God's Mind-Blowing Grace

I cut my sermon off today because I felt like the message had been delivered. Having said that, the end of my planned sermon would have tied together the main theme and I want to make sure it isn't lost. I preached the Law…and we were defeated by it as we should be...and we got to the Gospel and we were encouraged by it as we should be…but I am afraid I didn't spend enough time exploring the depths of the Gospel. So for those who want to dig deeper...read on. 

The main theme of the sermon was that because we have peace with God through Jesus, we can have peace with others and that many times it is people and not things that take away our peace. So we looked at how God forgives us and how that applies to peace in our relationships.

God's grace is mind-blowing. We saw that God is not motivated to forgive us because of his sinfulness or because of ignorance of the full extent of the wrongs done against him. God can't be motivated by his own sinfulness and his own ignorance because he is perfect and because he knows everything...including the full extent of our sin. And yet he forgives. That is mind-blowing. Because listen...our own sinfulness and ignorance are motivators for us to forgive others. We are motivated to forgive because we know we too are sinners and because we don't know the full extent of the evil that was done against us. So when someone seeks our forgiveness, we forgive because we know how sinful we are and how forgiven we are. We are also ignorant. We don't truly know the extent of the sin that was committed against us. If we knew the full extent...we wouldn't forgive. The other person may tell us the gist of how they offended us, but we don't know what they were thinking about us, how many people they talked to and the things they said about us, and the depth of their offense against us. So we can forgive because of our ignorance of the extent of the wrongs done against us. If we knew the whole story, we probably wouldn't ever talk to the person again, let alone forgive them.

Let me press this great truth into us even more. God forgives us and offers us the gift of peace, but yet, unlike us, he wasn't a sinner. He isn't motivated to forgive us because he thinks to himself, "well, I'm not perfect either and yet I am forgiven." No! He is perfect, without sin, and yet STILL forgives. That should stun us. But what should stun us even more is that he forgives and offers peace when he actually knows the WHOLE extent of our sin. We don't know the extent of the wrongs committed against us and people don't know the extent of our wrongs committed against them. If we all knew the extent of the offenses against each other, no one would be friends…perhaps no one would even be married. But yet God not only knows the tip of the iceberg but he also knows the rest of it. He knows our evil thoughts, he knows our dishonesty, he knows our conniving, he knows our disbelief, he knows our secret sins...and yet…and yet...he forgives! Yet he extends the peace of God to "guard our hearts." We sing that "his grace amazes us" because the grace of God is mind-blowing.  

So we looked at Matthew 18 and the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant told by Jesus and saw that the first servant (who represents us) owed ten thousand talents, or in today’s currency, seven billion dollars, and was forgiven that debt by the master (God). After the servant (us) had been forgiven, another servant (one of our friends, family member, even ourselves), owed the servant (us) 100 denarii, or twelve thousand dollars, but that servant (us) wouldn't forgive the debt. The servant who had been forgiven the seven billion dollar debt couldn't forgive the person who owed him 12,000 dollars. By using 12,000 dollars, or a 1/3 of annual wages, Jesus is showing that, yes, the offenses against us can sometimes be significant. But still...we were forgiven a debt of seven billion dollars but we can't forgive twelve thousand dollars? Jesus ended the parable by saying, "therefore, forgive your brother from your heart."

So, yes, Jesus’ point was that we ought to forgive as we have been forgiven. But here is the issue...we can't. We don't. We won't. In fact...we couldn't forgive this radically even if we tried! We all have our limits. Our love for mostly everyone in our lives, if not everyone, is conditional. Jesus says to forgive seventy times seven times, but even the best of us forgives maybe a dozen major offenses before we stop truly forgiving from our heart. And if we forgive someone, in some cases we will still keep our distance. And we should. When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time! But God doesn't do that. The good news of the Gospel is that he not only forgives while knowing all the sins, and while not being a sinner himself, but goes a step beyond total forgiveness and honors us. Like the father did for the prodigal son in Luke 15, he not only forgives our seven billion dollar debt, he puts a ring on our finger, he gives us the best robe, he gives us the seat of honor, sacrifices the best calf and throws a party in our honor…because we were lost and now we are found…we were dead but now we are alive! That is where I stopped my sermon…and that was an ok stopping point. I got to the Gospel for sure. But...

It is worth driving home, even more, that the main point to take from the sermon isn’t that “because we have been forgiven 7 billion dollars, we should forgive our brother the 12,000 dollars.” That is true…it is what Jesus tells us to do. He even goes a step further, and makes it more impossible, and says to “forgive from your heart.” If we follow Jesus' example, we certainly will have peace in our relationships. The Psalmist tells us that "the Law is perfect, reviving the soul"...if we follow the Law to the letter, we will have life and peace. But there was only One person who followed the Law to the letter. The Law is good at showing us what we are required to do, what is pleasing to God, and it is ultimately good at driving us to....Jesus. Jesus told a parable and made a Law…to forgive your brother from your heart...even significant wrongs done against us. This idea would have gone against the Jewish culture and would have been difficult for some to even square with the Law of Moses. Jesus intensified the Law of Moses...he didn't soften it. But the Law doesn’t give us the power to carry out its demands. It simply diagnoses us and tells us there is a problem. The Law diagnoses us, the Gospel delivers us.

So what? 

The main point is to see the One, Jesus, who actually did and does forgive seventy times seven. To see the One who actually did and DOES forgive the seven billion dollar debt. It is only when our eyes are fixed on Jesus’ actions, not ours, Jesus’ forgiveness, not ours, the peace that Jesus gives, not the flimsy peace that we give, that we will begin to move towards this kind of radical forgiveness and peace. We won’t be able to forgive this radically and have this kind of peace when we focus on the Law ("do this") contained in the story. That is what the rich young ruler did elsewhere in Scripture (Mk 10). He ran to Jesus and asked him, “what must I do to inherit enteral life”…and Jesus said, “keep the commandments”….the rich young ruler said, “I have since I was young" (actually, he hadn’t kept them as none of us do, but that is not the point), Jesus said, “ok…well, sell everything and give it away and follow me”…and the rich young ruler went away downcast because HE couldn’t do it. The cost was too high. He only heard the first word…Law…and thought HE could do it...he actually thought he had DONE it...but he hadn't done it. Even a young man raised immersed in the Torah, raised to follow all the Law, had fallen woefully short of following the Law! He was deceived. He didn’t stick around to hear the final word which would have given him the fuel to follow Jesus…he didn't hear the Gospel.

The power to forgive radically will not come from the command itself to forgive, or even the example that Jesus sets in forgiving, but out of the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if we gritted our teeth and took Jesus' example to forgive and tried to forgive the best we could, we would not be "forgiving from our heart" as Jesus commanded. No. The only way towards this kind of radical forgiveness that will lead to peace in our relationships is by being in awe of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...and being fueled by the Gospel. Those of you who are beginning to catch this grace know exactly what I am talking about, but you are probably like me and can’t fully explain it.

You are like Paul who after explaining the two Great Words of Scripture, Law and Gospel, for eleven chapters in Romans, finally cried out, “oh the depths of the wisdom and knowledge and riches of God…its way over our heads…we will never figure it out…no one can explain God!”…but when you are addicted to grace…addicted to Nothing but Jesus…you may not totally understand it or even be able to explain it…but you start to get it more and more...the fruit grows slowly within us. And eventually you start to have real peace with God, with yourself, and even with others.

Three Responses to the Law of God

In I Peter 4: 11 we are met with the full extent of the Law pertaining to our words with friends when Peter said, "if anyone speaks they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God."  This was not hyperbole or exaggeration...it is the requirement of the Law...to only speak God's words. Peter leaves none of us standing as no one, including Peter, can meet these requirements. Therefore, we are left with three options: 

1. Licentiousness...delighting in me as I ignore the Law and say whatever I want to say whenever I want to say it. 

2. Legalism...delighting in me as I make up my own version of the Law, taking things out, adding things in, and judging others according to my warped version of the Law. 

3. Liberty...delighting in God and running to Jesus. Seeing Jesus as my substitute...that the words he spoke were credited to me as if I spoke them myself. 

It is only the third option that will produce loving, kind, gentle, and gracious words with friends. 

The Great Exchange: His Words for Our Words

The beauty of the Law of God is that you can attempt to preach it to its full extent and still not even be close to articulating its demands. The Law is that comprehensive and demanding. Even the most fiery preacher cannot scrape the surface of its requirements. Nowhere are the Laws' demands more exacting than when it comes to our words. Jesus said that the Law requires that we account for EVERY careless word (Mt 12). The average person would fill up 140 two hundred page books per year with his words. The average man speaks 2.5 million words and the average woman speaks 7 million words per year.  Jesus said that we will account for every single one of those millions of words. Who can measure up? No one. The gossip can't measure up. The extroverted talker can't measure up. The introverted thinker can't measure up (he thinks his words which is the same thing as saying the words or even worse according to Jesus).  The first century Pharisee, with all his law-following didn't and couldn't measure up. No one can measure up. And it isn't that we miss the mark by just a little bit. Mother Theresa missed by a lot with her thoughts and words. Billy Graham missed by a lot with his thoughts and his words. The Apostle Paul said he missed by a lot...that he was the chief of sinners. He even carried a secret to his grave that may have been a sin struggle...the thorn in his side. The Law makes demands but it doesn't give us the power to carry out the demands. 

But thanks be to God that the Law was not God's final word!  While the Law says, "do it and live" the Gospel, God's second and final word, says, "I did it for you...it is done!" While the Law makes demands, the Gospel provides deliverance.  How does the Gospel apply to our millions of words? The Gospel tells us that every word that Jesus spoke was credited to us...it was as if we spoke Jesus' words (2 Cor 5: 21)! The Gospel is that every careless word we spoke, speak, and will speak was taken up by Jesus in his body on the cross (I Peter 2: 24). This is what Martin Luther called the Great Exchange...we get his righteousness, he gets our sin. Instead of having the status of being a convicted criminal awaiting terrible sentencing we become an heir who inherits an eternal estate. Jesus takes on himself our careless and cruel words and we get the beauty of his words as if we had spoken them. Jesus died for people who are careless with their words and for gossips and for those who think lousy gossipy thoughts because those are the only kinds of people there are. 

Here is the irony...when we live out of that freedom, loving, kind, gentle, and encouraging  words will flow from our hearts of gratitude. Ironically, it is freedom from the Law (Acts 15: 10, Romans 6: 14, 7: 6, 10: 4,  Eph 4: 14) and reliance on grace that leads to a transformed life. Even more ironic is that the more the person who lives under grace "improves" the more aware the person under grace sees how far they have yet to go. Therefore, grace produces fruit that is not attainable under Law, but it also produces humility and awe of Jesus. 

"Therefore, my dear brother, learn Christ and him crucified.  Learn to pray to him and despairing of yourself, say: "Thou, Lord Jesus, art my righteousness, but I am thy sin.  Thou hast taken upon thyself what is mine and hast given to me what is thine. Thou has taken upon thyself what thou wast not and hast given to me what I was not." --Martin Luther on the Great Exchange

Jesus, a Perfect Friend for Sinners

Scripture concerns itself more with BEING a perfect friend rather than HAVING perfect friends. Yesterday I concluded the Law portion of the sermon by saying that “lousy friends are all there are.”  That may seem harsh, but according to the Law of God, it is true, because the Law demands perfection in every area of friendship. When we think through boundaries in friendships, we should first, ourselves, be slain by the Law of God (which is anytime we are told to “do” something in Scripture).  We should grieve at our inability to carry out its demands. Think about it like this…when I was in college, I was a Piano Performance Major, which meant I was expected to learn the great piano repertoire.  When I would tackle a piece like Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, I would reach for a certain standard.  I remember that Andre Watts had performed this Concerto on PBS and a mentor gave me a copy of it. As I watched Andre Watts flawlessly execute the passages, and bring his years of experience to bear on the piece, I knew that I could not measure up at that point in my life.  But that did not stop me from using his performance, which was perfection, as a standard to strive towards. The Law of God is the same way. It shows us what is pleasing and glorifying to God while at the same time showing us that we all fall short of that glory of God (Romans 3: 23). Compared to Andre Watts…even my best efforts were meager and fell short.  You could say that I was a “lousy” pianist if Andre Watts was the standard.  If a fellow piano major was the standard…perhaps I would fare better. In the same way, all of us our “lousy friends” when the standard of a “perfect friend” is Jesus who carried out the demands of the Law perfectly in thought, word, and deed. 

The Epistle of James, which teaches us a lot about friendship, perplexed Martin Luther, who said of James:  "We should throw the epistle of James out of this school [i.e. Wittenburg], for it doesn't amount to much. It contains not a syllable of Christ. Not once does it mention Christ, except at the beginning. I maintain that some [person] wrote it who probably heart about Christian people but never encountered any. Since he heard that Christians place great weight on faith in Christ, he thought, 'wait a moment! I'll oppose them and urge works alone.' This he did."

With all due respect to one of my heroes, I think Luther may not have made the connection that James is New Testament "wisdom literature."  It's Old Testament companion is the book of Proverbs. In some ways, wisdom literature cannot always be taken literally.  Wisdom literature lives in the world of hyperbole, metaphor, rhetorical questions, simile, and the like.  While we need to view the Epistle of James from a historical-grammatical  perspective, we can also see it as Law which drives us to our need for Jesus, the "friend" of sinners who sticks closer than a brother.  

The very first thing James says is to “consider it pure joy” when you face all kinds of trials so that we will become steadfast and “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1: 2-3).  A perfect friend is one who is there for others during all kinds of trials. He doesn’t avoid his friends when things get tough. He isn’t a “fair-weather friend”.  He is steadfast…perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  He is also incredibly wise, because he spends time in the word of God. As he spends time in the word of God, his faith and knowledge are deepened (James 1: 5-6) and grace and peace are multiplied in his relationships (2 Pet 1: 2).  He is “slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to become angry” (James 1: 19-20).  He realizes that his internal passions are the problem in his friendships and that coveting kills friendships (James 4: 1-2).  He is very careful about judging others especially in the context of gossip (James 4: 11-12).  He prays for his friends and is open, honest, and transparent about his own faults (James 5: 16).  And he realizes that these qualities merely scrape the surface of what is required of us in friendships.  

Lists like these, Laws like these, keep us humble and our expectations of others low.  When we are finally slain by the Law of God and realize we can’t measure up…we run to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Gospel is that Jesus was and is a perfect friend to you and to me….Jesus is there through trials and he endured the greatest trial, the Cross, due to the “joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2), Jesus deepened in his knowledge of God as a young boy (Luke 2: 52), and is in constant communion with God.  Jesus was always slow to speak, he is always slow to anger and patient with us, and Scripture says Jesus prays for us (John 17: 20-23, Romans 8: 34), intercedes for us…he is the perfect friend.  

The Gospel is that God sent his Son, the perfect friend, to be the perfect friend, for those who crumbled under trials…for those who weren’t steadfast…for those who lacked wisdom in friendships…for those who didn’t care as much as they should have about the deep things of God…for those who talked too much and for those who were not slow to anger, but quick to become angry…for those who conceal their sins…for those who don’t accept others for who they are, but judge others for who they are…for those who expect more from others than they do for themselves…God sent his son to pay the price for those kinds of people, because when compared to the standards of friendship according to the Law, those are the only kinds of friends there are.  When we determine “boundaries” in friendships, we must always view those boundaries through the grid of the Gospel and how Jesus was a “friend” of sinners. That doesn’t mean that we are a punching bag.  We are always called to forgive.  But it takes one to forgive, but two to reconcile. How do you know when to reconcile? That requires a tremendous amount of wisdom. The Law is for the hard-hearted while the Gospel is for the soft-hearted.  If a friend has hurt you and they are hard-hearted your response is to offer them the grace of the Law lest you also sin (Gal 6: 1).  If a friend has hurt you and they are broken-hearted your response is to offer them the wild, unpredictable, glorious grace of the Gospel…

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Being a Perfect Friend: Boundaries?

This Sunday, at 9:00, at Glasgow Church, we will launch "S4" (Super Summer Sunday School!).  The children will enjoy a VBS (Vacation Bible School) themed program. The kids will stay with the children's leaders through the end of the worship service and will have a fun time learning about the Gospel.  S4 is a great opportunity for your children to invite their friends.  Teach them to take a small step of faith by inviting some neighborhood kids, some cousins, or some friends from school.  The adults will gather in the Family Life Center (the gym), around 9:00, and enjoy a full breakfast and a short devotional.  Since we are doing a series on relationships, and since there are so many new people at our church (just last week, we had 100 more attendees than the same Sunday last year!), we thought it would be good to focus on fellowship and relationships during these four Sundays of S4.

At our worship service, we will have the second sermon on relationships from our "Being a Perfect Friend" series. This Sunday, we will talk about boundaries in relationships. When is "enough enough"?  When is it ok, or is it ever ok, to burn bridges with friends so we are never tempted to walk back over that bridge?  Is it ever biblical to end a friendship? Does forgiving=reconciling? 

As I have been studying for this sermon by spending time in the Scriptures, praying, and talking to many of you as well as some people who don't go to church, the phrase that keeps coming to mind is this: "seeing friends through the eyes of grace."  I am drawn to Ephesians 4: 29-32:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

And by 2 Peter 2: 1-2

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord."

Someone recently asked me to "define grace."  I can't. Grace is limitless and knows no boundaries. Any theological term that you can "define" will carry conditions and have boundaries. Grace is not a theological term, but an individual...Jesus.  Grace and peace "multiply" in our relationships, as Peter wrote, as we gain more and more wisdom of the depths of God through Jesus our Lord.  As we gain more wisdom of God, grace and peace increase in every area of our lives...including our relationships.  But remember what we have learned in the past...it is not Law and Grace...but Law and Gospel.  The Law contains a tremendous element of grace. The Gospel IS grace. 

I hope to see you on Sunday!  It is clear that many of you are catching the vision of inviting friends into our community at Glasgow Church.  Let's continue to gain ground for the Kingdom by inviting others so they can experience the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

New Series on Relationships

We are excited to begin a five-week series on Relationships at Glasgow Church! Tomorrow morning we will only do an introduction of the series. I think this series on relationships, and specifically tomorrow's introduction, will relate well to those without a church...so invite friends now! It is not too late...in fact last minute invites are sometimes very effective. Send an email, send a text, invite friends on Social Media, or do the old fashioned thing and pick up the phone and call and invite a friend. I am sure you would agree that we want our church to be a place filled with friendly and loving people who are passionate about reaching the lost and those without a church family. Sunday mornings should be a safe place to invite friends.

Next Sunday (July 19), we will launch "S4" (Super Summer Sunday School). We will have a VBS Camp Theme for the children (the kids should use the flyers to invite friends!) and we will have a full breakfast, with a devotional, in the Family Life Center for the adults...all starting at 9:00. Since we are focussing on Relationships in this series, and since there are so many new people at the church, we thought it would be good to have breakfast together in a low-key environment and get to know one another. 

We have named the series, "Being a Perfect Friend." I wonder what comes to mind when you read that title. In this series we will explore what the Scriptures teach us about friendship. The Law of God (The Law is anytime in Scriptures that we are told to "do" something) calls us to perfection. We see that perfection spelled out in the famous Love Chapter found in I Corinthians 13. In the letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses one sin after another that had taken root in the Corinthian Church. By the time we get to I Corinthians 13, we are tempted to find the Love Chapter to be a reprieve...a breath of fresh air...a romantic and uplifting chapter that is read at weddings. But the reality is that up to this point, Paul had been addressing specific sins, at times, of specific members of the Corinthian Church...and certainly there were some who thought they were "off the hook." But in I Corinthians 13, Paul leaves no one standing because the requirement, the Law, he details, regarding friendships and love, is perfection...or "being a perfect friend". Who can measure up? Take a look...

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Fourth of July...

I am really looking forward to this weekend. I have always loved the Fourth of July as it is one of my favorite holidays.

This past Sunday was the first installment of our Gospel and Culture series. We will do the second installment sometime in the future. I am leaning towards Race Relations as the second topic as I believe that is a relevant issue that desperately needs Gospel responses.You can watch the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf1Kg2xUvTE

I have written a blog post that expands on many of the points we explored this past Sunday. I invited people to text me on Sunday with questions or comments...I greatly enjoyed interacting with so many of you. This blog post addresses the main themes of the questions I received.

Part of my goal as a preacher is to stir our souls in a way that biblically challenges us, so deeply, that our only answer is Jesus. That, to me, is what it means to "have our toes stepped on".

Here is the link:

http://grpcworship.blogspot.com/…/flies-baking-cakes-and-je…

These are tough issues! It is only fair that Christians be given room to openly answer these questions since so much room has been given to others to work through and answer their own questions and to legislate their conclusions. I had a ten year old (!) asking questions the other night about these issues based on things he heard in public school. Crazy times...but we must not shrink back from addressing the issues head on. We won't find ourselves aligned with Republicans or Democrats if we are looking to the Gospel for answers and responses to cultural issues. We should not be choosing the "lesser of two evils" and we should be wary of those who give lip service to these positions. Charles Spurgeon said, "of two evils choose neither." We will be quite alone, odd, and in the minority. I already know I am in the minority, even among evangelical pastors, when it comes to my approach to these cultural issues. I am sure there are areas where I am wrong...there was only one perfect pastor...and we nailed him to a cross.

I believe these are incredibly exciting days to be a Christian. There are wonderful opportunities for the church to stand firm, but to offer the hope of the Gospel. Our response should be Jesus' response to the woman caught in adultery in John 8, "I do not condemn you...go and sin no more."

Fighting Flies, Original Sin, Baking Cakes, and Jean Valjean

I agree with Abraham Lincoln when he said, "I don't like to hear cut and dried sermons. No—when I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees." 

This past Sunday morning, I wasn't fighting bees but I was fighting some flies (for real!).  

I like to open doors for people to walk through when I preach, teach, have one-on-one conversations, raise my children, or play the piano...to stir the heart and soul of all of us to search out the depths of the Gospel. On Sunday, I invited people to text questions or comments during the sermon and quite a few did.  I have greatly enjoyed interacting with these individuals.  People are reeling from the cultural shifts and it is crucial that we are driven back to the Scriptures in order to “answer well.”  

I am going to try to shed more light on the common themes contained in the questions that were texted to me or asked at the door after church. As I said on Sunday, in the Gospel and Culture series, I am most concerned with our answers and responses.  I believe that many Christians are not answering from a Gospel perspective or even biblical perspective, but we have been more like "parrots" for our favorite religious leader, political party, or talk show host.   We mix some Bible, our own views and biases in there and out comes the answers.  As a result we do not "answer well" as Jesus "answered well" in Mark 12. 

1. Is it possible for a homosexual to be "born that way"?  

Orthodox theology answers this question.  We may not like the answer much…but it is my belief that answering well will actually lead to further dialogue with those struggling with homosexuality.  Most churches and pastors believe in a doctrine called Original Sin. Original Sin has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred to as a "sin nature", to something as drastic as total depravity or automatic guilt of all humans through collective guilt. (Jeffery Brodd, World Religions).  The Reformed tradition holds that Original Sin is “total depravity”…in other words, we believe that Original Sin renders us in the worst possible state as infants…spiritually dead with a rotting spiritual heart capable of the most vile evil.  

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

    and in sin did my mother conceive me. --Psalm 51: 5

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  --Ephesians 2: 1-3

The heart is deceitful above all things, who can understand it? --Jeremiah 17: 9 

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.  --Proverbs 22: 15

Jonathan Edwards comments on the meaning of the word "child": 

The word translated youth, signifies the whole of the former part of the age of man, which commences          from the beginning of life. The word in its derivation, has reference to the birth or beginning of existence . . . so that the word here translated youth, comprehends not only what we in English most commonly call the time of youth, but also childhood and infancy.

Not only are we born sinful, but it is far worse...we are born spiritually dead.  Some are inclined towards drunkenness. Some are inclined towards gossip and jealousy. Some are inclined towards adultery and lust. I think we also can say that some are inclined towards homosexuality. 

Let me pause there for a moment. 

I have spoken with two kinds of people who struggle with same-sex-attraction: those who believe it is a sin and those who do not believe it is a sin.  There exists both kinds of people claim to be Christians...some are from evangelical backgrounds...mostly young people.  Those who believe it is a sin are desperate for help and deliverance.  They are scared and lonely. 

Those who do not believe it is a sin have embraced the teaching that the 6 passages that reference homosexuality have been misunderstood.  These are people who claim to be Christians and are kind and loving individuals.  Following is a link to an article by Matthew Vines, who leads a movement to "reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity": 

http://time.com/author/matthew-vines/

Here are 40 questions Matthew Vines poses to those who oppose gay marriage and/or hold the homosexuality is a sin:

http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2015/07/03/40-questions-for-christians-who-oppose-marriage-equality-guest-commentary/

And an evangelical response to these 40 questions...

http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2015/07/03/a-believing-response-to-matthew-vines-40-questions/

A rebuttal of Mathew Vines by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a fellow PCA Teaching Elder: 

http://www.redeemer.com/redeemer-report/article/the_bible_and_same_sex_relationships_a_review_article

Following is a link that demonstrates that certain liberal biblical scholars, some of whom are from the LGBTQ community, actually disagree with Matthew Vines and themselves believe that the clear teaching of the Bible is that homosexuality is a sin and the only way to justify a Christian practicing homosexuality is to reject the Scriptures (I'm not a big fan of his website and the somewhat inflammatory pictures and captions, but the research on this particular subject is sound and informative):

http://barbwire.com/2014/04/29/liberal-scholars-homosexuality/

I am concerned about ministering and loving both groups.  However, I take the position that homosexuality is a sin. I also take the unpopular position (at least among evangelicals) that there are other sins in the Scriptures at the same level of homosexuality, including gossip specifically with spreading a bad report in churches (Num 16...it has been said that homosexuality is the sin which caused God to kill the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but killed his own people for the sin of gossip), adultery (Ex 20), pride (Prov 6), and the other sins listed in I Corinthians 6:9-11 and Proverbs 6: 16-19.  I do not believe that we can call something that is sin, not sin.  It is also difficult for me to understand how Christians, churches, and church leaders from practically all corners of Christianity were wrong on this issue up until the 1960s.  I realize that means many will be tempted to stop reading and write me off...I can't imagine how painful it must be for you to have a same-sex-attraction, believe it is not a sin, and experience some of the hateful responses I have seen from many who call themselves Christians. I hope you will continue to listen to the Holy Spirit's prompting and to those who love you, but may disagree with your position, just as I pray I will always continue to listen to those who lovingly speak into my life. I have found that the Scriptures speak to me in profound ways...always go back to the Scriptures. Back to our question...

When we rely on our theology we are on solid ground. In this case, if the homosexual says that he is "born that way", we can answer from Scripture (not from our favorite talk show host or political figure) and say, "yes, it is possible that the sin passed down through original sin to you is homosexuality...so what? You still need to battle it and kill it, just as I need to battle my inclinations that may be part of my original sin makeup." When we answer this way, with biblical truth, we move forward. The reality is that not only is it possible for someone to be born with this inclination....it is far far worse! We are born spiritually dead. Our spiritual heart is dead, rotting, and capable of anything. We have a deep and well-vetted theology of Original Sin...even if it goes against our sensibilities, we should "answer well". 

Here is the beauty...the truth sets us free and opens up a whole new world of potential heart change...so instead of arguing over the way they were born, we can say, "ok, you may have been born with this inclination since we believe in Original Sin...in fact, we have no clue how depraved we were born...now let's figure out how to beat it because Christ died for that sin, as he died for my sins and has provided a way out. (I Cor 10:13) He has said that he can get rid of the dead rotting heart of stone that is inclined towards not only homosexuality but all kinds of creative evil and replace it with a new divinely apportioned heart of flesh." (Ez 36:26) This approach especially works with those individuals who believe it is a sin and want to beat it. It is good to acknowledge what they are feeling inside...that, yes, they may have these inclinations.  

2. You said WHAT about baking cakes for a gay wedding? 

  

First, let me state that I grieve that we need to engage with such impossible and difficult questions that have caused so much hurt on both sides of the debate.   However, here we are...and we need to "answer well."  On Sunday, I used Matthew 5 to demonstrate that when Jesus told the people if "someone asks you to go one mile, go instead two miles" he was making a statement that would help get him nailed to a cross.  Romans, especially soldiers, were allowed to compel a Jewish person to drop what they were doing and carry the Roman solider's stuff for one whole mile. Jewish people hated this law.  By carrying the Roman's bags and weaponry, Jews were rendering themselves unclean. You could say that they were breaking the Law of God and enabling a pagan and evil government to operate more efficiently.  There was NO WAY that a Jewish person would agree to carry the stuff for not only one mile, but TWO miles. Jesus, however, made a new law for those who would partake of his Kingdom.  He said, "don't just go one mile...but go TWO miles." These were fighting words for religious people.  How dare Jesus ask them (well, tell them) to do this. This wasn't a suggestion...it was now Law...as was the entirety of the Sermon on the Mount. 

On Sunday,  I added to this context the issue of "binding the conscience." Once again, great theologians have gone before us and vetted this doctrine and have concluded that we cannot "bind the conscience" of another on issues not expressly addressed in Scripture. That "every man should be convinced in his own mind" (Rom 14: 5, Col 2: 23) and that we should respect those convictions.  It is not a "black and white" issue when it comes to baking the cake. There are a whole host of considerations for each individual situation.  Therefore, I stated that it is absolutely possible for a Christian baker to refuse to bake a cake or elect to not only bake one cake, but TWO cakes. Just as Jesus told the Jews to not go "one mile, but two miles."  Some asked if I understood that Jesus was talking about everyday situations...indeed I do understand this and I find that baking a cake is incidental and routine, especially for a baker. 

The civic law that seems to require a Christian baker to bake a cake for a gay wedding is difficult. There is a difference between discriminating against someone because of their race and refusing to support a person's gay marriage.  One is discrimination, and sinful, the other is a matter of conscience. Let's get that said first. That law is just as impossible as it was for a Jewish person, during the time of Jesus, to be required to carry a Roman soldiers' stuff for a mile. Both laws were made by men with agendas that are in direct contrast to the Law of God.  But the law sits there stubbornly on the books. So how does a Christian respond well? Is Glenn Beck our authority on how to respond? Bill O'Reilly? Ann Coulter? Franklin Graham? Or is Jesus our authority and example on how to respond when a civil law is unfair and may cause us to go against our morals? Is there only one "right" response for the Christian baker? Or are there several different responses that could be considered "right" and godly and Gospel driven? Is it possible for one baker to be convinced in his conscience that he cannot possibly bake a cake for this wedding because he would be supporting something he knows is abominable to God? Is it also possible for another Christian baker to feel in his conscience that, although he continues to be convicted that marriage is between a man and a woman, that baking a cake is an incidental and routine way of building a bridge to someone far from God? Is it a matter of conscience when it comes to this issue of baking a cake? Yes.  Absolutely. So the baker should pray over it. Read the word. Evaluate his/her relationship with the individual, be convinced in his own mind, and make the decision based on what the Holy Spirit says. 

I will make your head spin even more...it could be that the same baker would bake a cake for one wedding but not for another wedding based on a variety of issues. Maybe it is a planned gay marriage where one of them is really struggling and wrestling with God...maybe there is a chance that they will still turn back...maybe the baker sees this hope and actually elects NOT to bake the cake in order for their heart to continue to soften. OR imagine that someone is set in their desire to go through with it, but the baker has built a relationship and has told them he disagrees but he sees the cake as a way of being like the Bishop was to Jean Valjean in Les Miserables....Jean Valjean, that miserable low life thief (one of the heinous sins according to Prov 6) had been shown grace by the Bishop yet he abused that grace badly and stole from the gracious Bishop...

"My friend," resumed the Bishop, "before you go, here are your candlesticks. Take them."

He stepped to the chimney-piece, took the two silver candlesticks, and brought them to Jean Valjean. The two women looked on without uttering a word, without a gesture, without a look which could disconcert the Bishop.

Jean Valjean was trembling in every limb. He took the two candlesticks mechanically, and with a bewildered air.

"Now," said the Bishop, "go in peace. By the way, when you return, my friend, it is not necessary to pass through the garden. You can always enter and depart through the street door. It is never fastened with anything but a latch, either by day or by night."

Gospel responses are messy and wild and inconsistent at times! Gospel responses allow the Prodigal Father to run to his whore-loving messed-up son and throw himself on his son. His son didn't deserve that feast!  That "son of his", said the older brother, squandered his Father's money on prostitutes. Gospel responses allow the Bishop to not only provide a cover story for Jean Valjean when the law comes looking for him, but to send him away with the stolen goods and the candlesticks and an open invitation to come back as well! 

Haven't we ALL cursed God with our lives and yet he does more than bake a cake for us or give us candlesticks...he gives us his only begotten Son...it would be like me giving someone CJ or Markie, my precious sons, times a billion, to those who had abused my sons. This is Gospel 101. Is it possible that we are on milk when we should be on solid foods? Is it possible that we, of all people, should be known for "making cakes"? The cake question, I have to admit, should be easy for us (me included). A slippery slope?  Yes, the Gospel is an incredibly slippery slope. 

3. If you are saying that a Christian baker should decide in his own mind what he should do, isn't that a slippery slope that would lead to a Minister "deciding what he should do" as it pertains to performing gay marriage ceremonies?  

This is a GREAT question.  

If I say that in some cases it may be not only ok, but godly and good for a Christian baker to bake a cake for a gay wedding, and that he must convinced in his own heart which direction to take, am I also saying that a minister should "decide for himself" whether or not to officiate at a gay wedding? No. These are two totally different issues.  

A minister of the Gospel cannot and must not officiate a gay wedding. Marriage is instituted by God as being between a man and a woman. A wedding ceremony has friends and family present who both act as witnesses and supporters. The minister is "blessing" and "signing off" on the wedding. In fact, a Christian minister is performing a legal function and doing so in the name of his denomination. So when I officiate a wedding, I am authorized to do so by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA: the smaller conservative Presbyterian denomination).  The PCA has already ruled on homosexuality.  As a PCA Minister, I am acting in their stead…therefore, I couldn’t perform a gay wedding even if I wanted to.  

I would argue that it would be very difficult for a Christian to even ATTEND a gay marriage ceremony because by attending you are witnessing and affirming what you witness. This is why in the older wedding liturgies the witnesses are charged and challenged, "if anyone has reason why these two should not be married speak now or forever hold your peace." That announcement is unfortunately dropped in most modern weddings...but it doesn't change the fact that those in the audience are witnesses and supporters. I suppose a person could register their disapproval in a loving manner and recuse themselves from being "supporting" witnesses...but that is a stretch because you are still there witnessing and supporting by witnessing. This is a long answer to say that baking a cake for a wedding is not comparable to officiating or attending a wedding as a supporting witness.  Baking a cake or tailoring a suit or putting gas in a car that takes a gay couple to their wedding or working in the kitchen at a hotel hosting a gay reception are all impossibly difficult situations that have been caused by man's depravity...but I believe I am on firm theological ground by seeing these issues as highly complex matters of individual consciences.  

These are tough issues!  It is only fair that Christians be given room to openly answer these questions since so much room has been given to others to work through and answer their own questions and to legislate their conclusions. I had a ten year old (!) asking questions tonight about these issues based on things he heard in public school. Crazy times...but we must not shrink back from addressing the issues head on. We won't find ourselves aligned with Republicans or Democrats if we are looking to the Gospel for answers and responses to cultural issues. We should not be choosing the "lesser of two evils" and we should be wary of those who give lip service to these positions. Charles Spurgeon said, "of two evils choose neither." We will be quite alone, odd, and in the minority. I already know I am in the minority, even among evangelical pastors, when it comes to my approach to these cultural issues. I am sure there are areas where I am wrong...there was only one perfect pastor...and we nailed him to a cross. 

I believe these are incredibly exciting days to be a Christian.  There are wonderful opportunities for the church to stand firm, but to offer the hope of the Gospel.  Our response should be Jesus' response to the woman caught in adultery in John 8, "I do not condemn you...go and sin no more." 

Gospel and Culture Series...First Installment

Our culture has rapidly shifted. Many sociologists believe that we are experiencing a 500 year seismic shift that hasn't happened since the Reformation. Marriage equality, gender issues, drug legalization, assisted suicide, police/criminal justice, climate change debates, just and unjust wars, debates over religious freedoms, race-related tensions, terrorism, gun control debates, late term abortion, immigration, universal healthcare, and God and Science are issues bombarding Christians and our children. How should we respond to these issues? With silence? With peacemaking? With love? With posts on social media? With acceptance and compromise? By parroting our favorite political talk show host or politician? 

The Gospel and Culture series was born out of a conviction that Gospel centered reflection is missing from the conversation regarding the cultural shift we are experiencing. The lack of Gospel reflection and application to these issues is bearing devastating fruit...even among many Christian families. Join Senior Pastor Chuck L. Betters this Sunday at 10:30 for the first installment of the Gospel and Culture Series.

Mexico, Men's Breakfast, Red Lion Graduation, Baptist Pastors

A huge thank you to all who showed up after church for lunch, and supported the teens who are going to Mexico on a mission trip. They raised over $2000.00! What a great day at Glasgow Church. Randy and the choir...that was probably the best ever. What an awesome weekend we have had. We had the Red Lion Graduation on Friday night and Pastor George W. Tuten III from Liberty Baptist was the keynote speaker--he knocked it out of the park. We had a men's breakfast Saturday morning and Pastor Dan MacDonald, David MacDonald's Dad brought the word to us and he knocked it out of the park as well. Two Baptist Pastors in one weekend at a Presbyterian Church. Ecumenism at its best.

Mexico Mission Trip

This summer, 32 of our teens and leaders will be traveling to Mexico for a week long mission trip to an orphanage. This kind of trip is a huge undertaking for everyone involved, but from the beginning stages to years after, these trips have a lasting impact that is beyond words.

Tomorrow, after the worship service, we will be hosting a Mexico-themed luncheon in the family life center in order to help raise the funds needed to make this trip happen. We will be having authentic Mexican food homemade by the team which can be eaten in or taken to go:

Empanadas $3.00
Tacos 2.00
Fajitas 2.00
Drinks/Corn/Watermelon 1.00 

These types of events are always great times of fellowship. We will also be having face painting for kids! Your support means a lot to all of us as we push ahead to make this trip happen. We hope many of you will stay for a few minutes after church and get some good food for a great cause.

Valium and Classical Music

I'm so thankful for the gift of classical music. A study was done that showed listening to 30 minutes of classical music is like taking a 5mg Valium. I think the reason why musicians and artists are so different, almost alien-like, is because they tap into a subconscious part of them....this video, along with the Psalms, has sustained me this past week. This was the first Concerto I ever played and I never went back to it, but I think I will. The slow movement (11:30) is probably the most beautiful slow movement of Mozart. If from 16:00--18:00 doesn't cause your soul to stir...I don't know, I guess everyone is different. I know these two guys may seem bizarre to some (the pianist probably belongs in another century)...but they have tapped into something very deep in the human experience. So much of music is passionless and dry because people don't take risks and don't want to put themselves out there. The conductor, Sándor Végh, died in the 90s, and is known as one of the great ensemble players of the 20th century. The Romanian pianist, Radu Lupu, is a recluse who won the three major piano competitions. In a rare interview, he said, "Everyone tells a story differently, and that story should be told compellingly and spontaneously. If it is not compelling and convincing, it is without value." Just put this video on repeat and thank me next week!

Mozart Piano Concerto Number 23, A Major

The Evil Mets, Mollie, and a Taste of Glasgow

I get to have dinner with Darryl Strawberry tonight. That man could hit a baseball. Used to kill the Phillies. I get to hear Natalie Grace Wilson play. I get to hear Randy Voight and Katie Eileen and our choir sing and Stephanie Merkel play. I get to be blessed by my parents Sharon Betters and Chuck Betters ministry in memory of my brother. See a bunch of great friends. Tomorrow I get to take Mollie to a volleyball tournament and hang out where I am just one of the Dads. Tomorrow night is the GCA prom. Sunday morning is worship...I feel that the Holy Spirit gave me a very clear message yesterday to deliver on Sunday, that I think will encourage people in their faith. Sunday evening is our second "Taste of Glasgow". The first one resulted in several young families hearing about our church and coming to the church. Every day is a new blessing. And...Denis Woltemate's fertilizer plan worked! It looks like a green carpet! 

This morning I preached on Mark 5 which covers the grace and mercy Jesus showed to three people...the demon possessed man, a woman who had a blood disease for 12 years, and to the father of a dead 12 year old little girl. 

As I was preaching, I was wondering how relatable the whole thing was. How is grace relatable? I thought...surely there is something I can tell people "to do." Surely it is not as simple as grace. There has to be limits and conditions to grace, right? Even though practically all of our songs are about the love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and our sufficiency in Christ alone...certainly in the "real world" that is just not the way it works. 

Maybe that is because grace comes from another world. To add the descriptors, "limitless" and "unconditional" to the word grace is redundant because the grace of God, by theological definition, is already those things. Thankfully for all of us, God's grace doesn't have a ceiling. 

After I greet people at the door after church, I usually have a question/answer/hang out time back in our conference room...today I believe God sent me three people (one on the way to the room, and two in the room)...a precious woman whose daughter is serving a life sentence in prison, an older woman who has all kinds of health problems, including a blood disorder, she has spent all her money, and regardless of all the help that many at church and doctors have been to her, she is basically destitute and hopeless, and a father who buried his little girl last week. It was uncanny how God dramatized my sermon right before my eyes.

I can pray with them, I can listen to them, I can speak encouragement into their lives, I can be there for them, I can marvel at their moments of joy and strength, but like the three in Mark 5, their only real, tangible and lasting hope is the grace of God in Jesus. 

It sounds esoteric and impractical to say that...how does grace help a parent whose child is in prison? It doesn't get the child out of prison. It doesn't give them Thanksgiving dinners together or give them grand-children. How does grace help a lonely older woman who can't catch a break? People can help out but it is never really enough to soothe the pain and fear that can come with older age...it gets worse not better. What does grace have to do with a parent who has lost a child? Parents aren't supposed to bury their children and the pain doesn't end. How does grace help in that situation? In fact, how does preaching Jesus help in these real life situations? 

Perhaps the healings of Mark 5 are a taste of what is to come in Heaven. The woman's tormented daughter will be free of her prison, the older sickly woman, who just can't find her way, will be whole again, and the Daddy will be reunited with his little girl. One day. Jesus brought Heaven to Earth for a time. The Kingdom of Heaven broke in to this world and he "healed them all." (Matthew 12: 15). 

I am reminded of Question 1 from the Heidelberg Catechism...

What is your only comfort in life and death?

That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

Holy Saturday Reflections

Dear Friends,

Good Friday and Holy Saturday should be observed fully before we celebrate Easter Sunday. So I hesitate to write about Easter Sunday on Holy Saturday. So let's reflect on Holy Saturday for a moment...

Holy Saturday, the day between the Cross and the Resurrection, is a mysterious day. It is the day that Jesus was in the grave. It is a day of great silence. God has died in the flesh. It is a day that doesn't make sense. 

This is one of the most sober days of the Church Year, if not the most sober. This was the day that the disciples thought their Lord had been conquered. 

In a happy-clappy and death-denying world...we want to get past Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday. But if we resist the urge to skip to the empty tomb, Jesus will teach us about the deep meaning of suffering and show us that we are never alone, even when we are in the deepest pain. We can learn that ultimately our suffering leads us to yield to the Father, "into your hands I commit my spirit." Jesus' victory over Satan empowers us to have victory over temptation and evil. Holy Saturday is a day to reflect deeply and quietly on the suffering of Christ, who suffered for us. 

So without passing over Holy Saturday, I want to invite you to tomorrow's Easter Sunday service. Invite others. Post an invitation on social media, send an email blast, or call a friend and invite them. 

I have heard the music being planned for tomorrow and it is going to be awesome. Randy Voight and the choir are singing one particular song that will bring you into the presence of God for sure. I will bring a message on the Miracle of the Resurrection. We will look at it from the aspect of "promises." God makes promises, God keeps promises. The world makes promises and we make promises...the world breaks promises and we break promises. Jesus promised to die on the Cross for our sins. He promises to rise again on the third day. He promised to return sometime in the future. Jesus kept his promises and will keep his promises yet to be realized. 

Even when it seems that all is lost, as it did on Holy Saturday, Jesus delivers on his promises on Easter Sunday. So the question tomorrow will be a simple one, "who keeps their promises...Jesus or the world?" For the world, if we are honest, Holy Saturday is ultimately where the world's promises end. For Christians, the Cross is our past and Easter is the promise of the beginning of our future. Jesus did not die on the Cross and rise from the grave to make bad people good, but to raise dead people to life. That means we are "Resurrection People" in the here and now! We can see the promise of the resurrection all around us. Martin Luther said, "our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf of springtime." 

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." -John 11:25

Quite a promise. 

In Christ Alone, 

Chuck L.

Markie from Thailand Mission Trip

http://www.thailandmission2015.com/2015/01/31/our-last-post/

Covenant Camp

Loved seeing my Aunt Jane and Sherry Bitler who were visiting Glasgow today. It was great to hear about the way God is continuing to use them in ministry. These two were and are so influential in so many young peoples lives. I remember Covenant Camp with Sherry leading and my Aunt Jane and Sue Palmer doing the music...all songs that were relatable to kids yet very biblical. I learned so much from them. Markie, Jeremy Betters, and Robbie Vogan were in my group and I think it was the most fun I have ever seen kids have. Hard to believe that was 14 years ago. All those kids are now entering adulthood. I am thankful for a community of people who help raise my kids as if they were their own.

The Olden Days

At Redemption Church at Red Lion and I realized that the last time I was here for Sunday worship was in 1986. 28 years ago. DaQuan Gibson is preaching on Romans 16..."I urge you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Agogic Moment...Interstellar

Watch the video about the collaboration between Nolan and Zimmer. Especially if you are a creative type. Agogic moment from 4:00-end listening to the pipe organ breathe.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/11/18/making_interstellar_s_score_hans_zimmer_s_soundtrack_explored_in_exclusive.html

Man after God's Own Heart

If God were to sum up your life or my life with just a few words, what words would He use?  

When God summed up King David's life, He used words that were not said of anyone else in Scripture.  God said that David was a "man after God's own heart."  What does it look like to have God’s heart? For one thing, David is not like King Saul, and is not a coward. He is daring, volatile, dangerous, and epic; he feels deeply because he has God’s heart. Beyond just feeling things deeply, David felt conviction about God's Word--he LOVED the Scriptures.  

What about David’s actions? This is the major conflict we run into when we talk about David being a ‘man after God’s own heart’- David did many unrighteous things. One commentator puts it this way: “The deepest of all the mysteries that confront us in the Hebrew Bible is the mystery of how a man as flawed as David can be a man after God’s own heart.”  Theodore Beza, John Calvin's successor, could not think of any other examples of so many horrible crimes coming out of one act (David's adultery with Bathsheba). How is it that God called David a man after his own heart when David had such glaring sin in his life? 

How will God sum up your life?  How will he sum up mine?