Truths that Trifle

"Oftentimes, to win us to our harms, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray us in deepest consequence."

- Banquo, The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

"Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end is according to their deeds"

- 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

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To feel an attraction to godliness, a desire to know divine truth, a desire to be associated with the people of God... coupled with an unwillingness to yield the most precious treasures of your heart when those treasures are found to rival God in your affections... is perhaps the most dangerous place a person can be. For, the religious sentiments that seem so genuine serve to blind the eyes of the heart to the hypocrisy which prevents faith from being genuine.

Many people have convinced themselves that what is expressly forbidden by God (in the Bible) is OK for them because their circumstances are different. "God desires my greatest good and joy in life" ... (This is True) ... "This (forbidden lifestyle) is what brings me greatest good and joy" ... (this is a misunderstanding of what greatest good and joy really are)... "Therefore, God must want me to pursue this, even though the Bible seems to say otherwise" ... (Here is the lie). The very convincing power of the lie rests in its use of the truth. Many are the victims of this subtlety, and many will thereby perish. Beware the truth that trifles in order to lead you willingly along the broad path that leads to destruction.

Exodus Fact Quiz

I gave this quiz to our church on Sunday night. We are wrapping up a study of the book of Exodus, and I thought it would be good to test their basic grasp of the content of the book. Try it yourself. How is your grasp of the content of the book of Exodus?

Exodus Facts Quiz

Here are the answers to the quiz with Scriptural references. See how you do without the answers first. Enjoy!

Exodus Facts Answers

** After opening the document (PDF), you can save it to your computer by clicking "File" / "Save a Copy."

Why Quitting on the Church is Quitting on Christ

I recently received a question from a dear friend asking me to comment on a blog post entitled, "Why I Do Not Attend Church." The author of the blog is a woman who refers to herself as Jean. Her view that there is no more true local church made up of true Christians is not unique. This is a growing trend in American Christianity. As people become disillusioned with the imperfections in the church, they abandon it and attempt to keep their personal relationship with Christ apart from the church. George Barna, well-known Christian pollster and cultural analyst, has written a book about the trend: Revolution (Greg Gilbert has written a helpful review of the book). A more thorough treatment of the subject would be helpful, but in order to respond in a timely way to the question posed to me, I'll deal specifically with the most serious problems with the blog post reference above.

In the New Testament, the universal church (all true believers everywhere) is not easily distinguished from the local church (a local assembly of believers who join together for worship and the pursuit of “the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God” [Eph. 4:13]). By my count, the Greek word for church (ekklesia) appears 77 times in the New Testament. 67 of those are in reference to local churches. Jean is giving up on the local church but seeking to maintain her commitment to the universal church. She says concerning true Christians, “There may be a few here, one there, two there and so on,” and these few are scattered "all over the earth." So she concludes that there is no way to assemble a true church in this present day and age: “We have to wait for the next life when we will all be together with our Lord Jesus Christ.” If Jean is right about this then the express New Testament purpose of the church has failed. The church is supposed to be a demonstration in the present age to the rulers, authorities, principalities and powers in heavenly places that Christ has conquered Satan at the cross, redeemed a people for himself, and is going to rule in uncontested fashion one day. It is the church that represents that victory. It is the church that sends that message (Ephesians 3:8-10). If believers are so sparse that assembly in this life is hopeless, then the existence of the church is not sending a message of victory to principalities and powers.

Furthermore, when Paul wants to instruct the true church, he does not compose a letter to be sent to the four winds, hoping that the few isolated Christians out there will stumble upon it. Rather, he writes to local congregations. He writes to the church at Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Colossae, Ephesus, etc. When Jesus wants to speak to his people, he addresses his words to seven local congragations (Revelation 2-4) For Paul, the local congregation is a localized expression of the universal church. The two concepts cannot be neatly divided. When Paul instructs the church concerning the way the various parts of the body work together for the edification of the whole, this can only have meaning in a local congregation where believers in Christ actually assemble together and work together for the progress of the gospel (1 Corinthians 12). Jesus also addresses the church in a way that only makes sense when understood in terms of the local congregation. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gives instructions for how a believer is to deal with a sinning brother in Christ. The final step in the process is to take it “to the church,” and if the brother still will not repent, the church is to treat him as a Gentile and a tax collector (an outsider). To whom will Jean take the case of a sinning brother if the other steps in Jesus’ instructions do not bring him to repentance? In her understanding of the church, she can only wait for heaven.

On another note, when the New Testament speaks of the church as the body of Christ, that imagery is used with respect to the universal church (Eph. 1:19-23) and the local church (1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:11-16 – this is clearly a local church situation because of the way Paul speaks of the individuals in the church working together toward “unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God”). If the universal church is the body, so also is the local church. To reject the local church is to reject the body of Christ. To say that there is no longer any such thing as a true local church is to say that the body of Christ is no longer present in the world, except in a dismembered form which no one can recognize.

Finally, Jean’s understanding of what it means to be a "saint" is informed by something other than the New Testament. For Jean, a saint is someone whose allegiance is perfectly directed toward Christ, with no room for error, failure, missteps, and no need for growth and maturity. In fact, after reading Jean’s post, especially the second paragraph, I am convinced that Jean believes she is the only true Christian she knows personally. She is clearly not paying attention to the way the New Testament uses the word “saint.” In the New Testament, a “saint” is certainly someone who is a truly born again believer in Jesus Christ. But consider the Christians at Corinth. They form factions leading to bickering and divisions (1 Cor. 1-3), they refuse to exercise church discipline toward a sinning brother (1 Cor. 5), they misunderstand gender roles in the church (1 Cor. 11), they abuse the Lord’s Supper by being selfish and getting drunk (1 Cor. 11), and they take pride in a shameful and misguided use of the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 14), among other problems. Whatever they are, these Corinthians cannot possibly be “saints,” and they cannot possibly be a true “church.” Yet that is exactly how Paul addresses them in the opening to this scathing and rebuking letter: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling…” (1 Cor. 1:1).

To reject the local church is to reject the assembly of the saints (Hebrews 10:25). Certainly not all assemblies which bear the name “church” are true to that description. But to begin imposing standards of definition on the church which are inconsistent with and contradictory to the teaching of Scripture is problematic. The gospel of Jesus Christ sets the boundaries for whom and what really constitutes the body of Christ. Any other imposed boundary is legalism.

So, don't quit on the local church. Unite with the church, and labor diligently to serve Christ by serving his body, striving to play your part in helping the whole body grow toward a "unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God" (Eph. 4:13).

The Pro-Homosexual Agenda of Barack Obama

I confess that my feathers are a bit ruffled right now. Last week I posted an article entitled "How Heavenly Wrath Becomes Historical Record." It dealt with the issue of homosexuality in American culture. The news that prompted the writing of that article at that time revolved around Maine and Washington D.C. as each of those local governments is currently dealing with laws pertaining to homosexual marriage. Maine has passed legislation legalizing gay marriage, but the people have the right in that state to veto the legislation by popular vote in November. Washington D.C. is on the verge of legalizing gay marriage as well.

I published the article on Saturday morning. I had no idea that on Saturday night, President Obama would be addressing the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) concerning the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons. His address reveals what many refused to believe during last year's presidential campaign. Barack Obama is more ardently pro-homosexual "rights" than anyone who has ever served in the office of President.

During the address he promises to continue fighting for the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), among other things. I want to encourage you to take the time to look over the President's address. Also, please take the time to read Dr. Al Mohler's blog article on this topic. His intellectually clear-headed and insightful analysis is helpful. Pray for your President; and as you pray, pray that his agenda concerning the homosexual community and the future of America with respect to this issue would fail.

The wrath of God has begun to be manifest in the United States of America (Romans 1:18). The moral decay is taking place. Pray that God would make us salt of the earth, to slow the inevitable process.

In Hope of Restoration

I recently preached a series of four sermons at Bethlehem concerning the biblical and theological importance of keeping accurate church membership records. Two of those sermons are posted here, the two that I believe are the most important. I have not taken the time to upload the other two, but I may do so eventually.

At the 2008 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), an important resolution was passed that reaffirmed the historic Baptist commitment to regenerate church membership. One of the grounding statements in the resolution points out that of the 16, 266,920 members of Southern Baptist Churches, only 6,148, 868 attend primary worship on a given Sunday. That's an average attendance of 37% of the membership in church on any given Sunday. Bethlehem is no exception to the rule (we are actually slightly below the average for the SBC). The first sermon here asks the basic question: "What's the big problem with inflated membership records?"

The Membership Record

The biblical goal of the Church Discipline process is restoration of the fallen, sinful, or absentee brother (1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Matthew 18:12-17). This next sermon answers the question that everyone finds difficult to face when addressing the issue of faithful church membership records and the process of Church Discipline. It answers the question: "What happens when all efforts at restoration fail?"

When All Else Fails

** To listen, simply click the link above. If you want to download the audio sermon, right click the link and select "save target as" (Internet Explorer Users) or "Save link as" (Firefox users).

** If you are on the membership committee, it is the second sermon that I discussed with you tonight: "When All Else Fails"

How Heavenly Wrath Becomes Historical Record

Politics does little to shape culture. Rather, politics reflects culture. Political trends represent ideas and norms that are already entrenched in the consciousness of the people. If this is right, then the current discussion in the political realm about a supposed homosexual right to marry is frightening. To illustrate the prevalence of the discussion in the political sphere, one only needs to consider the fact that four states have already begun issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples (Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont). California would be included in that list, but voters approved a constitutional amendment in November (Proposition 8) which overturned the supreme court ruling that had effectively legalized gay marriage in that state. Maine has also legalized gay marriage, but they cannot issue licenses pending an opportunity for a “people’s veto” by popular vote. The debate is currently centered in Washington D.C. where the city council is set to legalize the practice. For the measure to be finalized there, it would have to be approved by congress, a step which will probably meet little resistance. On the other hand, twenty-nine states have voted to approve constitutional amendments which specifically ban homosexual marriage by defining marriage in strictly heterosexual terms. Though it is not the most popular item in televised speeches and is often dodged by politicians on the campaign trail, the debate over the validity of homosexual marriage looms large on the political landscape, which means that that it looms even larger in the cultural consciousness of the nation.

Many have taken the time to articulate the necessity of stopping what appears to be an inevitable trend. Many have organized massive political lobbying and voter information efforts in an attempt to stay the alarming trend of legalizing homosexual marriage. However, fewer people, it seems, have been as articulate about what it means for the nation that such a trend is even present and that such strategies to stop it are even necessary.

The Scriptures do not equivocate on the issue of homosexuality. It is presented as base, immoral, unnatural, and worthy of the judgment of God. Of the texts which address the issue of homosexuality directly, Romans 1:18-32 is probably the most penetrating in its analysis, especially with respect to the significance of homosexual behavior in understanding the condition of any culture in the eyes of God. In this passage, the apostle Paul scathingly denounces all human society as being subject to the wrath of God on account of unrighteousness and ungodliness (1:18). He then outlines the course that all human society will inevitably follow, a course which leads to the manifestation in history of the wrath of God that is being stored up in heaven.

The fundamental flaw of human society after the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden is his pervasively idolatrous heart. Even though man has the revelation of the wisdom and power of God, which is evidenced through the created order, mankind refuses to worship God as God. Instead, man exchanges “the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man… They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (1:23, 25). Idolatry is the national religion of any people because nations are made up of men with fallen and idolatrous hearts.

After establishing idolatry as the basis for the wrath of God which is being stored up in heaven, Paul outlines the course that idolatrous societies (all human society) will inevitably follow. Step 1: Rank sexual immorality manifests itself openly and proudly (v. 24 – Because Paul does not specify homosexuality in v. 24, I conclude that he has in mind heterosexual immorality here.). Step 2: Homosexual behavior becomes more and more commonplace (vv. 26-27). Step 3: The manifestation of depravity so pervades the culture as to become self-destructive to the very fabric of society. The ethical and moral principles, which serve to preserve life and law in human society, erode away (vv. 28-32).

The typical alarm that is sounded after a reading of this passage goes something like this: “Look at American culture. We are following this path. The judgment of God is going to come if things do not change, if America does not repent.” While I agree with the general sentiment of such an alarm, I think it misses the mark at a very critical point. Paul does not exactly say that rank sexual immorality (of a hetero- or homosexual nature) invites the judgment of God. Rather, Paul says that because of the rampant idolatry that is prevalent in society, God gave them over to heterosexual immorality (v. 24). God gave them over to homosexual immorality (vv. 26-27). God gave them over to self-destructive lawlessness (vv. 28-32). Do you see the difference? The moral failure, sexual and otherwise, which plagues human society, is the judgment of God, not merely a sign suggesting that the judgment is coming. This manifestation of the wrath of God is a passive act of judgment. God, in his mercy, often restrains the expression of immorality among men for the preservation of life and to extend the opportunity for repentance and salvation for all who will believe the gospel. But as the idolatrous tendencies of any society manifest themselves, this restraining mercy of God is gradually removed, allowing the society to destroy itself with the pursuit of its own lusts.

In a dramatic twist of irony, the moral atrocities of American culture have become the silent prophets of God, pointing their long fingers and declaring, “Thus says the LORD, my wrath is being revealed from heaven.” The multi-billion dollar pornography industry is a prophet declaring the wrath of God upon us. The gay man kissing his groom at the altar is a prophet declaring the wrath of God upon us. The fabric of society is coming unraveled because, by the removal of his restraints, the Divine Judge is unraveling it.

But doesn’t the wrath of God ever manifest itself actively, rather than just passively? Certainly it does, and the famous case of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, when considered against the backdrop of Romans 1:18-32, may give us some insight here. According to Genesis 18-19, these two cities were characterized by homosexual behavior to the extent that “the men of the city… all the people from every quarter” were homosexual rapists, as they wished to have their way with the two visitors to Lot’s house (Gen. 19:4). We are not given any information about the history of Sodom and Gomorrah. Nevertheless, if Romans 1:18-32 indicates a universal pattern for human society, we can safely conclude that the rampant homosexuality of the two cities did not occur in a vacuum. How long had these societies existed? How long ago had the “sexual revolution” occurred in Sodom? How long ago had marriage licenses begun to be issued? We can only speculate. But one thing is certain, the wrath of God, which initially manifests itself passively eventually manifested itself actively in the violent destruction of these two cities.

As we observe the moral decay of American culture, we are witnesses to the wrath of God becoming the record of history. How long will the wrath be only passively manifest? We can only speculate. But one thing is certain: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven” (Rom. 1:18). “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man (or a society) sows, this will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). Though patient toward men, extending the time until the active demonstration of his wrath so that some might repent, God is just. And the day will certainly come when (as with other nations who have gone before us) the wrath of God renders our nation as nothing more than the record of history.

When "Biblical" Theology is Bad Theology

Of course, the word “biblical” is in quotes on purpose. If by the word, biblical, we mean “consistent with the message of Scripture,” then biblical theology is never bad theology. But if by the word, “biblical”, we simply mean that we derived the theology out of the pages of the Bible, then “biblical” theology may very well be bad theology.

The book of Ecclesiastes forms a perfect example of how one could draw some really bad theological conclusions from the text of the Bible itself. The writer of Ecclesiastes (probably Solomon), is an extraordinarily intelligent and wise man. He has very keen powers of observation, and he writes much that resonates with us based on his own observations of life in a fallen world. Nevertheless, the book of Ecclesiastes (unlike Proverbs) does not present us with the wisdom of King Solomon at its finest, but at its worst. For all of his depth of wisdom, Solomon’s thoughts and reflections led him to declare at the outset of the book: “Vanity of vanities; All is vanity” (1:2). In other words, careful and penetrating observations of the world around him have led him to the inevitable conclusion that life is meaningless. He uses the word “vanity” (meaninglessness) or “futility” no less than 30 times throughout the book to describe life. And by the end of Solomon’s reflections, we find that his view of ultimate meaning has not changed. Solomon ends the way he began: “Vanity of vanities; All is vanity” (12:8).

If a reader immerses himself in the text of Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 12:8, looking to form his theology from the text of Scripture, then he might arrive at the following theological conclusions along with King Solomon:

1. Death is the final chapter in the most ultimate sense. Man and beast face the same ultimate fate. The wicked and the righteous face the same ultimate fate. Therefore, the best way to approach life is to live for the moment: Eat, drink, and be merry. The pleasures of this life are the closest thing to reward we will ever achieve. (Eccl. 9:1-10)
   
   

2. God is real, but he is elusive. His workings in the world are such that he keeps men in the dark. He does not wish for us to discover any meaning to life. (Eccl. 3:10-18)
   
   

3. The people whom God really favors are the ones who never ask the deep questions of life. Such people are able to think that their efforts actually mean something. So, simplicity of mind, which keeps a man from discovering the truth, is the real gift of God. (Eccl. 1:13, cf. Eccl. 2:24)

I will not take the time to correct these theological conclusions. It is enough to say that all of them are drawn from the text of Ecclesiastes. The great problem here is that the whole book of Ecclesiastes (and its message of meaningless) finds meaning in the closing paragraph. In this paragraph someone other than Solomon (note the shift to the third-person voice) warns against Solomon’s conclusions and advises a very different conclusion: "Fear God and keep his commandments" (Eccl. 12:13). Many have remarked that while Solomon’s observations are all drawn from “under the sun,” the last paragraph of Ecclesiastes advises us to get “over the sun.” The point here is this. If we are not careful readers who give careful attention to context and the overall flow of discourse, we can very easily derive bad theology from biblical texts.

Not very many evangelical Christians arrive at the conclusions listed above after reading the book of Ecclesiastes. Nevertheless, many other more subtle conclusions have been drawn from a careless reading of the biblical text:

1. God wants me to be happy (Psalm 128:2; Eccl. 3:22). So, it’s OK for me to (fill in the blank) .
   
   

2. God loves me (John 3:16). So, when trouble comes into my life, it must not be from God but from the world or the devil.
   
   
3. God forgives sin and forgets it (Hebrews 8:12). So, even if I do this thing, it will be OK as long as I ask forgiveness later.
   
   
4. God is love (1 John 4:8). So, he would never send anyone to hell.

Do you see how “biblical” theology can be bad theology? The following suggestions might help us all avoid the ditch of "biblical" theology that is bad theology:

1. Read the Bible the way it was written. Remember, verses are a part of chapters. Chapters are a part of whole books. The chapters and verses were not there originally, and the books were meant to be read and understood as a whole.
   
   
2. Beware of devotional tools that pay no heed to context. Many devotional desktop calendars, “Open Windows” articles, etc. abuse the Scriptures by ignoring context. And reading them regularly conditions us to do the same in our own reading of the Bible.
   
   
3. If you are a preacher, preach expositionally. Take on large portions of Scripture and dedicate series’ of sermons to cover it. It is preferable to preach through whole books as a rule of thumb. Over time this will teach your congregation the importance of context and the right way to arrive at meaning.

Let’s make sure our theology is biblical and not just “biblical.”

Enslaved to the Gospel of Liberty

I had the honor of preaching the sermon for the annual meeting of the Central Association of Kentucky Baptists yesterday. I chose a text that was very formative in my own understanding of God's calling on my life as a minister of the gospel. As I began to study the text again, the effect on me was profound. I was challenged, encouraged, and reminded of many things that have been and will be of great value to me in the ministry.

If you are called to gospel ministry, then I hope this message will be used by the Spirit of God to convict you as he used the text to convict me. May our ministries reflect that of the apostle Paul. If you are a layperson, there is application for you too. All of us are called of Jesus Christ to be a witness with the gospel. The principles of gospel ministry should apply in many ways to your own gospel witness with family, friends, co-workers, and the rest of the watching world.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 -- Enslaved to the Gospel of Liberty

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