Obedience of Faith

Pastor David had a great sermon yesterday on the obedience of faith. The main text came from Hebrews 11, where we are talking about the subject of Noah building the ark, condemning the world and becoming an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Pastor David spent some time in Romans 1, where Paul speaks of preaching the Gospel so as to bring about the obedience of faith. It is something that I honestly have not thought much about, in the sense that the Gospel is a command. When Jesus (and the apostles that followed) preached the Gospel, the words given to repent and believe was not just a statement but a command.

If we are obedient, we are granted faith, but even faith is something that is granted to us as a gift. We must be obedient to the command of the Gospel to repent and believe in order to live eternally (it is a hard thing to sometimes swallow, that being man's responsibility coupled with God's sovereignty in salvation, but that is another post). The Gospel is God's answer to our rebellion because the Father's ordaining that His only begotten Son should die on our behalf and thus bear the wrath of the Father relieves us of our role in the very rebellion which separated us from the Father when Adam fell.

What some in past times (and even now--as Solomon says, "There is nothing new under the sun") is that the Gospel is not here to "fix" our temporal, earthly problems, even to bring the world into harmony or some inner peace. On the contrary, Christ himself said in the Gospels that he came to divide with the Truth He delivered. Father from daughter, mother from son--He acknowledged there would be those who would believe, and those who would not. He was not calling people to a better life--He was calling them to lay their lives down. He was giving them a hard teaching, one which required them to set aside their very SELVES and follow Him as Lord and Savior.

And yet, in this obedience of faith, some may feel doubts of abandonment; will God forsake me? This is what the audiences were likely thinking in hearing the Gospel, since throughout the Old Testament, they were so quick to forget the Lord's faithfulness! Also imagine Noah, surrounded by wickedness, no one else righteous, but God calls on him to build an ark, to set apart from the rest of the world, and he did so, in reverent fear of the Lord. One might have felt abandoned, but his faith (as was Abraham's) made him an heir of righteousness because he stepped out in obedience to the command that the Lord gave.

So too we must answer the call and command of the Gospel in our repentance and belief in Christ. Paul's drive to preach to the Gentiles was to spread the Word to them, to bring them to obedience of faith. This is likely why Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 speaks of knowing nothing but Christ and Him crucified; he endeavored to keep Christ the central part of the Gospel. Many can debate about what is like, but in one thing it can be sure, it is separation from God and the only thing that keeps one from that damnation is repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our obedience in sanctification is quite another thing, but bringing someone to the obedience of faith (with the obvious help of the Holy Spirit) must be done first. If we have truly repented and believed, we will not be abandoned and He will not let us go.

God Does Not Forsake Us

Something struck me about what I read this morning in my daily Spurgeon reading and how it closely matched with the theme of the sermon that Pastor David preached this past Sunday. In his sermon, Pastor David, while reading through the end of Hebrews 10, said that oftentimes in our daily lives, we focus on the here and now, making the special grace of our salvation serve the common grace of every day blessings that God may bestow.

It is this backwards or reversed (and unbiblical) thinking that often causes us to feel abandoned by God in times of suffering.

Here's the reading from this morning:

Psalm 22:1 My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

We here behold the Saviour in the depth of his sorrows. No other place so well shows the griefs of Christ as Calvary, and no other moment at Calvary is so full of agony as that in which his cry rends the air—"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" At this moment physical weakness was united with acute mental torture from the shame and ignominy through which he had to pass; and to make his grief culminate with emphasis, he suffered spiritual agony surpassing all expression, resulting from the departure of his Father's presence. This was the black midnight of his horror; then it was that he descended the abyss of suffering. No man can enter into the full meaning of these words. Some of us think at times that we could cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" There are seasons when the brightness of our Father's smile is eclipsed by clouds and darkness; but let us remember that God never does really forsake us. It is only a seeming forsaking with us, but in Christ's case it was a real forsaking. We grieve at a little withdrawal of our Father's love; but the real turning away of God's face from his Son, who shall calculate how deep the agony which it caused him?

In our case, our cry is often dictated by unbelief: in his case, it was the utterance of a dreadful fact, for God had really turned away from him for a season. O thou poor, distressed soul, who once lived in the sunshine of God's face, but art now in darkness, remember that he has not really forsaken thee. God in the clouds is as much our God as when he shines forth in all the lustre of his grace; but since even the thought that he has forsaken us gives us agony, what must the woe of the Saviour have been when he exclaimed, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

It is hard to imagine, hard to picture, but when Christ was on the Cross, in bearing our sins, he literally experienced a hell--separation from God. This is the same separation that will be experienced by those that will not call on the name of Christ and will not have their sins paid for. This image is the wrath of God borne by Christ with none of God's love, mercy or grace--it is an agony too hard to imagine.

When we measure our happiness and our life on the blessings and sufferings of this life, our faith has a foundation that is as firm as a sand dune, being blown and shaped by the wind. We have a season of blessing and then encounter a season of woe and suffering and we are swept away.

But we will NEVER have to experience the kind of separation that Christ endured on the cross because we as His chosen, His children, are His because Christ endured it for us, made sin for us. If we make the basis of our life--our faith--the special grace that we receive through salvation in Christ and make common grace serve this grace rather than vice-versa, then we will be further along to a peace that passes all understanding. Man was made to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, meaning not just in this life but for eternity. God may ordain us to endure cancer for the last twenty years of our life, but He has just as sure ordained that we would praise Him when we pass into glory, forever and ever.

Reformation Sunday Celebration

My wife and I attended a wonderful service Sunday night celebrating the Reformation (as well as what God has done and is doing) at Grace Church here in the Valley, joined by several other Presbyterian churches in the area.

It was a time of worship, prayer, communion and a wonderful sermon. Rev. Mike Sharrett of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg (they have a wonderful website which can be visited here) preached on 2 Kings 2: 15-25, where Elisha is addressing three different categories of people shortly after the torch of prophet is passed from Elijah to him.

The first group is skeptical of Elisha's word that Elijah does not need to be looked for, but ultimately Elisha gives in and allows 50 of them to go--when they come back stating they could not find Elijah, he tells them that they should not have gone.

The second group (near the end of the passage) is a mocking group of boys who is representative of those in the town that disdain the message that Elijah brings and essentially call him "baldy"--Elijah then turns to curse these boys and two female bears come from the woods to tear the boys apart.

The third group in this spectrum is a group of those in the town of Jericho that come to Elijah about their water problem--they show themselves blessed to be where they are, yet their water does not allow them to possible grow crops or feed their livestock. Unlike the other groups, they come to Elijah believing that he through his God can help them.

Rev. Sharrett drew parallels to a spectrum of people that receive God's Word: the first group can receive the Word but when the heat of life comes, they run to other pleasures or sensualities for their comfort, forsaking the living water of the Word. The second group who mocks are the ones who disdain the Truth and further condemn themselves before the Father. Finally, the third group hears and treasures the Word, knowing that it gives life, believing that the Father will do what He says.

Rev. Sharrett gave us a challenge to be people of the Word, to read it daily and not just on Sundays--one test that he gave us to tell whether we were people of the Word was not whether we were actually doing it everyday but if we missed it, did something inside us ache for missing it. Part of our regeneration is the changing of our desires--do we desire the Word, even if we are not perfect in our execution and exercise of that discipline?

May we be people of the Word, and do honor to the saints that have come before us, especially those of the Reformation, who liberated the Word from the pulpit, making it available to all and reemphasizing the priesthood of all believers.

Suffering and Trusting in God

Now that I've posted something trivial about sports, I'll turn to the topic of suffering and the really great sermon that our elder Chris preached on this past Sunday.

The passage was from 1 Peter 4:12-19, which reads as follows:

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Chris began by stating that Christians who suffer should trust the love of God for a joyful outcome, outlining three points:

1. Be Sure That Suffering Will Come (v. 12)

Suffering in this life, as a Christian, is not a matter of if, but when. Suffering is often utilized by God to test us, to burn away the impurities much like the person who burns away the dross off the gold. Christ told his disciples to count the cost in following Him, because he warned them that as He suffered, so they would suffer. The importance of trusting in the love of God is that we are taken by surprise when we suffer, to the point that we cry out to God, saying "Why is this happening to me? Have you forgotten me God?"

Now, honestly, how many of us have said that when we have come up to suffering or adversity? Many of us have because we forget how God is ALWAYS with us, and is ALWAYS faithful. But God is not only there, but He gives us the grace necessary to rejoice in our sufferings and to cause us to look to God and see His sovereign purpose in it--which is to glorify His name by it (see Rom. 8:18). Notice it is to HIS glory, not yours, that you suffer, so throwing a pity party does not proclaim Him or His gospel in your life.


2. Be Sure That Your Suffering Is For Worthy Reasons (v.15)

It is often that we are bold enough to ask God "Why me" when the suffering is a result of our own disobedience! Peter speaks of evil doing, murder, theft, and even of someone who is a busybody and meddles in another's business. We should not moan in our suffering if we have consciously sinned as Peter mentions. It should be a warning to examine ourselves to make sure that we suffer for worthy reasons.


3. Be Sure That God Has a Sovereign Purpose For Suffering (v. 17)

a. In judgment, God separates the dross from the gold by revealing His glory through the suffering of His Church--in judging His people first, He identifies them as His own, setting them apart for His glory and honor.

b. In producing faith through the suffering, God causes us to put our faith in Him rather than lean on our own understanding or righteousness or flesh. HE must be our portion--we must cling to Christ and in Him alone when we suffer.

c. In connection with the one above, we entrust our soul to God by practicing the faith that He has given to us--this comes in our being sanctified.


In conclusion, Chris reminded us that our motivation for doing good and trusting Him in suffering is that he loves us despite our level of obedience and faithfulness to Him. What a blessed thing indeed!

Jesus as Guarantor of a BETTER Covenant

Pastor David continued into Hebrews 7 yesterday, covering verses 18-22:

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Pastor David began by reminding us the definition of covenant, which is essentially a solemn promise between two parties. A guarantor is someone that assumes responsibilities for paying another's debt or fulfilling their responsibilities (for example, like a co-signer on a car loan).

Beginning in the text, the writer-preacher is quick to point out yet again the weak nature of the Old commandments in how they could not save and did not make anything perfect. The writer also again points to the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood, in that Christ was made priest with an oath (whereas Levitical priests were made priests simply by bloodline)--The LORD swore an oath that Christ would be priest forever. The permanence of such a promise likely had a profound effect on the hearers, yet they were still tempted to go back to what they knew!

The reason that the writer preacher is spending time on this is that the hearers of this message are under much persecution--homes are being destroyed and they are being thrown in prison. It was easy to follow Christ when times were easy and good, and the Romans tolerated their religion--but Pastor David pointed out that when the persecution began, the pressure was trying to push them back to the Old Covenant and all that came along with it.

But the writer's point in showing this "better hope" and Jesus being the guarantor of a better covenant is to show them that Jesus fulfilled the law and superseded the Old Covenant and brought the New Covenant. There is no Old Covenant to retreat to, and yet these hearers wanted to run back to it!

The same pull or force that tempted them to desire the ways of the Old Covenant is the same force that drives us to fall back into old patterns when we come into suffering or strife that tests our faith. When we are stressed and the pressure is brought to bear on our life, we crave the "comfortable" (or at least what we think is comfort). Even as regenerated, new creations in Christ, we grab for the thing which does not satisfy when we are put under pressure, because we think that will satisfy and bring us comfort. But it is a lie! Christ, as the guarantor of a better covenant, is the only thing that will truly satisfy and sustain. We cannot turn to bad language, violence, pornography, gossip, or other vices to alleviate our suffering or make us feel better about ourselves. We must ask the Spirit to cleanse our minds and our thoughts and fight the temptation to revert to patterns which we must surrender to Him.

Lord help us to resist the temptation to fall back into old patterns and instead cling to the Cross, as you are the guarantor of a better covenant and a lasting hope!

Who Was Melchizedek, Part II

Last Sunday Pastor David explored verses 11-19 of Ch. 7, where the writer-preacher lays out the comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek, and which read as follows:

11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him,


“You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Pastor David broke this section down into two parts, the first addressing the imperfections of the Levitical priesthood.

I. Imperfections of the Levitical Priesthood: vv. 11-14

1. The imperfect nature of the Levitical priesthood as established from Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob and Leah can be illustrated in two ways:
a. First, to give some background, Levi was one of the brothers who defended his sister's honor by going into the city to find the men that defiled her and killed all the males, not just some, but ALL. Does this sound like a priest?

It is important to note that the priesthood came from Levi because first, Moses, who was a to be a great deliverer of Israel (as Christ is the ultimate deliverer) was the son of a Levite. Thus, Aaron, as his brother and first of all priests was also a Levite. In addition, even though Jacob had essentially disinherited Jacob from any land when his other sons got land, God had a different plan. In Numbers 3, God sets the Levites apart as His, to be His servants and the Lord anointed them as priests. From that point on, the Levites were to be given 10 percent from the other tribes essentially in exchange (as a redemption price) for having ALL Levite sons being dedicated to the Lord, in place of dedicating all firstborn sons from all tribes in that fashion.

b. Second, the imperfections are quite evident and don't take long to show, as the most obvious would be when Aaron agrees to have a golden calf made from jewelry of the people while Moses is still on Mt. Sinai. Thus, the FIRST opportunity Aaron has to exert authority and minister to the people, he fails! But this should ever tell us that people are fallible, no matter their position, because they are sinners!

The most striking thing about the above example is what Moses says in response to Aaron and the Israelites when arriving and finding what they have done--he states that perhaps he can make atonement for their sins. He knows the God that He serves and His majesty, holiness and justice! He is a mere man and can only beg of God's mercy as He did with Sodom and Gomorrah--at that point there is no firm approaching of God as we have in Christ! So this is why the law needed to be changed--for while our disobedience can be radical, He pours out His grace even more to overcome it!

2. Changing the Mosaic Law (vv. 12-14)
As evidenced in the above example, the law could not save the Israelites--it only served to show God's standards, their sinfulness and their inability to keep that standard. Just as they could not do this, we cannot either--their faith in some ways was tied to their obedience because they had a law that could not be satisfied within themselves. Our faith is not predicated on a maybe or perhaps, but on a firm foundation.

II. Superiority of the New Priesthood
1. Jesus' priesthood is forever, and He is our Savior to the uttermost!
Christ lived the perfect life and became priest in this manner and not because
he descended from Levites.

2. Jesus is a better hope! Jesus, being perfect in every way, living the perfect
life, and being raised on the third day is a MUCH better hope than the
Israelites had in their priests (who made their own share of mistakes).

Pastor David concluded by looking to Isaiah 11 where it talks of Christ's coming and God speaks of what His priest will do and how peace will be illustrated by a lion laying down with a lamb. This is the work of Christ and the power of His salvation: that peace will reign in the hearts of men because He has saved them and has given them a new nature and new heart. This is the awesomeness and effectiveness of His priesthood. He is not a Levite priest who wails repentant prayers of atonement annually for the people hoping that a righteous and justly wrathful God will hopefully hear his prayers, but Jesus Christ, Word made flesh, who reigns on high with the Father in the Triune Godhead who was made sin for us that we might live and ever intercedes for us before the Father. Picture it, for this is your hope and salvation! Rest in the glorious grace of Christ.

Playing Catch-Up

I've been in the midst of reading several good books lately (Next by Michael Cricton and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling) so I haven't had much time to blog on last week's or this week's sermon and I need to post a memory or two as well--I will try to do some this evening, rest assured.

Inheriting the Promises of God

Pastor David explored verses 9-12 of Hebrews 6 (which you can read in last week's post), and began the sermon by using a diagram. At one end of the spectrum, there are Principle/Truth/God-focused people and at the other, there are People/Love/People-focused people.

John 17:17 shows the commitment of the Principle folks: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 1 John 4:8 shows the passion of those who are people-oriented: Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

But with any spectrum and in dealing with extremes, there must be balance. 1 Corinthians 13, a chapter that speaks on love and speaks that love is patient and endures all things, states in verse 6 that at the same time, "it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."

This relates to Hebrews 6 in that the inheritance of the promise and the assurance of that promise is gained by the service to the saints (here on Earth) that is a part of our sanctification.

Pastor David made the point first that God's Word is not divided--the same God that passed judgment on the many different nations that persecuted Israel (as well as Israel itself) is the same God that became a man and walked the earth, dying for our sins. God is both Love and Truth. We are called to balance both.

If we are too principle-driven (I don't want to say too God-focused, that doesn't come out right!), we can be wanting in how we love people. I can throw right theology in the face of an unbelieving person who just lost a loved one and while I would be correct, would I be showing him or her love? Truth and Love should be a marriage of concepts, not something divorced from the other, hence the idea of speaking the truth in love. Our speech has the power to heal but also to very quickly and just as easily hurt.

On the other hand, if we are too people-oriented, we can compromise truth to continue pleasing people. To maintain relationships, we rationalize or we bend things so that the people we are trying to please will still remain with us. We need only look to Jesus to refute that--He showed the greatest love through giving His life and in His teaching and His miracles, but not once did He change His methods or His message. He did not tell people what they wanted to hear to appease them--he told them hard truths and some people stopped listening (see John 6), and he said that His Gospel would turn relatives against one another (see Matt. 10) Truth has a place; love has a place. We must show both.

Pastor David then gave his theme: "Assurance of salvation is an intimate, intertwined relationship between the faithfulness of God and the work and love of believers."

Many Protestants may bristle when they see a relation between assurance and works, since we know that anything that we would do does not bring about our justification--but it does assist in having an assurance of that saving work. God through his free grace declares us righteous in calling us to salvation by justifying us, but it does not stop there. The natural outflow of that calling is a prompting to respond not only by accepting the Gospel but to bear fruit! This is what the writer-preacher of Hebrews is talking about when he mentions that the Lord will not overlook the "work" that the hearers have done in serving the saints--the preacher knows that they would not do such works of love for their fellow believers (and non-believers) unless they truly loved the Lord.

This is why the author of Hebrews encourages them to show an earnestness in service to others because it demonstrates not only the love that we were shown through salvation but trusting in God and who He is. We are to imitate those of the faith that have come before us and who have inherited the promises.

Think of it as being laborers in a great company, going down the hall and seeing Noah, Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and other Christians through the generations. But it's not just their responsibility to work in the company--we are all called to be a part of it in the body of Christ. As they labored, so are we called to labor--and in that labor we take hold of an assurance of our faith--that the outflow of our faith is the production of fruit which is glorifying to the Father.

Imitate the heroes of the faith today!

Are You Dull of Hearing?

Pastor David preached on the end of Hebrews 5, where the writer turns to his audience and in one sense rebukes them for not progressing in the faith:

"11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

Now this turning point in the writer-preacher's sermon is important because it illustrates the depth of what he has just said on how Jesus is our high priest. Many in that time who came to the faith identified and understood Jesus as their savior, but many were likely not understanding Christ's dual role as High Priest and the significance of that in relation to the Old Testament. An analogy can be made to those Christians today who claim they are saved (and may very well be so, by God's grace) but only hold to such knowledge at a very elementary level.

Pastor David also referenced Jesus explaining the parable of the sower to the disciples when speaking of those who have become dull of hearing:

"10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’


The term "dull of hearing" in the Greek means a type of lethargy, a listlessness that is not just physical, but spiritual. Oftentimes when we think of someone being lethargic, we identify it as a physical condition, not a mental or spiritual one--yet in that lies our downfall. The pleasures of this world gradually hinder our ability to hear and understand spiritual things, because it takes our focus off what is truly important.

A good analogy would be actual loss of hearing: ask anyone in their late 20s or 30s who has lost most of his or her hearing due to listening to music very loud when they were younger, and they will tell you that it didn't happen all at once. They would probably tell you that they listened louder and louder so that they could continue to hear it. So it is with us and the world--the world shows us pleasures and desires and we "turn it up" a little more with each passing instance, while discernment for spiritual things is neglected and our hearing/understanding for it is dulled.

This can happen gradually for us, as we let certain worldly influences and pleasures (TV, things we read, ambitions) desensitize us to our neglect of our walk with Christ. We should not be still on the milk of the faith, but we are, and have not moved on to the meat. In Isaiah 28:9, it says: “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? In the next verse it emphasizes how things are built concept upon concept--just like with any other idea structure in life. Theology must be studied to understand the depth and riches of the knowledge of Christ--to understand His salvation more fully, one must grasp the concepts of justification and sanctification and know the distinction.

In being encouraged to move from milk to meat, Pastor David brought out two points or two questions to ask ourselves in seeing whether we are dull of hearing:

1. Can we teach, can we defend the faith?

Now this certainly doesn't mean that we are to become apologists for the faith on a professional level, able to do battle with the fiercest haters of the faith, but it does mean that we should be able to give a reason for the hope that we have in a well thought out response. Does it need to have catch words or certain phrases--perhaps, but the understanding of it should be there--simply saying "God says so" or "that's just what I believe" will not cut it. And it shouldn't, since if we love God and His commandments we should say as David did in Psalm 1, his delight is in the law [2] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.


2. Does your love of the world and its pleasures keep you from understanding the doctrines of grace?

Sometimes people will often identify the worst sins in the world and quickly think better of themselves than they should. What do I mean by that? Some Christian will say, well I don't murder, cheat on my spouse, etc, so I'm not sinning in such a way that I'm being kept from any understanding! But when did you look a little too long at something you shouldn't have? When did you watch that movie or read that book that degraded or cheapened the faith in your eyes, causing you unconsciously to deny the Gospel and become dull? Such influences and worldly pleasures can make us unable to discern good from evil--we can rationalize and say the entertainment or habit or activity wasn't THAT bad while each time we keep pushing the line we shouldn't cross further and further back.

In addition, such pleasures or desires don't have to be inherently sinful in and of themselves--I'll speak to men for a minute. Is the amount of time that you spend working on your car, your lawn, your job, or golf game stealing from the time you need to be devoting to the Word? There is nothing wrong with ANY of those things, but when we elevate ANYTHING above our desire for Christ, making those things the object of our most attention, we become dull of hearing because we are drawn away from the teaching of the Word to these things which occupy our thoughts.

There's a great line from the Caedmon's Call song (You Created)that goes like this:

"But You created nothing That gives me more pleasure than You"

And this is true! We may try to fill our lives with various things that we think will give us more pleasure, but in the end they will all disappoint--and these things draw us away from the Father and make us dull of His graces!

Now, one caveat to all of this about studying theology and the Word--knowledge can be a great and powerful thing to the believer, as the level of knowledge can directly correlate to the assurance a believer can have (for example, a deeper assurance might be had, by the grace of God, if one understands election). HOWEVER, knowledge cannot be pursued for its own sake--it MUST be couched in a love for the Father and His Son Christ. Apart from it, one may love the study of the object rather than the object of the study--one may look at some scientists who are so interested in researching various forms of cancer that they forget the REASON they are doing so, which is to find a cure.

Jesus is not content to leave us where we are--we were not saved to simply sit on Christ's laurels and wait for heaven, living as if nothing had changed--we are called to advance in the faith, in knowledge and in truth. We must attend to the Word, that by His work and grace we are called to grow in this knowledge and serve Him, not sit and home and watch TV that is at best "neutral" and at worst detrimental to our faith.

Pastor David concluded with Hebrews 6:11-12:

11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Christian, get up from your spiritual sluggishness, and hear the Word today!

Music and Worship

As I've already said before on this blog, I really like music--if you looked at my collection of music, there's really not a lot of genres that I don't have (I mean, other than techo/disco stuff, or real rap--DC Talk isn't quite that, depending on the CD).

I was raised in a Christian home, and surrounded by music from a very early age, since my mom was (and still is) a piano teacher who has lessons in the house. I got to appreciate many different styles of music, from ragtime to jazz to classical, and so on (to this day there are several pieces that I could never play myself but I could tell you if the notes were wrong!)

I want to explore two things in this post, first being what is music and how that translates to being worship and the second being, how do we live a life that involves worship?

But the question comes: what is music (and thus worshipful) and what is just clanging? (I won't use "noise" since the Bible most clearly says, "make a joyful noise.")

Now some may come forward and say (flashing their denominational badges, no doubt, saying in a bellowing voice), "Well, we don't play that kind of music in our church." (and each person might have a definition in their head of "that" music which may offend their sensibilities in the church setting, but that discussion is irrelevant here) But the challenge I would put to anyone is not so much the kind of music (hymns, praise choruses, etc.)we are playing or singing but more the attitude and method with which we approach the playing and singing of that music. What do I mean?

I mean that I could sing a song the same way but yet inside be reflecting two different things--one would be worshipful and truly God-honoring while the other was empty and hollow, with a mind more concerned about getting home in time for the football game later that afternoon. Church-going folks have an easy time "putting on a face" and cementing the facade by singing the songs with gusto while not really even joining with the rest of the congregation in truly communing with the Father in their worship.


How are we to get to the place where we live a life of worship? Is anyone perfect? Can anyone say honestly that all the time that while they are in church that they resemble the former rather than the latter? Of course not. Part of the discipline of being a Christian is asking the Spirit to help prepare you for worship on Sunday, and even better yet, make it a part of your daily routine!

And yes, that means making singing and praising God a part of your day! I have to admit there are times when I get up on the wrong side of the bed and I don't feel like worshiping God or feeling good about anything, truly. Dan Phillips over at Pyromanics had a great post last September about worshiping and prayer, and in it, he talked about how we are to worship even when we don't get a "feeling" to do so or come to an emotional high that validates our worship.

The fruit that is harvested from the means of grace that God provides often means practicing the discipline of prayer, worship and yes, attending church and hearing the Word on a regular basis (not staying at home in your pajamas and listening to a televangelist). It means doing it often when you don't feel like it--I have had times when I didn't feel like it but by the end I was refreshed by the Spirit and ready to take the day head-on.

To this end, I would highly recommend anything by Caedmon's Call, though their worship albums are truly spectacular (they are called "In the Company of Angels"--there is also a Vol. 1). In addition, Chris Rice has compiled a CD of hymns, some of which he has made new arrangements on, which I listen to--no joke--at least twice through a day. (if you go to the link, it is currently on sale at Family Christian Store for $10--and you may want to buy multiple copies and give them to friends/family!)

One of the things that my friend Joey (who is the Family Pastor at the church I attended in Virginia Beach) told my wife and I when we were on the praise team there was that as a member of the praise team, it was important to present a good model of how to worship. The main part of that is not so much singing great or even holding your hand up to appear worshipful, but preparing your heart and spirit for worship so that the Father is glorified when you come to Him in worship. Listening to the above music helps me to worship and helps to bring me to an attitude of being worshipful to God.

There have been those who have said, what you put in is what you will get out, whether it be books, music, TV, movies--I would challenge you to get music (or even listen to sermons) that encourages you to worship and puts you in an attitude of worship towards your heavenly Father. I mean, I love listening to Harry Connick, Jr. when I feel like listening to swing music; Miles Davis when I want to chill out; John Mayer when I want to jam and turn it up while driving. But does this music encourage me to worship? None of this music is necessarily wrong in itself, but does it encourage me to draw closer to the Father with prayers and supplications, to call on Christ as my High Priest and mediator before the throne? Does it prepare me for the Sunday morning gathering--or does it make it feel like any other day? On close examination we would all feel shameful of how little of our whole day we devote to worship, prayer and reading the Word (I know I do!).

Our minds are always taking in information and influences--what is yours taking in? Does it move you toward more worship of the Father and His Son, leave you in the same place or move you further away?

Worship the Father today in all His splendor and grace!