Ed Stetzer Vs. Al - Part 2

A Community of Cruciformity

I want to write a book.  I think I am going to go for it after I graduate from seminary next May.  I want it to edify the church by using the word, "cruciformity", and how it fits within the missional framework of what the church is called to know/be/do.  For me, it all started with the book by Michael Gorman called, Apostle of the Crucified Lord.  In it, Gorman writes:

The inseparable interconnections of Father, Son and Spirit in Paul's experience lead to (or perhaps derive from) an important, and distinctively Pauline claim: that God is cruciform, or crosslike.  (The word 'cruciform' literally means 'in the shape of a cross,' but it can be used metaphorically.)  That is, we learn from Paul that the cross of Christ is not only initiated by God, it reveals God.  Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). (Pages 118-119).

Also Gorman writes,

For Paul the death of Jesus is not only revelatory, representative, and redemptive...but also paradigmatic. The essence of believing existence is conformity to the crucified Christ, or cruciformity.  Though cruciformity may involve suffering, it is much more comprehensive than that.  Paul twice refers to it as the "law of Christ," or the narrative pattern of the crucified Messiah (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21).  This narrative pattern refers specifically to the kind of "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6) that is rooted in the cross, where the Son of God expressed his faith (faithfulness, obedience) by giving himself in love (Galatians 2:19-20).  He did not seek his own welfare but that of others, as Paul's master story tells it (Philippians 2:1-11).  This is the pattern of life for all believers: faith toward God, love toward others.  Faith oriented toward the future is hope; thus Paul summarizes believing existence as a life of faith, hope, and love. (Page 140).

I wonder what the body of Christ in America could look like if we were to embrace suffering. I am not saying that we are to be stupid (God has given us brain power!); rather we ought to be living in such a way that we not only reflect Christ, but embody him as well.  It would seem historically that when the Church grew the most, it was when she was persecuted. Maybe we've gotten a little too comfy here in the US of A.  I want that book someday to empower churches to take risks for the sake of Christ. Try something different and pray that God would use it.  Be a cruciform community of faith.

Missional Mondays: Ed Stetzer vs. Al

Post-Election Thoughts.

This is not going to be politically focused, rather I hope it is biblically focused in the realm of politics.  There is a difference!  And I will be throwing in some sociological issues as well.  I want this to be an honest out-pouring of my love for God and his bride, the Church.

I was not surprised by the election results just hours ago.  In fact, McCain would have lost if he were running against a tree.  Reason?  Change.  People wanted change.  Barack Obama said over and over that he would be the guy to bring change.  McCain had 8 years of Bush hanging over his head which did not help him at all.  People got sick of the war in Iraq, sick of gas prices and most assuredly sick of the apparent 'crumbling' of the economy.  Most would agree on those issues and America spoke just three days ago.

But what are we to make of Barack Obama?  He has confessed his Christian faith while remaining one of the most liberal senators out there.  Are they compatible?  Is signing the Freedom of Choice Act a Christian value?  No.  But this isn't where I'm going (anyone who has read this blog before knows my passion for the abortion issue).  Those things are important and I do think that this Act would be a HUGE step in the wrong direction for Abortion, but, 3 nights ago...

Barack Obama made history.  He is the first Black President to be elected in the United States of America.  Amazing.  While I wish he were Republican, I can still have a voice.  I told some of my friends at work the other day that while I pretty much disagree with everything Obama has ever said, I can respect my new President on not only this historical level, but a biblical level as well.  (Romans 13:1).  Which leads me to my next point.

Theology.  I've seen many a people act like the world has crumbled and America is now going straight to hell.  Not true.  God doesn't send countries to hell; he sends unregenerate sinners to hell (to be precise, they send themselves to hell).  Some people have said that God now hates America and is punishing her for electing Obama.  Doubtful that God hates America, but Obama could be judgment, I'll give you that much.  But we don't know because we're not God, nor do we make that call as if God was a Republican.  Art Boulet posted some of his thoughts here as he evaluated some other people's remarks as well.  He noted, and I will stress as well, that God is not only in control of the ends, he's in control of the means as well.  God purposed this and now we must continue to be the church, preach the Gospel, take care of the orphans and live as salt and light.  Easy enough right?

I will be praying for Barack Obama.  Working in Philadelphia has exposed me to the African-American and Urban culture and you better believe that Philly celebrated like it was another Phillies World Series victory.  It was a historic moment and I pray that racial relationships will be healed, as I often see the tension and pain in the city.  I also pray that Obama supporters will not worship this man as if he were a messiah.  I saw a lot of excitement in Philly, but it makes me nervous when people put their "faith" in a man.  Somehow through it all, regardless of your political propensity, abortion must be stopped and biblical values need to be restored.  It's time for the church to be The Church.  With America slipping away, it seems, with morality, Christians must get back to the biblical program.  We are still free to preach and proclaim God's message of Salvation, and therefore we must do so.

The bottom line is, it was good that Barack Obama won.  I say this because God willed it to be done and God's will is perfect and always good.  We must learn from this (even if it were McCain-for those who liked McCain) and continue to be about God's Kingdom in this world.  Our focus is not on politics, rather it is on God and the beauty of His Gospel as it goes about in this world.  Christians, let's do it.

Jesus Is My Friend

ESV Study Bible

Bob Kauflin , author of Worship Matters, gives his top ten reasons for getting the new ESV Study Bible. Pick up Kauflin's book too.

1.    It’s based on the English Standard Version, which is one of the finest and most faithful translations available today. While it’s always good to consult various translations for study, the ESV does a great job recognizing variants in translation in the footnotes.

2.    The introductory notes to each book are informative and helpful, and don’t overwhelm you with interesting but non-essential background information.

3.    The notes are extensive and answer questions I actually have about the text, without avoiding difficult passages.

4.    The notes cover material that is not only helpful, but pastoral, aimed at helping me understand God’s Word better and loving God more.

5.    The notes are well laid out. Larger section, shorter, then vs. by vs. I’ve found them easy to follow along with the text.

6.    The treatment of the first few chapters of Genesis is very even-handed and well-researched. The notes aim to give us an appreciation for the interplay of science and the Bible without giving ground on the ultimate authority of Scripture.

7.    The focus is always Gospel-centered. The notes seek to answer the question, “Where does this section of the Bible fit into the larger story of God sending Jesus to redeem a people for his glory?”

8.    The articles in the back of the Bible are almost a book in themselves (I’d love to see Crossway publish these separately), and address many significant issues clearly, briefly, and effectively. They include Biblical Doctrine, Biblical Ethics, Reading the Bible, The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts, The Bible and World Religions, and the History of Salvation in the Old Testament.

9.    The maps and illustrations actually contain the cities, areas, and details I want to know about, and are placed close to the passages they refer to.

10.    The notes don’t go beyond what the text says. They affirm what is clear, and plainly present different views when a word, phrase, or passage is unclear.

Wanna Be Missional?

Think Dell Computers and then take the time to read this post from Ed Stetzer dot com.  Seriously.  Even coming from a Mac guy, this is good.

If The Gospel Isn't Precious...

...to you, then you're not a Christian.  (That's a loose paraphrase from Paul Washer).  I was at first stunned and a bit offended by the remarks of Mr. Washer but then realized it was because I was convicted by the Holy Spirit.  I think he is right though.  The Gospel must be the most precious thing in our lives and it will show. (Hang on...more conviction...okay.)  To the contrary, we cannot expect the unregenerate heart to value Christ above all things because he is a hater of God (Luke 6:22; John 7:7; John 15:23).  But what about the Apostle Paul who persecuted Christians? (Acts 8:3)

Paul knew this, lived this and taught this...this Glory of God business.  For God to save Paul the chief of sinners (1Timothy 1:15) was amazing.  It was a complete act of God because Paul was dead (Ephesians 2:1).  He literally could "not, not-sin".  He was aware that the law could not Justify him (Galatians 2:16).  After his conversion (Acts 9), Paul put his desires and affections in Christ and Christ alone (Galatians 6:14).  Paul decided then to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Where are your affections?  Where is your thought life spent?  Do we think on things that are profitable? (Philippians 4:8-9)  Do we treasure Christ above all?  Make the Gospel precious.

Key Ingredients to Repentance

Thomas Watson, 1668

"Unless you repent, you will also perish." Luke 13:5

Repentance is a grace of God's Spirit, whereby a
sinner is inwardly humbled and outwardly reformed.

Repentance is a spiritual medicine made up of
six special ingredients:
1. Sight of sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Confession of sin
4. Shame for sin
5. Hatred for sin
6. Turning from sin

If any ingredient is left out, it loses its virtue.

"I preached that they should repent and turn to God
and prove their repentance by their deeds." Acts 26:20

Lead For The City

I'm doing my best to try and watch this today and tomorrow (I'm way to busy during the day with a little thing called work), but there is a conference going on in St. Louis called Lead For The City .  It is sponsored by the Acts 29 Network and the Resurgence.  They are doing a free web-cast of the event here and the schedule of the events can be seen here.  Check it out!

The Textual-Hermeneutical Ambivalencies of Scripture

I'm learning to live with some certain tensions in my Christian walk; one of which is the tension between a Sovereign God and the God given "Free Will" of man.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a committed Calvinist, but I cannot simply shy away from some Scriptures that seem to lean Arminian.  I'm not willing to simply 'give up' , but again, I'm learning to live in that tension and quite frankly, I'm okay with it.  But this isn't where I want to go with this post.  Let start by defining some terms and this will lead into what I'm talking about.

"Textual-Hermeneutic" - What I mean by this is grounded in the hermeneutics (art and science of interpretation) that we use for Scripture.  "Textual" is just a qualifier, meant to connect interpretation to the Bible.  In other words, the "text" is connected to the "interpretation".

"Ambivalencies" - From Merriam Webster - simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action.  Also: uncertainty as to which approach to follow.  Literally, I'm holding two opposing views that are (seemingly) contradictory or opposed to each other when dealing with the interpretation of Scripture.


So here we go.


I don't like a "moral" reading of Scripture.  Let me clarify: I think it is a terrible way to bring about the primary applications.  If I want to learn the moral of the story, I can go read a Disney book. I am not saying that morality cannot be derived from Scripture, because ultimately it derives from God.  What I am saying, for example, is that when we take a story (most often from the Old Testament) and make a "moral of the story" extrapolation or conclusion of it, we are missing the point.  In other words, for example, the point of David and Goliath is NOT that we are to "fight the giants in our lives".  The point of Jesus' Resurrection is NOT to "remove the stones from your life that are holding you back".  Hopefully you know what I mean at this point.  Ah, why not another one.  The point of Esther is NOT "for women to be bold and courageous".  


Now.  These principles can most certainly be true, but we are circumventing Scripture and its narrative story-line and purpose when we do this.  I've said this before and I'll say it again: we should apply our lives to the Bible, not apply the Bible to our lives.  There is a difference.  We are a part of the ongoing story.  Pastors short-change their flock when they tell their congregants to act in a moral way because 'so and so' in Scripture did this.  When we teach this way, we are leaving out the Gospel.  This moralistic teaching most assuredly is works righteousness.  We cannot know how to truly love until we understand what Christ did for us.  That's a fact.  We can't really please God (remember, we are dead to sin!) by our "good behavior".  It's only with the imputed (not infused) righteousness of Christ that we rely and depend on to 'please' God.


Okay, so the ambivalent part.  I said all of that and now I'm going to shift gears a bit (hopefully you'll make the connection).  When someone with absolutely no theological or scholarly training picks up Scripture, he/she is going to be able to understand it (for the most part).  This is how Augustine was saved, and many people in history.  But what if what you are reading isn't really what the text means?  In other words, what if, for instance, someone is reading Isaiah 7:14 without ever reading the New Testament.  What did Isaiah originally mean?  Not Jesus.  He was most certainly referring to something in his present scenario.  It wasn't until Matthew had experienced the risen Christ that made him able to say what he did about prophecy being fulfilled (Matthew 1:22-23).  My point is really simple so I won't belabor it.  Scripture is more fluid than solid (i.e., it transcends time and is flexible, rather than like a 'rock', which sits still and doesn't move).  Some of you might be reading this and thinking: "well duh Jason, we knew this".  Well, I didn't know this and it took me 5 years of College/Seminary to "get it".  :)

I'm somewhat of a dogmatic person, so for me, I need a solid objective meaning out of Scripture.  But why not a little bit of Spirit-guided, Jesus exalting, community forming, subjective reading for someone who may or may not know much about Scripture?  I would have before flagged "heresy", but now I'm less apt to want to do that.  I think it's okay within the boundaries of:1) other Scripture, 2) Church Tradition, 3) diversity within the body, and 4) submission to our leaders in the church.  Now, if only we'd read our bibles more! :)

One-Point Calvinist?

Scott Thomas, director of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, recently blogged about Calvinism and the need for all 5-points because each of them directly rely on the other.  He writes,

As a church planter, I received more arguments over our position of Reformed Theology than I did everything else combined. It angered the most faithful of Christians and confused others. Only a handful, I believed, truly understood the doctrine of salvation as described in the Bible. It was a point of contention that got people off mission--even though it was not presented in a polarizing manner.

Recently I read The Five Points of Calvinism co-authored by David Steele, Curtis Thomas and Lance Quinn (P&R Publishing). I felt it was a shepherdly treatise on the doctrines of grace that can help the layman to understanding the centrality of God in the salvation of man. The book quotes JI Packer, whom I had the pleasure of spending the day with recently. I think his explanation of Calvinism as "one point" is brilliant.

Packer said, "The very act of setting out Calvinistic soteriology [the doctrine of salvation] in the form of five distinct points (a number due, as we saw, merely to the fact that there were five Arminian points for the Synod of Dort to answer) tends to obscure the organic character of Calvinistic thought on this subject. For the five points, though separately stated, are inseparable. They hang together; you cannot reject one without rejecting them all, at least in the sense in which the Synod meant them. For to Calvinism there is really only one point to be made in the field of soteriology: the point that God saves sinners.

"God – the Triune Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit; three Persons working together in sovereign wisdom, power and love to achieve the salvation of a chosen people, the Father electing, the Son fulfilling the Father’s will by redeeming, the Spirit executing the purpose of Father and Son by renewing.

"Saves – does everything, first to last, that is involved in bringing man from death in sin to life in glory: plans, achieves and communicates redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies.

"Sinners – men as God finds them, guilty, vile, helpless, powerless, unable to lift a finger to do God’s will or better their spiritual lot. God saves sinners – and the force of this confession may not be weakened by disrupting the unity of the work of the Trinity, or by dividing the achievement of salvation between God and man and making the decisive part man’s own, or by soft-pedalling the sinner’s inability so as to allow him to share the praise of his salvation with his Saviour. This is the one point of Calvinistic soteriology which the “five points” are concerned to establish and Arminianism in all its forms to deny: namely, that sinners to not save themselves in any sense at all, but that salvation, first and last, whole and entire, past, present and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory for ever; amen."

J.I. Packer, “Introductory Essage,” in The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, by John Owen (London: Banner of Truth, 1959) 4-5.

Very good.

Still Being Refined.

By God's Grace I've had one of the best years of my life in 2008.  My beautiful bride is still my bride (that's always a good thing!) and I love her more and more each day. Our firstborn son named Elijah was born. We moved to a parsonage at a church that brought me on as my first official position in ministry (part-time). I was able to see my extended family in Tennessee in August (who I haven't seen in a long while).  And most importantly the Gospel has changed me more than ever before and I'm seeing how it can affect your family in the most precious ways possible.  All of these things are some of the highlights, and they are all evidences of God's Grace.  Don't get me wrong here.  There are a bazillion other evidences.  (For example, I didn't die this year-yet-and thus far I haven't broken any bones in my body, lol.)

All joking aside, I'm still being refined. Every day I need the Gospel.  Every day I need a proper theological understanding (yes, theology is very important) of who I am (doctrine of Man) and who Jesus is (Christology).  When I realize just how sinful and pathetic I am, and when I realize how amazing and kind God is to save me through Jesus, I begin to understand reality more and more.  When this happens (this process called refining), God is moving me towards himself for his Glory and purposes.  What an amazing and freeing thing it is to understand this.  Romans 8:29-31

Abortion Arguments: Part 2

Puritan Sundays

These are to reappear in us!

(J. R. Miller, "Living Without Worry")

"Whoever claims to live in Him--must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6

Many have written 'lives of Jesus', setting forth the beauty, the grace, the wisdom, the gentleness, and the power of Him who was the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely one. But Paul tells us that in every Christian's life--the life of Jesus is to be written, "That the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:9. And it is these lives of Christ, written in men's daily lives--which are needed in the world.

How is the life of Jesus to be manifested in His followers? It is not enough to merely talk about Him. There are those who, with silver tongue, can speak of Jesus eloquently and winsomely, in whom it cannot be said that His life is manifested in them. In this sense--it is not more preaching which is needed today--it is more gospels in the lives of Christians. It is only what we manifest of Christ in our own life--which is really witnessing for Him. We preach just as much of the gospel--as we get into disposition, character, deeds, life.

What was secret of the life of Christ? You have read your New Testament and have been charmed by the matchless beauty of that life which is portrayed in the gospels. His great central feature was love--love full of compassion; love serving even to the humblest needs and at the greatest cost; love which was patient, forgiving, thoughtful, gentle; love unto the uttermost--which went to a cross to save sinners!

Every page reveals some new beauty in the character of Jesus, and uncovers some new depth of His love. And the qualities of that blessed life--are to shine in our life! His disposition, His spirit, His compassion, His patience, His meekness, His peace, His joy, His humility--these are to reappear in us!

It is not enough--let us again and again remind ourselves--to preach about these gracious things in Jesus, to talk about them in our conferences, to extol them in our hymns--they must be manifested in our life! We must repeat in our own dispositions and lives--the story of Jesus!

"Leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

Abortion Arguments: Part 1

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur started last night at sundown and is one of the most important Jewish holidays on the calendar.  The central purpose is for the atonement (and by implication, repentance) of sin.  This "Day of Atonement" is observed by fasting, prayer, and time in synagogue services.  According to Leviticus 23:27, it is on the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei).  The main text that is dealt with for the prescription of events for this day (that I will focus on) is in Leviticus 16:7-11.
Aaron, the priest, was to have a bull for the sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.  Following this, he was to take two male goats from the people for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.  Aaron needed to be consecrated first, himself and his house.  After this came the two goats.  The lots were cast and the process began.


Gary Schnittjer , in his book called The Torah Story , writes:

The Day of Atonement was a significant annual ceremony.  Within the context of the community in the wilderness it made possible their ability to dwell with the presence of God's glory and survive.  The alternatives were unthinkable-death or his departure from them.  The Day of Atonement was the definitive necessary cleansing for the relationship...the motion of verses 11-22 depicts the purification, from sin and uncleanness, beginning in the inmost part of the camp-the holy of holies-and extending across all of the borderlines of holiness.  The scapegoat bore the sin of the chosen people and was expelled outside the limits of the community.  The annual commemoration reinforced the symbolic and real differences between the holiness within the community and the hostile wilderness within which the people lived.

At the heart of the Day of Atonement practices were two goats.  As determined by casting lots, perhaps similar to dice, one goat was slaughtered and the blood was sprinkled on and before the "mercy seat" of the ark-the lid with the humble cherubim.  The other was the "scapegoat," a term aptly coined by the early English translator William Tyndale and used in the King James Version.  The idea of the term "scapegoat" follows the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew word zazel as "the one sent away."

The term zazel is used in two different ways in Leviticus 16.  It is used of the scapegoat itself, which was sent into the wilderness, and it was used of the one to whom the goat was sent.

Schnittjer goes on:

Jesus proclaimed new torah regarding the clean and unclean by the power and authority of his word.

I would add to all of this the significance of the Cross.  The sacrifice that was made for the forgiveness of sins and the expiation, or removal of sins, was done by Jesus on the Cross.


John MacArthur comments on Leviticus 16:8, referring to the scapegoat:

This goat (literally Azazel or "escape goat") pictured the substitutionary bearing and total removal of sin which would later be fully accomplished by Jesus Christ (cf. Matthew 20:28; John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 3:13; Hebrews 8:28; 10:1-10; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2).

This "sin offering of atonement" (Numbers 29:11) portrayed Christ's substitutionary sacrifice (vv. 21, 22) with the result that the sinner's sins were removed (v. 22)...Christ lived out this representation when He cried from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46)

Yom Kippur is, for the Christian, more of a remembrance of what Christ has/had done.  The forgiveness of sins is available.  The Atonement has been made.  We must pray for those Jewish people who are not followers of their Messiah, the One True God of Israel: Jesus Christ.

Composure.

I thought that I better take the time to shamelessly plug my wife's blog which can be seen here. It's really funny because it contains a lot of the day to day things of motherhood that I don't get to see or witness because I work as a full-time social worker (not to mention I'm the dad, not the mom), part-time pastor (which is actually a full time gig, but it is considered part-time of course), full-time Seminary Student as well as community organizer like Barack Obama.  (Just kidding on that last one...I thought it would be funny).  What I love about my wife is her compassion for people.  She's not afraid to tell you like it is, but she is very gentle spirited and it shows in her blog.  She just started it the other day and already has more readers than I do.  Shocking. :)

And I love her and what she does.  I may be busy, but her job is just as important, if not more important, than me working to pay the bills.  There is something to be said for a women liks this. Proverbs 31.

John Piper's New Jacket

Election Day:

I'm not of the Catholic persuasion, but this video speaks some truth.  I'd say that you ought to "vote with Scripture and conscience", rather than just "conscience", but I get the point.  Here she is: