Coming and Leaving Well

Over the next two Sundays, I will be leading a class to introduce newcomers to our church.  As I have served as a pastor for the last four years or so, I have seen a lot of people come and go from the church.  And a lot of the people who come are people who have recently left other churches and are looking for a new church home.

While I believe there are good, wise and legitimate reasons to leave a church, I also believe that all Bible-believing churches together compose Christ's universal Body, and therefore each local should have some responsibility to other churches in how they welcome and receive new folks who come from another church. 

For this reason I was really grateful for the wisdom I received from Kevin DeYoung in these two blog posts.  The first one addresses how to start at your new church, and the second one addresses how to leave your old church.  I plan on giving a copy of these two articles to everyone in attendance at the class this Sunday, and to future newcomers in the months and years to come. 

Something I am really learning over the past few months is the seriousness and importance of membership in the local church.  So I am glad for resources like these, which put practical advise on how to walk out such important matters.

Resource on Homosexuality

Since homosexuality is in the news this week, I thought would be good to highlight this post from Justin Taylor, in which he links to some resources to help Christians address the topic. 

I especially appreciated the videos from Matt Chandler.  I remember watching these a couple of years ago, and I resonated with both the content and the spirit of the teaching.

In the first video below Chandler begins by tracing the biblical storyline. In the second video, he gives some basic responses to several street-level objections, like:

1. If you’re not hurting anyone else, what’s wrong with it?
2. Since you’re a sinner, too, who are you to call out others?
3. Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuality.
4. Some animals have same-sex relations, so if it’s in nature it must natural.
5. The homosexuality condemned by Paul is a different type of homosexuality than we see today.
6. Revisionist arguments from modern scholarship.

He also talks about the way in which he seeks to engage in dialogue with homosexuals in a gospel-centered way.

In the third video he fields questions via text message—e.g., on how parents should handle their adult kids who are gay with partners coming to visit.

I didn't see a way to embed the videos into this post, so you'll have to click through to Justin's site and watch the videos there.

Not Of...But Sent Into

 I've posted this before, but was reminded of it this week as I prepared to preach on Luke 5:27-32.  David Mathis writes:

“In. . . but not of” — are you familiar with this popular phrase? It captures a truth about Jesus’ followers. We are “in” this world, but not “of” it. 

“In. . . but not of.” Yes, yes, of course.

But might this pithy slogan give the wrong impression about our (co)mission in this world as Christians? You see, the motto seems to give the drift, We are in this world, alas, but we need to make sure that we’re not of it. In this scheme, the starting place is our unfortunate condition of being “in” this world. Sigh. And our mission, it appears, is to not be “of” it. The force is moving away from the world. “Shucks, we’re frustratingly stuck in this ole world, but let’s marshal our best energies to not be of it.” It’s an emphasis that’s sometimes needed.

But we’d do well to run stuff like this through biblical texts. And on this one in particular, we do well to turn to John 17, where Jesus is using these “in” and “not of” categories. So what’s Jesus’ sentiment on the whole thing?

Read the rest here.

Romans for Dummies

The people at Desiring God have put together a summary of the book of Romans, condensing all the great material in that awesome letter to just 45 tweets. Check it out here.

Eric Clapton and Common Grace

I really enjoy Ray Ortlund's blog, Christ is Deeper Still. Yesterday he wrote:

Now and then a commenter asks why I post music videos that are not devoted to God. Most inquiries are courteous. A few are not. In any case, here is my answer.

Check out his answer here.

Not of...But Sent Into

I thought this was a really good reflection from David Mathis about the well-known saying that Christians are to be in, but not of, the world.

Thinking Theologically about Memorial Day

An excellent post from Kevin DeYoung. His conclusion:

In some parts of the church, every hint of patriotism makes you a jingoistic idolater. You are allowed to love every country except your own. But in other parts of the church, true religion blends too comfortably into civil religion. You are allowed to worship in our services as long as you love America as much as we do. I don’t claim to have arrived at the golden mean, but I imagine many churches could stand to think more carefully about their theology of God and country. Churches should be glad to have their members celebrate Memorial Day with gusto this Monday. We should be less sanguine about celebrating it with pomp and circumstance on Sunday.

Christians & Public Schools

Tim Challies linked to this article today, about the role of Christians in the public schools.

From my experience, talking about how Christians educate our children can be a volatile subject. I think that's unfortunate, and also unnecessary. When Christians root their identity in their Savior and in the gospel of His grace, I believe there will be civil conversation on this subject, even when there might be strong disagreement.

So give it a read and let me know what you think of it. Even if you're committed to a form of schooling other than the public schools, I think there's some thought-provoking material here.

Modesty

What is modesty? Elyse Fitzpatrick defines it this way:

Christian modesty is simply a refusal to show off out of love for God and one’s neighbor.

Check out her blog post to see how the gospel empowers us to pursue modesty for God's glory.

Why Christians are Jerks Online

Will requested it, so here it is: John Acuff's article from Cnn.com

Chandler on Homosexuality

I'm posting this here because I want to watch this at some point, though I don't have time to this week. I think Justin Taylor is right when he says:

It seems this is increasingly becoming a difficult subject to handle well. Some pastors harp on this issue in a disproportionate, condemnatory way. Others, swinging the pendulum in the other direction, don’t want to appear insensitive or right-wing and thus avoid it altogether.

He says Chandler deals with the subject head-on without being a jerk. If you have time, check it out and let me know whether you agree.

Life Lessons from Proverbs 3

Tim Keller shares 5 life lessons from Proverbs 3:3-12. Keller explains that these principles present the major themes of the rest of the book of Proverbs, and provide us a mini-guide to faithful living:

1. Put your heart’s deepest trust in God and his grace. Every day remind yourself of his unconditioned, covenantal love for you. Do not instead put your hopes in idols or in your own performance.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart (Prov 3:3-5a)

2. Submit your whole mind to the Scripture. Don’t think you know better than God’s word. Bring it to bear on every area of life. Become a person under authority.

Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5b-6)

3. Be humble and teachable toward others. Be forgiving and understanding when you want to be critical of them; be ready to learn from others when they come to be critical of you.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Prov 3:7-8)

4. Be generous with all your possessions, and passionate about justice. Share your time, talent, and treasure with those who have less.

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Prov 3:9-10)

5. Accept and learn from difficulties and suffering. Through the gospel, recognize them as not punishment, but a way of refining you.

My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. (Prov 3:11-12)

Read the rest here.

Weekend Reading: Evangelism and Social Action

There is a lot being said and written about today in the evangelical world concerning the connection between evangelism and "social action."

Almost two years ago, Tony Payne wrote three posts on this subject which I found insightful and biblically faithful (though we may have some slight disagreement on 2 Peter 3, I agree with his conclusions in point #3 of post 2). If you have some time on this rainy weekend, check them out and let me know what you think:

Part 1: What is the relationship between evangelism and social action?
Part 2: How does social action relate to the Last Day and the new creation?
Part 3: What does social action look like for the Christian?

Eschatology Discussion

I posted this back in October, but for those who are interested in thinking more about the millennium, you might find this two-hour discussion helpful. John Piper, Sam Storms, Doug Wilson, and Jim Hamilton weigh in on the different schools of thought regarding Christ's return. In it, the three views I mentioned in the last post are defended by three different theologians, with Piper mediating the discussion.

If you watch it, let me know your thoughts...

"I've Given Up Everything for This"

At the Gospel Coalition blog, Chris Tomlinson has an excellent meditation on Olympic glory and the Christian's race for an imperishable wreath.

Tomlinson's conclusion:

Congratulations to you, Lindsey. May you find Jesus as your imperishable wreath when the glory of your triumph begins to fade. And may we all see your inspiring example as a reflection of the higher call we have on our lives. May we run the race with single-mindedness, exercising self-control, disciplining our bodies for the sake of the gospel, and persevering through suffering, all so that we might obtain the prize we seek: eternity in the presence of the One whose glory never fades.

Read the rest of the article here. The only thing I'd add to it is to highlight the fact that while Lindsey Vonn "gave up everything" for her perishable medal, it is Jesus Christ who emptied Himself and gave up everything to purchase for us our imperishable one. Lindsey got what she worked hard for and earned. We get what we did not earn and do not deserve, because Jesus earned it in our place.

Ponder that as you watch the medal ceremonies this week; amazing! The Gospel is like watching Nancy Kerrigan get down from the podium to giver her 1994 silver medal to Tonya Harding. Only we are infinitely more undeserving than Harding!

Memories, Anyone?

Reading this blog post about Mike Tyson reminded me of this:



Does this bring back memories for anyone else? Of course my memories don't include ever beating Tyson that fast...

Pro-Choice Journalist on the Tebow Super Bowl Ad

(Via Justin Taylor)

From a pro-choice journalist writing in the Washington Post: “If the pro-choice stance is so precarious that a story about someone who chose to carry a risky pregnancy to term undermines it, then CBS is not the problem.”

Right on, Sally. Now can we talk about the plausibility of your position?

You can read her whole piece here. It's worth your time!

AP Article on Chandler

You may have seen this already, but the Associated Press has an article on Matt Chandler and his battle with brain cancer (I'm pretty sure Matt would be uncomfortable with the title "rising star of evangelical Christianity", but otherwise I thought the article was great).

It's very edifying to see how Matt and his family are dealing with this, and to see how God is using it to spread the knowledge of Him.

In Defense of Proselytism

Last week I posted the video of Brit Hume speaking about Tiger Woods' need for a redemption that could only be found in the Christian faith. As expected, he's getting a good bit of criticism from people who are offended by people who try to convert others to their religious views.

If you've ever experienced that kind of criticism, this post from Trevin Wax is a good one to read through. He mentions five common objections to "proselytism", and then shows how those objections are unpersuasive.

Make the Most of the New Year

Don Whitney:

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Whitney also offers an additional 21 questions to help us “consider our ways,” which can be read here.