What on earth is the church?

I have been reading and thinking a lot recently about what is the church. Even within the church there is a big misunderstanding about what the church is. How often do you hear that old chestnut 'the church is the only organisation that exists for those outside'? Whilst the church should be reaching out to those outside that is not the primary purpose of the church. John Piper expresses this well in his book on mission, 'Let the Nations Be Glad', he says: of the Church's mission that: Mission isn't ultimate worship is. I remember the first time I heard that it rocked my whole world, mission is the prime goal of the church isn't it? Yet He goes on to say: Mission is not the end but the means, the goal of mission is to present white hot worshippers before the throne of God. Mission exists because there are places where worship doesn't, places where God is not delighted in and praised, places even where He is not known. Therefore we do have a mission to reach out to the world, both globally and in our neighbourhood. Yet it is Worship not mission that is at the centre of why Church exists, I think it was MacArthur who said 'the church gathers to worship but scatters to evangelise.' The church is about God's people delighting in God, praying together and having fellowship with one another. The primary goal of church is for God's people to meet together and worship Him under the ministry of the word of God., it is only when we have the word rightly preached and the sacraments rightly administered that we have church. Mark Dever in his book 'The Deliberate Church' rightly points out that the ministry of the word of God, is more than just the preaching. It is the read of the Bible, expository preaching singing songs that reflect the word of God back to him, even our prayers should be centred on praying God's word back to Him. When the church on earth reflects this it becomes like the church in heaven having the ultimate purpose to glorify God.

Shalom
Stephen <><

The Prince of Preaching on ... Well Preaching of Course

At IX Marks Liam quoted a few times from Spurgeon which made me realise that I haven't read any Spurgeon for a sometime. Why I would neglect something that is soooooo beneficial to the heart, soul and head is beyond me. Just a few pages in on his Soul winning book and I find this gem of a quote:

We do not go out snow-balling on Sunday's, we go fire-balling, we ought to hurl grenades into the enemy's ranks.
What earnestness our theme deserves! We have to tell of an earnest Saviour, an earnest heaven, and an earnest hell. How earnest we ought to be when we remember that in our work we have to deal with souls that are immortal, with sin that is eternal in its effects, with pardon that is infinite, and with terrors and joys that are to last for ever and ever! A man who is not in earnest when he has such a theme as this- can he posses a heart at all? p.55 of The Soul Winner by Spurgeon. This edition published by Christian Focus, Tain.

As a preacher I need to pray my sermons white hot that God can use them for His infinite purposes.

Shalom
Stephen <><

Top Marks for IX Marks

I was looking forward to T4G this year but we don't have the money this time, however it was a real honor to attend the IX Marks conference at Charlotte Chapel Edinburgh. Charlotte Chapel has a great history as an Evangelical Baptist Church where the Bible is taken seriously, Jesus is honoured and the gospel preached. How fitting then that it should be the host venue for IX Marks in Scotland.

I won't go into the details of what was said as they are available here Charlotte Chapel. However let me share briefly about the first session on Saturday morning, Liam Garvie (who looked about 12) walked us through the gospel, the gospel has 4 essential elements. 1. Who God is we cannot present God as redeemer until we present His attributes. 2 Man as sinner-our greatest need is salvation from sin. 3 Christ's sacrificial death on our behalf where he atones for our sin. 4. a Response.

Whilst I recognise there are weaknesses in some areas of Evangelism surely we get the gospel right? At lunch my friend Dan and I went out to get lunch and bumped into some Christians that he knows we chatted about the conference and then headed back. Three people ran up to us and asked excitedly what we were talking about, and I said we were talking about the gospel? Are you gospel people? "Yes, we are in town to evangelise, we are telling people that Jesus is coming"
It was nice to meet them and it is true that Jesus is coming but that is not the gospel. Dan and I hope that in sharing with them we got to show them the way more accurately. We had a great day and were greatly encouraged.

Shalom

Stephen <><

Where wrath and mercy met

I just love C J Mahaney, he is overwhelming passionate for God and is enthused for God's word and sets my heart on fire. I recently enjoyed his excellent devotional book ,'Living the Cross centred Life' in this book he takes us on a journey through Christ's suffers and what it means for us. The chapter on Gethsemane brought me to my knees in joyful humbled thanksgiving. He starts this chapter by reminding us of the Jesus we have met in the gospels up till this point, a man of strength and assurance. Gethsemane comes as a shock what we find instead of the strong confidence Jesus is Jesus 'greatly distressed and troubled' Mahaney tells us that 'This is a consuming, crushing agony for our Saviour, utterly unlike anything we've previously observed.' (p76) In Gethsemane we met 'Jesus more vulnerable and more human than we've ever known. And we can't escape one question: Why? and he goes onto say why because on the cross Jesus will experience infinitely more than physical discomfort. For on the cross Jesus will experience 'unprecedented suffering of wrath and abandonment. His downward path into those unspeakable depths begins to plunge steeply in this garden called Gethsemane' p78
Mahaney presents us with the idea of Jesus looking into the cup and seeing the wrath, like a whole cup of volcono. 'As one Bible commentator notes, Jesus entered the garden "to be with the Father for an interlude before his betrayal, but found Hell rather than Heaven open before Him." p.81
I can't do justice to Mahaney's little book which comes out of a lifetime of being in love with Jesus, realising that this wrath is what you deserve and yet knowing that the saviour bore in love the cup of God's wrath so that we could live with Him forever.

Shalom
Stephen

Collision Movie

I love apologetics especially on the subject of Theism v Atheism so I was glad to receive for Christmas the dvd 'Collision'. The movie is a documentary following the Atheist ,Christopher Hitchens and the Christian Theist, Pastor Doug Wilson on a debating tour across the USA. They got together through a series of written debates that were eventually turned into a book called 'Is Christianity Good For the World?' Hitchens says of Wilson that He truly believes the Bible so I know where I stand with him. Hitchens also credits Wilson with giving an answer that he hadn't heard before. This to me was a reflection of the poor state of mainline British churches. Hitchens grew up in a upper middle class British family and went to church as part of his boarding school where he was taught moralism as Christianity. Wilson shocked Hitchens by pointing out that the Good Samaritan is more than a moral tale but an attack on religious hypocrisy and ethnocentrism. Here is something for us to be aware of, we must always teach the Bible as the history of God redeeming a sinful people to himself not a bunch of unrelated stories with a moral tale.

The movie is more about their developing relationship than the debate so I wish I had read the book before watching the movie. They are both honest, passionate and have a deep sense that this issue is an important one. Hitchens is not as militant as Dawkins and both he and Wilson have a real rapport with each other. It was good to see them laughing together at a meal or chatting in a bar. Although I would have liked to see more of the debate they both raise interesting questions. Hitchens challenges the goodness of God because of the Divine ban, where God commanded Moses and later Joshua to destroy the Amalekites. Hitchens finds this repulsive and Doug Wilson never answers this to Hitchens' satisfaction. Wilson respects Hitchens' morality but asks him to give a foundation for his belief in right and wrong, including how he can find something God does as wrong without relying on a borrowed Christian morality. Christopher Hitchens never gives Wilson a satisfactory answer to this question.

I have attended several of these types of debates but 'Collision' offered a glimpse of the personalities behind the debate. They are both likable smart guys with big personalities and have a real respect for each other. Believe it or not the movie is fast paced and exciting.

I have added the book to my list of must reads!

God Bless <><

Stephen

Christmas, what a great idea!

I love Christmas, I love the presents, I love the turkey dinner, I love spending time with family and friends but most of all I love that it is about God's love. John tells us that God so loved the world that He sent His one and Only Son into the world so that whoever believes on the Son shall have eternal life. The Son came because God loves us, that is awesome! I love that at the centre of Christmas is Jesus, the Christ. I love that no man thought up Christmas, it was God's idea. In Genesis, while Adam is still hiding in a bush God comes looking for him. Whilst He comes in judgement He also comes in mercy. The serpent is told that the seed of the woman shall crush Satan's head. That Satan's handiwork would be crushed through the one born of a woman. Later in Genesis, God calls Abraham from paganism, God's idea! He tells him that his seed would be a blessing to all nations. By the end of Genesis we know that this seed will not only be a descendant of Abraham but that he will be of the tribe of Judah.

Luke chapter 2 tells us of a bunch of shepherds. Shepherds in the C1st were not known for their piety, actually it was quite the opposite. They were regarded as the scum of the earth. While people were waiting for the Messiah in those days, these shepherds were not waiting. They were not likely to have been in a prayer meeting when the Angel showed up. The appearing caught them totally off guard. Maybe moments before they showed up they were drinking and swearing, laughing and mocking each other. These were tough rough guys. Yet they were the first to hear the message of the gospel. Good news of great joy. A Saviour has been born who is Christ the LORD.

Saviour

Our greatest need is not reformation but transformation. Our greatest need is for the damage of sin and the curse of death through Adam's sin and our own to be removed from us. Jesus came to crush the head of the serpent. It is fitting that this message was given to Shepherds because He had come as the good Shepherd to lay down His life for the sheep. He was also the spotless lamb who John the Baptist said "would take away the sins of the world." He came to save us and to live a perfect life, the life that we should live, and then to die in our place.

Christ

It is amazing that the word the Angel used according to Luke is Christ not Messiah because that is a message in itself. Good news for all people. While some Jews were waiting for the Messiah not many Gentiles were anticipating the coming of the Messiah. Yet Luke (a Gentile?) writes to tell us that the Angel said good news for all people, Christ has come. David was described as the LORD's anointed or Christ but David had much blood on his hands, he was a sinner, at the end of his life he bows his head in shame and points away from himself to another yet to come. This is true of every King, every High Priest and every prophet. Throughout the OLD Testament there are types of the Messiah to come but they are mere shadows. Jesus is not the LORD's anointed like David, He is the Anointed LORD, fully man and fully God. A mediator between God and man to bring about reconciliation to mankind.

LORD

Luke starts chapter 2 with Augustus, master of all he sees, ruler of the greatest empire at that time. Caesar Augustus was regarded as LORD and as a god. The chapter moves on to tell us of the baby born to a lowly peasant woman and placed not in a palace but an animal feeding trough. Yet the Angel tells us that this baby, not a baby born in Rome, is the LORD, and by this he means LORD God. Paul tells us in Colossians that all things were made through Jesus, through Him and For Him. He is LORD of the universe and the Christmas message is that this God, the creator and sustainer walked amongst us, that God became a missionary to restore a lost world to Himself and that is extremely good news. That is why I love Christmas because it was God's idea.

Merry Christmas

Stephen <><

Calvin on the gift of salvation

I read this succinct comment from Calvin, in Joel Beeke's 365 Days with Calvin this morning.

'Faith is purely a gift from God, so people may not praise themselves for having come to the light of the gospel, in which they have found happiness and salvation. Instead, they ought to glorify God, for they are indebted to him for choosing and calling them to salvation. '

Salvation from a Calvinist perspective is completely a work of God, God working with one energy monergism, or as some people put it one handed salvation. When we consider that salvation is all of God and that the only thing we contribute is our need and our sin then God gets all the praise.

Glory to God in the highest!

Shalom

Stephen <><