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Category: pastoral theology

Published on Leave a comment on Corrupted by deceitful desires

Some questions to ask of Ephesians 4:22-24 (and context) - preferably with a friend, preferably with some personal struggles in mind:

22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

What are the desires of your old self?  List them in as much detail as possible.

How are they deceiving?  What do they promise?  Why is that attractive?  How is it a lie?

How are they corrupting?  How are they affecting you?  Describe their ugliness to the Lord and others.

Spend some time feeling the power of these desires, lies and corruptions.  Realize that you cannot redeem yourself.

Now consider - what has happened to this old self?  (cf Rom 6:6)

Meditate on this: Christ loves and redeems not your new self but your old self - in all its lusts, lies and ugliness.

Meditate too on the oldness of this former self - crucified with Christ.

Describe the new self.

Are you the one to 'create' this new self?  Where does it come from?

How is the Lord making you new in the attitude of your minds?

How is this new thinking different to your old thinking (v17-19)

In what ways can you meditate on this new 'truth in Jesus' (v21)?

Come up with opposing statements to counter the desires and promises of the old self.

 

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Published on Leave a comment on Bible by the bys #2 – Walking in groups

 

 And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.  And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing Him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for Him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for Him.  (Luke 2:42-45)

Seems like it took Mary and Joseph 24 hours to figure out their 12 year old was not with them.  They were content for Jesus to be in among their 'relatives and acquaintances'.  And even as meal times rolled around, they didn't worry that Jesus wasn't to be seen.  They assumed that their extended family was doing its job.

Interesting assumptions about child rearing and family huh?

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Published on Leave a comment on We don’t need better preaching…

preacherWe don't need better preaching, we need a better gospel.

Yes I'm being provocative and hyperbolous.  Let me remind you that this is a blog.

What I mean is this: there's a lot of focus on becoming better preachers.  The real need is to preach a better gospel. 

These thoughts were prompted by a Spurgeon comment as quoted by CJ Mahaney at T4G 2008:

"Whitefield and Wesley might preach the gospel better but they cannot preach a better gospel."

Spurgeon's point is that the power is in the gospel, not the preacher.  Amen.  But if the gospel preached aint the gospel, then we need a better one.

'Better gospel?' you ask - how can you improve on the good news?

Well you can't improve on the biblical gospel.  But you can darned well improve on the gospel preached by some.  Here's a false one I hear around the traps (there are others, but this is the devil I know best): 

'God is power.  We must submit.  Since we don't, God has a plan B.  It's a wonderfully clever mechanism called penal substitutionary atonement.  For those who profess faith in penal substitutionary atonement (and submit the whole of their lives and pass on this 'gospel' and persevere to the bitter end), then... well... they will avoid hell.  Probably.'

Lord save us from well illustrated and applied, passionate, persuasive and prayerful preaching of this 'gospel'.  Remember that the evangelism of the Pharisees made converts twice as much sons of hell as they were. (Matt 23:15)

What a thought! The perversion of your false gospel is multiplied in your converts.  Preachers - don't work on your preaching, work on your gospel.

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Published on 13 Comments on We don't need better preaching…

There's a lot of focus on becoming better preachers.  The real need is to preach a better gospel. 

These thoughts were prompted by a Spurgeon comment as quoted by CJ Mahaney at T4G 2008:

"Whitefield and Wesley might preach the gospel better but they cannot preach a better gospel."

Spurgeon's point is that the power is in the gospel, not the preacher.  Amen.  But if the gospel preached aint the gospel, then we need a better one.

'Better gospel?' you ask - how can you improve on the good news?

Well you can't improve on the biblical gospel.  But you can darned well improve on the gospel preached by some.  Here's a false one I hear around the traps (there are others, but this is the devil I know best):

'God is power.  We must submit.  Since we don't, God has a plan B.  It's a wonderfully clever mechanism called penal substitutionary atonement.  For those who profess faith in penal substitutionary atonement (and submit the whole of their lives and pass on this 'gospel' and persevere to the bitter end), then... well... they will avoid hell.  Probably.'

Lord save us from well illustrated and applied, passionate, persuasive and prayerful preaching of this 'gospel'.  Remember that the evangelism of the Pharisees made converts twice as much sons of hell as they were. (Matt 23:15)

What a thought! The perversion of your false gospel is multiplied in your converts.  Preachers - don't work on your preaching, work on your gospel.

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Published on Leave a comment on Having a gracious God

In Mike Reeves' excellent talks on the reformation he speaks of Luther's great spiritual struggle.

Luther's perennial struggle was to believe that he had a gracious God.

In pondering that phrase this morning it occurred to me that we, in our settings, tend to frame our struggles in different language.  We wonder whether we are saved.  Luther wondered whether he had a gracious God.

I think the difference might be important.

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Published on Leave a comment on Our God's done stuff

It's a law of human resources that the less experience a person has the more adjectives appear on their resume.  "Team-player.  High-achiever.  Fast learner.  Leadership qualities."  Wherever these descriptors are piled up it's designed to hide a worrying lack of achievement.

Dead idols have a rubbish resume.  No educational history.  No work experience.  No prior achievements.  So how are they described?  Adjectives, piled to the heavens.  99 names etc.  Put them in capitals, add the word 'Most', 'All' or  'Ever' and repeat them loudly in the vain hope they won't have to be substantiated. 

Does it ever strike you how few adjectives there are in our creeds.  Instead they are just chock full of verbs.

When we're asked about the Living God we answer with confidence, 'Let me tell you what the Father, Son and Spirit have done...'  Our God simply is the God of the Gospel - the One who has performed these marvellous deeds.

Some verbs I've really enjoyed recently:

24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. (Ex 2:24-25)

4 I... established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" (Ex 6:4-8)

2And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you - to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.  (Deut 8:2-4)

Beware lists of adjectives in your theology.  It might be a sign you've stopped describing the Living God.  Beware getting embroiled in discussion of what God's like, more than what He's done.  Especially beware discussions of what He can do rather than a concentration on what He has done.

And as you consider how the Father, Son and Spirit are towards you right now, where does your mind go?  Abstract qualities?  No, don't let your mind run to adjectives.  Think of the verbs:

To Him Who loves us (present continuous) and has freed us (past tense) from our sins by His blood...  (Rev 1:5)

Think verbs.  That's what makes for gospel theology and gospel assurance.  It makes all the difference.

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Published on Leave a comment on Our God’s done stuff

It's a law of human resources that the less experience a person has the more adjectives appear on their resume.  "Team-player.  High-achiever.  Fast learner.  Leadership qualities."  Wherever these descriptors are piled up it's designed to hide a worrying lack of achievement.

Dead idols have a rubbish resume.  No educational history.  No work experience.  No prior achievements.  So how are they described?  Adjectives, piled to the heavens.  99 names etc.  Put them in capitals, add the word 'Most', 'All' or  'Ever' and repeat them loudly in the vain hope they won't have to be substantiated. 

Does it ever strike you how few adjectives there are in our creeds.  Instead they are just chock full of verbs.

When we're asked about the Living God we answer with confidence, 'Let me tell you what the Father, Son and Spirit have done...'  Our God simply is the God of the Gospel - the One who has performed these marvellous deeds.

Some verbs I've really enjoyed recently:

24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. (Ex 2:24-25)

4 I... established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" (Ex 6:4-8)

2And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you - to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.  (Deut 8:2-4)

Beware lists of adjectives in your theology.  It might be a sign you've stopped describing the Living God.  Beware getting embroiled in discussion of what God's like, more than what He's done.  Especially beware discussions of what He can do rather than a concentration on what He has done.

And as you consider how the Father, Son and Spirit are towards you right now, where does your mind go?  Abstract qualities?  No, don't let your mind run to adjectives.  Think of the verbs:

To Him Who loves us (present continuous) and has freed us (past tense) from our sins by His blood...  (Rev 1:5)

Think verbs.  That's what makes for gospel theology and gospel assurance.  It makes all the difference.

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Published on Leave a comment on Looking bad in the presence of love

prodigal son

Larry Crabb recently spoke about the transforming effect of the gospel. To experience the gospel is to know the power of "looking bad in the presence of love".

Really like that phrase.

It's the inversion of the whole world.  Celebrity culture says 'Look good in the glare of the papparazzis.'  Politics says 'Look good in the glare of public opinion.'   Social interactions depend upon looking good in the presence of those we don't entirely trust.  Even (perhaps especially?) church can be a place where we look good in the presence of pressure.

How transforming it is to unmask our pretence.  And how transforming our communities could be if we offered that love that unmasks pretence.

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Published on Leave a comment on 12 Disciple-thoughts

A Disciple is a learner.

Mathetes is the greek word for disciple (from which we get 'mathematics').  It's a term for learners. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:3). 

To be a disciple is to be Jesus' family

Matthew 12:49

To be a disciple is to be included in Jesus' ministry to the world

Matthew 15:36

There are disciples of all sorts of Teachers, a disciple of Jesus must switch allegiance

John 1:37; 9:28; Acts 20:30

'Disciples' often turn back from following Jesus...

John 6:66

But true disciples abide in Jesus' word

John 8:31

We show ourselves to be disciples by loving one another

John 13:35

Discipleship is about reflecting the Lord's glory. 

2 Cor 3:18 - from the Lord outwards to the world

Evangelism makes disciples...

Matt 28:18-20 - we do not aim for converts merely but for disciples.

...and discipleship makes evangelists

The 12 disciples become 12 apostles (sent ones).  The call to Christ is the call to be a fisher of men - 'I believed therefore I spoke'.

Discipleship is not about getting people to do what they don't want to do.

Contrary to how it's often preached, the true learner is called to live out their new nature, not simply stifle their 'true desires'. 

The call to discipleship is not gradual

We think of ramping up our expectations for discipleship over time.  Jesus calls us to die from the outset  (Luke 14:27,33).  The little stuff follows. 

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Published on Leave a comment on Public displays of affection

No PDAs

How do you respond to PDAs?

Cringe? 

Tut-tut? 

Feel superior?

What about PDAs for Jesus?

What if someone expresses costly, counter-cultural public affection for Jesus in your workplace, in your family, on the streets or even in church. Do you cringe?

alabasterIn Mark 14:1-11 we see a woman break open a jar of perfume worth tens of thousands of pounds. And she expends it all in a public display of affection for Jesus.

Jesus likes it.  He thinks, v6, it’s a beautiful thing. Verse 8 He says ‘she has anointed my body for burial’.  No-one would get the chance to do this after His death.  Jesus was an early riser you see.  So here the woman takes her opportunity in fulfilment of Song of Songs 1:12:

"While the King was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance."

She plays the part of the beloved and the King thinks it's beautiful.

Judas does not think it's beautiful.  We know from the other gospels that he was the one leading the protest from v4: He thinks it’s a waste.  It could have been sold and given to the poor.

But of course Judas wasn’t going to sell the perfume and give money to the poor. He was going to sell Jesus and get money for himself.

But it’s a shocking contrast.  One follower of Jesus is moved to heart-felt, all-out devotion, centred on His death. Another follower of Jesus is repulsed by such devotion.  And this event is a significant tipping point for Judas to betray Jesus.

Prior to the moment of betrayal, Judas's hard heart is never more exposed than here.  He kept up such a good pretence the rest of the time.  But here - in the presence of vulnerable abandonment and adoration - the true state of his heart is exposed.  Nothing threatens the impostor more than genuine love for Jesus.  He sees the woman's devotion and he thinks the focus is all wrong. 

'Stop focussing on Jesus.  Go out and do stuff in Jesus' name.  Go and be Jesus to the poor.'  That was Judas's attitude.  Actual love for Jesus made him extremely uncomfortable.

So then, next time you're tempted to disdain certain Christian music as 'Jesus is my boyfriend' worship...

Next time you criticize some street-preacher's unenlightened methods...

Next time you feel superior to some simple saint's devotional sweetness while crediting yourself with getting out and doing the work...

Maybe, just maybe, that's the spirit of Judas.

You must know that a Christian is nothing if they are not a worshipper of Jesus.

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