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Using the Bible Biblically to Parent Biblically

Written on July 16, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

Today’s guest blog comes from my good friend Mark Tubbs. Mark has taken upon himself much of the day-to-day work associated with Discerning Reader and for that I am deeply indebeted to him. Today he writes about marriage and parenting.

*****

Back in May, my wife and I attended an incredibly challenging and inspiring Paul David Tripp conference on marriage, entitled What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage (there is a excellent Crossway book of the same name). I learned so much about parenting.

Did I say parenting? Yes; I took away manifold parenting insights from this marriage conference. That’s not to say that I didn’t imbibe any marriage insights; I certainly did. I was chastened up and down regarding all the ways I superimpose my failings onto my wife. I was humbled to learn that the secret to our long and successful marriage is that we share a deep and abiding love for me (HT Jess MacCallum for that phrase).

It’s no secret that the Bible speaks to parenting, but it may be a surprise to you just how often it does so indirectly. At his conference, Tripp stated, “The Bible isn’t arranged by topic. If you go only to the “marriage” passages, you miss most of what the Bible says about marriage.” In his book, he elaborates in a section entitled “Using the Bible Biblically”:

Part of the problem is the way we use Scripture. We mistakenly treat the Bible as if it is arranged by topic – you know, the world’s best compendium of human problems and divine solutions. So when we’re thinking about marriage, we run to all the marriage passages. But the Bible isn’t an encyclopedia; it is a story, the great origin-to-destiny story of redemption. In fact, it is more than a story. It is a theologically annotated story. It is a story with God’s notes. This means that we cannot understand what the Bible has to say about marriage by looking at only the marriage passages, because there is a vast amount of biblical information about marriage not found in the marriage passages.

In fact, we could argue that to the degree that every portion of the Bible tells us things about God, about ourselves, about life in this present world, and about the nature of the human struggle and the divine solution, to that degree every passage in the Bible is a marriage passage. Every passage imparts to us insight that is vital for a proper understanding of the passages that directly address marriage, and every passage tells us what we should expect as we deal with the comprehensive relationship of marriage.

Ditto with parenting. Perhaps more so with parenting, since each addition of another person to your family multiples the number of social interactions occurring within the family grouping. Tensions, conflicts, and differences are therefore more prevalent than if it were just the two of you coasting blissfully (as if) through married life. If you are anything like my wife and I, you often feel that Sin Personified is having a heyday within your God-given family unit. Where’s the grace?

Grace in all its beauty is found where sin is displayed in all its ugliness, when – and only when – the gospel is being momentarily and actively applied to parenting and the Bible is being used biblically. To lift yet another example from Tripp: if my children wake in the wee hours, start to fight, and I respond by stomping down the hall toward their bedroom with the mantra “inconvenience, inconvenience, inconvenience” running through my head, I am reacting sinfully to their sin. Of course, it’s a fact of life that sinners tend to respond sinfully to being sinned against. “But,” as the Apostle John reminds us in his first epistle, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1) That doesn’t only go for the one who is sinning, but for the one faced with addressing the sin. As C.J. Mahaney often says, there is never a moment in which I don’t need a Mediator. Later John goes on to say, “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (I John 2:5). As I am traversing the corridor in the wee hours, abiding in the grace of God means my heart is softening toward my children with every step and I am choosing to view the situation as an “opportunity, opportunity, opportunity” to extend the grace of God through kindness and correction. For ultimately even the corridors and bedrooms of my own house are not my own – they are part of the kingdom of God. And in that kingdom, grace flows in all directions at all times.

To the degree that you use the Bible biblically in your parenting, the grace of the gospel of Christ will be evident to your children, operating as a “trysting place,” in Martin Luther’s words, of personal encounter between your children and your God.

*****

Mark Tubbs moonlights as a book reviewer for DiscerningReader.com and is a worship leader, care group leader, and occasional preacher at White Rock Baptist Church, near Vancouver, British Columbia. Otherwise he can be found doing his day job as a Bible college registrar. He lives with his wife Cheri and three children – Kenny, Lydia and Leo – with one more on the way, and is currently pursuing an M.Div.

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9 Minutes with Frank Turk

Written on July 15, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

Today’s guest blogger is Frank Turk, he of Pyromaniancs fame. He shares what was meant to be a recorded conference message but has instead been relegated (reduced?) to a blog post.

*****

Some of the massive throng of readers for this blog may know that I was nominated to speak at “theNines” this year — which is an on-line event where the speakers record 9 minutes of advice for people in ministry, and the event itself is free of change. Turns out that I have also been selected. Only the rules changed this year: instead of 9 minutes, we only get 6, and the topic has itself also changed significantly. Until there’s a public announcement about that, I’ll leave that to the chaps at Leadership Network and Catalyst to disambiguate the situation.

BUT: the changes leave me with a 9-minute talk that I drafted and now cannot use — until Tim e-mailed me yesterday and asked for a submission to help him keep his blog running for a couple of days while he’s away from his desk. So for all of you, here’s what I would have said if nothing else had changed:

First of all, to sort of throw a rock at my normal constituents, I want to strongly recommend Rick Warren’s video from last year about what the purpose of the local church is. That’s a great nine minutes on what the local church ought to be, and you should go back to the archives to watch that one again and again because he’s right.

There’s another side to what Pastor Warren said in that video, and I wanted to make that the focus of my brief time here: it’s the topic of “bigness”. See: a subtext of Pastor Warren’s talk is that a ministry is not really fruitful unless it’s big – because really: only a big church with big resources can do what Saddleback does on paper and in fact in the real world. You can’t send thousands of missionaries and planters unless you have tens of thousands supporting them – or at least as a base from which to draw all those people.

And I think we have to ask: is that exactly what we’re supposed to be doing? Should we be trying to be as big as possible so we can turn out people in droves to missions and church planting?

Now: here’s the wrong answer. The wrong answer is, “house church is NT church, and everything bigger than a couple dozen is a bloated American drive-thru theology that is both unbiblical and unsavory.” That’s just simply wrong. The first church in the NT had 3000 members after the first day. The churches Paul planted usually met with trouble because they were large enough in ancient Mediterranean cities to cause economic and social changes by changing the way they lived. Big is clearly not bad, or unbiblical.

But in the context of North America, we have a problem the ancient church did not: we are experts at business process, and we are lean thinkers from the top down. We believe that mass production is a brilliant organizational and systematic approach, and we think that we should be able to do more with less – so for example, we think that one guy should be able to run an organization which takes in $5 million a year with relative ease, he should be highly compensated, and he should have an executive staff who runs things for him so he can be the vision guy. We can even cite the book of Acts where the Apostles say they refuse to wait tables for the sake of being the messengers of God’s word — to sanctify our own belief that some kind of executive pyramid is best for the church, and we can achieve more with less, and we can move from good to great – with absolutely no offense or criticism meant by me toward Jim Collins.

The problem is this: we are not marketing a product. We are not making widgets. Seriously: we are not really asking people to make some kind of commercial transaction where they give something and the church or God gives them something back. What we have is a situation in which everyone we want to tell about this Jesus who was crucified thinks they have much to give God – including advice about how to run and fix the world – when in fact we ought to point to the fact that they have nothing to give God, and that is their main problem. What we are here to put in the marketplace, as Paul did in Athens, is a declaration that for all our wealth and culture and religion, we are all now being told by God through Jesus Christ that we have no excuse of ignorance, and that when God comes to judge it will not be enough to say that we offered sacrifices and very solemn and earnest reflection to an unknown god.

We are not marketing a product with benefits which people can buy and therefore use as they please.

If we are the church, and we are concerned about the Gospel, we are telling people that the only hope they have is in disgrace. See: the only thing we have is a man who came and chastised the religious people – the liberals and the conservatives – for thinking they were safe, and for making God someone who owes them something. He said they were leading people not to the gates of heaven but to programs, and activities, and things they called discipleship – but he said this made those people twice as much a child of hell, and they have the gates of Heaven shut in their faces.

And this man chastised his believers for following him around, wanting him to feed and clothe them, and give them a high place in his revolutionary kingdom. And this man was put to death for his trouble, condemned, and disgraced.

The ones who condemned him had big churches, and they wanted a God who liked and in fact wanted big churches. And this guy – the guy we have to offer the world – told them that their big churches were useless, and that in fact he would leave them desolate - empty.

So there’s a tension in Scripture you ought to think about: God has called many people, and is glorified when people are saved by Him in large numbers. But maybe it’s a burden on those of us who want to lead God’s people, and to lead them well, to think about whether God has called us to move from Good to Great and market a product which will draw a crowd, or whether God has in fact called us to declare something which is the opposite of success, and the opposite of human excellence, for the sake of making people glad to be named the scum of the earth for the sake of Christ.

When the 3000 believed and were baptized on that first day of the church, they didn’t then form a mission statement, and then create an org chart, and then set up ministry zones or whatever: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need, And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

That’s the definition of “big church”, y’all. Somehow we should have the teachings of the Apostles in the first place, and it should cause us to be people who want to be in the fellowship of others whom God has saved. It should make us generous, and selfless, as if we were people with nothing to lose – we should be convinced that neither death nor life, not angels or devils, not things present or things to come, not politics or criminals, not any height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, including the things we make for ourselves, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Think about your ministry. Does it lift Christ up so that people want to give up something rather than gain something? We cannot build big churches when they are composed of people with small, unsaved hearts. Is being bigger and greater going to cause your church to be more like the church in Acts 2 – or more like something you can buy from an infomercial that comes with 6 DVDs and a workbook?

Think about that – because the last thing you want when you see Jesus is for him to tell your house is desolate. Who wants their life’s work to look like a cathedral on the outside, but in the end it gets burned up like a house made of straw and sticks?

Let me challenge you, folks, to make churches that are big churches – but not big as the world measures it, as if Jesus came to die so you could be a life coach, or have a famous podcast. Make your church big on Jesus’ death for sin, and big on mortifying our human accomplishments, and big on giving this message and everything else it takes in order that many people will be saved, and many people will hear Jesus say to them, “well done, you good and faithful servant”.

Be that big. Pray about that, and be in the Lord’s house with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day. Grace and peace to you. Amen.

*****

Frank Turk is a guy with a blog who has really amazing friends. He blogs with Phil Johnson and Dan Phillips (and Pecadillo) at teampyro.blogspot.com, and with the army of multi-spectrum evangelicals at firstthings.com’s Evangel, and at his own personal blog which you can find at iturk.com.

Frank works full time in the renewable energy sector, has a wife and kids, and loves his local church.

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Mercy for the Impetuous

Written on July 10, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

Today’s guest blog comes courtesy of Chris Larson. Chris is responsible for the outreach and operations of Ligonier Ministries. And, as it happens, he is also a friend. Chris was kind enough to provide an article dealing with mercy.

*****

Peter didn’t just blow it, he blew it badly. “Though they all fall away…I will never fall away” (Matt. 26:33). Peter’s resolution we admire for its confidence and bravery. But it is a statement relying on one’s own strength and it is doomed for shipwreck. A few hours go by and we find him alone and weeping (v. 75).

We can relate, can’t we? We’ve made promise after promise to the Lord, resolution after resolution, only to come to the end of ourselves. The sinking feeling churns in our stomach, our earlier words of bold resolve pour like fuel on the fire of guilt and self-condemnation.

Godly sorrow doesn’t remove the sting of sin’s consequence. Falling short of the glory of God every day in word, thought, and deed is the norm, not the exception (Rom. 3:23). We may be surprised when we blow it, but our sins do not surprise the omniscient, holy God.

So often we want to hide from the Lord when we sin. Yet after Peter’s very public failure, he doesn’t hide. He waits. Notice what Peter did when he heard it was Jesus on the beach. His exuberance leaps off the pages of the Bible when we read how he throws himself into the water and swims to shore (John 21:7).

Peter’s interaction with Jesus instructs us on biblical restoration. It was Jesus who restored Peter. It was Jesus who knew He would bring Peter back to a place of useful service (Luke 22:31-32). In fact, Jesus knew Peter’s journey through this dark path would only bring greater fruit as he ministered to those around him. The remarkable trials the first-century church faced required humble, God-dependent leaders who knew their strength rested not within themselves. “God is more willing to pardon than to punish. Mercy does more multiply in Him than sin in us. Mercy is His nature” (Thomas Watson, All Things for Good).

The impetuous disciple resolved to be faithful, but his stumbling has served Christians for millennia who have looked at that event in Peter’s life and found the comfort coming from a God of mercy. The Lord overrules our frailty, restores the fallen, and grows His church.

*****

Chris Larson is executive vice president of Ligonier Ministries. He oversees the outreach and operations of the ministry. He lives in Lake Mary, Florida, with his wife, Jennifer, and their four children, whom he has the pleasure to teach the things of God and the essential facts about the Atlanta Braves.

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Reading Classics Together: The Bruised Reed (Final)

Written on June 10, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

And just like that we’ve come to the end of another classic. Looking back on The Bruised Reed I feel like I got the most benefit from the beginning and the end, which likely means that I allowed my attention to drift somewhere around the middle of the book. There is value in reading a book in this kind of weekly format, and yet it is also a little artificial. Those week-long gaps draw out the reading experience in such a way that it is easy to lose some of the flow of the book.

Nevertheless, The Bruised Reed has proven in my mind that its status as a classic is well-earned. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Summary

Sibbes wraps up the book which a chapter titled “Through Conflict to Victory” and in his parting words he wants the Christian to know that all of God’s work and all of his progress in the world will necessarily be opposed. And yet he wants the Christian to know and trust that in the end Christ will have the victory. Here is how he describes the battles necessary to bring Christ into the heart:

It takes much trouble to bring Christ into the heart, and to set up a tribunal for him to judge there. There is an army of lusts in mutiny against him. The utmost strength of most men’s endeavors and abilities is directed to keeping Christ from ruling in the soul. The flesh still labors to maintain its own government, and therefore it cries down the credit of whatever crosses it, such as God’s blessed ordinances, and highly prizes anything, though never so dead and empty, if it allows the liberty of the flesh.

He offers three reasons that Christ’s government is opposed. First, because it is a government “and that limits the course of the will and casts a bridle on its wanderings.” The heart resists any kind of authority. Second, because it is a spiritual government. “Christ’s government brings the very thoughts and desires, which are the most immediate and free issue of the soul, into obedience.” And third, because it involves judgment “and men do not like to be judged and censured. Now Christ, in his truth, arraigns them, gives sentence against them, and binds them over to the latter judgment of the great day, and therefore they take upon them to judge that truth which must judge them. But truth will be too strong for them.”

He also teaches that we must expect opposition in all spiritual endeavors. Here he speaks of the kind of heart that would reject such wise and good government: “Thus the desperate madness of men is laid open, that they would rather be under the guidance of their own lusts, and in consequence of Satan himself, to their endless destruction, than put their feet into Christ’s fetters and their necks under his yoke; though, indeed, Christ’s service is the only true liberty. His yoke is an easy yoke, his burden but as the burden of wings to a bird which make her fly the higher.” He provides one of his great, short, punchy quotes: “Those that take the most liberty to sin are the greatest slaves, because [they are] the most voluntary slaves.”

Yet though the Christian must expect opposition, his victory in Christ is certain. Here is how he tells us to throw ourselves upon the Lord’s mercy:

A good opinion of the physician, we say, is half the cure. Let us make use of this mercy and power of his every day in our daily combats: ‘Lord Jesus, thou hast promised not to quench the smoking flax, nor to break the bruised reed. Cherish thy grace in me; leave me not to myself; the glory shall be thine.’ Let us not allow Satan to transform Christ to us, to make him other than he is to those that are his. Christ will not leave us till he has made us like himself, all glorious within and without, and presented us blameless before his Father (Jude 24).

We have no reason to fear Satan, for his power is as nothing before God. “Oh, what a confusion is this to Satan, that he should labour to blow out a poor spark and yet should not be able to quench it; that a grain of mustard seed should be stronger than the gates of hell; that it should be able to remove mountains of oppositions and temptations cast up by Satan and our rebellious hearts between God and us.”

Among Sibbes’ final encouragements is that we are to treasure even the least spark of grace. Wherever and whenever we see the Lord doing his work, wherever we see even the least evidence of his grace, we are to rejoice; we are to treasure it. “See a flame in a spark, a tree in a seed. See great things in little beginnings. Look not so much to the beginning as to the perfection, and so we shall be, in some degree, joyful in ourselves, and thankful to Christ.”

Those are good words. Far too often I am prone to see what is lacking rather than what is there. Sibbes has taught me to treasure even the least spark, to treasure that smoking flax, and to see even there and perhaps especially there the work of God.

Your Turn

The purpose of this program is to read classics together. So if there are things that stood out to you in this chapter, if there are questions you had, this is the time and place to have your say. Feel free to post a comment below or to link to your blog if you’ve chosen to write about this on your own site.

The Next Classic

I will announce the next book very soon. I think we may try something a little bit different next time around, so stay tuned…

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The Dim Mirror

Written on May 31, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

Have you ever considered what it must have been like for Adam and Eve to walk and talk with God in the Garden of Eden? Have you thought of the things you might say to God if you were to hear his footsteps today? What Christian hasn’t experienced a pang of jealousy when he reads “they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” And what Christian hasn’t experienced a little pang of remorse when he reads how Adam and Eve squandered that unique privilege. There was God, walking in the garden as he had done before. Adam and Eve recognized the sound of his footsteps, for they knew their God. But this time, instead of rushing to him and rejoicing in his presence, they fled and they hid themselves. They had sinned and they knew that there were consequences for such tyranny. For the first time they feared their Maker.

Ever since this fall into sin, the history of God’s people has been a history of mediation. Mediation is a concept we encounter quite often today. We hear of sports contracts being settled by mediation; we hear of lawyers becoming involved in mediation between divorcing couples; we hear of strikes being settled by a mediator who stands between the workers and the corporation and handles communications between them. These ideas all hint at mediation as we understand it from the Bible. In rejecting God’s goodness and benevolence and in putting himself in place of God, Adam erected a barrier between himself and God. The close communion that had once existed was ruptured and destroyed. No longer would God come walking to them in the cool of the day; no longer would he allow them to stay in his Garden. He forced them out and barred the way so they could not return. The very next passage of Scripture relates humanity’s first murder. History had taken a drastic, horrifying turn for the worse. The direct lines of communication were shattered.

From that time, God no longer allowed people to commune with him in the same way. From that point on, man could no longer approach God as they had in the Garden. They had to approach God through a mediator. When we think of mediators we may think first of Moses, a man to whom God revealed himself and a man whose task it was to then make the will of God known to the Israelites. After Moses was Joshua, and after Joshua were judges and prophets. There were priests to stand between God and man, offering to God sacrifices on behalf of the people and bestowing God’s blessings and curses on his behalf. Always there were mediators, always there were people standing between God and man. Always people must have realized their inability to approach God as they were. Always they must have wondered, “how can we approach God directly?”

There are some words whose meaning we understand without difficulty and some that seem to require a little more work. When we think of the word immature we understand that the prefix -im is equivalent to -un or not. A person who is immature is a person who is not mature—he displays a lack of maturity. But a similar word, immediate does not often strike us in the same way. If we break off the prefix it begins to make sense. Im-mediate harkens back to an older and perhaps less common understanding of that word. The American Heritage Dictionary defines immediate as “acting or occurring without the interposition of another agency or object; direct.” Immediate indicates access that does not require mediation. It is immediate access to God that we so wish to have, but that we cannot have.

Since man’s fall into sin, we have longed to be able to approach God directly. And well we should, for God made us to enjoy this unbroken communion with him. We were made in the image of God and were made to know God. We long to enjoy an unmediated relationship. But even today, even in this New Testament era, we still rely on mediated revelation. God has been gracious in giving us his Word and his Spirit to communicate truth to us. But even this is mediated truth, truth mediated through the Spirit.

God sent a better mediator in Jesus Christ—a mediator that was better than Moses and better than the priesthood, judges and prophets. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant.

Jonathan Edwards says this about this great mediator:

The redeemed are dependent on God for all. All that we have—wisdom, the pardon of sin, deliverance, acceptance in God’s favor, grace, holiness, true comfort and happiness, eternal life and glory—we have from God by a Mediator; and this Mediator is God. God not only gives us the Mediator, and accepts His mediation, and of His power and grace bestows the things purchased by the Mediator, but He is the Mediator. Our blessings are what we have by purchase; and the purchase is made of God; the blessings are purchased of Him; and not only so, but God is the purchaser. Yes, God is both the purchaser and the price; for Christ, who is God, purchased these blessings by offering Himself as the price of our salvation.

We rejoice that God has accepted the mediation of his Son. We rejoice that we can approach the throne of God. But still we realize that there is a mediator. To speak to the Father, we speak through the Son. To hear from the Father, we rely on the Spirit. Still we need someone to stand between. Still we long for the im-mediate. We long to see God as he is. We long to approach him directly. We long to have the relationship fully and finally restored. We look in that dim mirror, always wishing we might see face-to-face.

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Why Memorize Scripture?

Written on May 23, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

A friend recently sent me an old article from John Piper entitled “Why Memorize Scripture?” Memorizing passages of the Bible is something I’ve developed more of an interest in over the past couple of years and, to my surprise, I’ve found that I’m actually able to do it–even to memorize extended sections if I am willing to put in the effort (not always a sure bet).

Piper offers a list of reasons why we should memorize Scripture. They are:

Conformity to Christ – Bible memorization has the effect of making our gaze on Jesus steadier and clearer.
Daily Triumph over Sin – As sin lures the body into sinful action, we call to mind a Christ-revealing word of Scripture and slay the temptation with the superior worth and beauty of Christ over what sin offers.
Daily Triumph over Satan – When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness he recited Scripture from memory and put Satan to flight.
Comfort and Counsel for People You Love – When the heart full of God’s love can draw on the mind full of God’s word, timely blessings flow from the mouth.
Communicating the Gospel to Unbelievers – Actual verses of the Bible have their own penetrating power. And when they come from our heart, as well as from the Book, the witness is given that they are precious enough to learn.
Communion with God in the Enjoyment of His Person and Ways – The way we commune with (that is, fellowship with) God is by meditating on his attributes and expressing to him our thanks and admiration and love, and seeking his help to live a life that reflects the value of these attributes.

These are six really good reasons. On the flip side, I suspect that the primary reason most of us do not commit more Scripture to memory is simply the difficulty involved. It is a difficult and time-consuming process to take those words and force them into our minds.

So how about you? Is Scripture memorization a part of your routine? Is it something you do as a regular part of your devotion to the Lord?

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Reading Classics Together: The Bruised Reed (VI)

Written on May 20, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

It’s Thursday again, which means we’re continuing our reading through The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes. We are quickly drawing near to the end of this book–something that happens quickly when reading two chapters at a time. Another two or three weeks and we will be finished.

Summary

For some reason I found both of this week’s chapters more difficult than the ones that had come before. Somehow they seemed just a little bit less clear in their purpose. I’m guessing the fault is with me more than with Sibbes. Nevertheless, I did find it quite tough to orient myself.

In the first chapter Sibbes writes about people who offend Christ by in some way thinking little of his mercy. So he points to those who have a false despair of Christ’s mercy, those who have a false hope of his mercy, those who resist Christ’s mercy, those who presume upon that mercy, those who seek another source of mercy, those who mistreat the heirs of mercy, those who cause strife among the heirs of mercy, those who take advantage of the bruised and, finally, those who despise Christ’s simple means of mercy.

In the explanation of those who resist Christ’s mercy, this brief passage stood out to me: “There are those who take it on themselves to cast water on those sparks which Christ labors to kindle in them, because they will not be troubled with the light of them. Such must know that the Lamb can be angry, and that they who will not come under his scepter of mercy shall be crushed in pieces by his scepter of power.” And in Sibbes’ discussion of presuming upon Christ’s mercy, these words seemed particularly noteworthy: “Let us remember that grace is increased, in the exercise of it, not by virtue of the exercise itself, but as Christ by his Spirit flows into the soul and brings us nearer to himself, the fountain, so installing such comfort that the heart is further enlarged.”

And, as another one of Sibbes’ great little quotes, I had to highlight this: “The lower Christ comes down to us, the higher let us lift him up in our hearts.”

Chapter 11 looks to “Christ’s Judgment and Victory” and, as such, is the beginning of the end–the beginning of Sibbes’ look at the last part of the text which says that Christ will bring forth “judgment unto victory.” Sibbes says that the judgment the text speaks of is “the kingdom of grace in us, that government whereby Christ sets up a throne in our hearts.” “The meaning then is that the gracious frame of holiness set up in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ shall go forward until all contrary power is subdued.” He simply begins to explain the text, speaking of Christ’s mildness and his government, showing that pardon must always lead to obedience (“Only those that will take his yoke and count it a greater happiness to be under his government than to enjoy any liberty of the flesh.”) and explaining that justification leads to santification (“He is our Sanctifier as well as our Saviour, our Saviour as well by the effectual power of his Spirit from the power of sin as by the merit of his death from the guilt thereof.”).

I am hoping that some of you who read this will have brilliant things to say about it because, frankly, I feel like I’ve got little to say that would be of any real value!

Next Week

For next Thursday please read chapters 12 and 13.

Your Turn

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Quick Look: New From Crossway

Written on May 17, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

Quick Look posts are paid submissions offering only a brief overview of books or other resources. Vote in the poll below if you think any of these titles are worthy of a full-length book review!

What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage

What Did You Expect Marriage, according to Scripture, will always involve two flawed people living with each other in a fallen world. Yet, in pastor Paul Tripp’s professional experience, the majority of couples enter marriage with unrealistic expectations, leaving them unprepared for the day-to-day realities of married life.

This unique book introduces a biblical and practical approach to those realities that is rooted in God’s faithfulness and Scripture’s teaching on sin and grace. “Spouses need to be reconciled to each other and to God on a daily basis,” Tripp declares. “Since we’re always sinners married to sinners, reconciliation isn’t just the right response in moments of failure. It must be the lifestyle of any healthy marriage.”

What Did You Expect? presents six practical commitments that give shape and momentum to such a lifestyle. These commitments will equip couples to develop a thriving, grace-based marriage in all circumstances and seasons of their relationship.

Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels

God’s compassion and pardon are utterly shocking in their lavish abundance–that’s a lesson God himself pounded into the epic life-story of one man who kept resisting in whatever way he could. Surprised by Grace retells that man’s true story–in a gripping presentation that will open readers’ eyes wider than ever to God’s relentless, purposeful, and inexhaustible grace.

The man’s name isn’t new to anyone. It’s Jonah, the famous Old Testament prophet. This fresh unfolding of his story seeks to recapture the staggering effect it had on those who first encountered it so many centuries ago–the same shock effect that’s desperately needed today among those who think they know God’s heart far better than they really do.

In a powerful journey through unforgettable events and imagery, Surprised by Grace reveals how relentlessly God pursues rebels (a category that ultimately includes everyone), though he has every right and plenty of reasons to give up on us all.

Rescuing Ambition

Rescuing Ambition Many think of ambition as nothing more than the drive for personal honor or fame. As a result, ambition–the God-implanted drive to improve, produce, develop, and create–is neglected and well on its way to paralysis.

For some, dreams are numbed. For others, there are no dreams; life just happens. And for those who are dreaming, motives are often confused. One thing is certain: ambition needs help.

Dave Harvey is calling for a rescue. He wants to snatch ambition from the heap of failed motivations and put it to work for the glory of God. To understand our ambition, we must understand that we are on a quest for glory. And where we find glory determines the success of our quest.

Has your God-given ambition been starved and sedated for too long? Are you ambitious? It’s time to reach further and dream bigger for the glory of God.

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe

Doctrine is the word Christians use to define the truth-claims revealed in Holy Scripture. Of course there is a multitude of churches, church networks, and denominations, each with their own doctrinal statement with many points of disagreement. But while Christians disagree on a number of doctrines, there are key elements that cannot be denied by anyone claiming to be a follower of Jesus.

In Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe, Driscoll and Breshears teach thirteen of these key elements. This meaty yet readable overview of basic doctrine will help Christians clarify and articulate their beliefs in accordance with the Bible.

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Ordination

Written on May 16, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

Today at my church home of Grace Fellowship Church I was ordained as an elder/pastor (we make no distinction real between the two). I share this with you because, well, because I’ve shared so much of my life with you and this is quite a significant event. Our pastor preached from Titus 2:15: “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” (If you’d like to hear the sermon, you can do so here)

Here are the notes my son took:

Dad = Titus

Dad Needs To:

Speak the gospel to God’s people

Make people remember God

Preach the gospel to the pastors

Preach the gospel to mom

Preach the gospel to me and my sisters

Be a model in his life

Rebuke people if they do wrong

Have patience and love

I suppose that summarizes a good bit of the message we heard this morning. I found it very challenging and more than a little intimidating. But such is the ministry of caring for God’s people and accepting a special responsibility for their spiritual well-being. I’m grateful to my church, and deeply humbled, that they would call me to this task.

Here is the call to ministry from the church and the promise I then made:

Having repented of sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ;

Having been baptized by immersion in water and made a member of this local church;

Having faithfully served for many years in many capacities;

Having prayed and studied and read and grown in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus;

And having aspired to the office of elder and having been approved and affirmed to that office after careful examination by all the elders and members of Grace Fellowship Church;

Will you now promise, Tim:

Hebrews 13:7

to lead a life worthy of emulation

Hebrews 13:17

to joyfully watch over the souls of this flock as one who will give an accounting for each of them to God

James 3:1

to always preach with the Day of God’s Strict Judgment for Teachers in mind

James 5:13

to pray believingly for the sick

1 Peter 5:1

to shepherd God’s flock allotted to you willingly, eagerly, seeking to model first what you ask of them

Acts 20: 17

to serve the Lord with both joy and tears

to resist every temptation to shrink back from declaring the whole Gospel (whether in the privacy of someone’s home or the public square)

to preach repentance and faith in Christ alone

to willingly accept suffering, should God call you there

to value the calling and Gospel of Jesus Christ above your own life

to guard the church as the blood-bought possession of Jesus Christ, and thus to care for her as His most valuable possession

to stay alert at your post, even willing to rebuke fellow elders who preach or teach any doctrine not found in God’s Word

to live as if, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

1 Corinthians 14:29

to carefully weigh the words of the preached Word

2 Corinthians 11-12

to willingly suffer for Jesus’ sake hardship, physical torture, betrayal, inconvenience, exposure, disappointment, persecution, sovereign weakenings, calamities, and daily pressures of concern for the church

1 Timothy 4:6

to value the Word of God over an argument won

to train yourself for godliness

to labour and strive with persistence in the work of your ministry more than any before you, giving God all the glory for any success

to address men’s lives as well as minds; calling others to follow your personal growth in godliness and sanctification

to keep close watch on your life and your doctrine

1 Timothy 6

to purse righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

to never quit, give up, swerve from or slack off in your effort to fulfill your ministry

to despise the allure of riches in this world and live for the eternal wealth of Christ’s presence in heaven

to guard the sacred deposit entrusted to your care

Titus 2

to teach the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that old men, old women, young men, young women, and children will understand how to adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ with good works

to value Jesus above your wife, your children, your church, your ministry, your knowledge, your self, and anything else in this world

to speak to God’s people with gentle authority

to be zealous for good works

2 Timothy

to not be ashamed of the Gospel or the Saviour, regardless of the audience

to flee youthful sins and run toward being a man who handles the Word of Truth accurately

to correct with gentleness, not quarrelsomeness

to preach the Word of God; in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with complete patience and teaching

to entrust your soul to the Faithful Creator no matter the blessing, the trial or persecution

If, in the sight of God and these witnesses you do now set your heart to make this pledge, promising that when you fail you will seek both forgiveness and restoration as soon as is possible, then I call upon you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom to answer, “I do.”

Tim, because we believe

the Holy Spirit has gifted you to this ministry

and made you a gift to this church

and trust that we have not acted in haste, but in prayerful dependence on Christ

Therefore, it is our joy as the council of elders of this local church to lay hands on you and call upon God Himself to seal to you this ministry for your life and His glory.

Amen.

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Reading Classics Together: The Bruised Reed (III)

Written on April 29, 2010 by Tim in Uncategorized

This morning we come to our third reading in Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed. Though we’re still early in the book, already I’m seeing so much evidence as to why Sibbes was known as a physician of the soul or, to use the title given to him in his day, “The Heavenly Doctor Sibbes.” I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book that is more comforting, more pastoral in its tone. Sibbes has an amazing ability to bring comfort and hope through carefully crafted words.

Summary

Our reading this week included two chapters, the first of which is titled “Christ Will Not Quench the Smoking Flax.” Here he speaks more of the term “the smoking flax” by which he refers to that spark of faith that exists in those who have been newly saved. He assures the reader that Christ will never extinguish such beginnings of faith for two reasons: “First, because this spark is from heaven: it is his own, it is kindled by his own Spirit. And secondly, it tends to the glory of his powerful grace in his children that he preserves light in the midst of darkness, a spark in the midst of the swelling waters of corruption.”

He writes about how even the least spark of grace is precious in the eyes of God and, therefore, ought to be precious to us as well. “Man for a little smoke will quench the light. Christ, we see, ever cherishes even the least beginnings.” He encourages us to follow Christ’s example saying “How careful was our blessed Saviour of little ones, that they might not be offended! How he defends his disciples from malicious imputations of the Pharisees! How careful not to put new wine into old vessels (Matt. 9:17), not to alienate new beginners with the austerities of religion (as some do indiscreetly).” He warns “It is not the best way, to assail young beginners with minor matters, but to show them a more excellent way and train them in fundamental points. Then other things will not gain credence with them.”

Continuing to encourage Christians to be tender with other believers, and especially these “smoking flax” believers, he says “It is no great matter how dull the scholar be when Christ takes upon him to be the teacher, who, as he prescribes what to understand, so he gives understanding itself, even to the simplest.”

Chapter 5 is titled “The Spirit of Mercy Should Move Us” and here he offers warnings particularly to preachers that they minister in simplicity and humility. He begins by saying “Preachers need to take heed therefore how they deal with young believers. Let them be careful not to pitch matters too high, making things necessary evidences of grace which agree not to the experience of many a good Christian, and laying salvation and damnation upon things that are not fit to bear so great a weight.” That sounds for all the world like a warning against fundamentalism! He warns as well that preachers need to speak at the level of the listener, not clouding their words in language that cannot be readily understood. “Preachers should take heed likewise that they hide not their meaning in dark speeches, speaking in the clouds. Truth fears nothing so much as concealment, and desires nothing so much as clearly to be laid open to the view of all. When it is most unadorned, it is most lovely and powerful.”

Looking to the contemporary context Sibbes says “If we look to the general temper of these times, rousing and waking Scriptures are fittest; yet there are many broken spirits who need soft and comforting words. Even in the worst time the prophets mingled sweet comfort for the hidden remnant of faithful people. God has comfort. The prophet is told, ‘Comfort ye my people’ (Isa. 40:1), as well as, ‘Lift up thy voice as a trumpet’ (Isa. 58:1).” After calling for sound judgment he speaks of how those in positions of authority should act, warning that authorities may be liable to abuse authority. He warns “not to mingle bitterness and passion with authority derived from God. Authority is a beam of God’s majesty, and prevails most where there is least mixture of that which is man’s. It requires more than ordinary wisdom to manage it aright.”

He wraps up by saying that we are all debtors to the weak and offers several ways in which this is true. At one point he says “The Holy Ghost is content to dwell in smoky, offensive souls. Oh, that that Spirit would breathe into our spirits the same merciful disposition!” And he shows that the church is exactly the place we would expect to find those who are imperfect and offensive. “We must supply out of our love and mercy that which we see wanting in them. The church of Christ is a common hospital, wherein all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other, so all have occasion to exercise the spirit of wisdom and meekness.”

As is always the case with Puritan writers, Sibbes offers all kinds of pithy and powerful quotes. Here are just a few of these–the kind of quotes that ought to be filed away in some kind of a quote database:

“It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none.”

“The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.”

“The weakest are most ready to think themselves despised; therefore we should be most careful to give them satisfaction.”

“That great physician, as he had a quick eye and a healing tongue, so had he a gentle hand, and a tender heart.”

Next Week

For next Thursday please read chapters 6 and 7.

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