Everyday Missionaries

Are you a missionary? I am. I’m not always a faithful missionary. I’m not always an effective missionary. But I am a missionary… and so are you. All who follow Christ are given the mission to make disciples as we go along the road of life. Some are sent overseas. Some are sent to unreached places. Some are freed up to do this vocationally. But we’re all sent into the world together as communities of missionaries (John 20:21).

buy a college essay

We talk about this often with our church. We try to help everyone embrace their identity as a missionary and a vital member of a missionary community (Life Group). For some, this can seem overwhelming, so I want to offer a few practical ideas that can help us approach everyday life as everyday missionaries.

Be regulars
We’ve seen people become a part of our community through relationships built at stores, gyms, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, parks, hospitals and grocery stores. These relationships rarely develop through a single encounter. They grow over time and with regular interactions. Go to the same places for your regular routines. Go to the same coffee shop regularly and build a relationship with the baristas. Go to the same gym at the same time each week and build relationships. Go to the same library at the same story-time session weekly with your kids, and become a part of that community. Shop at the same grocery store at a regular time and go to the same check out each time. Be intentional about visiting the same places for your weekly activities. Get to know the people, remember their names, ask about their kids and their weeks and follow up next time you see them. Before long, you’ll find out that you’re becoming friends.

Build friendships
New friendships require time together — whether it is with your neighbors, coworkers or other people you have met along the road. Eat meals together, go to parks together, watch sporting games together, do hobbies together — just do something together that allows you to share your life, listen, learn and love. In our culture, people will recognize an agenda-driven, salesman approach to friendship. We must actually love people — whether or not they ever come to believe. When you are genuinely friends with someone, they will trust you and listen to your perspective more readily, and they will more readily share their true reasons for not yet believing.

“Show & Tell” the grace of God
As friendships grow, we must model honesty about our own brokenness. Most people imagine Christians to be either clean and put together or hypocrites, so they feel the need to pretend like they have it together. This proclivity to maintain a façade of righteousness hinders us from proclaiming and celebrating the grace of God. Because of God’s grace in Christ, we can be real about who we are — our struggles, our trials, our failures and our joys. We don’t want to boast in our sin, but we do want to be honest about it so that we can boast in the Cross where we have received grace. As friends begin to let us into their lives, we must show God’s grace to them as we accept them, and we must be bold to share with them the good news of God’s grace in Christ.

Invite friends into your community
Introducing unbelievers to your community of believing friends is one of the most neglected, yet important aspects of introducing people to Jesus. Practically, this is the same as building friendships, but it requires finding ways to build friendships with unbelieving friends and believing friends simultaneously. When people see your individual life and your love, they see one good person. When they meet your believing friends, they will (hopefully) meet a community of grace, a community of honest and broken people, a community of servants and a community that loves God’s truth. They will meet the Body of Christ. Your community displays God to the world because God is in you (i.e. y’all). When broken people are accepted by God’s people, they begin to understand that God will accept them too, because of Jesus. Often people come into a real relationship with God after first coming into a meaningful relationship with His people.

Pray like missionaries
If we are God’s missionaries, then we must pray like missionaries. We must pray for opportunities for ourselves and for one another. We must pray for readiness. We must pray for Spirit-filled love. We must pray for patience. We must pray for wisdom. We must pray for awakening. Unless God graciously acts, we will never see people come to new life in Christ. So, above all, we must pray for God to awaken our friends to the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Law & Gospel

If you’ve ever experienced feelings of accusation/guilt/shame/condemnation, then you’ve felt the power of the law. It reveals our brokenness, our sin, our bondage… and ultimately, our need. Need for what? It reveals our need for the liberation that we find in the Gospel of God’s Grace in Christ. When it comes to our growth as followers of Jesus, I can think of nothing more significant than coming to a practical understanding of the role of the law and the power of the Gospel.

essay writer

Here’s a fantastic video with Tullian Tchividjian (Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church) and Jonathan Linebaugh (Professor of New Testament at Knox Theological Seminary) discussing the Law and the Gospel—what they are, what they do, and why it matters.

HT: Tullian Tchividjian

Why Bother with Lent?

Jesus is not a commitment among other commitments, but rather the commitment of our lives.

Over the past couple of years I’ve come to question the purpose of the Lent season. Why do some Christians get ashed up on Wednesday following Mardi Gras? Since Jesus gave up everything for us, why do we continue to give things up during Lent season? Among other questions I believe there is much goodness that can come from a Christian observing Lent.

The Gospel Coalition has a recent blog post from Chuck Colson that highlights 5 benefits to observing Lent. I hope it encourages you, causes you to reflect on Jesus and want to share with a neighbor what this whole Lent thing is about.

Why Bother With Lent?

Typically, evangelicals are shy about Lent. The 40 days prior to Easter—Sundays excepted—are known popularly as a season for giving up chocolate or other extras in order to show God how much we love him. With such impoverished notions, it is no wonder that Lent has fallen on hard times.

So should evangelicals bother with Lent?

Whatever the popular conceptions, the season can encourage gospel-centered piety. But, before considering Lent’s value, let’s briefly discuss the benefits of the church calendar, in general.

Some evangelical traditions reject the notion of the church calendar wholesale, believing that the Lord’s Day is the only God-given measure of time for the church. Some Puritans discarded all special holidays on this principle. But, no matter our efforts, we organize our lives according to some seasonal calendar that’s not prescribed by God (semesters, financial quarters, and months, for example).

Recognizing this, the church’s liturgical calendar seeks to order time around the major events of our redemption in Christ. During these seasons, we encourage certain theological emphases, spiritual practices, and corresponding emotions to instruct and train the church in godliness. Of course, the calendar does not limit the celebration of a truth or the experience of a particular emotion to one season or day. For instance, observing Easter Sunday as a joyous and festive holy day does not deny that every Lord’s Day celebrates Jesus’ resurrection. Rather, a joyous Easter Sunday anchors and gives shape to all other Sundays throughout the year. So it is with the liturgical calendar.
Five Benefits

That said, let’s explore five benefits to observing Lent.

1. Lent affords us the opportunity to search the depths of our sin and experience the heights of God’s love.

With Good Friday approaching, visions of Jesus’ gruesome death remind us of the dreadful reality of sin. Here, our individual and corporate brokenness is on display as the Lord of glory dies under the weight of our just judgment, inspiring personal introspection. Though self-examination can turn into narcissistic navel gazing, such abuses should not foreclose on a godly form of self-examination that encourages humility, repentance, and dependence on Christ.

But for such introspection to remain healthy, we must hold together two realities that converge at the cross—our corruption and God’s grace. If we divorce the two, then our hearts will either swell with pride and self-righteousness, losing touch with our sinfulness, or sink into anxious despair and uncertainty, failing to grapple with mercy.

Confident of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we are free to probe the inner recesses of our hearts, unearthing sin’s pollution. God’s grace liberates us to explore our soul, facing its filth, rather than suppressing or succumbing to its contents. With David, we are free to pray,

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Ps. 139:23-24)

Searching us, God discovers nothing unknown to him (Ps 139:1-3), but discloses the secrets of our hearts, allowing us to know ourselves. Under his tender scrutiny, God exposes, not to shame, but to heal. Thus, turning inward, we are led upward to find consolation, hope, and transformation through Jesus Christ. Certainly, such piety isn’t the exclusive property of any church season, but Lent provides a unique setting for this self-examination.

2. Lent affords us an opportunity to probe the sincerity of our discipleship.

Jesus bore the cross for us, accomplishing our salvation, yet he also bestows a cross on us (Mt. 10:38-39; Lk. 9:23). Following him, Jesus guarantees unspeakable comforts and uncertainties (Jn. 16:32-33). Frequently, these uncertainties test the genuineness of our discipleship. Consider the following examples from Jesus’ ministry.

the argumentative essay

In Matthew 8:18-22, two people approach Jesus, proclaiming their desire to follow him. One, a scribe, offers his undying devotion saying, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus responds by instructing the scribe about the rigors of following him, explaining that foxes and birds enjoy more comfort than he does. Perceiving selfish ambition, Jesus reminds the scribe that following him is not a means for advancing in the world, but rather involves forsaking it. We don’t know how this scribe responded to the challenge, but Jesus leaves us with the question, “Will we follow him when it is inconvenient or only when comfortable and to our advantage?”

The second, a disciple, requests to attend his father’s funeral before going on with Jesus. Jesus takes the opportunity to reveal the disciple’s heart, unveiling his ultimate affections. He says, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Remember, Jesus warns us that we cannot love father and mother, or anything else, above him (Mt. 10:37). Obviously, Jesus does not forbid loving our parents or attending their funerals, but he does insist on being first in our hearts. Jesus is not a commitment among other commitments, but rather the commitment of our lives. Therefore, as Augustine points out, we must take care to order our loves properly, ensuring that our affections are set on Christ and not another.

In this way, Lent provides opportunity to question and examine ourselves, exploring the integrity of our discipleship.

3. Lent provides us an opportunity to reflect on our mortality.

Pursuing eternal youth, our culture seems to live in the denial of death. But ignoring death does not erase its impartiality—everyone who draws a first breath will take a last one. It is a certainty we can’t escape (Heb. 9:27). Fortunately, death is not the last word. For all who belong to Christ, there is a promise stronger than death—we will die, but Jesus will return to raise our bodies, wiping the tears from our eyes and making all things new (1 Cor. 15:12-28; Rev. 21:1-8).

The most difficult moment I face each year, as an Anglican pastor, is to apply the ashes, in the sign of a cross, to the foreheads of my wife and children on Ash Wednesday. It is an intimate and haunting moment. Echoing the words of Genesis 3:19, I say, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It is jarring. Every year, I cry.

Yet the ashes are applied in the shape of Jesus’ cross—the only means for escaping the dust of death. When God raised Jesus, he raided death, destroying its power. Jesus’ resurrection marks the death of death and welcomes us into a living hope (1 Pt. 1:3). This is our consolation and joy in the midst of our mortality.

Lent provides an unmistakable opportunity for disciplined reflection on this neglected certainty and God’s radical solution.

4. Lent gives us the opportunity to move towards our neighbor in charity.

Long misunderstood as a form of works-righteousness, Lenten fasting is not about scoring points with God, but rather emphasizes simplicity for the sake of others. By temporarily carving away some comforts or conveniences, good gifts from God himself, we hope to de-clutter our hectic lives, allowing us to focus. Simple living allows us to reserve time for others while also serving to curb our expenses. It is fitting to allocate these savings, along with other gifts, for charitable purposes, especially directing those funds to the poor and marginalized.

So search your heart and go simple. Consider fasting from types of food, technology, and/or sources of entertainment. Live frugally, and do so for the sake of charity. Find a cause, or better yet a person, and give sacrificially. And, in so doing, may you know the joy of Jesus who gave himself fully to us.

5. Lent prepares us to celebrate the wonder and promise of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Here, Jesus trampled down sin and death, defeating the Devil (Heb. 2:14-15). After a season of depravation, highlighting the grim reality of our broken creation, Jesus’ resurrection floods our grief with life and light. In other words, Lent prepares us to join the disciples in their joy and bewilderment on that strange morning long ago (Mt. 28:8; Mk. 16:8; Lk. 24:12). Our Easter worship is a dress rehearsal for our Lord Jesus’ return when he comes to unite heaven and earth, making all things new (Eph. 1:10; Rev. 21:1-8).

And so, I invite you to a holy Lent. Take up the opportunity to dwell upon the grief of our broken world, the sin within your heart, and the deep love of God that exceeds these realities. Reflecting on the hospitality of God, consider the needs of your neighbor, especially those without life’s basic needs. And, most importantly, in the gritty details of Lent, don’t forget—Easter is coming!

Discipleship Resources

In the sermon today, we saw that disciples make disciples. This is supposed to be a given for Christians, it is part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. For many of us, one of the biggest obstacles is knowing where to begin or how to do it. As Tim Chester and Steve Timmis say in Total Church, “most gospel ministry involves ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.” Discipleship happens when we are living life together in community and helping each other to apply the gospel to every area of our lives. This is what we are trying to accomplish with our Life Groups. Our hope is that your Life Group is not merely a weekly meeting but a springboard for deeper relationships and more effective mission. To disciple one another effectively, it can be very helpful to structure in regular times to get together with a smaller group to talk about life, to speak God’s Word into each other’s lives with love and care, and to pray for one another and encourage one another toward christlikeness. Below I have listed some resources that I have found helpful in various contexts. Let your Life Group leader know if you need more guidance.

• Connect, Talk, Read the Word, Pray – This is not exactly a resource, but it is powerful and transforming to regularly be with a couple of other believers in the Word together and praying together.
• Gospel DNA – A free resource from Soma Communities that is meant for a group of 3-4 to go through for several weeks and then to multiply your group and take others through it. Focuses on applying the gospel to all areas of our lives so that we can become more like Jesus.
• Multiply – Another free resource from Francis Chan that is designed to go through with a small group. Requires participants to read a short chapter each week and to get together to talk through the various application questions. Focuses on understanding Discipleship, The Church, How to Read the Word, and the Biblical Storyline. Also pushes groups toward multiplication.
• Book Studies – Our recommended reading page has books about the centrality of the gospel, christian living books, books on marriage and parenting and evangelism and apologetics as well as some Christian classics. Talk with someone about reading through a book and getting together to talk about how God is using it in your life.
hire essay writer

O Come, Thou Dayspring!

There is a tension between the merriment of the Christmas season, and the darkness that is so prevalent in our world, in our communities, in our homes, and in our own hearts. The reality of this tension is not something that should be hidden in the closet for a month, only to re-emerge when its reality can no longer be suppressed by distractions and festivities. The tension between joy and sorrow, peace and pain, light and darkness should fuel our worship of the God who entered into the darkness like the dawn breaks into the night!

“O Come, Thou Dayspring! Come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here! Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight!”

The profound meaning of this classic Christmas Carol can get lost in its familiarity and its poetic language. The verse seems to allude to Isaiah 9:2-7, where Israel, in the face of coming judgment and tribulation, is encouraged to look forward to the birth of a special Child, a Son. This Son would be a light shining into the darkness—like the dayspring [i.e. dawn] puts an end to the clouds of night. His advent [i.e. His coming] would bring an end to the suffering. He would cause wars to cease. He would bring peace. He would do this by removing the root cause: our sin and the consequent curse of separation from God. He would be Emmanuel, God-with-us.

“Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”

We can rejoice because Immanuel came to remove the curse by becoming the curse. We can rejoice because He is at work to “make His blessings known far as the curse is found.” And we can rejoice because Emmanuel will come again!

writer essay

Long lay the world in sin and error, pining ‘til he appeared, and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope! The weary world rejoices! For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Apologetics for Everyone

1 Peter 3:14-16 – But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason (Greek: apologian) for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

a•pol•o•get•ics | əˌpäləˈjetiks |

When people think of apologetics, they typically think of some sort of intellectual debate or argument defending the Christian faith against some form of intellectual opposition. Though there are contexts where this type of debating can be helpful, this is not what apologetics was meant to be.

1 Peter 3:15 is the classic text from which the term apologetics comes from. People often take the verse to mean something like, “always be prepared to defend Christianity.” This leads people to spend time learning intellectual rebuttals to intellectual attacks on the faith. The reality is though, that’s not what Peter was talking about. In the context of the letter, Peter is encouraging suffering Christians to live as God’s distinct and holy people. Specifically in chapter 3, he is encouraging these persecuted Christians to have unity, sympathy, love, and humility toward all people; to refrain from retaliation, to love their enemies, to seek peace with all people, all the while looking to Jesus as the supreme example of this type of faithful witness. Peter knows that when the Christian community lives this unique type of life, it will inevitably provoke questions about the source of this unusual and attractive hope.

writing coursework

“How is it that you all can love like you do?” “How can you remain faithful in the face of suffering?” “Why do you serve people who mistreat you?” “Where does your hope come from?” Peter says, when these questions come, be prepared to give a reason (apologia) for the hope that is in you?

Apologetics then, is answering the questions raised by the distinctive lifestyle of our Christian community.

If this is the case, the main question for us as the Christian community is: Are we actually living in a way that would provoke these types of questions? Is our lifestyle distinct from the world’s? Do we love people that are unlovable? Do we serve people who are thankless and unappreciative? Do we have hope in the midst of suffering? Do we give to those in need even when it hurts? And do we do these things in context where this love can be seen and experienced by those who do not know Christ?

In other words, is our Christian community an attractive light in the midst of a broken city? And are we living in a way to make that light visible to the people around us who still live in darkness?

Like a Liver or a Big Toe

From Porterbrook:

Remember that the church is neither an end in itself, nor is it merely a means to an end…Church is a place where Jesus reigns and where people will catch a glimpse of people loving and serving one another. Church is God’s Kingdom with flesh on it. It is a glorious phenomenon.

The Crossing is a church plant, and one of the greatest personal benefits that I have received from being part of this church plant has been a greater understanding of what church actually is. That’s not to say that my previous church experience was devoid of this, but this reality has come into sharper focus as I’ve matured alongside this growing body.

In so doing, though, it has become rather easy to think of building the church as an end in itself. And when I notice myself thinking in this way, the pendulum swings (as pendulums often do) to the other side, which is isolation.

I regularly find myself way too focused on how to gather more people by meeting with them, inviting them to my Life Group, or to a Sunday gathering, or to any other church community related activity. This happens until I notice my ability to simply sit and adore Jesus has become severely diminished. The response to that is often frustration at my busy schedule (and the people who fill it) and a tendency to seclude myself from others so that I can have those personal quiet times in devotion. This usually continues until I notice that I’ve been so isolated from community that I get frustrated with myself yet again, and the cycle starts over.

Neither of these extremes is healthy, and I propose trying to strike a balance is not the answer.

Rather, what I think is right is for us to put Christian community in its proper context. Simply, church is the expression of God’s people as they come together to live in a community that models what reconciliation with God looks like by living with each other in a reconciled way. This means we can forgive each other (Ephesians 4:32), serve one another (Philippians 2:3-4), pray with one another (1 Thessalonians 5:17), speak the word to each other (Colossians 3:16), eat with one another (Acts 2:42), etc.

The church is a spiritual community. Therefore in order to have our spiritual satisfaction, it’s helpful to understand that our spiritual life is not confined to personal devotion time, though not to the utter neglect of that time. But is it possible that Christian community can be utilized for our growth in godliness in a more healthy and significant way than we typically conceive?

So what does this mean for our church context?

Firstly, we need to fight against the idea that church is something that you attend. Instead, church is something that you participate in. Like the liver participates in digestion and detoxification, or a big toe participates in balance. I have no body parts that merely attend my body.

Secondly, I want us to become a community that worships and enjoys Jesus through and with one another. The emphasis of the New Testament is that the church is the context in which worship, personal growth, community growth, and mission take place. This is in stark contrast to the popular view that spirituality takes place in one’s own quiet room or in the isolation of the mountains.

Let us consider whether or not there is something we could learn here that not only benefits our own personal walks, but also influences and builds the community of God that is The Crossing in Fort Collins.

A Case for Fiction: East of Eden

“In reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself…I see with a myriad of eyes, but it is still I who see.”
― C.S. Lewis

Truth is a constant, powerful light. It shines down to us from our Father and illuminates all that it touches. From beyond the dark and hazy present, bright rays break through to remind us of our Heavenly City, and our unveiled encounter that awaits with Truth himself.

This is why I love to read great fiction. As the sun’s light reflects differently upon our mountains, so the great story of life is cast in shadow and light across our many tales. Though they can’t be counted upon to portray truth entirely, great stories remind us that God’s grand narrative is ever unfolding. They awaken and inspire our imaginations. In an age of skepticism, stories help us believe that invisible things are real.

Many of the minds that remind of these things are themselves blind to the person and work of Christ. Yet, humans made in the image of God are unable to escape the age-old rhythms that point to our creator. It is the universal insights into these rhythms that may stir our hearts and minds into worship. As a fictional child becomes aware of its breath, we then become aware of the God who gives life. While an imaginary father despairs that his son is following his fallen example, we may think of Jesus who was perfect in his Father’s business. Melody is added to rhythm, and with our God-given creativity, we may sing along in time.

essays online to buy

One example of such insight comes from the mind of John Steinbeck. In his classic novel, “East of Eden”, Steinbeck tells the story of two families that, try as they might, could not outrun the fallen patterns of our ancient ancestors. Many asides are woven into the story to give shape and meaning, but the following seems one of the best.

“...Samuel could remember hearing of a cousin of his mother’s in Ireland, a knight and rich and handsome, and anyway shot himself on a silken couch, sitting beside the most beautiful woman in the world who loved him. ‘There’s a capacity for appetite,’ Samuel said, ‘that a whole heaven and earth of cake can’t satisfy.‘”

In a way this tells the story of a broken world; an eternally thirsty people lapping at the bottom of their empty cisterns. There is an insatiable desire at the core of humanity, and many spend their entire lives searching for satisfaction. We could let this brief story rest at that lowly point, or we could imagine joy everlasting. There are rivers and bread that satisfy always; there is a God who does not leave us wanting. It’s the greatest story ever told.

Simplified Missional Living

At The Crossing, we talk a lot about living on mission. What we mean by missional living is that we are to be approaching life as a community of missionaries called to make disciples of Jesus in our city, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, etc. The task of reaching our city with the gospel is not meant to be some program oriented task for those who like that sort of thing. It’s a part of our identity as disciples of Jesus, and this missional identity should dictate the way that we approach life in every context (See the post on Everyday Evangelism). For some, thinking and living missionally is a major paradigm shift, so I wanted to repost this list of some simple ways to live on mission in your everyday life from Jonathan Dodson (pastor and author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship):

narrative writing topics

EAT WITH NON-CHRISTIANS

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

WALK, DON’T DRIVE

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

BE A REGULAR

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

HOBBY WITH NON-CHRISTIANS

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

TALK TO YOUR CO-WORKERS

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

VOLUNTEER WITH NON-PROFITS

Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

PARTICIPATE IN CITY EVENTS

Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

SERVE YOUR NEIGHBORS

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

http://www.theresurgence.com/Dodson_Simplified_Missional_Living

Everyday Evangelism

Fellow intern Daniel Smith sent this blog to me. I’ve found it very helpful and is certainly the sort of thing that is within the vision for the Crossing. It’s written by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, who have written a couple of helpful books on what church is, and this is an excerpt from a new one (Everyday Church) that I will likely recommend. Enjoy it and discuss it below! Check out the blog here.

help with writing an essay

Book Report - What Is the Gospel? Part Two

Last week, I began a book report on Greg Gilbert’s What Is the Gospel? (Crossway, 2010), so I would advise you to read that before beginning here, but I hope that this second post will be helpful for seeing how many of the key aspects of the gospel are all tied together.
Chapter Six: The Kingdom

Though God’s rule, in a sense, extends over everything, there is a deeper and fuller reality to the kingdom of God. His kingdom is a kingdom that is thoroughly extended to those who have been redeemed by the King himself. In his sacrifice upon the cross, Jesus made a way for people into his kingdom by his blood.

Poorly conceived, the notion of the kingdom of God was just the thought that the people of God would be restored in their own earthly kingdoms, namely the Israelites in Palestine. The prophetic scheme, however, pointed to three very different savior types long before Jesus was on the scene. There was the prophesied Messiah (king) found throughout the Psalms and prophets, but there was also this divine being called “the Son of Man” from Daniel, and additionally an atonement providing suffering servant in Isaiah. It wasn’t until Jesus arrived that it could be clearly seen that these three were actually the same One. So, what we have then, is a King of divine origin who rules over his people, but his people are only those who were purchased by his atoning blood. They do not have a geographically defined border. As the Peter says, “I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh,” (1 Peter 2:11).

So back to the question, what is this kingdom? In order to answer that, we must first realize that the kingdom is not some sort of earthly realm. Jesus came on the scene proclaiming that the kingdom of God had arrived (Matthew 12:28). As I mentioned above, a critical key to the kingdom of God is that it is a kingdom of redemption, where Christ’s redemptive work for his people is the basis for inclusion in the kingdom. Our King loves us.

So if you think about it, the kingdom of God is found in the church, though the church itself is not the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is still being built and it will be fully culminated when everything under heaven and earth has been restored to the King. However, though the problems of death, sin, evil, and suffering still remain, in their essence they were dealt with at the cross. As death itself was robbed of its power at the resurrection, there will be a day when death will die, a day when sin and evil will be annihilated, and when suffering will be crushed under the weight of glory. This will fully occur in the new heavens and the new earth. But if you want an appetizer of the things that are to come, then come to the church to experience lives redeemed by a very good, and very powerful King as they are helped and guided by his Spirit.

Chapter Seven: Keeping the Cross at the Center

There is a danger in capitulating to the thought that there needs to be more than the cross to the solution that the gospel gives us for all of life’s problems. This is simply untrue. When it comes to our standing before God, the cross is all that we have. How else would this holy and righteous Creator be able to allow those of us who had rejected him into his presence? It is tempting to present the nuances of the gospel (themes of lordship, re-creation, cultural transformation, etc.) as the gospel itself, but apart from the message of the cross, that gospel is gospel-less. It may be tempting to try and not mention it because it incurs the ridicule of the world, but it is infinitely better to be seen as a fool by the world, than as a fool by the Lord of the world.

Chapter Eight: The Power of the Gospel

It is incredibly easy to lose sight of the gospel. Incredible because it is such a vastly huge and important feature of what our lives ought to be all about, and yet we miss it so often. This is because we still wage war with our lazy, tired, sinful flesh. However, if we are to live in the light of the gospel, it will do several things. Understanding and meditating on it will cause us to rest our tired hearts in the Lord himself, he is our promised rest (Matthew 11:28). We will also begin to love God’s people more, since we know that they have come to know, love, and rest in that very same savior. The deep reality of God’s grace to us will also give us mouths that are prepared to speak the gospel into a world that is just as lost as we once were (and still would be if it weren’t for him).  And lastly, it will give us a deep longing for the Lord’s return, when his kingdom will be consummated. But more importantly, it will be when his people will be able to behold him free from sin once and for all.

Concluding Remarks

As I mentioned in my introduction in the last post, this was a great book. Even going over it again reminded me of so many things that I wish I would have posted in here, but didn’t for lack of space. Honestly, find it and buy it. It is a worthwhile investment for your own understanding of God’s rescue plan as well as a great resource to get in the hands of others. It’s incredibly accessible and easy to read. Most of us would be able to finish it in a day or two. I just hope that some of the remarks made in these posts will be worthwhile, and I hope it give you  greater desire to go adore and serve our King.

Book Report – What Is the Gospel?

In this two-part post, I’m going to review the excellent book “What Is the Gospel?” by Greg Gilbert.

Though we are submerged in a culture that is hesitant to communicate convictions with clarity, we as the church are commissioned to call people to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, how many of us Christians are able to clearly articulate what this gospel is?

I had the great privilege of recently reading Greg Gilbert’s What Is the Gospel? (2010 Crossway). If you’ve ever struggled with what the connection is between the gospel of the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus himself (Matthew 4:23) and the gospel of Jesus that is typically explained by his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (1 Corinthians 15:3-5), this book wonderfully articulates the links between the two and gives the reader a deeper understanding and appreciation of what the gospel is all about.

Here, I have provided a chapter by chapter summary of Gilbert’s book, but might I recommend that you buy a copy, and then when you’re finished buy more to give to believer and unbeliever alike. We’ll go over the first five chapters today and the last three later this week.

Introduction:

“My sense is that far too many Christians would answer with something far short of what the Bible hold out as ‘the gospel of Jesus Christ.’” p.15

Simply put, Gilbert wonders aloud what contemporary evangelicalism’s grasp on the gospel actually is. He argues (successfully) that the ability to understand and articulate the gospel have severely diminished even within the evangelicalism.

Chapter One: Finding the Gospel in the Bible

“God. Man. Christ. Response.” p.32

Authority for defining what the gospel is can only be found in God’s word, though we can’t just rely on a simple word study of “gospel” to find a thorough explanation of it. New Testament writers may not even mention the word “gospel” in their articulation of it, but it is a prominent thread woven into thoughts and arguments of nearly all of the New Testament’s writings.

Chapter Two: God the Righteous Creator

“No, the Bible tells us that God is good. He knew what was best for his people, and he gave them laws that would preserve and increase their happiness and well-being.” p.42

“A common view of God is that he’s much like an unscrupulous janitor. Instead of really dealing with the world’s dirt—its sin, evil, and wickedness—he simply sweeps it under the rug, ignores it, and hopes no one will notice. In fact, many people cannot conceive of a God who would do anything else. ‘God judge sin?’ they say. ‘Punish me for wickedness? Of course he wouldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be loving.’” p.43

There are many modern day misconceptions about who God is. He is a Creator, but more importantly, He is our Creator. He made humanity and, therefore, has the authority to dictate how our existence ought to be. Since He is good, He does not just give us arbitrary rules. Regardless, we rebel. God has revealed himself as one who forgives, but He will deal with evil.

Chapter Three: Man the Sinner

“Most people have no problem at all admitting that they’ve committed sins (plural), at least so long as they can think about those sins as isolated little mistakes in an otherwise pretty good life—a parking ticket here or there on an otherwise clean record.”  p.54

Sin is the rejection of God’s rightful rule over humanity. It is something we are guilty of corporately, but also individually, and we will be held accountable. This is scary, because the end result of this is eternal separation from God in a place of conscious torment called Hell. We not only have a tendency to diminish this reality, but also sin itself. The examples of how we mischaracterize sin in this chapter are very helpful.

Chapter Four: Jesus Christ the Savior

Left to ourselves, we would all be a bunch of hell-bound sinners on account of our rejection of God’s rule, BUT God did not leave us there. Instead he sent his Son, Jesus Christ the righteous Davidic King to roll back the effects of the Fall (think miracles) in the inauguration of his Kingdom. However, this alone does not deal with the problem of sin, therefore, on top of being a righteous King, Jesus was also the suffering servant who was slain for our sin (shadowed by the Passover lamb).  Because he suffered in the body as a man, we now have access to God because we have a perfect representative. Not only that, but we have the hope of eternal life because of his vindicating resurrection.

Chapter Five: Response—Faith and Repentance

“Faith is not believing in something you can’t prove, as so many people define it. It is, biblically speaking, reliance. A rock-solid, truth-grounded, promise-founded trust in the risen Jesus to save you from sin.” p.74

“But because we will continue to struggle with sin until we are glorified, we have to remember that genuine repentance is more fundamentally a matter of the heart’s attitude toward sin than it is mere change in behavior. Do we hate sin and war against it, or do we cherish it and defend it?”  p.81

Rather than a belief in something totally devoid of any reality, faith is the ability to trust in the resurrected Jesus to save you from your sin. This is why one is “justified” by faith. In that exchange, belief in the complete work of Jesus and his perfect righteousness is attributed to you if you believe in him. It is righteousness that we couldn’t earn, so it had to be given to us. The other side of the coin is repentance. Repentance involves turning away from sin and turning to God, but in no way means that someone is now without sin. Rather, it is a reassignment of masters. So though we still struggle with sin, there is now a hatred of it and a fight against it. This will result in a life that bears fruit. True salvation cannot be devoid of either of these two things.

Be sure to check back later this week, when we’ll review the chapters that tie it all together. We’ll be looking at the Kingdom, the centrality of the cross, and the gospel’s power.

This is Discipleship

This is what we are all about: Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the joy of His people.

Keep Your Eyes on Good Examples

On Sunday, we were looking at Philippians 3:12-21 where Paul describes his life as a race to know Christ and make Him known. Paul then tells us to follow the example that we have in him and in others who similarly treasure the gospel and run hard after Christ.
Other than Jesus himself, no human—including the Apostle Paul (Phil 3:12-13)—has ever achieved perfection on this side of the resurrection, so we are not looking to follow the example of people who think they have it all together. Rather, we are looking to follow imperfect people who treasure Christ and the Gospel and put no confidence in their own efforts (Phil 3:3). People who treasure the Gospel will find freedom to admit their need to grow and will find fuel to run hard after knowing Christ. The finish line of the race is the end of your earthly life and the subsequent resurrection. The prize is Christ—to know Him fully, even as we are fully known (1 Cor 13:12).

In the sermon, I mentioned three categories of people that we should “imitate” and “keep our eyes on” as we treasure the Gospel and run hard after Christ: (1) people in the Bible who treasured God’s glory, (2) People in church history who ran well and finished well, and (3) people in our own church community who are running hard after Christ.

1. Examples from the Bible – Hebrews 11 gives a good starting point for examples of people who walked by faith. I am often amazed by the people that made this list—this ‘Hall of Faith’. The reality is, many of these people who demonstrate amazing faith also demonstrate gross failures. This is one of the things that I love about the Bible, aside from a couple of exceptions, even the greatest “heroes of the faith” are portrayed as mere men and women with their own struggles and failures and their dependence of the grace of God. The book of Acts also gives great examples of people who were fueled by faith in Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and driven to lay down their lives for the Gospel and for others. As Paul said, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” (Philippians 3:17)
2. Examples from Church History – One place to whet your appetite for good examples is to listen to John Piper’s biographical lecture series entitled “Men of Whom The World Was Not Worthy“. Here Piper explores the lives (both strengths and weaknesses) of people who laid down their lives for Christ and His Kingdom. Over the years, Piper has spoken on Jonathan Edwards, Charles Simeon, David Brainerd, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, William Cowper, J. Gresham Machen, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, St. Augustine, John Bunyan, John G. Paton, John Newton, William Wilberforce, and Adoniram Judson. Piper’s wife, Noël, has written a book entitled Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God (available for free online) in which she explores the lives of five faithful women: Sarah Edwards, Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim, and Helen Roseveare. Each of these men and women have strengths and weaknesses, but what holds them in common is their faithfulness and commitment to the cause of Christ even in the midst of opposition and suffering. Pick individuals that intrigue you, read their biographies, and follow their example of faith. “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11-12)
3. Examples from our own community – Look to surround yourself with people who treasure the gospel, repent from sin, and run hard after knowing Jesus. Follow those people, and become one of them, so that you can say with integrity and true humility, “I’m not there yet, but I am learning to treasure the gospel and run hard after Christ. Follow me as I follow Jesus.”

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2

Church Plants - To Join or Not To Join

This blog post was adapted from TheResurgence.com:

Top 10 Reasons to Join a Church Plant:

1. If you want to see Jesus do something new and are sick of the status quo.
2. If you dream of being part of something bigger than yourself.
3. If you want to get into a fight/enter a battle for the kingdom of Christ.
4. If you feel a constant itch to see people who don’t know Jesus come to know Jesus and you believe church planting is the best way for the gospel to advance.
5. If you want to give your time, money, energy, and talents to starting something new and you want to make sacrifices to see a mission to succeed.
6. If you fully support the vision, mission, doctrine, and leadership of a church plant.
7. If you want your faith to grow and you want God to fundamentally meddle with and change your life.
8. If you want to love your city.
9. If you want to watch God move in ways you never imagined and you want an adventure (with all it’s discomfort and risk).
10. If you’re not afraid to bank your life on Matthew 16:18 (“I [Jesus] will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”).

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Join a Church Plant:

1. If you’re looking for the next cool thing in town (We want to grow by conversion growth, not church-goer transfer growth).
2. If you’re a Christian and you don’t like your current church (You will find reasons to not like this church).
3. If you have a bad track record at churches of being unteachable and causing problems (You won’t change here, you’ll repeat the pattern).
4. If you’re a consumer wanting to “go to church” once a week for a nice show (We are not a Sunday show, we are a community of disciples on a mission).
5. If you want religion (This church will be built on the radical gospel of grace).
6. If you have an agenda (We have our vision, our mission, and our values—your private agenda does not supercede them).
7. If you’re a wolf (We will sniff you out).
8. If you think this will be a nice little church that stays the same size, where everybody knows your name and you have my cell number on speed dial and we have a picnic lunch together every week (By God’s grace, we want to grow).
9. If you think this will be easy and smooth (This will be hard and difficult; this will be a fight, a battle, and a challenging mission).
10. If you want to hold onto your comfortable life (You must lose your life).

Also, a quote from Sir Ernest Shackleton, from the advertisement he used when recruiting men for his expedition to Antarctica in 1914:

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.

Coffee Stains and Covenants

The bible is a book to be abused.
Now give me a second to qualify that statement.

There is a lot in the bible. So much, in fact, that some shy away from reading for fear that there are just too many pages. I can sympathize with that. And let us not forget that its immensity has oftentimes led to its misinterpretation. However, my heart behind these biblical theology seminars has been to make the immensity of the bible manageable and in so doing provide clarity in our interpretation.

Making it manageable, though, still requires work. It requires that we wring out the pages in order to obtain their life giving waters. It demands that we wrestle with confusing texts until we pin down their meaning. Familiarity with the bible requires that we awake it early in the morning and argue with it late into the night. I hope the pages of your bible become covered with coffee stains. It’s a good indicator that you’re fighting (1 Timothy 6:12).

If we can grasp the bible, we are hanging onto the very power of God’s word (1 Corinthians 1:18), and that is worth contending for.

Covenants are more than just theological terms

Back to manageability, though. One way in which we can begin to grasp our bibles (and see how they preach Christ crucified start to finish) is to get a handle of covenants.

The bible is filled with covenants, some between God and man, man and man, and sometimes even between God and God. So what is a covenant?

A couple weekends ago we learned that a covenant is a treaty between two kings: one great, one small (or vassal). Covenants were common to the ancient near east culture where the bible was written. In God’s revelation, when He makes a covenant, He is condescending to our thoughts and paradigms to reveal Himself as a King in yet another way. Don’t let this thought trouble you, rather, let it magnify your appreciation of His mercy.

These covenants typically involved the great king promising some type of protection or blessing to the king and kingdom of the lesser. On the vassal king’s side, he was to swear allegiance and obedience to the great king. If he obeyed, he was blessed. If he disobeyed, he received curses and wrath.

This was the normal case, and is referred to as a “covenant of works.” However, every once in a while a great king would just make a promise to a lesser king (or a nobleman, a brave warrior, etc.) in which no obedience was demanded. The king would just want to bless. This is referred to as a “covenant of grace.” We’ll see the profound differences between the two as we work through these seminars (I briefly explained it in the seminar). God makes both types of covenants with different people at different times throughout the bible, and it’s important to know what kind of covenant we find ourselves in with God and, therefore, the basis of our blessing.

Covenant structure

So what were these covenants like? We can learn a good deal just by looking at the typical structure. Usually, covenants would contain the following:

• Preamble -  identifies the great king who authors the covenant
• Historical prologue – what the great king has already done for the vassal king
• Stipulations – what is expected of the vassal king
• Document clause – requirement that both kings carry a copy of the covenant and read it to the people on a regular basis
• List of blessings – rewards for vassal king’s obedience
• List of curses – consequences for vassal king’s disobedience

An excellent example of this can be found in Exodus 20:2-17. Read it, and you should be able to readily identify the preamble, the historical prologue and the stipulations.

There are a few additional things to note about covenants.

Firstly, they are generational. This means that the covenant is binding not only on the people who were alive when the covenant was made, but also their descendants after them (see Exodus 30:47).

Secondly, though it was the king who would enter into the covenant, the people underneath that king were also bound by it.  Therefore, the vassal king’s (or the kingdom’s) obedience or disobedience would result in either the people’s being blessed or cursed.

Lastly, covenants were cut. That is to say, covenants were sealed with blood. Usually by the sacrifice of an animal. In doing so, the kings essentially said to each other, “If I don’t keep this covenant, may it be done to me as it was done to these animals.”

If you would like to see a reconstruction of the story of the animal sacrifice in Genesis 15 in God’s covenant with Abraham, check out the blog I’ll be posting in the near future. I hope to convey the significance of the cut there.

Identifying the major covenants in the bible

In terms of our second most recent seminar, we went over the six major covenants of Scripture. On account of how busy these couple of weeks are turning out to be, I’ve decided to just post the (lightly edited) notes that I made and used in the seminar. If you were there (or plan on listening), you’ll see we covered some, but not all of these, so feel free to read at your leisure and think through these things as you go:

• CREATION COVENANT – Genesis 2:15-17
  Key reference verses – Romans 5:12-21
  In Adam all die (“death reigned”)
• Type – Works
• Stipulations: “don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” v. 17
• Between God and – Adam (and his seed, all of mankind)
• Blessing – Eternal life in the Garden, uninterrupted perfect fellowship with God
• Additionally the way they were blessed in Genesis 1:28 (fruitful multiply and have dominion)
• Curse – Death (see Romans 5 again); the changing of the blessings into curses, the earth is cursed (Gen. 3)
• Sign – ? maybe the tree of life (they could have partook of that instead of knowledge)
• Additional Notes/Implications –
• The curses reflect the blessings in cursed form (compare Genesis 1:28-30 and Genesis 3:16-19 and notice the changes)
• The covenant of redemption (theological covenant, that is to say a covenant made between the Persons of our Triune God) is a covenant of grace that shows up after Adam broke covenant  and promises redemption (Genesis 3:15)
• From Romans 5 we learn that Christ is a better covenant head
• Even though through the disobedience of Adam we all die (and disobey), Christ triumphs over that as a better Adam and a better covenant head

• NOAHIC COVENANT – Genesis 9:8-17 (see surrounding verses, too)
• Key reference verses – Genesis 9:11, Isaiah 54:9-10 (refers to new covenant that will be like Noahic covenant)
• Type – Grace
• Between God and – Noah and his descendants (all of mankind) [v.9-10]
• Blessing – fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, have dominion over it [9:1-3]; judgment is postponed
• Curse – NONE
• In the flood mankind was reaping the curses from the Creation Covenant
• Sign – Rainbow [9:13]
• Additional Notes/Implications –
• Note the shedding of blood in Gen 8:20 [I think this is the “cut”]
• Genesis 3:17, the ground is cursed; Genesis 8:21, God will not curse the ground again àis this foreshadowing the removal of the curse? I think so, but only foreshadowing its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
• The covenant is primarily between God and Noah, but it includes all of mankind
• It also includes the other creatures of the earth
• You get the re-establishment of the proper function of God’s order (though not fully)
• Notice how God gave Noah blessings like that are similar to the ones he gave Adam
• However, humanity is still tainted by sin (Genesis 8:21 – every intention is evil, that’s why He destroyed it in the first place), this is pointing to a greater restoration still.
• INCREDIBLE display of grace (He won’t do it again, though sin remains).
• Is a shadow of the New Creation that is to come
• Points to a more significant redemption and judgment (2 Peter 3:6-7)

• ABRAHAMIC COVENANT – Genesis 12, 15, 17
• This, in a lot of ways, is the beginning of God’s redemptive work in humanity
• Key reference verses – Genesis 12:1-3, Galatians 3
• See preamble in Gen. 15:7
• Type – Grace
• Between God and – Abraham and his descendants (15:5,18, explicitly 17:7)
• Blessing –
• -          Great nation and name (12:2)
• -          a blessing to others (12:3)
• -          give the offspring the land(15:18)
• -          Father of a multitude of nations (17:4)
• -          He will be nations and kings will come from him (17:6)
• Curse – NONE
• Sign – circumcision [17:10]
• Additional Notes/Implications –
• What’s going on in 15:9-18?
• This is the cutting of the covenant
• MASSIVELY important in this covenant of grace
• The great King establishing His covenant
• God walks between the animals alone, symbolizing that He is going to make sure that His purposes are accomplished and nothing will stand in His way.
• God does demand Abraham’s obedience, but as we saw above, it was God who secured the covenant.
• Again, He was the one that passed between the animals, Abraham was absent
• See the commitment of God to this covenant when He begins to refer to Himself throughout the rest of the Bible as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• It’s an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17:7)
• The blessings of the covenant are certain (talks about it in past tense in 17:5)
• When God promises something, it’s as good as accomplished, so even if it’s a future promise, God can talk about it like it’s in the past.
• Consider Romans 8 (predestined, called, justified, glorified in verse 30)
• Just a thought to ponder before we get to the Mosaic covenant, Abraham appears to blow it over and over again, but that did not nullify God’s faithfulness to this covenant.
• Highlights the difference between covenant of works and of grace
• Keep in mind that shadowy nature of the OT, because the NT picks up on this theme of the land, the offspring, the nations, the blessing, etc. to show us that it was pointing to something else (cf. Hebrews 11:13-16)
• WE ARE COMING BACK TO THIS ONE BIG TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE!
• This is foundationally important for the rest of the story of the Bible.

• MOSAIC COVENANT – Exodus 20-25, Deuteronomy 27, 28
• The story of how Israel found themselves at Mount Sinai (plagues, exodus, bread, water)
• This is the beginning of the very explicit fulfillment of Abrahamic covenant
• The scene at Mount Sinai (terrifying)
• Lightning, thunder, darkness, fire
• No one comes up but Moses or else you die
• It is establishing the holiness of God
• Key reference verses – See Deuteronomy 27 & 28 for list of blessings and curses,
• -          IF you obey (Exodus 23:22)
• -          Preamble in Exodus 19:1-6
• -          Called the book of the covenant in Exodus 24:7
• Type – Works
• Between God and – the people of Israel
• Blessing –
• -          Long life in the land
• -          Land is blessed, wombs blessed, everything blessed
• -          Echoes of Eden
• Curse –
• -          Everything gets cursed, and then exile
• -          Explicitly specific with the description of curse and exile à you don’t want it
• -          Continuation of the Fall
• Sign – Sabbath (Exodus 31:17)
• Additional Notes –
• -          It builds upon the Abrahamic Covenant in that it shows that the beneficiaries of the covenant are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6)
• -          Do the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 ring a bell with anywhere else in Scripture?
• The blessings are re-establishing what was lost in Eden.
  • Creation, fall, redemption, restoration
  • You see God redeeming a people (Israel, bought them from Egypt at the cost of the firstborn there) and hints at a final restoration.
  • Israel’s function was to be a light to the nations (we see this in a lot of places in Isaiah).
  • But to neglect to obey is to be have the land cursed and exiled (just like in the Garden)
• Blessings are lost in disobedience, regained by obedience, but we fail
  • Thus, Christ!
• You have a hint of restoration, but the reality is that it won’t happen this way [i.e. through the law] (Romans 7, Galatians 3)
• The continuity and discontinuity of the Law (ministry of life and ministry of death, 2 Corinthians 3-4)
• How it applies to us and how it doesn’t…
• Jesus fulfills the curses of the Mosaic Covenant by becoming a curse for us so that we might receive the blessing (Galatians 3:13-14)
• God’s holiness demands that His subjects live a life of holiness à these laws were designed to make Israel distinctive from all the nations of the earth
• It is a covenant between God and the people of Israel, we are underneath a different covenant as believers.
• We even see in Exodus 30 that failure to adhere to the principles of this covenant was anticipated. We’ll talk New Covenant in a bit, but it’s interesting to note the covenant of grace is implied in Exodus 30:6-10

• DAVIDIC COVENANT – 2 Samuel 7
• Key reference verses – See also 1 Chronicles 17
• Type – Grace (2 Samuel 7:12-15a)
• Between God and – David and David’s son (Solomon initially, but has layers to it)
• Blessing – An eternal kingdom (v.13)
• Curse – NONE
• Sign – A son
• Additional Notes/Implications –
• -          We have a major fulfillment to the Abrahamic covenant here
• -          There are direct implications for Solomon, etc.
• This covenant is why so much of the rest of the historical narrative of the Bible takes on the form that it does
• It talks about the kings because the kings now represent the people
• You see the prophets pick up on the theme of David/son of David, etc. which heightened the anticipation for a Messianic King, One who would save his people
• The question for us becomes, if it’s a covenant of grace…
  • and it said that the Kingdom of David would be established forever, but that obviously didn’t happen in the traditional manner, then what’s up?
  • points to Jesus

• NEW COVENANT – Jeremiah 31:27-34
• Key reference verses – cf. Jeremiah 32:36-41; Ezek. 36:22-38; Matt. 27:26-29; Ezekiel 11:14-21; Hebrews 8-10
• Type – Grace
• Between God and – the house of Judah and Israel à we need to talk about this and the continuity and discontinuity between the identity of the people of God that develops as we move from Old Testament to New Testament.
• Blessing –
• -          Forgiveness (Jer. 31:34, Matt. 27:28)
• -          New Birth, Law on hearts (Jer. 31:33, Ezek. 11:19-20; Ezek. 36:26-27)
• Curse – NONE
• Sign – Baptism (see Romans 6)
• Additional Notes/Implications –
• In terms of the promises to Israel/Judah; it seems to me that the NT writers are talking about a different kind of Israel à issues of continuity and discontinuity with the people of God
• Remember, everything in the OT is shadowy, and the substance is all in Christ (the Israel of God [Gal. 6:16])
• This might be difficult, but wait until the last session
  • Not saying I have all the answers, but I think that I’ve started down the right track.
• The prophets are almost always pointing back to the Abrahamic and forward to this covenant when they are talking about restoration.
• He DELIGHTS to do you good! (Jeremiah 32:40-41, and see the surrounding context to check for the different covenants that are mentioned)
• You will see that this is implied in almost every promise of restoration that you see throughout the prophets
• The continuity and discontinuity that exists
• Between us and Israel in particular
• Galatians 3 (which we’ll deal with next time) will show us this

All things unto Christ

I’ll finish this post like I finished the seminar: by briefly demonstrating how all of these covenants point to Jesus.

Jesus is the true and better Adam. A covenant head and representative of mankind that faced temptation not in a garden of plenty, but in the desolate wilderness, and then in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His betrayal. He was tempted beyond what any of us would care to imagine, and yet He obeyed, crying out, “Yet not what I will, but what you will,” (Mark 14:36).

Jesus fulfills the commitment of the covenant God has had from all of eternity to redeem mankind, though this was just a whisper to humanity moments after we fell (Genesis 3:15).

Jesus is a better vehicle through which we find salvation from the wrath of God. He is the first fruits of a New Creation, not just the same stuff re-emerging from the old, but truly new and truly better without any of the clinging remnant of sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). He is the one who can truly provide peace between God and His creation and is clothed in the rainbows of God’s mercy (Revelation 4:3).

Jesus is the true offspring of Abraham to whom all the promises of Abraham were kept and fulfilled in measure greater than we had a right to expect. It was Abraham himself who saw His day and rejoiced in it (John 8:56).

Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) by living the life of perfect obedience, securing the blessing, and dying the atoning death bearing the curse that we all deserved for our disobedience, for it is written “cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree,” (Galatians 3:13, cf. Deuteronomy 21:23).

To the consternation of His opponents, even the blind were able to recognize that Jesus was the true Son of David (Matthew 9:7). His Kingdom, though not of this world (John 18:36), is an everlasting Kingdom with perfect order that will be consummated one day. He will not have an ongoing lineage of sons that will be the king, but He Himself is the perfect Son, seated at the right hand of God, making intercession for mankind (Romans 8:34). Who isn’t just figuratively the vice-regency, representing God’s people to God, but is the exact image of God himself, so that when God looks upon us, He sees not us (nor the image of a fallible king), but the perfect image of His Son.

Lastly, Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant, one that was not sealed with the shedding of the blood of goats and heifers, but with His own blood. Blood that is imperishable. Blood that is more precious than fine gold. Blood that does what the blood of goats and bulls could never do by granting us access to the Father.

I pray God uses this rather long post to elicit worship in our hearts and help us comprehend and love our great Savior all the more.

The Kingdom of God in the Beginning

These posts will deal with the revelation of God as a King establishing His Kingdom. In this post we will survey this claim tracking it through Genesis 1-11. You should read your bible before reading this and see if these things are so. The (much shorter) audio for this story can be found here (download or listen) starting around 1:02:50.

We know and we worship a very powerful God. He created the vastness of our universe and governs the infinitesimal parts (Hebrews 1:3). He is a King and his throne is in the heavens (Psalm 103:19). He made everything, and then hovered over its formlessness.

He spent the first seven days of Creation on the throne giving the edicts of a King to His creation. He has established right and rule over all of it. He assigned its functions and deemed their worth. He tested and judged it. He saw that it was good.

Yet in all of God’s creative power, He saw fit to create a being that would share in His likeness. A being that, like Him, would maintain some degree of rule and reign. A being that would also be an “us.” He made man in His image, in His image He made them. And He gave them dominion by the blessing of His word. And He showed them love by His blessing. And He established their steps in front of them. He loved them with an everlasting love. He walked with them.

He showed them that He is to be trusted, that His Word is true and powerful. That He is a King to be honored and revered. He was a King that was with them in the Garden, in His Temple.

He displayed His Kingship over man by giving them a word of warning. More like a command. Eat anything and do anything. Just don’t eat that. Trust Me.

His Word is truth. His Word is steadfast. His Word is right. His Word was challenged.

A snake. It was a snake that uttered the first lie. He first perverted God’s eternal Word, and then He craftily contradicted it. He appealed to that side of man that was hungry for more power, more control, more rule. That side of man that is suspicious of his King. That side that is prone to doubt, and prone to leave the God he loves. Then man fell in. And great was that fall.

The fall into the ocean of doubt left a mountainous wake. We no longer trust God. We don’t know Him. We don’t see Him. We hurt. We labor. We do it all in vain. We go back to the dust from which we were created. And yet we continue, by the sweat of our brow and by the pain of our love.

God could have destroyed them there. He has the power to un-make them. Instead, He made them a promise and some coats. They didn’t realize it, but this was designed to point to a better Man. A faithful Man in whom there is no deceit nor shadow of change. A Man tempted, but a Man who would prevail. A Man that would suffer bruises, but would not neglect to administer the final blow. A Man whose covering would truly shield us from our frigid shame. A Man who was there in the beginning. A Man who not only trusted the Word, but who is the Word.

And so they were exiled from the presence of God. They suffered the murder of their own son, not realizing that this, too, pointed to a better Son who also was going to be murdered. A Son that will one day put an end to all murder. A Prince of Peace, as it were.

And so evil continued. It went from nonexistent to the status quo in the matter of a generation. And it increased. It was pitiful. Sorrowful, even. So terrible that if you could have seen it, or if you could really see it today, you’d have wished there was nothing there. Nothing is at least better than this. The King took note, and then He acted.

Not a faithful subject among them. They had all neglected the King. Yet He liked one of them. And because He liked him, He spared him. A big boat would carry him to safety. Noah could even take his family, and a few thousand animals.

And God uncreated the world. Where once land had emerged, it was now covered again with water. And a dove hovered over the face of the deep. And then land emerged. The dove returned with a message of peace.

The earth was allowed to teem again. Noah was given rule over it. There was freshness in the air. A new thing had been done. A new promise had been made. The spectrum in the sky had been assigned its function. The Warrior King had set down His bow in a symbol of amnesty.

Still, in all its drama, the “recreation” was a disappointment. The boat couldn’t have been the King’s true vehicle of deliverance. Surely there must be a better and more sufficient device in which we can find refuge from His wrath. There must be something better emerging from the water than the same old land, any dove could find that. Show me the Dove who can locate where the truly new life is found. Show me the Dove who descended on Him (Matthew 3:16-17).

And because it was insufficient, the earth’s underkings quickly went back to what they did best. They sought power, fortune, fame, and status. Tall things have always been impressive, so they constructed a city and manufactured a tower. One tall enough to even withstand a flood of biblical proportions.

Yet the cities of man have never compared to the Garden of God. The kings of this world can only think of height when the Kingdom of God demands that we lay ourselves low. And so the true King confused them. He gave them over to themselves, that they might seek their own glory, confusing their own languages, starting their own wars, and creating their own misery. Zealously sitting upon their own thrones.

But in the multiplicity of voices, the King is making for Himself a beautiful song with a harmony of voices that will see, proclaim, and admire His greatness someday in the fullness of peace (Revelation 7:9-10).

And this will start with an old man and his barren wife.

Sipping from the Fire Hydrant

The Kingdom of God and a Biblical Theology
The leadership of the Crossing has labored for some time now to try and convince the body of the legitimacy and need of a good biblical theology. You may not realize this. They do it very shrewdly. Well, they used to anyway. Up until now, Aaron and Gary have preached (and preached well) using a biblical theology framework. They usually don’t mention biblical theology by name when they do it, but if you’ve ever wondered why Aaron and Gary (especially) tend to take us through the entire story of the bible in so many of their sermons, this is what they are doing. They’re teaching us to be whole bible Christians.

It makes sense; the whole bible was meant for Christians (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

I say that it used to be a shrewd approach because if you didn’t have a biblical theology framework, you might just think that our pastors were continually just trying to fill up time in their 45 minute sermons with lengthy explanations of the history behind almost anything. However, as of last Sunday, we introduced our first of five biblical theology seminars. It’s in the light now. I took the helm in order to teach through the basics of biblical theology by giving some of the technical terms as well as providing background information on the Old Testament and introducing the story of God and His Kingdom by doing a survey of Genesis 1-11 (which is in a different post).

We covered a lot of ground, perhaps too much. By the end I felt like a loosed fire hydrant bidding the neighborhood to take a quick sip before heading on with their day. In case you weren’t there, and you don’t want to listen to the audio here’s what you missed.

The Tools

Biblical theology is distinct from the other theologies (which we won’t go into here) because it handles the bible on its own terms. That is to say, the bible progresses throughout its own story line to reveal to us more and more of God’s character and plans for humanity.

Because of this, we need a handful of new terms to understand what in the world is going on.

Progressive revelation is a helpful term that identifies the aforementioned fact that the bible is (in large parts) a historical narrative that tells a story as it progresses throughout time. A lot is revealed about God in Genesis 1:1, but this is not the end of the story. It doesn’t end until the close of the age and the return of the King, so we must realize that there is more to be learned as we progress through the book, and that the latter revelation (NT, particularly) very helpfully interprets former revelation (OT, particularly).

Exegesis is a concept that is sensitive to the fact that there are some 3500 years between us and the writing of the earliest books of the bible (and a mere 1900 years from the end of the NT). Because the bible was written by men (inspired by the Spirit of God, 2 Peter 1:20-21) from a completely different era, it seeks to understand what the original author’s intent was. It requires discipline and thinking, but the bible (and the Holy Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 2:13) are very helpful in informing us about these things. Exegesis bridges the gap between us and the original authors to get to the truth of what the author was trying to convey to his original audience. This helpfully informs how the various portions of Scripture are applied to us.

Exegesis is sensitive not only to the history of the bible, but also to its literature. Whether it’s narrative, poetic, prophetic, a parable, wisdom literature, an epistle, or apocalyptic, exegesis weighs the significance of the nuances between these types of literature and seeks a correct interpretation of them.

These tools will help us refine our hermeneutic. A hermeneutic can be thought of as the lens through which you view scripture. It is a starting point that ends up driving all subsequent interpretations of a text. Therefore, the more scripturally informed hermeneutic you have, the better you will be able to interpret the various texts of the bible.

A few important notes on this, when reading the bible, one must be humble enough to let the bible interpret itself at many points. The bible is a highly self-conscious book in the sense that the various authors oftentimes are familiar with the other texts contained within the bible. This is highly true of the New Testament, but true of much of the Old Testament as well. Therefore, we must allow the New Testament to be the glasses through which we read the Old Testament. The New Testament refines our Old Testament hermeneutic.

Dual authorship is the term that refers to the very nature of how we received the bible. The bible was indeed a book written by the finger of God. But as we noted earlier, it is also a book that finds its feet very much in the happenings of human history. This establishes for us the inexorable link between God’s word and His sovereignty over human history.

The concept of dual authorship can be found in 2 Peter 1:20-21 and just establishes the fact that though it is a book written by the hands of men, it was born out of the mind of God. The human authorship of the bible does not detract from the inerrancy and infallibility of God’s word, but neither does the divine nature of the revelation negate the fact that this book was written by real individuals with a real audience dealing with real problems confined to a specific time frame and location. Both of these truths inform our exegesis and establishes that though the bible was not written to us it was in fact written for us. Incidentally, the fully human and fully divine nature of the written word makes more sense when we consider the fully divine and fully human nature of the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

That is a drastically simplified view of the tools that are needed for proper biblical interpretation, but I hope it is helpful for the faithful bible reader. Much of it is actually quite self-evident, but oftentimes these principles go unapplied to the study of the bible. These ideas will be refined and built upon throughout the rest of the courses.

The Old Testament is Very Big and Very Old

In order to help participants in this class with how to view the Old Testament, I provided a few materials that give biblical timelines and helpful charts and spreadsheets for understanding the Old Testament’s breakdown. If you request in the comments, I’ll be happy to provide those texts for you. If you came to the seminars, I hope you have taped these charts to the inside of your bible. If you haven’t, then do it. Now.

All this was to say that if we can get the general ideas of what’s going on in the Old Testament, it will help immensely when we get down to the individual verses that can sometimes seem very strange and very far removed from ourselves.

It’s important to note here that the Old Testament is very important to us as Christians. The New Testament itself stands upon what was laid down by the prophets. Jesus commended it and fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17-20). I hope this becomes clearer and more potent as we continue, but our God has seen fit to give us a very large book, and so we ought to be familiar with all of it (Deuteronomy 8:3). Breaking up the magnitude of it in understandable sections is very helpful, and so I would encourage you to either seek out or think through ways you can do this.

In the Next Post

I urge you to read the story of God’s Kingdom from the beginning. For the purpose of keeping this post shorter, I’ve posted in separately. Read your bible before reading it and see if these things are true.

If you have any questions, please write them in the comments and we’ll discuss them. Next week we’ll talk about the various covenants of scripture that are monumentally important for understanding God’s unfolding plan.

Getting Started – A Brief Explanation of Biblical Theology

I want to try and set forth a brief case for why biblical theology is needed within a local church body and explain the principles that guide and shape it. Wish me luck, because there are a lot of things that could be said about either of these.
For starters, I think it’s worth mentioning that biblical theology is just a name that we have given to a certain way of understanding the bible. It is, however, how the bible has been properly understood and interpreted since the time of the New Testament authors (and Old Testament, for that matter).

In the next couple of weeks, I hope to establish that this is the right way of understanding the bible through these blog posts and in our Sunday seminars (which, in case you forgot, are starting this Sunday and will continue for five weeks).  My hope and prayer for this is that it will clarify and inform our personal reading of Scripture, which in turn will be fuel for heart-filled worship and benefit anyone involved in a local church.

Biblical theology steps back and views the forest for the trees. That’s not to say that it neglects the trees, though. Without the trees you have no forest. But if you have no idea that you’re in a forest in the first place, the trees look daunting, unfamiliar, and tough to climb. Biblical theology provides a map by which you can find your way through the forest, and in so doing, see the glory of each of the individual trees much more clearly.

This is accomplished by viewing Scripture in a particular way. Instead of seeing the bible as a collection of 66 books and poems and letters that are disjointed and unfamiliar to each other, biblical theology teaches us that the bible is really one book by one author telling one story.

What is the story? It is the story of a King and his Kingdom. It is a story about God and His people.  It is a story that begins in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) and ends when all things are made new (Revelation 21:5). And it is a story that traces God’s plans and intentions throughout all of this.

Put more succinctly, it is the story of God redeeming people from every tribe, language, people and nation (Revelation 5:9) through the blood of His eternal Son (John 1:2) to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:5-6).

This story, in my opinion, unfolds beautifully throughout the bible, and I hope to be able to show that to you here and in the seminars.

A few things to note about the seminars:

Timing: We’ll be getting started between 12:30 and 1:00pm every Sunday for the next few Sundays. The reason I chose this time is because I hope it will serve to extend Sunday fellowship among the people of the Crossing as well as some friends from nearby churches. The first seminar will have lunch provided, but after that I invite you to bring your lunch to the seminar so you can eat and fellowship with people as we gather around God’s word.

You will need to come ready to think. God has given us minds that are best employed when they are in service to Him (Matthew 22:37). Be ready to learn a lot of new words. You’ll be hearing about things like exegesis, hermeneutics, systematics, progressive revelation, typology, covenantal arrangements, epochs, eras and many other things that may be unfamiliar to you now, but will quickly become part of your vocabulary.

Notes are not necessary, but helpful.

You don’t need to come to all of the seminars; they should stand alone well enough, but will be best when done all together.

You can go as far as you want with it. I’ll advise literature and provide optional assignments that I think will be highly beneficial.

My desire is not to preach, but to facilitate some informative conversations. So come ready to share what you think and any questions that may arise.

Lastly, by way of personal appeal, I have grown deeply in my appreciation for God’s Word since having been introduced to these concepts. I hope this course will benefit you all in same way by increasing your love and the ability to savor the grace of God. That’s why we’re doing this. That’s why we should do all things (Psalm 34:8).