

The Bible should NEVER be MADE relevant. It IS relevant. It deals with the deepest needs of the darkest corners of every heart. It is the vehicle by which you can be introduced to the presence of God! It is the revelation of the greatest gift any person has ever received, the gift of salvation through Christ.

All Bible study should lead to that end. It should have as its point that whosoever will may come to God blameless if they place their trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.