Blog https://www.churchatbergen.org Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:45:04 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ The Plan and Foreknowledge of God https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/foreknowledge-and-predestination https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/foreknowledge-and-predestination#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2022 21:00:00 -0400 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/foreknowledge-and-predestination This is a follow-up article to the sermon I preached on Sunday, September 25. One of the verses we looked at was Acts 2:23 where Peter mentions how God was at work behind the crucifixion of Christ: “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:23) Peter uses two terms: God’s “definite plan” and “foreknowledge.” What is the difference between these two aspects of God? And how do they relate? That is what I am going to try to answer in this article. 

What is the difference between God’s “definite plan” and “foreknowledge”?


First, let’s look at the meaning of God’s “foreknowledge.”
The original word Luke uses is prognosei, which comes from the word prognosis. We use that word when a doctor is predicting the probable disease someone might have. Al Roker from the Today Show uses his prognosis to tell you what the weather will probably be, not what it will actually be. Why? Because Al Roker is not God (whew!). He can’t see every single variable in the atmosphere to have certain knowledge of when it will rain. My cousin got his Ph.D. in mathematics and engineering to do work in “chaos theory.” Basically, guys like him, using their brilliant intellect and mind-boggling equations, determine the outcome of something to its highest probability. But he said no matter how good their work is, they can't predict anything with absolute certainty because of unknown variables. Humans are finite and limited in their perspective, but God is infinite and unlimited in his perspective. God sees and knows everything, which means the future is known by him with absolute certainty. So, the foreknowledge of God is his perfect and absolute knowledge of all that will happen in the future. He does not know what will most likely happen; he knows what will most certainly happen.
 
Now, what about God’s “definite plan”? The phrase Peter uses in Acts 2:23 in the original language is harismenei boulei. Harismenei means “determine, appoint, fix, set." Boulei means “plan, purpose, intention.” That is, a plan or a purpose is something you want to see happen in the future. But I want to go a little deeper into the term harismenei. Other verses where this word is used about God in the New Testament are below:
  • “For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined (harismenei), but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:2) So, Jesus' pathway to the cross was a determined plan by God. 
  • “And [God] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that [Jesus] is the one appointed (harismenei) by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42) So, God has chosen for his Son to be the one to judge the world in the future. 
  • “[God] has fixed (harismenei) a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.” (Acts 17:31) So, God has a predetermined day that can't change where Jesus will judge the world. 
All these examples show that when God determines his plan it can’t change. It will most certainly happen. To "determine, appoint, or fix a plan" is to make sure your plan happens the way you want it. So, the meaning of God’s “definite plan” is his unchanging resolve of what will happen in the future. 

But what is the difference between God’s “definite plan” and his “foreknowledge”?
 God’s foreknowledge is simply his perfect awareness of what will happen in the future. But God's “definite plan” is his predetermined and unchanging purpose unfolding into the future. Foreknowledge is like a woman who clearly sees the destination her car will end up on a road trip. The definite plan is the exact route she intends to take to get there and then actually driving the car to ensure it gets to the desired destination. So, in Acts 2:23 God’s foreknowledge of the crucifixion of Christ is his perfect knowledge of what will happen to Christ at the end of his life. God’s definite plan is when he orders events to ensure that the crucifixion happens exactly the way he planned. You can see the same thing in Acts 4:27-28, “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” Notice what the verse says, “your hand and your plan (boulei) had predestined to take place.” So, God’s definite plan is when is hand and plan predetermine what happens in the future. 

 

How does God’s definite plan relate to his foreknowledge?

God’s definite plan and his foreknowledge relate in one of two ways: either God’s foreknowledge is based upon his plan, or God’s plan is based upon his foreknowledge. Let's ask it this way: Does God know everything that is going to happen because that it is what he predetermined to happen? Or, does God make plans of what he wants to accomplish based upon what he first sees in the future? I will ask it one more way! Does God's plan determine the future, or does the future determine God's plan? To answer this, let’s start with the verse itself. One thing to note about what Peter says in Acts 2:23 is that he puts God’s definite plan before his foreknowledge. The verse does not say, “according to the foreknowledge (first) and definite plan (second) of God.” Now, you might say, “But that was just the way Peter happened to say it.” That may be true, but there are two responses to this. First, if we believe the Bible is inspired, then we take every word seriously, even grammar. Was it random, or was it intentional? An inspired Bible is intentional, not random. Secondly, the way we determine if Peter was intentional in his order of words is to see if other verses in the Bible teach that God’s definite plan is prior to his foreknowledge, or vice versa.

One of the clearest verses in the Bible which mentions the foreknowledge of God and the predetermined plan of God is Romans 8:29, “For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” In this verse, Paul puts God's foreknowledge first and predestined second. Does this teach the very opposite of Paul’s order of words in Acts 2:23? I don’t think so. Let me explain. First, even though the word “foreknew” comes before “predestined” in Romans 8:29, the verse doesn’t say “those whom he foreknew he then predestined.” It only says, “whom he foreknew he also predestined.” But, secondly, and more significantly, Romans 8:29 does not help answer the question because of the meaning of “foreknew.” It comes from the word pro-ginosko. This is different from "foreknowledge" in Acts 2:23, which comes from the word pro-gnosis. “Gnosis” is the word for knowledge as it relates to your general understanding or intellect. But “ginosko” is to know someone in a personal and intimate way. This is why many theologians interpret Romans 8:29 as, “For those whom God chose/loved beforehand he also predestined.” In fact, the most authoritative Greek dictionary ("BDAG") interprets "foreknew" as "choose beforehand." When God foreknows someone, it means he sets his heart on them before they exist. One example of this kind of God’s intimate knowledge of someone beforehand is Amos 3:1-2, “Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel... You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” Notice, even though God knows all people, he knew Israel in a special and unique way. So, Romans 8:29 does not help clarify the relationship between God’s foreknowledge and definite plan, because the meaning of "foreknew" is different from God's "foreknowledge."
 
But there is another verse in the Old Testament which may help answer the question. It is from Isaiah 46:9-10, "9 Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose." We are going to look at verse 10. There are two things stated,

1) God declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done

2) Saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”

The first point is God’s foreknowledge. God declares what is going to happen in the end from the very beginning of time, and things that are not yet done from the past. But the second point is God’s definite plan. God says his counsel and his purpose and plan will surely happen in the future. Now, right here you might say, “See, Isaiah says God's foreknowledge comes first, then his definite plan.” Grammatically that is true, but logically it says something different. The first point says that God declares what is going to happen in the future, but the second line is a literal quote of what God actually says when he declares the future. And what does God say? He says, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” How, then, does God know the future? The future is whatever God has planned and purposed to happen. That is why he knows the future, because the future is what he plans to happen. Let’s use a similar example with a mom and dad who talk to their kids about planning a road trip. If Isaiah 46:10 were quoted by a mom and dad it would look like this, “We are your parents, and thare is no others; We are your parents, and there are non like us, declaring the destination from the start and from a while back things that will happen soon, And here’s how we say it, “Our wisdom is final in this family, and we will see to it that our plans for this family always happen." So, the reason they can say what’s going to happen in any future road trip is because they are the ones in charge and make the plans in the family. They know the future because they plan the future. And so it is with God. God knows what will happen because he planned it to happen. So, why did God know Christ would be crucified by the hands of lawless men? Because his “hand and his plan predetermined it to take place.” (Acts 4:28)
 
Now, someone might say, "Well, if God determines the future, then how are we responsible for what we do, since he determined it?" That's not what Acts 2:23 says. Even though the crucifixion was planned and pretermined by the hand of God (Acts 4:27-28), Peter says that Christ was "crucified by the hands of lawless men." (Acts 2:23) Their sin against Jesus, even though it was planned, is still their responsibility. This is part of the great mystery of God's providence. He is able to determine all things, while at the same time we are still fully culpable and responsible for all our choices. 
 
Finally, this is why God says at the beginning of Isaiah 46:9, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” All other gods might be able to predict the future, but they cannot determine the future. All other gods might be able see events that will happen , but the God of the Bible—God of gods and Lord of history—determines the future according to the pleasure of his will. If God merely sees the future, he is not God of gods. Let's go one step further, if God could only "adjust" or "tweak" the future as it moves along by itself, he would be not be God of gods, because something else would be running history alongside of his will (impersonal fate?). God is not the co-author of human history, writing the future together with us. As Shakespeare is the sole author of Romeo & Juliet, so God is the sole author of human history. We worship a very BIG, STRONG, and SOVEREIGN God. Amen. 
]]>
This is a follow-up article to the sermon I preached on Sunday, September 25. One of the verses we looked at was Acts 2:23 where Peter mentions how God was at work behind the crucifixion of Christ: “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:23) Peter uses two terms: God’s “definite plan” and “foreknowledge.” What is the difference between these two aspects of God? And how do they relate? That is what I am going to try to answer in this article. 

What is the difference between God’s “definite plan” and “foreknowledge”?


First, let’s look at the meaning of God’s “foreknowledge.”
The original word Luke uses is prognosei, which comes from the word prognosis. We use that word when a doctor is predicting the probable disease someone might have. Al Roker from the Today Show uses his prognosis to tell you what the weather will probably be, not what it will actually be. Why? Because Al Roker is not God (whew!). He can’t see every single variable in the atmosphere to have certain knowledge of when it will rain. My cousin got his Ph.D. in mathematics and engineering to do work in “chaos theory.” Basically, guys like him, using their brilliant intellect and mind-boggling equations, determine the outcome of something to its highest probability. But he said no matter how good their work is, they can't predict anything with absolute certainty because of unknown variables. Humans are finite and limited in their perspective, but God is infinite and unlimited in his perspective. God sees and knows everything, which means the future is known by him with absolute certainty. So, the foreknowledge of God is his perfect and absolute knowledge of all that will happen in the future. He does not know what will most likely happen; he knows what will most certainly happen.
 
Now, what about God’s “definite plan”? The phrase Peter uses in Acts 2:23 in the original language is harismenei boulei. Harismenei means “determine, appoint, fix, set." Boulei means “plan, purpose, intention.” That is, a plan or a purpose is something you want to see happen in the future. But I want to go a little deeper into the term harismenei. Other verses where this word is used about God in the New Testament are below:
  • “For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined (harismenei), but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:2) So, Jesus' pathway to the cross was a determined plan by God. 
  • “And [God] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that [Jesus] is the one appointed (harismenei) by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42) So, God has chosen for his Son to be the one to judge the world in the future. 
  • “[God] has fixed (harismenei) a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.” (Acts 17:31) So, God has a predetermined day that can't change where Jesus will judge the world. 
All these examples show that when God determines his plan it can’t change. It will most certainly happen. To "determine, appoint, or fix a plan" is to make sure your plan happens the way you want it. So, the meaning of God’s “definite plan” is his unchanging resolve of what will happen in the future. 

But what is the difference between God’s “definite plan” and his “foreknowledge”?
 God’s foreknowledge is simply his perfect awareness of what will happen in the future. But God's “definite plan” is his predetermined and unchanging purpose unfolding into the future. Foreknowledge is like a woman who clearly sees the destination her car will end up on a road trip. The definite plan is the exact route she intends to take to get there and then actually driving the car to ensure it gets to the desired destination. So, in Acts 2:23 God’s foreknowledge of the crucifixion of Christ is his perfect knowledge of what will happen to Christ at the end of his life. God’s definite plan is when he orders events to ensure that the crucifixion happens exactly the way he planned. You can see the same thing in Acts 4:27-28, “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” Notice what the verse says, “your hand and your plan (boulei) had predestined to take place.” So, God’s definite plan is when is hand and plan predetermine what happens in the future. 

 

How does God’s definite plan relate to his foreknowledge?

God’s definite plan and his foreknowledge relate in one of two ways: either God’s foreknowledge is based upon his plan, or God’s plan is based upon his foreknowledge. Let's ask it this way: Does God know everything that is going to happen because that it is what he predetermined to happen? Or, does God make plans of what he wants to accomplish based upon what he first sees in the future? I will ask it one more way! Does God's plan determine the future, or does the future determine God's plan? To answer this, let’s start with the verse itself. One thing to note about what Peter says in Acts 2:23 is that he puts God’s definite plan before his foreknowledge. The verse does not say, “according to the foreknowledge (first) and definite plan (second) of God.” Now, you might say, “But that was just the way Peter happened to say it.” That may be true, but there are two responses to this. First, if we believe the Bible is inspired, then we take every word seriously, even grammar. Was it random, or was it intentional? An inspired Bible is intentional, not random. Secondly, the way we determine if Peter was intentional in his order of words is to see if other verses in the Bible teach that God’s definite plan is prior to his foreknowledge, or vice versa.

One of the clearest verses in the Bible which mentions the foreknowledge of God and the predetermined plan of God is Romans 8:29, “For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” In this verse, Paul puts God's foreknowledge first and predestined second. Does this teach the very opposite of Paul’s order of words in Acts 2:23? I don’t think so. Let me explain. First, even though the word “foreknew” comes before “predestined” in Romans 8:29, the verse doesn’t say “those whom he foreknew he then predestined.” It only says, “whom he foreknew he also predestined.” But, secondly, and more significantly, Romans 8:29 does not help answer the question because of the meaning of “foreknew.” It comes from the word pro-ginosko. This is different from "foreknowledge" in Acts 2:23, which comes from the word pro-gnosis. “Gnosis” is the word for knowledge as it relates to your general understanding or intellect. But “ginosko” is to know someone in a personal and intimate way. This is why many theologians interpret Romans 8:29 as, “For those whom God chose/loved beforehand he also predestined.” In fact, the most authoritative Greek dictionary ("BDAG") interprets "foreknew" as "choose beforehand." When God foreknows someone, it means he sets his heart on them before they exist. One example of this kind of God’s intimate knowledge of someone beforehand is Amos 3:1-2, “Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel... You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” Notice, even though God knows all people, he knew Israel in a special and unique way. So, Romans 8:29 does not help clarify the relationship between God’s foreknowledge and definite plan, because the meaning of "foreknew" is different from God's "foreknowledge."
 
But there is another verse in the Old Testament which may help answer the question. It is from Isaiah 46:9-10, "9 Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose." We are going to look at verse 10. There are two things stated,

1) God declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done

2) Saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”

The first point is God’s foreknowledge. God declares what is going to happen in the end from the very beginning of time, and things that are not yet done from the past. But the second point is God’s definite plan. God says his counsel and his purpose and plan will surely happen in the future. Now, right here you might say, “See, Isaiah says God's foreknowledge comes first, then his definite plan.” Grammatically that is true, but logically it says something different. The first point says that God declares what is going to happen in the future, but the second line is a literal quote of what God actually says when he declares the future. And what does God say? He says, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” How, then, does God know the future? The future is whatever God has planned and purposed to happen. That is why he knows the future, because the future is what he plans to happen. Let’s use a similar example with a mom and dad who talk to their kids about planning a road trip. If Isaiah 46:10 were quoted by a mom and dad it would look like this, “We are your parents, and thare is no others; We are your parents, and there are non like us, declaring the destination from the start and from a while back things that will happen soon, And here’s how we say it, “Our wisdom is final in this family, and we will see to it that our plans for this family always happen." So, the reason they can say what’s going to happen in any future road trip is because they are the ones in charge and make the plans in the family. They know the future because they plan the future. And so it is with God. God knows what will happen because he planned it to happen. So, why did God know Christ would be crucified by the hands of lawless men? Because his “hand and his plan predetermined it to take place.” (Acts 4:28)
 
Now, someone might say, "Well, if God determines the future, then how are we responsible for what we do, since he determined it?" That's not what Acts 2:23 says. Even though the crucifixion was planned and pretermined by the hand of God (Acts 4:27-28), Peter says that Christ was "crucified by the hands of lawless men." (Acts 2:23) Their sin against Jesus, even though it was planned, is still their responsibility. This is part of the great mystery of God's providence. He is able to determine all things, while at the same time we are still fully culpable and responsible for all our choices. 
 
Finally, this is why God says at the beginning of Isaiah 46:9, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” All other gods might be able to predict the future, but they cannot determine the future. All other gods might be able see events that will happen , but the God of the Bible—God of gods and Lord of history—determines the future according to the pleasure of his will. If God merely sees the future, he is not God of gods. Let's go one step further, if God could only "adjust" or "tweak" the future as it moves along by itself, he would be not be God of gods, because something else would be running history alongside of his will (impersonal fate?). God is not the co-author of human history, writing the future together with us. As Shakespeare is the sole author of Romeo & Juliet, so God is the sole author of human history. We worship a very BIG, STRONG, and SOVEREIGN God. Amen. 
]]>
Pastoral Reflection 2020 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/pastoral-reflection-2020 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/pastoral-reflection-2020#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2021 15:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/pastoral-reflection-2020 The following post was sent out one year ago in a newsletter on January 2, 2020.  
Dear Church Family,
The following is a pastoral reflection on the year 2020. It seems appropriate to at least recall the ways in which God was at work in 2020, in order to provoke a sense of sincere optimism about what God will do in 2021. So, what shall we say about 2020 for us as a church?
We started the year strong with the second half of our sermon series on 1 Peter. The first sermon of 2020 was called, “Blessing is Mission” from 1 Peter 3:8-17. The sermon was about the seemingly impossible call of the Christian. God calls all Christians to something that seems impossible: “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called” (1 Peter 3:9). God has called us to endure evil, persevere through trials, bear with strained relationships, and remain humble under irritating circumstances. God expects every single one of us to respond to pain with blessing: “bless, for to this you were called.” To the natural man, this seems like an unrealistic expectation from God, but to the child of God there is something motivating our hearts to respond with gentleness and grace to the grit and grind of life: “bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” Every time the Father administers a handful of afflictions to his children, behind his back there is an even bigger handful of blessings to follow.
The following month on February 9, a similar theme was preached from 1 Peter 4:12-18 called “Rejoicing in Suffering." The main point was: at the end of the day, the presence of suffering is not a sufficient reason to be suspicious of God. Peter states one of the most perplexing truths about the relationship between God’s judgment and the church’s suffering: “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Every time a wave of judgment or hardship washes over a place, it begins with the church. This judgment is not punishment, it is refinement. God is not disciplining his people for some sin in their life but is purifying his people for greater holiness. So, Peter tells us to not be surprised at the “fiery trials” we face, but to rejoice as we share in Christ’s suffering and prepare our souls for the future joy of heaven (1 Peter 4:12-13).
A month later, COVID-19 ripped through New Jersey and would lock everyone indoors for months. On March 11, the board had to make one of the hardest decisions in the history of Church at Bergen: closing the church building and cease physically gathering for worship. Then on Sunday, March 15 the first sermon was delivered exclusively online called "Onward." We had just begun our series on 2 Peter. The Sunday after, a sermon was delivered called, “An Urgent Reminder” from 2 Peter 1:12-15. At the conclusion of the sermon, three urgent reminders were given relating to the peculiar temptations that come with a pandemic and quarantining. These urgent reminders still stand:
  1. While washing your hands is urgent, nothing is more urgent than where you stand with Jesus Christ.
  2. While isolation is good for stopping the spread of the virus, isolation is terrible for the deceitfulness of sin and the temptations of Satan.
  3. While there is security in the safety of your homes, nothing is more secure than the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Locked away in our homes, each of us would face new temptations and hardships. God has hardwired us for fellowship and worshipping with the family of God. Little did we know, COVID-19 was only the beginning of what we would endure as a church. The Sunday after, a very timely sermon called, "Good News for Troubled Hearts" from John 14:1-6 was given to steady our hearts through this unsettling time.
Towards the end of May, the nation was faced with another challenge: the death of George Floyd. The nation was ripe with pent up discontentment from the pandemic, and the whole country was turning to social media for communication, information, and the garnering of social opinion. After wrestling as a board through the difficulties of closing the church building, we now had to navigate one of the most volatile and racially charged moments of our nation’s history. Although we sought as best we could to lead with compassion through this difficult season, we walked away from that experience knowing there is room to grow in how we address the reality of racism toward all skin colors. May the Lord lead us well in the future. One timely sermon preached during this month called, "The Perfect Timing of God," helped us see God's careful control over all that happens every moment of our lives.
Eventually, the pandemic curve would begin to flatten and the discussion of when and how to regather as a church came up. Once more the board met on a weekly basis to discern how to best lead the church to the regathering phase. This, too, was a challenge, because of the “mask issue” and the differing opinions on the threat or non-threat of the virus to the public health. Furthermore, this challenge opened us up to the world of livestreaming. We had never made livestream a core practice for our church, but it seemed like we had no other option to care for those unable to physically gather. Eventually, we decided on Sunday, August 9 as the official regathering day for our church. We were wrapping up our summer series, “Encounters,” looking at the different people Jesus encountered in the gospels. Even though regathering was a joy, there was a sadness in the air because the last physical gathering was exactly 5 months prior, and there were triple the amount of people singing with unmuffled about the glories of the gospel. The final sermon in that series was called, “Jesus is Lamb of God.”
The following Sunday, September 13, we began our annual Fall sermon series called, "Encourage" from 1 Thessalonians. There was much anticipation in the body, but that day we would face yet another trial: the resignation of our former lead pastor. It is hard to forget the tears shed by all of us as we announced the tragic news. The board grieves over the pain this news has caused us, but we have been encouraged by the fruits of forgiveness and restoration in everyone. One of the most powerful nights for us as a church was the prayer gathering the Wednesday night after the announcement. We pled with the Lord to be prove himself as "Jehovah-Rapha," the God who heals. Thus, we are confident in the Lord’s work that is still to be done in and through Church at Bergen. This church has and will forever belong to Jesus Christ and not to any of us pastors. Jesus will heal us all in his own time.
That same Sunday, the sermon preached was called, “Grateful for God’s Work.” In this sermon, there was the illustration of Aaron and Hur supporting Moses’ trembling arms during the battle with the Amalekites. This was to demonstrate the purpose of encouragement: to hold up the arms of one another’s faith when it grows tired and weary. We have seen and experienced many “Aaron and Hur’s” in this church since that Sunday.
Soon after this, we were faced with one of the most politically charged and controversial presidential elections in our nation’s history. Major church leaders and pastors were announcing their unwillingness to even vote for either candidate. All of this came upon us in what seemed like the worst time. The whole country seemed divided: Should we gather, or should we not gather? Is public health more important, or religious freedom? Do black lives matter, or do blue lives matter? Should Trump be president, or should Biden be president? What is the future of Church at Bergen? One has to ask, “God… what were you doing?”
But the final sermon in the Encourage series was called, “The-Never-Giving-Up-God” from 1 Thessalonians 4:23-28. The main point was that God is the kind of God that cannot and will not ever give up on you in your growth in spiritual maturity. No matter what we go through or have gone through as a church, the Lord will see to it that we all become more like Jesus. Therefore, our future will always look bright. Nothing that happened in 2020 hindered God from continuing his sanctifying and maturing work in all of us.
We wrapped up the year with our annual Advent series called, “Light.” We concluded the series at our Christmas Eve service with the words of Jesus from John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The title of the sermon was called, “Hang Tight.” The point being made was to hang tight to Jesus and he will sustain us and grow us through this season. Jesus has done this, and he will continue to do this. Even though much darkness seemed to be cast over us in 2020, the light of Christ has shone, and shall never be overcome as we walk with our heads held high by God's gentle hand of hope.
So, where does that leave us? It leaves us desperate. Desperate for what? For God to personally and corporately renew us as a church. This is why we are beginning the year with a series on prayer called, “Souls in Paraphrase,” and why we are holding prayer gatherings every Wednesday in January. We want to open up our souls to God that he might begin a rapid and permanent renewal process within us all. It is very possible that God is merely pruning and preparing us for something far greater than we could have ever dared ask or dream (Ephesians 3:20-21). Before we do anything in 2021, we want to plead with our Father, who delights to hear from his children, that he might move mightily in us once again. We want to urge everyone to join us as we bare our souls in prayer to our Heavenly Father.
Finally, is there anything at all that we can look forward to in 2021? Yes...
VISION.
Sincerely, 
Pastor Mike McKinney
]]>
The following post was sent out one year ago in a newsletter on January 2, 2020.  
Dear Church Family,
The following is a pastoral reflection on the year 2020. It seems appropriate to at least recall the ways in which God was at work in 2020, in order to provoke a sense of sincere optimism about what God will do in 2021. So, what shall we say about 2020 for us as a church?
We started the year strong with the second half of our sermon series on 1 Peter. The first sermon of 2020 was called, “Blessing is Mission” from 1 Peter 3:8-17. The sermon was about the seemingly impossible call of the Christian. God calls all Christians to something that seems impossible: “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called” (1 Peter 3:9). God has called us to endure evil, persevere through trials, bear with strained relationships, and remain humble under irritating circumstances. God expects every single one of us to respond to pain with blessing: “bless, for to this you were called.” To the natural man, this seems like an unrealistic expectation from God, but to the child of God there is something motivating our hearts to respond with gentleness and grace to the grit and grind of life: “bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” Every time the Father administers a handful of afflictions to his children, behind his back there is an even bigger handful of blessings to follow.
The following month on February 9, a similar theme was preached from 1 Peter 4:12-18 called “Rejoicing in Suffering." The main point was: at the end of the day, the presence of suffering is not a sufficient reason to be suspicious of God. Peter states one of the most perplexing truths about the relationship between God’s judgment and the church’s suffering: “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Every time a wave of judgment or hardship washes over a place, it begins with the church. This judgment is not punishment, it is refinement. God is not disciplining his people for some sin in their life but is purifying his people for greater holiness. So, Peter tells us to not be surprised at the “fiery trials” we face, but to rejoice as we share in Christ’s suffering and prepare our souls for the future joy of heaven (1 Peter 4:12-13).
A month later, COVID-19 ripped through New Jersey and would lock everyone indoors for months. On March 11, the board had to make one of the hardest decisions in the history of Church at Bergen: closing the church building and cease physically gathering for worship. Then on Sunday, March 15 the first sermon was delivered exclusively online called "Onward." We had just begun our series on 2 Peter. The Sunday after, a sermon was delivered called, “An Urgent Reminder” from 2 Peter 1:12-15. At the conclusion of the sermon, three urgent reminders were given relating to the peculiar temptations that come with a pandemic and quarantining. These urgent reminders still stand:
  1. While washing your hands is urgent, nothing is more urgent than where you stand with Jesus Christ.
  2. While isolation is good for stopping the spread of the virus, isolation is terrible for the deceitfulness of sin and the temptations of Satan.
  3. While there is security in the safety of your homes, nothing is more secure than the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Locked away in our homes, each of us would face new temptations and hardships. God has hardwired us for fellowship and worshipping with the family of God. Little did we know, COVID-19 was only the beginning of what we would endure as a church. The Sunday after, a very timely sermon called, "Good News for Troubled Hearts" from John 14:1-6 was given to steady our hearts through this unsettling time.
Towards the end of May, the nation was faced with another challenge: the death of George Floyd. The nation was ripe with pent up discontentment from the pandemic, and the whole country was turning to social media for communication, information, and the garnering of social opinion. After wrestling as a board through the difficulties of closing the church building, we now had to navigate one of the most volatile and racially charged moments of our nation’s history. Although we sought as best we could to lead with compassion through this difficult season, we walked away from that experience knowing there is room to grow in how we address the reality of racism toward all skin colors. May the Lord lead us well in the future. One timely sermon preached during this month called, "The Perfect Timing of God," helped us see God's careful control over all that happens every moment of our lives.
Eventually, the pandemic curve would begin to flatten and the discussion of when and how to regather as a church came up. Once more the board met on a weekly basis to discern how to best lead the church to the regathering phase. This, too, was a challenge, because of the “mask issue” and the differing opinions on the threat or non-threat of the virus to the public health. Furthermore, this challenge opened us up to the world of livestreaming. We had never made livestream a core practice for our church, but it seemed like we had no other option to care for those unable to physically gather. Eventually, we decided on Sunday, August 9 as the official regathering day for our church. We were wrapping up our summer series, “Encounters,” looking at the different people Jesus encountered in the gospels. Even though regathering was a joy, there was a sadness in the air because the last physical gathering was exactly 5 months prior, and there were triple the amount of people singing with unmuffled about the glories of the gospel. The final sermon in that series was called, “Jesus is Lamb of God.”
The following Sunday, September 13, we began our annual Fall sermon series called, "Encourage" from 1 Thessalonians. There was much anticipation in the body, but that day we would face yet another trial: the resignation of our former lead pastor. It is hard to forget the tears shed by all of us as we announced the tragic news. The board grieves over the pain this news has caused us, but we have been encouraged by the fruits of forgiveness and restoration in everyone. One of the most powerful nights for us as a church was the prayer gathering the Wednesday night after the announcement. We pled with the Lord to be prove himself as "Jehovah-Rapha," the God who heals. Thus, we are confident in the Lord’s work that is still to be done in and through Church at Bergen. This church has and will forever belong to Jesus Christ and not to any of us pastors. Jesus will heal us all in his own time.
That same Sunday, the sermon preached was called, “Grateful for God’s Work.” In this sermon, there was the illustration of Aaron and Hur supporting Moses’ trembling arms during the battle with the Amalekites. This was to demonstrate the purpose of encouragement: to hold up the arms of one another’s faith when it grows tired and weary. We have seen and experienced many “Aaron and Hur’s” in this church since that Sunday.
Soon after this, we were faced with one of the most politically charged and controversial presidential elections in our nation’s history. Major church leaders and pastors were announcing their unwillingness to even vote for either candidate. All of this came upon us in what seemed like the worst time. The whole country seemed divided: Should we gather, or should we not gather? Is public health more important, or religious freedom? Do black lives matter, or do blue lives matter? Should Trump be president, or should Biden be president? What is the future of Church at Bergen? One has to ask, “God… what were you doing?”
But the final sermon in the Encourage series was called, “The-Never-Giving-Up-God” from 1 Thessalonians 4:23-28. The main point was that God is the kind of God that cannot and will not ever give up on you in your growth in spiritual maturity. No matter what we go through or have gone through as a church, the Lord will see to it that we all become more like Jesus. Therefore, our future will always look bright. Nothing that happened in 2020 hindered God from continuing his sanctifying and maturing work in all of us.
We wrapped up the year with our annual Advent series called, “Light.” We concluded the series at our Christmas Eve service with the words of Jesus from John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The title of the sermon was called, “Hang Tight.” The point being made was to hang tight to Jesus and he will sustain us and grow us through this season. Jesus has done this, and he will continue to do this. Even though much darkness seemed to be cast over us in 2020, the light of Christ has shone, and shall never be overcome as we walk with our heads held high by God's gentle hand of hope.
So, where does that leave us? It leaves us desperate. Desperate for what? For God to personally and corporately renew us as a church. This is why we are beginning the year with a series on prayer called, “Souls in Paraphrase,” and why we are holding prayer gatherings every Wednesday in January. We want to open up our souls to God that he might begin a rapid and permanent renewal process within us all. It is very possible that God is merely pruning and preparing us for something far greater than we could have ever dared ask or dream (Ephesians 3:20-21). Before we do anything in 2021, we want to plead with our Father, who delights to hear from his children, that he might move mightily in us once again. We want to urge everyone to join us as we bare our souls in prayer to our Heavenly Father.
Finally, is there anything at all that we can look forward to in 2021? Yes...
VISION.
Sincerely, 
Pastor Mike McKinney
]]>
Have you listened to the "Mars Hill" podcast? https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/have-you-lis https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/have-you-lis#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2021 15:00:00 -0400 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/have-you-lis “Bro, have you been listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill?” This seems to be the second most frequently asked question by Christians over the past couple of months. Even Matt Chandler from the Village Church stated in their livestream service on August 22, “I’ve been asked right around seven trillion times if I’ve listened to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. And I can say in all honesty, ‘Yes’, but I actually got a front row seat to that whole thing.”[1] Another popular Christian podcast (Pastor’s Talk) hosted by Pastor Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman discussed how they too have listened to every episode.[2] While I can’t say that I’ve been asked seven trillion times like Matt Chandler, I can say that I have talked to enough people from our church to know the average Christian podcast listener is eagerly and attentively tuning in. Full disclosure: my wife and I have listened to and processed every episode.

In response to all the hoopla surrounding the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, Christian leaders have felt it necessary to present their cautions and concerns to those of us getting seduced by the captivating drama of the podcast. Among these cautions are Liam Thatcher’s “Unintended Consequences of Failure Porn” and Trevin Wax’s “On ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’—Surveying Our Souls.” Other concerns people have are that the podcast is “gossipy”, slanderous, damaging to people’s trust in their church's leadership, or provoking the sin of schadenfreude.

Are any of these concerns completely illegitimate or wrongly motivated? Probably not. But what I find myself thinking when I hear these concerns is twofold: first, why do people feel the need to express these cautions? Frankly, it comes across (to me at least) as if these cautions are a more “spiritually enlightened perspective”, unlike the rest of us hypnotized addicts twitching in anticipation for the next episode to release so we can get our “fix”. These concerns, while not untrue, have a slight patronizing tone towards those who are “less mature”. For example, you may find yourself really enjoying the podcast only to read someone’s concern about your enjoyment of it. You then walk away thinking, “Wow, maybe they're right. Maybe there is something wrong with me that I like the podcast so much. Maybe I should repent.” Maybe you should repent, but my guess is probably not.

This leads me to the second thing I find myself thinking in response to these cautions: Why can’t people just let listeners process the narrative without guilt-tripping people into feeling like they should repent for enjoying the podcast? All these alarms seem like a distraction from the serious and perennial issues being raised by Mike Cosper which plague the evangelical church. It’s not complicated: you should listen to the podcast with discernment and process it with other trusted and wise friends. It’s that simple. No one said you have to agree with everything in the podcast.

Right here someone could say, “You just said that I should listen to the podcast. Why?” Here is how Mark Dever responded to Jonathan Leeman’s question about why the podcast is worth listening to:

“It’s very worth listening to… I think as evangelicals sometimes we are not willing to look at our own dirty laundry and because of that, the mistakes that are made are more easily repeated, where if they had been memorialized and talked about.” [3]

I agree wholeheartedly with Dever. I think all Christians should listen to the podcast. There is so much that we can learn from Cosper’s work, which I am hopeful will bring about greater health and awareness in the average church member. 

Excuse me… church member? Don’t you mean church leader? Here is the kicker: the podcast is really not about Mark Driscoll; it’s really about the people, the celebrity culture, and the media tools surrounding a charismatic leader that enable him. In other words, the podcast is a look in the mirror about why we keep letting men—whose giftedness far exceeds their godliness—gather large crowds only to decimate our faith once again. Mike Cosper gives a soul-shivering quote in the episode called “Questioning The Origin Myth” about how we are so easily drawn to the stories, the vision, and the authority of charismatic leaders,

“There’s always something attractive about a ‘visionary leader’… because in a secularized age where spirituality seems difficult and contested, having someone stand before us with certainty that they’ve heard from God in a unique way and that they know his plan for our life is comforting… So, it’s worth taking inventory by asking what stories are moving us? Do those stories expand our vision of Christ’s church or narrow it? For pastors, what stories are you telling? What’s the vison that you’re inviting your church into?... Jared Wilson often says, ‘What you win them with, is what you win them to.’ In other words, whatever is drawing the crowd, whether it’s charisma or as Bart Simpson once described the church, ‘Lights, smoke, and Tae Bao’, that tends to form the foundation of their faith… if you’ve won them to a sense of one man’s charismatic calling and vision, then when that starts to crumble, the consequences… can be tragic.” [4]

I think this is what the podcast is really about. Sure, the podcast is about spiritual abuse and other things, but the main thing seems to be about us becoming more self-aware of our tendency to entrust ourselves to charisma, rather than to Christ. When are we going to wake up and realize how prone we are to finding our identity in that church where stuff is “happening”, or in that charismatic pastor with his ability to draw a crowd? If you are like me, you are not naturally confident and certain of who you are or what you believe about everything. So, when you come across someone with a surplus of spiritual confidence and certainty about who they are and where they are going, then without even realizing it, you attach your spiritual umbilical cord to their excess spiritual bravado in order to make up for your lack of spiritual confidence. That’s why this keeps happening, because we want a savior, but instead of looking to Jesus, we look to a pseudo-Jesus. Sure, we say Jesus is our "Savior", but in reality, it’s the charismatic boldness of another pastor.

This fundamental bent in human nature is at the root of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Cosper is successfully holding the mirror to congregations and pastors and saying, “Don’t you see? It’s us!” One of the repeating intro quotes of each episode says, “We have a culture of church members who would prefer a narcissist leading a church.” Just focus on the word prefer. We would prefer a narcissist leading a church. A preference is something that we tend to like more than something else (“I prefer vanilla ice cream over chocolate ice cream.”). I don’t have to consciously choose which one I want. I just intuitively choose what I want without even thinking about it. Why (as the quote says) would we prefer someone like this in leadership? Because we are drawn towards something bigger and more certain than ourselves, especially if it is related to the spiritual and divine. Charismatic leaders are those who give the impression that they know the way and you can trust them to take you there. Just think for a moment and ask yourself, “Would I prefer to be a member of a vibrant, gospel-preaching church led by a confident, bold, and visionary pastor, or a gospel-preaching no-name church down the road led by Pastor Joe Shmoe with his non-impressive personality or speaking ability?” Notice, both churches are gospel-preaching, but one is where all the “energy” and lively messages are happening. Let’s face it, if we lacked self-awareness, we would all most likely choose the “it” church in order to attach ourselves to a charismatic man or movement, because it gives us the impression of knowing who we are and where we are going. It becomes the foundation of your very identity. 

This is what Paul was getting at in Philippians 3. His eyes had been opened to the “rubbish” of religious achievement, status, and bravado… that is, until he met Christ: “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (Philippians 3:5-9)
May we find our confidence in Christ, rather than charisma. And it starts with me as pastor of this church. Please pray for me that I would not fall prey to Satan's schemes of spiritual pride, but that I would identify myself with the crucified Lord Jesus. 

 

[1] Quote found on minute 1:00:58-1:01:12 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkJW_5UPb_s

[2] Discussed at the very beginning of episode 180 on September 21 here: https://www.9marks.org/pastors-talk/on-filtering-pastoral-candidates-with-bobby-jamieson-pastors-talk-ep-180/

[3] Same podcast and timeframe above from Pastor’s Talk.

[4]Questioning The Origin Myth”, around minute 14.
]]>
“Bro, have you been listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill?” This seems to be the second most frequently asked question by Christians over the past couple of months. Even Matt Chandler from the Village Church stated in their livestream service on August 22, “I’ve been asked right around seven trillion times if I’ve listened to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. And I can say in all honesty, ‘Yes’, but I actually got a front row seat to that whole thing.”[1] Another popular Christian podcast (Pastor’s Talk) hosted by Pastor Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman discussed how they too have listened to every episode.[2] While I can’t say that I’ve been asked seven trillion times like Matt Chandler, I can say that I have talked to enough people from our church to know the average Christian podcast listener is eagerly and attentively tuning in. Full disclosure: my wife and I have listened to and processed every episode.

In response to all the hoopla surrounding the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, Christian leaders have felt it necessary to present their cautions and concerns to those of us getting seduced by the captivating drama of the podcast. Among these cautions are Liam Thatcher’s “Unintended Consequences of Failure Porn” and Trevin Wax’s “On ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’—Surveying Our Souls.” Other concerns people have are that the podcast is “gossipy”, slanderous, damaging to people’s trust in their church's leadership, or provoking the sin of schadenfreude.

Are any of these concerns completely illegitimate or wrongly motivated? Probably not. But what I find myself thinking when I hear these concerns is twofold: first, why do people feel the need to express these cautions? Frankly, it comes across (to me at least) as if these cautions are a more “spiritually enlightened perspective”, unlike the rest of us hypnotized addicts twitching in anticipation for the next episode to release so we can get our “fix”. These concerns, while not untrue, have a slight patronizing tone towards those who are “less mature”. For example, you may find yourself really enjoying the podcast only to read someone’s concern about your enjoyment of it. You then walk away thinking, “Wow, maybe they're right. Maybe there is something wrong with me that I like the podcast so much. Maybe I should repent.” Maybe you should repent, but my guess is probably not.

This leads me to the second thing I find myself thinking in response to these cautions: Why can’t people just let listeners process the narrative without guilt-tripping people into feeling like they should repent for enjoying the podcast? All these alarms seem like a distraction from the serious and perennial issues being raised by Mike Cosper which plague the evangelical church. It’s not complicated: you should listen to the podcast with discernment and process it with other trusted and wise friends. It’s that simple. No one said you have to agree with everything in the podcast.

Right here someone could say, “You just said that I should listen to the podcast. Why?” Here is how Mark Dever responded to Jonathan Leeman’s question about why the podcast is worth listening to:

“It’s very worth listening to… I think as evangelicals sometimes we are not willing to look at our own dirty laundry and because of that, the mistakes that are made are more easily repeated, where if they had been memorialized and talked about.” [3]

I agree wholeheartedly with Dever. I think all Christians should listen to the podcast. There is so much that we can learn from Cosper’s work, which I am hopeful will bring about greater health and awareness in the average church member. 

Excuse me… church member? Don’t you mean church leader? Here is the kicker: the podcast is really not about Mark Driscoll; it’s really about the people, the celebrity culture, and the media tools surrounding a charismatic leader that enable him. In other words, the podcast is a look in the mirror about why we keep letting men—whose giftedness far exceeds their godliness—gather large crowds only to decimate our faith once again. Mike Cosper gives a soul-shivering quote in the episode called “Questioning The Origin Myth” about how we are so easily drawn to the stories, the vision, and the authority of charismatic leaders,

“There’s always something attractive about a ‘visionary leader’… because in a secularized age where spirituality seems difficult and contested, having someone stand before us with certainty that they’ve heard from God in a unique way and that they know his plan for our life is comforting… So, it’s worth taking inventory by asking what stories are moving us? Do those stories expand our vision of Christ’s church or narrow it? For pastors, what stories are you telling? What’s the vison that you’re inviting your church into?... Jared Wilson often says, ‘What you win them with, is what you win them to.’ In other words, whatever is drawing the crowd, whether it’s charisma or as Bart Simpson once described the church, ‘Lights, smoke, and Tae Bao’, that tends to form the foundation of their faith… if you’ve won them to a sense of one man’s charismatic calling and vision, then when that starts to crumble, the consequences… can be tragic.” [4]

I think this is what the podcast is really about. Sure, the podcast is about spiritual abuse and other things, but the main thing seems to be about us becoming more self-aware of our tendency to entrust ourselves to charisma, rather than to Christ. When are we going to wake up and realize how prone we are to finding our identity in that church where stuff is “happening”, or in that charismatic pastor with his ability to draw a crowd? If you are like me, you are not naturally confident and certain of who you are or what you believe about everything. So, when you come across someone with a surplus of spiritual confidence and certainty about who they are and where they are going, then without even realizing it, you attach your spiritual umbilical cord to their excess spiritual bravado in order to make up for your lack of spiritual confidence. That’s why this keeps happening, because we want a savior, but instead of looking to Jesus, we look to a pseudo-Jesus. Sure, we say Jesus is our "Savior", but in reality, it’s the charismatic boldness of another pastor.

This fundamental bent in human nature is at the root of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Cosper is successfully holding the mirror to congregations and pastors and saying, “Don’t you see? It’s us!” One of the repeating intro quotes of each episode says, “We have a culture of church members who would prefer a narcissist leading a church.” Just focus on the word prefer. We would prefer a narcissist leading a church. A preference is something that we tend to like more than something else (“I prefer vanilla ice cream over chocolate ice cream.”). I don’t have to consciously choose which one I want. I just intuitively choose what I want without even thinking about it. Why (as the quote says) would we prefer someone like this in leadership? Because we are drawn towards something bigger and more certain than ourselves, especially if it is related to the spiritual and divine. Charismatic leaders are those who give the impression that they know the way and you can trust them to take you there. Just think for a moment and ask yourself, “Would I prefer to be a member of a vibrant, gospel-preaching church led by a confident, bold, and visionary pastor, or a gospel-preaching no-name church down the road led by Pastor Joe Shmoe with his non-impressive personality or speaking ability?” Notice, both churches are gospel-preaching, but one is where all the “energy” and lively messages are happening. Let’s face it, if we lacked self-awareness, we would all most likely choose the “it” church in order to attach ourselves to a charismatic man or movement, because it gives us the impression of knowing who we are and where we are going. It becomes the foundation of your very identity. 

This is what Paul was getting at in Philippians 3. His eyes had been opened to the “rubbish” of religious achievement, status, and bravado… that is, until he met Christ: “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (Philippians 3:5-9)
May we find our confidence in Christ, rather than charisma. And it starts with me as pastor of this church. Please pray for me that I would not fall prey to Satan's schemes of spiritual pride, but that I would identify myself with the crucified Lord Jesus. 

 

[1] Quote found on minute 1:00:58-1:01:12 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkJW_5UPb_s

[2] Discussed at the very beginning of episode 180 on September 21 here: https://www.9marks.org/pastors-talk/on-filtering-pastoral-candidates-with-bobby-jamieson-pastors-talk-ep-180/

[3] Same podcast and timeframe above from Pastor’s Talk.

[4]Questioning The Origin Myth”, around minute 14.
]]>
Mother's Day Poem - "God is Enough" https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/god-is-enough https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/god-is-enough#comments Sun, 09 May 2021 12:00:00 -0400 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/god-is-enough Nine months she gladly bears
The fruit of the womb within
Whispering her gospel prayers
As God’s blessing forms therein
To the expecting mom: God’s grace is enough

Sleepless nights she must endure
God alone keeps her sane
Christ close by keeps her sure
Even then, Jesus will reign
To the nursing mom: God’s help is enough

No time for herself
Needs never seem to end
But Christ offers himself
In Jesus, O what a friend
To the rearing mom: God’s peace is enough

Almost too much for her to bear
The dreaded weight of mommy guilt
Once again, she failed to care
Jesus’ blood wraps her like a quilt
To the guilty mom: God’s forgiveness is enough

Why Lord, another miscarriage?
Heaven’s blessing seems withheld
How does she not feel disparaged?
By sheer grace she remains upheld
To the grieving mom: God’s comfort is enough

She burns innately by design
To start a family of her own
But fears she’ll miss the Lord’s deadline
Yet Christ in heart sits enthroned
To the aspiring mother: God’s glory is enough

O God, for more love and support
She works, cooks, and cleans alone
If only a dad could here exhort
God the Father is still her backbone
To the single mom: God’s love is enough

That annual dark cloud once more
The second Lord’s Day in May
Grief unleashed, who will restore?
Only Christ on Resurrection Day
To the motherless: God’s hope is enough

Another impasse not seeing eye-to-eye
Mother and daughter hardened heart
How, O Lord, will this to you glorify,
Lest your Spirit grants us a fresh start?
To the conflicted mother: God’s restoration is enough

Teach that word, O spiritual mother
We need more women to know the Book
Build the Scriptures in one another
Your labors, the Lord will not overlook
To the spiritual mother: God’s reward is enough

You, O Mother, have fought the good fight
You enjoy the labor of your hands
Christ, your anchor, worked his might
To shape your kids according to his plans
To the faithful mom: God’s faithfulness is enough

]]>
Nine months she gladly bears
The fruit of the womb within
Whispering her gospel prayers
As God’s blessing forms therein
To the expecting mom: God’s grace is enough

Sleepless nights she must endure
God alone keeps her sane
Christ close by keeps her sure
Even then, Jesus will reign
To the nursing mom: God’s help is enough

No time for herself
Needs never seem to end
But Christ offers himself
In Jesus, O what a friend
To the rearing mom: God’s peace is enough

Almost too much for her to bear
The dreaded weight of mommy guilt
Once again, she failed to care
Jesus’ blood wraps her like a quilt
To the guilty mom: God’s forgiveness is enough

Why Lord, another miscarriage?
Heaven’s blessing seems withheld
How does she not feel disparaged?
By sheer grace she remains upheld
To the grieving mom: God’s comfort is enough

She burns innately by design
To start a family of her own
But fears she’ll miss the Lord’s deadline
Yet Christ in heart sits enthroned
To the aspiring mother: God’s glory is enough

O God, for more love and support
She works, cooks, and cleans alone
If only a dad could here exhort
God the Father is still her backbone
To the single mom: God’s love is enough

That annual dark cloud once more
The second Lord’s Day in May
Grief unleashed, who will restore?
Only Christ on Resurrection Day
To the motherless: God’s hope is enough

Another impasse not seeing eye-to-eye
Mother and daughter hardened heart
How, O Lord, will this to you glorify,
Lest your Spirit grants us a fresh start?
To the conflicted mother: God’s restoration is enough

Teach that word, O spiritual mother
We need more women to know the Book
Build the Scriptures in one another
Your labors, the Lord will not overlook
To the spiritual mother: God’s reward is enough

You, O Mother, have fought the good fight
You enjoy the labor of your hands
Christ, your anchor, worked his might
To shape your kids according to his plans
To the faithful mom: God’s faithfulness is enough

]]>
How to Take the Lord's Supper https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/how-to-take-the-lords-supper https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/how-to-take-the-lords-supper#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/how-to-take-the-lords-supper This article is a follow-up to the last one I wrote (“How to Listen to a Sermon”). Again, the purpose of writing these is to equip the people of God—specifically at CAB—to get the greatest benefit from the means of grace[1] in the Sunday gathering. In order to get the greatest blessing from the Lord’s Supper, you need to get four things.

1. GET UNDERSTANDING. 

Similar to preaching, if you do not know what the Lord’s Supper is, then you might approach it with the wrong mindset or attitude. For example, if you don’t know what a birthday party is you might show up without a present, which dishonors the birthday boy/girl and embarrasses yourself.[2] So, what is the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper is a gift from Jesus Christ to his Bride—the church—for the purpose of nourishing our new spiritual life in Christ (Luke 22:7-23). It is similar to preaching in that it serves to give us Christ but different in the following ways:

  • Preaching is audible, but the Lord’s Supper is edible.
  • Preaching is verbal, but the Lord’s Supper is visual.
  • Preaching converts the sinner to Christ, but the Lord’s Supper comforts the sinner with Christ.

While the Lord’s Supper is edible (i.e. swallowing bread and juice), it does not mean we are literally eating and drinking Christ. The act of eating physically represents the act of eating spiritually. Jesus himself clarifies this in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” He compares our coming to him and believing in him as symbolic of eating him and drinking him. Thus, it is not a literal eating of the body and blood of Christ. 

The most in-depth passage on the Lord’s Supper can be found in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. We can conclude a few things from this passage, though not exhaustively.

The Lord's Supper reminds: If we are honest, we forget too easily. Tragically, we can forget what Jesus did for us (i.e. the gospel). And if we forget gospel, we may drift into legalism (attempting to earn God’s love) or antinomianism (living carelessly as if the cross made no difference). Jesus clearly states in verse 24, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Actively remembering and setting our minds upon Christ’s death and resurrection reassures our hearts that whatever sin and shame continue to pester us, God surely accepts us as righteous in his Son. This reminder is a form of preaching to yourself, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:24, 26)

The Lord's Supper unites: one of the most powerful ways to unite people who are different and flawed is through sharing. The deeper the reality shared, the deeper the unity is felt. Two women are united stronger by sharing their story, than by sharing their salad. But the deepest reality of existence is Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:17) The Lord’s Supper is not only a reminder of our forgiveness and justification in Christ but also of the eternal identify we all share in Church at Bergen. For a more in-depth look listen to the following sermon from our "Rhythms of Worship" series: Lord's Supper.

2. GET SURGERY.

Our souls need to be nourished and strengthened week-in and week-out with the gospel. Every week the gospel of truth infuses a healing balm down into the inner recesses of the heart where the infection of sin festers. Sin is like cancer, which can only be removed and snuffed out by surgery or chemotherapy. This is what the word of God does for us; it cuts through the callouses of our hearts and exposes where sin and unbelief reign, so that the gospel might be applied by the gracious touch of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

Prior to taking the Lord’s Supper, we must have our hearts exposed and opened up by the preached word of God. Thus, be receptive and open to all that the word of God exposing in you. Why? Because only then will your heart be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit who heals you with the gospel of grace as you take the Lord’s Supper.

3. GET REAL. 

The Lord’s Supper is a most holy and sacred ordinance. It has been consecrated by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Thus, to trifle with the Lord’s Supper is a serious offense and is no small thing (1 Cor. 11:27-29). This is why Paul—speaking on behalf of Christ—tells us, “Let a person examine himself.” (1 Cor. 11:28) We must also remember there are no secrets with the Lord. He knows all and sees all (Hebrews 4:13; Psalm 90:8). But how do we examine ourselves? Ask yourself the following questions in the time between the moment the pastor ends his sermon and when you actually eat the bread and juice:

  • Is there anywhere in my life that I am not repenting?
  • Is there anywhere in my life that I am not trusting Christ?
  • Is there anyone in this local body that I need to reconcile with?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, quickly confess and repent to God and to anyone in the church if necessary.[3] The reason self-examination is so essential is because of the sacredness of the body and blood of Christ—represented by the bread and juice. Thus, to mingle it with sin reigning in your hearts is a most blasphemous act. 

CAUTION: Beware of overdoing self-examination, lest you paralyze your conscience from ever feeling free to take the Lord's Supper. Examine yourself for a few brief moments, if the Holy Spirit brings nothing to mind, joyfully approach the table.   

4. GET SATISFIED. 

Finally, after being exposed by the word and purging the evil within, you are free to come to the table. As you are taking the bread and wine, eat it as a one who “hungers and thirsts for righteousness.” Why? For Jesus promised that “they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6) But what exactly should your heart posture be like when eating the bread and juice? As you eat the bread and juice, do the following:

  • Consciously renounce and abase all inclinations toward self-righteousness and self-love.
  • Consciously embrace Jesus Christ in the heart as your sole righteousness and grounds for acceptance before the Holy Father.

Then as you return to your seat, let your heart overflow with gratitude and rest in God’s faithfulness to forgive and embrace you as his own. As you wait eagerly for the worship team to begin singing, savor all that Christ is for you now and forever. Be intensely aware of the fact that you belong to Christ and nothing will ever separate you from his love. Be satisfied in your soul and sing with all your might until the pastor gives the final benediction.

 

Footnotes

[1] The “Means of Grace” are the God-ordained channels through which the Spirit supplies more of Christ’s grace to his redeemed people. These include the word of God (preached and read), prayer and fasting, the Lord’s Supper, and Christian fellowship. Grace is not some invisible “substance,” but rather is Christ’s lavish, undeserved favor and help for the children of God in their weakness.

[2] Unless, of course, the birthday boy/girl asks that you not bring a gift. But even then, it is still a good idea to get them a gift ;)

[3] If you must confess and reconcile with a person in the church, there is no harm in refraining from partaking of the Supper and reconciling after the service.

]]>
This article is a follow-up to the last one I wrote (“How to Listen to a Sermon”). Again, the purpose of writing these is to equip the people of God—specifically at CAB—to get the greatest benefit from the means of grace[1] in the Sunday gathering. In order to get the greatest blessing from the Lord’s Supper, you need to get four things.

1. GET UNDERSTANDING. 

Similar to preaching, if you do not know what the Lord’s Supper is, then you might approach it with the wrong mindset or attitude. For example, if you don’t know what a birthday party is you might show up without a present, which dishonors the birthday boy/girl and embarrasses yourself.[2] So, what is the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper is a gift from Jesus Christ to his Bride—the church—for the purpose of nourishing our new spiritual life in Christ (Luke 22:7-23). It is similar to preaching in that it serves to give us Christ but different in the following ways:

  • Preaching is audible, but the Lord’s Supper is edible.
  • Preaching is verbal, but the Lord’s Supper is visual.
  • Preaching converts the sinner to Christ, but the Lord’s Supper comforts the sinner with Christ.

While the Lord’s Supper is edible (i.e. swallowing bread and juice), it does not mean we are literally eating and drinking Christ. The act of eating physically represents the act of eating spiritually. Jesus himself clarifies this in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” He compares our coming to him and believing in him as symbolic of eating him and drinking him. Thus, it is not a literal eating of the body and blood of Christ. 

The most in-depth passage on the Lord’s Supper can be found in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. We can conclude a few things from this passage, though not exhaustively.

The Lord's Supper reminds: If we are honest, we forget too easily. Tragically, we can forget what Jesus did for us (i.e. the gospel). And if we forget gospel, we may drift into legalism (attempting to earn God’s love) or antinomianism (living carelessly as if the cross made no difference). Jesus clearly states in verse 24, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Actively remembering and setting our minds upon Christ’s death and resurrection reassures our hearts that whatever sin and shame continue to pester us, God surely accepts us as righteous in his Son. This reminder is a form of preaching to yourself, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:24, 26)

The Lord's Supper unites: one of the most powerful ways to unite people who are different and flawed is through sharing. The deeper the reality shared, the deeper the unity is felt. Two women are united stronger by sharing their story, than by sharing their salad. But the deepest reality of existence is Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:17) The Lord’s Supper is not only a reminder of our forgiveness and justification in Christ but also of the eternal identify we all share in Church at Bergen. For a more in-depth look listen to the following sermon from our "Rhythms of Worship" series: Lord's Supper.

2. GET SURGERY.

Our souls need to be nourished and strengthened week-in and week-out with the gospel. Every week the gospel of truth infuses a healing balm down into the inner recesses of the heart where the infection of sin festers. Sin is like cancer, which can only be removed and snuffed out by surgery or chemotherapy. This is what the word of God does for us; it cuts through the callouses of our hearts and exposes where sin and unbelief reign, so that the gospel might be applied by the gracious touch of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

Prior to taking the Lord’s Supper, we must have our hearts exposed and opened up by the preached word of God. Thus, be receptive and open to all that the word of God exposing in you. Why? Because only then will your heart be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit who heals you with the gospel of grace as you take the Lord’s Supper.

3. GET REAL. 

The Lord’s Supper is a most holy and sacred ordinance. It has been consecrated by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Thus, to trifle with the Lord’s Supper is a serious offense and is no small thing (1 Cor. 11:27-29). This is why Paul—speaking on behalf of Christ—tells us, “Let a person examine himself.” (1 Cor. 11:28) We must also remember there are no secrets with the Lord. He knows all and sees all (Hebrews 4:13; Psalm 90:8). But how do we examine ourselves? Ask yourself the following questions in the time between the moment the pastor ends his sermon and when you actually eat the bread and juice:

  • Is there anywhere in my life that I am not repenting?
  • Is there anywhere in my life that I am not trusting Christ?
  • Is there anyone in this local body that I need to reconcile with?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, quickly confess and repent to God and to anyone in the church if necessary.[3] The reason self-examination is so essential is because of the sacredness of the body and blood of Christ—represented by the bread and juice. Thus, to mingle it with sin reigning in your hearts is a most blasphemous act. 

CAUTION: Beware of overdoing self-examination, lest you paralyze your conscience from ever feeling free to take the Lord's Supper. Examine yourself for a few brief moments, if the Holy Spirit brings nothing to mind, joyfully approach the table.   

4. GET SATISFIED. 

Finally, after being exposed by the word and purging the evil within, you are free to come to the table. As you are taking the bread and wine, eat it as a one who “hungers and thirsts for righteousness.” Why? For Jesus promised that “they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6) But what exactly should your heart posture be like when eating the bread and juice? As you eat the bread and juice, do the following:

  • Consciously renounce and abase all inclinations toward self-righteousness and self-love.
  • Consciously embrace Jesus Christ in the heart as your sole righteousness and grounds for acceptance before the Holy Father.

Then as you return to your seat, let your heart overflow with gratitude and rest in God’s faithfulness to forgive and embrace you as his own. As you wait eagerly for the worship team to begin singing, savor all that Christ is for you now and forever. Be intensely aware of the fact that you belong to Christ and nothing will ever separate you from his love. Be satisfied in your soul and sing with all your might until the pastor gives the final benediction.

 

Footnotes

[1] The “Means of Grace” are the God-ordained channels through which the Spirit supplies more of Christ’s grace to his redeemed people. These include the word of God (preached and read), prayer and fasting, the Lord’s Supper, and Christian fellowship. Grace is not some invisible “substance,” but rather is Christ’s lavish, undeserved favor and help for the children of God in their weakness.

[2] Unless, of course, the birthday boy/girl asks that you not bring a gift. But even then, it is still a good idea to get them a gift ;)

[3] If you must confess and reconcile with a person in the church, there is no harm in refraining from partaking of the Supper and reconciling after the service.

]]>
Morning Prayer https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/morning-prayer https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/morning-prayer#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/morning-prayer Building Your Work on Prayer

A church member asked if I could post the morning prayer that I recite before I start work each day. I mentioned this prayer in my latest sermon from Nehemiah called, "Rebuild on Prayer." The purpose of praying before you begin your work is to establish the day upon the truth that you are a servant of God and are in desperate need of his grace to glorify him with every moment. The prayer was originally written by John Calvin, but I found it in Tim Keller's book called, Prayer. [1] Here is how the prayer goes...

My good God, Father, and Savior, grant me aid by your Holy Spirit to now work fruitfully in my vocation, which is from you, all in order to love you and the people around me rather than for my own gain and glory. Give me wisdom, judgment and prudence, and freedom from my besetting sins. Bring me under the rule of true humility. Let me accept with patience whatever amount of fruitfulness or difficulty in my work that you give me this day. And in all I do, help me to rest always in my Lord Jesus Christ and in his grace alone for my salvation and life. Hear me, merciful Father, by our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. 

 

[1] Keller, Tim. Prayer, page 265. 

 

]]>
Building Your Work on Prayer

A church member asked if I could post the morning prayer that I recite before I start work each day. I mentioned this prayer in my latest sermon from Nehemiah called, "Rebuild on Prayer." The purpose of praying before you begin your work is to establish the day upon the truth that you are a servant of God and are in desperate need of his grace to glorify him with every moment. The prayer was originally written by John Calvin, but I found it in Tim Keller's book called, Prayer. [1] Here is how the prayer goes...

My good God, Father, and Savior, grant me aid by your Holy Spirit to now work fruitfully in my vocation, which is from you, all in order to love you and the people around me rather than for my own gain and glory. Give me wisdom, judgment and prudence, and freedom from my besetting sins. Bring me under the rule of true humility. Let me accept with patience whatever amount of fruitfulness or difficulty in my work that you give me this day. And in all I do, help me to rest always in my Lord Jesus Christ and in his grace alone for my salvation and life. Hear me, merciful Father, by our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. 

 

[1] Keller, Tim. Prayer, page 265. 

 

]]>
How to Listen to a Sermon https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/how-to-listen-to-a-sermon https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/how-to-listen-to-a-sermon#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/how-to-listen-to-a-sermon PREGAME: BEFORE THE SERMON

  1. Sleep tight.

Don’t over-spiritualize listening to a sermon, as if what you do with your body does not affect you on Sundays. God gave us a soul, but He also gave us a body! We must be mindful of the inseparable connection between the body and the soul. For example, if I stay up until 3am playing “Minecraft,” [1] don’t expect your mind to be sharp and attentive to what the preacher is saying. Also, though it is not wrong to go out and have a good time with family and friends on Saturday night, there is a way of doing it that disregards the importance of hearing the Word of God preached the next morning. Here are some tips (though they are not exhaustive):

  • Get to bed at a decent time.
  • Be mindful of what you eat and drink Saturday nights.
  • Lay out the kids clothes the night before and eat breakfast together J
  • Turn up the worship music all morning and sing along!
  1. Sing desperately.

Leading up to the sermon, sing as David did in the Psalms: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” (Ps. 42:1) “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Ps. 63:1) 

Why pray like this?

Because God promises to answer these prayers: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Ps. 81:10) We come to worship on Sunday in hopes that the Lord would feed us with spiritual food and satiate our thirst with living water. Come with a soul wide open and plead with God to fill your heart and soul.  

GAMETIME: LISTENING TO THE SERMON

  1. Know what you are listening to.

The first thing preventing you from listening well is not understanding the nature of what the preacher is doing. For example, if I don’t understand the nature of a funeral, I might show up in workout clothes cracking jokes! Similarly, if we do not understand the nature of preaching, we might show up with an inappropriate posture and mindset. 

What is preaching then? Preaching is worship, and its goal is to create worshippers. It is not enough for the preacher to faithfully unpack the meaning of Scripture (that is only teaching). He must also be enthralled and captivated by the meaning of what he is declaring from Scripture. Thus, boring preaching is not preaching! On the other hand, if someone is bored with true preaching, that reveals a spiritual defect in the heart of the listener. Preaching is also the means by which King Jesus rules over his church and manifests his glory to our hearts in the present day. When a humble and godly man is truly preaching, it is as if [2] King Jesus himself were speaking audibly to you.

Now, if you think this is too high a view of preaching, listen to how Paul the apostle charges Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2) Verse one could not be a more serious preface to the command in verse two to “preach the word.” Paul had an extremely high view of preaching, because it deserves a high view.  

  1. Gird up the loins of your mind.

This phrase comes from 1 Peter 1:13, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace… of Jesus Christ.” The phrase “preparing your minds for action” is literally translated “gird up the loins of your minds.” The phrase alludes to when a man would tie up the extra cloth of his robe when he was about to go into battle (picture to right). If he didn’t do this, then he would trip and fall when running. Similarly, if we don’t pick up the slack of our minds, we will stumble in our listening.

What does this mean? It means if you listen to a sermon the way you watch TV or listen to a song, you are probably not listening well. Focus and fix your mind! You must listen to a sermon the way a son listens to his beloved father’s last words on the hospital bed. You must listen to a sermon the way a cancer patient and his/her spouse listens to a doctor as they describe the best way to defeat cancer. Every word counts. Every moment matters.

So, what would it say about the son if he kept checking his phone as his father said his last words? Or what would it say about the cancer patient’s wife if she kept leaving to go to the bathroom? It probably means they do not sense the gravity of the situation. It is no different with listening to a sermon. [3]

  1. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help.

Without the Spirit of God, our preaching and our listening will be in vain. Those who are in the flesh—unbelieving and without the Spirit—are unable to receive the word of God with meekness. Paul makes this plain, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:14) He says also in Romans 8:7, “The mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.” Therefore, you must pray for the Spirit’s help in order to have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” (Eph. 1:18)

Not only should you pray for yourself, but also for the preacher! For he himself must preach in the power of the Spirit, lest you trust in the wisdom of man rather than the wisdom of God. The apostle Paul said, “my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5)

The Spirit will give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive his word with all humility. Pray and ask him at the beginning of the sermon and impulsively throughout.

  1. “Show me the text!”

The only sermon worthy of your listening is one faithfully derived from the text of Scripture. All others are mere opinion in comparison to the word of the One who spoke galaxies into being by the breath of His mouth. But how do you know if the preacher is getting his sermon from the text of Scripture? Here are two criteria you should always be listening for: 

  1. The preacher quotes the biblical text.

Whether it is recited from memory or read aloud, there must be some biblical text that is central to the sermon and heard by all. The text must take center stage.

But even if a sermon references the text, it does not necessarily mean everything else the preacher says is worthy to be listened to! He must go above and beyond to demonstrate what he is saying actually comes from specific parts of the text. Which leads to next and most important criteria.

  1. The preacher shows you where he gets his points from the text.

The average sermon meets criteria #1, but other than when the preacher reads the text, you don’t feel like you need to look at the Bible again. A lot of preaching consists of the preacher saying a bunch true things about the text after he reads it. There is a difference between interpreting the Bible and showing how you got your interpretation. The problem comes when the preacher does not show you where or how they got what they are saying from the text. Rather, they assume that you see it, without making sure you actually see it. 

Why is that bad?

Because it trains listeners to put their trust in what a man says, rather than the Bible. You should never “take the preacher’s word for it.” You should never be left wondering, “Where is he getting this from the text?”  Unless you can actually see where he gets his points from the Bible (because he is showing you), you don’t have good reason to listen to what the preacher says. Sermons that continually direct your eyes back to the text demonstrate their submission to the authority of God’s word. Consequently, you are trained week-in and week-out to put your confidence in the authority of God’s word, not in what a man says—even if he is saying true things!

  1. Help him out!

“Can I get an ‘Amen’?” Preachers ask this out of the joy of what they are preaching, and in the hope of drawing you into that same joy. The only thing greater than a solo joy, is a shared joy. The preacher is not preaching for his joy alone, but for yours as well! What increases the preacher’s joy, is to hear the congregation’s joy overflow with encouraging responses. And the congregation’s joy increases as they see the preacher’s joy grow in their response.

So, do not hold back! If you have a sense of worship in your hearts. Respond appropriately to the preacher with an, “Amen!”, “Preach it!”, “Come on!”, “That’s right!”, “Yes sir!”, “Let’s go!”, “Bless the Lord!” For his joy will only increase to your benefit.

 

[1] If you don’t know what “Minecraft” is, consider it a blessing from the Lord ;-)

[2] “as if” is being used very carefully here. A preacher is never to abuse such “borrowed authority,” lest he disqualify himself and hurt the church.

[3] This is not meant as a condemnation against anyone who has done this before, but if it is a repeated pattern in your listening, it may reveal a spiritual defect in your heart.

]]>
PREGAME: BEFORE THE SERMON

  1. Sleep tight.

Don’t over-spiritualize listening to a sermon, as if what you do with your body does not affect you on Sundays. God gave us a soul, but He also gave us a body! We must be mindful of the inseparable connection between the body and the soul. For example, if I stay up until 3am playing “Minecraft,” [1] don’t expect your mind to be sharp and attentive to what the preacher is saying. Also, though it is not wrong to go out and have a good time with family and friends on Saturday night, there is a way of doing it that disregards the importance of hearing the Word of God preached the next morning. Here are some tips (though they are not exhaustive):

  • Get to bed at a decent time.
  • Be mindful of what you eat and drink Saturday nights.
  • Lay out the kids clothes the night before and eat breakfast together J
  • Turn up the worship music all morning and sing along!
  1. Sing desperately.

Leading up to the sermon, sing as David did in the Psalms: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” (Ps. 42:1) “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Ps. 63:1) 

Why pray like this?

Because God promises to answer these prayers: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Ps. 81:10) We come to worship on Sunday in hopes that the Lord would feed us with spiritual food and satiate our thirst with living water. Come with a soul wide open and plead with God to fill your heart and soul.  

GAMETIME: LISTENING TO THE SERMON

  1. Know what you are listening to.

The first thing preventing you from listening well is not understanding the nature of what the preacher is doing. For example, if I don’t understand the nature of a funeral, I might show up in workout clothes cracking jokes! Similarly, if we do not understand the nature of preaching, we might show up with an inappropriate posture and mindset. 

What is preaching then? Preaching is worship, and its goal is to create worshippers. It is not enough for the preacher to faithfully unpack the meaning of Scripture (that is only teaching). He must also be enthralled and captivated by the meaning of what he is declaring from Scripture. Thus, boring preaching is not preaching! On the other hand, if someone is bored with true preaching, that reveals a spiritual defect in the heart of the listener. Preaching is also the means by which King Jesus rules over his church and manifests his glory to our hearts in the present day. When a humble and godly man is truly preaching, it is as if [2] King Jesus himself were speaking audibly to you.

Now, if you think this is too high a view of preaching, listen to how Paul the apostle charges Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2) Verse one could not be a more serious preface to the command in verse two to “preach the word.” Paul had an extremely high view of preaching, because it deserves a high view.  

  1. Gird up the loins of your mind.

This phrase comes from 1 Peter 1:13, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace… of Jesus Christ.” The phrase “preparing your minds for action” is literally translated “gird up the loins of your minds.” The phrase alludes to when a man would tie up the extra cloth of his robe when he was about to go into battle (picture to right). If he didn’t do this, then he would trip and fall when running. Similarly, if we don’t pick up the slack of our minds, we will stumble in our listening.

What does this mean? It means if you listen to a sermon the way you watch TV or listen to a song, you are probably not listening well. Focus and fix your mind! You must listen to a sermon the way a son listens to his beloved father’s last words on the hospital bed. You must listen to a sermon the way a cancer patient and his/her spouse listens to a doctor as they describe the best way to defeat cancer. Every word counts. Every moment matters.

So, what would it say about the son if he kept checking his phone as his father said his last words? Or what would it say about the cancer patient’s wife if she kept leaving to go to the bathroom? It probably means they do not sense the gravity of the situation. It is no different with listening to a sermon. [3]

  1. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help.

Without the Spirit of God, our preaching and our listening will be in vain. Those who are in the flesh—unbelieving and without the Spirit—are unable to receive the word of God with meekness. Paul makes this plain, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:14) He says also in Romans 8:7, “The mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.” Therefore, you must pray for the Spirit’s help in order to have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” (Eph. 1:18)

Not only should you pray for yourself, but also for the preacher! For he himself must preach in the power of the Spirit, lest you trust in the wisdom of man rather than the wisdom of God. The apostle Paul said, “my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5)

The Spirit will give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive his word with all humility. Pray and ask him at the beginning of the sermon and impulsively throughout.

  1. “Show me the text!”

The only sermon worthy of your listening is one faithfully derived from the text of Scripture. All others are mere opinion in comparison to the word of the One who spoke galaxies into being by the breath of His mouth. But how do you know if the preacher is getting his sermon from the text of Scripture? Here are two criteria you should always be listening for: 

  1. The preacher quotes the biblical text.

Whether it is recited from memory or read aloud, there must be some biblical text that is central to the sermon and heard by all. The text must take center stage.

But even if a sermon references the text, it does not necessarily mean everything else the preacher says is worthy to be listened to! He must go above and beyond to demonstrate what he is saying actually comes from specific parts of the text. Which leads to next and most important criteria.

  1. The preacher shows you where he gets his points from the text.

The average sermon meets criteria #1, but other than when the preacher reads the text, you don’t feel like you need to look at the Bible again. A lot of preaching consists of the preacher saying a bunch true things about the text after he reads it. There is a difference between interpreting the Bible and showing how you got your interpretation. The problem comes when the preacher does not show you where or how they got what they are saying from the text. Rather, they assume that you see it, without making sure you actually see it. 

Why is that bad?

Because it trains listeners to put their trust in what a man says, rather than the Bible. You should never “take the preacher’s word for it.” You should never be left wondering, “Where is he getting this from the text?”  Unless you can actually see where he gets his points from the Bible (because he is showing you), you don’t have good reason to listen to what the preacher says. Sermons that continually direct your eyes back to the text demonstrate their submission to the authority of God’s word. Consequently, you are trained week-in and week-out to put your confidence in the authority of God’s word, not in what a man says—even if he is saying true things!

  1. Help him out!

“Can I get an ‘Amen’?” Preachers ask this out of the joy of what they are preaching, and in the hope of drawing you into that same joy. The only thing greater than a solo joy, is a shared joy. The preacher is not preaching for his joy alone, but for yours as well! What increases the preacher’s joy, is to hear the congregation’s joy overflow with encouraging responses. And the congregation’s joy increases as they see the preacher’s joy grow in their response.

So, do not hold back! If you have a sense of worship in your hearts. Respond appropriately to the preacher with an, “Amen!”, “Preach it!”, “Come on!”, “That’s right!”, “Yes sir!”, “Let’s go!”, “Bless the Lord!” For his joy will only increase to your benefit.

 

[1] If you don’t know what “Minecraft” is, consider it a blessing from the Lord ;-)

[2] “as if” is being used very carefully here. A preacher is never to abuse such “borrowed authority,” lest he disqualify himself and hurt the church.

[3] This is not meant as a condemnation against anyone who has done this before, but if it is a repeated pattern in your listening, it may reveal a spiritual defect in your heart.

]]>
Can I trust the Bible? - Part 3 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/can-i-trust- https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/can-i-trust-#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2019 15:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/can-i-trust- We continue our series on, “How do I know the Bible is the word of God?” The first article addressed how someone comes to believe the Bible. Our deepest convictions are held for 3 reasons: rational, social, and personal (“The 3-Legged Stool of Belief”). The second stoolarticle addressed the rational reasons for believing the Bible. This week we address the second “leg of belief”: social reasons.

What are social reasons?

Society influences us positively and negatively in the beliefs we adopt. Positively by praising certain beliefs, and negatively by shaming others. For example, a girl raised in a Christian home and school may become best friends with a group of intelligent, kind, and popular unbelievers in college. If she walks away from Christianity, there is no question her friends influenced her beliefs. Furthermore, her decision was not merely a rational decision but also socially pressured. Let's take a look at some of the social pressures preventing people from believing the Bible. 

Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery?

The first is what the Bible teaches about slavery, which needs explanation.[1] First, we need to remember that history has shaped the way we interpret the word “slavery.” It triggers images of what is depicted in movies like 12 Years a Slave, Lincoln, and Django Unchained. We need to be aware of this and humble enough to admit our problem with the Bible has more to do with cultural influence than it being wrong.

How does the Bible talk about slavery?[2] The majority of the Bible’s teaching on slavery is found in the Old Testament. The specific kind of slavery depicted in the Old Testament is almost always “debt-slavery.” If someone was in debt, they could go to someone wealthier and offer their services until the debt was paid. There is a major difference between that and “chattel-slavery.”[3] The Bible explicitly condemns the stealing and selling of human beings for slavery (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11). Furthermore, according to Old Testament law it was wrong to return slaves to their masters (Deuteronomy 23:15-16) and slaves were even permitted freedom if they were mistreated and abused (Deuteronomy 21:25-26).

Finally, we must never forget the way in which the coming of Christ was a “game changer.” The gospel rendered all people—slave-free, Jew-Gentile, man-woman—as equal before the grace of God. The power of the gospel was destined to undo systemic slavery. For the body of the greatest “slave” to God—Jesus Christ—was crucified on a cross for both earthly masters and slaves alike.

Isn’t the Bible anti-gay?

The majority culture today has very few problems with homosexuality. On the other hand, a surface level reading of the Bible reveals homosexuality as sinful (Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:25-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:10). Yet many professing Christians, pastors and scholars make sophisticated arguments that the Bible never condemns monogamous, consensual same-sex relationships. You can hear a helpful response to the most popular arguments here. But is the Bible really anti-gay?

First, rather than say the Bible is anti-gay, it is much more accurate to say it is pro-marriage. Rather than focus on the Bible’s condemnation of same-sex romantic relationships and intercourse, it is much more helpful to understand the Bible’s exaltation of the beauty of marriage and what it portrays. From the beginning, God designed marriage to be a portrait of the life-giving, sacrificial love of Christ for his Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). This couldn’t be stated more seriously: all of the Bible’s condemnation of same-sex romance and intercourse is due to the way it distorts God’s original design to display the mystery of Christ and the Church through the permanent union of one man and one woman for life. All same-sex romantic and sexual relations distort the unique God-ordained image portrayed through the complementary union between man and woman: Christ and his Bride.

Second, a major reason today’s culture finds the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality so offensive is because of a psychological invention by Sigmund Freud in the 20th century. Prior to Freud, the concept of sexual-orientation didn’t even exist. Rather, homosexuality was only referred to as a verb, something someone did. But today—because of Freud—we have created a new category of homosexuality as something someone is—a fundamental identity. Now, our most fundamental essence is our sexual desires and fulfillment. The Bible has a very different understanding of human nature: we are all corrupt, even to our deepest desires and wants. Our most fundamental identity is not sexual-orientation, but soul-orientation. This explains why we take it as an affront on our identity when the Bible condemns gay sex and romance. The problem is our sexual longings are not our most fundamental identity. Rather, what our souls worship is who we are to the core, because we are what we worship, not what our bodies want sexually.

The Beauty of a Cross-Bearer

Is there any positive social pressure to beleive the Bible? This depends on whether or not you have encountered the beauty of a "cross-bearer." One of the most enticing things about the gospel is the way it changes people from self-centered comfort-seekers into self-sacfrificing cross-bearers. It is true the church is replete with hypocrites and false-representatives of Jesus Christ. We have much to repent of and ask forgiveness for. On the other hand, few things are as perplexingly beautiful as a transformed sinner. For example, Paul the apostle hated, persecuted, imprisoned, and killed Christians (Galatians 1:13) until he met Christ, the one who bore his sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). From that moment on, Paul the apostle embodied the one who carried his sins to death (Colossians 1:24). He poured out his life so that others might encounter the love and joy of Christ (Philippians 1:24-26; Philippians 2:17-18). Other examples include:

  1. The Macedonian Christians who banded together to overflow in generosity to people in need, though they were extremely poor and in need themselves (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).
  2. Or the Hebrew Christians who were gladly plundered by their enemies because of their desire to care for the needs of those in prison (Hebrews 10:32-34). 
  3. Or Ephaphraditus who risked his life and nearly died caring for the needs of the church in Philippi (Philippians 2:25-30).

A true, authentic Christian is not merely a nice person who does good things. There are plenty of unbelieving people who are nice and do good things. The uniqueness of an authentic Christian is their glad willingness to suffer for the sake of others knowing the love of Jesus Christ. The Bible is full of people like this. So, it is time we return to the days when we gladly suffer reproach and persecution in the act of humbly loving and serving others. Why? Becauase the most beautiful Cross-Bearer (Jesus Christ) left us an example when he carried our sins to death that we might be forgiven and have life eternal with him (1 Peter 2:19-21). 

In conclusion, the social pressures to discredit the Bible bark stronger than they bite. Next week we will conclude our series on the personal reasons to believe the Bible. That is, in what way does the Bible engage and persuade our hearts to arrive at strong belief in the Bible?

 

[1] There is even a new apologetic movement in the black community called, “Urban Apologetics.” It addresses the particular objections which come from black culture.

[2] This is a very brief overview. For a more in depth look at this issue see Doug Becker’s article from Emergence Church here: http://www.emergencenj.org/deeper-study/post/slavery-in-the-bible You can also watch Peter Williams’ lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUOsBQYuZ9g

[3] Chattel slavery is so named because people are treated as the chattel (personal property) of the owner and are bought and sold as commodities.

]]>
We continue our series on, “How do I know the Bible is the word of God?” The first article addressed how someone comes to believe the Bible. Our deepest convictions are held for 3 reasons: rational, social, and personal (“The 3-Legged Stool of Belief”). The second stoolarticle addressed the rational reasons for believing the Bible. This week we address the second “leg of belief”: social reasons.

What are social reasons?

Society influences us positively and negatively in the beliefs we adopt. Positively by praising certain beliefs, and negatively by shaming others. For example, a girl raised in a Christian home and school may become best friends with a group of intelligent, kind, and popular unbelievers in college. If she walks away from Christianity, there is no question her friends influenced her beliefs. Furthermore, her decision was not merely a rational decision but also socially pressured. Let's take a look at some of the social pressures preventing people from believing the Bible. 

Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery?

The first is what the Bible teaches about slavery, which needs explanation.[1] First, we need to remember that history has shaped the way we interpret the word “slavery.” It triggers images of what is depicted in movies like 12 Years a Slave, Lincoln, and Django Unchained. We need to be aware of this and humble enough to admit our problem with the Bible has more to do with cultural influence than it being wrong.

How does the Bible talk about slavery?[2] The majority of the Bible’s teaching on slavery is found in the Old Testament. The specific kind of slavery depicted in the Old Testament is almost always “debt-slavery.” If someone was in debt, they could go to someone wealthier and offer their services until the debt was paid. There is a major difference between that and “chattel-slavery.”[3] The Bible explicitly condemns the stealing and selling of human beings for slavery (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11). Furthermore, according to Old Testament law it was wrong to return slaves to their masters (Deuteronomy 23:15-16) and slaves were even permitted freedom if they were mistreated and abused (Deuteronomy 21:25-26).

Finally, we must never forget the way in which the coming of Christ was a “game changer.” The gospel rendered all people—slave-free, Jew-Gentile, man-woman—as equal before the grace of God. The power of the gospel was destined to undo systemic slavery. For the body of the greatest “slave” to God—Jesus Christ—was crucified on a cross for both earthly masters and slaves alike.

Isn’t the Bible anti-gay?

The majority culture today has very few problems with homosexuality. On the other hand, a surface level reading of the Bible reveals homosexuality as sinful (Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:25-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:10). Yet many professing Christians, pastors and scholars make sophisticated arguments that the Bible never condemns monogamous, consensual same-sex relationships. You can hear a helpful response to the most popular arguments here. But is the Bible really anti-gay?

First, rather than say the Bible is anti-gay, it is much more accurate to say it is pro-marriage. Rather than focus on the Bible’s condemnation of same-sex romantic relationships and intercourse, it is much more helpful to understand the Bible’s exaltation of the beauty of marriage and what it portrays. From the beginning, God designed marriage to be a portrait of the life-giving, sacrificial love of Christ for his Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). This couldn’t be stated more seriously: all of the Bible’s condemnation of same-sex romance and intercourse is due to the way it distorts God’s original design to display the mystery of Christ and the Church through the permanent union of one man and one woman for life. All same-sex romantic and sexual relations distort the unique God-ordained image portrayed through the complementary union between man and woman: Christ and his Bride.

Second, a major reason today’s culture finds the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality so offensive is because of a psychological invention by Sigmund Freud in the 20th century. Prior to Freud, the concept of sexual-orientation didn’t even exist. Rather, homosexuality was only referred to as a verb, something someone did. But today—because of Freud—we have created a new category of homosexuality as something someone is—a fundamental identity. Now, our most fundamental essence is our sexual desires and fulfillment. The Bible has a very different understanding of human nature: we are all corrupt, even to our deepest desires and wants. Our most fundamental identity is not sexual-orientation, but soul-orientation. This explains why we take it as an affront on our identity when the Bible condemns gay sex and romance. The problem is our sexual longings are not our most fundamental identity. Rather, what our souls worship is who we are to the core, because we are what we worship, not what our bodies want sexually.

The Beauty of a Cross-Bearer

Is there any positive social pressure to beleive the Bible? This depends on whether or not you have encountered the beauty of a "cross-bearer." One of the most enticing things about the gospel is the way it changes people from self-centered comfort-seekers into self-sacfrificing cross-bearers. It is true the church is replete with hypocrites and false-representatives of Jesus Christ. We have much to repent of and ask forgiveness for. On the other hand, few things are as perplexingly beautiful as a transformed sinner. For example, Paul the apostle hated, persecuted, imprisoned, and killed Christians (Galatians 1:13) until he met Christ, the one who bore his sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). From that moment on, Paul the apostle embodied the one who carried his sins to death (Colossians 1:24). He poured out his life so that others might encounter the love and joy of Christ (Philippians 1:24-26; Philippians 2:17-18). Other examples include:

  1. The Macedonian Christians who banded together to overflow in generosity to people in need, though they were extremely poor and in need themselves (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).
  2. Or the Hebrew Christians who were gladly plundered by their enemies because of their desire to care for the needs of those in prison (Hebrews 10:32-34). 
  3. Or Ephaphraditus who risked his life and nearly died caring for the needs of the church in Philippi (Philippians 2:25-30).

A true, authentic Christian is not merely a nice person who does good things. There are plenty of unbelieving people who are nice and do good things. The uniqueness of an authentic Christian is their glad willingness to suffer for the sake of others knowing the love of Jesus Christ. The Bible is full of people like this. So, it is time we return to the days when we gladly suffer reproach and persecution in the act of humbly loving and serving others. Why? Becauase the most beautiful Cross-Bearer (Jesus Christ) left us an example when he carried our sins to death that we might be forgiven and have life eternal with him (1 Peter 2:19-21). 

In conclusion, the social pressures to discredit the Bible bark stronger than they bite. Next week we will conclude our series on the personal reasons to believe the Bible. That is, in what way does the Bible engage and persuade our hearts to arrive at strong belief in the Bible?

 

[1] There is even a new apologetic movement in the black community called, “Urban Apologetics.” It addresses the particular objections which come from black culture.

[2] This is a very brief overview. For a more in depth look at this issue see Doug Becker’s article from Emergence Church here: http://www.emergencenj.org/deeper-study/post/slavery-in-the-bible You can also watch Peter Williams’ lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUOsBQYuZ9g

[3] Chattel slavery is so named because people are treated as the chattel (personal property) of the owner and are bought and sold as commodities.

]]>
MLK Jr. and Creative Suffering https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/mlk-jr-and-creative- https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/mlk-jr-and-creative-#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/mlk-jr-and-creative- I had the privilege of reading—once again—the words of Martin Luther King’s forever renowned, “I have a dream…” speech.[1] The sheer beauty of his poetic oratory gave me a glimpse into the African American struggle during the Civil Rights movement, even unto this day. Through his words I could feel the heat of justified anger in their burning hearts, the temptations to drift into the valleys of despair, and the faint echoes of hope ringing in their souls. Here are a few examples:

  • “… millions of negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.”
  • “… the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”
  • “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”
  • “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”
  • “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
  • “Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”
  • “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

It is a remarkable thing that God would use such poetic words as the vehicle of this redemptive moment in human history. Again and again the Lord appoints ordinary men and women to herald the glory of his coming. In fact, King says in the “I have a dream” refrain towards the end, “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope.” Only when our eyes were lifted off our frames of dust and onto the fame of Christ’s glory could we “rise to the majestic heights” of freedom and stand on the “solid rock of brotherhood”.

Yet, one of the most powerful moments in the speech was when he addressed those who had suffered greatly under the hands of oppression and injustice. He says to them, “You have been the veterans of creative suffering.” That last phrase arrested me: “creative suffering”. How can suffering be creative? He mentions different forms of suffering in the sentences prior, but mentions suffering again in the sentence immediately following, “Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.” Though I cannot be absolutely certain what he meant, I cannot help but think he had 1 Peter 2:19-24 in mind, “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

I believe King was calling people’s attention to the “creative suffering” of Christ. Though Christ had “committed no sin”, he suffered for us in order that we might be re-newed, re-deemed, and re-created through the de­-creation of Christ when he suffered for our sins. Through the unearned suffering of Christ, we receive the unearned blessing of grace. Thus, King tells the people to go back to the places where their suffering was endured in the hope that God would use them to re-create a just society through their “unearned suffering”. King says, “Go back to Mississipi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.” The call remains fresh: all remnants of racism and prejudice ought to be met with the power of the “creative suffering” of Christ. This world needs more men and women who have been gripped by the “creative suffering” of our Lord. For only then, can we be free to lay down our lives in love for the sake this world that they might be redeemed by the risen Christ.

 

Footnote

[1] You can read an old manuscript here: https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf I suggest printing it off and reading it with a red pen in hand.

]]>
I had the privilege of reading—once again—the words of Martin Luther King’s forever renowned, “I have a dream…” speech.[1] The sheer beauty of his poetic oratory gave me a glimpse into the African American struggle during the Civil Rights movement, even unto this day. Through his words I could feel the heat of justified anger in their burning hearts, the temptations to drift into the valleys of despair, and the faint echoes of hope ringing in their souls. Here are a few examples:

  • “… millions of negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.”
  • “… the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”
  • “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”
  • “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”
  • “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
  • “Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”
  • “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

It is a remarkable thing that God would use such poetic words as the vehicle of this redemptive moment in human history. Again and again the Lord appoints ordinary men and women to herald the glory of his coming. In fact, King says in the “I have a dream” refrain towards the end, “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope.” Only when our eyes were lifted off our frames of dust and onto the fame of Christ’s glory could we “rise to the majestic heights” of freedom and stand on the “solid rock of brotherhood”.

Yet, one of the most powerful moments in the speech was when he addressed those who had suffered greatly under the hands of oppression and injustice. He says to them, “You have been the veterans of creative suffering.” That last phrase arrested me: “creative suffering”. How can suffering be creative? He mentions different forms of suffering in the sentences prior, but mentions suffering again in the sentence immediately following, “Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.” Though I cannot be absolutely certain what he meant, I cannot help but think he had 1 Peter 2:19-24 in mind, “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

I believe King was calling people’s attention to the “creative suffering” of Christ. Though Christ had “committed no sin”, he suffered for us in order that we might be re-newed, re-deemed, and re-created through the de­-creation of Christ when he suffered for our sins. Through the unearned suffering of Christ, we receive the unearned blessing of grace. Thus, King tells the people to go back to the places where their suffering was endured in the hope that God would use them to re-create a just society through their “unearned suffering”. King says, “Go back to Mississipi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.” The call remains fresh: all remnants of racism and prejudice ought to be met with the power of the “creative suffering” of Christ. This world needs more men and women who have been gripped by the “creative suffering” of our Lord. For only then, can we be free to lay down our lives in love for the sake this world that they might be redeemed by the risen Christ.

 

Footnote

[1] You can read an old manuscript here: https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf I suggest printing it off and reading it with a red pen in hand.

]]>
Can I trust the Bible? - Part 4 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/can-i-trust-the-bible---part-4 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/can-i-trust-the-bible---part-4#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2018 18:00:00 -0500 https://www.churchatbergen.org/blog/post/can-i-trust-the-bible---part-4 We conclude our series on, “How do I know the Bible is the word of God?” Our deepest convictions are held for 3 reasons: rational, social, and personal (“The 3-Legged Stool of Belief”). stoolWe addressed the rational and social reasons for believing the Bible. This week we conclude by addressing the final “leg of belief”: personal reasons.

What are personal reasons?

Nobody arrives at their deep convictions merely for rational reasons alone. We all possess hearts which react emotionally to things. These emotions influence us positively or negatively. For example, you may have deep convictions about living a healthy lifestyle because you understand the arguments about the benefits. But maybe the "tipping point" was an experience you had in which you saw the powerful way healthy choices changed someone’s life. So, the deep conviction is no longer merely rational (i.e. nutritional facts) but your heart has been profoundly affected by something true and real. Similarly, the "tipping point" for arriving at belief in the Word of God is when the heart encounters the God of the Word. 

The "Self-Authentication" of the Bible

Someone can have all the rational and social reasons for believing the Bible, but until they experience the "self-authenticating" power of the Bible their confidence will remain shaky. What is "self-authentication"? In short, it is when the evidence for the trustworthiness of a document can be found within the document. According to the U.S. legal system, a self-authenticating document is "any document that can be admitted into evidence at a trial without proof being submitted to support the claim that the document is what it appears to be."[1] In other words, if I submit an official birth certificate as evidence in court, no one can ask, “How do we know that is really a birth certificate?” This is because the evidence for its reliability is within the document itself. It contains all the qualities of an authentic birth certificate. A self-authenticating document speaks for itself.

The Word of God is self-authenticating because the God of the Word speaks for himself. There is no higher authority than God himself. So, if the Bible is in fact the Word of God, then it speaks for itself because it is God speaking. All of the divine qualities of God's word are seen, felt, and authenticated in the Bible. 

The Bible is “Beautifully True”

Another way to understand this is to think of a time when you encountered a beautiful sunset. You were overwhelmed by the power of its beauty and without any questioning you found yourself saying, “What a beautiful sunset!” Then imagine someone skeptically asking you, “Yeah, but how do you know the sunset is beautiful?” Frankly, you wouldn’t know how to respond other than, “What do you mean? Just look at it! The evidence for its beauty is found in the sunset!” Similarly, the Word of God proves itself as “beautifully true.” That is, the most beautiful Person in the universe speaks with glorious authority through the Bible to your heart. When this happens, you find yourself (similar to the sunset) saying, “What a beautiful God is speaking to me!”

Spiritual Blindness to the Beauty of God

The logical question someone may ask is, “Why don’t I feel that way when I read the Bible?” Most likely it is because your heart and mind are blind to the beauty of God’s word in the Bible. Listen to how Paul the apostle describes this, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) The reason people do not recognize the voice of God in the Bible is because of blindness—spiritual blindness.

So, what must happen for the blindness to be removed? Paul answers this in verse 6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Notice, Paul compares the moment of creation back in Genesis 1, “Let there be light!” to what needs to happen in someone’s heart, “shone in our hearts to give the light... of the glory of Christ.” Another way Paul describes this is “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” (Ephesians 1:18) In order for someone to be fully persuaded of the absolute truthfulness of the Word of God is for the God of the Word to change the heart so that you see the Bible is in fact God speaking.

Tasting the Word

The Bible also compares this moment to when you taste something sweet, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2-3) Notice, the only way for someone to crave the Word of God (“spiritual milk”) in the Bible depends on one thing: “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” The Bible is in fact the Word of God, but if someone does not have “spiritual taste buds”, then it won’t taste sweet to their souls nor convince them of its truthfulness.

So, what now?

In the end, people may find themselves helpless and wondering, "So, what do I do now?" The apostle Peter gives us the best advice, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19) The “prophetic word” is the Bible and Peter says we must “pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” But the transformation that needs to take place in our hearts isn’t up to us; it’s up to God. This is why he tells us to pay attention to the Word of God “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” That is, if you want to see the sunrise of God’s glory in the Bible you must look through the window of the Bible until the sun rises. You can’t see the sunset if you aren’t looking out the window. Keep looking. Christ will come through.

 

Footnotes

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-authenticating_document 

]]>
We conclude our series on, “How do I know the Bible is the word of God?” Our deepest convictions are held for 3 reasons: rational, social, and personal (“The 3-Legged Stool of Belief”). stoolWe addressed the rational and social reasons for believing the Bible. This week we conclude by addressing the final “leg of belief”: personal reasons.

What are personal reasons?

Nobody arrives at their deep convictions merely for rational reasons alone. We all possess hearts which react emotionally to things. These emotions influence us positively or negatively. For example, you may have deep convictions about living a healthy lifestyle because you understand the arguments about the benefits. But maybe the "tipping point" was an experience you had in which you saw the powerful way healthy choices changed someone’s life. So, the deep conviction is no longer merely rational (i.e. nutritional facts) but your heart has been profoundly affected by something true and real. Similarly, the "tipping point" for arriving at belief in the Word of God is when the heart encounters the God of the Word. 

The "Self-Authentication" of the Bible

Someone can have all the rational and social reasons for believing the Bible, but until they experience the "self-authenticating" power of the Bible their confidence will remain shaky. What is "self-authentication"? In short, it is when the evidence for the trustworthiness of a document can be found within the document. According to the U.S. legal system, a self-authenticating document is "any document that can be admitted into evidence at a trial without proof being submitted to support the claim that the document is what it appears to be."[1] In other words, if I submit an official birth certificate as evidence in court, no one can ask, “How do we know that is really a birth certificate?” This is because the evidence for its reliability is within the document itself. It contains all the qualities of an authentic birth certificate. A self-authenticating document speaks for itself.

The Word of God is self-authenticating because the God of the Word speaks for himself. There is no higher authority than God himself. So, if the Bible is in fact the Word of God, then it speaks for itself because it is God speaking. All of the divine qualities of God's word are seen, felt, and authenticated in the Bible. 

The Bible is “Beautifully True”

Another way to understand this is to think of a time when you encountered a beautiful sunset. You were overwhelmed by the power of its beauty and without any questioning you found yourself saying, “What a beautiful sunset!” Then imagine someone skeptically asking you, “Yeah, but how do you know the sunset is beautiful?” Frankly, you wouldn’t know how to respond other than, “What do you mean? Just look at it! The evidence for its beauty is found in the sunset!” Similarly, the Word of God proves itself as “beautifully true.” That is, the most beautiful Person in the universe speaks with glorious authority through the Bible to your heart. When this happens, you find yourself (similar to the sunset) saying, “What a beautiful God is speaking to me!”

Spiritual Blindness to the Beauty of God

The logical question someone may ask is, “Why don’t I feel that way when I read the Bible?” Most likely it is because your heart and mind are blind to the beauty of God’s word in the Bible. Listen to how Paul the apostle describes this, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) The reason people do not recognize the voice of God in the Bible is because of blindness—spiritual blindness.

So, what must happen for the blindness to be removed? Paul answers this in verse 6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Notice, Paul compares the moment of creation back in Genesis 1, “Let there be light!” to what needs to happen in someone’s heart, “shone in our hearts to give the light... of the glory of Christ.” Another way Paul describes this is “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” (Ephesians 1:18) In order for someone to be fully persuaded of the absolute truthfulness of the Word of God is for the God of the Word to change the heart so that you see the Bible is in fact God speaking.

Tasting the Word

The Bible also compares this moment to when you taste something sweet, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2-3) Notice, the only way for someone to crave the Word of God (“spiritual milk”) in the Bible depends on one thing: “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” The Bible is in fact the Word of God, but if someone does not have “spiritual taste buds”, then it won’t taste sweet to their souls nor convince them of its truthfulness.

So, what now?

In the end, people may find themselves helpless and wondering, "So, what do I do now?" The apostle Peter gives us the best advice, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19) The “prophetic word” is the Bible and Peter says we must “pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” But the transformation that needs to take place in our hearts isn’t up to us; it’s up to God. This is why he tells us to pay attention to the Word of God “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” That is, if you want to see the sunrise of God’s glory in the Bible you must look through the window of the Bible until the sun rises. You can’t see the sunset if you aren’t looking out the window. Keep looking. Christ will come through.

 

Footnotes

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-authenticating_document 

]]>