You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2008.
Taking a brief break from the Sowing Grace blog schedule to wish everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving!
In part 1 of the second mark of a healthy church member, we discussed what it means to be a biblical theologian and how in particular biblical theology promotes health among church members as well as the church. In part 2, I want to follow up with the seven ways, according to Thabiti Anyabwile, you can become a healthy church member by becoming a biblical theologian. They are:
1. Reading Good Books on Biblical Theology
There are some excellent books on biblical theology, not the least of which are authored by Graeme Goldsworthy, Scott Hafemann, Vaughn Roberts, Herman Ridderbos, and Geerhardus Vos.
2. Studying the Scriptures Thematically
There are various themes that run throughout Scripture. By studying themes, you are taking a syncrhonic approach (same theme across Scripture) versus a diachronic approach (through Scripture chronologically). Examples of themes include prophet, priest, and king, atonement, servant, covenant, law, etc.
3. Adopting the New Testament’s Attitude Toward the Old Testament
Anyabwile encourages readers to ask certain questions, including:
- How is this passage a fulfillment of something promised in the Old Testament?
- How is this New Testament idea different from or similar to an Old Testament teaching?
- In what way does this New Testament passage clarify, unveil, or amplify something from the Old Testament?
4. Studying the Old Testament with Jesus and the New Testament in View
Again, Anyabwile asks some good questions, such as:
- Were does this passage fit in the time line of redemptive history?
- How does this passage point to Jesus?
- Which New Testament passages help me to answer these questions?
5. Studying the Books of Prophecy in the Old Testament
A biblical theologian recognizes that there are multiple “horizons” to properly understanding and interpreting the biblical text. There is the immediate context, the epochal context, and the canonical context. The Bible has a unifying theme in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Studying the books of Old Testament prophecy should how Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament promises and the true prophet who not only speaks the truth but is truth Incarnate.
6. Knowing and Agreeing to Support Your Church’s Statement of Faith
A church’s statement of faith or confession is a concise doctrinal summary of the core beliefs in a covenant community of believers expressing a common faith and commitment to the truths revealed in Scripture. One of the ways you can better know and agree with your church’s doctrinal position is to take different articles and use them in personal study or devotional reflection.
7. Seeking Doctrinal Unity and Avoid Needless Disputes
“In all things essential, unity; in all things nonessential, liberty; in all things, charity.”
A healthy church member, committed to becoming a biblical theologian, will work to know the difference between beliefs that are essential to biblical Christianity and beliefs that are non essential to the integrity and continuance of the faith. Healthy church members will commit themselves to defending essential things of the gospel (Phil. 1:27; Jude 3), while avoiding strife and contention over thins that are not essential to the gospel” (35).
The third mark of a healthy church member–being gospel saturated–will be picked up next week.
“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
- Romans 16:25-27
To read a sermon manuscript by Tim Brister on this passage, go here.
Over at the Church Matters blog (IX Marks), the notes have been provided on a talk recently given by Mark Dever where he brings out “three things church planters need to know.” The notes are provided below:
Three Things Church Planters Need to Know
1. The Church is God’s Idea
– Matthew 16:18, Jesus founded the church
– Faithfulness involves less creativity and more repetition. We don’t want to say new things, we want to repeat the things that God has said.
– Christ bought the church with his blood (Acts 20:28), he identifies with his church (Acts 9).
2. The Church is to Reflect God’s Character
– We are about something so much bigger than we think when we meet with church.
– God has always been interested in a corporate collection of people. For example, much of the fruit of the Spirit can’t be exhibited in isolation. Things like kindness and love are tough to manifest in isolation.
3. The Church Displays Jesus’ Character
– John 13:34-35, the church should make Jesus known in its conduct and character
– Biblical life change is the best advertisement for the church.
Ultimately, when we read the end of the Bible we can have confidence that the church wins!
Jonathan Dodson is currently planting a church in Austin, Texas, and has an excellent blog dedicated to church planting, called Church Planting Novice. I encourage you to check out his blog which has a nice blend of practical helps, missiological reflection, and good resources. There aren’t many blogs dedicated specifically to missional church planting (at least good ones!), so I wanted to be sure to call Jonathan’s writings to your attention.
In chapter three of his book Humility: True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney takes up the subtitle of this book, beginning with redefining greatness. Greatness accordingly to worldly standards is measured by power, influence, and achievement and recognized with worldwide acclaim and applause of men. Jesus Christ, the greatest who ever lived, did not live in the limelight or amass crowds of followers to define his status in society. As the son of a carpenter in the contemptible city of Nazareth, Jesus Christ was brought up in obscurity and ultimately died in isolation. By His words and His life, Jesus redefined greatness.
“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all,” Jesus said (Mark 9:35). Jesus shattered the pursuit of self-righteousness, self-promotion, and sinful ambition. Personal exaltation has no place in the kingdom of God. “Not so among you,” Jesus says. It is not the kingdom ethic. We are not to look for greatness on the way up, but the way down; not in the applause of men but in the smile of God.
Mahaney draws out this reversal, stating,
“Jesus does not categorically criticize or forbid the desire and ambition to be great. Instead, He clearly redirects that ambition, redefines it, and purifies it: ‘But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all’ (Mark 9:43-44) (43).
Mahaney brings out an important point here. Ambition in and of itself is not bad. Not to be ambitious for Christ, I would argue, is a sinful attitude! Paul said that he did not only run, but he ran in order to win the race! (1 Cor. 9:24). He was one that “pressed on for the upward call of God in Christ” (Phil. 3:14). He made it his ambition to know Christ in the power of His resurrection. What an awesome ambition! Paul was a slave to all–to Jew and Gentile–for the sake of the gospel and glory of Christ. While selfish ambition is according to worldly-defined greatnesss, servant-defined ambition is conformed to the Christ-defined greatness. As Mahaney summarizes, “What’s required is that you become a servant to others; it means nothing less than becoming a slave of everyone.”
The biblically defined pursuit of greatness is found in serving others for the glory of God (44). This, according to Mahaney, is “the genuine expression of humilty; this is true greatness as the Savior defined it” (ibid.). The promise of breaking free from pride is found on the tracks of servanthood. As a servant, we place others before ourselves and point them at the same time to Christ who “came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark. 9:45).
Are you pursuing greatness according to the example of this world or according to Jesus? Is your ambition in life a glorious one where Christ is seen and treasured as you humbly seek to know Him in joyful obedience? Worldly greatness will always engender a prideful spirit, but Christ-honoring greatness will always engender humility. As Paul said,
“Have this mind in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus . . .” (Phil. 2:5)
Continuing in our study in the book of Acts, I want to make some observations on the topic of leadership in the early church. Some have said that everything (in an organization) rises and falls on leadership. We have seen how Acts can be structured through the missional outworking of Acts 1:8 (Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, and uttermost parts of the world), but I want to begin by briefly outlining the book of Acts with leadership in mind. Here’s what I came up with:
Leader(s) and Scripture Reference
Jesus – Acts 1:1-11
Peter – Acts 1:12-26
Holy Spirit – Acts 2:1-13
Peter – Acts 2:14-47
Peter and John – Acts 3:1-4:37
The Twelve – Acts 5:1-6:7
Stephen – Acts 6:8-7:60
Phillip – Acts 8:1-40
Jesus – Acts 9:1-19
Saul – Acts 9:20-31
Peter – Acts 9:32-12:25
Paul and Barnabas – Acts 13:1-15:41
Paul and Silas – Acts 16:1-18:23
Apollos – Acts 18:24-28
Paul – Acts 19:1-28:31
Now I know that is a rather rough outline, but I think it serves the point that there were marked leadership in the early church. It should be noted, however, that the fundamental leader of the early church was the Holy Spirit (the book is really the Acts of the Holy Spirit). Christ through His Spirit directed His church as its Head to bring about the initiation (Acts 1) and ultimate fulfillment of its mission.
A second observation is the men who were placed in leadership over churches that were planted. Generally speaking, Luke writes that Paul and Barnabas “appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23). In most of the churches, names were not given as to who these men were; nevertheless, the fact that leadership was appointed, established, and confirmed with prayer and fasting reveals the priority and serious approach the early church had towards leadership. Through his letters, Paul does give some names of men in leadership. For instance:
James (Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:17-18) and Peter (Acts 2, 8, 11) were apparently leaders among the elders in the church at Jerusalem.
Aquila and Priscilla were leaders in Corinth, Rome, and Ephesus.
Epaphras and Onesimus were leaders in Colossae (both were described as “one of you”).
Paul mentions the service of Timothy and Epaphroditus in leading the church at Philippi.
One can conclude from Gal. 2:11-14 that Peter and Barnabas were leaders in Antioch (albeit bad leaders).
Titus was an influential leader in Corinth as well as other Macedonian churches.
Silas and Timothy were leaders in the church at Thessalonica when Paul could not stay.
These examples are by no means a comprehensive list but simply seeks to show how leadership was marked throughout the mission. Paul was a principal network who marshalled an army of Jesus-loving mission-embracing partners whom he often called “fellow workers” and “fellow soldiers” (consider the lists in Rom. 16 and 2 Tim. 4!).
Something we need to be asking is, “Where did these leaders come from and how were they recognized?” Several of the leaders in the Pauline network were second and third generation leaders (see 2 Tim. 2:2 for example). Many of them had been men whom Paul called “sons” in the faith–those whom he personally invested in and fathered in the faith. For the most part, they came from the harvest, that is, they came from obedience and faithfulness to the mission and finding the fruit therein. I don’t think Paul waited for someone to “step up to the plate” and reach a city or region for Jesus; instead, he went there with the Word and Spirit and saw lives transformed who later God shaped into leaders in their own community (“one of you” kind of leaders, to use the examples in Colossae).
Lastly, I want to observe some of the characteristics of these leaders. We don’t know much, so whatever Paul or Luke chose to reveal about them should cause us to pause and consider.
Epaphroditus “nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life . . .”
Timothy was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the church, “not seeking his own interests by those of Christ Jesus.”
Epaphras “struggled on behalf of the Colossian church in prayer . . . and worked hard for you”; Paul also wrote that he was “a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf”
Aquila and Priscilla Paul’s “fellow workers in Christ Jesus” who “risked their necks” for his life
Tychicus was a “beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord”
Titus was Paul’s “partner and fellow worker” for the benefit of the Corinthian church
Philemon “refreshed the hearts of the saints” through his ministry
What we find in Scripture is the apostolic pattern of loving Christ supremely and giving one’s life sacrificially was the normal Christian life, not necessarily something exceptional but the expected behavior of one who followed the crucified Savior and took up the cross.
A brief study like this only sractches the surface of what we can learn from the leadership of the early church. It is my hope that, through taking a closer look at the men God used to “turn the world upside down” we might also be used by God to do something extraordinary in our generation but ordinary in the kingdom of God.
This week in cultivating community contacts, I want to encourage you in what I call missional patterns. Being on mission for God inherently means that there should be nothing done in life that is random and haphazard. This includes the relationships we enjoy, the places in the community where we benefit from the goods and service of others, and also the regular day-to-day activities that come from other mediums of connecting, such as school, sports, and hobbies.
Cultivating a missional pattern simply means that you seek to develop an ongoing, perpetual movement in the city to connect with and bring the gospel to. For instance, if there is a place where you like to get gas, go to that gas station every time. Learn the names of those behind the counter. Not only go to the same gas station, but try to go on the hours where the same workers are present. The same goes for a favorite restaurant. Go regularly, find a particular server whom you’ve been able to converse with, and make it a part of your regular routine. There are numerous ways and places where one can develop a missional pattern in the city to maximize your interaction with unbelievers an intentional and incarnational way of life.
The purpose of these missional patterns is to develop community contacts and bring them to the next level. People will be less inclined to listen to the gospel and receive a invitation to church if you are not investing your life in them, and while your investments may be small at any particular moment, over time the repeated investments will communicate to your unbelieving friends that you desire their good.
Do you have a missional pattern in your life? Or are you maximizing your daily schedule for the cause of the Great Commission? As stewards of the gospel and entrusted with the mission, we are to live out our days not for ourselves but for the one who lived and died on our behalf. In the same manner that He was sent by the Father into the world, so are we sent to our world today. This means that we are to be conscious of the “sent” nature of ordinary days in order for extraordinary moments where we can display the glories of Christ to sinners who have yet to make much of Him.
The second mark of a healthy church member is that he or she is a biblical theologian. Now this term can sound simplistic (I mean, what other kind of theologian should you be but a “biblical” theologian?), but Anyabwile does a good job by defining what he means by using that term. By way of introduction, he writes,
“Members of Christian churches continue to think small thoughts of God and great thoughts of man. This state of affairs reveals that too many Christians have neglected their first great calling: to know their God. Every Christian is meant to be a theologian in the best and most intimate sense of the word” (27).
I think Anyabwile strikes at the heart of our problems today. We stress the imperative as an attempt at self-help and neglected the indicative in knowing who God is. We often live and act as functional atheists, sometimes not knowingly, though such ignorance of God reveals a church’s weakness. We have more Bibles in print and in our homes, and yet there are more biblically illiterate believers today than ever before who are incompetent to rightly divide the word of truth or address matters of life from a fundamentally God-centered orientation. A church member who is committed to being a biblical theologian will not only contribute to the health of the church but will also live counter-culturally in our day of sound-byte spirituality and theological superficiality.
Anyabwile says that biblical theology for the church member is to things: (1) to know God Himself, and (2) to know God’s macro story of redemption (28). The Bible is fundamentally about God. In it we discover who He is and what He has done–chiefly in the plan of redemption spelled out from Genesis to Revelation. Anywabile argues that healthy church members
“appraoch the Bible knowing that they are reading one awesome story of God redeeming for himself a people for His own glory. And in that story, they see that God is a creating God, a holy God, a faithful God, a loving God, and a sovereign God as he makes and keeps his promises to his people, beginning with Adam and Eve and progressing to the final consummation fo all things” (28).
There are five ways, according to Anyabwile, that biblical theology works to promote health in a church member.
1. Practicing biblical theology helps us grow in our reverence for God (29).
2. Practicing biblical theology helps to overcome our wrong ideas (29).
3. Practicing biblical theology helps inoculate the church against doctrinal controversies (30).
4. Practicing biblical theology is necessary to fulfilling the Great Commission (30).
5. Practicing biblical theology deepens our understanding of and facility with the gospel (31).
In part 2, we will pick up with the seven ways of becoming a healthy church member through biblical theology. In the meantime, reflect on how biblical theology, especially in reference to knowing God and His overarching story of redemption affects chuch planting. In the postmodern day that rejects the impending metanarrative, how should does a passionate commitment to the supremacy of God and His redemptive mission in Scripture both shape a church plant as well as confront the worldviews of unbelievers?
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
- Ephesians 1:15-23
To read a sermon manuscript by Tim Brister on this passage, go here.
“Just as the triune mission flows from the triune love (John 3:16-17), so every missional manifestation of the church’s love for the world emerges from the deeper, more fundamental reality of God’s love (cf. 1 John 4:7-21). In order to accomplish their mission, Christians must therefore continue to grow in their knowledge, trust and adoration of the triune God. ‘Love comes from God’ (1 John 4:7) and only those who abide in the love of the triune God will be able to take his love to the world.”
- Andreas J. Kostenberger and Scott R. Swain, Father, Son, and Spirit: The Trinity and John’s Gospel (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008), 163-64.
Tim Keller is one of the (if not THE) most respected and referenced men of the modern missional movement in North America. Whatever articles, audio, or other resources you can get your hands on by Keller would be of great benefit to you. From December 2003 through April of 2004, Keller wrote a four-part series entitled “Advancing the Gospel into the 21st Century.” For this weeks’ Fuel Friday, I want to draw your attention to them:
1. Church Multiplying
2. Gospel-Centered
3. Context-Sensitive
4. City-Focused Strategy
For more resources of Tim Keller, see Steve McCoy’s great list.
On Thursdays, we are emphasizing core values and defining characteristics desired among the core group of any church plant. The first characteristic of humility is being discussed from C.J. Mahaney’s book, Humility: True Greatness.
In chapter one, Mahaney defined the nature of true humility and pointed readers to the promise that God draws near to those of a humble disposition. In chapter two, Mahaney looks at the flip side of humility: pride. Specifically, he addresses the perils that accompany a prideful spirit.
Mahaney quotes John Stott who wrote,
“At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend” (29).
This is a great truth to remember. Pride will be our enemy from conversion to our last breath, and our life’s journey in grace should cause us to pursue humility with greater strides of obedience and greater longing’s for the heart of our Savior who condescended on our behalf.
Here is how Mahaney defines pride:
“Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon HIm.”
Quoting Charles Bridges, pride is “contending for supremacy with God and lifting our hearts against Him.” Is is preferring our own agenda, not the kingdom of God, our rule and not the will of King Jesus, our self-glorification, and not the glory that alone is due to our great God. Such an attitude God is steadily, actively, and continuously opposed in greatest degree. He is infinitely pure and holy, and we are eaten up with pride. Jonathan Edwards says that pride is “the worst viper that is in the heart” and “the greatest disturber of the soul’s peace and sweet communion with Christ” (34). He adds that pride is the “most difficult sin to root out, and the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all lusts” (ibid.).
Now pause with me for a moment to think about how pride can have devastating effects on church planting efforts. Independence from God, prayerlessness, self-assertive agendas, unwillingness to address idols of the heart, and so on. If pride gets a foothold in a church planting endeavor, it has the potential to divide asunder the unity of purpose and kill the mission promoted in the humble service to Christ in the building of His church.
Mahaney concludes by saying that the warnings we find in Scripture, such as “pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18) are expressions of God’s mercy and intended for our good. God intends to unmask our pride, and in the mirror of Scripture, expose our sinful hearts. Submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Christ, authority of His Word, and fellowship of His church, we should welcome the words, “This is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15).
As a Pharisee, Paul was quite familiar with the synagogue. According to his own testimony, Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews, blameless in righteousness under the law. He was “extremely jealous” for the tradition of his fathers, advancing in Judaism more than anyone else. This was a man who was undoubtedly well known in the synagogues of the leading cities of the Roman Empire. And it is these very synagogues that Paul went back into after having his life transformed by Jesus whom he was persecuting.
It is no small thing to consider that Paul entered into such familiar territory with such an unfamiliar message of Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one, risen from the dead. Consider the account of Acts regarding the placement of the synagogues in gospel advance:
@ Salamis:
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
Acts 13:5
@ Antioch:
but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
Acts 13:14-16
@ Iconium:
Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.
Acts 14:1
@ Thessalonica:
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
Acts 17:1-3
@ Berea:
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.
Acts 17:10
@ Athens:
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
Acts 17:17
@ Corinth:
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
Acts 18:1-4
@ Ephesus:
And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
Acts 18:19
And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 19:8-10
In some examples, Paul is said to address Jews only (Salamis, Antioch, Thessalonica, Berea, and Ephesus); other times he address a mixed audience (Jews and Greeks in Iconium and Corinth, Jews and “devout persons” in Athens). Luke states the main action of Paul was to “reason” (explain, prove, and persuade), although at Salamis he “proclaimed” the word of God. From here we see that teaching (especially biblical theology) and the importance of truth (life of the mind) are foundational to Paul’s evangelism and apologetic. In other words, he wasn’t just winning hearts, but he was convincing minds and thus affecting hearts with the truths of the gospel.
What I find intriguing is that even in predominately Gentile regions, Paul first entered the synagogue. Not only that, but Paul explicitly states that his apostolic mission is to reach the Gentiles with the gospel. So why the synagogue, Saint Paul? Why not the coliseum or marketplace?
I am inclined to believe that the synagogue was a place where he could leverage his influence and position for the sake of the gospel. It was a familiar place with familiar faces. And it was there Paul reasoned with them–an approach that connotes coming alongside an explaining as opposed to direct confrontation (though the truths were confrontational no doubt!). Paul was also one to argue that, while his mission was to the Gentiles, the gospel was the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
I think there are some redemptive-historical observations to glean from Paul’s missionary strategy, but also believe there are some practical approaches we can learn as well. For example, Paul went back into an environment he was very familiar with, knowing that his message and transformed life would not be well received. He knew that his fellow men were also zealous for the law and jealous for the Jewish tradition. In their eyes, he was a traitor. Nevertheless, he had both the courage to withstand their charges and criticisms and the compassion to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ. He was one who testified that “I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
May God grant us the passion and purposeful pursuit of sinners with a re-entry that where our limp reveals that we have been staggered by sovereign grace. Let us never hide behind the sovereignty of God and fail to mourn for lost souls as seen in Paul. But may we sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts and be prepared to give a reason for he hope that is within us with gentleness and respect.
Cultivating community contacts through a lifestyle on mission for God is, as we have seen, one that is deliberately kingdom-of-God focused in every sphere of life. Our lives should be such that, like Jesus, we should welcome unbelievers into our lives and into homes. I want to continue by encouraging you to think about the centurion who approached Jesus on behalf of his paralyzed and tormented servant.
In Matthew 8:5, the scene begins:
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
A centurion undoubtedly was someone with considerable influence, for better or worse, in that culture. He was a high-ranking officer with delegated authority over a hundred soldiers. But in this scene, we find a centurion not acting as a veteran on the battle field but as a loving master pleading for help. English translations don’t do justice to the force of his request. Perhaps the best way of explaining the centurion’s actions was that he was “beseeching,” or “pleading” with Jesus, much in the same way a beggar pleads for food. The actual Greek word, parakaleo, is used when making a very strong request, with a thrust of urgency and desperation. Does it not strike you to find this socially intimidating figure humbly, respectfully, and passionately approaching Jesus?
Notice, too, that he was not making this plea on behalf of himself, but someone else in his realm of responsibility. A servant or slave was typically considered of no greater value or deserved no more care than an animal. Needless to say, a sick servant of typical centurion would not be a high priority or grave concern. Not so with this centurion. He had become close exposure to the anguish and pain of his servant. Indeed, the fact that he came to Jesus was indication that the misery the servant experienced had become his own. Things changed as a result. Life could not go on as normal–no business as usual. He was determined to find the one who could heal his servant.
Do you see the heart of this centurion? Standing between the misery of this boy and the mercy of God in the healing power of Christ was a man with a pleading heart, a passionate cry for help.
And the same is true for you and me.
We live in a world filled with miserable people who have bought into the broken promises and fleeting pursuits of sin. They are frustrated that these broken cisterns can’t hold any water and can never satisfy. These are people in our community who are not within arm’s reach of gospel, and that is why we are here. Missional love refuses to about life as normal. A pleading heart will refuse to see the brokenness of humanity and not be broken too. The hurting and pain will be shouldered by the love of Christ and a desire for the mercy of God to triumph over their misery, that they may be satisfied in Jesus Christ and the joy of knowing Him.
Is there a parakaleo in your daily agenda? Cultivating community contacts will require a cultivating of missional love–a parakaleo spirit, a pleading heart, a practice of being in the royal priesthood. I pray that, as we seek to engage our lost world with the mission and message of Jesus Christ, we will find ourselves between two worlds with one heart to help others find mercy for their misery and joy for their pain.
Last week, we began our discussion on What Is a Healthy Church Member? by discussing the first chapter focused on “expositional listening.” In part 2, I want to lay out the “how to’s” provided by Anyabwile. He provides six ways to cultivate exposition listening (with some personal commentary added below):
1. Meditate on the sermon passage during your quiet time.
If you know what text your pastor is going to preach, then take time during your devotional study to mediate on the upcoming passage he will be preaching. If he is preaching through a book of the Bible, especially a short epistle, perhaps you could take 15 minutes and read out loud the entire letter to get the whole context. Then dig in through outlining the text and meditating on the meaning of the passage as directed by the Scripture and God’s Spirit.
2. Invest in a good set of commentaries.
Commentaries are a great resource, but they should never substitute first-hand investigation into a text. In other words, never be a second-hander and assume a commentator to be infallible! Having said that, there are some great commentaries out there that worth checking out, including John Calvin’s Commentaries, James Montgomery Boice, R. Kent Hughes, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Owen, and many others.
3. Talk and pray with friends about the sermon after church.
He writes,
“Start spiritual conversations by asking, ‘How did the Scriptures challenge or speak to you today?’ Or, ‘What about God’s character most surprised or encouraged you?’”
After worship services, especially during lunch or supper time with the family, the sermon serves as a great centerpiece of discussion for family and friends. The more the sermon is talked about and prayed over, the more fruit you will enjoy as a result.
4. Listen to and act on the sermon throughout the week.
One of the great advantages we have in our high-tech world today is the possibility to download, listen, and broadcast audio and video on demand. As Anyabwile notes, a listening to a sermon does not have to be a one-time event! But the key is “on demand.” In other words, do you have a desire to spend time hearing God’s Word throughout the week? How about on the commute to and from work/school? Working out in the gym or in the yard? There are numerous opportunities to tune in to God’s Word proclaimed on a daily basis!
5. Develop the habit of addressing any questions about the text itself.
In other words, engage the text. Don’t be a passive non-participant to the sermon. Be a good Berean and search the Scriptures daily to see whether the things are so (Acts 16:11).
6. Cultivate humility.
He writes,
“[D]o not become a ‘professional sermon listener’ who is always hearing but never learning. Beware of a knowledge that ‘puffs up’ (1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 2:18) and tends to cause strife and dissention. Mortify any tendencies toward pride, the condemnation of others, and critical nit-picking. Instead, seek to meet Jesus each time you come to the Scripture; gather from the Word fuel for all-of-life worship” (25).
Next week, we will consider mark #2 of a healthy church member: biblical theology. May God give us ears to hear, hearts to obey, and lives changed by the power of His Word!
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
- Philippians 1:9-11
To read a sermon manuscript by Tim Brister on this passage, go here.
Christopher J.H. Wright explains how the cross shapes the whole of our mission:
“All Christian mission flows from the cross–as its source, as its power, and as that which defines its scope. It is vital that we see the cross as central to every aspect of holistic, biblical mission–that is, at the center of all we do in the name of the crucified and risen Jeus. . . . The fact is that sin and evil constitute bad news in every area of life on this planet. The saving work of God through the cross of Christ is good news for every area of life touched by sin–which means every area of life. Bluntly, we need a holistic gospel and a holistic mission because the world is in a holistic mess. And by God’s incredible grace we have a gospel big enough for all that sin and evil has touched. And every dimension of that good news is good news utterly and only because of the blood of Christ on the cross. Ultimately all that will be there in the new and redeemed creation will be there because of the cross. And conversely, all that will not be there (suffering, tears, sin, corruption, decay and death) will not be there because they will have been destroyed by the cross.”
- Christopher J.H. Wright, Salvation Belongs to Our God: Celebrating the Bible’s Central Story (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Presss, 2007), 188-89.
Friday’s are dedicated to fueling the vision by pointing to helpful resources on the internet and elsewhere for your benefit. This Friday, I would like for you to check out the audio from the sessions of the 2008 London Dwell Conference which took place this past July. You can find the audio by clicking on the following links:
* Preaching Jesus (Mark Driscoll)
* The Missional Church (Mark Driscoll)
* Am I a Church Planter? (Scott Thomas)
* Gospel of Grace vs. Religion of Works (Mark Driscoll)
* Be Radical and Plant Radical Churches | Church Planter (Mark Driscoll)
* Be Radical and Plant Radical Churches | Church Leadership (Mark Driscoll)
* Be Radical and Plant Radical Churches | Final Thoughts and Q&A (Mark Driscoll)
* Movements Are Messy: Getting and Staying on Mission (Mark Driscoll)
* Spirit-led Missions: Following the Luke-Acts Paradigm (Mark Driscoll)
Cultivating Community Contacts, Part 5
November 25, 2008 in Commentary, Evangelism | Tags: Evangelism, Jesus, John Stott | by Timmy Brister | Leave a comment
There has been an ongoing debate through out the church’s history of the relationship of Christianity with the world. On the one hand, fundamentalism tells you that Christians are to be totally removed from the outside world, and the evangelical ghetto was developed. On the other hand, liberalism tells you that Christians should embrace the world, and thus the Christian distinctives were removed. Neither option are right, so what are we to do?
We are to look to Jesus Christ.
Jesus prayed for his believers that they be “in the world and not of the world” (John 17). If they are to be salt, they are the salt of the earth; if they are light, they are to be the light of the world. Jesus wants His people to love sinners and at the same time pursue holiness. As we are conformed more and more into the image of Christ, part of that will mean we live in the world incarnationally as Jesus did and love sinners with authentic gospel-devoted lifestyles.
John Stott, in his great little book Our Guilty Silence: The Church, The Gospel and the World, shares about the “holy worldliness” of the Son of God who became flesh. Consider Stott’s words as you continue to cultivate community contacts.