Monday 20 July 2015

The Advance of the Gospel (Sermon)

This sermons was preached by Kevin Deane on June 14, 2015 at Fairmont Baptist Church in Saskatoon. You can listen to the sermon online here.

WWI was filled with heroics, battles and bloodshed. One of the most significant battles and pivotal moments in Canadian history was the battle of Vimy ridge. There were 4 Canadian divisions against 3 German divisions. Vimy Ridge is a ridge in France that overlooks a very crucial pass. Take it, and the armies can advance. The battle began at 5:30 am on April 9. It was during a heavy and cold snowstorm. By 6:30 am they had captured the first line of defense. By 7:30 am, three of the four divisions had captured the second line. The 4th division was almost entirely wiped out. After 4 days, Canada had captured the ridge. You can well imagine the commander behind this attack. His orders would have been very simple, "keep on advancing." There was no adequate excuse for the troops to stop. Their conversations, had there been any, would have been something like, "It's snowing." "Advance!" "The fourth battalion has been wiped out." "Advance!"


I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
(Php 1:3-5)

Paul is thankful for this church. He is filled with joy every time he remembers them. Why? Because of their participation in seeing the gospel go forth.
The gospel is like an advancing army, and they have supported that army.
Stop and think of all the reasons Paul could have been filled with joy for these people. He is not filled with joy because they were once saved – although I'm sure when they were converted He was jubilant. He's not filled with joy when he remembers them because of their hospitality or great memories he has of them. He's not filled with joy because they are particularly knowledgable, or have something new and exciting going on in the church, or even because they are growing. Paul is filled with excitement, filled with joy, because when he thinks of these people, he is reminded of the fact that the gospel is going forth.
It is the advance of the gospel that is of the primary importance to Paul.

If you think of being far from home, it's not hard to relate to the concept of being filled with joy. Your letters home might say something like,
'I'm excited to know you are safe and healthy,' or, 'I was excited to hear about the marriage of so-and-so' or that someone got a new job.
Even when we are absent from the people we love, we still celebrate with them and for them. Paul is filled with joy every time he remembers them, but not because of their well-being or because of any accomplishment, he is filled with joy because of the role they play in seeing the gospel go forth.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
(Php 1:6-7)

So here Paul is expressing the same thing. He says he is confident that God will bring them to completion at the day of Christ Jesus. Why is it ok for him to think that? Because he holds them in his heart. In the greek, that is his inward being, the center of all emotion. So there's this deep yearning that is going on in Paul. He loves them deeply – why does he hold them in his heart? Read verse 7 – because they are partkaers in grace, in his imprisonment and in his defense and confirmation of the gospel.

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
(Php 1:8-11)

The love he has for the Phillipians is not his own. This deep love, this passion, it is because Christ is loving through him. He deeply loves them and gives them a model for how they ought to live.
And now here is Paul's desire for them – he desires them to grow and grow and be more holy. More love. More knowledge. More discernement. Approve what is excellent. Be pure. Be blameless. This is what Paul wants for them.

And it's an absolutely incredible call for us to examine our own affections. To examine what brings us joy. Because what we are going to see in the rest of this book is that there is absolutely nothing Paul is not willing to go through, nothing Paul is not willing to give up in order to see the gospel advanced. Knowing that Jesus' message is advancing is so high on Paul's priority list that it should put all our selfishness to shame.

So while we live our lives in our comfortable homes with our nice leather bound Bibles. What the book of Phillipians is asking us today, is how much of a role do we play in seeing the gospel advance. And how well do we on Paul's model of living? Do you love more? Know more? Than yesterday?

"I see so few of our churches risking everything for the mission. We have retreated into our nice big buildings, where we sit in our nice, cushioned pews and chairs, where we are insulated and isolated from the inter-cities and spiritual lostness of the world. We have given a tip of our hats to world missions and evangelism as an optional program for the faithful few while we go on designing endless programs that revolve around us; and when we should be on the firing lines for God...most of our people are still in the nurseries of our churches drinking spiritual milk." - David Platt

Is a ticket at a parking metre what makes or breaks your day? Or is it the advance of the gospel that gives you joy?

What gives you joy? God is the giver of joy. And in the cross we see every attribute of God represented. In looking at the cross we see God. Knowing God and seeing others given the opportunity to know God should be the greatest thrill we can encounter.

Think about the fact that in the last week, dozens of funerals have taken place in this city. About 4 thousand people died worldwide because of Aids. Thousands worlwide have been sold into the sex trade. And what really grabbed hold of your attention this week was if the Blackhwaks would beat the Lightning. Shouldn't our focus be riveted on a message that can counteract all the darkness?

See we're like, 'what an awful day I got stuck dealing with people all day long,' and Paul's like, 'I just got thrown in prison and am now chained to a guard. This is awesome, the guard can't go anywhere. I'm going to preach all night long. Even if I sing he can't leave.'

Read these verses:
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
(Php 1:12-14)

Do you hear that? He's happy, or even pleased with what has happened because it serves as an opportunity to advance the gospel. I think the modern parallel would be to write something like, “I want you to know, brothers, that I have cancer. But this has really served to advance the gospel, for I now have opportunity to preach it to a variety of hospital staff.”

We as a culture are so self-absorbed. Our first priority is our own well-being, and the well-being of our children. Just think how many children have been discouraged from going to the mission field, or from bible college, because their parents didn't want them to encounter a life of poverty and hardship. But here's Paul, 'I am excited to see the gospel is advancing.'

I was at a youth conference a few weeks ago with about 400 young kids and several youth leaders. I was working with this one youth group and staying with the leaders. And from these two ladies that helped organize it, every morning we got up we heard new complaints. “These matresses are thin, my back hurts. Oh, I'm so tired from that late night. I'm having to runa round with these kids. I'm too old to do these weekends more than once a year.” And I remember sitting in a session and hearing the gospel proclaimed so clearly and we brought 8 youth. I think 5 of them went forward to receive Christ. And I could see visible, tangible changes in these kids lives. Maybe you should sleep on thin mattresses more often. Maybe tiredness is really just selfishness. Paul would have been thrilled to sleep on thin matts – he's thrilled to sit in prison! and run around all night with those kids if they got to hear the Word of God.
But here's Paul, 'I am excited to see the gospel is advancing.'

Paul isn't excited about seeing different giftings used (and he wrote Corinthians). He's not excited about new or different programs going in churches. He's excited about the advance of the gospel. I think our priorities are wrong, when we get excited that the awesome games we play has helped our youth group grow to 40 kids.
When the reality is, we should be more excited that 5 kids were taught, grown, mentored, sanctified, and made into evangelists. The Christian has a very different view of success than the world does.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
(Php 1:15-26)

Our understanding of success, and our understanding of endurance changes dramatically. See the average person when faced with difficulty clings to the hope that the sun will come up tomorrow. That they will make it though the darkness. But for the Christian, every roadblock, every barrier, is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel, whether we make it through or not.
We are a faith built on upon a history of men and women who have endured unto death.

The priority of the Christian faith is seeing the gospel advance.

Think of Stephen, proclaiming the gospel to the Jews. And they begin to hate him and become angry. He is not looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. If you think a happy ending means peace and prosperity, and good prevailing, then Stephen's story does not have a happy ending. As they pick up stones and kill him, the happy ending is seeing the gospel travel from Jeruslaen to the ends of the earth.

As the apostles are murdered, one by one, they are not looking for silver lining in those dark days, but they are singing hymns as they go to be publicly murdered because they know the gospel is advancing.

In more recent times, Jim Elliot marches into Ecuador and is murdered. If you read his diary, he was ready to pay that price. And his wife knew what was important – not the memory of her husband, but the advancement of the gospel, and she marched into the tribe and preached herself.

Regardless of what we face, our priority is always the gospel. It's the only thing that ought to stir the affections of our hearts. Seeing it advanced is our first priority. And if we will spend our lives advancing the gospel, it must mean the death of our self-centred love of our own comfort.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
(Php 1:27-30)

I can't help but think of the story of George Whitefield. A man who preached daily until he died of exhaustion.
  • He started preaching at 24
  • On average, preached about 1,000 times every year, or three times a day
  • He preached for 30 years
  • This included 18,000 different sermons and 12,000 different talks and lectures.
  • Most weeks he was speaking more than he was sleeping
  • He preached on average for 60 hours a week
  • He never took time off (there was no private life or family life)
  • No one has ever really preached as much or as widely
  • He preached until the age of 54, when he was on his way from town to town and was intercepted on the way. He was asked to preach and could barely finish he was so tired. He continued on to the town he was headed to and had to be carried from the boat because he was so tired. The house didn't hold all the people, so he preached outside. Despite being almost two weak to finish, he completed his sermon. He went to bed, got up in the morning, prayed on his knees, lay down on his bed and died of exhaustion.

Let us be the same way. Let us not be concerned for ourselves. Not concerned for our safety, or our well-being or our reputation. Let us see that te gospel advances through Saskatoon. Whether they martyr us or we see revival. Let us make it our priority.

Thursday 16 July 2015

The Need for Wisdom (Sermon)

This sermon was preached by Kevin Deane at Fairmont Baptist Church in Saskatoon on
 July 12, 2015.

When Adam and Eve ate that fruit they lost their relationship with God, but there were many things they gained (or gained the knowledge of). Justice, for example had never been known, because God had never previously had anyone to judge. No one in the garden had ever preached a sermon on righteous living. They gained the knowledge of both good, and also of evil. The problem was their natural tendency to choose evil. So just as an example, Cain knew that God was not pleased with his sacrifice of vegetables. He knew that was wrong according to God. But he did not discern that God would be even less pleased with him killing his brother. Cain could have asked God what he should do. He could have sought out wisdom. But instead he ended up being a wicked man. It was not that God was not willing to show what justice and righteousness looked like, but Cain was not willing to listen.

And the rest of human history has been the story of men and women continuing to do evil, because although God has revealed the path of righteousness, we are bent and wired to do otherwise. So I believe the Bible is one large story and one large cry for mankind to rely on something outside of ourselves. That to be righteous we need something that we do not naturally posses. To be made righteous once and for all we need to be justified through Christ's blood, but more than that in, order to live a righteous life we need a wisdom that only God can provide.

The book of Proverbs, is no exception, and highlights the value of wisdom. And I think the first three chapters are one big dissertation, or one big poem on the importance and necessity of gaining wisdom. In order to live righteously, we're going to need a God-given wisdom. Now Solomon writes about gaining wisdom with the assumption that it isn't something we naturally have. But he does write about it as something we need. In fact, he says several times that it is the start of the fear of the Lord. That is to say that in order to understand righteousness or justice or equity, we will need wisdom. So lets' read Chapter 2.

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it."
(Pro 2:1-22)

So if we gain wisdom we will understand the fear of the Lord. These are the promises for the one who gains wisdom: We will understand righteousness and justice and equity and every good path. Knowledge will be pleasant to our souls. We will be delivered from the way of evil. Delivered from men of perverted speech. Be delivered from the forbidden woman. We will walk in the way of good and keep to the paths of righteousness. Godliness is in the hand of the wise.

See all of us naturally know the difference between good and evil (more or less). We know that perverted speech and adulterous women are wrong. But what we lack is the perspective of eternity. We lack a sufficient knowledge of God and His rewards to continually make the right choices. We knowingly choose wrong, not because of a lack of self-control, but a lack of wisdom. We need something that we do not naturally possess. So we are going to look at three tendencies or three common foolish choices that you and I make. They are outlined in the book of proverbs so we can really see and understand how much we need wisdom and where we can get it.

The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!" As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.
(Pro 26:13-16)

I believe every one of us contains at least some tendencies to be the sluggard. The sluggard is the kind of person who makes excuses for not doing the work given to him. There are no lions in Israel. He invents imaginary foes so he may continue to hide comfortably inside.

The sluggard is the kind of person who doesn't give to the church because of an impending financial crisis
The sluggard is the kind of person who can't help with youth because they don't want to be overworked, and goes home to watch TV.
The sluggard is the kind of person who refuses to volunteer at a soup kitchen for the sake of their own safety.
The sluggard is the kind of person who won't lead a Bible study because they don't know enough, but hasn't bothered to try studying or preparing.
The sluggard is the kind of person who wants to cancel church because there is an inch of snow on the ground.

They take a problem that could be a problem, something with very small potential to be real, it grows into a certainty in their minds and they end up staying in their house doing nothing because they believe 'there is a lion in the streets.' And this could be a very genuine belief. It isn't always a conscious excuse. Sometimes it's birthed out of insecurity. Sometimes it comes from a bad experience in the past

The other thing a sluggard does is turns on his bed like a door on a hinge. And buries his hand in a dish but can't find the strength to bring it back to his mouth. Now when eating or sleeping is used to rejuvenate you for working it is a good thing. A God-given thing. But when resting becomes unproductive it is simply a waste of time. I think we are all prone to this. Many people, after a long day of work want to come home, turn the TV on and turn their brain off. We want to do something that doesn't engage, doesn't require effort or a response. One of the most common trends among my age bracket is to take a day off as a day to spend watching through a whole season of a TV show or just watching netflix. We fill our heads with media. When even our resting is unproductive, we are the sluggard he describes.

I think we all contain at least some 'sluggard' tendencies. So what is wisdom? What we lack is the perspective of eternity. Knowing how long eternity is and how short life is changes our work ethic. The wise man knows and understands righteousness. Which means he no longer lives for Himself, but says with Paul, “Whether I eat or drink or whatever I do, I do all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The second tendency we all have is to desire things that appear good. Let's read 5:1-6:
My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.
(Pro 5:1-6)

This is like a man who is extremely hungry and he walks to a restaurant. But as he gets closer to the restaurant he is so hungry he can not contain himself, and he dives into the garbage can and starts chewing on the rubbish. Is his hunger satisfied? Yes. But is he given the strength and nutrition he needs? No. See the temptation has all the appearance of being good – this adulterous woman drips with honey and is smoother than oil, but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood.

I want to borrow an illustration from John Piper. He was speaking on the subject of pornography, but I think it is more widely applicable.

If you were sitting at your computer screen, caught fully in the sway of sexual desire, more powerfully than you ever felt before, with every intention to look at something innapropriate online, and suddenly an ISIS member with a black mask burst into your room with a knife to the throat of your best friend. And they said they would kill your best friend, perhaps its your wife, if you clicked on that site, you would suddenly find you have all the self control you need. Likewise, if someone burst into your room and offered you one million legitimate tax-free dollars if you did not click on that site, you would have all the self control you need. There is no one who has a true sexual addiction, there are only people who make poor sexual choices.

He's speaking of pornography but I think the lesson is far more broad. Sin costs us intimacy with God. Purity offers us a chance to experience the riches of Jesus. If we actually knew and believed that losing intimacy with God was more costly than losing our best friend, we would have self-control. If we actually believed the riches of Jesus Christ were more valuable than a million dollars, we would have the self-control we needed.

The Holy Spirit's job is to constantly reveal to us the cost of sin and the riches of Jesus. What is wisdom? Knowing and believing how much sin cost us.

Over the last few weeks, with the legalization of homosexual marriage in the States and the rise of gay pride worldwide, I believe the church is headed into a new and bigger battlefield than ever before. The early church faced martyrdom, the Reformation era saw political and social rejection, but I think our era will be remembered for a different fight. I believe we will be remembered for our sexual purity. I think the church is entering a new age where a pastor having an affair will no longer be a 'scandal,' it will be a permanent stain on the ministry. Now, more than ever, the purity of the believer is of utmost importance.

The third tendency Solomon talks about in Proverbs is having a loose tongue.
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. "Scoffer" is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.
(Pro 21:23-24)

If you can keep control over your tongue you can stay out of trouble. How you use your tongue is a huge key to righteous living.
How and when we speak can have a huge effect on our life.
Think about what words can do in the context of:
Church life – gossip can rift quicker than murder
Evangelism – We can have the right words but lack compassion. We can offend with our presentation rather than message.
Work – The break room can easily become the complain room

Proverbs talks a a lot about quarrels. It takes wisdom to know when and which fights to become a part of. Jesus knew when to rebuke pharisees and when to stand silent before Pilate. We need His wisdom.
Proverbs also talks a lot about speaking when it isn't necessary. A common image in the book is of the nagging wife – a favourite image for some. Words can put unnecessary tension in a family. Too many words can tear apart a marriage.

So here we are – the sluggard, the one who is tempted by what appears good, and the one with a loose tongue. Maybe you identify with one of those images, maybe you identify with all of them. The point is that we all have tendencies to make foolish decisions. Tendencies to live unrighteous. What we need in order to live Godly daily lives is a perspective of eternity. To know the length of eternity and the value of knowing Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 2 told us very clearly that when we look for wisdom we will find it. The Fear of the Lord and wisdom are two things that inspire and cause each other. God has given the eye, and given light to meet the eye's need, and in the same way, God has not only given the heart, but given wisdom to help meet the heart's need. Wisdom is offered as freely to man as folly is. God 'stores it up' for the upright. Meaning it is free, but it is hidden away for those who seek it according to his conditions. As gold is found by those who dig deep in the ground, wisdom is found by those who dig deep into the Word. Searching for wisdom is a process of refining and purification. As it comes into your heart, knowledge will become pleasant to your soul. When we are given wisdom, it can be put into practical use.


When we are given wisdom, we will understand the Fear of the Lord. And when we understand the fear of the Lord, we will begin to see the value of the time on Earth we have been given, and we will not waste it. As we are given the fear of the Lord, we will see the cost of sin and the riches of Jesus and we will remain pure. As we are given the fear of the Lord we will learn to guard our tongues and use them for building others up. This is the heart of the gospel; we need God's help. And that He is willing to give it. Wisdom calls from the streets. Seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures.

Monday 29 June 2015

Christians Don't Need More Blogs About Homosexuality


What we need is another Christian blog post about homosexuality. Said no one, at all, in the last few days. Instead, as Facebook feeds slowly fill up with rainbow themed decor, what we have heard again and again is, “If you don't want their beliefs forced on you, don't force yours on them.” We've heard it from the Pride and the homophobic community alike. The fact is, this 'freedom' that Christians have been celebrating, thanking God for and taking for granted for years has finally come back to bite them. And we are left in a world where, as a rule, everyone has settled on an opinion and doesn't want to hear yours. And while rainbows are flying higher than ever, Christians are responding with innumerable posts stating that 'we can love you but still disagree,' which will continue to be misunderstood, but needs to keep being repeated.

In truth, 99% of people on both sides just want peace. In fact that's what most of the hashtags #lovewins on Twitter are about – from those both for and against legal gay marriage. You have freedom, they have freedom, and everyone values that freedom. We get it.

So what exactly are Christians doing in this quickly developing culture? For the most part, awkwardly trying to remind people that they value traditional marriage, because they feel overwhelmed by a rainbow coloured Facebook newsfeed, and feel the need to raise their own banner and remind the world we are still here.

The world is already clear on what the
church believes about traditional
marriage. What they're still missing
is what we believe about Christ.
But, for the record, I haven't seen any pictures recently of a famous preacher's face bearing a quote about honesty. Or about covetousness. In fact, even with the rise of #lovewins I haven't seen anyone talking about the great sin of hate. Nope. Just homosexuality. Despite the fact that the Bible takes a stance on a multitude of common issues, we don't proudly wave our flags on every issue. Why? Because our actions have always said more than our anti-sin declarations. The apostles were accused of turning the world for publicly declaring that Jesus was the Christ, not not for taking firm and public stances on sin (Acts 17:1-8). So do we remain silent on the issue of marriage? No. But we make holiness, and not clarity of opinion our priority.

The church is headed into a new and bigger battlefield than ever before. The early church faced generations of martyrdom, the Reformation era saw political and social rejection, but our era will be remembered for a different fight. I believe we will be remembered for our sexual purity. I think the church is entering a new age where a pastor having an affair will no longer be a 'scandal,' it will be a permanent stain on the ministry. I think the church's purity, and not her opinions, will be what is mocked and paraded in the streets.

In the last few weeks, we received the resignation of a very famous conservative preacher in the States because of 'an inappropriate relationship.' I a convinced that if this becomes a common occurrence it will be the new 'Crusades' – the foolishness of men paraded for generations as the foolishness of Christ.

Be careful, Christian. For we are being judged by our conduct. Because guess what? The world already knows the church's stance on homosexuality. You don't need to put up another post. But what you do need to do is very seriously consider the following verses for yourself. Not for anyone outside the church (for this was written specifically to a church), but consider this for yourself.:

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Eph 5:2-5)

Now, more than ever, our sexual purity matters. It will rise to be the icon of this generation. Before you worry about reminding the world of your marriage stance, let your conduct reflect Christ. Let purity be our defining mark, and may it blaze as a bright witness.

Sunday 19 April 2015

How to Stay Relevant with an Irrelevant Message

Getting deeper, farther, and yes, into more complex theology will
be more helpful than diving to the bottom of all the troubles of
the average high schooler.
The quest for relevance consumes us all. Nobody wants to be the one out of the loop on what everyone's talking about. At a party sports-haters learn enough about the playoffs so they can name drop like they just checked TSN, the IMDB reminds of that actress who was just in that movie, and in the church we love to analyze the 'issues of today' before we address our listeners. Sit down with a youth pastor and talk about the New Reformed movement or dispensationalism, and you've lost him, but starting talking about dealing with depressions, and he's right with you, remembering that phrase he's been repeating to his youth over the last year, 'breathe deep, smile and keep dancing.' If you were to make a list of everything you thought teens were struggling with today – pornography, cutting, depression...you'll have just made the sermon topic list for the last month at the average city church youth meeting. And who can blame them? No one wants to put their audience to sleep.

This is a far-cry difference from the fiery baptist preachers we remember from fifty years ago who strode into the pulpit with a big Bible, booming voice and an opinionated stance on deep theological issues that caused arguments, church divisions and a host of bitter feelings. But perhaps it is this 'deeper theology' and not the work to be relevant that is going to help us address our issues. All the psychologists and counselors in the world might have great advice but for all their years of experience, they have nothing to compare to Scripture, which is, “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).

This means that even the most well targeted talks to the most relevant of issues will never be as profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, or for training in righteousness as some old-fashioned Biblical theology. You want to give your young people something that meets them right where they're at? Give them something real. Give them something living. Give them something sharper than a two edged sword that pierces to the division of joint and marrow. Getting deeper, farther, and, yes, into more complex theology will be more helpful than diving to the bottom of all that troubles the average high schooler. Discipleship means bringing them further in, not coming out to where they are.
I think of the words of Charles Spurgeon,
I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.”

It's a weighty encouragement written in layman's terms, but rooted in theology. Working with someone trapped in depression, self-loathing or looking for love? Here's a Calvinistic exegesis of Ephesians 1 that answers their questions. He's writing on the doctrine of election with an understanding of human depravity. It's all those daunting subjects you looked at in seminary but never thought of teaching your teens. It's the kind of Biblical theology they need.


So the next time someone starts talking Hollywood and you have to google that actor, don't worry, we're all irrelevant on some subject. But when your young people wander up to you with scars three feet deep, wrapped in baggage and shame. Don't start talking about scars, baggage or shame. Reach for your Bible. Talk about what God says about God. Talk about what God says about us. Talk about how exactly the cross works and why. When depression hits, 'He predestined us for adoption' (Eph 1:5) will be a far better rock to stand on than 'breathe deep, smile and keep dancing.'

Interested in more?
Several months ago on this blog we wrote about the correct way to deal with self-esteem issues.
You can check that out here.

Wednesday 8 April 2015

How to Live In Peace With Others

For most people 'turning the other cheek' would be easier for a physical attack than an emotional or verbal one. It is a natural human instinct to retaliate, to defend ourselves, to justify our decisions. Unity is a necessity - we are to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit” (Eph 4:3). Yet when someone brings an accusation against us that strikes too close to home – they accuse our personal work, our ministry, our families – we leap to arms to defend our decisions.

We just celebrated Easter, and I see something fascinating in Jesus' actions before he went to the cross. As He is accused He is 'silent' (Mark 14:61). As He is beaten, He says not a word. As He is mocked, He gives no response. I think there is something for us to learn in all of this.

I'm sure you can well picture the tense and awkward moment in the church service as an elder carefully explains to the congregation why they chose to excommunicate a member. Someone in the third row leaps to their feet, shouting about grace and love and wanting anyone who wanders in off the street to feel accepted. The elder turns red and begins to stammer an explanation and thumb quickly for Corinthians to defend his position. In the same spot, we would doubtless all do the same – try to explain, to reason, to justify to correct – most quickly when we know the accuser is incorrect.

But this isn't what Jesus did. He bowed his head, He listened, and “he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed” (Mat 27:14). Why? Because Jesus is the 'Prince of Peace' (Isa 9:6) and conflict requires two sides. If we were to open His mouth, He would have started a war. Now, Jesus was no stranger to conflict (overturning tables), and I certainly don't stand for ministers allowing their doctrine to be trampled. There's a time to fight, but here's the bottom line – the easiest way to avoid conflict is usually to shut your mouth. To give no response. To listen.

And sometimes, and this is the hardest part – you'll have to issue an apology for something that you weren't in the wrong for. And why is that so hard? Because humility is hard. But every good leader will find at some point or another that being a good leader means taking the flack and backlash not only for their own decisions, but for those that they are leading. Which means shutting our mouths, biting our tongues, listening and humbly accepting blame that shouldn't be ours. And isn't that exactly what Jesus did?

Shutting our mouths, biting our tongues
listening and humbly accepting blame...
Isn't that exactly what Jesus did?
We look to our Savior the one of whom it was written, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isa 53:7). The accusations against Jesus were false, unjustified and from men whose wicked hearts He could clearly see.

So often a pastor must look to the Prince of Peace as he hears a list of unjustified criticisms towards his church. The worship leader must follow the Lamb's example as he hears all the problems with his music style. The congregation member must mimic to the Son of God before Pilate in order to maintain unity among brothers. The Christian in the work force must remember Jesus stripped and beaten as he listens to the mocking laugh of his coworkers.


Silent, cheek turned, the Christian experiences perhaps the most practical example of having a crucified self as He looks to His Savior's model of humility.

Thursday 2 April 2015

The Cross is All that Matters

Twisted and mangled corpses hung, lining the road on either side as Paul entered the city, pen in hand. Crosses stretched in every direction along Rome's famous roadways, reminding people not to lie, steal or murder lest they suffer the same.


Paul sat down and began to pen the words of his letter, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,” (1 Cor 1:18) we must remember how familiar (and disgusted) his readers were with crucifixion. Historical accounts suggest many roads were lined with thousands of crucifixions. Men were beaten beyond recognition, often with tongues cut out, hanging above piles of their own waste as they took days to die. For all the crucifixions that took place, very little is actually written about crosses – it seems to be too vulgar, too repulsive a subject for good citizens to pay any regard to. No one wanted to hear about it.

It's no surprise then, that Paul says, “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23). I don't understand much about literature, but I know that this is not how you want to present your hero – identified with criminals, ridiculed by the masses and then hung naked to die. Yet Paul sees no other message of equal importance but “decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). He was “not ashamed” (Rom 1:16), but “the gospel I preached to you” which was “of first importance” was that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:1-3) and “we have now been justified by his blood” (Rom 5:9). Paul had no issue with talking about the offence of the cross, but he came to preach it simply (1 Cor 1:17), without removing its offence (Gal 5:11) and boasted only in the cross (Gal 6:14).

Why then, would we have the right to preach on anything else? There is no gospel without a cross. There is no salvation without the propitiating penal substitution of the man on the tree. I do not know how many times I have heard a message in a church that did not include a description of the cross and seen people invited to 'accept the gospel of Jesus.' Dear friends, a gospel without a cross is no gospel at all.

The cross is at the centre of our message, regardless of what people want to hear. You can preach on love, forgiveness, self-esteem, freedom from cutting, pornography, depression, anxiety, God's work in cultural transformation, social justice, or the end times, but if the cross is not at the centre of your message, you have presented no gospel at all. As Greg Gilbert once put it,
“If you preach a sermon, or write a chapter on the good news of the kingdom, but neglect to talk about the cross, you've not preached good news at all. You've just shown people a wonderful thing that they have no right to be a part of because they are sinners.”1
It's like this – you see a man step into a church for the first time harbouring a lot of resentment, so much so that his life is being consumed, his health wavers, his hair is falling out. So you stand up and Sunday and preach about the freedom of forgiving others - about letting go of bitterness. Just stop and consider – why do we forgive others? “Forgiving one another, as Christ in God forgave you” (Eph 4:32). What enables us to forgive? “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience...those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh” (Gal 5:24). Why do we forgive? Because he forgave us. How do we forgive? By identifying with his death. You see? You preach to an unsaved man about forgiveness but do not mention the cross, you have invited him to be a part of something he has no part in.

The cross is the only way into the kingdom. We happen to live in a day when people do not want to hear about a wrath-absorbing substitution on a tree. That doesn't mean we look for other ways to entice people further into church culture or Christian living. The cross remains as the only way into the kingdom. Preach it proudly – it offended Paul's listeners too.

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal 6:12)

1. Don't Call it a Comeback. DeYoung, Kevin p. 78

Monday 23 March 2015

Why Your Church Should Keep its Name

When an evangelism minded Arminian
can't see 'Wesleyan' on the sign, why
should he stop in?
 The worst part about being a younger sibling is inheriting someone else' reputation. Other youngest children will relate to this – walking into high school and the teacher saying, “Oh you're a Deane? I expect you to get an A in this class.” It's the shadow-drowning shoe-filling everyone dreads – being compared, for better or worse, to someone else. Churches are no different, and there has been an upswing in recent years of churches removing 'Baptist,' 'Methodist,' or other affiliations from their name. It's the same simple logic - 'don't want to ride the bad reputation of Bible-thumpers in days gone by.' For better or for worse, no one wants to be judged by their name.

Here we will examine the three most common reasons for becoming non-denominational – reputation in the community, a history of fighting over doctrinal differences, and disunity between churches - and defend denominationalism.

'The denominational name affects our reputation.'
“My neighbour doesn't want to come to church with me, he says he was badly treated once at a Baptist church.” We can all appreciate the logic of this thought, but does removing 'Baptist' from your name solve the problem? As long as you have 'church' in your name you'll encounter the same problem. Remove 'church' from your name and you'll lose all the people who love church and are searching for a home.

And what about people with theological convictions? Men and women who know their Bibles and know exactly where they stand – these are the kind of people you want in your church. When an evangelism minded Arminian can't see 'Wesleyan' on the sign, why should he stop in?

If you want to have a church that's worth attending, you're going to offend people. And if you don't do it with the sign on your front lawn, you'll certainly do it with all the things the sign stands for.

'Holding to a denomination means owning a history of petty doctrinal fights.'
This is a common reason for a name switch, and with good reason. No one wants to be labelled as Bible thumpers just because their grandparents were. But just because theological issues cause debate and heated feelings doesn't mean they aren't important. Being 'one body' (1 Cor 12:12) that is to 'all be one' (John 17:21) means to 'work out salvation' (Php 2:12) together. Since working out salvation means discussing (for example) what role God plays in the process, and the last 500 years hasn't found consensus on the issue, disagreement among God's people should be expected.

Do you see the value of the Luther's Reformation? Do you see the value of the fundamentalist fight in the 1900s to reestablish the Bible as God's inspired word? Then you see the value of holding convictions. All it means to have a denominational name on your front lawn is to tell the world what your churches convictions are. Saying 'we are the Neighbourhood Christian and Missionary Alliance' is like saying, 'we are evangelical and value sanctification and the work of the Spirit, world missions and servanthood.' While saying 'Neighbourhood Church' is like saying 'we might still be Catholic, you never know.' To be denominationless is to be (in appearance) convictionless.

Depending on your church, it's likely that men and women died to hold a belief you now see as petty. Read your church history and unless your Pentecostal or Lutheran, you'll probably find Anabaptist roots. The Anabaptists were slaughtered in droves. Why? They baptized adults. They aren't the only martyrs and it's not the only issue. Historical disunity among denominations has almost never been over something petty – it's usually an issue someone gave their life for. Throwing away a denomination means throwing away the blood-stained work of God-fearing intelligent and convicted men before you.

'Being of a certain school of thought affects the unity of our church.'
Individuals need to explore theology at a deeper lever, form opinions, and present their opinions – not to tear down other thought but to edify the church. If you are so grace driven you don't see the value of repentance, and I am so works driven I don't see the value of faith, then in the proper format, we would do well learning from each other. If individuals need it, why not churches? Arguing is of no benefit, but neither is entrenching behind walls of opinion. Open discussion is very valuable among evangelicals who agree on the fundamental issues (authority of Scripture, grace through faith, etc.).

As Jeremiah Burroughs once taught, it is unrealistic to expect that issues that have been debated for two thousand years will be able to be sorted out now. Furthermore, it is unwise to dismiss these 'secondary issues' as unimportant. People must continue to hold opinions on matters that do not pertain to salvation (politics, eschatology, etc.) because to be forced to believe otherwise on these issues would be to violate one's conscience. No single church structure can represent the true body of Christ, but rather, independent churches ought to be striving together to fully live out the Word of God. This means denominations working together toward a common goal, while being open to one another's critiques of their means. When there is open dialogue about the means a church uses to pursue the common goal, there is the greatest opportunity for unity among diverse people.

A better solution is not to remove from the churches the name which offends, but use the differing opinions as a starting point for edifying theological insight. If the left-wing churches could create compromising debate with the right-wing churches we would be less likely to become extremists. I'm not talking about universalism, I'm talking about profitable clergy meetings among evangelical leaders.

Conclusion

If no one had convictions, no one could debate. If we weren't allowed to take sides on issues that have been the centre of hot discussion for thousands of years, we wouldn't be able to explore the character of God, the meaning of the cross, the process of salvation – everything important would be unoffensive, convictionless and bland. Theological issues need to have sides – and open conversations between those sides. Hiding which side you're on only makes your church attractive until someone walks through your door.