1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”
“Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.”
Have you ever sung the above verse of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and caught yourself thinking more of Ebenezer Scrooge than of the word of God? This is a gorgeous line of poetry, but it only has weight in our lives if we remember what the hymn writer is saying.
In 1 Samuel 7:12, Samuel has just seen God bring great deliverance to his people. After a particular victory over their Philistine foes, Samuel sets up a stone in memory of the fact that God has faithfully protected his people. The point of the stone was to remind the people, every time they saw it, that God has always been faithful in the past and surely will continue to be faithful in the future.
What about you? Do you have an Ebenezer? Can you look back to a point in your life where you have seen God be faithful to you? Have you marked down that place and said, “I know God has been faithful to me here, and I will trust him with my future?” If so, great. If not, think back over your life. Think of a time when God has taken care of you. Mark it down. Remember it. Then, when you find yourself tempted to despair, look back at your marker stone, your Ebenezer, and sing out those glorious lines: “Hither by Thy help I’m come, and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.”
People as Idols?
Have you ever considered the possibility that people in your life could be idols? If they grab your devotion to a point where they supersede God’s commands for you, they may be idols. The more you hunger for the approval of others or protection from their disapproval, the more dangerous is your attachment to those people.
Consider the following thoughts from Ed Welch:
When we think of idols, we usually think first of Baal and other material, man-made creations. Next we might think of money. We rarely picture our spouse, our children, or a friend from school. But people are our idol of choice. They pre-date Baal, money, and power. Like all idols, people are created things, not the Creator (Rom. 1:25), and they do not deserve our worship. They are worshipped because we perceive that they have power to give us something. We think they can bless us. (45)
What is the result of this people-idolatry? As in all idolatry, the idol we choose to worship soon owns us. The object we fear overcomes us. Although insignificant in itself, the idol becomes huge and rules us. It tells us how to think, what to feel, and how to act. It tells us what to wear, it tells us to laugh at the dirty joke, and it tells us to be frightened to death that we might have to get up in front of a group and say something. The whole strategy backfires. We never expect that using people to meet our desires leaves us enslaved to them. (46
Welch, Edward T. When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997.
Church Discipline Needed in the OT (1 Samuel 3:11-13)
1 Samuel 3:11-13
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
There has been in recent years a revival of the understanding of biblical church discipline. Whether it be in national denominations or among smaller groups, Christians have been doing a great deal of talking about and writing about the issue of how churches must be more responsible for those who are members. Groups such as 9 Marks have called Christians to do their part to obey Jesus’ commands in Matthew 18:15-17.
In my own experience, conversations about church discipline are often met with a push back from folks who argue that confronting church members about their sin or even removing them from church membership simply does not work. These folks tell stories of how they know of people who were confronted in their sin and who chose never to again darken the door of the church. I don’t doubt the genuine desire in these people to not “drive away” wayward Christians. However, I do think that a mistake is being made.
In God’s message to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:11-13, we see one aspect of discipline that is often neglected by those who do not want to see churches confronting sinful, wayward members. Eli did not confront his children. He knew of their sin, and he did not confront them, at least not with any consequences for their actions. God responds to Eli’s neglect of discipline by tearing the priesthood away from Eli’s family forever.
Why would God take something away from Eli for the sins of his sons? It makes sense pretty easily. Eli knew of sin in his sons. However, whether it be due to his desire not to upset his sons or out of fear that his actions would not make a difference, Eli did not go far enough to try to put a stop to their evil. Eli did not show that he cared enough about the glory of God to do everything in his power to keep these young men from defaming his worship. And it appears that God is acting in this instance out of a desire to protect his holy name.
It is certainly true that Galatians 6:1 and even Matthew 18:15-17, classic church discipline passages, are focused on the restoration of the believer. But it is also true that discipline in churches is also necessary for the sake of the glory of God and the reputation of the church. When we fail to confront the wayward, we do damage both to the believer and to the local church and the glory of God. If we fail to confront a wayward believer, he or she assumes that his or her actions are acceptable or at least not a big enough deal to rouse the concern of the local congregation. By failing to confront, we build walls of a false privacy around the sinner and offer him or her no real help. On the other hand, failure to confront this believer also shows the community at large that god is not concerned about the sin of his people, and that the church is not at all different than the world around us.
Yes, it is possible that confronting someone with their sin might only serve to drive them further from the church. Yes, it Is possible that confronting someone in their sin might make the church look judgmental to the local community. However, it is also possible that these things will not happen. It is possible that a person may be convicted and that a community might see the high view that the church takes regarding God’s word. Either way, if we are pressed with how to respond, as believers, we should respond with the pattern given us in the word of God. For the sake of the believer and for the glory of God, we should lovingly call one another to turn from sin and follow God with all our hearts.
Thabiti on Race
Thabiti Anyabwile. “BEARING THE IMAGE” in T4G Proclaiming a Cross Centered Theology. Wheaton: Crossway, 2009.
Picture yourself walking into a lunchroom. You enter alone. There are two tables in the lunchroom. The table on your left includes a group of people unlike you, some ethnic other. The table on your right includes a group of people ethnically like you. What would you instinctively do? We gravitate toward those we perceive to be like us. What is the mental calculus behind that gravitation? What are the mental mathematics taking place that lead to that impulse? We enter the room; we look at the two tables with the two groups, and at the speed of thought we calculate “not like me” or “like me.” Then we think, Like me; therefore safe. Like me and safe; therefore, some benefits to be gained. Like me and safe; some benefits to be gained; and therefore the likelihood of some joy and peace from our commonality. There is an opposite calculus going on simultaneously: Not like me; not safe; no benefit to be gained; no joy to share. This happens at the speed of thought for most of us.
When we walk into the lunchroom with differing groups, we want to replace that calculus with this: Descended from Adam—like me. Made in the image of God—like me. Fallen sinners—like me. It’s the emphasis on like me—the heritage we share in Adam—that begins to lay for our feet a bridge to cross over “otherness” (70)
All that we’ve said about our common ancestry in Adam is a resource available to both Christian and non-Christian alike. Our shared ancestry in Adam is a basis and resource for shared identity and understanding apart from our religious background. But for the Christian, there is an even greater basis for unity across ethnic lines and the abandonment of race as a part of our worldview and spiritual life. That basis is our union in Jesus Christ.
When the Christian walks into that lunchroom, she or he sees two groups and thinks, Descended from Adam—like me. Made in the image of God—like me. Fallen sinners—like me. If we find that any of those persons in the lunchroom are Christians, we are able to say, United to Christ—like me. Sharing his Spirit—like me. Received the promises of eternal life and everlasting joy—like me. The Scriptures tell us that in Christ we are given everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). I don’t think escaping the problems of race is an exception. (71)
All of human history is headed to this one reality—a new kingdom of priests, one in Christ, redeemed by his blood, serving the one true and living God. If that’s where we’re headed, why not live more like that now? (79)
Some Insights from a mini-Vacation
This weekend, my wife and I took a night away from the kids. It really felt like a mini-vacation. For today’s blog, I want to share a few things (not necessarily spiritual) about our experience.
Getting away is good – It is funny how much one night away can do to relax parents. I love my kids very much, and really enjoy being around them. I also love my wife very much, and it is very nice to be around her without us needing to watch out for the kids.
Priceline rocks – We decided, on a whim, to see about getting a hotel for our night away. So, the night before, we put in what we thought was a ridiculously low bid of $50 for a four star hotel. Our bid was accepted, and so we were able to stay at a very nice hotel just a few blocks from Busch Stadium. (Also note, nice hotels are good things.)
Ballgames – Sitting in the ballpark actually opens up lots of opportunities for conversation with your spouse.
Bratzels – At the ball park, I ate a bratzel. Imagine a bratwurst wrapped up in a pretzel. This is a good thing, though it does not lend itself to all the traditional bratwurst toppings. So, all-in-all, I am glad I tried a bratzel, but I won’t have it next time.
Sluggies – If you decide to go to the ballpark on Sluggie night, get there early. Fans were lined up for a long time in order to make sure that they got their little Cardinals blankies with sleeves. Sluggies are spiffy, but if it is Sluggie night, get there early.
People’s language surprises me – In the ballpark as well as around the city, I found myself regularly surprised by the constant stream of profanity that flows so freely from the mouths of folks. My time spent so often around Christians made this kind of language really stand out to me. If you are given to the use of foul language, let me say to you that you sound very empty-headed to those who are not accustomed to hearing it. And, Christians, if you do not notice the profanity of the world around you, why not? Are you hearing foul language so much in your entertainment that it no longer gets your attention?
Guys on cell phones at the ballpark can be really annoying – The guy sitting immediately to my right at the game spent three full innings on the phone with a friend who was also in the park. They were trying to see if they could see each other. So, for a full third of the game, I heard this genius saying things like, “No, look at the tarp. I’m in the second section back from the end of the tarp. . . You can’t see me? Oh, did you see where that foul ball landed? I’m one section over from that. . . OK, stand up. No, I don’t’ see you.” For the love of baseball and for fans everywhere, I want to say to anyone tempted to do this, “Watch the game!”
Storms – Our game was delayed at the middle of the sixth inning due to rain. Before the stoppage, we experienced a lot of lightning with accompanying thunder. Thunder sounds really fascinating when you are in a full stadium. Lightning is a better light show than fireworks. But it is creepy when you are in the park and you realize that you’ve been listening to the tornado sirens for the last five minutes. Yep, we were in an open-air stadium with tornado warnings all around us. Oh, and I have discovered that wearing a poncho is better than fighting with an umbrella.
Chipotle is not as good as Qdoba – We went to a Chipotle for lunch. I love big burritos. Qdoba is simply better than Chipotle in every way. Qdoba has better flavor and more options. So, if you want a big burrito, look for the Q.
Linder Chocolate Truffles – We picked up a bag of these little treats at Target. They are yummy.
Well, there you have it. I hope you now feel enlightened.
Comfort, Suffering, and God’s Glory (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
There are many preachers and teachers out there who would try to argue that Christians, as children of God the king, are destined for lives of peace and ease. These prosperity preachers say that Christians will not suffer, and those who do suffer are simply lacking in the faith to claim victory. Such teaching is false, dangerous, disheartening, and in direct contrast to the clear writing of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.
As Paul opens his letter to the church at Corinth, we see a word repeated time and time again. The word “comfort” finds its way into the passage some ten times. The point that Paul is making is simple. God comforts us in our afflictions. Because we are comforted by God in our afflictions, we can then use what we have learned to comfort others who are suffering through similar afflictions. The teaching is not that Christians should expect not to suffer. Rather, the teaching is that Christians who suffer and who experience God’s comfort in their suffering will be equipped to serve others who suffer as well.
A year or so ago, I had the opportunity to experience some of this passage at work in my life. I was born legally blind. I have never had normal vision. God has, however, blessed me with the kinds of technology that I need to make it through life and to serve him as a minister of the gospel. I am very much grateful to God for what he allows me to do in his service. And, on occasion, God will allow me to impact the lives of others who are learning to deal with their own limitations.
As I said, a year or so ago, I encountered a lady who had lost her sight in her struggle with cancer. She found herself discouraged, feeling alone and helpless. While I do not consider myself special in any way, God used me and my experience to offer hope to this lady. In a very real sense, I was allowed to share in the joy of comforting her with the comfort with which I was comforted by God.
What about you? Where have you suffered? Who comforted you? Where have you gone through tough times? Have you ever stopped to think that God may want to equip you to comfort someone else? Perhaps it would do you well to think through the story of how God has comforted you so that you will be ready to share with others more easily.
Are you presently going through a hard time? How is God presently comforting you? Perhaps it would be good for you, instead of praying only that God would get you out of your hardship, to pray that he would comfort you with a comfort you will be able to share with someone else.
It is not God’s plan that his children will never go through hardships. Such a view is childish for how narrow it is. God has never, neither in Scripture nor through church history, made it his top priority to keep his children from ever having to go through hardships. Instead, God has always used our hardships to display his glory and love to the entire world. God is good. It honors him when his children show that he is more than enough for us, regardless of our circumstances.
Submitting to God’s Authority (Titus 1:1a)
Titus 1:1a (ESV)
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
When you get an email, the header usually tells you first of all who the note is from and what the note is concerning. This, of course, helps you to know what to do with the note. If I get a note from my secretary that has as its subject, “Prayer Request,” I know to open the note and pray for the person listed. If I get a note from my wife the subject of which is, “Jewelry,” I know to panic. If I get a note that has a little “fwd:” in the subject, I pretty much delete it on the spot.
In the early first century, people wrote their letters with headings or greetings that were much like the header of an email. The book of Titus is a letter, and the first phrase of it identifies who is sending it.
Paul is a name that we know pretty well. He was originally a Jewish persecutor of the church, was saved after an astounding encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, and is responsible for writing 13 of our New Testament books. Paul traveled the world preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to first Jews and then to mainly gentiles, non-Jewish people.
Paul identifies himself with two interesting phrases. First, Paul calls himself a servant of God. The Greek word here translated servant is a word that literally means slave. Paul knew himself to be a slave of God. God had bought Paul out of his sin and made Paul his own possession. Like a slave, Paul was completely under the authority of god. If God said to Paul, “Go here,” Paul went there. If God told Paul, “Say this,” Paul said it. Paul was under God’s authority, and it was his job to fully obey.
Paul also calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. Literally an apostle is a person who is sent out with the authority of the sender. Not only was Paul under God’s authority, he was also given a mission by Jesus Christ. Jesus both commanded and authorized Paul to go into the world and make disciples.
So, in this first phrase, we see that Paul is both under the authority of God and sent out on mission with the authority of God. Paul is both a slave and an apostle.
How do you respond to authority? Does it bother you to have someone in charge of you? Does it chafe at you to know that you are not the master of your fate and the captain of your soul? It did not seem to bother Paul, and it ought not bother you or me.
Paul called himself God’s slave. Guess what? We are too. You were created by God, which means he has full ownership of you. If you are God’s child, saved by Jesus’ blood, you have been bought by God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The price paid for souls was infinitely high. However, if you are a Christian, God paid that price to himself, by himself, in Christ.
If we are slaves of God, we are under his authority. We are to obey his commands. If God tells us in his word to do something, we are to do it. If God tells us in his word to avoid something, we are to avoid it. If God tells us in his word to believe something, we are to believe it. If God tells us in his word to feel a certain way, we are to battle our emotions until they do exactly what God said.
Paul was also sent out by God on a mission with authority. While we do not have the authority that Paul had to write holy Scripture, we are sent out by God on a mission with authority too.
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus has all authority. He sends his children out with his authority to make the people of the world into his followers.
Grasp this point: Submit to the authority of God. God is in charge. He is the Creator and master. Because God made you, he has the right to tell you what to do. Give into that and follow his authority. If you are not yet a child of God, give into God’s authority by turning from your sin and turning to Jesus Christ. If you are a child of God, you submit to God’s authority by going out, in God’s authority, and calling people to him.
Share Jesus by Sharing God’s Word (John 17:20)
John 17:20
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
John 17 is the glorious prayer of Jesus as he made his way to the garden on the night of his betrayal. After 19 verses of praying, Jesus makes a wonderful statement that should grip each of us who knows him. He is not praying simply for the eleven disciples who are standing with him in the Jerusalem night; he is praying for others. Specifically, he is praying for those who will come to faith in Jesus through the words of the eleven disciples. Jesus was praying for you and me.
When Jesus makes reference to the words of the disciples through which others will come to faith, there is no doubt that he is meaning the future testimony that these men will give. IN just a few short weeks, Peter will boldly stand in Jerusalem and testify to the resurrected Lord Jesus and will see thousands come to faith. But after Peter’s time, thousands upon thousands will come to believe in the Lord Jesus because of something even more significant than the speech of Peter or any of the other disciples. The words of the disciples that bring faith are kept for us, preserved in the word of God.
We all want people to come to know the Lord Jesus. We all want people to be saved. The way that happens, the way that people come to faith in Jesus, is through the word of God. People are saved when someone presents to them the truth about Jesus as it is revealed in the holy Scripture, God opens their hearts, and they believe. People do not come to faith because you are such a good person or because they see you do something right. People are saved when they are convinced by God of the truth of his word.
Now, if it is true that Jesus prays for those who will come to faith because of the word of the disciples, and if it is true that we now carry that word in the Holy Bible, and if it is true that we want people to be saved, it should be obvious what we ought to do. As believers in Jesus, we should be sure to help others to come to know Jesus by presenting them with the truth of God’s word. We should share Jesus, not with gimmicks and clever tricks, but we should share Jesus by sharing the truth found in the Scriptures.
A Simple Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. . .
It’s funny that, though many fuss over what is the gospel, the Bible seems to make it plain. As Paul wraps up his letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them of the content of the gospel, and that content is very simple.
What is the gospel according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4? The gospel is Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and rising from the dead. Now, to grasp the gospel, one must grasp the details behind those elements, but the gospel is simple. Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, is the central character of the gospel. The gospel is not about you or me. The gospel is not about God’s wonderful plan or purpose for our lives. The gospel is about God—both the Father and Son who are one God.
Jesus died for our sins. Again, there is debate or discussion to be had on this element. What does it mean that Jesus died for our sins? Some say one thing, and some another. The simplest and most biblical understanding is that Christ died as a sacrificial substitute for our sins according to the Scriptures. God punished Jesus for the sins of his children. Jesus paid the price for our rebellion against God.
Jesus was buried, really dead, and he was raised from the dead. These are the hopeful elements of the gospel. Jesus did not die as a sacrifice who stayed in the grave. Yes, he was really dead. Yes, he was really entombed. But he also really came out of that tomb, and is really alive today. Jesus rose from the grave, completing his task of redeeming a people for himself. His resurrection points us to the future of all of God’s children. Everyone for whom Christ died has their sins forgiven and their eternity secured in his own eternal life.
These things are the gospel. May we never waiver from it. may we never be confused by it. may we cease to complicate it. May we never adjust it. Let the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ remain of first importance. It is because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that we can live. Apart from that grace, we are doomed.
Duncan on Systemmatics
Have you ever heard someone put down the study of theology? Have you ever heard a church member say that they want preaching instead of teaching? Have you ever heard someone put down doctrine as if doctrine or theology is something for a classroom on a seminary campus and not for the average church member? Perhaps if you have, the following quotes from Ligon Duncan will encourage you to stick with the study and teaching of doctrine, regardless its general popularity.
From: T4G – J. Ligon Duncan III. Proclaiming a Cross Centered Theology. Wheaton: Crossway, 2009.
“I want to convince you that everyone is a systematic theologian (whether they admit it or not—especially those who protest most loudly that they don’t believe in systematic theology). The only question is whether we will be biblical in our systematic theology or make it up as we go along” (19)
“The Bible itself, in the Old Testament and the New, makes clear that doctrine is for living. The study of doctrine is not (or at least ought not to be) an arid, speculative, impractical enterprise. Doctrine is for life! If the truth does not mold the way we live and minister, if it does not inform our speech, our relationships, our prayer, our worship, and our ministry, then the truth has gone bad on us—no matter how true the truth is. Biblical truth is meant to be expressed in our experience and practice, if we truly understand and believe it” (20).
“A wise, old, conservative Jewish professor of mine once told us with a twinkle in his eye, ‘A liberal Protestant, a liberal Catholic, and a liberal Jew can agree on almost everything, because they believe almost nothing!’” (24).
“When a congregation member comes up to you and says, ‘Pastor, tell me, what does the Bible say about angels?’ he doesn’t want a storied narrative. He wants a brief, biblical summarization that takes into account the shape of all the teaching of Scripture on that particular topic. That’s what systematic theology does. You do it all the time as a pastor” (34).
“He is praying specifically that his disciples would understand that he is leaving them and going to the Father, and that they would be built up in the truth of the Word of the Father that he had been speaking to them, so that his joy would be fulfilled in them. Jesus is saying that truth is for joy. Doctrine is for delight, the Lord Jesus says. If you denigrate doctrine, you denigrate what Jesus says is necessary for joy. You are a killjoy if you are against doctrine, because the Lord Jesus says truth is for joy” (39).
“We need to meet this postmodern uncertainty, this postmodern aversion to truth and doctrine, by celebrating truth and doctrine and by unashamedly asserting and declaring theology. I want to urge that your preaching, which ought to be expositional, ought also to be robustly theological. We need to be joyfully and emphatically doctrinal and theological in our ministry. I don’t mean that we ought to bring the vocabulary of the seminary into our pulpits (that’s not what we need to do); but I do mean that we need to bring the substance of the Bible’s theology into our preaching and bring our people into contact with it. We need to see the value of truth, doctrine, and theology, and we need to out-live and out-rejoice and out-die the critics of theology and doctrine” (44).
“Have you ever thought that refutation of false doctrine encourages the brethren? Well, that’s what Luke says. It strikes me as I think of it that the most enduring and edifying legacy of the early post-apostolic church is found in their polemics. When they were arguing against false teaching, they almost always got it right. When they were not, they were theologically hit-or-miss” 948).
“‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’ (John 15:16), Jesus says in the upper room. He is going to die in a matter of hours for the sins of the world, and he is teaching them about election. Why was it so important for Jesus to teach his disciples about election here, that he had chosen them rather than them choosing him? It was important because, as Matthew tells us, they were all going to abandon him that night (Matt. 26:31). Not just Judas, but all of them. If they were going to have one shred of assurance left, it would not be based on the fact that they had chosen him or followed him or remained faithful to him, because everything about their actions that night and the next day would scream into their hearts and consciences that they had no part of him. That is why they had to hear the Master say, ‘Friend, I knew everything in you, I knew all you’d ever done and all you’d ever do, and I chose you anyway. I chose you and nothing can take you away from me.’ The doctrine of election is for assurance. Doctrine is for assurance” (54-55).
