Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Pendulum Swings

The pendulum swings to extremes and we are often along for the ride. We fall in love with bright and shiny things of the temporal, someday to burn, variety. We are too easily tossed to and fro; untethered, bound to go far left or right. We begin to fall for the illusion of being in charge of things; momentarily thinking we have things wired; until God brings us to our senses once again and gives a new glimpse of our frailty. Praise God He is so good to us to show us these things. Our propensity to get out of balance shows itself in interesting ways - in culture, politics, relationships, finances - whatever, you name it - we draw our lines in the shifting, sinking sand. As the cultural pendulum swings, sadly all too often, so too goes the bride of Christ. Wasn't it Francis Schaeffer who said that whatever the world is doing today the church will be doing in seven years?

Yes, we go to extremes - most noticeably with regard to the effects of the Fall. People with an extreme sin problem need an extreme cure. Jesus Christ is the only One. The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross is our only hope - an anchor for the soul - salvation by God's grace alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone is our only hope. Costly, precious, settled, secure. Praise God the blood of Christ cleanses. Setting us free from pendulum swings, our feet planted firmly on the Rock. We still must deal with the issues of life, but we do so from a far more secure vantage point. We are not just along for the ride, hanging on for dear life - merely surviving. We are strangers and aliens, 'just a passing through', on our way to heaven. Praise God His Word is forever settled in heaven, a lamp to our feet, a light to our path - the compass with which we navigate life. The enduring Word keeps us grounded.

Jesus always says it best: "You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free" John 8:32.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Thinking Through the Disciple's Prayer

We are driving across America. Plenty of time to think and pray. I am thinking through the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. It is really the Disciple's Prayer, as I think Stott put it. Jesus says to pray in this way - I don't think He meant it to be a recipe, or a mantra, or just something to rattle off without thinking about it. Jesus wants us to connect with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit. But this prayer is addressed to the Father. Our Father - the Father of all who have become His children by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

We address as Father the One who gives life and eternal life. We recognize our relationship of dependence upon Him. And we are to 'hallow' or reverence His name. We are to treat His name as holy, because it is. The Greek word is hagiazo, to make holy, to consecrate, to sanctify. His name is sacred and we are treat it as such. That immediately eliminates many things that are a part of our daily verbal arsenal doesn't it?

This prayer, or really this way of praying, that regards God's name as holy, that seeks His rule and pleasure over our own, is really a dangerous one. Because if I pray this way things will change in my heart and life. I will want to fall in line totally with God, to be pleasing to Him. That is my prayer as His disciple today. My desires and actions and aspirations are in His hands and I am looking to Him expectantly and dependently. May He be glorified in me.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Matthew 5:21-22

Anger flashes,
rises up, retaliating
overtaking righteousness
barging in, crashing
pushing its way to the front
violently swaying my soul
to the dark side of things

The other cheek is prideful too
the second mile is harder still
Lord, break my willful hand
bring me to a spacious land
of Spirit-led control

My second chance or 53rd
a thousand times I turn
I need Your touch to enter in
to rest, abide and peacefully dwell.

John 15:5 "Apart from Me you can do nothing."

Monday, July 20, 2009

Tried, Tested, True

Precious metal
only mined
in darkest caves
and painful times

Rubbish given up
to gain the highest call
considering what is true
of utmost importance

Sway my heart to You
rid me of my falsity
that I may walk in purity
for Your cause alone

For Your praise
Your hallowed name
Your settled rest
My eternal home

Psalm 52:8-9 "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank
You forever, because You have done it. I will wait for Your Name,
for it is good, in the presence of the godly."

Sunday, July 19, 2009

More Thoughts on Age-Integration

Age-integrated ministry is one of the most ignored Biblical teachings. For the past 10 years I have appealed to pastors, church leaders and members who have not been taught it but read it (and see it) in their Bibles and wonder why the church is so age-segregated. Why is it? Because we have adopted the education model prevalent in this country with its theories and assumptions (which BTW educators, some of our best and brightest, will tell you are always changing), rather than a Biblical one.

In terms of priority as well as order, 1st, Christian education is to happen in and through households day by day, teaching and example, full immersion, living it, like learning a language. 2nd, it happens among the gathered church. 3rd, ought to be age-segregated ministry. Most churches put the majority of their paid and volunteer resources into age-segregation. I did children’s ministry that way for years; what you get when households are not fully engaged in the process is stunted growth; generations that want to be entertained; that are disconnected from the life of the body. Churches should put their best efforts into equipping heads of households to lead spiritually. Every pastor ought to be considered an intergenerational pastor; every church leader ought to be engaged in age-integrated ministry. It is biblical, God-honoring; & the best way to pass the faith from generation to generation.

This doesn’t mean you can’t do anything else, it means that we will put our best energies into what long-term will be more fruitful. Eric Wallace in his book, Uniting Church and Home says: "Churches in ever-increasing numbers are seeking to move away from methods of ministry that are in reality working against the establishment of faithful generations. A renewed focus on multi-generational vision, heart-level relationships, and nurturing in everyday life (the household discipleship vision) are slogans of this revival. Thus, we see the movement away from the traditional age-segregated approach to an age-integrated household approach."

Bottom line, the primary place for Christian growth is in the home and the primary gathering for believers is in the worship service with all generations together. Good things like Sunday school, small groups, youth groups, and children’s ministry are not replacements or substitutes for families reading the Word and praying or all ages gathering together to worship. They are supplements but shouldn’t replace the main things.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

An Age-Integrated View of Life and Ministry

Paul reminded Timothy of the sincere faith that was in him that first dwelt in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5). From childhood Timothy knew the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:14-15). His family had taught him and so had Paul and others. That is the way it is supposed to be - the home doing it's job of teaching God's Word and the body of Christ engaging in the process and supporting the effort.

The church and its households are to interact amongst generations, not always splitting them up. For over 1500 years it was the primary way the people of God worshipped and passed the faith on. Not until the past 70 years or so have things changed. What many consider the norm today is actually abnormal. It wasn’t until the development of the Sunday School did Christian education take an institutionalized form and get taken out of the parents hands. Age-segregated Sunday School was originally meant to reach the unreached, not Christian households. But the church adopted it as the primary method of teaching the faith and one thing led to another until now many think of it as the primary way to educate children, youth and adults around Biblical principles. How far we have drifted!

May we come back to a biblical way of life and ministry, one that is less institutionalized and more organic. Simpler. One where multiple generations interact and households pass the faith on intentionally. One where the body of Christ supports rather than usurps the God-ordained pattern He has shown us. This means that parents will be recognized and equipped as the primary nurturers of their children’s faith, and other godly adults will come alongside and teach and mentor. Where God’s people will be equipped for works of service starting in their own homes.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Age-Integrated Church

The church of Jesus Christ must be a holy, united, loving community that is committed to God and what matters to Him. Therefore, it must be committed to age-integrated ministry; which is one of the most ignored of Biblical teachings. It is often blatantly, slickly, presumptuously ignored. It is a passion that I have become so convinced of that I've committed the past 10 years of my life to appealing to pastors, church leaders and church attendees to live like this. I have met so many people who have not been taught it but read it (and see it) in their Bibles and wonder why the church in the USA has become so age-segregated. Why have we? Because we have adopted and copied the education model prevalent in this country. Not a bad thing, but not something to build a church upon. We have copied an educational model with it’s theories and assumptions (which BTW educators will tell you are always changing!), rather than a Biblical one.

What exactly is age-integrated ministry? It is simply the church (and its households) interacting around its main priorities (God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, outreach) in an age-integrated fashion. Age-integrated is where generations interact often at home and church rather than splitting them up all the time. First and foremost, Christian education is to happen in and through each household on a daily basis. Order upon order, line upon line, little by little, through teaching and example. It's like learning a language, full immersionis best. Second, it must happen amongst the gathered church. Third, you have age-segregated ministry. But most churches put the majority of their paid and volunteer resources into something that is not meant to be primary. We should be putting our best ernegies and the majority of our resources into equipping heads of households to lead their families spiritually. Every pastor ought to be considered an intergenerational pastor; every pastor ought to be engaged in age-integrated ministry.

Why is age-integrated ministry so important to the health of the church? Because it is the way the faith is passed on most effectively. From parent to child, older to younger, older men teaching younger men, older women teaching younger women (Titus 2). Where do you see age-integrated ministry in Scripture? All the way through! It is assumed. It is also specifically alluded to – most familiarly in Deut. 6; Psalm 78; Joshua 24:15; Eph. 6:1-4 and Acts 2:39. Acts 2:39? Yes. "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." A hidden, often forgotten jewel that shows that it is not only for adults that the church exists – and as is shown elsewhere in Scripture, you don’t have to always split up the family. Households are meant to interact togethter around the things that matter most. Generations are not meant to be split up all the time as most churches do. The church must practice a balance of all generations worshipping, learning and serving together, fulfilling the Great Command to love God and the Great Commission to make disciples in and through present and future generations. We must be about equipping believers to follow Jesus at home, as a church and in the community.

Psalm 78:4 says "We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done." You cannot do that in isolation. You must be engaged intergenerationally. At Grace we strive for a healthy mix of all ages worshipping, learning and serving together; bringing families together more; balancing age-segregated and age-integrated times. It will show in a balanced church calendar that reflects many opportunities for generations to interact. It will show not only in what we say but in what we do.

I realize I am speaking a different language than what most have experienced in the church. Many have been shown something quite different. This is important stuff! If the church doesn’t model it in body life its tougher to pull off in individual households. By God's grace and for His glory may His people engage in life and ministry that integrates all generations.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Church Must Be...Age-Integrated

The church of Jesus Christ must be a holy, united, loving community that is committed to God and what matters to Him. Therefore it must be committed to age-integrated ministry. This is something you see in Acts 2:39, "the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." A hidden, often forgotten jewel that shows that it is not only for adults that the church exists – and as is shown elsewhere in Scripture, you don’t have to always split up the family. Generations are not meant to be split up all the time as most churches do. The church must practice a balance of all generations worshipping, learning and serving together, fulfilling the Great Command to love God and the Great Commission to make disciples in and through present and future generations. We must be about equipping believers to follow Jesus at home, as a church and in the community.

Psalm 78:4 says "We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done." You cannot do that in isolation. You must be engaged intergenerationally. At Grace we strive for a healthy mix of all ages worshipping, learning and serving together; bringing families together more; balancing age-segregated and age-integrated times. It will show in a balanced church calendar that reflects many opportunities for generations to interact. It will show not only in what we say but in what we do.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

What The Church Must Be, Round 5

Contrary to popular opinion, doctrine matters. It matters because our practice is built upon it. The Church of Jesus Christ must be committed to Bible-centered beliefs. Those who think Biblically, live Biblically. We must agree on core doctrine and agree to disagree on peripheral teachings. There are doctrines we must agree on like the deity of Christ and the authority of Scripture; but there are others where sincere and intelligent Christians differ; such as order of events pertaining to the Lord’s return and degree of separation from worldly practices. We must always be learning, growing and evaluating things by the Word of God, the only rule for faith and practice. We must strive to be careful, seek to be objective, always be reasonable, always loving.

The Bible is authoritative and the things we agree to disagree on should be relatively few. We need to be willing to work hard together (in love) to understand what God is saying. God intends for us to understand the majority of what He says. I believe in the view that for every passage of Scripture there is one interpretation but many applications. Sometimes disagreements Christians have with Biblical teaching come from a lack of diligent study. Haddon Robinson said “God overlooks ignorance, but ignorance can do great damage”. Timothy Peck said “The Bible is like a roadmap that exposes us to our wrong beliefs about life”. If you find yourself disagreeing with a significant portion of your church’s teaching, you have 1 of 2 issues going on (both necessitate movement of some sort). 1, you are solid doctrinally and the church isn’t; you’re in the wrong church – you need to do some moving with your feet. Or 2, you are not sound in the faith and have some moving to do in terms of your heart and mind. Allow God to change you. (I like to say it’s like we are all carrying around a bucket of rocks – those are our beliefs. When we realize one doesn’t line up with the Word of God, we must take it out; replace it with what is true).

Not every hill is worth dying on. There are some areas to agree to disagree on but there are more areas to agree on. From the very beginning true believers have shared a core set of beliefs which they held to be far more important than anything on which they may differ. There were called the rule of faith and included the following: A belief in the authority of God’s infallible and inerrant Word, which reveals the truth that God exists in three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, He suffered, died (substituted Himself in the place of sinful man), rose again and was exalted at the right hand of the Father. He will come again. The Holy Spirit brings the benefits of Christ’s saving work to all who believe n Him. Christians are to unite with a local church, submit to the authority of its leadership, live a holy life and share the gospel. God will judge the world and receive His own to Himself at the end of time.

Many churches have a good doctrinal statement, but when you observe the life of the church you don’t see it in practice. What I want to know is this: do they truly lead people to love Jesus and the Word of God? Do they live holy lives and stand for truth?

Friday, July 10, 2009

What The Church Must Be, Round 4

Worship and preaching go hand in hand. Worship is for God's pleasure and His people's growth in Christ likeness. Most instinctively agree with this broad statement. But how many of us stop to evaluate whether our worship is man-centered or God-centered? In man-centered worship we worry about whether we like the music, whether the preacher says things we agree with; we are focused on the volume, the song selection, the way people do things – in God-centered worship we are most concerned with where our heart is with God, whether we are worshipping Him with all we have, unconcerned with what people think and what we think of what other people do.

Worship is not based on our own ideas or feelings about God – but specifically on what God has revealed in His word. That is why I am so committed to personally engaging in the 2nd mark of a God-pleasing church: Christ-centered Preaching. The early church devoted themselves (Acts 2:42) to the apostle’s teaching. Those who preach are to "Preach the Word" 2 Tim. 4:2. We are to engage in expositional preaching and teaching that reaches hearts and is used by God to change lives. We begin by reading the text, then explaining it, then illustrating and applying it to life. I am encouraged by the place God's Word is to have among His people: "Until I come give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and to teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13). Steve Lawson, in a sermon entitled “The Passion and Power of Apostolic Preaching” said that preaching needs to be: Bold-Authoritative (Acts 2:14-15); Text-Driven (Acts 2:16ff); Christ-Centered (Acts 2:22ff) and Heart-Piercing (Acts 2:37ff). Why preach the Word of God? Because preaching results in sanctification – true holy living – which leads to believers sharing their faith in Christ and giving glory to God. So as we worship God, make sure it is centered on the Word of God. Read it, explain it, apply it.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

What The Church Must Be, Round 3

With regard to what the church must be…the main idea is this: The church must be a holy, united and loving community committed to God and what matters to Him. The church must be committed to things that are near to the heart of God. Let’s take a look at the characteristics of the church as a community: holiness, unity and love. Mark Dever in his book "The Message of the New Testament" makes this point. These are three things that are some of the toughest things to pull off.

The Church must be Holy – 1 Cor. 1:2 Paul greets the church as those who are “called to be holy”. The church is to be holy because God is holy.

The Church must also be United – 1 Cor. 1:10-12. The church is to be united because God is unified, He is One. 1 Cor. 8:6.

The Church must also be Loving – 1 Cor. 8:1 knowledge makes arrogant but love edifies. The church is to be loving because God is love.

The church is to show the character of God to the world. The church is the living extension of God to the world. You cannot simply follow Jesus apart from being a part of a local assembly.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

What The Church Must Be, Round 2

The church must be committed to God and united around what matters to Him; an age-integrated, united, worshipping, growing community that honors it's Lord.

Alistair Begg of Parkside Church in Ohio outlines 7 marks of an effective church; Mark Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist in DC has come up with 9 Marks. Someone else has identified 10 marks. I have come up with my own version: 8 Marks of a God-pleasing Church. I realize that as a church you have to land somewhere and at Grace we have stated our mission, vision and values very clearly. When it comes to these things I am very wary of superimposing things onto the Biblical text. I am also aware it is often a matter of restating similar ideas. I see these 8 in the Word of God. The shape it takes here and elsewhere we leave in the hands of God. Each leadership team in each local church must wrestle with and be convinced of what they see to be the priority of the church. Praise God He is big enough to handle the many shapes and varieties His church takes – for His glory.

So we have our stated mission, vision and values but can we get a bit more specific? Does God’s Word get more specific? I believe it does. Acts 2:42-47 is not the only place the church is addressed or described – but it is the starting point. We also can gain some significant insights on the church many other places in the New Testament but I want to focus on Acts 2 for now.

My ideas have been shaped primarily by Scripture but also by the writings and teachings of other believers. I have relied heavily upon and am indebted to the following (in no particular order) – Alistair Begg, Mark Dever, John MacArthur, John Piper, Chuck Colson, Dallas Willard, C.S. Lewis, Eugene Peterson, Dietrich Bonheoffer, Steve Lawson and others whose names escape me right now.

As I look at Acts 2:42-47 as well as the immediate context, I can’t help but notice things that Christ’s church in its local visible manifestations must be committed to and united around. I’ll give the first 4 today.

God-centered Worship – For God’s glory (Ps. 48:1) and our growth. Worship is the highest activity of a God-oriented soul; the moment by moment aspiration of the God-entranced person who according to God’s great mercy has been “born again to a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Christ-centered Preaching – “Preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2). We engage in expositional preaching and teaching that reaches hearts and is used by God to change lives. We begin by reading, then explaining, as well as illustrating and applying the text.
Bible-centered Beliefs – doctrine matters because our practice is built upon it. Those who think Biblically, live Biblically. We must agree on core doctrine, agreeing to disagree on peripheral teachings. Always learning, always growing, and always evaluating things by the Word of God – our only rule for faith and practice.
God-Dependent Prayer – We must daily be coming to God knowing He is able to do whatever He wills; communicating with God with a heavenly-minded perspective, believing that He can and will do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

Monday, July 6, 2009

What the Church Must Be

I think the church of Jesus Christ is struggling with an identity crisis, specifically with regard to her local congregations. When I look around I see churches that seem to be trying hard to be something - based on a mixture of Biblical truth, various assumptions and personal preferences. Only God sees the heart and it is easy to misinterpret actions, but I know myself and often my desire to do what God calls me to do gets blended with a desire to be seen and known; recognized as the doer of some great work, a model for other churches; and the inevitable clash between God's will and my will comes to the forefront. The lines between personal ambition and godly action get blurred. Thank God He is sovereign and we are not; and He knows how to sift it all out.

When I read Acts 2:37-47 I get this picture of a group of people without personal agendas, simply allowing themselves to be used by God to make a difference in their generation. I get a picture of an age-integrated (2:39); united (2:42-45); worshipping (2:46) and growing (2:47) community. All ages interacting as they work towards a common goal, focused on magnifying the One who gave them life and eternal life; God causing the growth.

I realize this beautiful picture lasted only as long as their single-minded focus did (see Acts 4:32-5:2); and that the only perfect church is in heaven. Praise God that in spite of our tendency to muddy the waters, because of His great mercy God allows us to experience His great power and abundant grace (Acts 4:32)among His people often. A truly amazing blessing.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Worship: For God's Pleasure and Our Growth

I have been thinking a lot about worship recently. I desire to be worshipping God with all my life because of how great He is. John Piper's ideas continue to shape and challenge my thinking. I agree wholeheartedly that "worship is a feast of the glorious perfections of God in Christ" (Piper, The Dangerous Duty of Delight, p. 54). When I obey God's instructions to "delight yourself in the Lord" (Ps. 37:4) I worship. When I do not, I slide into the seat reserved for God alone and become the centerpiece, the focal point of a warped presentation. Worship is for God's pleasure and His people's growth in Christ likeness.

I have been thinking a lot about corporate worship services recently as well. How much is Biblically-based, how much is culturally-shaped and how much is preference-driven. I am only scraping the tip of the iceberg and am a long way from "figuring it all out". All I can say is that I am convinced of the following:

1. Worship is to be God-centered. The God of the Bible is to be the focus.
2. God's people benefit from worship in terms of growth as we respond to God's greatness.
3. Worshipping God is an end in and of itself, not a means to getting something else, though there are many benefits that believers enjoy as a result of a life and corporate experience that is God-centered.
4. The gospel changes us from the inside out and as we experience intimacy and joy in God we desire to worship Him.
5. When God's people gather to exalt Him they get a glimpse of His awesome glory and are transformed.
6. Our interactions with the written Word of God lead us to worship, both individually and corporately.
7. In God-honoring, Christ-centered worship gatherings that are built solidly on the truth of God's Word God's people are strengthened to do the will of God.

I am also encouraged by the place God's Word is to have among His people: "Until I come give attentionto the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and to teaching" 1 Timothy 4:13

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Attending to Ourselves or God?

There is this creative tension with prayer - God who is sovereign and knows all things wants us to call upon Him. Add to that our tendency to put on a show or just say things without thinking about what they mean and you have a real quandary. In Jesus' day religious fakers abused giving, praying and fasting to get attention. Jesus addresses the issue of prayer in Matthew 6:5-8; a continuation of His contrast between true and false righteousness. He warns His followers of walking in the way of the deceived and deceptive; showing them the straight and narrow.

He says we are to avoid the sin of hypocrisy in prayer because it is a misuse of the purpose of prayer - diverting it from the glory of God to the glory of ourselves. And we are not to go on and on in prayer - the Greek battalogeo meant "to stammer", some thought it referred to Battus, King of Cyrene who stuttered, others to Battus the poet who wrote really long winded poems. Either way we are not to "heap up empty phrases" or use "meaningless repetition" when we pray. Prayers that are all words with no meaning have no place in our lives - mechanical mindless words don't fly with God.

Isn't it easy to pray without thinking about what you actually are saying? To use catch phrases and spiritual sounding words without thinking about what they mean? We are to avoid that when addressing God. It is an abuse of the nature of prayer - downgrading it from real, personal interaction with God to a empty recital. God knows what we need before we ask Him. We do not serve or believe in a God that is only concerned with how well or how long we can pray. And He is not unknowing that we need to inform Him or unfeeling that we need to talk Him into acting on our behalf. He is our Father who loves us and knows our needs.

So why pray? Calvin said believers do not pray with a view to informing God about things unknown to Him, they pray in order to seek Him, to exercise their faith in His promises, to declare that from Him alone is their hope and expectation that they will receive from Him all good things. Luther said it simply - "by our praying we are instructing ourselves more than we are Him".

What do we make prayer into? A way to get attention or gain a reputation? An empty exercise? Mechanical rather than relational? How can we guard against these errors? Our only hope is in staying humble and dependent like a child; under God's authority.

Jesus is always calling His people to reach for something more significant that what religious or secular people reach for. He teaches that true righteousness is greater because it is of the heart, true love is fuller because it includes enemies, and true prayer is deeper because it is sincere, the exercise of thinking people. What Jesus calls us to is so much better than what can be found in the unbelieving world.

Prayer is attending to God not ourselves. Which are you doing?

Friday, July 3, 2009

Prayer That Pleases God

Prayer is one of the most holy, intimate and personal activities that believers can engage in. It’s one of the most talked about and least practiced of the spiritual disciplines. Prayer is our lifeline to God and it is also a mystery. So simple a child can participate. We know what it is because it is simple – we cannot adequately explain it because it is complex. We cannot explain how it works, we just know it does.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus shows a better way, one that leads to freedom not slavery; joy not gloom; life not death. So far Jesus has dealt with the character of Christians (the beatitudes); and their influence (salt and light), and their heart attitude that affects their view of everything– from friendships to marriage to issues in the community and world. Next He deals with a Christian’s outward deeds. Matt. 5:21-48 was about what people believed. Matt. 6:1-18 is about what people do as a result of those beliefs. Jesus gives 3 examples of how someone’s faith could be expressed and how seeking the approval of others can block a life of consistent interaction with Him, leading to a life marked by hypocrisy. 3 acts very important to Jews were giving, praying and fasting; being generous to those in need, talking to God and being so focused on Him that you do without your food at the time you usually would eat it. In Matt. 6:2-4 Jesus deals with both the public and private aspects of giving. God wants us to use money to serve Him; fulfill the great command to love Him & the great commission to make disciples. With regard to giving resources away not keeping them for ourselves - we see what Jesus says about the motivation behind giving. Publicly: Don’t make a scene. Privately: don’t dwell on it. As Titus 3:14 says "people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful".

Jesus’ words on prayer in 6:5-8 are a study in contrasts. Jesus in 6:5-8 instructs His followers – He shows them and any who will listen, any who will buy in to His program, the purpose and nature of prayer that pleases God. He is showing the way and in effect saying, not that way, but this way. Here is how you can come to God in prayer. This is a preface to the Lord’s Prayer, aka the Disciple’s prayer; where Jesus shows us what to pray. Here He shows us how. For thinkers, questions arise: what kind of prayer pleases God? How can I pray that way? The answer is found in Jesus' words, where He states what His people are to do in contrast with the religious hypocrites and irreligious people who either pretend to or attempt to approach God.

Jesus 1st says something about the purpose of prayer. Why we pray. What prayer is for. He addresses a common error; a temptation for all who attempt to approach God in prayer. He uses the example of the scribes and the Pharisees; the primary group of hypocrites (fakers, actors, pretenders) being referred to here (cf. Matt. 23: 13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29). Matthew 6:5 begins "When you pray". Like giving, it isn’t if but when you do so. If you are a Christian you will pray. Period. It is expected that you will pray – that you will want to talk with God. But religious hypocrites had made it something it was never intended to be – a way to get attention, to focus the spotlight upon themselves rather than upon God. Like with their giving to others, they made talking with God a way to be noticed. "When you pray" – Christians pray. It is expected assumed that we would fulfill the purpose of prayer and communicate with God, talk with Him, converse with Him, pour our hearts out to Him who knows our hearts. Live people breathe, dead people don’t; those alive in Christ pray.

And once again Jesus says, "don’t be like the hypocrites", the actors, the fakers, those who are more concerned with what they do than why they do it. "They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners" – just like in their giving – among God’s people and out in the community they were show-offs. They get what they want and that’s all they will get. "They love to stand and pray" …not a bad thing to do BTW…but they did it for the wrong reasons – not to connect with God but to be seen. They have their reward in full – payment in full. They totally missed the purpose of prayer, which is to connect with God in a meaningful way, focused on "an audience of one", with pure motives. Matthew 6:6 says "But when you pray…go into your inner room". What does this mean? Are we all supposed to build a little room? Is your room 10x10, 4x3, or what? And it is supposed to have a door. Close the door. No, I don’t think that is what Jesus is saying. What does it mean to pray in secret? It means to be focused on God. It means to be undistracted by others or yourself. He is the One who sees you. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you with a knowledge of His presence, of Him having it all under control. Hypocrites engage in mere theatrics. Don’t do that says Jesus, instead, be honest with God, engage in sincere communication with Him. He sees your heart, He knows.

The 2nd thing Jesus focuses on is the nature of prayer. What true prayer is like. Again He contrasts His instructions with a common error, this time it is the prayer of unbelievers He points out. Where religious hypocrites know better, they do it out of ignorance. Jesus says Matthew 6:7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetitions". Don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do, "for they suppose they will be heard for their many words". Like the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18. They cried out all day long "O Baal, answer us" and nothing happened. "There was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention" (1 Kings 18:29). They thought that their many words would have an affect on a false god; they didn't. But what about using many words with God?

What does it mean for believers not to babble on and on in prayer using many words? Does it mean we can't keep praying the same thing? No. Jesus did that in the garden of Gethsemane, praying "...not My will, but what You will". "And He went away and prayed, saying the same words" (Mark 14:39). What kind of going on and on is meant here? Any good Jew would daily pray the Shema (consisting of three short passages of Scripture: Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41) every morning and evening. As early as you could, as soon as it was light enough to tell the difference between blue and white you'd pray it - but before 9 a.m. At night you had to say it before 9 p.m. To be sure many said it out of love and adoration of God; but surely there were others that just rattled through it to get through it. To check it off the list of things to do. We can do the same thing with our prayers, especially the Lord's Prayer; saying it without even thinking about what it means.

The whole idea of prayer assumes that one would use meaningful, personal communication that acknowledges God accurately. As Dallas Willard puts it "intelligent conversation about matters of mutual concern". Things like God’s sovereignty and His all-knowingness and His being ever-present ought to find their way into our thinking and flavor our prayers. We ought to engage in meaningful interaction with God that addresses our needs and recognizes His greatness. With regard to Matthew 6:5-8 John Stott said: “If the praying of the Pharisees was hypocritical and that of pagans was mechanical, then the praying of Christians must be real – sincere as opposed to hypocritical, thoughtful as opposed to mechanical. Jesus intends our minds and hearts to be involved in what we are saying. Then prayer is seen in its true light – not as meaningless repetition of words, nor as a means to our own glorification, but as a true communion with our heavenly Father.”

And because He knows all our needs, there are times that even before we call He answers us. Isaiah 65:24"It will also come to pass that before they call. I will answer them; and while they are still speaking, I will hear". How many times have you seen God do that? Give you an answer to prayer that you were going to pray? I have seen Him do that so many times in my life. He knows better than we do what we need. So when you pray, get to the point. Be brief. If you pray often alone, when you are called upon to pray in public it most likely will be brief. As D.L. Moody is known to have said "a man who prays much in private will make short prayers in public". Frederick Dale Bruner provides a significant insight into Matthew 6:7-8. He says “At first glance Jesus’ attack on quantitative prayer seems unsound pedagogy. When He discourages quantity in prayer is he not discouraging prayer itself? Here, too, however, in a spherical world the shortest distance between two points is not a straight line. The paradox of prayer is that only when it is relieved of the necessity of much will people experience the freedom for much. When disciples know they don’t have to pray much, they will, surprisingly, desire to pray more.” I love that. God frees us to approach Him freely, without a quota to fill. Matthew 6:8 "Do not be like them", strong words BTW, "for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him". Some will only engage in mere mechanics, but Jesus says, make it personal. God knows. He is intimately acquainted with all His children (those who have been saved by grace through Faith in Jesus Christ) and the process is under His care and watchful eye.

Let’s talk about God’s Part in the process. Why is it so important that we pray in the right way, in a way that pleases God? Because you may be able to fool some people but not God. As Matthew 6:6 and 6:8 remind us, God sees and knows. And because He sees and knows He rewards and meets our needs. Therefore He is the One we are to seek the attention of, not man. And we are instructed to be persistent, to not let up. Keep asking, keep praying. Matthew 7:7-11; James 5:13ff. God’s part is to see and know the need and meet them. Our Part is simply to humbly and honestly talk with our loving heavenly Father. When I was a kid if I needed something, if I didn’t know how to do something…I would just ask my dad! How to change the oil on my car, what to do in a certain situation. BTW, I still ask, one way we can honor our parents is to ask their advice. With prayer – pray like a child going to his father. Just ask Dad. Sincere, no theatrics, knowing He understands and knows.

This is where a word of caution is necessary. We must be careful when we approach God in prayer, we must, as all men and women entering into the marriage union are forewarned, it is not something to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but reverently and in the fear of Almighty God. Why? Because prayer, like marriage between a man and a woman, while being a gift from God and quite wonderful is also quite dangerous. The quagmire that we get into has everything to do with our desires and the condition of our hearts. As Eugene Peterson put it “We want life on our conditions, not God’s conditions. Praying puts us in risk of getting involved in God’s conditions. Be slow to pray. Praying most often doesn’t get us what we want but what God wants, something quite at variance with what we conceive to be our best interests. And when we realize what is going on, it is often too late to go back. Be slow to pray...Prayer is dangerous...Prayer is answering speech. The first word is God’s word. Prayer is a human word and is never the first word, never the primary word, never the initiating and shaping word simply because we are never first, never primary.”

Are we willing to put ourselves on the line and vulnerably enter into the danger zone? One writer has said, “Our modern church is filled with many people who look pure, sound pure, and are inwardly sick of themselves, their weaknesses, their frustration, and the lack of reality around them in the church. Our non-Christian friends feel either 'that bunch of nice untroubled people would never understand my problems;' or the more perceptive pagans who know us socially or professionally feel that we Christians are either grossly protected and ignorant about the human situation or are out-and-out hypocrites who will not confess the sins and weakness our pagan friends know intuitively to be universal.”

So the question remains, are we willing? At first glance the answer sometimes looks like no, but God can do in and through us what we can never dream of doing on our own. Prayer is all about acknowledging that we are dependent on what God provides and confident in what He can do. In Matthew 6:5-8 Jesus is essentially saying "do you want to live a life that pleases Me? It’ll show in the way you pray. How you express yourself to God and who you draw attention to in the process." Is your praying all about Jesus or all about you?

Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Preacher Needs Jesus

I hunt for words
Trying to tie them together
Like precious metal and stones
Grasping for significant combinations
So people will...

Listen to me?
Think i am good?
Wonder in amazement?
Or follow Jesus and be transformed?

Lord, may the well-driven nails be plentiful
And may the craftsman always bow at Your feet
And always seek Your glory!

May my heart and motives be
only for Your pleasure forever.

---

I am preaching through the gospel of Matthew and I have been laid low in the dust by Jesus' words in Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them, otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven."

Doing things for the right reasons (not to be noticed) is tough for a pastor. It's really tough to not do things for the wrong reasons: to want to be seen as the helper of many; to be the one with the good idea, to justify myself and my actions; to do things for applause; to preach to please men rather than God. My prayer is this: Lord, may my deeds of devotion be pleasing to You. When I pray may it not be so things will work out the way I want or that people will think I am spiritually mature...when I pray may it be because I want to talk with You. When I read the Word may it not be to have all the answers...may it be because I want to hear from You. When I speak to others may it not be to gain influence and power...may it be because I want them to know You. May I not be religiously hypocritical or irreligiously ignorant...may the truth of the gospel permeate my entire being every day and may I truly know You and magnify You.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Loving God and Making Friends: An Engaging Combo

I’m a people person. If you know me it’s no surprise. On the one hand I get recharged by being with people; most don’t drain me. On the other hand, I need time alone, just me and God; otherwise I’m no good for people. It is a delicate balance that must be kept if I am going to fulfill the purpose for which I was made. God’s Word and people are indispensable in my life and ministry. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 and you have it in a nutshell. But believe it or not I used to be shy. Back in my younger days it was hard for me to start a conversation. Then in high school I got a job at Miller’s Outpost and everything changed. Forced to say hello to every person who walked into the store (that or find another job) I began to actually like initiating contact.


I also like to walk - most often in my neighborhood, but any neighborhood will do. Give me a dirt road, a foot path, a city street, doesn’t matter. Knowing I have 30-60 minutes of uninterrupted time is sweet comfort. You’ll find me with my sermon notes in one hand, pen in the other, walking, often. If I don’t get my daily walk, I’m in a bad mood. I love to walk alone because it’s just me and Jesus; sweet fellowship with my Savior and great sermon study time as well. God renews my mind and brings clarity. As I walk I pray, think, recite Scripture verses, pray for you and family and strangers, practice my sermon, talk on the phone - what I do all the time, just on my feet moving. I also love to greet anybody and everybody. Any excuse will do, the weather, a project they’re working on, how good the roses look, you name it. Just the fact that I am passing by is reason to say hello and strike up a brief conversation; most of the time.


My daily walks are a lot like life – I’m torn between two desires – being with people and being alone. Sometimes I stop to talk but often I am on my way somewhere. At times too set on the goal to see what God has put in my path. I was once so focused on my notes I walked into a light pole! Too busy with the task at hand, and therein lies the rub. Maybe God doesn’t want me to go where I thought I was supposed to; maybe He wants me to stop and engage someone in conversation. Am I too preoccupied with “life” to notice it staring me in the face? Too busy to brighten someone’s day with a smile or kind word? Too busy to live or speak the gospel? When I’m not, it’s rewarding. Last night with my kids at the neighborhood pool, I met a new neighbor.


We don’t have to choose between walking with God and making friends. The two go together in tandem, an engaging combo. It is fact that as we walk closely with Jesus, the overflow blesses others. Love God, love people. If we don’t love God, we can’t truly love others; if we don’t love others, we show we really don’t love God (1 John 4:19-21). God wants us to care about people in the process. It’s a primary way God gets the gospel out as He populates heaven for His glory. Happy walking, people.